My school has a fleet of 60 iPads for use by students and while this might be seen as an amazing opportunity (it could be!), my experience with these iPads has made me a proponent of BYOD policies. Because of FOIPPA restrictions, staffing shortages and union and district policy, the iPads spend most of the school year in the technician's office behind lock and key. My class' scheduled turn with the iPads went from 8 weeks to 4 weeks due to an unfortunate combination of the above. 4 weeks with iPads for K-2 students is barely enough time to get over the novelty and get into quality learning projects. To top off these frustrations, the apps which were installed for my class are limited by the district approval list, the school budget and the time of the technician. Despite the robust list of requested apps I submitted, only a small selection were installed. There are so many amazing apps to choose from and it is frustrating that they are not available to our learning community due to FOIPPA, district policy, union policy (which prevents anyone except the technician who works at 3 schools to install them) and budget restrictions. Like the SmartBoard slated for my classroom which sits in storage under the school stage, I'm wondering what is the point of having these iPads if we can't make use of their educational potential. It seems to me that our educational system is not designed to support learning with modern mobile devices.
And yet almost all of my K-2 students use mobile devices to support their learning at home. Some have access to a family iPad, some have their own mini tablet (phablet) and some use their parents' phones to access apps. Parents often ask me to recommend apps that support the development of specific skills (reading, math, etc).*It should be noted that the program my students attend is a blended program: students learn at home 2 days a week and at school 3 days a week. A big part of my job, therefore, is to support parents in their facilitation of home learning.
While some families see apps as the solution to the world's problems, I try to share my opinion that educational apps are one tool to support learning but that "the real magic rests in the hearts and minds of teachers who use digital tools to introduce students to new individuals, ideas and opportunities" (see photo below). With the intention of supporting parents support learning, I often recommend TeachThought as a place to go when searching for meaningful apps. Their lists are usually inspiring, up-to-date and well-vetted.
My solution to my iPad woes is BYOD. While it discourages me to see teenagers glued to their phones during recess time, I think a new responsibility for educators is to teach digital citizenship: this includes digital literacy, device moderation (balance) and ways to use tech tools to inspire the real magic to which Ferriter refers (below).
I need to look into the reality of this idea but right now I'm thinking that it would be best for our program to implement a BYOD policy. Considerations include a thorough parental consent form, app selection, insurance policy understanding in the case of damage and/or theft, equity and boundaries around device use. (As a solution to the equity question, I would suggest lending or selling (well below cost) our present school iPads to famillies who cannot afford one on their own.) One of the most important pieces to consider is teacher education around using tech tools. It is not enough to just have apps and devices available. Teachers need to learn how to use them effectively to support learning.
And yet almost all of my K-2 students use mobile devices to support their learning at home. Some have access to a family iPad, some have their own mini tablet (phablet) and some use their parents' phones to access apps. Parents often ask me to recommend apps that support the development of specific skills (reading, math, etc).*It should be noted that the program my students attend is a blended program: students learn at home 2 days a week and at school 3 days a week. A big part of my job, therefore, is to support parents in their facilitation of home learning.
While some families see apps as the solution to the world's problems, I try to share my opinion that educational apps are one tool to support learning but that "the real magic rests in the hearts and minds of teachers who use digital tools to introduce students to new individuals, ideas and opportunities" (see photo below). With the intention of supporting parents support learning, I often recommend TeachThought as a place to go when searching for meaningful apps. Their lists are usually inspiring, up-to-date and well-vetted.
My solution to my iPad woes is BYOD. While it discourages me to see teenagers glued to their phones during recess time, I think a new responsibility for educators is to teach digital citizenship: this includes digital literacy, device moderation (balance) and ways to use tech tools to inspire the real magic to which Ferriter refers (below).
I need to look into the reality of this idea but right now I'm thinking that it would be best for our program to implement a BYOD policy. Considerations include a thorough parental consent form, app selection, insurance policy understanding in the case of damage and/or theft, equity and boundaries around device use. (As a solution to the equity question, I would suggest lending or selling (well below cost) our present school iPads to famillies who cannot afford one on their own.) One of the most important pieces to consider is teacher education around using tech tools. It is not enough to just have apps and devices available. Teachers need to learn how to use them effectively to support learning.
References:
Ferriter, William M. Real Magic. Photo retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/plugusin/5333410499/sizes/m/in/set-72157625087347140/
TeachThought (2013). 55 Best Free Educational Apps for the iPad. Retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://www.teachthought.com/apps-2/the-55-best-best-free-education-apps-for-ipad/
Ferriter, William M. Real Magic. Photo retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/plugusin/5333410499/sizes/m/in/set-72157625087347140/
TeachThought (2013). 55 Best Free Educational Apps for the iPad. Retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://www.teachthought.com/apps-2/the-55-best-best-free-education-apps-for-ipad/