**Digitally Aided Education, Using the Student's Own Electronic Gear
By: Matt Richtel
My Comments
District Shifts in Thought
"Schools are hoping there is going to be a for-free solution because they don't have any money"
Doubts of Educators
Schools that used to post "no cellphone policies" are now posting "BYOT" signs outside of the building.
BYOD is the simplest way to access current learning apps.
BYOD is the initiative that saves money for districts
Is it the best solution for a "quick budget fix"?
There is no evidence for enhance learning when a class full of students are all using different technology.
BYOT is like bringing your homework for students.
Students can text friends more easily but they are too busy with their work on their devices to do so.
Poorer students not having access to devices or poor-quality devices.
Teaching through apps allows for differentiation and deepening of knowledge.
Devices of many different kinds are not a handicap for students because they are using the same lessons on the internet.
Different devices could cause issues when accessing lessons.
Will student devices replace the role of the teacher?
The internet is the great equalizer in education.
There is great information from districts who have shifted to BYOD in this article.
I am still skeptical about the lesson plan portion of this article. I have first hand experience with lessons on the internet not working on chromebooks versus my district owned MacBook.
I think using phones would be great in the appropriate setting but it does open the door for texting and social media during school hours which is against many district policies.
To formulate more of an opinion, I would love to tour and learn from districts that are actually using this BYOD initiative.
I still have many questions about BYOD that this article didn't address specifically. For instance, what does the district do when student tech doesn't work? Do these districts have IT support for student devices?