Bring Your Own Device in Schools

This pathfinder will provide resources about Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies in schools, including information about how BYOD is effecting students and student learning, how schools are implementing policies regarding BYOD and what are the challenges in creating a BYOD policy in your school.

• Is having a BYOD school beneficial to student learning?
• What are the challenges in creating a BYOD policy?
• What will being a BYOD school mean in terms of money and time?
• How do I determine if this is the right decision for my school or classroom?

• Chadband, E. (2012, July 19). Should schools embrace “bring your own device”? National Education Association. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2012/07/19/should-schools-embrace-bring-your-owndevice/
  

This article looks at the potential positives and negatives when creating a BYOD school including examples about successful districts and concerns over cyber bullying and the necessity of professional development.

• Hower, A., & Whitford, T. (2015). To BYOD or not to BYOD?. Reading Today, 32(4), 16-17.

This article provides perspectives from two different teachers one for BYOD in schools, Aileen Hoover and one against BYOD Tom Whitford. Both provide excellent arguments. Hoover argues that BYOD creates a more engaged learning environment with a multitude of resources available. Whitford argues that by allowing BYOD teachers will be forced to act as a help desk for tech issues during class and their can be inequality between students as not all devices are created equal and not everyone has a device to begin with.

• Stager, G. (2011, October 8). BYOD – Worst Idea of the 21st Century? Retrieved June 13, 2015, from http://stager.tv/blog/?p=2397
  

A blog post from Gary Stager states what he sees as the negatives of BYOD including unequal access to devices at home and less support for public education.

• Students discuss pros and cons of BYOD initiative at high school. Lincoln Journal. (2013, April 4). Retrieved June 15, 2015, from http://www.lincolnjournalonline.com/news/2013-04-04/Front_Page/Students_discuss_pros_and_cons_of_BYOD_initiative_.html

This article provides students' views on what they see as the positive and negatives of a BYOD policy.

• Adams, H. h. (2012). Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Equitable Access to Technology. School Library Monthly, 28(8), 25-26.

This article addresses concerns about not all children having access to a device to bring to school and how to allow those children equal access without punishing the students who do have a device.

• Bruder, P. (2014). GADGETS GO TO SCHOOL: The Benefits and Risks of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Education Digest, 80(3), 15-18.

This article provides some general information including some issues that may be present in your district. Also, there is some great information about starting a BYOD policy including a checklist and changes in the curriculum .

• FREDRICK, K. k. (2015). BYOD and 1:1--Living the Mobile Life. School Library Monthly, 31(5), 24-26.

This article looks at steps that need to be taken when creating a BYOD school including issues network accessibility, increased bandwidth, and making sure that students have equal access to devices. The article also looks at how school librarians can support a BYOD school including making online collections and increasing your technology skills.

• Price, S. (2014). BYOD? [BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE]. Teaching Tolerance, (48), 26.
  

Price addresses a large misconceptions about BYOD policies. The policies are seen as a way of saving money but still providing each student with a device. However, Price highlights that there are some additional costs in creating a BYOD school including potential upgrades to the network and other infrastructure to accommodate the increased traffic, teacher training, and revision of the curriculum.

• Raths, D. (2012). Are You Ready for BYOD?. T.H.E. Journal, 39(4), 28-32.
  

This article has four districts that implemented a BYOD policy provide advice including the key to BYOD readiness and not questions to ask vendors.

• Schaffhauser, D. (2014). ARE CELL PHONE BANS WORTH THE TROUBLE? (Cover story). T H E Journal, 41(9), 12-17.

The article looks at cell phones policies in BYOD and 1-to-1 schools. There is also information about the positive and negatives of cell phones and other concerns about BYOD.

• Sheninger, Eric. "BYOT: An Idea Whose Time Has Come." SmartBlogs on Education. N.p., 5 July 2012. Web. 13 June 2015. http://smartblogs .com/education/ 2012/07/05/byotan-idea-whosetime-come

This blog post was written by Eric Sheninger the Principal at New Milford High School in New Jersey, which has a successful BYOD policy. It also includes a list of components necessary for a successful BYOD policy.

• Deputy, H. (2015). We're Letting Them Bring What?. Education Digest, 80(6), 30-34.

This article examines the pitfalls and ultimate success in a teachers implementing a BYOD policy for her English class.

• Falloon, G. (2015). What's the difference? Learning collaboratively using iPads in conventional classrooms. Computers & Education,8462-77. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.01.010

This article looked at primary school children in New Zealand using iPads to collaborate and learn. The article provides data including student responses to what made the collaborating easier. There were other apps used with the iPads including Google Docs.

• Ray, M. (2013). BYO WHAT?. Library Media Connection, 31(4), 8-10.

The Vancouver Public School District answers Frequently Asked Questions about their BYOD policy.

• Song, Y. (2014). “Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)” for seamless science inquiry in a primary school. Computers & Education, 7450-60. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2014.01.005

This article looks at how allowing students to bring their own device promoted student learning in a grade six Hong Kong science class. The article provides detailed information about how students utilized their devices during inquiry-based learning about fish in science. There is also a survey that the students filled out about their perception of BYOD and how it affected them learning.

• St. George, D. (2014, September 14). School districts moving toward 'Bring Your Own Device' practices to increase technology in classrooms. Retrieved June 13, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/stem/schools-move-toward-bring-your-own-device-practices-to-boost-student-tech-use/2014/09/14/4d1e3232-393e-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html
  

This article from the Washington Post looks at the Montgomery County School District in Maryland's BYOD policy in the classroom including what activities were being done and how they balancing student's lack of devices.

Search Terms

• Bring Your Own Device
• BYOD
  
• Bring Your Own Technology
• BYOT
• 1-to-1

• Eric Sheniger
• Gary Stenger

• BYOD Bolicy Examples: Provides links to different school's policy regarding BYOD.
• BYOT Policy Examples: Provides information about 11 school's different BYOT policies.
• NewTech Network BYOT Pinterest Page: NowTech Network works with school's to create innovative classrooms and their pinterest board for BYOT has some great resources.
• Eric Sheniger's BYOD Pinterest Board: Eric Sheniger is a principal in a BYOD school and has compiled a great selection of resources.
• BYOD Toolkit: provides information to help evaluate whether or not to start a BYOD in your classroom or school.
• BYOD Tool Chest: Provides a list of 51 apps that can be used in schools.
• BYOD Tools: Provides a list of apps that can be utilized in a school.
• Web 2.0 Resources for BYOT Programs: Provides a list of web resources that can be used in a school, the resources are broken down by topic.
• BYOT Resources: A list of 20 resources with information related to BYOT.
• BYOD Resources: A list of 20 resources with information related to BYOD.
• Lesson Ideas for BYOD: 10 ways to incorporated devices into a lesson plan.