In April of 2014, the SSPI of California challenged schools to with the statement “no child left offline” and that all students and teachers would have access to a electronic device that would connect them to the internet. How in the world can this happen many ask. One possible solution is BYOD. For some that is BYO-What? Let me explain.
Over the past few months I have participated in several organized cycling events. Think people riding bikes for a common cause (no ‘b’ does not = bikes). One was to raise money for diabetes in Solano County and the other was for a similar cause and took us all the way around Lake Tahoe called Tour de Tahoe. In both events, a group of people got together and rode for a cause, for fitness and for fun. It was an organized time on the roads with mutual respect for the cars that were also on the roads. At the end of the day we all celebrated a time well spent, soreness and shared stories of the day.
BYOD or Bring your own device relating to schools and electronic devices is a very similar exercise or experience. BYOD is about the experience and not about the device. There were expensive and cheap bikes, and there was also people with lots of experience and some who looked like they just jumped on their bikes. Like in the BYOD experience, those who are novice have a harder time sometimes than those who are “inshape” but other than a note at registration, there were no announcement on “how to get around the lake”, “how to ride a bike”, “how to put your helmet on”, etc. Everyone knew they were going around the lake and that was all that was thought of it. There was minor “scaffolding” for those who wanted a shorter route and took a shuttle to the midway about 2 hrs after everyone else left, but all finished together and celebrated as they did!
BYOD in education is bringing something that lets you access the electronic world. BYOD in the cycling event was our bicycle. Just as was the case riding around Lake Tahoe, the devices vary like the bicycles do. As was mentioned, some bikes were very expensive and some were not. Some even were built different, in a sitting up fashion, tandem, or even the gentlemen who “pedaled" the around the lake with his arms instead of his legs. An important link with that was he had a partner who rode with him to make sure he was seen the whole way since he was only about 6 inches off the road surface. BYOD works best when you have a friend! One Difference though is that for equity sake there should have been bikes to borrow for those that didn’t have any if it were to be a real mirror to what is needed in schools. If students don’t have a device, they need to be able to check one out like we used to check our biology books in 10th grade but put those paper bag covers on them because if they get messed up we will have to pay for them just like all of us did when we borrowed them!
Finally, this experience was successful because it was organized in that it was coordinated. Everyone knew the cyclists would be out there. There were rest stops and SAG (or Support and Gear) vehicles to help give worn out cyclists a ride when needed. BYOD in schools does the same thing when there is solid wifi or connections, good solid policy to keep everyone safe and allow students and educators to complete their tasks and Communicate, Create, and collaborate like they do when they are outside the doors of their school.
Looking back on these events, the same things made them successful as what make BYOD in schools successful. Organization and planning kept us all safe. Support (and SAG/Scaffolding) helped everyone finish. And it finally remember it is about the journey, not the device and the journey or trip around the lake is always more fun and safer with a friend.
What is your BYOD story?
