BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices)
A Memo from the Principal
I would like to illustrate a number of things regarding BYOD (bring your own devices). I travelled the school in the last two weeks and talked to students about our rights, responsibilities and privileges regarding technology use in elementary school.
Working together with a team of students we have created the look and started the language for posters to describe our “Eastwood TECHNOrms” these will be delivered after the break and need to be posted in our rooms.
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Our board has a policy that encourages the use of BYOD in schools for educational reasons.
- We encourage students to use tech to engage in safe and appropriate communication and learning.
- You as the teacher have the final say for the use of these in classrooms. BYOD is a great way to engage in learning, questioning, polling, communicating and microblogging (twitter).
- Students do use texting as a form of communication during their nutrition breaks and recesses. If you feel there is something inappropriate happening you have our support in being sure the students are being appropriate and maintaining our trust. If you feel you need further clarification from the student please use discretion and the support of administration to help.
- Cellphone use is not encouraged or allowed unless you are standing beside the student before during and after the phone call and they have asked your permission to do so for appropriate school related reasons. The office must be aware of phone calls made to a students home by a student.
- Students engaging in online teasing, bullying and inappropriate use of technology must be brought to the attention of administration
- As adults we always model and teach positive and appropriate online citizenship. It is incumbent upon us to explicitly teach online behaviours, pitfalls, do’s and don’ts through our literacy block and media literacy activities. These lessons cannot be avoided, dismissed or ignored.
- If a student has not put their device away when asked it is appropriate for you to ask for the device and then it be returned at the end of the lesson.
- If a student chooses not to turn it over please bring this to the attention of administration at your next free moment. We are here to support you.
Opportunities for learning from the use of BYODs and the behaviours around them are an essential part of our work as educators in the 21st century. If these items are banned or ignored who else (and when) will we teach our kids that taking pictures at a funeral is inappropriate or sending inappropriate images of yourself to a boyfriend will come back to haunt you? If you require assistance in these lessons you can find excellent sources at:
The Ontario College of Teachers: Professional Advisory use of Electronic Communication and Social Media.
http://professionallyspeaking.oct.ca/march_2012/features/tech_class.aspx?lang=en-CA
Or these recent and timely resources below:
There are literally millions of resources to be used that could harness the power of web 2.0 and social media. There are a number of teachers that are successfully experimenting and implementing web 2.0 stuff. Ask me for details.
(I will post the Poster ASAP)
Great post, James! I am eager to come by and see this in action. I like that your students voice comes through in this. We need to keep spreading this message throughout our system and it is great to have such a strong advocate. Respect to your leadership and the work of your staff and students.