Curriculum Chat

Making BYOD Work in Schools

During this chat, our guests discussed their experiences implementing BYOD (bring-your-own-device) policies in schools, addressed BYOD's advantages and challenges, and walked through ways to ensure that the strategy does not put some students at a disadvantage.

Making BYOD Work in Schools

Sponsored by:

Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, 2 to 3 p.m. ET.
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Making BYOD Work in Schools

(02/15/2013)

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8:55

Bryan Toporek:
Good morning and welcome to today’s free chat, “Making BYOD Work in Schools,” sponsored by AT&T. I’ve just opened the chat for questions, so please start submitting any you have below.

We’ll be back at 2 p.m. ET with Tim Clark and Todd Yohey. Hope you can join us!

Friday February 15, 2013 8:55 Bryan Toporek

1:51

Bryan Toporek:
Thanks for joining us today, folks. We’ll be underway with our free chat, “Making BYOD Work in Schools,” in just a few minutes.

In the meantime, keep submitting your questions below!

Friday February 15, 2013 1:51 Bryan Toporek

1:59

Bryan Toporek:
Alright, let’s get started with today’s chat, Making BYOD Work in Schools, sponsored by AT&T. I’m handing the chat over to our moderator for the day, Katie Ash.

Take it away, Katie!

Friday February 15, 2013 1:59 Bryan Toporek

1:59

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Thanks, Bryan!

Friday February 15, 2013 1:59 Moderator: Katie Ash

1:59

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Welcome everyone to our chat today about how to make bring your own device policies work in schools.

Friday February 15, 2013 1:59 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:00

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’d like to start by asking our two guests - Todd Yohey and Tim Clark - to please introduce themselves.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:00 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:00

Todd Yohey:
Good afternoon everyone. My name is Todd Yohey and I am the superintendent of schools for the Oak Hills Local School District. Oak Hills is a suburban school district on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio. We have an enrollment of 8,200 students. Our high school houses grades 9-12 with an enrollment close to 3,000 students.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:00 Todd Yohey

2:00

Tim Clark:
Good afternoon! My name is Tim Clark, and I’m the Coordinator of Instructional Technology for Forsyth County Schools, Georgia. I maintain a blog about BYOT at http://byotnetwork.com/ and I’m also a co-moderator of #byotchat (http://www.byotchat.com/) in Twitter.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:00 Tim Clark

2:00

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Fantastic! We have lots of great questions rolling in from our audience, so let’s jump right in.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:00 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:01

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
How dos the teacher address teaching to the lowest common format in diverse districts?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:01 Guest

2:01

Moderator: Katie Ash:
The question of equity in bring your own device programs always comes up when BYOD is mentioned. How are you dealing with that issue in your districts, Todd and Tim?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:01 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:02

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Also, if you would like to provide more background on the BYOD policies in your districts, please do.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:02 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:02

Todd Yohey:
The goal of the district should be an infrastructure that supports any device. We supply devices at school to those without.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:02 Todd Yohey

2:03

Tim Clark:
We realize that not every student has a device, and we have implemented a BYOT Equity Task Force to learn more about the issue. We have noticed that students without devices have greater access to school resources when students with their own devices begin bringing theirs to school. We are working with our community to provide more online access http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/wifi .

Friday February 15, 2013 2:03 Tim Clark

2:03

Todd Yohey:
We also work with a local vendor to provide low cost refurbished devices to families. If they only need to access the internet it does not take much.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:03 Todd Yohey

2:04

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Great. Here’s another question from Gloria -

Friday February 15, 2013 2:04 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:04

[Comment From GloriaGloria: ]
If students bring their own techs to class, how do you address the inconsistencies in what they’re using (iPads vs Android or other tablet systems)? Do we then just make the kids buy one specific system to avoid hassle of trying to figure out how to use all the different systems out there?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:04 Gloria

2:04

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Is it difficult to make use of a variety of different devices and operating systems?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:04 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:05

Todd Yohey:
Gloria; I would not suggest requiring the same device. That is not the world. Computing and eLearning has become a very personal activity. Some students prefer smaller devices, such as smart phones, some tablets, and some laptops. Our goal is anytime, anywhere, any device.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:05 Todd Yohey

2:05

Tim Clark:
Hi Gloria, we focus on the instruction in the classroom and not so much on the technology. We encourage the students to bring in their own devices to class and teachers and students work together to learn new ways to research and show what they’ve learned.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:05 Tim Clark

2:06

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s a question from David -

Friday February 15, 2013 2:06 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:06

[Comment From David AkridgeDavid Akridge: ]
Are your districts using SmartPhones as an acceptable device? If so, what types of learning activities are they being used for?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:06 David Akridge

2:06

Moderator: Katie Ash:
How are the devices being used?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:06 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:07

Tim Clark:
The good thing about BYOT (We call it Bring Your Own Technology in our district) is that it creates the need for more collaboration and differentiation because of the different devices.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:07 Tim Clark

2:08

Todd Yohey:
Hi David. Yes, we encourage smart phone use because that is how most of our students are accessing information and communicating. I agree with Tim. it is all about collaboration to make each learning experience unique.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:08 Todd Yohey

2:08

[Comment From Kelly BarnesKelly Barnes: ]
Can you talk a little bit about the policies you currently have in place for BYOD?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:08 Kelly Barnes

2:08

Tim Clark:
Hi David, smartphones are used for student response (We use an app called Socrative); research; creating projects; taking pictures; maintaining a calendar; taking notes; etc. If students need to use a laptop in the classroom, they use the schools or collaborate with a peer.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:08 Tim Clark

2:09

Moderator: Katie Ash:
What changes in policy did your districts encounter when deciding to allow students to bring their devices to school?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:09 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:09

Todd Yohey:
We simplified our AUP and it is posted on our website portal ohlsd.org. Many school districts have requested it and we are happy to share.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:09 Todd Yohey

2:10

Todd Yohey:
We had to change our “no cellphone” policy.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:10 Todd Yohey

2:10

Tim Clark:
Here is a link to information about our BYOT Policy http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/byotpolicy. We are moving from an Acceptable Use Policy to a Responsible Use Procedure. We want online safety to be taught in the context of the day-to-day learning.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:10 Tim Clark

2:10

Todd Yohey:
Same here.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:10 Todd Yohey

2:11

Todd Yohey:
Use of technology needs to become part of our DNA.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:11 Todd Yohey

2:11

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s a question about the network itself -

Friday February 15, 2013 2:11 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:11

[Comment From Dan ForemanDan Foreman: ]
How do you control which devices have access to your network? For example what processes do you have in place for registering a device on your network and what do you do with a device that is unregistered/unrecognized? What security measures do you have in place to protect the network?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:11 Dan Foreman

2:12

Todd Yohey:
Students can access our school network (filtered). However, they also have access to their own carrier’s network if parents have provided that for them.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:12 Todd Yohey

2:13

Tim Clark:
Our BYOT wifi network works much like in a coffee shop, Dan. It is filtered Internet access that is on a separate VLAN. Students and teachers do not have to sign in to use it. More technical information can be found at www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/byotfaqs.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:13 Tim Clark

2:13

Todd Yohey:
We have significantly opened access for our students.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:13 Todd Yohey

2:14

Moderator: Katie Ash:
That of course leads to the question....

Friday February 15, 2013 2:14 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:14

[Comment From DarylDaryl: ]
Will this make it harder for teachers and staff to monitor what websites students are accessing and ensuring that the material is appropriate? School computers have filters and blockers, but how would this work with BYOD?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:14 Daryl

2:14

Tim Clark:
Currently, we are requiring our students to use our filtered BYOT wifi when they use their devices at school, but that may change as we evolve to fit the needs of our students.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:14 Tim Clark

2:15

Todd Yohey:
Daryl this does become a classroom management issue. However, if students are using devices for their own learning, they tend to follow rules since not doing so may lead to losing access.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:15 Todd Yohey

2:16

[Comment From Mike LombardoMike Lombardo: ]
What type of professional development have you provided teachers regarding BYOD?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:16 Mike Lombardo

2:16

Todd Yohey:
In three years at our 3,000 student high school, we have had very few inappropriate use of devices.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:16 Todd Yohey

2:16

Tim Clark:
High expectations for technology use are essential to building a classroom community that supports BYOT.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:16 Tim Clark

2:17

Todd Yohey:
We utilize a district team of teachers (eLearning Consultants) and students (eKids) who provide most our our PD.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:17 Todd Yohey

2:17

Tim Clark:
I should add that we have 36 schools and approximately 40,000 students, and we are implementing BYOT in all of our schools...

Friday February 15, 2013 2:17 Tim Clark

2:18

Tim Clark:
...We have an Instructional Technology Specialist and a Media Specialist (part of the Instructional Technology Department) at every school. They providing on-going professional learning and support for teachers.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:18 Tim Clark

2:19

[Comment From Mike DillonMike Dillon: ]
Todd... could tell us more about eKids? It sounds like a really cool idea and a great way to tap an often under-utilized resource--namely, the students themselves... :)

Friday February 15, 2013 2:19 Mike Dillon

2:19

Todd Yohey:
We have an eLearning Director.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:19 Todd Yohey

2:19

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’d like to know more about that too!

Friday February 15, 2013 2:19 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:20

Todd Yohey:
Mike:

We have approximately 80 students grades 6-12 who serve in the eKids program. It is a for credit class beginning in 8th grade. Students learn new technologies and then train our teachers and students. They also assist our teachers with tech integration.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:20 Todd Yohey

2:21

Todd Yohey:
Teachers of eKids use the Gen YES curriculum.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:21 Todd Yohey

2:21

Tim Clark:
The students also provide tech support to their teachers and classmates, too. They often recommend new tools and strategies for learning with their own technology devices.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:21 Tim Clark

2:22

Todd Yohey:
We depend on our students a lot!

Friday February 15, 2013 2:22 Todd Yohey

2:22

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s a question from Neil

Friday February 15, 2013 2:22 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:22

[Comment From NeilNeil: ]
What age group are we speaking to here? How do we ensure easy access to phonecams and internet does not lead to potentially humiliating internet disasters when young people who have yet to fully develop their best judgement decide to use your classroom to publicly humiliate a classmate online? Kids lack the responsibility and necessary judgement at times especially in their adolescent years.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:22 Neil

2:23

Moderator: Katie Ash:
What grade levels are allowed to bring devices? Should there be different policies to address students specific grade levels?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:23 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:24

Tim Clark:
We implement BYOT with all of our students in grades K-12, Neil. Before BYOT, many students had to learn how to use their technology without support. These are the same devices that students have previously made mistakes with as they have established their own norms and practices for how they should be used...

Friday February 15, 2013 2:24 Tim Clark

2:24

Tim Clark:
...Because students are now bringing their own technology, we are able to help guide them in the appropriate and responsible uses for their devices. We can also teach them how to question the accuracy of information and to solve problems. We want them to develop great digital footprints!

Friday February 15, 2013 2:24 Tim Clark

2:24

Todd Yohey:
We implemented first in high school, now middle school, and our elementary teacher and parents are shouting for BYOD. The issue you describe can happen with or without technology and at school or at home. That is a character ed issue that should be addressed as it happens. We do require elementary students to earn a Digital Passport.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:24 Todd Yohey

2:25

Todd Yohey:
Tim makes a great point. Appropriate use needs to be taught. The earlier the better.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:25 Todd Yohey

2:25

Moderator: Katie Ash:
We have had several people ask about bandwidth....

Friday February 15, 2013 2:25 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:26

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
What sort of bandwidth increases did you see once you implemented BYOD?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:26 Guest

2:27

Todd Yohey:
Instead of putting all of our resources into purchasing devices, we instead built an infrastructure to support our tech needs. We increased bandwidth and access points to create a wireless campus.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:27 Todd Yohey

2:29

Tim Clark:
Like Todd, we also invested in infrastructure early in the process of going to BYOT. After 4 years in use, the district has upgraded that infrastructure to the 802.11N protocol. During the summer of 2011, FCS did upgrade Internet access to a total of 1.25 Mbps.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:29 Tim Clark

2:30

Todd Yohey:
We use the public cloud as much as possible. We do have a private cloud utilizing VMware that allows students and staff to access all of our programs at home or elsewhere. Tim is the hardware expert. I cannot provide those details for our system.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:30 Todd Yohey

2:30

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s another question about how to prepare and support the tech. infrastructure.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:30 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:30

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
What changes have been made in the work of the team(s) that has been supporting desktops and servers as a result of BYOT(B)?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:30 Guest

2:30

Tim Clark:
Honestly, I’m not a hardware expert at all. I’m copying from our BYOT FAQs, Todd! :-) http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/byotfaqs

Friday February 15, 2013 2:30 Tim Clark

2:31

Todd Yohey:
We made the decision to outsource all of our technology support for several reasons. Saved major $$ which we used to advance our BYOD program.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:31 Todd Yohey

2:33

Tim Clark:
Our technical teams do not manage student devices. However, our school technology is being used more than ever because of BYOT, so we still need to keep that equipment working effectively.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:33 Tim Clark

2:33

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Many districts are moving resources into the cloud to save money and time. Here’s an EdWeek article about just that subject!
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2013/02/06/02cloud.h06.html

Friday February 15, 2013 2:33 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:33

Moderator: Katie Ash:
A couple of people wanted to loop back to something Todd mentioned -

Friday February 15, 2013 2:33 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:33

[Comment From KrisKris: ]
How do you earn a digital passport?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:33 Kris

2:34

Tim Clark:
One difference is we are now investing in online tools and solutions that work across multiple devices and platforms instead of purchasing software that needs to be downloaded to a device.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:34 Tim Clark

2:34

Todd Yohey:
Students and parents have to complete a set of digital tasks, including topics such as digital footprint, privacy, online behavior, etc.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:34 Todd Yohey

2:35

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Here’s another question about classroom management.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:35 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:36

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
Is it perfectly alright to have students listen to ipod in one ear if indeed it may allow for their extended attention to a task?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:36 Guest

2:37

Tim Clark:
The expectations for how and when students use their technology is up to the teacher in that classroom community and school. Many teachers begin BYOT trying to manage devices but gradually begin to give up more control to students. An ear bud in one ear is often OK to many teachers depending on the task at hand.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:37 Tim Clark

2:37

Moderator: Katie Ash:
It sounds like there’s a real culture shift that happens when BYOD is adopted.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:37 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:37

Todd Yohey:
My daughter who graduated as valedictorian not only listened to her iPod, but texted, watched TV, and read a book......all at the same time. Some can...some cannot. The bigger question is can the teacher handle it?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:37 Todd Yohey

2:38

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Were teachers on board with these policies before they were implemented, or did you meet resistance from them?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:38 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:39

Todd Yohey:
Our first step in BYOD was to engage our community. I recommend that for everyone. You might be surprised by how your community reacts. In Oak Hills, they responded with a resounding “It’s about time!”

Friday February 15, 2013 2:39 Todd Yohey

2:39

Tim Clark:
It is a big culture shift for the teachers, Katie, but many teachers say that they have transformed their classrooms and teaching styles because of BYOT.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:39 Tim Clark

2:40

Todd Yohey:
Katie: Like with any change you have early adaptors and those who take a little longer but the beauty is that this change is driven by students.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:40 Todd Yohey

2:40

Tim Clark:
Many teachers say that BYOT is so much easier than other technology initiatives because they aren’t expected to know all of the software and tools. They can honestly say “I don’t know” and learn alongside their students.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:40 Tim Clark

2:41

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Let’s talk about devices and assessment.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:41 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:41

[Comment From HelenHelen: ]
Do you use any common online assessments in your district? The PARCC test will require devices with certain size, operating system, and processor speed requirements. Does this enter into your plans for providing other technology resources in your schools?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:41 Helen

2:41

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’m curious about whether the devices are integrating into formative assessments as well.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:41 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:42

Todd Yohey:
Ohio is a PARCC state and we are currently assessing our technology against the specs we have been given. I do not believe smart phones or mini tablets will work.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:42 Todd Yohey

2:42

Tim Clark:
We are not currently planning on implementing official online assessments on student-owned devices. I think that depends on how the technology for the PARCC develops.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:42 Tim Clark

2:43

Todd Yohey:
Many of our teachers do ask students to use their devices for formative assessments. The easy example is to use your smart phone as clicker to answer questions posed by the teacher. Immediate feedback.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:43 Todd Yohey

2:44

Tim Clark:
We also use BYOT for formative assessments using student devices, Todd.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:44 Tim Clark

2:45

[Comment From Mike DeFoeMike DeFoe: ]
In a BYOD environment, how do you handle the access to textbooks? Are they all online or a combination of traditional and online?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:45 Mike DeFoe

2:45

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Has the introduction of student devices changed the way curriculum is delivered in your classrooms?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:45 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:46

Tim Clark:
I think the shift is that the teachers are not teaching to tech or teaching to apps. Our goal is to focus on more inquiry-based learning. Change the standard into a question. Have the students work together to research possible answers and create something to show what they have learned.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:46 Tim Clark

2:46

Todd Yohey:
Hi Mike. We use a combination of traditional textbooks and teacher created online resources. As online textbooks become more interactive, we will move in that direction.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:46 Todd Yohey

2:47

Tim Clark:
We do not purchase textbooks unless we also have an online option, Mike. Our expenditure on textbooks is dramatically less than it was before BYOT.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:47 Tim Clark

2:47

Todd Yohey:
Our mantra is that technology is not apart from us, it is a part of us. I agree with Tim. It is not about the tech. It is about improving instruction using technology.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:47 Todd Yohey

2:49

Tim Clark:
We are developing and housing our own learning objects and content. We use Safari Montage as our learning object repository so that students can access a variety of resources.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:49 Tim Clark

2:50

Moderator: Katie Ash:
I’d like to hit on the equity issue one more time, since there have been quite a few questions about it since the beginning of the chat.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:50 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:50

Todd Yohey:
All of our teachers have online companion sites for the courses they teach (K-12).

Friday February 15, 2013 2:50 Todd Yohey

2:50

[Comment From JanetJanet: ]
Looping back to the equity in access issue, is either speaker aware of any community programs (perhaps through the public library or another community agency) that make devices available on free loan to those (students and others) who may not own an appropriate device? Thank you.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:50 Janet

2:51

Todd Yohey:
Janet that is a great idea. There are no such programs in our area. However, we are currently working with our tech firm to provide free internet access to all families in our school district. Then all we have to worry about are the devices.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:51 Todd Yohey

2:52

Tim Clark:
I haven’t heard of a program like that, Janet. Our equity issue isn’t really the device that students bring to school. Many kids (especially secondary) have a smartphone in their pockets. The device at home is often the issue for us. We are still trying to find a solution.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:52 Tim Clark

2:52

Todd Yohey:
Many of our students have more than one device that they carry.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:52 Todd Yohey

2:53

Moderator: Katie Ash:
We’re nearing the end of the chat. Let’s try to squeeze in one or two more questions.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:53 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:53

[Comment From Mike LombardoMike Lombardo: ]
What would full implementation of BYOD look like in a classroom?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:53 Mike Lombardo

2:53

Tim Clark:
We encourage students to bring any technology tool to school that helps them learn. We see laptops, smartphones, e-readers, handheld gaming devices, etc...

Friday February 15, 2013 2:53 Tim Clark

2:54

Moderator: Katie Ash:
What does this actually look like? How does it differ from a classroom that does not harness students’ devices?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:54 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:55

Todd Yohey:
Mike: Students and teachers would be utilizing student-owned devices and school provided technology to improve the entire learning process leading to higher levels of student achievement leading to all students graduating career and college ready.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:55 Todd Yohey

2:55

Tim Clark:
To me it should look like a coffee shop or college student center. Students are working together or individually using the technology they choose to use to answer high level questions and developing new solutions. The teacher is the facilitator, guiding the students as necessary.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:55 Tim Clark

2:56

Moderator: Katie Ash:
It seems that preparing students for the workplace and for a higher ed. environment is definitely a piece of allowing students to use their own devices in K-12.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:56 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:56

Tim Clark:
...We even have first grade classrooms that look exactly what I previously described. It should be just like the work environment of the digital age, Katie.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:56 Tim Clark

2:56

Todd Yohey:
I am amazed at how innovative our students and teachers are in using technology. There is no cookie-cutter approach.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:56 Todd Yohey

2:57

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Great. Let’s wrap up with one more question. What piece of advice would you give a school or district that is ready to move forward with BYOD/BYOT, but unsure of where to start? What are the first steps?

Friday February 15, 2013 2:57 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:57

Todd Yohey:
I want to see the devices being used to improve the learning experience.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:57 Todd Yohey

2:58

Todd Yohey:
Step1: Engage your stakeholders to garner support.

Step 2: Determine your needs and how you want use BYOD.

Step 3: Build the infrastructure to meet the needs.

Step 4: Start small and watch it grow.

Friday February 15, 2013 2:58 Todd Yohey

2:59

Tim Clark:
What has helped us is constant visits to classrooms with specific feedback to teachers about how BYOT could improve their current instruction, and they need to be able to go visit other teachers...begin with the cheerleaders who have great classroom community!

Friday February 15, 2013 2:59 Tim Clark

2:59

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Excellent!

Friday February 15, 2013 2:59 Moderator: Katie Ash

2:59

Tim Clark:
You can see more for yourself about our BYOT initiative by visiting us - www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/tours. We love visitors to Georgia!

Friday February 15, 2013 2:59 Tim Clark

3:00

Moderator: Katie Ash:
Thank you so much to Todd and Tim for joining us and sharing their experiences! And thanks to all of our audience members for being so engaged and asking great questions.

Friday February 15, 2013 3:00 Moderator: Katie Ash

3:00

[Comment From Mike DeFoeMike DeFoe: ]
Thanks, this was very informative!

Friday February 15, 2013 3:00 Mike DeFoe

3:00

[Comment From JanetJanet: ]
Thank you Katie. Many thanks to the speakers as well. This is a fascinating and complex topic, and one we will all probably be grappling with in the near term!

Friday February 15, 2013 3:00 Janet

3:00

Todd Yohey:
We host one or two school district a month who send teams to discuss our BYOD program. Feel free to contact us:

District website: ohlsd.us

District portal: ohlsd.org

Friday February 15, 2013 3:00 Todd Yohey

3:00

Bryan Toporek:
That’s a great place to wrap up. Thanks again for joining us for today’s chat, Making BYOD Work in Schools, sponsored by AT&T.

A special thanks goes out to our two great guests, Tim and Todd, and our wonderful moderator Katie.

We’ll have a transcript of today’s chat posted on this same page in about 30 minutes. Thanks again for joining us and have a great rest of the weekend!

Friday February 15, 2013 3:00 Bryan Toporek

3:01

Making BYOD Work in Schools

Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, 2 to 3 p.m. ET.

Sponsored by:

As they build digital learning environments for students, many school districts are reversing their policies banning student-owned digital devices such as cellphones, laptops, and tablets in favor of bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, approaches that actually encourage students to bring their own technology to school for learning. But while this change in policy can increase the number of technological tools in the classroom, it also raises questions about equity for all students as well as digital security and capacity within a school’s network.

During this chat, our guests discussed their experiences implementing BYOD policies in schools. They addressed the challenges of allowing students to bring devices to school, including how to comply with federal Internet safety laws, how to prevent the devices from becoming a distraction to learning, and how to ensure that such policies do not put some students at a greater disadvantage than others. They also discussed the advantages of BYOD policies and how schools could benefit from moving in this direction.

Guests:
Tim Clark, coordinator of instructional technology, Forsyth County Schools, Ga.
Todd Yohey, superintendent, Oak Hills Local School District, Cincinnati, Ohio

Katie Ash, staff writer, Education Week and Education Week Digital Directions, moderated this chat.

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