From Cell Phone Bans to BYOD -- THE Journal

21st Century Learning

From Cell Phone Bans to BYOD

By Christopher Piehler
09/17/14

Christopher Piehler A couple of years ago, the first and last word in mobile devices for education was “iPad.” The Apple tablet’s dominance of the ed tech market has been gradually eroded by an armada of Android and Microsoft tablets boasting lower prices, easier enterprise management and integrated access to the Google or Windows cloud ecosystems. These days, though, with districts across the country preparing for online assessments that require keyboards, it’s no coincidence that the most-purchased category of device is the notebook, with the Chromebook especially popular.

But the era of one device dominating classrooms is over. Notebooks face competition not only from tablets, but from new categories of devices such as convertible laptop/tablets and phablets, as well as a device that many districts once banned: the smartphone. As our cover story shows, an increasing number of administrators, teachers and parents are giving up on cell phone bans and coming out in support of BYOD. According to Project Tomorrow’s most recent Speak Up survey, 60 percent of parents said they would like their children to be in a class where BYOD was allowed. And perhaps more importantly, two-thirds of parents said they would purchase a mobile device for their child to use in class. The same survey shows that a large majority of students in sixth through 12th grades already have access to smartphones.

BYOD achieves two key goals that all ed tech leaders share: controlling spending on devices and meeting students where they are. The former is pretty straightforward, but the latter brings up a couple of questions. First and foremost is the equity issue: What do schools do for the students who don’t have devices? Second, does it ultimately help or hurt learning for students to do schoolwork on the same device they use for texting and games? I’d love to hear what you think.

You can see more great feature articles in the latest issue of our monthly digital edition.

About the Author

Christopher Piehler is the former editor-in-chief of THE Journal.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

For Ed Tech Leaders, Student Data Privacy Is Critical — But Missing from the Job Description

A new report from CoSN examines gaps and opportunities in student data privacy at schools and districts across the country.
Research: 1 in 3 Kids Use AI for Learning

In a survey of parents with children aged 8 or younger, nearly a third of respondents (29%) said their child has used AI for school-related learning, according to a new report from Common Sense Media.
OpenAI to Consolidate AI Models with GPT-5 Launch

OpenAI has canceled plans to release its o3 model, opting instead for a "simplified" product lineup centered on its upcoming GPT-5 product.
Registration Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Thriving in the Age of AI

Tech Tactics in Education has officially opened registration for its May 7 virtual conference on "Thriving in the Age of AI." The annual event, brought to you by the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal, offers hands-on learning and interactive discussions on the most critical technology issues and practices across K–12 and higher education.