We have talked about Bring Your Own Device in some of our other posts in this class. At our faculty meeting last week we had a very good conversation about what our school guide lines are about BYOD. The two options that the majority of the faculty liked are listed below. Pick one that YOU would want to be the guidelines for a MIDDLE SCHOOL (6-8th grade) that you worked at. I know that not all of you have/do/will teach this age group be this is the group of students we talked about. Make sure to include your reasoning for your choice. If you decided to change your choice as we talk about this topic please let us know and why you decided to change you mind.
30 Comments
Carl Richburg
3/17/2014 08:51:10 am
I think for middle school ages, there's a chance not everyone will have a cell phone. I think technology only in the classroom when teacher says is ok is the better choice. Middle schoolers are not as mature as older grades, and if they have their phones out during free time in the hallways, etc.. I think that you could have problems with pictures and gossip and things like that. Having it out only when teachers say it's ok, will teach them that there are other uses to their cell phone besides snapchatting all day.
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Jacqui Cappuccilli
3/19/2014 04:35:09 am
I agree with Carl completely. I think he brings a good point up about the social bullying. Kids in the middle school ages are more likely to gossip and be mean so allowing students to use their phones to tweet, take pictures, etc.. would be a bad thing to allow. Also like Carl said only being allowed to use their phone when teachers say would teach them what else their phone could do besides snapchat, and twitter.
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Gino Bullock
3/29/2014 01:27:09 pm
I agree with you Carl. I think you create so many problems when you allow students to use technology outside the classroom. Kids will begin to gravitate to hanging outside the classroom and their focus could begin to shift if given to much freedom.
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Dustin Ray
4/22/2014 03:53:29 am
Carl,
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Kennedy Seifert
3/18/2014 04:57:32 am
I would have to agree with Carl. I think technology in the classroom only when the teacher says it is OK is the best choice. Not only will you have some students that do not have their own phone or tablet, etc. but also you are at school! School is not just for learning but its where kids make friends and become social and interact with other people. There does not need to be phones out during free time for students to be on them constantly. Again what Carl said this can easily lead to social bullying and gossip if young middle school kids are allowed to be on social media during free time and in the hallways.
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Gary Jones
3/18/2014 09:56:08 am
I’m going to go with the first rule that the students are only allowed to have it out when the teacher says it’s ok. Razor phones were cool when I was in middle school and they could only do so much. Now kids have much more access to the web at their fingertips. Like Carl said middle school kids can be immature with technology and I think to protect other students they shouldn’t be allowed to have them out in passing or class. Another thing is for all the kids how do have phones and tablets their all going to be using them at the same time when going to class to class. Not everything is going to get checked and texted out, but I could see where at the start of class kids still being on them trying to get their last two words out. This is a distraction for the student with the device and for the other students around them. Along with being immature some kids aren’t that responsible and the possibility for losing their device is also a reality. Parents should also have control over what apps are on their child’s device this can help reduce the urge of playing games and posting during class.
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Kennedy Seifert
3/19/2014 01:10:11 am
I agree with you Gary, big distraction. If there was a rule option that the kids could not have them at school at all I would pick that one. Like you said Razors were cool back in the day and now look what phones can do. I think even with the rule that they can only have them out when the teacher says so will get broken because phones will burn holes in those students pockets. They will have the urge to use them all the time. Its a tough subject.
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James French
3/18/2014 12:00:55 pm
I believe I like the first rule with regard to only when teachers say so. I remember when I was in class I often was daydreaming and drawing cars in my notebooks. If I had some type of little computer to check out vw forums and other neat bmx bike sites back in the day I would have never graduated. I think the first rule would get broken a lot. I believe that by allowing some usage in common areas they would more likely respect the in the classroom rule. This would be difficult to police and many would be tardy but I be there is an app that could help them get to class on time.
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Kim Holifield
3/20/2014 12:42:05 am
James, I can picture so many middle school aged kids that I know doing this exact thing: using their time unwisely! If students are given the opportunity to play on their devices, the majority of the kids are going to rush through their work or even skip something just to get to use their technology.
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Travis Tompson
3/22/2014 11:12:48 am
I completely agree that the first rule would get broken more often than not, just like it is today when cell phones are completely illegal in the first place. I know kids that would love to show their friends cool things they found on the internet at home, so why not give them the opportunity in the hallways. Obviously, teachers would still have the first jurisdiction over phone usage in their own classrooms, but allowing students to text and surf the web during times like before school, lunch time, and maybe in between classes would not be the worst thing in the world.
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Travis Tompson
3/19/2014 01:05:58 am
I believe that students should have the right to have phone access anytime they need to, unless of course this access interupts the teaching done by the teacher, so I would have to side with option 2. I know most of us believe that middle school students are not mature enough to stay away from things that would not be deemed "school approriate", and I would agree. However, I know it's possible for the school to set up a wifi-router that can be set to block access to certain websites, yet allow free wifi for all preapproved sites. This would give students access to texting and the internet on their phones, but the internet would be monitored by the school. This way, students could feel free to access the web and text their friends without teachers having to worry about students accessing a wide variety of dangerous sites from their phone. I know there are some downfalls, like the students who bypass the school's free wifi and use their own internet access that they pay for themselves to access certain sites. I believe that if there was a system set in place to make all students use the free wifi provided by the school, then this would work out well. However, since I have not really heard of any school using this system of free wifi, I'm not sure how plausible it is. If I could not figure out a system where students had to use the school's wifi, then I might be inclined to go with option #1 just because it is an easy solution to administer.
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Lyndsey Talbot
3/19/2014 01:13:01 am
I can see your point of having a way to block out inappropriate websites. I do disagree that these students should be allowed to text their friends, or whomever, during the school day. I believe this would cause unneeded distractions that are not needed during the school day. I feel that they have more than enough time to text and be on the internet after school is out. I think these students would benefit from going back to how I used to communicate in school at this age; passing handwritten notes as they pass in the hallway, or having a friend deliver it to them.
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James French
3/20/2014 01:42:17 pm
What about the possibility of cheating that this technology has presented? I believe this is a real problem with this particular type of device. Internet look up answers is quick and easy and then I can get back to texting my friends is a popular response now. I would be leery of allowing access to this device at all times. I would like to have a storage device to keep them in while their in my class. However, I know this would never go over.
Lyndsey Talbot
3/19/2014 01:08:18 am
I 100% think that technology should only be allowed in the classroom when the teacher gives them permission. Middle school is not a time in life when you must have access to your phone or tablet for any reason. If the parents needs to get a hold of the student, they can do it the 'old fashioned' way of calling the school office. I see no reason that phones/tablets should be allowed during passing time.
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Tyler Reece
3/19/2014 01:58:13 pm
I agree. It is very easy to find benefits to having the technology,but many forget that some of those benefits replace other things that we already have in place. We love phones and tablets for their convenience, but that just replaces computers or school phones. Plus students that do not have these items may be left out at these times.
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Carl Richburg
3/23/2014 05:11:07 am
James, I agree. I think Cheating might be one of your biggest problems. And, if you allow phones, how can you check if they're cheating. The kid could just close the browser they were using to cheat with, and then if you go over to him, are you allowed to check his phone? Wouldn't that be considered invasion of privacy? Just seems like a lot to have to worry about.
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Chris Doak
3/23/2014 01:45:48 pm
I agree. Also I think middle schoolers are irresponsible. I have a feeling things would get stolen and cause a big problem
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Jacqui Cappuccilli
3/19/2014 04:32:41 am
I agree with the first rule. That students should only have permission to their devices when the teacher says its okay to do so. I believe that passing time, as well as times in class when its "free" time should be used to interact with one another. We live in a society that is completely made up of technology and it doesn't allow us to get to know one another, so this first rule gives those students a chance to interact. So I 100% agree with the rule that its only okay to use their phones when teachers say they are allowed to.
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Kim Holifield
3/20/2014 12:45:44 am
I was so relieved to see someone say this!!! Working with the elementary age students, I can already see which kids are the "tech-savy" ones and also have poor communication skills. If students are allowed to use their technology, chances are, they will be on social media or forums chatting with the person they are most likely in class with. Which I also find it easier for cyber bullying or even inappropriate conversations. If students are allowed to use their own devices from home, are the teachers going to be able to monitor what they do? I know Facebook and Twitter is blocked from most computers in schools, but we can't block that from their personal devices, so what are they doing and saying when there's nothing we (as teachers) can do about it?
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James French
3/20/2014 01:38:41 pm
Legally speaking bullying on the internet is a huge risk. slander laws are not written to benefit the internet media. In fact they are more harsh. I think it would be a good idea for schools to stress this as kids growing up with this false sense of security can be setting themselves up for a great deal of heartache. I really like the idea of the first rule but am afraid maybe I am just a dinosaur.
Shari Harrington
3/23/2014 08:54:00 am
I really like and agree completely with your reasoning for the first rule! Students really need to learn how important face-to-face interaction is, and sometimes I really think that school is one of the only places many students get this kind of interaction. It's so important for so many reasons!
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Tyler Reece
3/19/2014 01:50:11 pm
I agree with the first rule. I feel it is difficult for a student to determine "passing times" or "free time". It should only be the teachers decision. As bad as we want to let our students have access to these sources of technology their is just not a way of ensuring their use of it in an educational manner.
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Brad Howell
3/22/2014 02:21:05 pm
Tyler,
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Gary Jones
3/24/2014 07:00:55 am
I think you would run into a bigger problem if students had block scheduling. sitting in class for 90 min is bad enough but when you know you have something with games on it, smart phones just make it that much more distracting
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Brad Howell
3/19/2014 02:18:01 pm
I chose the first option of teachers allowing students to use their phone or tablet in class when it is permitted. I haven't taught this age group before before, but I have taught slightly older students. I was allowing the students to use their phones to study vocabulary. The application we used was called quizlet and was very helpful. I noticed when I allowed them to work in groups to study and gave them a goal to work towards they did not even bother trying to get away with other stuff on their phones. They actually enjoyed it. It is hard to say if middle school students would react the same way but I think if they are held to some sort of personal responsibility they could handle the temptation.
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Kim Holifield
3/20/2014 12:39:52 am
I think option 1 is the most logical for this age group. Yes, technology is quickly becoming more popular by the day, but I still don't agree with students being able to use them throughout the day. In the district I work in, students aren't even allowed to bring any of their technology devices to school. I think this keeps from having stolen, lost, or broken items that can get very expensive! I understand that in the high school grades, phones are necessities because students are at driving age and I would expect my child to have a working phone available for that reason in itself. And for those parents that feel their middle school age child needs a cell phone for communication reasons, I feel it should be left in their back back until after school. Teachers have such a hard time cramming in all of the learning that is required and expected these days, there is barely ever time for "free-time" throughout the day so I don't see where allowing the use for playing on their technology would be needed. If ever there is "down-time" I would think the teacher could utilize the technology in the room, such as a smart board, to allow the students to do educational games or learning activities.
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Shari Harrington
3/23/2014 08:50:26 am
I think the first rule would be the best for the middle school age group because while they probably are pretty experienced with technology, they need some control and need to be taught when it's appropriate to use in a classroom and the teacher is responsible for that. I think that if they are given some time during the day to be on a tablet or use their phones, chances are they won't abuse it as much as if it weren't allowed at all or if it were allowed as much like in the second rule--they're likely to become distracted by something they saw or read during their free time.
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christopher doak
3/23/2014 01:42:49 pm
I would have to say that the first one. I think kids having them out in free time and hallways would cause a lot of trouble. I do think though if the teacher has a use for them then I think they should be able to use them.
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Gino Bullock
3/29/2014 01:23:55 pm
After reading both ways technology can be used I have decided to go with option 1 that allows the teacher to dictate when the technology is used. I have been a middle school teacher before and it is a very tough task. this is a critical age in the students life and you need to use all resources to help educate the child. The reason I feel technology would only be ok in the classroom when the teacher decides and not the rest of the day is because of the negative impact it can have on the students life. There are so many positives for using technology in the classroom. However when you allow students to use technology without supervision you can create problems that will affect the child both educationally and personally.Kids are at different levels when it comes to technology. Some only understand the educational side of it and some are able to navigate everything the world wide web has to offer. The problem with that is, some students are easily impressionable and if exposed to the wrong thing cannot and will not recover.
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Dustin Ray
4/22/2014 03:52:16 am
I like option two. What is the problem with a student texting, or using their phone outside the classroom? I have no issue with them using their device in the lunch room or locker room. They must all understand that they can only use them when the teacher gives the OK but if they do not then the teacher have the right to take them away.
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Class BlogThis blog is for class conversations for Ed 514 at Central Methodist University. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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