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Subscribe to RSSTwo years ago, Forsyth County School District outside Atlanta launched a technology program, encouraging students to BYOT – bring your own technology. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.
iPhones, Nintendos and Kindles — devices synonymous with "fun" — are taking a new role in the classroom, thanks to a new trend in education called Bring Your Own Technology – or BYOT.
BYOT programs — like the one at Georgia’s Coal Mountain Elementary School — encourage students to bring in their own personal mobile technology — including iPads, Kindle Fires, netbooks — even gaming devices — to use during class.
“It’s really a simple thing,” says Tim Clark, District Technology Specialist for Forsyth County School District. “Kids have technology in their pockets and [are] taking them to school, but trying to hide them from teachers and from their parents. What we’re trying to do is have the kids take them out of their pockets and use [them] for instruction.”
Technology can be incorporated into lessons in various ways — serving as a research tool, providing access to educational games and allowing students to create multimedia presentations. Clark says students who don’t have their own devices, or opt not to bring them, can use district-owned laptops and electronic resources.
He says the program encourages participation and interaction because “it’s not a solitary type of activity where every child is buried in their device … it increases collaboration. It increases communication with the teacher. The teacher sees immediate feedback from the student’s work and the students are able to overcome other difficulties.”
Tracey Abercrombie, a fifth grade teacher at Coal Mountain, has been impressed with the program in general and praises the difference it has made with her special education students. “I’ve got one [student] who has trouble getting [information],” Abercrombie says. “He can get the ideas formed but there’s a bit of difficulty getting them out verbally. There’s something about typing it, having it come up on that screen. All of a sudden the barrier is gone.”
Clark says incorporating students’ personal devices in the classroom not only enhances learning, but teaches responsibility. “All of this is putting the responsibility on the shoulders of the students and [we’re] also trying to teach them and guide them to use their devices more effectively…not only taking care of their device and being careful not to drop it, but also wanting to make sure they know where it is at all times so it’s not stolen. [Using] it appropriately so they don’t post inappropriate pictures, so they don’t text inappropriate message to each other.”
Those involved with the program say students aren’t the only ones with something to gain from BYOT. For example, Clark says teachers “can learn alongside their students instead of having to determine all of the ways that their students should learn … they get to ask questions and discover all these new uses of the devices themselves."
Abercrombie agrees and has seen her teaching style change since the program began.
“I thought my role was give them all the knowledge that I’ve got about something and use that textbook and my knowledge together," Abercrombie said. "Now I realize that’s not my job at all. My job is to facilitate them. My job is to point them in the right direction, give them the tools they need and — wow — they can do so much more.”
Before launching BYOT in Forsyth County Schools, teachers and administrators explained the program’s structure and ground rules to parents and students. At first, Kara Laurie, who has two children at Coal Mountain Elementary, was apprehensive about allowing her kids to bring their devices to school. She says her initial reaction was that it “was a horrible idea … I had the normal parent concerns, you know, are things going to get broken? Are they going to get lost or stolen? And what about those kids that don’t have technology that they could take to school?”
But as the program got underway, she saw “how much the kids were able to do with it in the classroom. I found that it was a phenomenal idea.”
“We had to sit down as a class, as a team, and really define our rules because [the students are] used to using it any way at home,” Abercrombie says. “They’re used to … putting everything on Facebook, so we had to have a little talk about … different ways to use these devices in school.”
Amy Anderson, another parent of two, was comforted by the district’s approach to the program. Her fourth grader uses a netbook in class, while her first grader has a Nintendo 3DS. “The administration "set some very clear ground rules at the beginning and we had to sign an agreement as parents and they had to sign an agreement as students that they would only stay on,” Anderson recalls. The students "have to be on the school network which has all of the filters. If they don’t abide by those, if they use them when they are not supposed to, if they use them incorrectly, then they lose that privilege of being able to bring it in.”
In 2010, seven schools in Forsyth County School District began BYOT programs. This year, all 35 of the district’s schools are participating. While it is a relatively new idea, BYOT already exists in schools across the country, in states like Texas, Minnesota and Ohio.
Clark says the district has received positive feedback, along with interest in the program.
“I’m receiving messages from other districts that would like to come and see the implementation of bring your own technology in their schools … we recently held a tour of BYOT in our district … we had over 100 visitors on that tour. They were not only other districts, but also vendors wanting to understand how it’s impacting [the students].”
As far as student reaction, Clark says “the students love it…[they] have their devices, they’re learning how to use them in a more responsible way, and they’re being critical thinkers and very creative with their devices in ways that they never would have used them on their own.”
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I was there on the tour... lol i will be on tv i hope.
"What we’re trying to do is have the kids take them out of their pockets and use [them] for instruction.”
Sounds more like chaos to me. How could you have a meaningful structure with such a variety of devices?
Agreed. Mandating a particular brand or laptop or something should have been somewhere on that list. Especially with so many different types of tech out there.
One of the changes I would make if I were a principle or on the school board would be to seperate boys and girls during non-elective classes. Of course there would be exceptions like advanced study where there are fewer students. I am talking about the required classes like 1st and 2nd year english, basics math classes, and such, classes that you would need to take before you could graduate. There are birds that dance and show off in front of female birds. If you take the female bird away, he doesnt strut. Tell me if this is a good idea.
What a great idea!! (sarcasm) Instead of allowing children to have the ability to use WHAT THEY HAVE AND OWN to be able to advance lets "mandate" they have to all buy $800 netbooks. If for some reason a single parent or a struggling family can not afford it well then the kids can just sit there, knowing they have something at home that does the same thing, but they are not allowed to use it. r maybe we can all just raise taxes more taxes to give them all new netbooks every year and then have the same problem that schools put programs on to turn on camera's when THEY wish and monitor everything the kids do at home. THE TEACHERS ARE NOT TEACHING THE KIDS HOW TO USE THE DEVICE THEY ARE ALLOWING THEM TO USE IT TO ASSIST IN THEIR LEARNING! I guess everyone should have been mandated they could have only had a texas instrument scientific calculator when we were in school instead of allowing students to have ANY calculator they chose to use!
bluthunder: "I guess everyone should have been mandated they could have only had a texas instrument scientific calculator when we were in school instead of allowing students to have ANY calculator they chose to use."
Not sure where you went to school, but we WERE required to have a specific TI calculator for advanced math classes, and that was back in the 80's even. The school my daughter attends does the same, usually a specific graphing calculator. Her school also implemented a program this year, (with parents signing a permission slip) allowing students to use their smart phones for research or discussions during class. They are looking at requiring students to have iPads in the future, as more and more digital textbooks are available through their app store. I'm totally in favor of that--think of how much lighter those backpacks would be! :)
Oh Roy! Just another way to separate the poor from the well to do.
Encouraging kids and parents alike, not to abandon the need to bring themselves into greater states of well being, with our without the latest technology. Whether by walking or as this fun piece shows biking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-icfD6cgKko
Great!
This is how America will get ahead.... One stupid baby step at a time.
We have been a BYOT school for a year and next year plan to move to a 1:1 BYOT environment. The key is to not concentrate on a specific device but to develop the rubric of tasks that the students are expected to complete (communicate with teachers, perform research, collaborate on projects, create papers and presentations). Students then use the tools that they have on hand (or with financial assistance from the school) to complete these tasks.
Teachers focus on educational objectives and leave the button pushing to the kids (who know most of it) and the IT Staff (who work with the kids to help solve actual problems in a real-world environment).
It's been fun to watch and change the classroom.
In all Australian schools all year 9 students are given laptops- all the same , so costs to taxpayer are lessened and easier to repair. In some catholic schools kids receive them in year 7. A computer is a necessary tool and kids need to know how to use them and every child deserves equal access to them. Also the school can decide what programs are loaded on them eg all text books are on CD ROM. BUT kids bringing in their own ipads, phones etc would be difficult as the richer kids have the latest tech gear and kids working with different equipment would be difficult for the teacher to do any meaningful work. BYOT seems a poor way of dealing with the IT revolution- US could do better.
This is ALL we need ... more chaos in the class room.
I can understand having show-and-tell in science class. Student can demo their personal devices and apps in front of the class - but what American students need most right now is consistency and uniformity - NOT STUPID EDUCATION SYSTEM EXPERIMENTATION !!!!
The media constantly pepper kids with messages to "do your own thing" ... "be a rebel !" ... exactly what their developing minds already do too much of. I don't want to see US education becoming mechanized like S. Korea's, but jeeeez, we could definitely learn something from their model. If you teach computer technology ... do in on consistently maintained, district-owned/leased hardware with a solid CURRICULUM.
To get anything worth-while installed on the toy devices mentioned, you need to jail-break or crack them (turning them into little Linux or OSX workstations). I don't think school districts want to promote activity which voids device warranties. The whole idea sounds hokey - or rather an attempt to further privatize public education by offloading the costs of keeping up with technology onto the parents.
Red-state experiments with education kill kid's futures! Its programs like this, encouraged by the right in order to "prove" that public education "just doesn't work".
CRIPES - open your eyes Georgia!
My child was just recently enrolled in one of the school systems that has BYOT and it is absolutely ridiculous. We would have never moved to that district had we known their policy. Children are at school to learn no play on their Ipads, phones or notebooks. There is no way a teacher that has 20 + children in her class can watch and control what every child is doing on their device. What will they do when kids start taking pictures of each other, start finding websites that they should not be looking at. My child is 7, yet the school system has decided to ignore my beliefs and treat her like an adult! Parents BEWARE of such a program
Well, as a college teacher, I find that technology in the classroom is distracting. Students don't know how to listen anyway, they hear and do what they want in between watching their cell phone messages, calls, all interrupting. Imagine how that works on a job that forbids the cell phone & Ipad?
Amen, Sally. I, too, am a college prof. Students nowadays generally have the attention span of a gnat. They cannot spell or write a complete sentence much less a complete paragraph. They couldn't add, subtract, multiply or divide their way out of a paper bag. They are really so stupid or disrespectful they don't follow our instructions to put the devices away and try to hide them in their lap to text message; They honestly think it is OK to do so and some even challenge our right to control the classroom. This is just another screwball idea giving into the children who, probably at home, get to choose what fast food they get to have for dinner each night. They will never learn discipline or respect or the value of education if this idea becomes the way to teach.
You are likely the reason they don't listen! So many teachers think they know how to instruct but instead use classrooms as adventures in authoritarism.Kids don't react the same way kids did 15 years ago!They listen when they know they will learn something, nothing else!We have dumbed down the classes so " so no child gets left behind" and this has created problems. The slower kids just don't care and wont listen and the upper 60 percent wont listen becaue they already know what to expect in class,dull,boring exercizes in letting everyone achieve at the same rate.30% of kids in high school would be better served by letting them take shop classes! For your bloated salary,you should have a better attitude!
If you are actually a college prof, then I feel bad for the students that you teach. Technology in the classroom is simply the advancement of teaching techniques. Why use an outdated book or material when you can simply download a new version right there in class? Of course, there will always be students who don't pay attention and would rather text in class but you shouldn't throw all students in the same bag.
I work at a High School in Pinellas County and we all of our students have an option to use a Kindle for the year. It holds many our textbooks on it. Much of the cost is front loaded but you will save money in the long run as publishing companies change or revise the editions every few years. Technology is the way of the future. Better yet it is here. Students are using these modalities everyday. We are trying to reach them on that level.
Tech_Man20: I do use technology in the classroom but I control it for the student's education on the topic I am teaching. College profs should be more current in their field than any outdated textbook which is exactly why I no longer use textbooks but use that same technology outside of the classroom to stay current. I will think of your "throwing all the students in the same bag comment" the next time I walk into my classroom and see almost 100% of my students playing with their little electronic toys until the last possible second. Of course, maybe they are all actually researching all the topics I have been lecturing on!...Yeah...right!!
Mas098: Drop on by your closest Community College and check out all the "bloated" salaries we get paid.
Bob-G: Well, it's their neck then. If they don't want to listen to you and do well, then it's on them. And if they can @!$%# around in class and still do well, why have such a strong opinion about it?
It is not that surprising to see school districts will peddle such an idea. It is not intended to help the students but help private sector sell more gadgets. I have been studying (researching) a North Carolina school district for almost 4 years now and through all the time I have visited high schools, I found no more than 20% of the students who could add or subtract 1/2+2/3-3/5 without a calculator. I one school a 9th grade students could not evaluate -2-4 without a calculator. In another 9th and 10th grade class -2x4 required a calculator as well. All these and like deficiencies in our children is a result of school districts, peddling the idea of technology just because they get commission. It gets better! The use of foul language and the teachers battle to get students attention away from cell phone texting that includes highly unethical improper images of each other is rampant is an every minute occurrence. At the end it all seems that the school system is setting the young people to fail. In studying a local university in one NC town, I found that only 30% of the students from the district where I did study will be accepted with bare minimum requirement they can add numbers from 1~9. What is strange is that the majority of the students who are failing are male and remain also the most violent.
Sally and Bob G.,
It's not the technology, it is the lack of discipline of your students. You are college teachers, one word from you, they don't listen, march them straight out of your class room. You are not required to be disrespected like that. If the administration doesn't support you 100% in that regard you should resign immediately and go to work for a real university. The reason you have students that can't write a sentence or do simple math is because you most likely work at a proprietary school where it is all $'s and cents. They will let anybody in so that they can get the student loan money. That or you're just dinosaurs :). My school is a little slippery that way, (it is a regionally accredited institution) but the professors won't put up with it and they will fail a non performing student in a heart beat.
Tech: The students are my charges no matter what age they are. I am charged with the duty to do everything possible to teach them something or at least try to get them to learn. My last resort is to tell them that it is "their neck." Maybe I am naive but I still intend to teach the best way I know how to perform my duty. If that includes technology I will use it but if technology interferes I will ban it. And I will never drop my strong opinions on the need for and my duty to education. Please stay out of the field if you think the way you just posted. And by the way I am yet to meet too many students who can @#$% around in my class and do well.
As a senior at a Texas university, I agree students get on Facebook on their laptops in class, but there are a few that really truly use them for notes. It is hard to stay focused in class, especially as a freshman and sophomore. By the time you're a junior, you should realize that it affects your GPA...college is a learning process on a whole new level. A side note - I paid attention to the professors who spent the first day simply saying "No laptops in my class, that's how it is, I want you to get this and be successful in my class but you really need to pay attention." HOWEVER, this article is about elementary classrooms. And as an elementary and special education major, I have had three years of student teaching experience, being in Texas classrooms every semester, watching students use computer programs, Kindles, and iPads. They DO use them responsibly; it's so amazing to watch. The students are very honest and you can ENGAGE the kids! They enjoy being independent learners, they are so computer literate, and I think it's a wonderful program. The schools I have been at have excellent filters and I can't even get on Facebook, gmail, etc. and neither can the students. I fully support BYOT and I wish I had that technology growing up! I personally like old-school learning as well; it's all about a matter of balance in the classroom.
Bullet: it is a little more complicated than just walking out and hoping you can find a "real university." State supported community colleges have open admission by law in my state and have political leaders who, yes, do find more attraction to the dollars and cents of student loan money than quality education. I have tried and failed to get students thrown out of classes for disrespect and disruption but have to be verbally abused and threatened repeatedly before anything is done. (Twice I was blamed for starting the problem by ejecting the offending student). We are still going through the "lets blame the teacher stage" but it is getting slightly better. Nevertheless I intend to persevere.
Good for you Bob, I know it must be tough under those circumstances. I'm glad you are not letting the good students down by walking. Good luck man and you are making a difference.
OK every body looking for supporting evidence of technology use in the classroom move up a couple post and read Melissa's story. Great post and good for you. I bet Bob would love to have had you for a student. You will be one of those special education teachers that changes lives. You will never be paid in $'s what you are worth, but you will have so much more, the love and respect of many generations. You go girl.
The last time I went back to CC for computer science class's, I read the book - highlighted the sentences - used colored tabs for important passages so I could organize a really learn for the test over the weekend. I had it down pat and enjoyed learning. Then when the prof handed out the test - - - everybody opened their book and copied the answers. Lol They didn't remember a frig'n thing. Talk about dumbing down the education system.
This just happens to be my daughters class and while I was a skeptic at first I totally see how it is improving my daughters study habits and interests in the classroom. My daughter loves to come home and show me what they learned about QR codes and different technologies in the classroom. When the school first asked permission I figured the kids might be trying to get away with something on their devices in class and not pay attention. I was wrong. It's very specifically used for lessons and interacting with the teachers technology and odds are if my daughter is going to forget something it is certainly going to be her book and not her ipod touch! Bravo to Mrs. Abercrombie's class and to NBC Nightly News for recognizing that something that is interesting to kids can help them to learn.
Tech man: Well, it's their neck then. If they don't want to listen to you and do well, then it's on them. And if they can @!$%# around in class and still do well, why have such a strong opinion about it?
I have had students in my college classrooms who are blatantly rude about their technology use and are disruptive to other students in my class. They will laugh out loud over a personal text they just received; ask me to repeat myself because they were too busy checking facebook; or waste my time during office hours because they couldn't make the effort to understand the material the first time it was being taught. I now institute a demerit system in my class, that I will take off letter grades for people who are abusing the privilege of using technology in the classroom. It is not my job to be a police officer, but I have to be, because it impacts all of the students.
@Sally and @Bob,
I am a graduate student at Wake Forest University and technology in the classrooms has been an integral part of our learning environment. Moreover, as part of our tuition, every student is given a Lenovo ThinkPad. Our collaborative learning truly makes our educational experience one of a kind.
With the Sakai software, instead of days past where a student hands in a rough draft paper for the professor to look over and give feedback, now they can post their draft to Sakai and all ten students in the class and the professor can proffer suggestions and helpful comments.
When as a fourth-year grad student, I attended two undergraduate classes for research and sat in the rear of both classrooms, and I discovered something striking: nobody was on facebook or myspace, but were diligently typing their notes into Google Docs (we utilize the entire Google suite, including mail). With the on-campus access for all students to gain full access to scholarly databases, ProQuest, jStor, Lexis Nexis and others, inquisitiveness is encouraged. Students will pull up academic journal articles and share them with the class, by posting to Sakai.
In another example, in my small seminar of four students, we were in a vigorous discussion when the professor recommended a particular book he suggested we read -- within a few seconds using Amazon "one-click" all of us had purchased the e-book and we then added this text to our discussion for the next class meeting. I could share many, many more such examples of how advantageous this technology has been for us.
Um..... Chasbattles, you are taking graduate classes. Someone that takes those courses tend to pay attention and not waste time and MONEY just so they can go on facebook. Try taking basic courses in college or any of the elementary, middle and highschool. Many of them are on facebook or texting when the teachers are not looking. Some don't want to be there or just going through the motion. That's why many drop after the 1st year.
Actually the school doesn't save money at all if they are changing and revising the editions every few years and charging the school again. Yeah, I went though the publishing game. They change a few pages or words then charge a full new price again every year or every other year during my college years. Look on Amazon and compare the prices of hardcovers to ebooks. The prices are the same or similar. At one point, the ebook was higher. English, Math, Science....... what really changes in a few years that justify them revising the edition so they can force people to buy new ones? I remember when I was a kid and our books years old but we always have to put book covers on it so it last many more years.
It maybe cool now to carry around a kindle but you will not like the cost of the bill. Who you think will pay for it? Schools are cutting budgets across the board and firing alot of teachers. You better hope they dont fire you so they can get those cool kindles
I hope that this is not just a lot of hype over just another way to do the same old thing. The whole technology in education thing, as it is currently done, is looked at as an easy fix to some very difficult problems. I'm sure it has its proper role, but I think that there are many good teaching practices that get lost in the shuffle when the latest trend comes to the fore. Chasbattles seems to have found technology helpful to him, but a grad student at WakeForest is a different animal than a third grader at any school. Technology, unless used in its proper role, will be just another distraction.
Had-enough - Did you MISS this part of ChasBattles post???:::: "I attended two undergraduate classes for research and sat in the rear of both classrooms, and I discovered something striking: nobody was on facebook or myspace, but were diligently typing their notes into Google Docs"
It is interesting that the there are college professors so disheartened by this move. One of the motivations for our College Prep High School to move to BYOT is to give students experience with controlling technology I-must-surf-now impulses by giving them the opportunity to use technology in a real-world lab system before they get to college.
After years of sitting in meetings with adults who spend more time surfing their facebook rather than being present in the moment and attentive to actual people in the room and watching students trained to do the same, we made the decision that a part of developing digital citizens (as opposed to the more blanket "digital natives") was to give them the power to discern when use and how to use the tools more effectively.
Making this a part of a conscious discernment rather than a poorly controlled habit. The only way to create that level of discipline is through choice, use, and reflection on the decision making done by the students. -- Hence 1:1 and BYOT.
we blog about our experiences here:
When I went to college, oh wait, I didn't, I just trolled for unsuspecting coeds, and sat in classes. But, anyway, there was no techno gear. I would think it would be a distraction. Even today, when I am in meetings, the devices are constantly going off. So, we have a rule. When we are having a meeting, lunch, golf, driving, etc. there are no techno devices. It is too distracting to the purpose of the function. The BS will be there when your meeting or class are finished.
Too bad Forsyth County doesn't care about all of it's schools in the county. They have great PR but terrible management. It's sad the source for this story didn't talk to everyone or at least someone from each school. Some of the schools don't have the basic resources nor competent educators so BYOT is much further down the list of priorities. No one talks about or listens to those problems in Forsyth County.
Goodness Sally, I hope you don't teach any of the language arts.
I got quite a chuckle out of this article. Somebody who knows jack-squat about the effective use of education technology obviously made this decision. This program is top to bottom a joke. The student inmates are now running the asylum.
This program should be labelled "DWYW" or do what you want.
And we wonder why America education falls further and further behind. How much damage can a well-intentioned, good hearted person who knows nothing about education technology do? Infinite.
Let's see the key performance metrics used in quality education pre and post this disaster.
You are damaging these students lives. Keep that in mind.
I think that is a snap judgement on the program. If the teacher is technologically adept, trained properly and stays involved and interacts with her students...then I think this program has a lot of success to be hand. If those things aren't in place, then yeah-this program is on its way to failure and ridicule.
If the students are going to be on their devices anyway, wouldn't you rather them be on the desk than on their lap out of view? There is more accountability to be had that way.
That's like saying the students are going to talk out of turn anyway, so why not let them talk through class? Or cut class? They're going to do it anyway, right?
Trying new teaching techniques isn'ta bad thing. So....what? You want people to ALWAYS use paper books for the next 200 years despite a better way?
A book, if taken decent care of and kept out of the rain has a shelf life of oh, maybe 100 years. How long will a Kindle last????
Hey Facts,
I'm not sure you have your facts right. I am an education major and technology is one of the most researched and approved topics in education. I would say these decisions are being made by people that know a lot more than jack about the use of technology in the classroom.
Under employed teacher, a one hundred year old book is 100 year old knowledge. It doesn't matter how long the kindle lasts it brings the latest in research and data, it allows for interactive problem solving, students doing homework can ask questions and find information in a second. You have up to date graphics, universities are switching over to e-texts faster than you can blink and if you haven't seen any of them, you're missing the boat. Better get up to date on technology or these new graduates are going to keep you under employed.
Dear Under Employed Teacher,
A science textbook won't last long due to changes in current research and technologies. At 10yrs, the science texts are considered outdated depending on the topic.
Secondly, I work at a middle school and have penises drawn in almost all of my textbooks that have been at the school for about 10 years. So I choose not to use the books. We keep an interactive notebook, use online text sources, etc.
Technology is great IF it is closely monitored by the teacher and I do my absolute best to do that. I am clear about what I will accept in my class and what I will not. There are teachers who feel that if the kids are just "on the iPad" they are using technology. That is where the bad rap comes from.
And if you still feel strongly about your book thing, you should get off of the internet since you can find current, up-to-date information in a moment. You should probably wait until it comes out in print.
Sincerely,
Goingtoworktomorrow
Wow... I wonder how much that is going to cost? Either the parents put in the cost of kindle/laptop/ipad or the school. Either way, that is a huge front cost. Old fashion hardcover books can last years if taken care of with disposible bookcovers while changed multiple hands. Can be dropped, kicked, rained on and still works fine.
Ebooks? Look on Amazon. Their prices are about the same or slightly cheaper but not much. Publishers are to make money. These ebooks cannot be transferrable. Are the parents going to pay for the books every semester or grade or is the school going to end up eating the cost? Imagine the school getting charged for every subject for every student every time they go up a grade. Yes it's true. Ebooks will have the latest and greatest informaton. But tell me........ Math and English. What will change in a few years that it merits a new revision?
All I see is publishers moving into a public schools that will make them big profits off school's limited budgets. A constant stream of revenue off every student on every subject from pre-k to end of highschool. After all, the publishers already raping the average college students with outrageous prices, why not the public school. And if the parents end up paying for it eventually........ why not start education debt early eh?
I can't imagine how this would work in a high school classroom. As it is, students are glued to their various devices and if given the chance, would spend all of their time texting, emailing and playing games. There is great disparity when some kids have i-phones, pads, etc. and others have nothing. When you have 35 kids in a classroom, allowing uncontrolled use would be utter chaos. Better yet, take time to research proven futuristic technologies that all kids have access to, directed by teachers and approved by parents and school boards because it works and is equitable for all students.
The BYOT program in Forsyth County is only scheduled about once every other month for one day only. The teachers have received technology training. The school board and parents have worked closely together to ensure the program is successful for the students. By the way we do not have 35 kids to a classroom either. The school board did the research and parents approved. Forsyth County schools are the best schools in the State of Georgia. We have the highest rate of high school graduates and college grads. Our students score the highest on SAT's in the state and some score above the national average.
Um....... yeah of course it's going to work if money is no problem since the school is located in the 18th wealthiest county in the nation. This program won't work if it's tried in a poor school district where majority of parents live in poverty and parents work more than 2+ jobs to make ends meet.
It's like saying I live in Beverly Hills and the graduation rates are 98% and don't understand why other school district can't do the same like ours. (not a true figure)
Had enough: That's right, slam the Forsyth County community because people work, make money, and families come first. I never said I didn't understand why others school districts have lower graduation rates, that was you. I didn't take handouts and worked hard for what my family has. If you don't like where you live or what school district your children go to then do something to CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. It's always whiners like you that have no get up and go.
and the studies that prove this actually works are where??????????? If electronics and gizmos were the answer--These kids would all PHD's.They have been born with computers nowadays almost and we have the lowest technical.math and science scores in the world almost.So--massive influx of money ahd gadgets haven't worked--So--let's add even more gadgets.Yes I am being sarcastic. How about parental involvement,expecting results from kids,allow them to fail and get back up--Quit rewarding mediocrity --These educators won't learn.I used to teach dyslexics as a student volunteer while as a teen ager in the 70s and after a summer program--We tested the kids in reading using the exact same tests that the school system used and we averaged over a years gain in reading in less than 3 months and the school system couldn't get that in a year.We got those gains using volunteer kids and mothers.The school system blew our results off because we had no college degrees even though we used the same test they used.It didn't matter.Kids and schools are failing because of the schools arrogance,schools using untested methods and lack of standards and parental guidance.Don't get confused with the BS they spew
www2dotedgov/pubs/edreformstudies/ed You can start there Bill and then you're on your own. You can find many scholarly articles, peer reviewed research data, success stories. The research is there and has been done already Bill. The most important thing in this technology deal is; it makes the student an active participant in their education. This type of learning not only creates a student that will be competitive in the future, it enhances their learning in everyway. This is better than having two assistants in the classroom and it works wonders with special education students. You do some research and you will change your tune. 20 years ago you wouldn't beable to justify your position, but because of the technology that is right in front of you, you can do the research and find out about the advances in education.
Read Mark Bauerlien's book, The Dumbest Generation. Bauerlien cites numerous studies that show huge investments by school systems in technology initiatives, with little or no return.
A more personal anecdote...my 13 year old son took two virtual high school courses this past year and was very successful, but has determined that this will be the last of his virtual learning experience. He complained that the online learning was one dimensional and offered little opportunity to get clarification. He stated it best when he told me, "Mom, it is just so much easier to understand the information, when you or Dad explain it to me".
Technology will only be successful in the classroom when we still maintain personal interactions. When it becomes a stand alone learning device...we will have trouble.
@ Angellmom what school in Forsyth County is lacking basic resources? Forsyth County is the wealthiest County in the State and has the best County school system in the State of Georgia. Forsyth County schools have the highest high school graduation rate in the State and the highest CRCT and ACT scores in Georgia. Additionally, Forsyth County schools carry the highest SAT scores in the state that are above some National averages. Go to forsyth.k.12ga.us. The resources you may be speaking of might be the lack of school supplies your sending your child to school with :)
ITA. My children attend a Forsyth County elementary school and I haven't heard anything but positive reviews of this program. I've yet to hear about a school in our district that doesn't have resources to lend students who don't have devices, though I haven't heard from my kids that someone in their class didn't bring anything in anyway. As was mentioned previously, our schools are top-notch and I love how my children's education is forward-thinking and is teaching them how to use their devices for school projects and not just for playing. From what I've heard, all the kids in high school bring in their iPads to do their work. That can't do anything but benefit them for their futures, IMO.
As for teachers losing their students' attention - I think that's just poor teaching then. I've yet to encounter a teacher here who wasn't worth every penny they're paid and then some. I volunteer in my children's classrooms and the class is always engaged. ((shrugs))
School districts get their funding from property taxes....... so if they are well funded, they will get better results since it attracts better teachers too. And living in a wealthy county also helps since parents can afford luxuries like ipads. I doubt you will get same results living in a poor region where the annual income is only 22k and parents taking 2-3 jobs to make ends meet.
Had-enough: so what are you doing to help the poor then, besides complaining online?
seems the most teachers on here are more interested in protecting their jobs,even at the expence of keeping the students as ignorant as they are.
USA098 Look North... I hate to call a school out in this forum. My daughter attends this school and is a straight A student but it is not without a struggle. She has 2 iPod touch(s), a kindle, iPhone, laptop and she doesn't take any of them to school out of fear of theft because some of these kids don't even have enough food to eat much less electronics devices. And I am accounting for 39.9% of the student population of 1,050 students. The county could care less. They use our school as a training ground and in my daughter's six years she has had 3 principal(s). Two of those were new. Can you guess now?
Our kids don't have books to bring home to study and half the books used are not available online. How are these kids learning?
I am not a whiner as you referred to some others. We have a 6 figure household income, my husband and I are strong volunteers in the community, I have been on the PTA Board for 3 years. I have been the room parent for my daughter's class every year for six years. We have some fantastic teachers (Hugged my daughter's kindergarten teacher just this morning). I arrive at the school at 6:30AM EVERY morning and work there until I leave at 7:15 to go to my real job. I go back at 5:00PM and work until everything is done and then go home and be sure my daughter has her homework done. I also answer parent’s phone calls at home about the “not so good” teachers and how to resolve the situations. Because we are a training ground, we get some of the bottom of the barrel and the superintendent knows it and doesn’t do anything about it. I lack any amount of respect for the school board because schools are not treated equally. I am going to guess you might live in the south end of the county. Maybe I am wrong. I can tell you things that would make your hair curl! I can tell you lots of stories about most areas in Forsyth County and most of them have happy endings…I just feel for the ones that don’t – I want all kids to have opportunities big and small.
technology being incorporated can be a good thing because if can easily correct spelling, highlight sentence fragments, and be self teaching in that aspect. It can give them tools on how to use technology for research, and putting assignments together.
The bad part is attention span, bad penmanship, always being attached to a screen, bad eye contact/interaction...that one girl said she was always hesitant to speak, well she still is! just cuz there's a computer in front of her face and she can talk w/o actually talking, isn't helping her!
Today's teachers are more concerned about their retirement and benefit packages to worry much about the kids they are failing.InLA. they have a program for inempt teachers.It's called the "dance of the lemons".The teachers that can't teach never get fired,they just move them every year to a new school.Eventually,they will retire with bloated retirement and benefits.Unfortunately,they are the biggest finger pointers around.If they can't teach they shuold be fired.That's nearly impossible!A few years aback,a "dancer" got pissed after a few years and took a gun to the main school board building,snuck in the rear of the building with a gun and mowed down a few people.He still draws his retirement while he waits for the needle on death row.Was he immediately fired? No way,the unions would allow that! That's the biggest problem with schools today,the unions are more concerned with their member and the kids can go to hell!
Um.... no. Teachers are more concerned about not getting fired while producing results with limited resources that they have. They been cutting the school budget for years. Even teachers that win "teacher of the year" still getting fired. You think these teachers living large while driving around BMW's?
I have a BMW motorcycle. Apparently, one can have an erection for days or months just by riding one. A worthwhile investment IMHO.
Haaaaah. You can never please everyone. No matter what decision someone makes, some people will hate it..some will love it.
Definitely a risky move on the school's part. Hopefully they can find some happy medium where kids are using technology constructively and the teachers can do their jobs at the same time. I'm not sure how it helps kids who don't have iPads or smart phones. Maybe they can learn to share?
BYOT as long as the student buys the tech from Apple, the de facto ( and de jure ) long standing monopoly on educational and public institutional hardware. It's expensive and does much less than comparable PC equipment, but it pays the salary at Disney.
Our district does not use Apple products. MANY years ago I sat on a strategic planning committee dealign with technology. Everyone who was a parent on the committee recommended that the district move away from Apple, since the rest of the world uses the (what was then called) "IBM" PC. The district took our advice and has never looked back.
I am all for kids using these devices in the classroom. I think all toddlers should have access to one too. My two year old has taught herself the alphabet and all the sounds with an iPad. She can use that thing like a pro.
If used correctly they offer lots of educational opportunities.
Angie
the key word is ... If used correctly they offer lots of educational opportunities.
What if you found your child could not even add 2-2 without a calculator? What if that led to a dependency on instrument that brain. How is that help-full to a child? Innovation and creativity is an act of mind (brain). Elcetronics is nothing but a tool to simplify task.
Imperial, I did not say leave them alone with it forever or use it as a babysitter or replacement teacher. You are missing the point, these devices offer lots of educational opportunities and the children are interested in the devices.
Like I said my 2 year old is trying to read 2-3 letter words and knows her sounds. I think this is a spectacular accomplishment with a "toy" I.e. the iPad.
Anything can be bad if used wrong, but these electronics can be very beneficial if used properly.
Angie...were you incapable of teaching your child the alphabet? You would be amazed at the social and emotional benefits your child would get from sitting down with you and reading a book, verses sitting in front of a screen.
I know some people that can do advance calculus on scientific calculator but can't do basic math in their head without a calculator or balance a checkbook. Kinda sad.
Juliane, you come off as really bitchy. You would be surprised how much better the world is when you are nice.
I do read to my child all the time and we do alphabet cards together etc. you are again missing the point...My TWO YEAR OLD is trying to READ!!!
She is way ahead of the game and the technology has helped.
You are OK, Angie in KY, keeping moving forward. Don't let the spoilers divert your child's advancement. That said, don't rely upon, and from your comments you do not, electronic gear, cause there is more to learning than having the answer at a technical fingerprint.
Really, what needs to be taught is how to learn how to learn. So that we learn throughout out lives, in both samll and large doses, little experiences, or seminars and classes. Whether the techno device can assist in the process then good for us all, but if it replaces fundamentals, the shame on us.
*grimaces* I can definitely see the flaw here--the students are definitely going to "pass notes" on their phones, as it were. The best we had in my school in the "technology" area were the three or so Promethean boards, which were actually kind of fun when the teachers actually let us play games on them.
Forsyth county schools only schedule BYOT about once every other month for one day only. BYOT is not part of the daily curriculum.
Indeed they need this becuase in the real world it doesnt make sence to write things out long hand, i.e. they learn to type and write reports like real adults in real industrys do. This would make it easier to give kids assignments and have real time access to online data bases and cloud office software that would make learning easy.. Dicipline is what a teacher would have to get across that just becuase you have a nice ipad or even an android tablet that you have to work in order to play.. some kids come from the most dysfunctional homes and have little or no disipline and would try to watch tv or game on one all day if that is if the parent could put down the pipe or the bottle long enough to get the child one. It seems so nice in theory but in real life there is going to be a segment of usless dirtballs that will just try and beat the crap out of your kid to steal his or her tablet and or cellphone and mp3 player. Bullying can get very expensive if your kids multi hundred dollar gadgets keep getting smashed.
Well, it is obvious that you did not learn to write things out properly, in longhand or on an electronic device!
I feel that this idea of putting technology into the classroom is going to be America's downfall. I work in public schools. We are raising an entire generation that will be great at pushing figures on a touch pad but won't be able to do jack-#$*& with a hammer. My old high school had a building technology class, complete machine shop with a foundry, complete wood shop, a large auto shop, a small engine repair class, and a large autobody shop complete with two paint booths. They have completely shut down everything except the building technology class and the machine shop. The machine shop no longer has the foundry and the emphasis is on building robots rather than learning how to use the mills and the lathes. The wood shop and small engine repair shop are now filled with computers and all of the equipment is gone, probably sold at on line auctions for pennies on the dollar.
What were the latest and greatest lap top computer 4 years ago are now todays obsolete junk. Look up Promethian projector. It is a board system that is an overhead projector, a chalk board and a movie screen all in one. You write on it with a special electronic pen that reads your hand movements and then projects your pre-selected color of choice so it looks like a colored marker on a white board. I have watched many experienced teachers waste the first 15 minutes of a class session trying to get their Promethian projector to work right while saying they wish they could just have their white board back. It is much quicker to put a different marker in your hand and use an actual eraser when when writing on a board than to mess with a Promethian projector.
Todays Promethian projectors that the school districts paid thousands for will be tomorrows e-waste that in 5 years will be piled up outside behind a classroom getting rained on just like all of the 5 year old computers and monitors that were the latest and greatest 5 years ago. Technology, your tax dollars at work folks. I guess we will just have to hire Mexican migrant workers to do all of the manual labor such as roofing our houses and fixing our cars because they will be the only ones with the skills to do it. And no, I'm not putting down Mexicans here, it's actually a complement.
All the technology geeks can sit around rubbing their touch pads while foreigners do the real work and all of our stuff is manufactured in China, and we wonder why Americans are out of work.
are you suggesting we continue a school system that hasnt changed in over 200 years?if you cant see the increased violence and ignorance of some graduates,maybe you need some new shades.
if a teacher cant operate with the new technology,they need to be replaced by one that can.
im sorry you feel your a underemployed teacher.try going back to school to learn to keep up with the kids instead of doing your part to keep yourself as ignorant as your students.
Under employed, I can feel your passion about this subject. But in this world and the one in the near future is technology driven. Carpenters now and always have had to be math whiz's; beams and trusses and the amount of material in bidding a job. All the technology does is allows the contractor to enter data into a device to get an exact answer quickly, the kids need to know how to do this. You cannot walk into a mechanics shop today without seeing a computer, an automobile is a computer anymore, these construction workers need to known how to compute cubic areas so they will know how much concrete to poor. These are college educated people in many cases and the designers and engineers have graduate degrees. A normal family needs to know percentages and costs and how compound interest works in many of their purchases and investments, so having a computer or calculator will help them, some one needs to teach them how to use these devices for more than facebook. Does technology age and become outdated, thank God yes, it just means we're getting smarter. Special education students need these devices to help them have a better quality of life. Sorry to be the one to tell you this but the use of technology in the classroom is here to stay, best to embrace it, learn all you can about it and use it.
@Under Employed Teacher, you wrote:
I would say that the emphasis on building robots is an excellent one! The development of advanced robotics to streamline assembly lines and increase efficiencies to a Six Sigma level of QC is how Japan ate our lunch in the 1980s and 1990s.
Some individuals on here today have been lamenting the fact that "Chinese labor" and the like is going to take us over because our children are not being well-educated. The inverse is true; any manufacturer will choose a robotic assembly line that produces at 99.9999% to spec over human beings that will only do so at 90% -- possibly even less. Plus, you don't have to feed 'em, robots don't need to take breaks, and they (rarely) call in sick.
Of course the kids love it. Duh! Are they really using the devises for learning? Please.
You're welcome, ecause most of them are.
We need students to read books, write essays and add, subtract, multiply and divide. We now have students going to high school and COLLEGE who cannot read, cannot write a coherent sentence and add, subtract, multiply and divide on their FINGERS.
Stop with all the cell phones, IPhones, IPADS. This is the enabled generation. They do what they want to do and refuse to put in the time and effort to succeed. Disrespect, playing games, loud and abusive language - unfortunately that occurs every day.
This is the visually stimulated generation. They refuse to pick up a book read and do homework. It is a national scadal and terribly sad. Anything worth achieving is worth the time and effort. They don't get it. They'll spend hours on Facebook and Twitter and use abreviated language. If that's their future it is a catastrophe.
children hate schools today.thats why there is so much violence.
it sounds to me like your a teacher that hated school and that you would rather remain ignorant and keep your students that way.of course you should be worried about your job.try educating yourself so your not so ignorant and keep your students that way.
the school system we have was put in place over 200 years ago and no longer works.go blame the student thats easier than educating yourself so your not so ignorant.
What are you talking about "usaintrouble" or should I say unsustainable? I know kids that love school. It is engaging; it is challenging; it is designed for both rote and for self improvement and thought. I don't disagree that it is important to educate oneself, and that is so important that many of our successful business folks did just that.
But to suggest that violence is caused by a hatred of students in school is just nonsensical. Where is the causal element and the nexus? That is just a specious and speculative statement.
This looks like another abdication of responsibility by a school system. Systems beat the drum for "student engagement" at all times. It sounds good on paper. However, the reality is that the students are engaged with the personal aspects of technology rather than the legitimate classroom application of technology. And yes...I've taught in public schools and at the community-college level.
Maybe the public will eventually realize that they are being taken in by hucksters who continue to play the old shell game. The art of paying attention without the use of technology is becoming a lost art.
for those of you who think this is a poor idea and complain about how ignorant the students are when they get to higher education,,,this only shows how our education system has already failed.
no student left behind=all work at the pace of some of the slowest children.
using puters=all children can work at their own pace.
who knows maybe a child could even learn to balance a checkbook when in high school???
in the schools they have done this children actually like going to school.
could you imagine a school children liked?there would be no need for truancy officers or police.there would be less violence.
id rather pay for a computer system for the children than another brick building with marble floors they hate going to.
I can tell that you have never entered a classroom as a teacher. What you say sounds good. Reality isn't always the same. I do wish you the best.
USA good post I can see you understand that if you keep doing the same thing you've always done you will get the same results.
At least you are forward (instead of holding in place) thinking.
USA In Trouble - love you moniker - but you seem very stressed and distressed. And, I am confident that your experiences bring you to that conclusion and leaning of opinion. But, to me it appears to be a localized experience and bitterness toward your own school district and the decisions made in expenditure of limited funds.
Clearly, financial education is lacking even at the most elementary level - student loans, credit cards, investments, compounding interest, compounding dividend reinvestment, etc. all lacking in the current curriculum. How about basic science? What is an acid, a base, and the interaction between the two.
Don't get me started.
I am surprise that the old fashions snobs has not posted, what happen to the old fashion ways of teaching. and not permitting rude behavior in the classroom.
I mean, I have mixed feelings. because, my Attitude is that my Education was outdated from before War 2. now. all those old fashioners are dead or at rest homes. and yes, some are thankfully still living in their own homes.
My point being, the next Teacher that I had boom my outdated Education over night.
By the time I finish HS, the computers were just coming out. well, I was already an adult at age 18.
Well, we can't turn back the clocks, but some parents that have very strict ways on teaching their kids, gives better quality tools and old fashion teaching, but, their kids turns out to be very rude.
So, that being said, there is no easy answer.
The Amish kids however, are tough the old fashions, and those Amish kids are always normally on their best behavior, or better behave then those that used naughty words in Public Schools now days.
OMG,,.
You got to be kidding me. Every time I go north to that part of the country, your sweet little Amish kids give me the finger. What did I ever do to them?
Don't get too used to learning new technology. The Republiban has vowed to stop it if they are voted back into power. If there are no schools, there will be no learning.
What Republican wants to ban technology?
For those of you saying that if student aren't listening it's on the student... did you forget the part where techers are held responsible for how their students perform in the classroom & that it can affect the teachers' wages & even get the teacher fired? Having worked in a classroom, student do vile things with their technology. They take pictures of each other (sexting) to torment one another. They do not use technology responsibly or respectfully. I have seen students take pictures of their tests with answers & send them to other students in school to cheat. While it's a great idea to teach students how to use technology responsibly (such as in a computer or technology class) - technology should be banned from the school districts at all other times. Students text rather than listening & the majority do not use technology for class or assignment. While students are busy texting about how lame their class is & not learning the material, students can then go fail their test & the poor teacher is held responsible. The one who works 100 hours or more (grading papers at home, going to meetings, planning lesson plans, etc.) for which they do not get paid for. Everyon stating teacher's have bloated salaries, I challenge you to go sub. for a day & I would be for most it will completely change your viewpoint. Just saying ...
Don't want to read anything about teacher wages being affected. Idiot Bush's 'no child left behind' is what the teachers are mandated to teach to and it has further ruined US schools. The first blow to the schools was busing and elimination of the neighborhood school (a 1970's failure). There is no sense of community now that the schools are ruined and face to face communication is not valued.
A very bad move. They do the same thing here in Texas. My kids do not use any technology in school. They use books and do their homework in school.
Where in Texas, Steve? I teach in a public ISD in Texas and we use an amazing amount of technology at our school. We are also a Title One campus.
There are certainly bugs that need to be addressed and teachers, if they choose to use it in their classrooms, need to be extremely aware of what the kids are doing. But having online sources is wonderful - in so many ways - for so many different kinds of learning.
I still take my science kids to the library for research. Teaching them the importance of literature research. How to cite APA style. I'm doing that right now. On the other hand, we owe it to them to LEAD them HOW to research online, how to determine what is junk and what is credible. If someone doesn't show them this, THAT is the real loss.