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District

Mobile Devices Drive Creative Instruction

CONTINuED

BYOD

High School Pupils Bring Their Own Devices

ome experts believe the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) format is a successful and cost-effective solution for large districts, since most older students have cell phones. Last year, New Milford High School in the New Milford School District in New Jersey ran a pilot program with seniors, allowing them to use their cell phones for class instruction. The program was so successful, this year the school opened up BYOD to all students. Theyre tools that the students have grown up with, Principal Eric Sheninger says. The big disconnect is that schools do a very good job of creating an environment thats the exact opposite of what our learners are accustomed to. Students can bring in any mobile learning device to use in class. Those who do not have one can partner with another student or participate in a group learning session. With access to a secure wireless network from anywhere on campus, students can work on assignments on their devices, although certain Web sites are blocked. In the classroom, teachers use a program called Poll Everywhere, which turns a cell phone into a student-response system. In a typical classroom, a teacher will ask a question and maybe a few students will raise their hands to answer, but with Poll Everywhere, every student has to answer the question, Sheninger says. Since the BYOD program started, Sheninger says he has seen fewer behavioral problems in class and more student involvement. We have an opportunity here to create a more stimulating and engaging learning environment for our students, he says. But the technology is just a tool. We need to make sure that, first and foremost, we have teachers who can teach. Once you put technology in the hands of a skilled teacher, it becomes a powerful tool that fosters collaboration and creativity.Kelly Puente DA

This year, New Milford High School opened a BYOD program to all students. Above, a junior in U.S. History 2 uses his own mobile device to answer questions.

tECH RESOURCES

Leadership for Mobile Learning

or school administrators looking for more information on mobile learning, the new Leadership for Mobile Learning (LML) initiative, supported by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), hopes to become a one-stop spot for ideas, examples and case studies. LMLs project director, Lucy Gray, has conducted case studies of five districts that are pioneers in mobile learning: Chicago Public Schools, Katy Independent School District in Texas, Canby School District in Oregon, Osseo Area Schools in Minnesota, and St. Marys City School District in Ohio. The three-part report, called Small Size, Big Potential: Mobile Learning Devices in School, explores the growing use of mobile learning devices and how they are positively impacting student achievement across K12. Gray says the positive changes include increased teacher and student engagement, higher test scores, and more effective professional development. From iPads
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to smartphones, the schools use different platforms, but Gray says the objective is the same: innovation in the classroom. In her case studies, Gray says she has discovered a few key guidelines for a successful program: School districts need to have a strategic, multiyear plan in place. Pilot programs should start small and grow with their success. Districts should create a school culture that embraces the new technology and gives all teachers the freedom to experiment, and feel comfortable, with the mobile devices. Districts should have a financial plan for sustaining their program. Gray says that bringing parents on board is also key for a great program. All these districts had parent meetings about the new technology, and once these parents saw what they were doing, they started pressuring the district for more, she says. They received very little negative feedback. Kelly Puente

District Administration

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