Ideas for Establishing & Revising Your School or District's BYOD Policies

A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy is a necessity in a 21st century school. I am not sure deciding whether or not to provide wireless Internet access to students is even optional anymore. With more and more of our students getting technological devices with WiFi capabilities, they come to our schools with the expectation that they are going to be connected. Add the fact that municipalities like our own hometown of Newton, North Carolina are working to set up city-wide WiFi, and lower costs of cellular hotspots, educational leaders are quickly finding it difficult keeping schools a "WiFi dead-zone."

Our school district recently updated our Bring Your Own Device Policy and Procedures (Newton-Conover City Schools BYOD Policy). This year, our BYOD policy expanded to include all our schools, but it is primarily just middle and high schools that are actually utilizing it. It also covers guests who come to our school buildings who want to get connected as well.

Some of the most pronounced changes in our BYOD update included the following:

• Change in the definition of devices. Two years ago, so few of our students had tablets, we had not included that in our policy. We now include any device capable of connecting to our wireless network under our BYOD. While we haven't had many students bring  Xbox 360 or Ninetendo game systems into our school buildings, we need to make sure all devices using our wireless Internet connection are included.
• Clearer definition of user. This was a key revision since our original focus covered mostly students. Our new policy covers anyone who connects and uses our wireless network.
• Clearer expectations about the devices. In our revision discussions, we wanted language to make sure all of our users understand that our wireless Internet's purpose was to support instructional use. We also wanted language that covered when those devices become a disruption. In addition we added a clear connection back to our district acceptable use policy.
• Revised consequences for violations. Under our old policy, the consequences were clear enough, but the new policy more clearly explains those consequences, and there is some flexibility. In addition, we clearly spell out the offenses for which immediate and permanent loss of wireless Internet privileges could result. Those are: accessing web sites of a clearly pornographic nature and web sites with illegal content. We also include cyberbullying and harassment as an offense that could result in loss of privileges and any activity of a malicious or illegal nature.
• Finally, we updated our disclaimers section to make it very clear that users would not have access to network hardware and resources. Also, our district does not provide tech support for personal devices, nor is our district responsible for any damage, theft or loss of these devices.

Now that we are in our third year of BYOD implementation, there are some more lessons we have learned. Those include:

• Review and update your BYOD policies and procedures at least once a year. You may also have to update sooner should tech trends demand it.
• Clear definitions are a must. This is a no-brainer for those who write policy, but it is vital that definitions of devices, users, and violations as well as conseuqences be written with clarity. Revising these definitions regularly is important too.
• Make sure your policy includes disclaimers. Our district technology department does not have the resources to support personal devices, and as I understand it, our state does not permit state employees to provide that support. Disclaimers regarding theft, loss or damage is important as well, otherwise, more resources may be consumed when these things happen.

Having a Bring Your Own Device policy and procedure has moved to the mainstream. As more and more of our students get personal devices, and come to our schools with the expectation that they can be connected, we must make sure we provide that access or they will get it elsewhere. Having a current BYOD policy in a 21st century school is a must.

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"Digital-Divide" Is Not an Excuse to Avoid Implementing a BYOD Policy at Your School

Recently, I found myself entangled with several people in a Twitter debate about whether BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies actually perpetuate or aggravate the digital divide our students currently experience. During the conversation, I could sense the frustration teachers feel when they stand before classrooms where large number of students barely have a home to go to in the evenings, much less their own technological devices to bring and use within school. Our economic mess has truly put a large number of our students in situations where they experience major disadvantages. Having a BYOD policy would seem to perpetuate the divide between the tech-haves and tech-have-nots. Still, I can't help but support any measures that give our students access. I do not buy into the argument of "no access for anyone until everyone can have it." Instead, I think we must do what Marc Prensky argues which is to find ways to "Bridge and eliminate this digital divide" and provide digital access to our students. As Prensky suggests, we are going to have to accept that there is always going to be some inequality, but there are things we should be doing as educators to mediate the impact of the digital divide, and trying to keep the playing field level by refusing anyone access until all have it is not the ethical thing to do.

As educators we must be concerned with our "students wanting or needing access to a minimal level of digital technology and not being able to get it." "We can make it our business to see that every student has 'enough' access rather than 'equal' access to digital technology." In addition, we can make sure our students are engaged in using this technology in stimulating, collaborative, and authentic, globally challenging ways. BYOD policies are a way for educators to give students that adequate access to technology to engage in 21st century learning, and do so, often with much less cost than 1:1 programs. To refuse instituting BYOD policies because not all students will be able to "bring their own devices" is, in my opinion, a dereliction of my duty as a 21st century administrator because I should be seeking every means possible to provide 21st century learning opportunities for all students. I would love to have a 1:1 program that puts devices into the hands of everyone of my students, and I will keep advocating for those days. But our current reality is that we must take advantage of our limited resources to make the most of digital opportunities for all students and that means providing BYOD access.

Still, we do need to be concerned about the effects of the digital divide under our BYOD policy. Here are some ways we might minimize the digital divide effects under BYOD policies:

• Make sure the technology we currently have in our buildings is actually being used by the students. For example, if we have iPads, are these devices in the hands of the students as they engage in real-world problem-solving or is the teacher using the device to project to a video or a multimedia presentation? Our schools have technology, but often teachers and administrators use the technology and students watch.
• Find ways to maximize how students share existing technology. Place students in deliberate groups so that every student can engage in activities that ask them to join in using that technology. Give each student in these groups tasks that need to be accomplished by using shared technological devices.
• Find ways to increase access time. Keep computer labs open after school. If funding and staff allow, open the labs far beyond the length of the school day or on weekends.
• Make sure all students know where additional areas of access are. Communicate to parents other places like public libraries where technology access is available. Our school is located within a town that has chosen to provide free wireless access in the downtown area. Making sure students and parents know were additional access is available is important.
• Do everything  we can to advocate and get technology for those who don't have access. As a principal, my duty is to be an advocate for the education of all the students in my school. This does not mean using that there will always be unequal access to technology as an excuse for me to give up trying to push for better access to all. As a 21st century educational leader, equity is always the greatest of concerns and I need to pushing for equity too.

I am sure there are other ways 21st century school leaders can work to minimize the effects of the digital divide while engaging in the implementation of Bring Your Own Device measures. As we move further and further into the 21st century, we have a duty to provide our students with the level of technology access they need to be 21st century learners and that means finding ways to implement policies like BYOD that enhance learning for all of our students.

5 Areas of Consideration for Developing a BYOD Policy for Your School or District

While there is some debate about whether a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Policy perpetuates inequities and the technology gap, school districts in times of tightening budgets and limited resources are looking for cost-effective ways to increase student access to technology. While BYOD should not be a substitution for adequately funding access to technology for all students, it is a means by which we do not have to ask students to unplug when their walk through our school building doors. But in providing this increased level of access, there are areas of consideration before opening the WiFi to student use, and here’s a short list of 5 considerations for implementing a BYOD policy for your school district.

1. Be aware of the technical requirements needed for providing BYOD in your school or district.  For example, make sure your hardware and software is prepared to handle things like the sudden increase of IP addresses with all the new devices logged on to your network. Also, how will the sudden increase in devices affect bandwidth? Taking stock of your network to see if BYOD is going to enhance access not degrade access is important.

2. Set up general guidelines for BYOD access.  These guidelines are important. They let students know that using their own devices is welcome, but instruction and educational use is the primary reason for that access. Here are some key things to consider when setting up these guidelines for a BYOD policy:

• Clear statement in policy that use of a device during the school day is clearly at the discretion of teachers and staff. They are to put the devices away when asked to do so.
• Clear instructions to students that using devices during the instructional day is in support of their educational activities. Personal access for personal reasons is secondary.
• Make clear to students that their use of a device must not disrupt the learning of others.
• Clear statement in policy that use of a device on the school WiFi might mean their device could be subject to search and/or seizure under certain circumstances.
• Clear statement that use of a device under the school or district’s BYOD policy requires the student's adherence to the school or district’s acceptable use policy.
• Clear statement regarding what kinds of resources students will have access to using their own devices under the BYOD policy.

3. Provide statements of clear consequences for student failure to follow the school or district’s acceptable use policy and BYOD guidelines. Consequences could be the loss of access for a period of time.

4. Clear description of the procedures students must follow in order to optain access under the BYOD policy. This tells students clearly what they need to do in order to obtain their access.

5. Clear disclaimers regarding what the school is responsible for and not responsible for. For example:

• Access to the WiFi is for Internet access only. No access to other network resources is provided.
• School district IT department is not responsible for the maintenance and repair to personal devices used under the BYOD policy.
• The school district is not responsible to damaged, lost, or stolen devices used under the BYOD policy.

It is vital that schools and school  districts seeking to implement a BYOD solution make sure they maintain the integrity of the computer networks and provide some level of safety as specified under CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act). A BYOD properly and effectively implemented can create an environment where students can remain plugged in and engage in using their own devices as 21st century learning tools.