Educators Teaching Students to Live in the World Beyond the Beeping and Chirping of Devices

 "I have heard some say that we need to 'meet the kids where they are'--that is, to accept their world of chatter and multiple electronic devices. I see, instead, a need to offer them something that they don't already have, so that they may see more possibilities." Diana Senechal, Republic of Noise: The Loss of Solitude in Schools and Culture

As a long time high school English teacher, I often heard the notion described by Senechal that I needed "to meet the kids where they are." Those early years I did just that. I used modern cultural artifacts such as popular movies, popular music to try to teach my students the "curriculum." At some point, this idea of "meet" students where they were did involve "accepting their world of chatter and multiple electronic devices." We as teachers were simply to give up teaching students about the worlds of possibility that did not include "Silicon-Valley-Invented Devices." But with this giving up, we really caused students much greater harm, because in doing that, we were failing to show students the possibilities of life beyond the reach of technology.  And there is a world where we can thrive and exist among these, our devices but live with and beyond them.

As an educator, you can begin to lead the way by doing simple things like "turning off your notifications in the evenings." This is living by example. As I write this, my phone sits like a paperweight. It is dead. It does not vibrate, chirp or beep, and I will not allow it until tomorrow morning when I walk into my office. As far as my Apple watch goes, I turned off permanently text, email, and any other notifications that have the potential to rudely intrude in my life. This is one world of possibility I would introduce students to today: a world where they can control tech and keep tech from controlling them. Such a world gives me time to sit, meditate, reflect, and read. The reading I do in these times are substantial works of literature and philosophy as well as science, social science, and world religions, not social media posts.

In addition to turning off notifications, and transforming my phone into a paperweight, I also do not allow social media in rudely intrude in my life throughout the day. I don't even have these social media apps on my phone. There was a time, evident by my Twitter account, that I spent a great deal of time using it. Facebook as well. But I have arrived at a point in life where I refuse to allow social media to intrude in my thoughts and life unless I want to read it. I have turned off all notifications of these too.  I have rid myself of the rude, boisterous call social media makes throughout the day reminding me that something in it needs my attention, when it really doesn't need my attention. This is another world of possibility, a world of freedom, that exists beyond technology too.

Instead of listening to the tech company marketing and the educational tech evangelists who want us to center the lives of students around their products, perhaps it is time for educators to show kids glimpses of a world that exists beyond the technology, where they can find time for themselves, uninterrupted by the intrusions of vibrating, beeping, and chirping devices.

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.