With BYOT implementation comes Acceptable Use policies and lots of exposure to the Technology staff of the district as they help prepare teachers for the the use of personal devices as educational tools in the classroom. This has led to a problem in the management of classes as teachers encounter new issues or face a different kind of challenge.
BYOT is seen as a Technology initiative and teachers seem hesitant to establish their own classroom expectations for the use of devices during class. However, setting up classroom expectations that work within your own class is a “must-do” step for successful BYOT implementation.
So, here is the latest BYOT lesson on our implementation journey: Develop, Post, and Share Your Own BYOT Classroom Expectations.
Here are some ideas:
- Identify a location on the student desks where students park their devices when they are not in use. This area should be clearly visible to you as the teacher so that it is easy to ascertain who has a device and that it is in use or not in use at the appropriate times.
- Students who don’t park their device may not use a device. This helps in stopping students from keeping their device hidden out of site for off-task behaviors until you use them in the class. If it’s not placed in the parking area, then it cannot be used for classroom activities.
- Establish protocols for situations which may occur for the device. For example, do you want to create a charging station in your room or is the rule going to be that the devices need to be charged when the students enter and no in-class charging is allowed.
- Make clear the expectations for which Wi-Fi system is allowable. Be sure students know the process for accessing that Wi-Fi system.
- Develop expectations for how work will be turned in with the mobile devices. Be clear about what is expected including things like the subject of messages, headings on papers, how to share properly, etc.
- Go over these expectations with students and parents. Spending time in class with students explaining your expectations is an absolute must! When possible, share with parents on Parent Night and during other opportunities that may arise.
Carol Mortensen has nearly twenty-three years of educational experience. She began as a substitute teacher as she worked toward her degree. Upon graduation, Carol began teaching middle school Math and Algebra I and served as the technology liaison for her campus. She served as a teacher for 16 years and was lucky to have taught at Hillcrest Middle School, a 1:1 campus where every student was issued a laptop computer. She also worked as an Instructional Technology Trainer for her district providing training and technology integration support for campus and district staff, faculty and administrators. Currently, Carol enjoys her position as the Campus Technology Integration Specialist for Deer Park High School – South Campus. Before taking this position this year, she served for three years as the Campus Technology Integration Specialist at Fairmont Junior High in Deer Park Independent School District. In this position, Carol provides integration support and training to the students, staff, faculty, and administrators at the campus and district level. In addition, Carol is an online Math instructor for Aventa Learning and K12. The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) named Carol the Classroom Teacher of the Year for her innovative and creative use of technology to create a 24/7 virtual classroom using her classroom website. Carol has presented at school districts throughout Texas as well as state and local conferences on a variety of technology integration topics. Her article on the use of websites as an instructional tool was recently published in the TechEdge Magazine. In February 2011, her article, Lessons Learning In a 1:1 Classroom, was published by TechEdge. The article was republished in ISTE’s Learning and Leading magazine in August 2011. She was named Fairmont Junior High’s Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year. Carol is passionate about the positive impact that technology has on student achievement. Her presentations are packed with real-life solutions, quality resources, and humor. She has an ability to connect with her audience and motivate them to take technology integration to a higher quality level.
