Authors Note: If you are reading this blog you probably saw it as a link on twitter or G+ and therefore totally get this image. Therefore I will not be talking about the ideas behind it. Nice picture though
Also, this post is not really about BYOD
One of the school districts I support is making a solid -#jumpinthedeepend- effort to implement BYOD.
Quick Definition: BYOD - Bring Your Own Device, schools invests in wireless networks and leaves the hardware purchasing to the students.
ACT 1: A Case of Mistaken Identity
So BYOD has some obvious challenges, especially when you are implementing it at schools that have %50+, %60+ free and reduced lunch. This often leads to conversations that start with, "What about the kids that can't...." and "Before we can do BYOD we need to figure out.....". Which is fine by the way, as long as you consider what I learned at ISTE last summer.
ISTE
Part of my personal homework assignment for ISTE2013 last summer was to talk to as many schools and districts going BYOD as possible and ask them the same question:
"What was the number one lesson that you learned, (as in, 'wish you would have been better prepared for') in your first year of BYOD?"
The answer I got was almost always the same, and even though there came a point when I knew what the answer was going to be I kept asking people just to make a point to myself about what BYOD really is.
"When we were planning BYOD and looking at the challenges we anticipated, we were always very concerned about 'how many students will show up without devices', however quickly into our first year we learned the REAL problem was 'how many students have their devices and are not experiencing tech infused instruction'".
I have been telling that story to leaders and teacher-leaders as often as I can ever since.
ACT 2: Reluctant Teachers, Families, and Students
In our first year we are finding an Adaptive challenge emerging from a Technical problem.
Quote from a parent: "my son stopped bringing his computer to school, I was like "Manny...you wouldn't leave your binder at home would you?!", and he said "we havn't used it once in the past three days...it's heavy".
Not all students have devices, teachers are reluctant to invest lots of time into technologically transforming their instruction due to inequality, families on the margin of affordability are not making the investment because they see the same old pencil and paper assignments...that are being assigned because the teachers are waiting for more students with devices, who's families are waiting for the teachers....
If I were to summarize Act 2 by drawing a picture, it would be one of a snake eating it's tail*
ACT 3: Homework and "I have serious concerns around equity when it comes to including technology at the heart of classwork."
I hear this ALL THE TIME, mostly because it is a pretty legit claim...until it isn't. What I mean by this is that it sounds totally legit, and I hear smart, progressive, edtech leaders cite some version of this concern often. I shared the same deep concern for years. What is starting to change my perspective is this question:
Why are so many of us concerned about equity in access to technology, yet so many of us regularly assign homework without the same concern for equity of access to home environments that support homework completion?
If equity has not stopped you from trying to make homework better, more meaningful, more accessible, etc...please don't let equity stop you from doing the same with learning to leverage technology to improve instruction.
Epilogue: Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood...
Leaders: BYOD is a classic example of a challenges that screams "I NEED A TECHNICAL SOLITION", at us and pulls us to plan, and plan, and plan. In truth it reveals a whole host of adaptive challenges that may (or may not) exists at your school. If you are a leader in any capacity, please inform your self on the difference between technical problems and adaptive challenges as much as possible. Be ready for the deeper cultural challenges that BYOD will reveal at your site. At the 4 sites in our district piloting BYOD this year, each has it's own unique blend of challenges that I would have never anticipated as people were preparing for the technical challenges that lay ahead. Want help assessing your schools readiness to BYOD or anything EdTech related? I highly suggest you chat up the folks at http://www.brightbytes.net/
Teachers: Please, do not wait for "devices to arrive" to build your ability to include technology in your instruction. They will come, I promise...and when they do, it will be the worst time to have to learn edtech. That is to say, with all the students, sitting, watching you, and waiting for you to figure it out. I started with nothing, no wireless, no cell phone (policy), and most importantly, no knowledge. If this sounds like you, learn to leverage these three tools: Some kind of website (Google Sites, Weebly, wikispaces), Youtube, Google Forms. They will take you far. Here is a page I made full of 4min videos on everything you need to know for Google Sites.
Big thanks to Eric Saibel (@ecsaibel follow him!) , who's twitter post with this Video (that I linked too now three times!) helped me put together this random collection of ideas into a story worth following. Cheers Mate!
*this bit was (lovingly) ripped off from Kurt Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions"...
