By Jamie Gardner
What is BYOT? BYOT is the acronym for Bring Your Own Technology. The Appling County School System will be allowing students to bring their own technology during the 2012 – 2013 school year in hopes that it will add benefit to the education process.
What it means for your student
The system states, “As new technologies continue to change the world in which we live, they also provide many new and positive educational benefits for classroom instruction. To encourage this growth, students in select classes may now bring their own technology.”
How does the system define technology? “For the purposes of BYOT, “Technology” means a privately owned wireless and/or portable electronic hand held equipment that includes, but is not limited to, existing and emerging mobile communication systems and smart technologies, portable Internet devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), hand held entertainment systems or portable information technology systems that can be used for word processing, wireless Internet access, image capture/recording, sound recording and information transmitting/receiving/storing, etc.” In layman terms…an Ipad, Ipod, Kindle Fire, Internet capable tablets, some Internet capable cellular telephones, Nintendo DSi, laptop computer, etc.
A major concern that comes to mind is that with all this available technology how will the system patrol/protect students from looking at harmful websites or abusing technology such as text messaging? Students will only be allowed to connect to the school system’s Internet gateway while on campus. The system’s gateway has filters in place to protect students from visiting harmful or inappropriate websites. The board of education also promotes that using technology to provide educational material is not a necessity, but a privilege and warns that if this privilege is abused it will be taken away.
Parents may also be asking, “How will this help my child learn?” The school system believes that this new movement to involve more technology will actually assist teachers in the learning process, and the system makes some good arguments to back up this belief.
In the 2011 - 2012 school year a few Appling County teachers started using advanced technology in the classroom. For example, one teacher video recorded lessons in the classroom and allowed students, as well as parents, to access the video for review prior to a test on the subject matter. Another teacher used a social media-type website called Edmodo. The layout of the Edmoto website is similar to Facebook and the teacher is in complete control of the website. Through this website the teacher posted Power Point presentations, lesson training, quizzes, allowed interaction/discussion between students on particular subjects, etc. and reported that the response from students was great.
Statistics from Pew Internet and American Life Project show that 93 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 go online. Of those kids, 55 percent use social-networking sites (like Facebook and Twitter), and 64 percent are creating their own original content (such as blogs and wikis). Some believe that unlike watching television, using the Internet allows young people to take an active role; this move from consumption to participation affects the way they construct knowledge, develop their identity, and communicate with others.
Appling County Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandy Dominy believes that our school system is already behind in the usage of technology. “We are already 12 years into the 21st Century technology. So when are we going to start using 21st Century skills and technology,” she stated.
Dominy reported that members of the system’s Technology Team visited Forsyth County Schools this past school year to learn more on how Forsyth schools have benefited from BYOT. Forsyth instituted BYOT in 2010 and the Appling team received positive feedback about the new program.
On August 7 (the first day of school) should students bring their technology devices to school? Dominy told The News-Banner that students should not bring their technology to school on the first day, as teachers will be handing out information and rules for BYOT.
What if a student doesn’t have a technology device to bring to school? The assistant superintendent stated that students that do not have technology devices would have an opportunity to use technology provided within the school system.
Dominy also encourages parents to visit the school system’s website found at http://www.appling.k12.ga.us/ and click the Technology link. She states that there is more information about BYOT on the website and also helpful cyber-safety information for parents of students in all grades. Dominy reported that technology specialists would be available during Open House at each school to answer any questions parents may have about BYOT.
How does the system define technology? “For the purposes of BYOT, “Technology” means a privately owned wireless and/or portable electronic hand held equipment that includes, but is not limited to, existing and emerging mobile communication systems and smart technologies, portable Internet devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), hand held entertainment systems or portable information technology systems that can be used for word processing, wireless Internet access, image capture/recording, sound recording and information transmitting/receiving/storing, etc.” In layman terms…an Ipad, Ipod, Kindle Fire, Internet capable tablets, some Internet capable cellular telephones, Nintendo DSi, laptop computer, etc.
A major concern that comes to mind is that with all this available technology how will the system patrol/protect students from looking at harmful websites or abusing technology such as text messaging? Students will only be allowed to connect to the school system’s Internet gateway while on campus. The system’s gateway has filters in place to protect students from visiting harmful or inappropriate websites. The board of education also promotes that using technology to provide educational material is not a necessity, but a privilege and warns that if this privilege is abused it will be taken away.
Parents may also be asking, “How will this help my child learn?” The school system believes that this new movement to involve more technology will actually assist teachers in the learning process, and the system makes some good arguments to back up this belief.
In the 2011 - 2012 school year a few Appling County teachers started using advanced technology in the classroom. For example, one teacher video recorded lessons in the classroom and allowed students, as well as parents, to access the video for review prior to a test on the subject matter. Another teacher used a social media-type website called Edmodo. The layout of the Edmoto website is similar to Facebook and the teacher is in complete control of the website. Through this website the teacher posted Power Point presentations, lesson training, quizzes, allowed interaction/discussion between students on particular subjects, etc. and reported that the response from students was great.
Statistics from Pew Internet and American Life Project show that 93 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 go online. Of those kids, 55 percent use social-networking sites (like Facebook and Twitter), and 64 percent are creating their own original content (such as blogs and wikis). Some believe that unlike watching television, using the Internet allows young people to take an active role; this move from consumption to participation affects the way they construct knowledge, develop their identity, and communicate with others.
Appling County Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sandy Dominy believes that our school system is already behind in the usage of technology. “We are already 12 years into the 21st Century technology. So when are we going to start using 21st Century skills and technology,” she stated.
Dominy reported that members of the system’s Technology Team visited Forsyth County Schools this past school year to learn more on how Forsyth schools have benefited from BYOT. Forsyth instituted BYOT in 2010 and the Appling team received positive feedback about the new program.
On August 7 (the first day of school) should students bring their technology devices to school? Dominy told The News-Banner that students should not bring their technology to school on the first day, as teachers will be handing out information and rules for BYOT.
What if a student doesn’t have a technology device to bring to school? The assistant superintendent stated that students that do not have technology devices would have an opportunity to use technology provided within the school system.
Dominy also encourages parents to visit the school system’s website found at http://www.appling.k12.ga.us/ and click the Technology link. She states that there is more information about BYOT on the website and also helpful cyber-safety information for parents of students in all grades. Dominy reported that technology specialists would be available during Open House at each school to answer any questions parents may have about BYOT.
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