BYOD: Bring Your Own Device by Aubrey Halman

BYOD!

What?

Bring your own device!

 

BYOD is a concept that has begun developing over the last decade or so. Where school libraries once had a limited number of desktop computers available to their students, technological advancements and the ever-growing presence of technology in our lives have spurred a movement to have technology in the classrooms or libraries. Students are encouraged to bring their laptops or Chromebooks to school to aid in their learning. While these devices in the classroom or library can still pose a distraction, “most of the devices students bring with them today expand the concepts of virtual learning commons” (Marcoux, 2014) An added benefit to the BYOD initiative in schools is that it helps set up students for academic success when they get to college, as many professors distribute their notes or PowerPoints ahead of the class so that students can more easily follow along rather than scrambling to take down every slide by hand. Students who are already familiar and comfortable with taking notes digitally are at an advantage. In primary and secondary schools with BYOD initiatives, it is important to make sure that everyone has access, even if they don’t have the latest technology. Marcoux advises that making sure that cross-platform functionality is available ensures that students without the newest MacBook can still participate and “share their knowledge” (2014).

 

 

Works Cited

Marcoux, Elizabeth “Betty.” “BYOD.” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 3, Feb. 2014, p. 65. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=74d42266-be8a-37b2-a7ef-9ed6778edbaa.