BYOD

So the question that everyone in Madison County is wanting to know "How are we going to incorporate technology system wide"?  Obviously we need a plan now that HCS has gone to the one to one initiative.  Do we need to follow suit?  I think we should strive to have devices in every one's hand, but not necessarily the way HCS did it.  Technology is a wonderful resource, but it should be used as just that.  It should not be used to take the place of the teacher or as a way to get rid of paper.  Technology should be used to expand the lesson by research and probing questions.  BYOD is a more economical way for us to get to that point.  I do not think BYOD should be a long term solution as we should go toward providing the technology, but it is one way that we can ease into process.  Most of our students would be able to bring a device.  The biggest concern with bringing these devices would be theft.  Making sure that students and parents would feel comfortable with their child bringing an iPad of laptop without it being stolen would be a huge task.  Hopefully the rewards would outweigh the problems in the end.   

Digital Citizenship

As technology advances and the use of smart phones become an everyday tool, we must make sure that our youth are using it enhance themselves and not for something that could harm them.  With almost every scuffle in our school comes a story of how someone said something on facebook or twitter.  We have also heard on the news of how these tools are being used for bullying.  We must educate or children to A. not put anything harmful on there and B. Not to worry when something is put on there.  It is so easy for us to say something on facebook or by a text that we normally would not say in person because we feel safe behind our computers.  We must make sure that our students understand how this can make someone feel.  It is also alarming with text message and pictures, what they may be sending or posting between each other.  We have got to educate them so that pictures do not ruin someone 15 years down the road.  Role playing could be a great way to educate them to use these material correctly.