BYOD Meets One-to-One: The Hybrid Model

As if we needed another...education has a new acronym: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). The topic is one of the hottest for educational technology as we begin 2012. The concept is simple: students bring their own devices from home to use in the classroom. The proponents believe it leverages already owned technology, saves districts money, and creates the long awaited, highly regarded one-to-one environment more quickly. The opponents believe it will further widen the digital divide, encourage inferior devices such as phones to replace computers, and let school officials off the hook when it comes to investing in the lives and learning of students. I think the successful solution lies smack in the middle...doesn't it always?

The trend in personal mobile computing ownership is astounding, and one that can't be ignored. Freely accessible wifi is the new norm, and districts are under increasing pressure to make it available. Students and staff are already bringing their own devices (and their own networks) so it is just a matter of time before school administrators have to deal with the issue head on.

There's no doubt that an overnight policy change to permit students to bring in "any old device" would be nothing short of a train wreck. Platform inconsistencies, those who can afford vs. those who can't, network support issues, the list goes on...hopefully no one is suggesting, or attempting, that maneuver. There is, however, room for a sensible approach to BYOD...at least for those districts that have considered a one-to-one environment but couldn't afford it. Here are some important things to consider:

Defining "Device"
What is a device anyway? Gary Stager makes a relevant, and humorous, point on this here, but names and semantics aside, let's face it, students need substantial computing power and adequate screen size to create, produce, design, and program. And while I DO think smart phones should be allowed in schools and CAN enhance learning through communication and access...netbooks, tablets, and laptops are far better mobile "learning" devices.

Everyone Gets a Computer
Without a plan to put a computer in the hands of all students, you'll surely complicate instruction, frustrate teachers, further expose financial inequity, and be in a worse position than before you started. For those students who can't afford a computer, districts should develop financial assistance programs and leverage volume purchase plans to make units available at little or no cost. As compared to a full fledged one-to-one program, districts will realize savings for not having to buy computers for the students who already own them (or who can afford to buy them). And yes, it goes without saying, the financial burden shifts from parents to the district in communities with higher rates of poverty.

Setting Standards
Just like the standards that are set for school supplies or sports equipment, a minimum spec for computers is needed too. Standards for browsers, OS, and desktop publishing should be discussed...keeping in mind the reality of the web 2.0 world we live in. Many applications have moved from client-based to the web, and the vast majority of laptop and tablet devices connect in the same way, despite browser and OS differences. The need for computer labs may still exist of course, especially for dedicated applications such as those found in architecture, art, and programming. That said, the use of virtual computing is now a practical and affordable solution for delivering a traditional desktop with client-based applications to tablets and laptops alike. VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) is very promising in a BYOD model since it allows for platform and application uniformity (regardless of device), and lets network administrators sleep well at night knowing that personal devices aren't infiltrating the school network. A good article here explains the growing relationship of VDI and BYOD.

Network Support
School districts should provide a robust, filtered, and fully accessible wireless network, but I don't think they should support personal devices. There, I said it. Districts can support the computers they provide, but the students who own laptops and phones find ways to fix and update them now...and that doesn't need to change. The school motto should be..."we expect all students to come prepared for learning with a mobile computer that meets our minimum requirements, and if a family can't afford one, financial assistance is available." We say it for so many other things, why not computers?

The convergence of mobile devices, wireless networks, and the continued evolution of the Internet has opened new doors for learning. Let's take advantage of the opportunity by leveraging personal technology in the classroom, the same way it is being done on college campuses and in the workplace. Combining the frameworks of BYOD and one-to-one computing seems like a logical first step.

My Thoughts on the iPad (so far)

After almost two weeks with the iPad, I thought I would throw together my thoughts on the device thus far. Overall, it gets a high rating, but it’s not ready for deployment in schools just yet (for students anyway, more on that later). I should also mention that while the iPad wasn’t necessarily designed to compete with netbooks/laptops, I’ve reviewed it as if it was. After all, most of the laptop toting I do to meetings, conferences, home and back, etc., is because I simply need to take notes, create documents, and access the web/email, which this device can do.

The Good Stuff:

Instant-On
The instant-on functionality just kills the laptop. I had a meeting with a vendor yesterday and we waited 3-4 minutes while he fired up his laptop and connected to our wireless network. This alone precipitates so many other “pros” of the iPad, like visiting news aggregators to catch a quick update on the day’s events, or taking notes in a meeting. I have Google Reader on my BlackBerry but it takes too long to load and the text/screen size is too small to plow through a lot of news. In two minutes I can cover so much ground on USA Today’s app., and Newsy’s video recaps are a great way to avoid having to read at all (something I enjoy after a long day at work).

Note Taking
Finally, an easy way to type notes in a meeting w/out pen and paper. The basic notes app. that comes with the iPad is all I have been using, but I hear there are some nice, robust notes apps out there. Once I turned off the keyboard clicking sounds, my note taking was nearly silent, and in landscape mode, I can really fly on the keyboard.

Media Consumption
It’s what the device was intended for (according to Apple anyway). TV shows, movies, iBooks, music, Pandora radio…simply the best device so far to quickly access and play media. Major potential here for schools, especially in terms of e-text books, streamed content from providers like NBC and Discovery, and the list goes on.

The Apps
Tons of them, and even those that are available freely on the web (like Pandora) are almost always not as good as the dedicated iPad apps in terms of easy of use, and the overall user experience (you don’t have to worry about browser compatibility, pop ups, etc.).

Touch Screen
Apple continues to corner the market with their touch screen technology…sliding to flip pages, pinching to condense… makes life easier when compared to mouse pointing and clicking once you get good at it.

Battery Life
Not too bad for version 1. I can get through 2-3 days at my casual usage rate…add a power doc and home or work and users should never run low unless using it heavily all day long.

The Not So Good Stuff (for now)

Multitasking
I can’t even listen to Pandora while surfing the web…however, with the iPhone 4, looks like they have tackled the issue, so it shouldn’t be long before multiple apps can run at once on the iPad too.

Wireless Connectivity
The thing is really finicky on older wireless routers…it likes N…so my B/G router at home drops the connection frequently. No problems at work where we have a robust B/G/N network.

Web Browsing
Flash, Google Docs editing…gotta have ‘em. Also, with so many dedicated apps that build their content within the parameters of the screen size, you get pampered with a great user experience, making normal web page surfing cumbersome (pinching, spreading, tapping on small links). This raises the question; “Will I ever go to CNN.com again, when I have the CNN app?” It will be interesting to see how the development of websites and apps plays out over the next few years in an age where mobile devices (the hardware) are driving the market, and companies are developing multiple applications to accommodate multiple devices.

Projection
I’m basing this on second hand accounts, but I hear you can’t connect the iPad to an LCD projector and project everything you see on the screen…only certain apps. That has to change, especially for schools.

Multi-User Environments
One of my employees had the device prior to me…and his account ties to iTunes and other applications keep popping up. The iPad was clearly designed for one user…so buying a cart of 10 for a classroom may not be practical just yet. However, as a 1:1 device, it has real potential. It provides that needed, bigger screen to allow for desktop publishing/typing/surfing, and with an extended battery life and a slew of educational apps, it will have real classroom appeal. However, districts that want to centrally manage the devices in a large scale deployment will undoubtedly have concerns over imaging, app installation, and other tasks traditionally done en mass…none of which, to my knowledge, can be done on the iPad yet.

Technology Elements of a 21st Century Classroom

I’ve been asked this question a lot lately: “What does a 21st Century classroom look like?” The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has an excellent framework that addresses this question from a skills standpoint, and as far as the specific tools and applications used to support 21st Century learning…well, my team and I have some ideas. For starters, we believe that the 21st Century classroom should include technology that…

1. Extends learning beyond the 4 walls to the online world (i.e. BlackBoard).

2. Engages learners in content delivery and caters to different learning styles (i.e. IWB’s).

3. Provides immediate access for students to write, analyze, share, and communicate locally and globally (i.e. netbooks, laptops, cell phones).

4. Promotes a creative learning process with the goal of practical application in a competitive global society (i.e. programming, video production, blogging, web development).

5. Facilitates assessment so teachers and students can monitor teaching and learning, and make adjustments (i.e. classroom response systems).

I think we have just scratched the surface, so we will consider this a work in progress. Share your thoughts as we continue to formulate this work.

Technology & Student "Learning Actions"

Within all instructional technologies lies an intended use for improving instruction. On the surface, these "uses" may drive student work and curriculum planning, but understanding the deeper learning process that is fostered by using these tools is essential to creating a well-balanced instructional plan. Historically, Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) has been the accepted standard for the articulation of learning domains, but many have since modernized this body of work to reflect new trends, research, and technologies. Applying the digital layer onto Bloom's work is nicely articulated in this work by Andrew Churches, as an example.

Without being too scientific or hierarchical, the list below outlines 5 fundamental "learning actions" (albeit simplified and modernized) that can result when students use instructional technologies. The learning actions can be used to categorize and analyze technology integration activities for the purpose of better instructional planning and implementation.

So, think about the technology applications, software, tools, and other activities used in schools today, then consider the learning actions that result from their use. To make things easy, just complete this sentence: "By using this technology, students are...."

1. Searching
Searching has been redefined in the last decade with the advent of the Internet, accessible content, powerful indexing, and search engines. Research, inquiry, and information gathering are the foundation for the most basic learning skills.

2. Sharing & Collaborating
Blogs, wikis, video, email, Twitter, instant message, chat, web pages, and other web 2.0 tools encourage global connections, communication, feedback, peer review, and team work.

3. Organizing & Producing
Word processing software, spreadsheets, calendars, presentation tools, and popular educational software applications like Inspiration, allow students to organize thoughts and content, improve efficiency, and increase productivity.

4. Creating
Programming, web development, robotics, game development, computer-aided design, virtual worlds, Scratch, and others require creativity, trial and error, processing, planning, and problem solving. Many would argue that creating is the learning action we need more of in schools today.

5. Acquiring
While all the learning actions outlined above result in knowledge acquisition, a separate learning action is needed to accommodate those tools where skill development and the dissemination of facts is the primary focus. Research-based software applications, many in the area of early literacy development and phonemic awareness, are good examples...although often criticized as mere electronic versions of the "sit and get" style of learning.

The nice thing is...many instructional technologies encourage multiple learning actions, fitting nicely into the body of work on multiple intelligences, and accomodating a plan for differentiated instruction. How about other learning actions? Please share!

iGoogle: A Professional Dashboard for Teachers & Administrators

School administrators and teachers alike, can find real value in creating an iGoogle homepage. First, it provides those unfamiliar with Web 2.0 an opportunity to jump in and get a taste of its true power. Second, it provides a professional dashboard through which a wealth of relevant information can be tapped.

iGoogle is, quite simply, a customizable homepage. It can be set as the page that opens each time you launch Google, which, in turn, can be set as your browser homepage (my preference). You'll need to create a Google account...it is free and gives you access to tons of other options...and it only takes a minute. Once created, you can customize your page by choosing, and arranging, Gadgets. Gadgets are scaled-down applications, and there are thousands to choose from. There are Gadgets for weather, YouTube, Wikipedia, and the top news stories from CNN.

Your Google account also gives you access to Google Reader...an RSS news aggregator that collects content from your favorite professional journals, e-magazines, blogs, and other publications. Seeking out good articles relevant to your line of work just got a lot easier: just identify the sources, and let it come to you....for free. Just about every major publication related to K-12 instruction has the ability to feed content to your reader. And yes, there is a Gadget for Google Reader as well.

The last item I'll mention is Twitter. Used as a conduit for connecting with professionals in your field, Twitter is amazing. While the tool started as a way for people to stay connected by answering the question (in 140 characters or less), "What are you doing?", it is now utilized by many as a platform to engage in professional connections. Consider creating a Twitter account to follow standouts in the field of k-12 education, authors, technologists, and others. You'll be amazed how much you learn, and how quickly you are connected with other professionals and relevant content from blogs, journals, and more. Place the Twitter Gadget on your iGoogle homepage and you now have the beginnings of a one-stop portal into your profession.

The following Gadgets can be found on my iGoogle: Twitter, Google Reader, Google Bookmarks, Blogger (to post to this blog), CNN, weather, Google Maps, Wikipedia, Calculator, People Search, YouTube, and Places to See (this one rotates different pictures from around the world throughout the day). There are lots more too...please share your favorites.