Another school in the area, Lindbergh High School, recently started a new project called BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device.
“Basically, we have an open campus [for devices] where Wi-Fi is available to the kids,” Colin Davitt, Lindbergh instructional technology specialist, said. “They can hook up to our network and use their device in class.”
The reason why Lindbergh administrators decided to let kids bring their own device was because the students were already familiar with how to use them.
“They always gravitate back to their own phones or iPods,” Davitt said. “It’s just a more natural fit, so why not let kids use the devices they use all the time anyway?”
Being able to use a device the students are comfortable with is said by Davitt to raise the amount of student engagement in class.
“The kids are going to be off task if they don’t have something meaningful to do,” Davitt said. “If you give them devices it won’t necessarily make them a better student, but it will equip them and enable them to do more meaningful tasks.”
According to Davitt, having students use their own device will better prepare them for the future.
“When they show up in a college class it’s not going to be ‘Okay, everybody, get out the same laptop and open up the same application,’” Davitt said. “It really opens up a lot of creativity and a lot of possibilities.”