Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

The school board is currently discussing One to One programs and will develop action plans this spring. The current policy at the high school is Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD. The policy allows students to use computers if they have them. If not, the school will not provide any students with devices.
“We are just starting to implement BYOD, so we do not have any data. I’m concerned that it may cause a greater gap between those that have and do not have, between the rich kids and poorer students, so we are monitoring this,” Superintendent Mike Wells said.
Senior Cody Brown is one of the students that take advantage of the school’s BYOD program. “It’s easier because I can do everything I need on my device. It saves me time compared to if I had to use school computers. I also don’t have to worry about restrictions like when a computer is available,” Brown said.
NU students like junior Alissa Rychert come from a school that had a One to One program. The school provided half the students with Macbooks and the other half with iPads, providing students with much more technology than CFHS provides its students. “I don’t think it’s that much worse here because we’re not required to do anything on the computer. At NU we had to turn in all our assignments through technology, and here we turn in everything on paper, but if we had them here, I think it would be a good thing and beneficial to students,” Rychert said.
“We have some devices but not enough to provide all kids who need them.  We will be studying and discussing one to one computers as well,” Wells said.
Having some of the students that need devices buy and bring their own poses a few issues. “If they’re providing their own, I don’t think it will work, at least for our digital art classes because we have to use very expensive software that most people don’t have at home and can’t afford,” art teacher Lisa Klenske said.
Although science teacher Kenton Swartley already has access to a classroom set of computers provided by the district, he could still use more technology if it is provided. “I think as much as we can use the technology, the better. There are a lot of good resources available. Unfortunately, not everyone has their own device at all times to use, so its not as efficient as if everyone had their own because I have to share my student computer set with other teachers,” Swartley said.
Despite the drawbacks of students having to bring their own devices if they want to use them and the budget needed for the district to give them to students, One to One has the potential to be a beneficial program to students. “Computers allow for children to create and if you have enough computers it allows each child to do so.  One to one expands the learning day and allows students to learn 24/7.  It also creates a level playing field for students of poverty,” Wells said.