Integrating
technology via personal handheld devices may be the way of the future for
schools. At one point a C.O.W. (computer on wheels) that held multiple laptops
was the cutting edge of the classrooms, and now many students carry their own
phones, iPods, or iPads to the classroom daily. Many districts brag about
having cutting edge technological classrooms, however they require students to
turn off their devices during the day. These devices could be utilized to the
student’s advantage, all the while keeping them engaged in learning.
Understandably, there is the downside of students using personal devices
because it will be extremely hard to monitor what they will be looking at, and
also whether they are staying on task or not.
In the
article “Recharge Your Library Programs with Pop Culture and Technology: Connect
with Today's Teens”, by Linda D Behen. she mentions a BYOD system, which is when
the students Bring Your Own Device to school. “A BYOD philosophy is likely to
satisfy almost every educational objective that a school might have. It teaches
responsibility and tech agility,
integrates technology into the classroom, makes learning relevant and meaningful,
provides student-centered learning, provides tools to teach every type of
learner, and much more.” Allowing the students to use handheld devices would
create motivation and student engagement, as well as providing students with
access to ebooks and other online resources. They would also be able to
collaborate on schoolwork after hours on various sites.
With many schools being
overcrowded, lockers are becoming obsolete because there are too many students
and not enough lockers. So students are now being required to carry all of
their books around with them all day. If handhelds or personal devices are
allowed, they would be able to use a downloadable ebook rather than carry it in
their backpack daily.
There
is also the argument of copyright laws, and ownership that create a slight
negative downfall. Behen states, “In a
perfect world, a single ebook reader would read any digital text regardless of
what publisher or platform developed it, but in today’s world of proprietary
rights and digital rights management (DRM) specific to each publisher, vendor,
and platform, those issues are controlling our choices.
I
feel that in my library, it would be important for the students to be exposed
to handheld devices so they will know how to utilize online resources, and how
to communicate effectively while using them. I would like to have eBook readers
in a section for the students to use while in the library. I also think iPads or tablets would be
beneficial for the students to use since there are always new apps coming out
to help learning. I feel that having digital tools beyond the computer make
learning more relevant to learners.
Behen, Linda D., Recharge Your Library Programs with Pop Culture and Technology : Connect with Today's Teens. : ABC-CLIO, .p 90
