BYOD
Bring your own device (BYOD) at Nelson Central School (NCS)? In my opinion I disagree. It would be fun, but I feel it would be unnecessary. For most kids, devices already consume a large sum of their time, we don’t want them to play an even larger role in their week. Some believe that BYOD would be beneficial for children’s learning, but I thoroughly disagree. I am sure that having one measly phone won’t raise your child’s IQ.
Firstly, there is a huge risk of devices breaking, getting lost and/or being stolen. I mean why would you put objects which can cost up to thousands of dollars in the hands of children. Most kids parents would not be in favour of giving their child a huge amount of money for replacing or repairing something which their child broke. If I was a parent, I for one certainly wouldn’t!
Now, onto my second point. Another reason I disagree with BYOD is that kids who can’t bring a device for any reason may feel uncool. Imagine if at lunchtime all your friends go off to play on their fancy, expensive phones and you were the only one without. Kids will start to believe that if you have a device you’re cool or nice or popular. Kids without one will feel like there is is a need to have a device, and any one without will feel upset and lonely.
Some teachers, parents and students believe that devices will be good to use as as rewards once they have finished their work. I feel that this will not work at all. Surely if you bribe kids with devices with devices for once they have finished work they will simply just rush their work and not write it to the best of their ability. Also I am certain it will not improve our learning. Lots of people say devices will help us with research. In our school each class has 3 ipads, about two or three ipads, there is a cupboard full of laptops and we also have a library full of computers! Surely this will be enough. Also, not everyone at a time would be needing devices to research, so we have more than enough without students bringing their own.
In conclusion I believe that having BYOD would not be beneficial for our school. There is a risk of devices being damaged, kids without a device will feel uncool and it would not help students education. There are so many more reasons which in my opinion undoubtedly concludes that we should not not have BYOD at NCS.
