--  B.Y.O.D.  --

 

 

Have you ever seen this notation on an invitation?  Lots of students have in the state of Alabama!  The letters stand for "Bring Your Own Device" and refer to personal electronic devices.  The idea is catching on in Mobile, Alabama, and other nearby cities.  Students are using their own tablets, smartphones, laptops, iPods, and reading devices in their classrooms to access information and make lessons more engaging.  This is an alternative to buying laptops for all students.  They bring in any device that has wireless access to the Internet to conduct research.

 

 

The participating schools must have laptops available for those students who are unable to bring in their own device, making sure nobody is left out.  Surveys in Mobile County indicate that about 75% of students, regardless of income, have these devices at home.  BYOD has reportedly been a huge hit with the students. 

 

 

Security has been beefed up at participating schools in order to prevent inappropriate access to the Internet by students.  More filters than normal have been put in place. 

 

 

With technology becoming so prevalent in our lives, BYOD may become more common in schools as they strive to keep up with the technological demands of students.

 

 

To read the article for yourself, visit http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/more_mobile_county_students_on.html