BYOD

Ethical Board Review: BYOD and the IEP

Erin Roberts

SPE 584

March 27, 2017

Legal Issues with BYOD

• Privacy considerations- Can a BYOD device be searched for suspected wrong doing?
• Intellectual property- Who owns the rights to content created by teacher or teacher and students on a BYOD device?
• Cyber bullying/ sending inappropriate content- When a student uses a BYOD device for inappropriate behavior the discipline and 1st amendment rights could become an issue.
• Accessing inappropriate content- When on a school computer there are filters in place to block access. However if a student gets on an unfiltered wireless signal while at school on their own device they can access inappropriate content.
• Educator ethics/boundary issues- If a teacher and student are communicating on their own personal devices inside the classroom, they are more likely to do so outside the classroom as well. This can easily blur the lines between teacher and student.

Advantages to BYOD

BYOD

• Student participation increases
• Learning becomes student driven
• Student collaboration and communication increases
• Cost savings for schools
• Allows for more personalized instruction
• Provides a new way of learning
• Saves time because students are comfortable with and know how to use their own devices
• Allows for better student organization with all their notes/assignments on device
• Creates excitement and enthusiasm about learning

BYOD stands for bring your own device. Some classrooms allow BYOD, and some do not. This may sound like a good idea, it allows children access to current technology without the school having to buy the devices. However, there are a lot of legal issues, advantages, and disadvantages for schools and students that have to be considered regarding the program.

Negatives for BYOD and Students with an IEP

Disadvantages to BYOD

Positives for BYOD and Students with an IEP

Allowing a child to bring their own device means the parent or child may bring a device, or put various apps or programs on the device that may not be in alignment with the child's IEP. This creates a sticky situation for the teacher who then has to notify the parents of why that device/app/program is not in the best interest of the child. The teacher however can use data to back up her reasoning and recommend other programs or apps that would work well with the child's IEP.

• Not all students have their own device or can afford it
• Students may be able to access inappropriate materials while at school
• May increase cyber bullying
• Devices can provide distraction from teacher/class assignment
• Increases possibility of cheating
• Multiple mobile devices can overload the school network
• Have to deal with keeping devices charged for use
• Applications may not be universal for all platforms

BYOD should be allowed in schools for special education students. IDEA mandates that the school provides assistive technology devices for special education students in alignment with their IEP. BYOD could save school systems thousands of dollars in equipment and opens up a whole new world for the teachers and students. The standard I pads or Android tablets students bring can now be customized for special needs with built in applications and features such as text to speech, magnification, and high contrast functions. ("The Journal"2017) Teachers can also restrict what works on the device which will help students with disabilities like ADHD or autism stay on task. Tablets and I pads also have applications that allow them to be used as communication boards for students with autism or speech disorders. There are also programs for these devices for students with dyslexia or who are not able to write. For schools that use cloud based software, the students can access it anywhere and anytime. This can improve parent involvement as they can see the software their kids are using at home on the device as well.