2 NEWS The Harbinger - October 2018
BYOD delayed until second term NATALIE SADEK
but they don’t have internet at home, so if we go 100 percent to Bring Your Own Device without clearly defining the needs of the The Bring Your Own Device [BYOD] program is children, how to meet those needs and other tentatively scheduled to begin at the end of term one af- parameters, then we haven’t done the preter being pushed back from its intended start time at the work so that the program will successful.” Currently, different groups such as the beginning of 2018-2019 school year. According to Instructional Technology Specialist school-based leadership team, department Brian Calnan, the decision was made by the district to chairs, administration, the technology deensure the transition to the new program was as seamless partment and the central office are doing research as to how other districts have impleas possible. “A lot of teachers and students are already bringing mented their own BYOD program. “There are a couple of different groups that wanted devices to use in the classroom, but as of right now we to investigate different aspects of don’t have [BYOD] officially in [the program] and do even more place,” Calnan said. “The main “The purpose of [BYOD] is research on surrounding towns reason [the date was pushed] and districts and see how they was that we just want to make to allow teachers flexibilhandled certain aspects of it, just sure that it is as productive and ity...and make the lessons to be proactive so we don’t have as smooth of a transition into as many difficulties when we’ve the official implementation of it more engaging and make started,” Calnan said. as possible. That means making the learning deeper.” In addition, the district had sure parents are clear on what the expectations are, students are BRIAN CALNAN ensured that the school has acclear, teachers are clear, and that INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST cess to a sufficient amount of equipment in order to implement everyone knows what support is the program. available.” “We ordered extra devices,” According to principal Dr. Sara Pragluski Walsh, the delayed start was also due to to Walsh said. “[Technology systems administrator Susan] determining the details of how students will be able to Whalen was able to order extra chromebooks and make access a device if they are not able to bring one to school sure that when we do the MCAS online we had all of those, and we had infrastructure upgrades. We’ve made daily. “We need to be really sensitive to all of the different sure that we have the equipment based on what we think needs of our students,” Walsh said. “Some of them don’t are the student needs for a loaner program.” Over the summer, the technology department have access to a device, or some of them have a device Online Editor
GRAPHIC FIONA SCHRAFT
worked on making sure the school was equipped to handle the influx of devices. “We did have an infrastructure upgrade over the summer,” Whalen said. “We also doubled our bandwidth from FIOS that we are getting. Bandwidth is how much internet you can get. It’s like a a water through a pipe, and our pipe doubled in size, so that we could get more traffic at the same time.” Once the plan is officially implemented, students will be required to bring their own devices, as discussed at the end of last year. “The purpose of [BYOD] is to allow teachers flexibility, knowing that they are going to have students with devices and design lessons and curriculum that will utilize [technology] and make the lessons more engaging and make the learning deeper,” Calnan said. “In terms of what the plan looks like for [the technology department], it’s making sure that students have access to devices, primarily their own, and supporting teachers and to train them on how to help build that curriculum into their lessons.”