Recently I have posted a few blogs and or videos for ‘food for thought’ in relation to this topic. I think I am ready to expand on this a little. I would like to begin with a quote, “ A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be” (Chad de Krester, 2012). I foresee BYOD as an inevitable development and every school will have to address it at some point whether it is now or in the near future.

However, I feel that there is a strong push by leadership throughout many schools to adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach. This may involve a whole school lap top or iPad program where all students are expected to use the device selected by the school.

My concerns where a ‘one size fits all’ approach has or is being adopted:
Have leadership considered how many students actually want to use the device that their school has dictated them to use?
Will the device chosen by the school meet student’s needs?
Will the device promote collaboration?
Has pedagogy been considered or has infrastructure and logistical management of devices been considered and pedagogy left for consideration after implantation?

As Mark Sparvell (Executive Consultant/Principals Australia Institute) noted in today’s key note at the Ninth National ITL Conference, when you consider the implantation of any new device you need to consider how learning will be different not substituted by the device. “Innovative devices don’t guarantee innovative practices” (Mark Sparvell, 2012).