A middle-school teacher might imagine a classroom scenario where students bring their mobile devices from home. Across the classroom the lights from screens of tablets and smartphones are blinking and changing. Kids are loudly swiping, talking, laughing, Skyping, gaming, Facebooking, Twittering, texting, watching movies, looking at Pinterest fashions, taking photos of one another and watching inappropriate Youtube videos.

Sounds like a teacher’s bad pizza-dream. But, this is how some reluctant educators imagine a BYOT classroom and, if this fantasy were true, they’d be right to ban mobile devices from their teaching day. However, if it hasn’t already happened, rest assured BYOT is coming to a school near you and we’re all going to have to adapt.

What we know, so far

The BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology to class) movement presents its own set of complications, as well as a unique learning curve for educators. For now, based on a review of Internet articles, we can make a couple of assumptions:

Assumption 1. BYOT is inevitable. The extensive learning opportunities available to students with mobile technology far outweigh concerns about overexposure to negative content.

Assumption 2. Schools need to get on board and get their teachers up to speed on how to use the technology efficiently and appropriately. Perhaps, in some cases, specialists will be needed to conduct technology-driven lessons. For now, kids frequently know more than their teachers about technology.

The BYOTNetwork.com site explores specific issues surrounding mobile devices at school, and makes some fascinating points. They feel that operating a BYOT classroom takes an attitude of trust; high expectations; open access; sense of community; practice; and persistence. (BYOTnetwork.com)

But, there’s a faction of educators who are resisting the BYOT movement by censoring too much content and blocking too much access to the Internet. They even have a name!

B.L.O.B.: (Banner – Locker – Or – Blocker)

Educators who tend to over-block the Internet for students often have the opinion that kids will inevitably get into trouble if given too much leeway for online research. BYOTNetwork discusses the B.L.O.B educator syndrome,

“BLOBs are the people who keep students from using their personal technology devices to facilitate their learning. They ban technology devices because they assume that students will use their devices inappropriately, and/or they prefer to maintain the status quo of teacher directed instruction with passive student involvement.”

Using the Childrens Internet Protection Act as a backup, some teachers insist on sticking with daily lecturing to the test, and perhaps still see mobile devices as dangerous toys in the hands of students.

A Response to B.L.O.B.

It’s time to strike a balance for classroom mobile technology. The American Association of School Librarians has designated a “Banned Websites Awareness Day,” to raise awareness of how “legitimate academic websites and social media tools are being blocked in many schools and libraries.” The AASL feels students need to develop as digital citizens, and that they deserve the opportunity to get their learning from all kinds of sources, including the Internet. They also want teachers to utilize the social media tools that kids are now familiar with in their daily lives.

Learn more about Banned Websites Awareness Day and how extreme web filtering can limit learning. To better structure your kids’ mobile lives, look into NQ’s Family Guardian suite. Do you have an opinion about BYOT? We’d love to hear from you on our blog, or join the discussion on Facebook. Your viewpoint matters.