[CASL-L] students' personal e-readers

[David Bilmes]

It's only a matter of time before every school district in the country
will have to come up with some type of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
policy.

Our district has been winging it as it goes along. For example, when we
came back to school in January, a lot of kids came to school with
e-readers they had received as holiday presents. We were told they could
use them if they were in English class and the teacher was having silent
reading as long as they were using them to read a free choice book. Some
teachers have allowed kids to take their devices out and use them for
research -- sending the kids who didn't have personal devices to the LMC
to use our computers. Just this week a student complained to me that she
had a study hall with her Social Studies teacher and she was told she
wasn't allowed to read her free choice book on her e-reader. 

I'm hopeful that by the end of the school year, our district will come
out with a common-sense policy. In the meantime, we're going along in
bits and spurts. As for the liability issue, most kids have cellphones
in school. They're supposed to be in their lockers during the school
day, but that's a liability issue, too.



David Bilmes
Library Media Specialist
Schaghticoke Middle School
23 Hipp Road
New Milford, CT 06776
(860) 354-2204, ext. 113 or 115
bilmesd at newmilfordps.org

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>>> Shannon McNeice <shannon_mcneice at whps.org> 1/31/2012 2:55 PM >>>
Are your students allowed to bring their own personal e-readers to
school?

My district is concerned with liability issues: theft, damage, and does
not
want to allow it.

Does your school/district have a policy?

I am arguing that if we require them to read during they day, and they
purchased a book for their e-reader, they should be allowed to bring
it.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Shannon

-- 
Shannon McNeice
Library Media Specialist
Sedgwick Middle School
West Hartford, CT 06107
shannon_mcneice at whps.org 

"You gotta ignite the light!" KP

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