Susan Wells has great discussions going on over at Classroom 2.0 regarding her implimentation of an iPod Touch Program in the middle school where she serves as principal. You can watch this You Tube Video to get more detail on what is happening at her school.

What interested me was one of the discussions she was having with a woman named Sandy. It revolved around the issue of allowing students to use their own devices.

Sandy says:

It's about what the kids bring with them to school. If kids are carrying smartphones, why are we buying laptops? What is it that we are really doing with Web 2.0 tools and learning? Through our pilot where we have a 1:1, where we impose the use of our purchased Touches, 30% of our students have their own Touches or iPhones or other smart phones. They want to use their own Touches/iPhones. We are trying to determine if it is practical and equitable to utilize what kids have in their pockets already.

Our big question: How do we leverage what a school district can really pay versus what parents are already paying for?

Susan Wells responds:

Sandy,
I agree with your thinking. This is why we're moving to opening up our environment to blending school-owned and home-owned.
It seems like the battle of device may be the wrong battle...
It's really about access isn't it.

In my opinion Sandy and Susan have hit the nail on the head. It is about access. We need to create environments in our schools where teachers and students have wireless access from anywhere on campus and we must allow students to bring their own devices to school and use them. The technology needs to become like pencils. Pencils are no big deal. They are there when you need them, to be used as you see fit. Pencils can break, they come in all kinds of sizes and colors, they do need attention once in a while (sharpening), and eventually they wear out, just like computers. Students also bring their own pencils to school to use. No teacher worries about having pencils in class. Teachers know they have some and students use them whenever they want. That is how technology should be. Use it when you need it, anywhere in the classroom.

In today's tough economic times how can we not make use of the computer students carry around with them everyday in their pockets, i.e. their cellphones or iPods? All the schools I have worked in require upper level math students to buy expensive TI Graphing Calculators. The TI-89 costs around $150. You can get an iPod Touch for $185 at Costco. If we are okay with students buying and using their own graphing calculator in school, why not the iPod Touch?