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Survival is always at the classroom level, districts often have to implement programs like this in order to have any technology in the classroom at all.

I understand the concept but at the same time raises too many flags allowing the students to bring devices from home. What about viruses, or student losing their device(s), who would be responsible? I think students at a young age taking their devices to school don't know too much about responsibility. I wouldn't allow my 7yr old take her Kindle to school.

Being the parent of a student that lost a device to theft I can feel your pain. Remember that this school is allowing them to do so, but if it is anything like LFCISD they send a waiver home for parental permission and responsibility. I don't really see BYOD programs coming into play until the middle-school age, where there we can at least pray that they have learned some semblance of responsibility as well as being cautious of their surroundings.

I am the parent of a 4th grader and he has been given an Ipad this year. I think 4th grade is a bit young to have the responsibility of an Ipad personally. his teacher is incorporating material in class to use it. Someone in his grade has already lost theirs. We had to get insurance on the Ipads before we could get them from the school so hopefully if my son does lose his it would be covered.

I would not consider BYOD in any grade under Middle School. As the campus points out these devices even for a school are expensive, I don't believe the school or the teachers want to be responsible for them. I need to confirm but I was told that here in Brownsville ISD that the teachers have access to the devices but are responsible for them and are required to pay for any damages. Which at a teacher's salary is very harsh. I would think it best that the content be developed in such a manner that it can be accessed via the device but from home. Take our Blackboard service, you can use it on your tablet, join collaborate, and access all your classroom content.

Ernie, I think you pose an interesting question that is not easy to answer. I think that everyone copes with technology differently at school and at work. I think it all depends on how open minded one is to technology and if ones first experiences have been easy or hard. I personally have to say "thank spellcheck for that red squiggly line." I always have been a horrible speller and it makes life that much easier. Luckily, I went to college at 30 when it was the norm to turn in a paper that was typed on a computer with Microsoft Word. I don't think we have lost our thought process, I just think that we have to stop and realize that we truly cannot multi-task everything. There are only certain things that should be multi-tasked such as a pilot on an airplane as mentioned in the article, but most everyday things should not be. We need to learn to be truly sufficient in what we do we need to put our full attention into our task. I am curious about the articles comments about students reading less. I teach middle school and I would not necessarily agree with that statement. I would say that about 60% of my students will pick up their books as much as they can during class and would read the entire class if I let them and many of them would love to bring their Kindles or e-readers to schools if my school would let them. They might not be reading a book in print, but I bet if more students were aloud to read on their phones or other electronic devices we would see more kids reading.

I agree with Jackie! Everyone copes with technology differently but I also believe in two distinct ways either positively and negatively. The people that embrace technology positively will not only use the spell check app but would not think twice not to use it because this is acceptable behavior. If it was not acceptable to use, why is the option available? I realize relying on an app or computer software to do most of the work is a receipt for disaster one day. I think it is too late to turn back the old ways because the world dictates the pace we now live in. Let's say for example, we want to slow down the use of technology in the classroom. The question is, will the rest of the world follow suit? I do not think so! Based on the article you have provide Erie, it clearly states that recreation reading is in decline and I do not think it is going to get any better any time soon. The gaming industry is to blame because these games provide students with a shot of instinct gratification that recreation reading will never be able provide. The people that do not embrace technology will not only not use the spell check app but technology altogether. I have few co-workers in my office that refuse to learn and incorporate technology in their daily routine. When they do need to use technology they are always asking for help and it gets old after a while. I believe ten years from now everything will be automated and these cohorts of employees will be obsolete if they do not change their ways. No, Erie I do not believe we have lost the thought process by multitasking. In fact I think the opposite has occurred. I have witness in my office where season techs struggle with a technology issue and a student employee finds the issue without any real training. I then asked the student employee how he was able to figure it out and the answer is always I do not know how I just did. Crazy as it sounds it has happen several times in my office.

Technology is ubiquitous and as such, impossible to avoid. We get used to our kindle, notebook, phone, etc. and life seems impossible without them. While technology seems to simplify our lives it also poses questions and problems as the one Jaime describes that require the use of something that technology itself cannot provide, i.e., intuition in the process of problem-solving. That is something inherently human. I don't think I'd worry about losing this trait. I know it sounds like a cliché but a computer cannot replace a human brain. Having said this, I do think that the way we process information is changing but it is an adaptation to new environmental challenges; challenges that include technology amongst other things. It may be described as a new ability to multi-task, although as Dr. Medina explains in Brain Rules, the ability to multi-task is a myth. I prefer to consider it a new ability to focus in sequential processes.

One thing that we need to consider is that the pre-computer generation is getting ready to retire and these new "workers" have grown up with computers and internet. Each generation to come will be more and more tech savvy. My daughter struggled with standard keyboarding in school, but types a million miles an hour on her ipad! I read somewhere that the Concorde airplane was the last airplane that actually required a pilot to manually fly it, where as all the new and current planes really only require the pilot for landings and take-offs. There are school districts still fighting to keep cursive in their curriculum, but when is the last time a teacher took a hand-written paper? The question above about whether we are losing something due to our reliance on technology, is an interesting one. The better question would be is what if the technology was taken away, would we be able to function? Can we as a people survive without it?

I think that just like anything else, as our technology grows, we will lose some thought processes and gain others. That's not necessarily bad, though. We have always done that. I don't feel bad about losing the thought process that involves sneaking up on a chicken and killing it. Then, cleaning it and cooking it. I like that I can just go buy it prepared. By the same token, I like not having to get out the liquid paper when I mess up a word or sentence. Just a few keystrokes and I have made the correction. With regard to multitasking - Medina tells us that we really aren't wired for that. It does seem that more and more, people wear the ability to multi-task like a badge of honor. But actually it goes back to the old saying "jack of all trades, master of none". I would like to see people (myself included) take more time to focus their attention on one thing and get it right.

Maria, Interesting article; however, both of the school districts in Laredo have implemented that high school students to begin school at 8:30am. I don't see the logic in this because it all goes back to having discipline on going to bed on time.

Going through the videos it sounds more like a hormonal change, like it happens from one day to the next. My youngest doesn't sleep where as my teenager is like ones in the video.

I like what the article is saying about getting kids feet wet with technology. What I really like is that they gave examples on what to do with kids at different ages. Many times you read articles or hear advice from sources on what is good or bad for kids but they don't give any real advice on what you should do with kids. I like the fact that they are giving parents some choices on what to try with their kids. The internet and App store are big places and it can be hard for parents to find material that is suitable for kids. You can't just turn kids loose with the Ipad and not expect bad things to happen, even if it is just by accident. I would love to see more articles like this that have choice of technology or apps that parents have used with their kids.

Thank you, Martha, for sharing such an interesting article! I liked the last phrase about monitoring and took the liberty to add a sticky note. I agree with Adam. The article provided actual advice broken up into ages and even suggested devices and software appropriate for each age. It's an excellent guide to navigate the ever growing world of technological offers that flood the market.

Adam, I also found this article very useful because I'm often searching for what is adequate in technology for my daughter to use. She currently has her own Kindle w/parental controls but I have noticed that sometimes she gets bored of the activities or programs that she uses suitable for her age. I think at times she needs more of a challenge in the programs that she currently uses.

I love this article! thanks so much, Juan. It is helpful on multiple levels. It's no easy thing for a large university to scope out a plan for integrating online education. It's a brand new world and it feels very high risk. As we learn about best practices and our budgets get trimmed, the temptation is to do enough to check the box, but that model causes more trouble in the long run. Lucas's article is a thoughtful, articulate review of lessons learned that can be applied straight away. Thank you!

Schools as a business are running out of funding, yet tuition keeps getting more expensive (funny right?). I don't know if the current platform for education will be replaced with MOOCs, but it will definitely be replaced, it's natural evolution. Jennifer you are working with Virtual High Schools, soon we will see this in the lower grades. The strange kids we knew who and were jealous of because they were "Home Schooled" will be the norm! However we are not only talking about the "survival" of the institutions, we are talking about the titles that come with these degrees. 50 years High School was a family achievement, today High School doesn't qualify you to stand on the side of the highway with a sign... How long before these titles like M.Ed are no longer worth the paper they are printed on?

I believe the University of Miami Online High School has already offered a MOOC about college/ACT prep. I'm bummed because I was hoping to be the first high school to offer a MOOC. I really just love the idea of using technology to give kids opportunities that they would not have otherwise had. But there are practical considerations that trump my idealistic ideas about it. It's always about the money. I think one of the biggest problems we face in our society today is the concentration of wealth at the top. Higher and higher salaries at the top necessitate lower salaries (greater tuition, etc.) elsewhere. We also have huge infrastructure/insurance costs. It's a complex, complicated problem that makes me weary!

The beauty of a MOOC is that you can literally run it from your parents basement! Look at how Khans Academy started and what it has grown into. Any one of us could essentially develop an online course, videos and all and run it from our home. Although I was just introduced to MOOCs in last semesters 6329, I see them becoming more and more integrated into future curriculum. It would not surprise me if at one point the 6332/6358 course required the development of a fully functional MOOC. Remember I said it first!

Fascinating article. I'm shocked to learn this, Richard. You have certainly come a long way! The brain is a powerful instrument, indeed!

That is amazing Richard. I have read a lot of Malcolm Gladwells work and he talks about repetition and doing things many times to remember them. I hope you have made a full recovery. Good Luck!

Adam, Gladwell is one of those guys I've long wanted to read. Memory is one of my hot buttons, so thanks for the reference. I'll see what he has to say! Any recommendations on where to start?