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The real issue, of course, is not social media but learning.  Specifically, the fact that our schools are disconnected from young learners and how their learning practices are evolving.  The decision to block social media is inconsistent with how students use social media as a powerful node in their learning network.  Can social media be a distraction in the classroom?  Absolutely.  Will some students access questionable content if given the opportunity?  Yes.  But many students use social media to enhance their learning, expand the reach of the classroom, find the things they ‘need to know,’ and fashion their own personal learning networks.

Because social media is such a big part of many students social lives, cultural identities, and informal learning networks schools actually find themselves grappling with social media everyday but often from a defensive posture—reacting to student disputes that play out over social media or policing rather than engaging student’s social media behaviors.

students will want to use something that they're familiar with, that they own, and that they won't have to change out of once they leave school.

Technology doesn't need to be involved if a teacher is already flourishing without any device in the classroom. Standardizing a device across an entire school pushes the feeling of an "add-on" and must be used consistently and effectively. Many times that usage is contrived and misses the purpose of the classroom. In short, it becomes technology for technology's sake. In higher education, professors don't contrive technology use, and students can choose whether or not to use a device. The focus is less about the devices and more about the best tool on the menu for learning.