BYOD --- Duh!!! ...

Chatting to a member of a schools senior leadership team at the moment. They were bemoaning the need to use Google Translate for their students, the time it took them as well as the need to book a limited supply of laptops as pennies are tight.

In an ethnically diverse area with an immigrant population. They have to consider some interesting languages when producing resources. I am sure there will be some who would have an issue with the idea of using google translate to teach in an english speaking secondary school. Let us leave that notion to one side.

Not missing a beat, I ask one question ... what about their mobile phone policy.

With glee they explain their complete ban on phones.

So thats your problem, I replied. You have 1000+ students, with access to over a £1,000,000 worth of IT equipment and you are stopping them from using it. On matters such as translation as well as all the other resources these devices offer.

It is not difficult to encourage good behavior amongst the students, you simply need to introduce them to the right culture in the first instance.

The look of confusion was a treat ... immediate cognitive dissonance, the idea was clearly resonating  but the need to control the students overriding.

Ah well, pennies are only ever tight when you lack the resolve to overcome the hurdles present.


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