BYOD Workshop
The purpose of this post is presenting the tools to be used during a workshop on the implementation of a BYOD program. The tools presented here are the result of a pilot program of a sort and is in no way presents all of the affordances that a BYOD implementation supposes.
Some things to keep in mind as we develop this workshop. First as we have mentioned in a previous post the first step in any EdTech implementation is substitution, which simply means using new tools to carry out our class, this is the goal, initially, of the tools discussed in this workshop.
We have divided the tools in categories and we have tried to have tools that are available for both IOS and Android. En those cases where this was not possible we have included a substitute app.
Let’s start with with apps to substitute notebooks:
1. Evernote (Ipad, Android) is a notetaking app that allows you to access them anywhere you are. It allows you to add voice, location, priority and images to your notes. You can make lists, keep a calendar, to-do lists and many other functionalities. Since it also allows you to share those notes, students can send you their assignments.
Its only disadvantage is that you need to type your notes, therefore it is best when paired with another handwritten note taking apps.
2. Apps for handwritten notes; bamboo paper (Android, Ipad) probably one of the best in its kind. Can create virtual notebooks that can be personalized to your preference in terms of the type of paper you like for your note taking. once you are done with your notes you can share them as a PDF via email , via evernote as a pdf or bamboo paper file and also via dropbox.
Other apps that students are using to take notes are:
c. My notebook (Ipad, Android)
3. My homework (Android, Ipad) this is not a note taking app, rather it is an app designed to keep track of your assignment. Some students are using it to create all the assignments and enter a reminder so that they will not fall behind with their work.
The second category are evaluation tools:
1. Socrative is formative assessment tool that allows for you to create quizzes that can be answered in real time allowing you to steer you lesson in the right direction to promote learning. It allows for several types of questions and can be accessed through the student app (android, Ipad) or the teachers app (Ipad, Android) an online option is also available.
2. Quick Key this app has been designed by teachers for teachers and it allows scoring multiple choice quizzes using your phone’s or ipad’s camera, it scans the answer sheet and scores them, assigning the grades to each student in your class.
It is a very intuitive app, you create your classes profiles and your students roster. Its only disadvantage is that for now it is only available for Ipad.
The third group are tools for collaborative work and student’s produced content creation:
1. Google’s suite is a very complete one. There are so many tools that we can use. Today we will recommend 2, Google Drive, about which is the topic of a previous post where we discussed some of its benefits for collaborative work.
The other is Blogger, it allows for students to show their potential at creating content, in a previous post we have discussed the process of creating a blog in blogger below is the video showing that process.
2. An alternative to Gdrive is Dropbox, that also allows file sharing and for students to work on the same document remotely. Teachers can use it to send information to students and vice versa.
The last category is screencasting. Most of the apps in this category are for Ipads, we were only able to find one for Android. There are, however, online services that only require a internet connection.
In general all these apps work the same way, they allow you to record what happens on your screen, creating a video of those interactions and your voice. Some also allow for you to record your face as you go along your lesson.
1. Knomia Teach only for Ipad is possibly the one with the most options. it allows you to add several scenes to your video and also has the possibility of adding documents and pictures to the video. Is however not the best when recoding live as it can sometimes not respond well.
2. ShowMe only for Ipad, less options than the previous one but very responsive, great for live recordings.
3. Educreations only for Ipad very much like ShowMe, maybe more user friendly.
4. Lensoo only for Android is the only tool of this type that we have found so far for android. It works very much like the last 2 we have presented in this post.
5. Screencast-o-matic is an online service that allows recording your computer’s screen and can also record your face and audio. The resulting video can be downloaded or uploaded directly to your youtube channel. It also has a desktop app.
We recommend that you have one or two students that serve as your new app testers, so that you can discover the app’s characteristics before you roll them out and you can avoid unnecessary inconveniences during class.
For a next post we will discuss collaborative whiteboards.
Eladio Jiménez 
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