Effective supports are essential for scaffolding and sustaining a transformational implementation of BYOT. This transformation is the metamorphosis that classrooms undergo when students are encouraged to use their own technology tools to produce rather than just consume content. Similar to how car owners can subscribe to AAA services in case their vehicles break down or get a flat tire, there is also a triple AAA to facilitate learning with BYOT. The AAAs of BYOT include Agency, Affinity, and Authorship.
Agency
Having a sense of agency refers to students owning the work necessary within the community. Because they are personally invested in their own technology tools, they can develop new uses and strategies for learning with them that arise from collaborating with their classmates and their teachers. Since they have been utilizing those same devices at home for entertainment or communication, they are experts in those aspects of their technology, but they often need the guidance of others in their classroom in order to discover how to learn with them. All of these efforts, however, can empower students to make relevant personal connections to the content and to each other that extend beyond the school walls.
Affinity
The affinity of students for learning is revealed as they begin to exhibit a passion for the work. There is no single instructional method or assignment that encompasses the capability of every device or the interest of every student. When students use their own technology for learning, they are able to choose what aspects of a topic interest them and how they will show what they have learned. Of course, students are not accustomed to being able to make authentic choices within most school settings, but again, this is where the learning community can nurture affinity by recognizing and supporting the individual strengths and capabilities of its members. These talents often lead to students being branded by the rest of the group, and a student may become known as the one with the necessary qualifications and skills to complete a task, which can possibly lead to future job opportunities.
Authorship
As students began designing and creating original content with their devices and sharing these authentic products with others, they practice authorship. Using their technology tools for productive reasons provides students with new incentives for learning. Developing authorship within students ensures that their efforts are worthwhile. Through this perception of purpose within their work, students are able to achieve higher levels of retention as their projects possess meaning to the students themselves and to the larger learning community both within the school and globally. It is through authorship in BYOT that students practice the skills and confidence that are necessary for future academic and occupational successes.
BYOT Network 