Why Mount Maunganui College is moving to BYOD

The learning experiences and school environment that we create must prepare students for a constantly changing and increasingly digital world, as well as encourage and build the capability of students to become lifelong, self-directed learners.

With access to large amounts of information at our fingertips, it has transformed how we think, learn and work. It is important for students to be able to apply their knowledge and solve problems in different contexts as we are preparing them for a world where technologies continue to evolve and there will be jobs that do not exist yet. Therefore it is important that students embrace change and adapt in different contexts and environments.

Mount Maunganui College considers itself a traditional school with modern teaching and learning. We have a focus on exploring engaging learning experiences that exemplify 21st Century education as we understand the importance of building student capability to embrace lifelong learning and preparing students with 21st Century skills. 

As a school, we are thinking about the ways we use and can take advantage of the technological advances we have access to. We value the use of technology in the classroom as a medium to differentiate and personalise learning, to enhance teaching and learning, to provide access to wider amounts of information and applications, to provide opportunities for collaboration, and to provide students with the ability to access their learning anywhere and anytime. 

BYOD allows students to have access to their learning anywhere and at any time. Having their own device:

• enables students to take increasing responsibility for their learning

• empowers students to learn at their own pace and in a way that suits their learning needs and style

• encourages students to explore a variety of tools to find which best helps their learning

• prepares students for a future where they will most likely be working in an environment that uses technology regularly

• allows students to set up their own preferences 

• encourages and enables teachers to customise student learning more easily