BYOD

Until recently, student electronic devices, from cell phones to iPods to laptop computers, were the forbidden fruit in schools. But with technology budgets languishing and such devices becoming more powerful, affordable and omnipresent in students' lives, district technology leaders are now eyeing a welcome educational harvest through bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs.

Asking families to buy their own educational technology runs counter to the normal way of doing things in public education.