Hand-held mobile devices to be allowed in Bayside Middle School upper grades

Bayside Middle School students in grades 7 and 8 will soon have an opportunity to bring iPhones, iPads and other mobile electronic devices to class in limited instances.

The Fox Point-Bayside School Board on Monday approved a pilot initiative for the upper-level middle-schoolers known as Bring Your Own Device. The policy is optional and will require parents sign a permission slip.

District Administrator Rachel Boechler said the effort could have a number of benefits, including increasing student enthusiasm for learning and using 21st Century tools to augment traditional classroom activities. Teachers will be empowered to determine when mobile devices will be allowed in class.

The policy, to be enacted in the near future, will run through the end of the school year. Boechler will meet with the School Board this summer to discuss how the pilot went, and decisions on its future will be made at that time.