Volume 1 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal for K-12 Educational Leadership - Page 11

Journal for K-12 Educational Leadership 9 sions and recommendations for further inquiry in the school and district where the study was conducted. It is clear that, while school issued tablets do not hinder student learning, they do not provide an advantage in any area. In practical terms, this places them behind the more cost efficient op - tions of a proven netbook program and behind BYOD pol- icies that are potentially even cheaper and more effective and suggests that today’s schools are best served by “de- vice agnostic” policies (Johnson, 2014) that permit students to switch back and forth between a variety of technological tools. Conclusion The current research study used data comparing the state achievement test results of students who used netbooks, tab - lets, and their own personal devices, a comparison not made in many of the other technology studies that are available. The data in this study shows a minor statistical advantage for a netbook model in the school under consideration, but very little practical difference in the results for students who are using their own personal devices. Schools, then, should continue to provide every student with technology access by whatever means necessary, whether that is a systemic 1:1 program, through policies that encourage families to pro- vide their own devices, or some combination of the two. References Alien, A. (2012, April 7). Laptop vs netbook vs tablet: Which should I buy? [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://adroitalien.hubpages.com/hub/Laptop-vs-Net - book-vs-Tablet-Which-Should-I-Buy Barrett, B. (2012, January 19). You can’t afford Apple’s education revolution. Retrieved from http://gizmodo.com/5877574/ you-cant-afford-apples-education-revolution Harris, C. (2011). Ready to go mobile? School Library Journal, 57 (9), 14. Herold, B. (2014, November 12). Chromebooks gaining pop- ularity in districts. Education Week. Retrieved from http:// www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/12/12chrome - books.h34.html Johnson, L. (2014, May 14). 5 tools for the device agnostic class- room [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.edu - demic.com/5-tools-device-agnostic-classroom/ Luckerson, V. (2014, December 1). Google is now beating Apple in this one key sector. Time. Retrieved from http:// time.com/3612557/Ipads-chromebooks-education/ Nelson, L. (2012). The student voice: A study of learning experi- ences enriched by mobile technologies (Master’s thesis). Pro- Quest. (1283387456) NPD Group. (2014, December 11). Kid’s usage of smartphones and tablets outpaces all other electronics [Press release]. Re- trieved from https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/ news/press-releases/kids-usage-of-smartphones-and- tablets-outpaces-all-other-electronics/ O’Donovan, E. (2009, February 1). Are one-to-one laptop programs worth the investment? District Administration, 45 (2), 18-11. About the Author Dr. Eric Creeger currently serves as Senior Lecturer and Program Coordi- nator for Educational Leadership at the University of North Texas – Dal- las. Previous positions held include consultant for the American Alliance for Innovative Systems, instructional technology spe- cialist, and campus level administrator. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas, a mas- ter’s degree from the University of North Texas, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership K-12 from Dallas Baptist University. He can be reached at Eric.Creeger@UNTDallas.edu.