Cell Phones in Education

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Comment by Karen Delaney on August 8, 2011 at 12:47pm

I am a third grade teacher and I say why not?  They have them and are using them so why not be the one to take advantage of this technology while it's hot!  Although I don't have them in my classroom yet!  I have been texting my students throughout the summer.  It was wierd at first but after talking to parents and making sure they were on board I have been chatting it up with my kids all summer.  The great thing about it is that I can remind them to work on specific skills they are going to need next year.  The best part is that I am helping my students see the relevance of spelling and grammar through their daily social communications.  The students' feel special texting a teacher and I get to make educational connections to my students' life.  It's a winnig situation for everyone. 

Comment by Tai Kimmerly on August 7, 2011 at 7:31pm

I am an elementary music teacher. Using cell phones in the classroom never occurred to me until someone from a class emailed a link of students using ipads to recreate a mainstream pop song at a convention. Many cell phones could be used in the same way. However, since I have all of the kids in the entire school, and most of them do not have cell phones, using them on a wide scale does not seem practical. I have had students ask to bring in a phone or other device to use as an instrument, but school rules prevent it. Even if I could get special permission, I would still fear loss, theft or damage to the device. Has anyone ever used cell phones in an elementary music environment? If so, what was your experience? If not, how would you go about using them?

Comment by Phillip Grim on August 6, 2011 at 11:20am

Currently our school has been experimenting a bit with allowing students to use their phones in passing time and at lunch. However, in the classroom we still have a district policy of no cell phone use so even if I wanted to institute a new classroom policy I couldn't without percussions from the school board. I don't know how exactly I feel about the whole cell phone issue as a whole as I know from my own experience in industry they are very beneficial to sales and engineering staff because they allow for quick and accountable communication. Meaning that the conversation can be tracked in case an issue arises. However, I don't know if students are prepared or mature enough to use this types of devices in the classroom environment.

Comment by Dianne L Stemen on August 4, 2011 at 5:26pm

You bring up an interesting point Donnie in your June 23, 2010 comment. Our younger generation who can not put their cell phones away. Many businesses ban cell phone use during work hours. One of my own pet peeves when my boys first got their phones was when they would text or talk on the phone during dinner. We had to implement a rule that the phones did not come to the dinner table. So I guess my question is this: if cell phones are banned in the workplace and we are supposed to be preparing them for the real world, shouldn't we be addressing this as a social issue and about following rules and laws that are put in place for reasons instead of trying to embrace all the latest technology fads that our younger generation get so excited over? I look at how texting continues even when driving and we all know how dangerous that is. I look at how family members are no longer able to have family discussions at home because their younger family members are busy texting or on the phone. When I was a teen (years before the cell phone came about) the timer was set at 15 minutes and when it went off, we had to get off the phone. So I'm afraid I'm still holding out on embracing the use of cell phones in the classroom when there are other more useful tech tools that are far more beneficial and can do the same things. Instead, we should be enforcing rules, teaching our students that there are appropriate times to do certain things and times when they shouldn't be doing things. How many signs have you seen at a check out station in the store or at the bank window, or the receptionists counter, etc that ask the public to please be through with your cell phones when approaching the counter? I don't mean to rant but........

Comment by Cyprian Dusabe on August 3, 2011 at 11:05am

Hi

How have you been? I wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for all the support that you have given St Mark  Institute Of Health Sciences  in the past! Your support has helped in buying medicine which has helped in treatment of thousands of children and we also wanted to tell you about an exciting new opportunity for St Mark  Institute Of Health Sciences !

 

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Best,

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Executive Director

St Mark  Institute Of Health Sciences

www.stmarkinstitute.org

Comment by adelina moura on August 3, 2011 at 10:22am

In recent years I have conducted some experiments on mobile learning using my students mobile phone, in a high school, in Portuguese and French language. I have used podcasts, SMS, videos, photos, and Twitter too. See some examples:

Mobile Learning: Two Experiments on Teaching and Learning with Mobi...

Mobile Learning: Using SMS in Educational Contexts

Comment by Kiwi Commons on August 3, 2011 at 9:55am

Duane, your use of PollEverywhere sounds really interesting, especially since you use it in an Elementary setting. Who grade are you students?

 

Chris, the problem of older generations having problems with the use of mobile technology in the classroom is and issue that I'm always concerned about. Educators need to embrace these technologies as a way to engage students instead of shunning them. I commend you for your efforts!

Comment by Chris Hren on August 3, 2011 at 8:31am

Cell phones present a really interesting way to integrate mobile learning into your classroom. There are a large number of ways in which they can be used to bring about student engagement and learning. The major issue though or problem that I see is there is currently, at least in the general area where I teach, a huge bias against them. This bias can be found amongst teachers, administrators, and central offices it appears in many districts. I actually surveyed a good number of them earlier this year and found that there is not a single district that openly encourages teachers to use them in their classroom. This is not to say that it does not happen but the company line says it shouldn't be. I believe that for cell phones to become a prominent classroom tool the policies and opinions need to change first. Once they do, I believe that the amount of things we can do with them will be large indeed.

Comment by Duane B. Karlin on August 1, 2011 at 2:05pm

I find it fascinating how many educators are turning toward using these devices with their students as ways to invite discussion and collaboration.  I have recently been experimenting with PollEverywhere and love the idea that instant feedback can be given.  Even without cell phones, students can still use the given link and "voice" their opinions.  Since I work in an elementary school, there are not many students who have cell phones, but if PollEverywhere can be accessed through the Internet, I can see it being a stepping stone toward guiding students when it comes to using mobile devices in a educational and thought-provoking manner.  Also, if you plan to implement usage in your classroom and you have students who do not have cell phones and their parents are adamantly opposed to them, how do you go about integrating the technology?

Comment by Christine Tomey on July 30, 2011 at 5:19pm

I found Kiwi’s post of the article about students not wanting to use cell phones in the classroom to be extremely interesting.  I know students use Facebook, check e-mail, or play games, especially Words with Friends, on their phones.  I feel that the phones can be a distraction in the classroom, but if used effectively, and classroom policies openly expressed to students, that cell phones can be extremely useful.  I don’t think I would use cell phones for an entire lesson because the distraction temptation will be stronger, but I would love to use a text message poll or have students look up information quickly when we are unsure of the answer.

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