Cell Phones in Education

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Comment by Justine Koszela on June 12, 2011 at 11:19am

Using cell phones, Ipods, Ipads,Wiffiti sound like great ideas for students of todays generation.  I can't live without my smart phone and internet.  I am constantly on there "Googling" something when needed.  My school has a strict policy against cell phones or Ipods.  But I would love to challenge it by introducing new ways to teach integrating media devices. I teach first graders and would love ideas or input from others as to how to teach using media devices in my classroom?  Any help or ideas would be much appreicated! :)

Comment by Dana Collett on June 12, 2011 at 10:11am

Willyn- Thank you so much for advice- I look forward to trying to implement some of those ideas next year :) Also Tammie, although I do not work in a high school (or even middle school) the cell phone issues seem to be for our upper grades (4th and 5th).  A lot of times, the number we have on file for the parents don't work and so they front desk will have them use their cell phone to call home.  So I agree- there is a lot of inconsistency across the board.  I honestly think it is hard for our generation.  Our generation grew up without the thought of a cell phone, we went to elementary school, middle school, high school and maybe even college without having a cell phone by our side.  Yet, we will be the first generation to say that we could not live without our cell phones and rely on them for everything.  I do think cell phones can play a part in education- it is making sure it is done correctly.

Comment by Tammie Mirolli on June 12, 2011 at 9:31am

Our school is currently looking at ways to reduce student's using cell phones in class.  They are looking at allowing cell phone use at during passing periods and lunch, but not during class time.  I am just worried about how these restrictions will effect students who are in class, while other students are at lunch.  I would really like to see it written in our student handbook that cellphone use for instructional purposes is per teacher discretion. Trying to use Poll Everywhere was interesting because students were a bit reluctant to bring their phones out even though I had told them too.  I find it very distracting when students try to sneak around to text on their phones.  But there is no consistency at my school in terms of students using their cellphones.  For example, it is written in the handbook that cellphones are to be kept in a student's locker during school hours.  However, when I asked students to use their cellphones in class to complete a poll, they all had their cell phones on them.  Also, I have been in the main office when parents come in to pick up their students early from school.  And the office asks the parents to text their student.  Well if they are not supposed to have their cell phones, how is it they can have their parents text them during the school day?  I would like to hear of any cell phone policies that seem to be working at other schools.  Since we are having the discussion for next school year,  any suggestions or policies that are working would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Tammie

CEP812

Comment by Willyn Webb on June 12, 2011 at 8:47am

Anna,

I have used Wiffiti a number of ways for learning.  One particular use that sticks out is during a Life Skills class at the alternative high school where I am the counselor.  I was talking with the students about their future and "what they wanted to be when they grow up."  This is new thinking to some of them who are probably the first of their families to even graduate.  I was not getting a lot of response, so I quickly set up a wiffiti and gave them the code to text in their goals, anonymously.  This made a huge difference and many texted in goals that they could share that way, but which had been too hard to share verbally.  We had a fun and inspiring discussion and began researching a lot of great career dreams.  Any discussion, brainstorming session, or study review can be done through wiffiti.

Comment by Anna Cajiga on June 10, 2011 at 11:07am

Up until reading these great ideas, I had only thought about the possibilities of using cell phones WITHIN the classroom walls.

I love the idea of using Poll Everywhere and Wiffiti for homework assignments... Wiffiti is especially neat. Does anyone have any examples of how they have used Wiffiti to support learning?

Comment by Samantha Forster on June 10, 2011 at 9:24am

The students in my school district are allowed to use mobile devices; however, they still are not allowed to use cellphones during classroom hours.  As in, they may use them in study halls or during lunch.  The idea is that school should not be a place where students walk in the door and power down, or disconnect.  The limited use is difficult to monitor.  I let students use their phones if it is in the particular lesson plan, or if they ask and it seems it is for a legitimate reason.

Comment by Aan Beam on June 8, 2011 at 9:51am

Check out Cel.ly or Pulse.to to setup groups for texting AND allowing those you text to be able to text back to the group. Setup study groups and group discussions. All a student needs is unlimited texting.

Comment by Willyn Webb on June 8, 2011 at 8:25am

Dana...well said.  How interesting to compare having phones all the time with the old adage about the brain.  I'd love to quote you on that on the teaching generation text blog.  My advice is start using your phone for professional uses--text staff about kids, text parents to invite them to conferences or to seek their input--use ChaCha or other tools yourself and then ease into a homework assignment with students (they can share or borrow phones at home) and then go from there.  If you would like specifics on any of these ideas, let me know. Willyn

Comment by Willyn Webb on June 8, 2011 at 8:22am

Lindsay...homework is the way to go!  Set up group texting for your class and text them with homework questions, which they can send their answers into Poll Everywhere or Wiffiti or send out thoughts to start them thinking about the lesson prior to class and get started all on the same page!  If you want more ideas, let me know.

 

Comment by Dana Collett on June 7, 2011 at 10:35pm

Hi All, 

   Although I honestly don't know what would happen if you take away my phone, I'm still a bit iffy about allowing students to use them in the classroom.  Call me old-fashion, that is okay.  My thinking really comes from the fact that like adults, students (kids) are now carrying their phones with them everywhere as well.  So the old adage of "Your brain is with you everywhere you go, but a calculator is not" is well....not so true anymore.  Students feel as though they don't need to learn to add or subtract because they have a cell phone with them that will do all the work.  So that is a bit frustrating on my part.  However, the more I learn, the more neat aspects I find about introducing a cell phone into a classroom and the more torn I feel.  (However, at the moment, I teach in an area that unless I provide the phones...but still) Can anyone offer advice? Or should I just get over it and accept that technology is the new norm with this generation? 

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