Learning with Mobiles in the Classroom
Submitted by Lisa on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 10:14am
Have you ever left your cell phone at home for an entire day and felt like you were going through withdrawal?
Students today are just as attached to their phones as we are as adults, and in many cases they can out perform us in texting, mobile web browsing, and yes, even tweeting.
Today's SimpleEdTech Poll:
Should cell phones and mobile devices be used in the classroom?
There is more and more talk (blogging, tweeting) about using cell phones and other mobile devices in education, but it still isn’t a commonly accepted practice.
In his post Mobiles to Help Learning? High School in UK says OK, Steve Dembo, mentions that there are two groups of people who are opposing the use of cell phones in Notre Dame High School in the UK:
"That the teacher's union is against it isn't all that surprising, but the other group that is currently opposing the change is...parents."
Some schools completely ban cell phones; others don’t allow use during class. On the other hand there are schools that do embrace it, and we even know of a district that gives their students a “cell phone permit” if they take our cell phone and internet safety courses.
If your school does ban cell phones completely, Lisa Nielsen wrote a great post some time ago called The Value of Using Cell Phones to Enhance Education and Some Concrete Ways to Do So.
In her post she lists 10 Ideas for Using Cell Phones in Education:
1. Student response polling or pop quizzes (no need to invest in additional devices)
2. Use sms to find definitions, currency conversion, math equations, translation and more
3. Use as an internet browser to access endless information
4. Research
5. Read news articles and current events
6. Read books
7. Download and use education programs such as Google Maps and use as GPS
8. Use as a digital or video camera to accompany school projects, publishing, etc.
9. Educate students on appropriate and acceptable social use
10. Use the voice technology to share engaging lectures or lessons
It’s time to vote on this weeks SimpleEdTech Poll:
Comments
When dealing with anything in the classroom, it is important to remember to have a structured environment for use. You cannot simple "allow" the sue of the devices, as there most definitely will be a distraction that arises. At the same time, simply banning the devices will lead to problems that will also take away from the educational opportunities of all. As Chris Lehmann stated last week at PETE&C, "If discipline is your first priority, you will never get to your second."
The biggest issue will be getting some educators over the hump of using these devices. For some reason, educators have switched from pushing the limits of innovation to fearing change. Change is good, but there must come support with it. In many schools here in PA, we are lucky to have tech integration coaches thanks to the Classrooms for the Future grant, and it helps to provide just-in-time training for educators, which helps that get back into the innovation field and away from the comfort of what has "always worked."
We all need to remember that the world is constantly changing, and we need to stay at the cutting edge if we are to provide the best possible education for our students. I did not become a teacher for job security, or for a paycheck, or to do something one way over and over. I became a teacher to provide everything possible for my students, and I need to constantly push harder and harder to get all that my students need from me.
I agree that cell phones and other mobile devices should be used in the classroom. However, with cellphones in particular, I see some potential problems with adoption:
1. Although most (and I emphasize "most")students, today, have cell phones, we can't assume "all" students have them. This may become an issue of equitable accessibility.
2. How do you provide technology support for these devices given the hundreds of various cell phone brands and models?
3. Who's paying the bill? We can't assume that students have unlimited texting or data plans. I know if I received a huge cell phone bill because my daughter used texting and data resources for class, then the school needs to be accountable for those additional costs.
4. How do you prepare teachers to plan, develop effective instructional strategies, and tie to the curriculum with cell phone use?
5. A valid point from many educators and administrators is that cell phones can become a distraction. How do you prepare teachers to address this issue and what does this mean for classroom management?
Hopefully these are just a few thoughts to ponder. Cheers!