From the original car phone, to the latest cell phone, GPS's, and reading devices, lets take a closer look at all the categories of mobiles and how they operate. How many different devices do you have that use some of the same functions? Pay close attention, as the narrorator talks about the advantages and disadvantages of mobiles, and note how it would relate to use in educational environments.
Your so right! Mobiles are definitely here to stay. My wife and I recently updated are cell phones to smart phones and I keep finding myself, more and more, pulling out my cell phone to look up stuff or use a calculator or an app. Its absolutely crazy how many things you can do with one of these things. Its funny that I keep doing this because at my school cell phones are not permitted throughout the school day and I do my best to abide by the same rules the students have to live by to set a good example, and every time I take out my phone, although its for school purposes....using the calculator or recieving a school email or looking up something on the internet, the kids give me a hard time.
ReplyDeleteDave, I am the same way. It is sad how dependent we are on phones. On the flip side of that, I think our dependence has shifted from just an addiction to using it, to a resource that we can't live without. At least now I feel like I have an excuse to be on it so much, because I am not just socializing on it, I can actually be learning instead.
DeleteI also keep my phone away since the students are not allowed to have them out; however, a few times in my plant science unit, we've used products which had corresponding apps so I let the students take out their phones and try the apps. I think instead of outlawing cell phones, we need to consider teaching students how to use them responsibly and how to use them as learning tools. Just today I saw an App for a graphing calculator. Maybe these mobiles should be embraced instead of banned.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, Marian! We (schools) put so much energy into finding ways and consequences for banning cell phones during the school day. I know it is tough to regulate what students would be looking at while you would like them to be using a certain App or tool on the phone, but if you can build that type of environment in your classroom, mobiles can really help to increase engagement and scores. Remember, mobiles are not limited to cell phones...GPS's, iPads, Kindles, etc are also forms of mobiles that we, as educators, can use.
DeleteI think you keyed in on the perfect point: having the right environment in the classroom. I think the environment is extremely important. If we have the students' respect and trust, they will be more willing to follow the rules.
DeleteI think that is the key to any form of technology in the classroom. Set the ground rules early and often!
DeleteThe high school most of my students feed to presented to them the other day. They said the students can use their devices in the hallways and at lunch but not in the classroom. I thought that was interesting. I hope that doesn't start an increase in thefts and/or bullying for devices. I think in the classroom it would be as the teacher deemed fit, but I would worry about students getting beat up or robbed for electronic devices.
DeleteWe don't have much of a theft problem at my high school, but that's not to say it wouldn't go up if they were allowed to have them out for people to see what they have. I just think that policy sounds a little backwards for our purpuse of trying to integrate mobiles into instruction. It's a step forward, but we, as educators need more. I think letting teachers have the discretion about mobiles in their classroom just causes more problems because students will try and pull the "oh, I thought we could in here," just to get out of trouble.
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