Cellphones in the Classroom: Distraction or Tool?

How to Use Cell Phones as Learning Tools Does your staff need Educational Technology training? The K-12 Teachers Alliance can help you plan your in-service professional development at no additional cost. Regardless of your school’s cell phone policy, the reality in most schools is that students have phones in their pockets, purses, or hoodies. Why not get these tools out in plain sight and use them for good and not evil? Here are some easy to use strategies to use cell phones in the classrooms. Proven teaching strategies to boost your students' happiness. A few suggestions.on classroom activities that involve performance for... We point out some knowledgeable educators who quickly can become your trusted... Here are a few suggestions on how to motivate students intrinsically. Reasons why a class may be less likely to pipe up and interact during a lesson... Why Use Cell Phones as Learning Tools Cell phones are different from a computer lab filled with computers or a cart of netbooks because the cell phone is personal technology.

Good Practice Guide and Use Case Studies of Mobile Learning (#mlearning) As ownership of smartphones and tablets grows there is increasing interest in how they might be used to support learning and teaching, both in the classroom and beyond. This Best Practice Guide has been put together by the UCISA Digital Skills and Development Group Academic Support sub-group to provide examples of good practice in using mobile technologies to enhance learning. Mobile learning: How mobile technologies can enhance the learning experience (Link to full guide) It includes six interesting case studies from different institutions on how mobile devices/technologies have been used to enhance the learning experience. Mobile for fieldwork in Environmental Sciences The intended result of this activity was to encourage and enable students to quickly and easily document discoveries and ideas in the field, to access resources electronically and reuse data in other learning contexts, and to encourage students to develop a collaborative approach to data sharing and discourse.

Amidst a Mobile Revolution in Schools, Will Old Teaching Tactics Work? Getty Just a few years ago, the idea of using a mobile phone as a legitimate learning tool in school seemed far-fetched, if not downright blasphemous. Kids were either prohibited from bringing their phones to school, or at the very least told to shut it off during school hours. But these days, it’s not unusual to hear a teacher say, “Class, turn on your cell. It’s time to work.” Harvard professor Chris Dede has been working in the field of education technology for decades, and is astonished at how quickly mobile devices are penetrating in schools. That’s not necessarily surprising, given that a staggering 80 percent of teens have cell phones. “People are talking about this being an inflection point,” said Elliot Soloway. “I’m petrified that we’ll apply new technology to old pedagogy.” The most recent data available is from 2010, and indicates that 62 percent of schools allow cell phones to be used on school grounds, though not in classrooms. This Actually some schools are seeing gains.

Learn2luvcell: A Powerful Multipurpose Mechanism for Learning Query most secondary school teachers on the subject of cell phones, and you're likely to get an impassioned rant about the device's insidious ability to provoke distraction in the classroom. All that giggly sub rosa texting not only robs students of attentiveness, they say, but also presents an inveterate disciplinary problem. It's why most school districts have strict cell phone policies, and most teachers are grateful for it. But some forward-looking educators have begun to push the subversive idea that the high tech wizardry of mobile phones can be a powerful multipurpose mechanism for learning. Podcasts, video interviews, polling, quizzes, even homework assignments, can all be accomplished via cell phone to enhance students' learning experience, while the phone can also act as a versatile electronic aid to the teacher. Kolb cites the example of a student studying ecosystems in science class. This could prove a hard sell to teachers who see cells only as a bane to good order.

12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers Everyone wants teachers to use technology in the classroom. But you're busy -- meeting standards, prepping students for tests -- and maybe you’re not too fond of computers, anyway. Never fear – there are easy ways to bring your classroom up-to-date, technologically. Do you have a iPad in your classroom for your use? How about iPads for students to use? Could you get a classroom iPad? What kind of Internet access is available at your school? What do you have to do to get Ipads for your students? Also try to find a technology “mentor” on campus – the computer teacher or just another teacher who uses technology more than you do. Perfect Ed Tech Activities for Beginners Do a PowerPoint “Game Show Review” Many tech-savvy teachers have used Microsoft PowerPoint to create review games based on famous game shows, including “Jeopardy! Have students complete a written classroom activity as if it was online. Ever have your students write a diary from the perspective of a character or famous person?

Back to School with New Devices? Lesson #1: Mobile Safety - Microsoft on the Issues Posted by Jacqueline BeauchereDirector, Trustworthy Computing Communications, Microsoft Unlike their parents who went back to school with new notebooks, pens, pencils, and binders, today’s young people are likely readying for the coming academic year with laptops, tablets and mobile phones. But, before parents arm kids with the latest Internet-enabled devices, it’s a good idea to share some do’s and don’ts about online safety. Whether it’s a new laptop for research and writing, a tablet for reading, or a mobile phone to get in touch with mom or dad in the event of an emergency, kids are using mobile technology more than ever. Data show that 52 percent of kids ages eight to 12, and 77 percent between 12 and 17, own mobile phones, with teenagers 14 to 17 sending an average of 100 text messages a day. When it comes to Internet safety, some practical advice can go a long way toward helping kids stay safer and more secure when they’re online on the go.

The Future of Education: Tablets vs. Textbooks When New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, in her run for mayor, said she had a $300 million education agenda to cover the cost of a tablet for every student, according to the New York Times, the move would have saved around $100 million by dumping traditional textbooks. But the idea makes people nervous: replacing books with tablets sounds too good to be true. Politicians love to talk about technology with education, and from New York to New Mexico, a sea of change is happening in the classroom, as schools introduce tablets and apps into the curriculum. Just look at the laptop. With the growing popularity of PCs, schools built costly computer labs to give students an opportunity to learn to code, rather than use them learn about other subjects. According to Lori Holcomb, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, it worked. When Maine rolled out its program in 2005, students with laptops scored better than two-thirds of those who didn’t use them in 2000. 1. 2.

Educational Leadership:Interventions That Work:Cell Phones as Teaching Tools William M. Ferriter At a recent conference, a team of teachers asked me an all-too-common question: How can we get the educators in our building to embrace cell phones as a legitimate tool for learning? The teachers told me cell phones were banned by school policy—and most of their colleagues wouldn't have it any other way. Sound familiar? Despite the fact that 75 percent of all kids ages 12–17 have cell phones, educators have done their best to aggressively erase this tool from their classrooms. Don't get me wrong: Our efforts to control student cell phone use are—at times—noble. But efforts to eliminate cell phone use are also short-sighted, especially in an era when fewer dollars are available for classroom supplies. Making the Case To break down negative attitudes toward cell phones as learning tools in your building, try the following. Make cell phones visible. Endnote 1 Lenhart, A., Ling, R., Campbell, S., & Purcell, K. (2010). William M. Click on keywords to see similar products:

BYOD I’m a father of two girls (7 & 10) and like many fathers in developed world in 2015, school holiday time has become “constant screen time” for my kids. Unless I painstakingly structure every minute of their day, given the choice, they pick screen time before considering other activities. They are kids after all and it may have been 1987 and it may have been an Atari ST, but I was just the same. The 70s gave us screen time, the 80s brought it home, the 90s expanded the choice and the 21st century has now given many young people the power to download further screen time options when they feel like it. What’s good for kids? If most parents are allowing it, is it ok to deny your own kids (as a parent or teacher) the access other’s enjoy? So, what do we parents and teachers do with a generation who have increasingly higher expectations for how much screen time is considered normal? Idea 1: Make rules & reasons clear Idea 2: Make them earn this precious resource English : Sentopiary Like this:

Creating a plan with students to use cell phones for learning Want to integrate cell phones into learning? You can involve your students with this planning lesson where students will focus on cell phones as learning tools. With an overview of the educational uses of cell phones (the Gr8 8, below), students will determine how they will choose to use their cell phones for educational purposes. Contracts for tools will be developed by students and the result will be a plan for educational uses of cell phones. Lesson Title: Plans for Phones or Plnz 4 fonzTools Used: Poll EverywhereLesson Description:Start with a class discussion about tools, and their purpose, for learning.Multiple choice poll: Ask students to text into a poll everywhere free text poll examples of tools and their uses: pencil-communicating/taking notes, calculator-do math, dictionary-learn meanings of words, notes, books, websites, teacher instruction.Free text poll: Ask students to share the tools available on their phone.

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