I came across a very interesting blog post titled: “Does banning cell phones in school cause more problems than integrating them? Liz Kolb who created this post mentioned that one of her students had been reading her blog, and argued that when students are not allowed to have their cellphones, they go out of their way to hide and sneak them, which in turn distracts them from their learning. If they were able to openly have them and use them in classrooms, there would be less of a want to use them, and less distraction.
An individual who read this blog commented to her post with the following: As an educator, I find it hypocritical when I attend professional training and see most teachers texting or playing games on their cell phones during the training. The worst offending teachers are usually the ones who are the most militant about punishing students for cell phone use during class time. Educators need to wise up and find ways to use cell phones as teaching and learning tools. Cell phones are everywhere, parents allow them, educators and school systems need to embrace them and find ways to use cell phones to enhance teaching and learning.
I laughed as i read this, simply because I thought back to every single class I have taken in University and the amount of texting, and browsing, and so on that went on every class by about 80% of students. Does the phrase “practice what you preach come to mind? I truly agree with the response in which the individual said teachers are often the most hypocritical. I personally agree that cell phones are so common in our society, that it’s time we find positive ways to utilize them in schools, and embrace what our students find relevant to their lives. Afterall students are using cell phones forr everything else, why not for learning?
In saying this, I came across an article and video that shows just how teachers can embrace cell phones as a tool rather than a toy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47379357@N02/4342961323/
You are so right Jayla. Do we need to practice what we preach? I think we need, up to a point of course. I will straight up admit that I text in class. I don’t have a legitimate excuse that would allow me to be exempt from getting in trouble. Anyway. It’s funny that I read about this today as we have a speech path come into work fairly regularly and she was telling us how her son has ADHD and to help him remember anything from chores to an exam, he puts his information in his cell phone and just explained that it helps and its whats appropriate for his age and society. We DO need to embrace it in our modern society, there are so many ways.
Couldn’t agree more with this (and Marleys comment). It is hard to justify banning cell phones when I myself rely on it constantly. The same as everyone I have been guilting for using my phone in class but I would say half the time I am organizing to-do lists or making reminders in the calendar. That being said it would be hard for a teacher to tell what I am using the phone for. That is why I think we need to learn more about using them in the class and realizing that we cannot simply allow PARTS of them but must find away to accept all the features.
Thanks for sharing that example Marley, and Gill I like how you said that we need to find a way to accept ALL parts of the phone. If you saw in the video, the one school had an agreement between the students where inappropriate use resulted in it being taken away for a bit, so that students can learn these these devices are here to help us learn and not just for goofing around. I think that if it’s even possible, the number of children owning cellphones in the future will be even higher, thererfore it will be interesting to see what kind of effect it will have on the schools.