In this blogger's view, 21st century education embraces in educationally effective ways all the digital tools available, and few tools are more widely available than cell phones and now smartphones. This shouldn't mean open season on students making and taking calls and text messaging in class, but just as we allow students to use pencils in good ways and not bad (i.e. throwing them as darts), we can empower students to use cell phones in positive learning ways.
Discovery Education Network is advocating for this, and providing examples for effective usage-- check out a blog posting from an Edweek journalist, and the response postings (even more valuable)
here.
As noted in a previous post, I was struck by a student at one high school who told me she used her smartphone to look up definitions and geographical locations in class, but had to hide this because there was a no-cell phone policy in class. Let's fix this.
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1 comment:
I just have to respond to this as I am a continual and compulsive smartphone user and I love the access to information it gives me. I am particualrly fond of using google maps to get a sense of geographic perspective as well as using (god forbid) Wikipedia when I need a quick overview of a subject. However, I would be concerned as a teacher about how you monitor approrpiate vs. inappropriate use in the classroom. It is hard enough monitoring computer use in classes. How do you monitor each students tiny screen when you do not even have control of the hardware as you do with computers. It is a difficult issue...
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