Blog Post 2: Handheld Devices

It seems that year after year, our administration tries to figure out a way to work with the cell phone issue.  One year teachers were required to collect cell phones from students if the cell phone was visible or if it rang, buzzed, or chimed in class.  The students would then have to pay a fine to get their cell phone back from the principal.  Another year, our admin told us to make our own classroom policy for cell phone use.  Hmmmm...that was kind of confusing for the students.  Students have also been told they are allowed to use cell phones only between classes and at lunch.  This year, we have gone back to the "fine" policy.  Every year, I think to myself, cell phones aren't leaving our students anytime soon.   In fact, they keep getting fancier, smarter and parents continue to buy them for their kids.  As educators, we are going to have to keep up with this way of life and begin using them as tools in our classroom.

The article I read, Cell Phones: 21st Century Learning Tools, gave me some great ideas on how students can use their cell phones for education.  Sorrentino(2013) gives her suggestions on how educators can encourage students to "learn about, document and organize their world" through the use of cell phones (Sorrentino, 2013, para 23).

Keypoint 1:  Learn about their world

Sorrentino stated that Liz Kolb, an educator who has now implemented cell phones into her teaching says, "...when student's can connect their own culture with what's happening in school they're education becomes immediately more meaningful to them."(para. 4).  Students have that "ah-ha" moment that every teacher hopes for when they are allowed to complete school work on their cell phone.  The article gives examples of many different apps students can download to become learners outside of the classroom and can get them excited about learning about their world.  Some of the examples are textnovel.com in which students can write a novel using text messaging and textmarks.com which students can create or subscribe to campaigns they are very knowledgeable about.  These two websites teach the student about real life by using their cell phones.   

Keypoint 2:  Document their world

In this article, Sorrentino says that educator Kolb has discovered many apps on how students can document their world.  The one I found most interesting was to become a "mobile journalist"(para. 12). The idea is to document what is going on their world by taking pictures, videos, and notes on their phone as they witness things unfold, for example, their baseball team winning a district game. This can be documented and then sent to a local news station. There is an app from CNN that students can send their stories to as well.  As educators, we can creatively make use of this in almost any class.  

I have sent students around campus with cameras before, but never with their phones as cameras.  I can only imagine their level of excitement while working on a project like this. 

Keypoint 3:  Organize their world

Our cell phones are extremely "smart" these days and what better way to help a student stay organized than teaching them all the tools on their phone to help them accomplish this.  Sorrentino mentions a service call dial2do.com (para. 18).  "It allows you to create speak-to-text messages and e-mails, make calendar appointments, and listen to your calendar through your cell phone."(para. 18).  I remember when I was in school, our teachers required us to use a small notepad to stay organized.  I think students would become more aware of their responsibilities if one day the teacher said, "Ok class, take out your cell phone and type this homework assignment into your calendar."  I believe students would become more successful in class and learn how to organize for their future real world responsibilities. 

Using cell phones in the library:

This past summer, one of our teachers found an app to organize her personal library in her classroom.  She scanned every barcode into her cell phone and when students wanted to check out a book, she was able to keep track of them with her cell phone.  I was amazed at what she could do with her cell phone. I know that libraries keep track of books on the computer, but what a great way to also document and organize books.  

Being introduced to these websites and ideas mentioned in the article, I feel they would also work well in a library setting.  The article mentions a lesson that most students do every year when returning from summer break.  I think it would be great to have a center set up for this topic in the library.  Inform the students before they leave for the summer that they will have the opportunity to share their summer get-aways by using their cell phone when they return.  They must take pictures on their cell phone of the places they went and then share during the first week of school or so.  I can envision students getting genuinely excited about this type of activity.  

Resources

OnOttButton. (2009, December 12). Cell Phones in the Classroom:  Learning Tools for the 21st Century. Retrieved August 18, 2013 from, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXt_de2-HBE

Sorrentino, J. (2013, August 6).  Cell Phones: 21st Century Learning Tools?. www.education.com. Retrieved September 19, 2013, from www.education.com.