Cell Phones in School

Some schools around the country regard cell phones use as disruptive and distracting, and have implemented policies that prohibit using them on school grounds. Students still use cell phones in school. According to the PEW Internet and American Life Research Project

  • 58% of teens from schools that forbid cell phones use them during class anyway
  • 31% of teens that take their cell phones to school send text messages during class everyday

Cell Phones are some of the most useful and least utilized technologies within classrooms across the country. It is time to enter the 21st century and encourage schools to use cell phones as a tool rather than treat them as contraband.

There is a wonderful blog I follow written by Liz Colb entitled From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning. The site in entirely devoted to encouraging responsible cell phone use in the schools. Another website is called Mobile Phones for Learning.

Application in the Classroom: texting homework, podcasts, quiz answers, polls, mobile videos, google docs, research, blogging, recording interviews, posting discussions, and so much more

Update: This semester I offered a texting option on the parent permission slip. I was shocked when every parent approved of their child (who had cell phone) to use  textblaster. What shocked me the most was that about 35 out of 55 parents wanted to have their number included on my mass text option in addition to their child’s phone number. Texting may be just the new wave of parent communication.

Useful Websites:

Other ideas for using cell phones in school?
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  1. Pingback: Texting as teaching and learning tool | Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age

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