“No true best practice has started out with, ‘have students bring their cell phones to class’” (Allen, 2007). This is undeniably true, and makes perfect sense in the realm of phones are distracters, rather than educational. In the last two months of the MAT program, we have been informed of the importance of differentiated learning techniques and strategies. It is totally accurate to say that technology has been a common theme and major component of these discussions. What has been discovered is the idea that cell phones may be a positive piece of technology within the classroom walls. What I think is that for every reason they can be defended as a learning tool, there are probably three reasons to dismiss them as distractions! This is besides the fact that not every student has a phone, or the messaging/internet capabilities to perform the tasks that could possibly be assigned.
It is imperative that students (as well as teachers) are attempting to become fluent in the ever changing ways of technology for the specific purpose of staying ahead of the curve and becoming as marketable as possible to potential future employers. “I cannot think of a job where ‘cell phone operation’ was a skill. Employers are much more concerned about a student’s computing and critical thinking skills than their phone skills” (Allen, 2007). This is such a true statement, and I feel it really sums up this topic. No questions resulted for me after reading both sides to the topic, only an opinion that students are hurt more than they are helped, when using a cell phone in class.
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Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Mobile phone use in the classroom would be a distraction to everyone! Look how distracting it is in our own classroom when someone inadvertently forgets to turn off the sound on his phone. Even though the NO author makes some suggestions for integration, none are practical and all are better done with a computer. You make the point that no everyone has or can afford a phone, which might lead to a school purchasing phones for each student. Imagine the cost! The current use and capability of mobile phones makes them wrong for the classroom.
Great insight...question though -- are you actually going to take away cell phones? AND what about when a job DOES require you to text etc? Isn't that a tool that they need??
ReplyDeleteThere are jobs that require you to text? Don't you think that in a job like this, you'd be using a cell phone with a QWERTY keypad - so all you'd really need to master is basic typing.
ReplyDeleteJeff - I argee that many don't realize that some students don't have "texting" in their cell phone plans. We need to work using technology that we're sure all students will have access to!
I also think cellphones are too distracting. Even if we asked the students to use the phone for an assignment, we all know it is highly likely that they will use the cell phone for their own purposes.
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