Just as I was finishing my writing for this assignment, I received a phone call from Pat Sattler, one of the teachers from the suggested k12cell phone project website. Needless to say I was very excited. I had tracked her down to her school earlier in the week, but not finding an email I called the school and left a message. She had attempted to email me but our filters (as good as they are) kept booting her email out of the system. Finally reaching me by phone we talked briefly (I was in the middle of my school day) and she promised to email me at another address and help me out with some information. So now we play email tag and hope we connect. When I hear from her I promise to come back and post an update. In the interim I leave you with my research.
Cell Phone Project Inquiry
Using cell phones in the classroom is a new idea and not many school districts have warmed to the idea. Teachers on the other hand are beginning to see the value of using technology that many of their students already have and are very comfortable in using. The assignment to find and interview a teacher who has used cell phones in the classroom proved to be more challenging than I expected. I attempted to contact four different teachers. Unfortunately I have not had a response from any of them at the time of this writing.
However in my research I came across two interesting articles recently reported by the St. Petersburg Times online edition and the Dallas Morning News online edition. The article from St. Petersburg Times describes teachers in the Tampa area who regularly have students use cell phones to complete assignments and projects, in and out of class. They have used their phones for photos, as calculators, to view the internet for class work and take notes. One teacher says
"They all have them anyway, and they're all dying to use them in class," said Spanish teacher Ariana Leonard, who admitted that she stores her life in her cell phone and uses it for a variety of functions. "If they're texting when they're supposed to be listening, I might tell them to put it away. But you might teach them a way to use it that might be applicable to their learning." (Solochek, 2009)
Thinking like this is why it works for this school. Their open policy and support from parents and staff alike have helped students understand the appropriate use of cell phones in the classroom. They still have policies in place for monitoring and keeping students on task but with their changing attitude, students are using them less for distraction and more for class work.
From literature to Spanish to Chemistry classes, teachers and students are finding ways to use this computer in their pocket. To sum it up, Jennifer Gould, a literature teacher at Wiregrass Ranch High School said "It puts the education in their hands."
In the Dallas New article, an intermediate school is involved in a program that used donated smart phones from Verizon. These students also have turned cell phones into the latest technology in the classroom. Teachers and kids are excited about their lessons but also understand the rules in place for their use. A commenter to the article explained that these phones also have a software program that allows teachers to turn off features and monitor what the students are using. So here is another example of schools that embrace technology and make them tools for education.
I recommend that you go and read the articles and especially the comments below. It is interesting the response that this generated in both situations. There is a student from Wiregrass who also responded to the Tampa Bay article and the related comments.
Sources:
Solochek, Jeffrey S. Some Tampa Bay high schools allow cell phones to be used in class. October 4, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/ October 8, 2009.
Unmuth, Katherine Leal. Keller's Trinity Meadows students use cell phones as classroom computer. February 20, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/ on October 9, 2009.
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