Monday
September 08, 2008
by desertjim
Current figures indicate that 75% of 13 to 17 year olds in the United States have cell phones. Wireless companies are now working to have the same percentage of 8 to 12 year olds enter the ranks of the electronically connected. Even my 10 year old grand-daughter carries her very own cell phone in her backpack (restricted by her parents to calling 911, her paretns at work and home). More of our students have cell phones than have computer access. At the college level Abilene Christian University will hand out iPhones to two-thirds of this year’s entering class of freshmen . Students and instructors are expected to use the devices in class to take attendance, get virtual handouts and brainstorm ideas.
There is no question that cell phones are already distractions in classrooms at all levels. Text-messaging makes it possible for students to exchange answers during exams. The ability of the phones to serve as game platforms goes way beyond the old-fashioned problem of a couple of kids playing “dots” or tic-tac-toe in the back of the room. My physics teacher son-in-law and his colleagues have discussed buying a cell phone blocker and moving it randomly from classroom to classroom. (Alas, the current devices are still a bit too large to place inobtrusively on a restaurant table.)
As cell phone technology becomes more and more ubiquitous, schools will have to adjust their rules to keep pace. Many already have. I am curious to know what our readers’ schools have done to keep the presence of cell phones and their abilities to serve as cameras, games or text-messagers from disrupting or distracting from classroom activities. Is anyone else adopting the Abilene Christian University model and trying to co-opt the technology into becoming a teaching tool?
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One of my colleagues has used cell phones for a teaching tool in the past by having students make podcasts with the Gabcast http://www.gabcast.com service. It allows students to call a number from any phone and create a podcast that can be used in class (it is all uploaded to the web and the teacher has access to it from the web.)
As for cell phone rules, our school’s rule is that students may carry cell phones during the day, as long as they are turned off and not visible (i.e. in a backpack, pocket, etc.) If the phone becomes visible (i.e. texting under the table), then it can be confiscated and the parent has to come to school in order to retrieve it.
I am teaching in a turn around high school on the west side of Chicago. The whole staff is new to the school and many teachers are new to teaching. I teach environmental science to freshmen. At this stage, cell phones are considered a distraction and they are not allowed in school. I have had no problems. No one has tried to use a cell phone in my class. I think the administration is giving a very clear message that rules must be followed so we can all concentrate on teaching and learning.
In our suburban Chicago middle school, students must turn off cell phones and leave them in their lockers during the day. Any cell phone that is found is given to the principal, where parents have to pick it up.
One of the interesting outcomes is that teachers may not use the phones during the school day either--no calls or texting. When I think about how much I use my own phone, I can empathize with kids/parents trying to communicate with them. I think the cell phone may soon change from a “toy” or “cool” device to a truly integrated tool, especially with capabilities that are being developed. By the time I retire, I predict cell phones or an equivalent, will be standard tools, even for elementary students.
