Should You Allow Cell Phones in School?

It's in Your Pocket: Teaching Spectacularly with Cell Phones
presented by Hall Davidson at NECC 2008, San Antonio


With common controversies about student use of cell phones in school, Hall Davidson asks us to step back and consider what they could be used for if they were allowed in schools.



Current Best Practices with Cell Phones

• telephone
• text messenger
• video player
• still camera
• GPS device
• Internet
• Podcast
• Music player

Can we really ignore such a readily available device?
The parents are not going to let you take their cell phones away because they can ‘track, monitor, stalk, tether, document’ their kids actions with them.

A few statistics...
Globally, there are twice as many active users of SMS text messages as there are users of email.
3.6 billion cell phones already in use
30 countries exceed 100% penetration in 2006

So how could we use a cell phone?

• qik – Get a live feed from your cell phone. From a cellphone the principal can watch the security cameras in the building from IP security cameras.
• Create and upload videos from cell phone- Fill out mobile profile on youtube, go onto camera and send video file.
• Video sub plans
• Administrator sending video updates
• Push video messages out to the public – engadget mobile
• Pre and post survey of what student learned today

• Jott
• Twitter a message
• Send an email reminder
• Send to blogs
• Instant transcription service - Document an intervention in RTI
• Translation

• GCast
• Record podcasts
• Record interviews, podcasts while on a field trip
  
  

• Text
• Text me a story in six words
• PollEverywhere- real time 41411
• Can also poll by sending text message
• 2D bar code- Take a picture of the bar code and will get info about item.
  

With all of these uses is it any wonder why our students love their cell phones?



So, when are we going to realize that a powerful tool is readily available in the hands of our students without a district having to go out and buy more expensive hardware?





iphone photo by neodelphi on flickr
photo by tow_adam on flickr