Comments on: Cellphones have no place in these classrooms

By: Barbara Ling

Barbara Ling — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:28:20 +0000

I agree that students will always carry cell phones. Heck, over here across the pond, cell phones are banned at my kids’ school, but I insist they have the ability to reach me whenever an emergency happens. Hence, the cellphones are in the backpacks.

It’s a foolish administration that believes they can ban something that is becoming so common-place with today’s kids.

Data points,

Barbara

Barbara Lings last blog post..Insane Luxury of YesterYear – Pair of 25K Watermelons

By: nova scotia schools

nova scotia schools — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:15:27 +0000

[...] overtones on Tuesday. 26 students were suspended and the police are involved. Yesterday, the Princhttp://ideasandthoughts.org/2008/03/27/cellphones-have-no-place-in-these-classrooms/Nova Scotia introduces take-no-chances budget amid warnings of economic slowdown The Canadian Press [...]

By: Richard Schwier

Richard Schwier — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:49:37 +0000

It’s probably healthy to be skeptical about the benefits of cell phones in the classroom. It’s probably healthy to be somewhat skeptical about everything. But to restrict a technology just because we haven’t sorted out heaps of pedagogically sound ways to implement it that are generalizable to a wide range of teachers misses the point, I think.

I know loads of teachers who are skeptical about the worth of collaborative approaches to learning and who have little experience or skill in using collaboration in the classroom. Based on cellphone reasoning, perhaps we should ban collaboration in the classroom — until we can be sure that kids won’t use collaboration to get together, form groups, and attack other kids? I know this is a silly elaboration, but my point is that we have to get away from blaming technologies and their affordances for bad things that happen in schools.

By: Sharon Peters

Sharon Peters — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:32:55 +0000

I have lived in Nova Scotia, completed my B.Ed in NS and hold a NS teaching license. The issue here is not about cell phones (smoke and mirrors, my friends) but about racism – plain and simple. We are looking at the wrong culprit here. Technology tools, in and of themselves, are neither good nor evil, it is WHAT WE DO WITH THEM. Blanket policies will not work. To tighten up cell phone policies on school properties is a bandaid to the problem and not a real solution.

A tech tool, such as a cell (or mobile) phone, can be used as an educational tool in many ways – research on this in the classroom is being done right now. They are ubiquitous, flexible, and feature-rich. How can we ignore that?

To blame an incident based on long-standing racism in a community on the abuse or use of any tech tool is negligent and irresponsible. We need to work together to eradicate the REAL issues at heart here and NOT conveniently blame the use of a technology tool.

My two cents’ worth…

By: Dean Shareski

Dean Shareski — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:12:34 +0000

@Staschuk,

Thanks for the comments and certainly are worth digging deeper. The idea of using a cellphone for global collaboration may not be the best tool but in today’s scenarios. However, being able to text to places like twitter and others and receive instant feedback is more a proof of concept at this point. The potential is there and I’d say not far from a reality in today’s simple publishing and connecting environment.

Even the idea of using a cellphone to capture video, audio and sharing it, points to possibilities of collaboration. While we may have better tools, the fact that more students have cellphones than laptops would indicate a reason to pursue these tools. They already have them, let’s leverage them.

As far as data, I’d refer you to Liz Kolb’s work. http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com She’s done a great deal of work in this area and who I would consider an expert.

By: Stashuk

Stashuk — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:00:59 +0000

I’m still skeptical on the educational benefits of cellular phones in the classroom. I agree that we shouldn’t ban students from having them, but I fail to see their usefulness in a lesson. You say that “Cellphones don’t have a place in a classrooms where global collaboration isn’t valued.” I admit I’m reading this literally, but do you mean that students should be calling people globally on their phones? I’d hate to see that monthly bill. Don’t we have better tools for global collaboration than the cell phone? I would love to read about teachers using cell phones in a meaningful way in the classroom, is there any examples or data around this topic I can be pointed toward?

By: Delia205

Delia205 — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:07:05 +0000

I agree with Kristen and the other posts. I think it is not a good idea to take cell phones completely out of schools and I don’t think its a feasible plan either. Students will always carry them, no matter what the consequences might be. They are not just a luxury item anymore. Like it has been said, they have the potential to have instructional value as they move towards being more like computers. To completely take them out would be extreme. Like Kristen said, with the right instruction students could use these in educational ways and steer away from social uses during school, kind of like how we use the Internet now.

By: Kristen205

Kristen205 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:04:35 +0000

I agree that if we teach students to use their cellphones correctly in the classroom, they can be a useful tool. I think that a lot of the problem people see with cell phones are that they are distracting kids because they are using them for more social aspects, like sending texts. I think it is a little extreme to take them out completely. Yeah there are probably going to be some kids that use them for the wrong purpose during school but maybe if we allow them to use the phones in educational ways they won’t have that problem.

By: Kristin Hokanson

Kristin Hokanson — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:55:14 +0000

WOW Dean
Thank you so much for a great post that for me is really timely. I am tagging (to diigo…sorry) & printing as we speak! Let me ask your opinion then, do you think it is ok to question districts who are creating such policies how these values are doing to being express in their instructional practices

By: Connie

Connie — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:20:30 +0000

I love your response, Dean. I think it is important for educators to support authentic learning experiences and guide students in using these tools in safe, responsible ways because they will be expected to use them in the business world. Involving students in creating rules and etiquette is also a fantastic idea – the best way to create buy-in. I am interested in hearing how this story develops.