Cell Phones in the Classroom

Cynthia DeWitte

Educ. 8823 Computer Technology and Multimedia

OMG!

U R JKng.

No JK.

Why incorporate cell phones into the classroom?

Top Ten Reasons

1. 17 million teens in the U.S. have a cell phone.2. Parents want their children to have them.3. Messaging Capability4. Multiple Built-in Features5. News Source6. RSS Feeds7. Resource8. Podcasting9. Videocasting10.Students with Disabilities

Teens and Cell Phones

• 17 million U.S. teens have a cell phone• 4 out 5 teens or 79% (CTIA, 2008)

• Spend an average of 20 minutes a day sending and receiving text messages. (Duke Center for Instructional Technology, 2008)

• 66% of teens wish their cell phones would be used to present education anywhere in the world. (CTIA, 2008)

Facing the Parents

• Parents want to be in touch with their kids.

• 95% of parents would rather they remain in control of their child's cellular-phone use, rather than have the school set the rules, citing safety and scheduling concerns (techweb, 2006)

• 96% of kids communicate with a parent on a daily basis via a cell phone. (PR Newswire)

Messaging Capability

• 3.3 billion active cell phones.• 850 million PCs.• 1 billion text messages are sent

everyday.• The average SMS is read in 15 minutes

and responded to within 60 minutes.(Davidson, 2008)

How can teachers use this tool to enhance learning?

Features• Calendar: Daily assignment reminder

• Alerts: Bring lunch money, club dues, return library book.

• Calculator

• Notepad

• Drawing Pad

• Stopwatch

All with one tool in the palm of your hand.

News Source• NPR – 1-202-609-7549

– http://www.npr.org/services/mobile.html

• Rocketron.com– Call 1-408-907-2323– Skip news you don’t want– Replay news stories– No repeats– Learns what you like– Disadvantage (robotic voice)

What are the benefits for teachers and students?

Resources• Google (466453)

• Chacha – Call 1-800-Cha-Cha or text ChaCha (242242)– Sample text: What is the chemical symbol

for Iron?– Chacha response (32 seconds): Iron’s

chemical symbol is Fe. Its atomic number is 26; its atomic mass is 55.845 amu.

Use of Resources

Podcasting Capability• Gabcast.com

– Set up an account– Dial 1.888.887.3127– Enter your password and login– Record your podcast.– Blog integration and Automatic RSS

Feeds.

• Gcast.com– Works the same as Gabcast.

• 1-888-65-GCAST

Videocasting

• Qik.com

• Livecast.com

• PocketCaster.com

Allows users to stream video live from their cell phone to the web: blogs, Twitter, or web sites

Phone needs to have a data plan.

Assistive Technologies Jott.com 1-866-JOTT-123

– Speech to Text Translation– Jott Feeds: Listen to text-based web pages

Text4deaf.com :2-way text messaging, text from computer to cell phone – unlimited for $2. 95 per month or $19.95 per year.

Dial2do.com: free service- send emails, text messages, reminders from your cell phone

YouMail.com: sends your voice mail to you in an email or a text message. The service is free.

Do you see a use for these services in your classroom?

So, should we continue to ban them in our schools?

• As with all emerging technologies, weighing the benefits against the possible disadvantages is critical.

• Revise Acceptable Use Policy to include cell phones.

References• Allen, J. & Kolb. L. (Dec./Jan. 2007/2008). Should cell phones be banned from classrooms.

Learning and Leading with Technology. 8-9.

• CTIA (Sept. 12, 2008). National study reveals how teens are shaping & reshaping their wireless world. Study sheds new light on teens’ cell phone habits, expectations & dream phone wishes. Retrieved October 12, 2008 from http://www.ctia.org/media/press/body.cfm/prid/1774

• Davidson, H. (July 1, 2008). It’s in your pocket: Teaching spectacularly with cell phones. Presented at the National Educators Computing Conference, San Antonio, TX.

 • Devaney, L. (Sept. 2008). Open book exam 21st century-style: Educators begin to ponder if

students should be allowed to use digital devices to take tests. Retreived October 11, 2008 from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=55284

• Duke Center for Instructional Technology (March, 2008). Mobile devices in education. Retrieved September 21, 2008 http://cit.duke.edu/tools/mobile/index.html

 • Fryer, W. (Jan. 30, 2008). Opening minds about cell phones for learning. Retrieved

September 21, 2008 from http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/01/30/opening-minds-about-cell-phones-for-learning/

References Continued…• Fryer, W. (2008) Teach digital: Cell phones for learning/iPhones in the classroom.

Retrieved September 21, 2008 from http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/cellphones.

• Kolb,L. (2008). From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning. Retrieved September 21, 2008 from http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com

• Libero, F., Ramos, A., Ranga, A., Trinona, J., & Lambert, D. (Aug. 2007). Uses of the cell phone for education in the Philippines and Mongolia. Distance Education, (28)2. 231-244.

• Prensky, M. (Jan. 2006). Using cell phones in school for learning. Retrieved September 21, 2008 from http://www.marcprensky.com/blog/archives/000043.html