Cellular phones and the classroom

Students take their cellular phones everywhere. Thus if they are used in the classroom they may be able to connect to and continue with what was done in the classroom. In their spare time /waiting time outside the classroom they may build on classroom work. They may use their cellular phones to capture /record phenomena or entities that they may share in the classroom. Their use in the classroom helps to bridge the divide between their lives outside the classroom and inside.

 

Like any available resource which may be effective in conducting a particular lesson cellular phones may be used. The cellular phone could be used as a excellent resource in a number of different lessons. The question is; should it be made a standard part of the classroom?

Each form of the technology associated with computing has its pros and cons. However I think it will be stretching it far to incorporate the cellular phone as a standard device in the classroom. I see three problems associated with its size. 1. It can be easily snatched and concealed. 2. It can easily be passed around therefore cheating can be done both online and by passing around. 3. It is difficult to monitor by observation what students are doing on cellular phones.

 

The accumulated cost of using the cellular phone whether to text or speak would be very high since you pay for each use. My final concern has to do with radiation. Although the radiation issue is being downplayed by certain research it is a reality. The combined radiation effect of having so many cellular phones operating at the same time in the small space of the classroom would be quite considerable.

Social networks and classroom teaching/learning

Social networking has become a significant part of students’ life outside the classroom and is gaining momentum. Connecting what was done in the classroom with the students’ life outside the classroom is an important aspect of classroom instruction as such social networking is expected to become a feature is increasing significance in the classroom. The internet is a fun and valuable place for children to play and learn, and the vast majority of the time using the internet is a fantastic experience for millions of children.

However, as with many things in life, there can be hidden dangers. The main dangers children and their parents need to be aware of are: cyber bullying, grooming by sexual predators and the problems of posting personal or embarrassing information online.

 It’s easy to be fearful of new trends because we don’t use them or fully appreciate how they work. What is done in school must prepare students for life outside of the school gates and increasingly this includes how to behave and act responsibly and safely in all arenas – including online.

 These are some key questions that should be asked in attempting to incorporate social networking in the classroom.

 

1. Do I know enough about social networking? The intent is that teachers should familiarize themselves with the networks so that you can know what the students are engaged in and what you are asking them to be involved in, and to make judgments on students using them.

 

2. What are the advantages/opportunities they afford? How may they be used to facilitate/complement the school curriculum?
3.  What are the disadvantages/problems associated with their use and what measures may be taken to mitigate these?
4. What programs or policies does the school have in place to support, promote and address students’ use of social networks? What does the school need to put in place?
5. How should I as a teacher use these social network and what should be our code of conduct in terms of interaction with students and parents?

 

Some measures that could be taken to maximize the benefits of their use and to minimize the associated problems

-          take time to learn about how social networking sites work

-          Understand the risk and safety issues

-          Find ways to integrate the issues into the curriculum

-          Involve parents

 

It is important that measures be taken to ensure that students use social networks in a safe and productive way. It is important that teachers listen to the students share what they do and what they think about their activities on social networks. Teachers would then be in a good position to provide appropriate guidelines and regulations.  As a word of cation to the users of social networks I Borrow from The St Augustine Catholic College (E-safety Advice)

It's also worth remembering, once something is posted on the internet it's almost impossible to remove and so personal or embarrassing material can be seen by anyone, anywhere.

As a word to the teachers I borrow from the same source:

We should not be overwhelmed by the negatives, remember the internet is a great resource for children. It's important that we give them space to explore the internet, so they can learn to keep themselves safe.

Tablets - potential benefits but questions of affordability

The tablet has intermediate size between the smart phone and the laptop. With the supporting software(apps) it is a powerful tool. Thus it is portable, powerful and of a size that will allow the teacher to easily observe what the students are doing.

Tips for teachers

1. Be knowledgeable of the functions and resources available via the tablet.

2. Plan thoroughly to maximise use in the available class time

3. Be selective in terms of both when to use and what to use

4. Provide opportunity for interaction and collaboration to avoid isolation among students.

5. organise so that students can explore, enhance their skills and use in subject-relevant manner beyond class time

 

There are a number of pros for its use that I consider to be significant

1. It is related to the smart phone which the students use widely outside the classroom thus it fits the students lifestyle
2.  It is portable thus enabling use in various class settings – classroom, laboratory or fieldtrips
3. It makes the classroom technology rich with multimedia facilities. It provides images and sounds that can spark class discussion. The students can be taken on virtual fieldtrips anytime.
4. It increases students’ engagement. This provides opportunity for teachers to channel the increased engagement towards increased learning.

 

One of the main drawbacks in our context is that tablets are costly and to ensure that one is available to each student. Whereas it may be possible for two students to share a laptop the size and operation of the tablet makes it even less convenient for students to share in its use. The one- to-one use of tablets in our classrooms at this time is thus a challenge

 

Tablets - making use of the increased engagement

1.       The portability of the tablet means that it is a good device for fieldtrips which is an important part of my main area of instruction - science education.

Most of the literature highlight that the tablet increase students engagement. One teacher indicated that despite the increase in students’ engagement he did not see an improvement in their performance. This he claims may be due to the fact that with the increase in engagement he tried to push the students. I think that teachers need to focus on how we make use of that increase in student engagement. How do we structure our lessons to best make use of the students increased interest?