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| These don't have to be evil distractions in your classroom |
Smartphones are omnipresent in our lives, and, to some teachers’
chagrin, they are a constant in many classrooms. Sometimes it seems there is nothing we can do to get rid of them in the classroom.
But they are not going
anywhere. They shouldn’t go anywhere.
According to Pew research center, 56% of adults own a smartphone. But while that is an incredible number considering
this technology is still relatively new, splitting up the demographics shows
their staying power for the college-aged and adult learners. For those ages
18-24, the number increases to 79% ownership, and 23-34 is 81%.
And, obviously, this number is likely to increase. This current 18-24 generation
will grow up with smartphones and have them into their golden years, and then,
of course, newer generations will also have them. The technology is getting more affordable, and given that cell phone ownership is at 90%, we can expect smartphone ownership to be at that
level in a few years.
Of course we know why! They are incredible devices! They do so
much and have taken many useful devices and
squeezed them into one, palm-sized brick of awesome.
However, to this day I know teachers who struggle with how to handle
them in the classroom because they can obviously be a distraction. You work
really hard on planning an engaging lesson, and it can be frustrating when your
best efforts can’t persuade your student to put the phone away.
Also, many think of Smartphones as anti-social. Meaning people avoid actual human interaction in place of goofing off on their phone. Of course, both of these are true and valid points, but these devices do not have to be like this in the classroom.
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| Why can't we talk to each other? |
At various schools I have taught at, we have discussed how to handle
these seductive sirens. Some suggested putting them in a box or taking them away.
Some said we should count students as absent if they are facebooking instead
of book reading. Nearly all that I have heard is about how to punish students
for – GASP! – doing what we all do on the train to work or while in line at a
coffee shop.
I suggest that we do more to harness the power of these amazing devices. If students
love them and if they are such an important part of our lives, why shouldn't we use
them?
Below I will share with you FOUR apps/tools/web sites I use
consistently in the classroom.
These Blog posts provide some basic tips about how to use these web sites and applications, and each is focused on one specific pedagogical principle to help narrow the focus and show you how smartphones can advance tried-and-true teaching practices. However I would never say these are perfect or
that how I do it will work for everyone. My main hope is to share these approaches to
stimulate your creativity and best teaching practices. I also hope to demystify the use of smartphones for teachers who are reluctant to use "technology" in the classroom.
You will notice a bunch of links in each post. Click on them for screenshots that show you what I am explaining. Also, I plan on adding more to these posts, so check back for video tutorials and videos of students doing these in the classroom.
Enjoy, and please send me a message or post a comment if you have any questions or have some amazing ideas or suggestions.
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