Cell Phones and Students

Ahh...the question of cell phones in school. At the start of this school year, our faculty was presented with a video in which we were challenged to find ways to better communicate with our students by adopting their communication methods. However, kids aren't supposed to have cell phones at school...how can we use something that is deemed "inappropriate"?

First off, I think we need to see cell phones not as "phones" per se, but as mini-computers. Most kids have browsing capabilities that can be quite useful when you're searching for a definition, a fact or a current event. In addition, we need to understand our consumers: teenagers. They are on the cutting edge of technology (how many of our little children are already navigating around the Internet...imagine what they will be able to do when they are 15 or 16!) and , like it or not, use their phones like we use paper and pen. If we look forward to when these kids go out into the work place, they will be required to utilize these technologies in order to be successful. Why not use the tools that they find most comfortable?

So, to start my little experiment, I decided to send texts to my students regarding upcoming assignments. I set it up through my mail program at school and made mailing lists for each class. The responses were great. Kids who might have forgotten about an assignment were reminded (and actually thanked me!) and the scores went up. I'm hoping some of the kids will post on the blog to let you know how they felt...

Next up...using the cell phone to quiz...