Cell Phones as Classroom Learning Tools
K12 Online Conference 2007 - Cell Phones as classroom learning tools
by Liz Kolb
I am very interested in using cell phones as a classroom learning tool. Although I am teaching at an elementary school and our 4 year olds do not have their own cell phones (yet!). I agree that they are a tool that teachers can use to their advantage and which gets their students excited and involved, while using the equipment that the older students (mostly 10 years old and up) already have.
Consider that cellphones are not just toys but learning tools.
Audio Recording coupled with Web 2.0 tools to immediately post them on the web.
- voicemail
- audio recording
- podcasting
- Mobile Note Taking
I liked how the presenter gives plenty of examples as well as talks you through dialing into and managing a service like Gabcast . This will provide a great opportunity to pass the presentation on to my teachers at school . Hearing the examples will hopefully inspire them to use the tools without the fear that it is too difficult and too technical to do it.
Here are some of the services Liz mentiones, that I need to check out soon:
There is a also great conversation going on at the presentation’s K12 Online Conference page. Definitely worth checking out and contributing to the thread.
Liz also says:
“You don’t necessarily have to bring the cellphones into the classroom to do these types of projects”
I think this is very important to remember, especially when dealing with the younger students when teachers would naturally think that they are too young to have and use cellphones in the classroom. You don’t have to have a class set of cellphones present in order to take advantage of the capabilities or the tools associated with the use of cellphones. Give the students the option to do a homework assignment via their parents’ phone while they are driving from dance class to soccer practice. Allow students to become active and current reporters while on a field trip equipped with a powerful little tool, that most of them are already familiar with on how to use it.
Examples:
- 6th Grade Author Studies
- Classic Radio Theater
- Poetry
- Record sound clips from the field trips ( Chaperons most likely will have a cell phones with them)
Liz has many great ideas and samples on how to use the phones in a variety and creative way to enhance, excite, and reach our students’ learning style.
Let’s rethink banning cell phones from schools, simply out of fear that they might be used for the “wrong” reasons and let’s focus on using them for the right reasons.
[tag]k12online07nt02, k12onlineconference[/tag]
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