Can we divide this into two subject lines? "Cell-phone carrying
students" and "Cell phone recycling" perhaps?
While I think the cell phone has tremendous potential as an educational
tool, I also think there are other factors affecting cell phone use. In
the school where my girlfriend teaches a theatre program, there are
rules against cell phone use. The teachers try (with varying levels of
strictness) to make students conform to these rules. However, they are
rarely successful. Students use cell phones continuously, and are often
text messaging or playing games during class, when they are intended to
be interacting with instructors and other students. Cellular phones
present a discipline issue, because there is no easy way to know if the
student is doing something educational or not, or if the activity is
appropriate for the classroom or not. Similarly, there seems little way
to prevent disrespectful or indisciplined cell phone use, since many
schools are having a hard time doing that now, even with complete cell
phone bans.
So the question isn't the educational uses of the cell phone. We can
make a million arguments for how the cell phone could be a pivotal tool
in a child's education, and even educators who agree with us will refuse
to budge on this. The question that needs to be addressed is not a
technology question, but a pedagogical question: how do we instill
discipline in the children being educated so that cell phones are used
appropriately?
I'm sure many educators agree that cell phones may make children safer
(note: I got along fine without one during my childhood, and I'm not
sure I buy this argument), though some educators might be downplaying
this in favor of a cell phone ban. And if children had cell phones in
their pockets that they never took out except in an emergency, schools
wouldn't have a problem with it. On the other hand, I've seen inner city
Chicago public schools where kids could care less about cell phone
rules. I've also attended community college classes where a student
would answer their phone in class, while the professor was talking, and
then get up and walk out while laughing and talking with the friend
who'd called, while the professor shut up and waited for the
interruption to end before continuing. When I mentioned that at the
liberal arts college I had attended previously, if a student had been
that rude they would probably have been asked to leave the class
permanently, the professor replied that at least this student walked out
to finish the conversation...some others simply continue talking at
their seats.
That's the problem. That level of indiscipline (at the level of
indecency / rudeness) is the result of ineffective policies on cell
phone use during several years of public schooling. An answer to this
has to address the discipline issue involved, not just the positive
implications of cell phone possession.
I wish I had an answer to the discipline questions...I can only raise
them and hope an experienced educator can suggest a solution?
Dave.
-------------------
Dave A. Chakrabarti
Projects Coordinator
CTCNet Chicago
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(708) 919 1026
-------------------
Linda Ullah wrote:
Back on topic. It seems to me that the cell phone can be used as a
viable educational tool. New ones are coming out with many of the same
capabilities that that PDAs and MP3 players have. Most, these days,
have cameras that can be used to capture information that can be used in
the classroom. The text messaging feature can be used in the same way as
an IM to have students work collaboratively and share information to be
learned. I can see wonderful potential for the cell phone
instructionally if we can think out of the box and work on curriculum
development and instructional strategies that include the cell phone in
the educational environment (not use the 4 walls we call a classroom).
Linda Ullah
Foothill College Krause Center for Innovation
12345 El Monte Rd. Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.foothill.edu/kci
On May 10, 2006, at 5:55 AM, Audrey Borus wrote:
Slightly off topic, but can anyone recommend a good way to recycle an
old cell? It seems like a horrible waste to just trash it.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Carvin
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 1:37 PM
To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group
Subject: [DDN] should students carry cell phones in the classroom?
Hi everyone,
I've posted a blog entry seeking feedback from educators about the
current debate in NYC over whether students should be allowed to carry
cell phones in the classroom. Leading policymakers argue that cell
phones are a distraction, while parents and community leaders say
they're a necessity because of safety concerns. What do you think? You
can read more and chime in here:
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/2006/05/should_students_be
_allowed_to.html
Thanks,
andy
--------------------------------
Andy Carvin
acarvin (at) edc . org
andycarvin (at) yahoo . com
http://www.andycarvin.com
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://www.pbs.org/learningnow
------------------------------
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