Reaction - 5 Reasons to Allow Students to Use Cell Phones in Class

I really like this article. I know in class we have discussed allowing students to use their cell phone and how it would be beneficial, but there was still a part of me that was hesitant, I think I just immediately envision worst case scenario abuse of the privilege - I know, not the right approach. I think the impending reality of having my own class for the first time and reading about classroom management had me thinking about materials management, and the vision of a room full of 9 and 10 year olds with their cell phones out was a little overwhelming.

However, this article brought me back to the positive reality of the benefits of cell phone usage in the classroom. It's true, todays students will be living and working in a world where their work will involve the application of smartphone technology. As teachers we are responsible for preparing them for their future, and that means exposing them to the technology they will need in the future and allowing them to create and experiment with it.

I think the point about tight budgets and the latest technology not always being available.  It might not always be available to each student in the form of smartphone either. One way of incorporating cell phones without having students who do not own smart phones or whose parents maybe do not allow them to have cell phones would be to have the students work in groups using one smart phone per group.

I love the points made on #3-

"We need to get used to the fact that kids don't need to know "stuff" nearly as much as they need to learn to use that "stuff."  Tests of recall don't prepare our students for the world ahead.  Kids know this - it's why they think school is irrelevant. "


"Policies that ban cell phones because students might text each other are short-sighted.  As Kevin Honeycutt is fond of saying, 'Students used to pass notes on paper.  We never banned paper.' "


These are great points that say it all. #3 actually really swayed any apprehensions I had about cell phone use in the classroom and how important their role in learning today actually is.


We do need to teach responsible ways to use cell phones to students. Shielding them from using them is not "keeping them safe" it is preventing them from learning opportunities that will benefit them in their future. If students learned how to utilize the technology they hold in their phone they would be able to do more productive things with it - beyond calling and texting and using social media to share every breath they take/food they eat.


As a big time HP fan, I LOVED the tie in from the book about the students not being allowed to use their wands! What a great connection!


This reaction was to the blog post http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2012/07/5-reasons-to-allow-students-to-use-cell.html