Rogerian Argument: Maybe there is Middle Ground
The classical policy for use of smart phones is schools is that they are to be banned. This policy is normally school-wide a supported by both teachers and principles alike. By teachers smart phones are seen as educational derailers. I cannot say that this position is unwarranted. The Google Play (Andriod) and the iOS (Apple) stores are loaded with games and other apps that grab the attention of kids.
These distractions find their way into the classroom following the same process every time. First the kids sit down in class ready to listen and learn, this is what teachers want to see. But slowly as the lecture drags on their mind drifts and eventually finds its way into their pockets and backpacks where their phone awaits. This is when teachers see kids looking down into their lap or positioning their binders into peculiar ways. No doubt this is frustrated for teachers. Now they have to make the decision to let it go and continue on or call the student out and either take their phone or give a verbal warning that encourages the student to leave their phone in its designated wait-till-class-is-over resting spot. Usually it is the latter. Afterall if teachers allow one student to use their phone then the next thing the teacher will see after the turn around from writing on the board is a room full of bowed heads. Why would teachers go through all this trouble planning classes, making assignments, and lecturing if there is going to be no one to listen to it? So if a teacher takes phones and gives warning they will be rewarded with a more alert and focused class, at least temporarily.
Unfortunately students are becoming more and more restless to use their phones nowadays. So what are we to do? Have teachers give warnings to students every 5 minutes and fill a drawer full of phones. This would not be good for anyone. The students would be distracted by these constant interruptions and teachers might get side-tracked giving these verbal warnings. What classrooms need is a more interact for kids so they can concentrate. Maybe this is where we revisit our strict "No cell phones" policy. Why not use the enemy to our advantage? Instead of making cell phones into a taboo in the classroom we should encourage the use of them in some classroom activities.
This is where I think a compromise between students and teachers is possible. Smart phones could be used in engaging activities and classroom games. Smart phones also allow for instantaneous feedback from students on their comprehension of topics by using "stoplight" apps or polling apps. The stoplight app (seen at the bottom of this page) is a simple app that students can download and give teachers feedback as to how well they are understanding it; red would be "please stop and review", yellow would indicate "I think I understand", and green would mean "move on, I get this". Polling apps are useful for in class pop-quizzes. If a teacher wants to see if the students are understanding the concepts, the teacher can ask a question and have the students poll anonymously. Teachers who have been using smartphones in their classroom have seen in increase in engagement. Alexia Forhan says, "You really get away from the photocopying and pen and paper. This type of teaching definitely keeps (students) engaged" (Shane, 2012).
However there are other benefits also to allowing kids to use smartphones in the classroom. Smartphones have web-access can have a lot of benefits. For example kids can download and submit assignments online on their smartphone. This means no more homework excuses like "my dog ate it" or "maybe you misplaced it." Additionally kids can use this smartphones for on the spot learning. Imagine a time when the students wanted to know something and no one knew the answer. Smartphones can be an easy way to keep creative conversation going and encourage critical thinking. Finally having internet access at your fingertips allows for kids to not only look up information in text (which is more likely to be up-to-date information than a text book that is several years old) but also see pictures and watch videos on the topic.
Smartphones benefits in regards to their education also can extend to outside of the classroom and even school for that matter. With email teachers remind students of test or big projects. With shared calendars students can look ahead and see when papers are due and what is planned on a certain day of class. And apps like Blackboard allow students to keep track of their grades and download notes, assignments, and other information. In a study by Dunn in 2012, it was discovered that students who use smartphones for school study approximately 40 minutes more a week than those who do not. So not only is it easier to do the homework , it is also more likely the students will. But do these smartphones help with grades? Well in another study by Freeman(2012) it was found that in a students in Carolina schools who started using smartphones saw a 30% increase in test grades after one year as compared to their fellow students. That is a big deal. If that study was not enough another study compared a smartphone using math class to five other classes and found that the smartphone class had the greatest success (Norris, Hossain, & Soloway ,2011).
Now lets talk about the benefits for kids. Backpacks are not good for the backs of kids, especially when they are filled with 15 pounds of books. Instead the kids have a few note book and a smartphone in their pocket. This will help their physical health and be easier for them to keep track of rather than having 5 books to remember to bring to class. Homework will get done faster. Instead of having to look through their books to find an answer to a question they can simple look the answer up online. Now this may not apply to all situations and I am not saying we should get rid of books completely. What I am suggesting is leaving the books at either the school or at the students house. I am also not advocating for taking away reading assignments. Afterall, reading is a very important part of learning but when implemented in the right way the student can save time by using their phone for homework while also doing reading (which may even be online through an online textbook). Then students have time to go out and be kids. Finally it is good for kids to understand and get used to modern technology as it is a big part in a world where technology is constantly changing.
This compromise could be beneficial to both parties and I do not think that the sacrifices are too extreme. There are also some obvious roadblocks in the system that would have to be dealt with. For instance it would be smart to find a way to prevent kids from using their smartphones for texting and games. A possible solution could be to only have designated time to use their phones which would be during engaging activities where the student would not be able to use their phone for other things. I think once these issues are met though it would be beneficial for teachers to have such a powerful learning tool on their side and for students to be more engaged and possibly even have fun learning. Teachers would not have to worry (as much) when they see a smartphone out and students may learn better from seeing pictures and videos on the topic. Smartphones are going to become more and more prominent in schools as the years progress, so it is important that we find a way to control them and I believe the best way to do that is by turning them into a learning tool.
These distractions find their way into the classroom following the same process every time. First the kids sit down in class ready to listen and learn, this is what teachers want to see. But slowly as the lecture drags on their mind drifts and eventually finds its way into their pockets and backpacks where their phone awaits. This is when teachers see kids looking down into their lap or positioning their binders into peculiar ways. No doubt this is frustrated for teachers. Now they have to make the decision to let it go and continue on or call the student out and either take their phone or give a verbal warning that encourages the student to leave their phone in its designated wait-till-class-is-over resting spot. Usually it is the latter. Afterall if teachers allow one student to use their phone then the next thing the teacher will see after the turn around from writing on the board is a room full of bowed heads. Why would teachers go through all this trouble planning classes, making assignments, and lecturing if there is going to be no one to listen to it? So if a teacher takes phones and gives warning they will be rewarded with a more alert and focused class, at least temporarily.
Unfortunately students are becoming more and more restless to use their phones nowadays. So what are we to do? Have teachers give warnings to students every 5 minutes and fill a drawer full of phones. This would not be good for anyone. The students would be distracted by these constant interruptions and teachers might get side-tracked giving these verbal warnings. What classrooms need is a more interact for kids so they can concentrate. Maybe this is where we revisit our strict "No cell phones" policy. Why not use the enemy to our advantage? Instead of making cell phones into a taboo in the classroom we should encourage the use of them in some classroom activities.
This is where I think a compromise between students and teachers is possible. Smart phones could be used in engaging activities and classroom games. Smart phones also allow for instantaneous feedback from students on their comprehension of topics by using "stoplight" apps or polling apps. The stoplight app (seen at the bottom of this page) is a simple app that students can download and give teachers feedback as to how well they are understanding it; red would be "please stop and review", yellow would indicate "I think I understand", and green would mean "move on, I get this". Polling apps are useful for in class pop-quizzes. If a teacher wants to see if the students are understanding the concepts, the teacher can ask a question and have the students poll anonymously. Teachers who have been using smartphones in their classroom have seen in increase in engagement. Alexia Forhan says, "You really get away from the photocopying and pen and paper. This type of teaching definitely keeps (students) engaged" (Shane, 2012).
However there are other benefits also to allowing kids to use smartphones in the classroom. Smartphones have web-access can have a lot of benefits. For example kids can download and submit assignments online on their smartphone. This means no more homework excuses like "my dog ate it" or "maybe you misplaced it." Additionally kids can use this smartphones for on the spot learning. Imagine a time when the students wanted to know something and no one knew the answer. Smartphones can be an easy way to keep creative conversation going and encourage critical thinking. Finally having internet access at your fingertips allows for kids to not only look up information in text (which is more likely to be up-to-date information than a text book that is several years old) but also see pictures and watch videos on the topic.
Smartphones benefits in regards to their education also can extend to outside of the classroom and even school for that matter. With email teachers remind students of test or big projects. With shared calendars students can look ahead and see when papers are due and what is planned on a certain day of class. And apps like Blackboard allow students to keep track of their grades and download notes, assignments, and other information. In a study by Dunn in 2012, it was discovered that students who use smartphones for school study approximately 40 minutes more a week than those who do not. So not only is it easier to do the homework , it is also more likely the students will. But do these smartphones help with grades? Well in another study by Freeman(2012) it was found that in a students in Carolina schools who started using smartphones saw a 30% increase in test grades after one year as compared to their fellow students. That is a big deal. If that study was not enough another study compared a smartphone using math class to five other classes and found that the smartphone class had the greatest success (Norris, Hossain, & Soloway ,2011).
Now lets talk about the benefits for kids. Backpacks are not good for the backs of kids, especially when they are filled with 15 pounds of books. Instead the kids have a few note book and a smartphone in their pocket. This will help their physical health and be easier for them to keep track of rather than having 5 books to remember to bring to class. Homework will get done faster. Instead of having to look through their books to find an answer to a question they can simple look the answer up online. Now this may not apply to all situations and I am not saying we should get rid of books completely. What I am suggesting is leaving the books at either the school or at the students house. I am also not advocating for taking away reading assignments. Afterall, reading is a very important part of learning but when implemented in the right way the student can save time by using their phone for homework while also doing reading (which may even be online through an online textbook). Then students have time to go out and be kids. Finally it is good for kids to understand and get used to modern technology as it is a big part in a world where technology is constantly changing.
This compromise could be beneficial to both parties and I do not think that the sacrifices are too extreme. There are also some obvious roadblocks in the system that would have to be dealt with. For instance it would be smart to find a way to prevent kids from using their smartphones for texting and games. A possible solution could be to only have designated time to use their phones which would be during engaging activities where the student would not be able to use their phone for other things. I think once these issues are met though it would be beneficial for teachers to have such a powerful learning tool on their side and for students to be more engaged and possibly even have fun learning. Teachers would not have to worry (as much) when they see a smartphone out and students may learn better from seeing pictures and videos on the topic. Smartphones are going to become more and more prominent in schools as the years progress, so it is important that we find a way to control them and I believe the best way to do that is by turning them into a learning tool.
Above pictures are the App information screens found in the app market for Android phones. This screen gives a description of the app as well as review. The i>clicker GO app is a poll app and the Traffic Lights app is a comprehension checker (explained above). Both pictures are screen shots taken from authors phone.
References:
Dunn, J. (2012, 08 09). The 60-Second Guide to Smartphones in Education. Retrieved from Edudemic: http://www.edudemic.com/the-60-second-guide-to-smartphones-in-education/
Freeman, K. (2012, 10 15). Low Income Students’ Test Scores Leap 30% With Smartphone Use. Retrieved from Mashable: http://mashable.com/2012/10/15/wireless-reach-students/
Norris, C., Hossain A., & Soloway E. (2011). Using Smartphones as Essential Tools for Learning: A call to Place Schools on the Right side of the 21st Century. Educational Technology, 18-25. Retrieved from http://cecs5580.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/50303907/ET%2520article%2520Norris%2520Soloway.pdf
Shane, B. (2012, 12 26). Schools use smart devices to help make kids smarter. Retrieved from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/27/students-use-cellphones-as-part-of-classroom-lessons/1794883/
Dunn, J. (2012, 08 09). The 60-Second Guide to Smartphones in Education. Retrieved from Edudemic: http://www.edudemic.com/the-60-second-guide-to-smartphones-in-education/
Freeman, K. (2012, 10 15). Low Income Students’ Test Scores Leap 30% With Smartphone Use. Retrieved from Mashable: http://mashable.com/2012/10/15/wireless-reach-students/
Norris, C., Hossain A., & Soloway E. (2011). Using Smartphones as Essential Tools for Learning: A call to Place Schools on the Right side of the 21st Century. Educational Technology, 18-25. Retrieved from http://cecs5580.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/50303907/ET%2520article%2520Norris%2520Soloway.pdf
Shane, B. (2012, 12 26). Schools use smart devices to help make kids smarter. Retrieved from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/27/students-use-cellphones-as-part-of-classroom-lessons/1794883/