Mobile Phones in the

Classroom

ICT in the Classroom Conference

Durban

July 2015

In this workshop, you will:

• Understand the benefits of using mobile phones in schools.

• Develop activity ideas for mobile phones to meet learning objectives and grow 21st century skills.

• Explore strategies to overcome challenges and manage mobile phone use in the classroom.

All documents are on this site:

https://engage.intel.com/groups/durban

Why Mobile Phones

The mobility of mobile phones allows students to access content and use technology tools and apps anywhere and anytime to personalize their learning.

Anytime, Anywhere Learning

Mobile phone features, tools, and apps provide new and engaging learning opportunities for students

Increased Engagement

Productivity tools, which are easily accessible on mobile phones, can develop student organization and accountability.

Student Productivity

Mobile phones offer new methods for teachers, students, and parents to communicate effectively and efficiently.

Improved Communication

When students bring their own mobile phones to use as learning devices, schools save on the cost of purchasing and supporting school-owned technology.

By bringing mobile phone use out into the open, teachers can guide students in learning how to use their mobile phones responsibly and appropriately as tools for learning.

Accessibility and Ethical and Safe Use

Try It: Brainstorm Possibilities

The true power of mobile phones extends far beyond their most frequent uses. In this activity, you will do some initial thinking about how mobile phones are commonly used.

List all the ways you commonly use your mobile phone.

List the ways young people commonly use their phones in and out of school.

Use the following questions to guide your reflection or discussion about mobile phone use

What are the differences between adult and student use of mobile phones?

How can common mobile phone uses serve educational purposes?

Research shows……

While many schools currently ban mobile phones on campus, research shows that many middle and secondary school students already use mobile phones and other mobile devices for school-related learning outside of school hours. A 2013 survey of 2600 students in the United Sates found that 47% of middle school and 60% of secondary school students use smartphones for homework

Only 6% report they can use them in class

THAT IS CHANGING…..

Group Discussion

Read the article Finally! Research-based proof that students use cell phones for LEARNING

Discuss:

Are similar mobile phone use gaps evident in your community?

What are your feelings about allowing students to use mobile phones in schools?

Mobile Phones for

Communication

Polling

Polls can be powerful tools for gauging student understanding as well as engaging students in lessons. Polling tools can bring immediate interaction and active engagement where all opinions are shared and discussed. Using text and Web site response systems, students can share answers and opinions anonymously in real time with the entire class.

Try It: Set Up a Poll• Navigate to the polling tool Web site and take some time to explore

its features and use suggestions.

• Consider how you might be able to use it with your students.

• Identify an upcoming lesson and think of a poll question to generate student interest or check for student understanding.

• Follow the Web site instructions to create your poll question.

• Use your mobile phone to text in an answer and watch it appear on your computer screen.

Technology

• Poll Everywhere

Mobile phones and smartphones can be used as digital media creation tools to provide opportunities for students to express creativity and make choices about how they present their learning.

Media Creation

Try It: Audio Recording

In this activity, you explore the basic audio recorder on your mobile phone.

• Locate the default audio recorder on your mobile phone.

• Take a moment to think of ways you could use an audio recorder tool in your classroom lessons and projects with students.

• Record your ideas, using the audio recorder, and then listen to the recording.

• You may choose to re-record your ideas a second time.

Technology

• Default audio recorder

Mobile phones and smartphones can be used as organizational tools to develop students’ accountability and productivity.

Consider the productivity tools in the chart.

Productivity

Try It: Student Reminders

Student text reminder tools allow teachers to send text messages directly to student and parent mobile phones from a computer or smartphone app, making it easier for teachers to quickly and efficiently communicate important information to their students.

Open the text reminder Web site. Quickly explore the features of the tool by watching the brief tutorial video. Think about how you could integrate this tool into your communication with students and parents. Take a moment to set up an account. Send a message to your mobile phone reminding yourself to use this tool with your students.

Technology

• Remind

Mobile phones and smartphones can be used to quickly access information anywhere and anytime, freeing students from location restrictions inherent with libraries and computers.

Information Retrieval

QR codes are machine-readable labels containing text or other information types with a variety of educational uses. Teachers and students can create QR codes packed with information and display them for others to discover.

Technology

• Reader App: QR Code Reader

• Web site: QR Code Monkey

Try It: Create and Read QR Codes

Mobile phones can be used as GPS devices to enhance your location-based educational activities.

Location-Based Use

Classroom Example: A science teacher hides geocaches near native plants on his school campus.

In the caches, he includes information on the native plants as well as activities for students to try upon their discovery.

Technology

• OpenCaching

• Install a geocaching app on your mobile phone, and use it to discover nearby caches.

• If possible, consider taking a trip to look for a hidden cache nearby.

• If no caches exist yet in your area, list ideas for creating your own.

• While completing the activity, think about how you might use geocaching with your students.

• Explore a geocaching Web site to learn more.

Try It: Geocaching for Students

Managing Mobile Phonesin the Classroom

Challenges: Disruption to Learning EnvironmentMobile phones are often viewed as just one more distraction for students. Instead of focusing on learning, students might use mobile phones for non-educational activities, such as texting friends, accessing social media sites, or playing games.

Possible solutions:

• Designate free tech use times.

• Hold students accountable to a clear set of mobile phone use expectations for the classroom.

• Model exemplary behavior by keeping your mobile phone away when not using it for classroom purposes.

Challenge: Inappropriate UseAcademic examples of inappropriate use might include information retrieval, texting, or the use of cameras to document items during testing. Social examples of inappropriate use might include bullying, sharing of private information, or use of mobile phone tools such as voice recorders and cameras to record people without their permission and transmit explicit content.

Possible solutions:

• Directly teach digital citizenship skills and appropriate behavior in digital space.

• Involve students in creation of classroom or school use policy that outlines clear consequences.

• Build a climate of trust and encourage self and peer monitoring.

Challenge: Writing HabitsMobile phones and other mobile devices are changing the way people communicate. Phrases are being shortened to acronyms and new words are being created.

Possible solutions:

• Teach the importance of correct language use for professionalism and career

readiness.

• Identify times for formal and informal language use with your students.

• Demonstrate flexibility and listen to your students’ input on how language is changing with mobile phones.

• Build clear expectations about language use into assessment criteria and rubrics.

Challenge: Equity

While student mobile phone ownership may be common in your school, it most likely is not 100 percent. This can make it challenging for teachers to plan effectively for instruction with mobile phones.

Possible solutions:

• Provide low cost mobile devices for students without mobile phones.

• Plan non-tech alternatives in lessons and activities.

• Group students around available mobile phones.

• Talk directly with students about equity issues in your community.

Try It: Troubleshoot Scenarios

Read through each situation in the Mobile Phone Challenge Scenarios. Use the following questions to guide your note-taking or start discussions with a group of peers:

• What steps can you take to prevent this scenario from occurring with your students?

• How would you deal with the scenario if it occurred in your school?

Apply: Develop a Presentation

Make a presentation for your school administration outlining what you have learned. For the purpose of the presentation, imagine your school currently has a mobile phone ban that you want to help overturn. In your presentation, consider reviewing some of the following:

• The benefits of student mobile phone use

• Specific strategies to begin using mobile phones in your classroom or school

• Potential solutions to mobile phone challenges in the school environment

Consider presenting your presentation to a group of peers or your administration.

Technology Option: Prezi