Cell Phones in Class Create Community

     The debate over permitting cell phone and mobile technology continues to grow.  Why?  The answer is simple.  Current educational thought regarding their capabilities and potential as a valuable resource and supplement to traditional resources continues to gain momentum, and rightfully so.

     Within a recent article posted by US News & World Report http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/10/26/teachers-use-cell-phones-in-the-classroom is shared viewpoints from both advocates and proponents of their implementation in the classrooms, to those who still see them as both a distraction, nuisance and potential danger being allowed within school communities.

     The embracing of cellular technology in 21st century classrooms is becoming increasingly long overdue.  Statistics are abound referencing not only their availability to users, but also the amount of time on average used, students acumen regarding their usage, and the speed and efficiency in which children are able to operate them (even at very young ages). 

     Mobile technology is an outstanding kinesthetic manipulative and tool that engages all of the sense except for smell.  I heard a wonderful quote several months ago in which it was revealed that classrooms today literally slow children down due to mandates not allowing them this valuable resource and tool.  Isn't it part of our intent and goal to speed children up in their ability to think and push toward meta cognitive capabilities?  http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/cell-phones-key-to-teens-social-lives-47-can-text-with-eyes-closed-6126/ To imagine that children can and have been using and manipulating a cell phone to communicate, calculate, create, discover and organize are just a few reasons their absence from the classroom makes very little sense to me as an educator.  The cost effectiveness of incorporating them as part of the school norm and curriculum alone makes far too much sense for them to not have already been allowed...

     I recently came across a wonderfully comprehensive presentation regarding the delimma of whether or not to allow for their implementation;

 

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     If the video is not embedded for you to play, here is the link to the presentation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRTNnpV_79Y&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL4C16128D3E08F324  I would love to hear other educator's thoughts as to their stance on the issue.  Also, there are are many other clips to view regarding the issue in which are hilarious to say the least.  Enjoy.   Godspeed, and yours in the fight...