Cell Phones; Educational Tools?

Cell phones have been quite a topic at our school for a year or two now. How do we give kids the access they need to get in touch with parents vs. having them on their person during school hours and using them for what educators consider to be non-educational uses? I am sure we are not alone in this problem. I know we are taking a much tougher stance towards having them on their person when the new school year begins.

However, there is another "school of thought" about how cell phones could be used in an educational setting. I was first introduced to this idea at the ICE conference I attended last January in Indianapolis. They were talking about using phones as a way to get students more involved in learning. As one instructor said, "Let's teach them with the tools they are familiar with and most comfortable with." Many of our teachers find the new technology a bit overwhelming, so instead of jumping in and learning with (and from) the students, they tend to not use it at all. I think we have to be willing to learn things that take us out of our comfort zones. While working on my assignments for the class I am taking on Web 2.0 tools, I came across an article by Marc Prensky about using cell (mobile) phones in learning. The article was called "Mobile Phone Imagination--using devices kids love for their education." In this article he lists many different ideas about how phones could be used in an educational way. This article was published in 2005 and many of the "what ifs" are now standard parts of most new phones. He suggests that phones be used to help kids learn science using GPS systems in many of today's mobile phones, and maybe even using their cell phone cameras to take pictures that can then be used in a science or math classroom.

Although I understand and even sympathize with administrators, I have to think that maybe Mr. Prensky is not way off the mark. Kids do not learn the way they did even 10-15 years ago. (maybe less than that) More and more of them are digital and visual learners, and we need to begin to think about new ways to reach those students. That doesn't mean that I think that we should throw out everything we do now, but I do believe that teachers at all levels need to accept the fact that new technology is not going away, and if we don't educate ourselves about how to integrate it into our curriculum, we will find more and more students disengaged from learning. I will probably be blogging about a few more of Marc Prensky's articles because he has struck a cord with me.

A Weekend Road Trip

I had the opportunity to help chaperon a group of girls going to Cedar Point for an event called "Music in the Parks" last weekend. That was a new experience for me since I raised two boys, and have never spent a lot of time with a group of girls. I was ready for the new adventure and I certainly was not disappointed! There were only 8 girls, the choral director, and me. We traveled in what our school calls a "short" bus for six hours. The choral director graduated from Port Clinton, Ohio which is where the competition was, so on Friday she acted as tour guide for us. Although the weather was a little chilly, we boarded a ferry to take us to Put-in-Bay, Ohio. We walked all over the island and even took a tour of a cave where it is said that Commodore Perry and some of his men were able to get fresh water and hide out during the War of 1812.

Saturday started with the singing competition, and as soon as they were finished singing, we all headed for Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. It bills itself as the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" and for good reason. There are 17 different coasters, but I only had the chance to experience one: The Top Thrill Dragster!!! One of the girls finally talked me into waiting with her to ride it. This ride takes you from 0 to 120 in only 4 seconds, and then it heads straight up to the heavens 420 feet in the air, before you plunge back to earth on the other side. What a rush! I wasn't sure I would survive that ride, but I did and think I might have to go back to do it again.

Spending time with a group of teen age girls was really a lot of fun. Of course, we had some of the "drama" that goes along with being a girl, but for the most part, everyone got along well, and enjoyed each other's company. Even though the girls placed second in the competition, they did a great job, and I was very proud to be a part of the group.

Starting a New Adventure!

Well, here I go on a new adventure! Learning how to use blogs in an educational setting. I am taking a graduate level course about new web tools and starting my own blog is one of the requirements, so here goes. I have already looked at several educational blogs and am impressed with the information I have seen, both from educators and from students. Since blogs are ways to share information, I think I will start by linking to a couple of blogs that I think have a lot to offer. One of these is Anne Davis. Her most recent posting is about giving students time to reflect on what they are learning. We feel the need to always push to get our students to pass the state test, and we sometimes forget that all of us need to have time to process what we are learning or have recently learned. Her most recent post is food for thought for all educators. She has many more posts, and I am looking forward to spending more time reading them.

I also found a site where 5th grade students are blogging on a regular basis. They are called the "Fifth Grade Web Writers." I have only had a chance to read a few of them, but these students are learning how to write to a much larger audience, and doing a good job.

I believe that I am going to enjoy my new adventure. Even though I am considered a "digital immigrant," I know that I will be learning many new things during this time, and hope that I will be successful in bringing other "immigrants" with me as I explore this new way of learning.