| Article: "School Bans Phones and is Praise by Thousands of Parents". This article has been making its way around my news feed, with some people praising this movement, and others saying that it's ineffective. I don't agree entirely with the "cell phone hotel" idea that's proposed in this article. Obviously during exams/tests, or during presentations, it could be effective. For example, in my PS2, during exams students had to leave their cell phones (turned off, not just on silent) at the front of the classroom on the whiteboard ledge. They weren't allowed to retrieve their phones, even if they finished their test early. However, with the exception of tests or similar activities, removing cell phones entirely in upper grades is just going to cause anxiety...of which I've experienced...
Cell Phone Social Experiment: Recently, I was part of what I'd call a "social experiment", if you will. Without giving away too much information about the context of this, I'll do my best to describe it. I was in a room with around 20 other people, all young adults, all of us without children at this point in our lives. First, the person holding the meeting asked the group to raise their hands if they had a piece of technology on them (phone, tablet, etc.). Everyone raised their hands. Next, this person came around with a basket and asked everyone to put their phone/tablet inside the basked. We did. Then, this person said: "I'll be right back!" and left for about 5 minutes.
Example: I had a student in PS2 that I taught during the last block of the day, and often worked right after school. He often needed to figure out his rides from a family member, and so after a few times of asking him to put his phone on the desk, we figured out a system: If he needed to text his mom or brother during class, if he had his notes completed and other students were still working, and he asked me, I let him text his mom. But, and this happened, if he didn't ask me and he texted, then he had to put his phone on my desk. For the most part, our agreement worked. I wouldn't implement 'text breaks' in the same way we're implementing 'brain breaks', but I found him to be more engaged throughout the lesson when he knew he'd have a minute to text his mother, then he wasn't texting under his desk throughout class. I'm not suggesting that'll work for every class or every student, but it worked in this instance. Taking Notes in Class: I chuckled when I saw this meme on the right. I didn't have this happen with notes in my PS2, but students would take pictures of the homework board (with reminders, upcoming assignments, etc.), and I encouraged them to do so. I think that if that will help to keep them on track with handing in work, all the more power to them! What approach will you take to MIDs? Will you ban MIDs and cell phones from your classroom or integrate them? (given the choice if not determined by the school) Continuing from what I wrote about above, I'd like to integrate.
How will you deal with issues when they arise? I will smash the cell phones...kidding! I think that I'd treat cell phones in the classroom as a privilege. If students follow the rules of the classroom (when they're allowed to use their phones, when they're not), then great! If not, they'd lose that privelege. I think putting the responsbility back onto the students would be the most effective. How can you develop a constructive learning environment that engages students in learning in a world with MIDs? As mentioned above - I'd treat it as a privilege. I'd have very clear expectations laid out, perhaps in the form of a list. If clear and fair expectations are presented, it'll be easy to enforce. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: I figured I should talk about this book considering this is, after all, a class about technology! I was introduced to this book in PS1 by Robin Bright, and fell in love immediately. It's a lovely picture book about a young man (who grows old throughout the story) and his love for reading. BUT - this picture book is unique! If you download the app on your phone or iPad, open the app, and hold your phone/iPad overtop of the book, the book will "come alive" on your screen! Somehow, the camera, through the app, recognizes the pages, and it becomes animated visually, but there is also sound and music. When Robin Bright showed our class, she connected it to the Smart Board, so we could see all see what was happening on her iPad. Our whole class, of adults, was 'oohing' and 'ahhing' the whole time!
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