Mobiles in the Classroom Interview

For this assignment regarding mobiles in the classroom, I decided to interview a High School Technology Teacher.  As I was discussing Unit 4, he expressed concern that phones are often excluded because of procedural/distraction issues.  “There is no way to regulate their usage.”  He stated that mobile feedback units are a great alternative if cell phones are not permitted in the classroom.  See:  http://smarttech.com/response.  When it came to parental feedback, when he did use the response system in the classroom, he stated that the parents were “nonresponsive…to most anything.”  He was teaching in a low socio-economic school.  Cell phones were “taboo.”  If they came out, they were confiscated. 

When asked the pros of mobile device usage in the classroom, he proclaimed, “instant feedback, on the spot grading, and confidentiality for students.”  There is “adaptability into other activities/custom classroom tech initiatives based on the tech skill level of the teacher.”   The challenges he faced included “cost, implementation skills, and student acceptance.  If you are using phones, you must address regulation of approved apps/uses vs. distractors.” 

At his current school, which is online, he mentioned that he tried Twitter, but “it was too new, and they didn’t have the API out then, so it was a no-go.”  He added that you could do a discussion board type of activity with Twitter and hashtags, and “aggregate it all live in the class on your projector if you want.”

He concluded our interview by saying that he “loved the response system because it provided all of the pros to using phones/social media/text without the perils faced in a classroom.”  After further researching the response systems, I believe that the various devices would be beneficial in the classroom.  These devices would be available to all students… same brand, same features.  It could also be a stepping stone to utilizing cell phones in the classroom.  Of course, cost would have to be addressed, but these devices could be shared among teachers.  As far as parental feedback, I think parents would be accepting of these devices and their implementation in the classroom.  In addition, school policy must be followed whether it allows cell phone usage or bans it.  If they are permitted, students should be educated on proper usage, just as with the response system devices.  If cell phones are not permitted in the classroom, these response systems and other Web 2.0 tools would be wonderful learning tools in an educational setting.