Group+9

Better ways to use cell phones in classroom Add your thoughts to this wiki, reflecting on mobile phones in education .You are welcome to put on and take off a new colour hat as your reflect on different issues and perspectives!

De Bono's Hats
If you are unfamiliar with de Bono's six thinking hats, [|visit][|Volunteering Australia] for a reso urce on the topic. Then edit the table provided as scaffolding, add your ideas, opinions, and where possible your research. How will a collation of diverse perspectives from 19 different people inform your thinking? How could you use this in your classroom?


 * ==Colour Hat== || ==Names of students adding ideas== || ==The colour perspective== || ==Your ideas, research, perspectives and arguments== ||
 * [[image:black.jpg width="126" height="122"]] || Robyn Legaspi

Billie-Jean RYALS

Kobi Jeffery

Caitlyn Patman

Charlie Hopwood

Maree Espinos

Katie Martin || //**Judgement:**// What is wrong with this? Why will this not work? Is this safe? Can this be done? || Distraction is very common with mobile phone usage in classrooms. Students are exposed to texting, games, social media and the internet.According to a UK study, in schools where phones were banned, test scores of students aged 16 increased by 6.4%.(Beland and Murphy, 2015)

Not every student in a classroom is guaranteed to own a mobile phone and this can cause social issues between students. They tend to cause behavioural issues in students who do not have the skills to refrain from playing or misusing their mobile phone in a classroom setting. The link below is about teachers not prepared for the management of using mobile phones in the school classroom and a country wide ban on pupil use of mobile phones. [|Mobile phones in schools - blame parents]

If students phones are used all kind of problems could occur. Distraction, set up problems, property issues, security issues, cheating, feelings of inadequacy of not having the latest phone, pressure on parents to buy their children a phone to name a few. A class set of iPads can do the same job and lessen the difficulties.

Mobile phones can be a distraction in class if connected to social media and used as a modern-day form of 'passing notes' via text/facebook/snapchat etc. They may also provide a means of school bullying if not monitored. (Keeping in mind these are two issues that exist without mobile phones so there's the chance they could be controlled). If the phone is used as another tool and accepted in the classroom then the novelty could wear off, just like schools that use laptops and iPads regularly. Students should be pre-educated on phone-safety, social media and cyber bullying and what behaviour is expected of them.

Students having mobile phones in the classroom is a horrible idea because of cyberbullying and distraction. Students don’t necessarily know who the bully is when it comes to cyberbullying. The cyberbully can take pictures of the target when they are not suspecting. Phones are also a distraction as students are able to play games, talk to others around the class and not listen to the teacher. It would make it easier to skip school as they can just ring a person with a car to meet up with them.

The use of mobile phones in the classroom can cause a wide variety of issues. Students would not only become distracted and off-task, but instances of bullying through social media could rise and occur within class time, students may not all a phone or may not have the newest model which could lead to teasing. The teacher would also have to deal with issues such as theft and lost property. All of the above would take away from valuable teaching and learning time.

The idea of having students use mobile phones in the classroom creates a negative reaction from me. There are multiple other versions of ICT available that will allow students the same usages, without the distraction of social media. The availability of mobile phones in the classroom also affects the safety of students, by opening the door for cyber-bullying, inappropriate photography or recordings or even just distracting the student, who is more engaged in their phone, than they are in the task at hand. Whilst the addition of mobile phones to classrooms could be done, it does not mean that it should. ||
 * [[image:debonoshats/blue.jpg width="140" height="128"]] || Robyn Legaspi

Billie-Jean RYALS

Kobi Jeffery

Caitlyn Patman

Charlie Hopwood

Maree Espinos

Katie Martin || //**The Process:**// Where are we now? What is the next step ? Where have we been? What sort of thinking is needed? || According to Ben Johnson (2015), http://www.edutopia.org/blog/how-manage-cell-phones-classroom-ben-johnson, phones in schools are inevitable, students will bring them into the classroom regardless of policy and is it worth the hassle. Educators need to design a Mobile phone classroom policy ensuring that students comprehend the educational purpose of the technology in the classroom. Then the problem of monitoring usage comes in and consequences for misuse of the technology.

It is fair to say that most students own or have access to mobile phones or smart phone technology this current day. They are able to navigate the tool from very young ages if their parents own or use one. Ten to fifteen years ago not all adults owned a mobile phone and smart phones were not readily available. In the present day, adults and youth own and use mobile/smart phone.

Mobile phone usage appears to be the norm and children obtaining them younger and younger. Policies regarding the use and misuse and clear consequences need to be adhered to in schools.

We are in the 21st century where many children have or have access to mobile phones as a means of communication. iPads are already being integrated into classrooms so it's not silly to think phones could be too. It does need to be considered that there are numerous types of mobile phones so it would be beneficial to supply the phones as tools rather than expect students to all buy/own the required type that suits the needs of the classroom. If this is the case, then iPads may be more appropriate as they can stay in the classroom. There's not much point in using phones only to leave them in the classroom. Any app a phone has can usually be used on an iPad anyway.

Currently phones are banned or strictly controlled in schools. Everyone has them in their pockets anyway, so it would be worthwhile to utilise them.

In the 21st Century most children have access to a wide variety of technology, many children even own their own phones. Although phones are currently not utilised within schools and are in fact quite often against the school rules, the use of technology such as tablets (very similar to phones) within classrooms is becoming extremely common. If students all have access to mobile phones nowadays, maybe schools should start to consider allowing the use of them in the classroom.

Like every resource used within the classroom, there needs to be boundaries set and adhered to. There needs to be consequences for the misuse or abuse of any resource, including mobile phones. In the traditional classroom, the use of ICT's was not well known, the internet barely existed. In the modern classroom we have policies and procedures in place to protect the students and the use of ICT's such as mobile phones. Many students (especially the older children) have mobile phones, whether it be for safety, communication or social reasons, the mobile phone is commonly and confidently used. ||
 * [[image:green.jpg width="147" height="121"]] || Robyn Legaspi

Billie-Jean RYALS

Kobi Jeffery

Caitlyn Patman

Charlie Hopwood

Maree Espinos

Katie Martin || //**Creativity:**// What new ideas are possible with this? What is my suggestion for success? Can I create something new? || With most students having access to mobile phone (or smart phone technology), such as iphones, ipads and ipods there are many educational apps available for classroom usage. Along with educational apps are organisational apps which can help students and parents keep track of homework. Blogs, wikis, and templates can be used by all ages in the technology generation. http://www.nea.org/tools/5627

The use of mobile phones can allow students the ability to access information more readily, also the students from low socio economic backgrounds are more able to use their mobile/smart phones to access needed resources such as scientific calculator, timer, camera etc.

Suggestions to Make mobile phones work in the classroom * Make mobile phones visible [|Betters ways to use cell phones in classroom]
 * use mobile phones to assign work to students
 * use mobile phones to gauge students understanding of a concept
 * use mobile phones to capture notes to be studied later
 * use mobile phones to record podcasts

I’ve seen apps used on iPads to for children to draw their understanding of the lifecycle of a butterfly, and record their response; activities like this could take place and promote creativity. Personal avatars and design tools are also a possibility.

Mobile phone provide extremely 'mobile' learning. They can be brought easily on excursions or in between classes and taken home. They also provide countless apps that can be utilised in the classroom. They can be used to create new effective teaching programs.

Students with anxiety, or are who just shy, could text the teacher questions. Students who are slow writers could take pictures of the board. They can also take picture for observations in science and excursions.

Using mobile phones would allow for many lessons to occur with more ease. Students would have quick access to various learning apps, cameras to take photos as required, calculators, stopwatches, timers and many more features. Students would also be able to ask the teacher questions without putting their hand up or interrupting other students.

The use of mobile phones in the classroom could eliminate the need for multiple other resources such as; calculators, note pads, cameras, video cameras, voice recorders, stopwatches... the list is only restricted to the life of the battery of the phone :) The mobile phone could be used successfully if all students would understand and respect the guidelines of use, this of course, would be difficult to monitor with a class of 20 or more students. If there was a way to link each mobile phone with the IWB to accept and display individuals answers I would be interested to utilise it in my classroom. ||
 * [[image:debonoshats/red.jpg width="116" height="133"]] || Robyn Legaspi

Billie-Jean RYALS

Kobi Jeffery

Caitlyn Patman

Charlie Hopwood

Maree Espinos

Katie Martin || //**Feelings:**// How do I feel about this? What do I like about the idea? What don't I like about the idea? || I am excited about the idea of mobile apps in classrooms, there are so many uses for this type of technology to engage students further and cater to many different learning styles. One thing I feel may be a problem is the development of fine motor skills in the early childhood years. many children are already coming to educational settings with underdeveloped fine motor skills.

I think mobile phones would be a great resource/tool to use in classrooms. I also think that it is just another resource that we have to teach students to use in a safe appropriate manner in the classroom just like using a Bunsen burner. I do not think it is an easy task especially thinking about a secondary school setting but if they were introduced earlier in the primary setting, then perhaps they move into the secondary setting with responsibility and respect for the use of mobile/smart phones in the learning setting.

I don’t think there is a place for mobile phone use within the classroom unless it is a class set and set up for specific outcomes, applications or pedagogy. Class sets of iPads, iPods or laptops would suffice.

I don't oppose the use of mobile phones, but I also don't see a huge use for them when resources like the iPad and tablets exist. They have clearer screens and larger memory. Unless there are specific learning outcomes that require a phone I would probably use other tools.

If phones were brought in as an educational tool, not everyone would be equal, as not everyone can afford or would buy the same phone. If used correctly, phones in school can help people with their education.

<span style="color: #ad84c6; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I am not against the use of mobile phones within the classroom, especially to be used for their timer functions etc., however I do believe that the use of technology such as a set of class iPads would be much more effective in the classroom as these can be regulated and the teacher would have more control. Although technology has proved very useful in the classroom I feel that teachers should be careful not to let it take over from all written work, as writing is an important part of a student’s education.

I feel ambivalent towards to idea of mobile phones in the classroom. There are some great uses for mobile phones, but are they necessary in the classroom? Can we get the same usage from alternate resources that pose less of a distraction? I like the idea of each student having an ICT unit at they disposal all the time, having access to facts, academic material etc. One thing I don't like about the idea is that the mobile phone will erase the use of other concrete learning materials. ||
 * [[image:debonoshats/yellow.jpg width="117" height="128"]] || Robyn Legaspi

Billie-Jean RYALS

Kobi Jeffery

Caitlyn Patman

<span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Charlie Hopwood

<span style="color: #ad84c6; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Maree Espinos

Katie Martin || //**Benefits:**// What are the good points? Why can this be successful? Why is this a good thing? || Smartphone usage can be successful in classrooms and if devices come with messaging and calling capabilities deactivated students and teachers may utilise them to access the internet, schedule homework, sent e-mails to teachers and fellow students regarding assignments. Students can conduct fast websearches, create spreadsheets. Many available Apps to enhance teaching and note taking, Engaging disengaged students.http://lessonplanspage.com/using-smartphones-and-other-pdas-in-class-these-days-its-cool/

Here is a radio conversation on mobile phone in our classrooms ABC radio - Do mobile phones have a place in our classrooms

Possibly for pretend play in the home corner, or teaching such strategies as the child’s phone number or emergency numbers. Providing for different learning styles and special needs would also benefit.

Mobile phones could be beneficial with their accessibility outside of the classroom. Students can access online homework instructions and save progress of app/programs on the device. They could meet the needs of different learning styles.

<span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">If there is a fire the teacher can contact the student that has left the room to find if they are safe and tell them where the rest of the class is (this would also work in the case of a lockdown). If the student feels unsafe or threatened they can phone a teacher for help.

<span style="color: #ad84c6; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Mobile phones would be helpful in helping teachers to cater for different types of learners. The students who are slow to finish their work could use their phones to take a photo of the board and information for the activity so that they may complete it as homework. Phones would make learning easier to occur in various environments.

The benefits of the use of mobile phones in the classroom are endless :) The fact that your students have anything at their fingertips, instantaneously. Knowledge, communication, learning support, calendars even as a GPS tracking device. This is a good thing because it allows learners to think outside the box and broaden the accessibility of resources available to them. ||
 * [[image:white.jpg width="153" height="133"]] || Robyn Legaspi

Billie-Jean RYALS

Kobi Jeffery

Caitlyn Patman

<span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Charlie Hopwood

<span style="color: #ad84c6; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Maree Espinos

Katie Martin || //**Information**//: What information do I have? What are the facts? What information do I need? What do I want to KNOW? || I have access to educational websites and collaboration with other educators regarding mobile device usage in classrooms. Facts regarding the benefits and disadvantages of mobile phone usage in classrooms are varied however the fact is that technology is developing so rapidly that mobile device technology can no longer be avoided in classrooms. As an educator I need follow up professional development in this area by experts in the field. I want to know more about app usage and as an early childhood educator I want to know more about balancing use of technology with physical development.

I know how useful mobile phones can be in the classroom they are readily available multipurpose resources/tools for students and teachers to use in learning activities. However the facts are that not all students are guaranteed to own a mobile/smart phone, students need to have the skills and know the responsibility and respect for use of mobile phones in learning at school. There are some inventive and useful apps on mobile/smart phones that I would like to be able to gain knowledge and use in my classroom

Without any concrete facts or experience a lot of assumptions and variables are at play on this subject. I would like to know, whose phones will be used? What will they be used for? What access will the students have to them? Cellular/Wi-Fi? What ages will be using the smartphones?

It is fact that smartphones have many uses and open possibilities to new learning strategies and tools. It is also fact that students will need to be competent with mobile phones in the 21st century. The internet is also available to research articles/papers written on the subject of technology in the classroom. I would like to know if mobile phones are a stronger tool than those already in use in contemporary classrooms.

<span style="color: #f79646; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">A survey taken by Australian Bureau of Statistics in April 2009 showed that 31% of children aged between 5 and 14 had their own phone while 76% of children aged between 12 and 14 do.

<span style="color: #ad84c6; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Research has discovered that most children in today’s society have their own phone, and at the very least understand how to use their parent’s smartphone. The 21st century is based strongly on the use of technology therefore it is important that students are taught how to use it, and currently the use of technology is frequently mentioned throughout all learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. I would like to know how people plan on regulating the use of phones in the classroom. What will happen when a student doesn’t own their own phone? How will the teachers deal will the fact that so many different types of phones exist? Will the students be required to get a phone plan or pay for an extra data package so that they have enough cellular data to complete their tasks?

The information I have is limited only to the time I have to find it. With access to the internet, I have access to knowledge, but I also have access to policies and procedures. The facts are determined by their validity and also by the the way they are used, positively or negatively. I need to know how to maintain the safety of my learners whilst fostering an engaging and stimulating learning environment. I want to know, how will schools be able to afford one mobile phone per student if the students are unable to provide their own? ||