Surely we should be engaging our kids with the technologies that they use outside of school as opposed to “switching them off” at the school gate. Isn’t it better to teach our students the correct usage of the technology – cellphones, SMS, social networking – and the repercussions of mis-use (even if it isn’t immediately apparent – I can’t say I pity the drunken college photos posted online that will come back and haunt our kids later in life!).

We, as educators, need to ensure that kids are using technologies to their full capacities within the education sphere. We want our kids to have authentic, engaging learning experiences…..let them use what they are comfortable with and what makes their learning easier- I wouldn’t force my 90 year old Grandma to wash her laundry by hand if she has a washing machine, why would I force my kids to always use a book, pen and paper if they can create in another medium…

I think the real problem is the inappropriate use. Not the devices. It seems that we need to help students define what is and isn’t appropriate.

Using the device to collect data for an analysis project at an approved time is good. You now have skills that could put you ahead in late 20th Century.

Using the device to get and give the answers to the test is evil. We call this cheating. Expect to suffer.

These devices can be huge motivators. I have a short unit of computer music composition in one of my courses. Getting the music off the computers to share with others was a problem until one of my students suggested using iPods and phones. These are banned devices in my school. NOT to be seen out of lockers during school hours or you will be turned over to the dean. I had a conversation with the dean and got approval for their use in my class only.

All of a sudden the quality of work and the discussion of student projects improved. Easily moved and studied projects were something to take pride in. “I want to have something I want to put on my iPod and show off” is the sound of a motivated student and something I have heard said. I think that teachers would call that an authentic project.

We allow cell phones before and after school, during passing periods and lunch. We allow phones in classrooms ONLY if used for learning purposes to be monitored by the classroom teacher.

We do not punish the technology at Benton, we correct the inappropriate behavior of the student. We follow a pattern of correction which includes:
- a warning from the teacher,
- collection of the misused tool (which can be a cell phone, iPod, paper note, paper clip, etc)following the warning, and finally
- confiscation of the misused tool with a student referral for misconduct.

If the tool is a cell phone, iPod or other tech tool, it results in the parent having to retrieve the tool from the principal after the second confiscation. We feel we are teaching the students (and often the parents) of appropriate use of a cell phone through this process.

We also started/grew this approach through a group of teachers meeting to determine a better way to teach instead of deny. We do live in the 21st century, eh?

At ALL other times the cell phone will be turned off and in the student’s backpacks. This is an experimental policy, which we will follow for 6 months. After 6 months we will reassess the effectiveness of this policy as it relates to our learning environment.

How did we get here? We started with a group of about 40 teachers (large number for voluntary group) who wanted to participate in the decision making process. I will not take the time to discuss the whole procedure but it was fascinating from my point of view (tech director). Many were adamantly opposed to any kind of permissive use. Every person had a chance to discuss his or her point of view. The sentiment changed almost 100% from our first meeting to our last.

link trading project: http://vimeo.com/3513666

Here is a compiled list of cell phone policies from private schools around the country. What is interesting is the range of consequences and rules. Looks like everyone has a different take.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pXA5Sk606oPICUuLoE_QjQA

We immigrants have to be willing to learn from the natives!

Sometimes technologies (term loosely defined) come along that force us to change the way we do things in order to make room for or adjust to the conditions that are created by that new technology. In a battle between technology and the ban of technology, history shows, technology always wins. When teachers say things like, “Cell phones have no place in the classroom,” what they really mean is, “Cell phones have no place in the classroom that has not found a productive way to integrate them.” Tools like cell phones and iPods require us to reconsider what teaching and learning is, what it looks like, how it is administered, etc.

I have worked for quite a few different school districts since the proliferation of cell phone technology. One thing that always irks me is when a teacher finds a good use for cell phones, or any other perceived disruptive technology, I often hear a cry from that teacher’s colleagues stating something like, “We need to have an absolute zero tolerance policy toward this because if students in Mr. A’s class can use cell phones they will want to use them in Mr. B’s class too.” I have heard this scenario played out at least 10 times in the past 9 years regarding cell phones, iPods, or other technologies. Such policies only come across to me as lazy and complacent. They tell me that teachers like Mr. B are not willing to put in the effort to figure out how to do what Mr. A is doing or don’t want to deal with the classroom management problem incurred by banning the technology themselves.

If you don’t want to integrate or use a particular technology that is perfectly OK. The Amish have been peacefully doing this for the entirety of their existence. What the Amish don’t do that schools that impose bans on certain technologies do is impose their ludite principles on others. The Amish don’t tell us that our use of electricity is harmful to them. Why should schools take this stance with cell phones?