Using Cell Phones in the Classroom

© Hill Street Studios/Blend Images/Corbis

According to an April 2010 study by the Pew Research  Center:

“Cell-phone texting has become the preferred channel of basic communication between teens and their friends, with cell calling a close second. Some 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones, up from 45% in 2004. Those phones have become indispensable tools in teen communication patterns. Fully 72% of all teens -- or 88% of teen cell phone users -- are text-messagers. That is a sharp rise from the 51% of teens who were texters in 2006. More than half of teens (54%) are daily texters.”

The chart below shows the frequency of use of texting in teens compared to other forms of communication.  This study was from 2010 – just imagine what the stats and numbers would look like today!

Blogging with Elementary School Students

Students in Jon Schwartz's Classroom, Blogging and Learning!

When I first started delving into various articles about incorporating blogging into the classroom, I must admit, I was a bit skeptical.  Of course I can see why blogging would be useful to some students at some grade levels, especially in middle/high school.  But, I was unsure if blogging was really a suitable medium for elementary school students, especially for first graders, which is what I am currently teaching.  However, I was very pleased and intrigued to discover that utilizing blogging as a learning tool can be very beneficial and rewarding for young students!

Convenience vs. What's Best

Doing what is best for students or what is most convenient?
Being a first year teacher, I am realizing just how much work goes into teaching! Working 10 hour days, and spending my weekends planning for the upcoming week, are pretty much what my life consists of. Dr. McLeod asks if teachers are doing what is best for students, or what is most convenient for them? He stresses the importance of incorporating technology into the classroom, as technology is proving to become one of the most influential aspects of our future.