Sign of the times…
Jan 24th, 2010 by Cathy Jo Nelson
A true interaction that I had with a student Friday:
Me: So, how are you liking your new classes this semester?
Student: They’re alright, I guess.
Me: Just alright? Why not great?
Student: 3 of my 4 classes are in locations in the building where my phone does not get a signal. So those classes are just alright.
Me: What about the other class–and I don’t need to remind you of the cell phone policy here at school, do I?
Student: My other class is PE, and well, I don’t have pockets in the school issued PE uniform, so having a signal on my phone isn’t, um, useful. And you know everybody does it. Geesh.
Oh that we could channel these phones properly. Kids are very savvy in their in class use. You know, if classes are so interesting that our kids want to be on their phones instead of participating in class, what does that say about the presentation of content. Hmmmm.
Bottom line: it’s both a classroom management and content issue. Kids will pass notes, talk to friends, doodle, whatever, if they’re not effectively engaged in learning. Staff members have the same problem in faculty meetings and Death by PowerPoint “professional development” sessions.
Hook them, draw them in, make them active partners, or lose them.
Oh don’t I agree! Our student newspaper is doing an article on texting, and they interviewed me for a faculty perspective. I think I shocked the young lady who conducted this interview. So now Im wondering if my brutally honest answers will make it into the paper. The faculty sponsor came to me a day or so later and said the newspaper staff could not stop talking about my interview. LOL. I simply said I stand by my opinion.
Cathy,
Now I think we’re all curious – can we read that interview when it comes out!?
Hello Cathy, thanks for the great post, and great blog!
I’ve been in similar conversations, and I believe my philosophy is the same as yours. We opened a new school 2 years ago, and one of the policies the staff developed was a no cell phone policy. After two years of mixed success (effective monitoring in some rooms/areas, not so effective in others) some staff asked if they could try to incorporate mobile technologies. It was very interesting to see the results.
By addressing the same problem from a different perspective, and turning the technology to their advantage, these teachers did more than just address the inappropriate use of mobile phones. They taught acceptable use, they taught tech etiquette, they addressed learning goals (ex. use of polleverywhere.com for instant response), and more.
In this instance, I believe we need to engage our students and their parents in conversation. I expect most parents don’t see the issue the same way we do, and by focusing on the mobile as a tool, we really might be able to disrupt some existing practices!
Cheers
@acmcdonaldgp
Pam when it comes out and if they used my comments, I’ll be sure to share. Come to think of it I’m not sure they publish an e-version of the paper. But I will ask.
I agree that presentation of material leads to greater student engagement, but when will they learn that everything they do in life isn’t going to be exciting and fun or that they can’t break the rules just when they feel like it? When will the accountability be shared by the teacher, student AND parent? They will not be able to function at their workplace if they are constantly on their phones. My philosophy is to prepare them for real life; real life isn’t always convenient. I don’t use my phone while I’m teaching and I expect them not to use theirs while they are supposed to be learning. I guess I’m just “old school”.
To this all I can say is if we are to get them interested in their learning, we must try to meet them where they are at. The engagement I refer to has to do with giving students a real life activity, something where they have choice, some freedom from fear of failure, authentic audiences for their work (besides the teacher and sometimes the parent), novelty and variety, value in their product focus, and all the other design qualities (see the page I did several years ago on Engaged Learners). If all the lesson plans for the class are traditional, I expect students to tune them out and instead tune in the text messages on that phone, whether or not it is against the rules. Even good kids will do it. Texting is the 21st Century way of passing notes. I certainly hope all the lesson plans are more than just traditional. A quiet class with the traditional teacher in the front does not necessarily mean the kids are learning. And it also begs the question, are they just ritualistically compliant out of fear?
Should we not have to put our phones up in faculty meetings, public events, or even work related things we do. I recently sat on the back row of a principals meeting and lots of folks had their blackberrys out conducting business (I suppose it was business). Phones are not going away and they are quiet powerful learning tools. When will the appropriate time we learn how to use them in the classroom? And teach the students how to use them as learning tools?
I completely agree with this. I think our current cell phone policy is outdated because the kids have one, even if it’s out of sight, and most use it in class without our knowledge. I think the key to handling this issue is finding a way to “channel” that cell phone usage into something beneficial in the classroom. This may also make class more interesting so that kids aren’t as tempted to text during class to another student in another class about how bored they are.