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Cell Phones in the Classroom.

Every since I was in high school it has been a huge debate as to whether or not cell phones should be allowed in classrooms. It was all to often that someones phone would go off with some crazy ringtone, the teacher would get mad, the cell phone would get taken away, and the parents would come up to the school throwing a fit because it isn't the administrations right to take away the phone. This was pretty much a daily event at my school.  Even today in college there is always that one person in class with their phone on vibrate and you hear it go off every five minutes. Yes, this can be annoying but is it a question of the students being irresponsible or the teachers not taking full advantage or the technology in front of them?

The way technology is moving one can assume that the longer we wait the more uses for cell phones in the class room will pop up. Currently I have heard of teachers using cell phones to take polls and also have heard of teachers allowing students to look up information on their phone when a computer isn't present, but I am not completely convinced that that is all cell phones are good for. There has to be more ways.

Below are a few articles that list the pros and cons to cell phone use in school.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5393195_pros-cons-cell-phones-schools.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cell-phones-in-school-pros-and-cons.html

Also below is a video of a teacher looking for ways to use cell phones in the classroom. Some of the things he brings up is having students send him their assignments attached in a text message and also using them for testing or a "life line."



I also found this next video interesting. It is discussing the cons of having cell phones in class and the issues one school in particular are facing but the question that came to my mind is "Is this really a con of students catching their teachers acting in unprofessional ways?"





Much like the debate of computers in the class room there is never really a black and white answer. Society has to make the choices they feel best and deal with the pros and cons of every choice. The way society is moving I think that it is easier for the schools to embrace technology and cell phones rather then try to keep it out of the classroom and the schools.

**Picture used with permission from pics4learning.com

Technology in the classroom: distraction or learning tool?

Many people have their own opinions as to weather or not technology should be used in the classroom. One argument is that technology such as laptops are distracting. Teachers think students will simply use it to goof around, play games, and visit Facebook. They think its a distraction and that the students aren't really listening to what the teacher is saying. Another say that technology helps with the educational environment because when the teachers know how to incorporate it into their lessons it can be beneficial to the students and can actually help students succeed.

Personally I can see both sides to this subject. Since I enjoy technology I do like the idea of having access to it where ever I go, and man would I have been happy if when walking into my first class at UNI I was handed a laptop, maybe an ipad, or even a Kindle. That would have saved me a lot of money! Then again I also wonder how distracting that would be in the classroom. Not only for the students but also for the teacher. We all know that one student who comes in with their headphones so loud we can hear word for word what song they are listening too. Thats awkward enough. Imagine giving a lecture and all the students eyes are concentrating on one persons computer screen because the game the individual is playing is more exciting than what you have to say!

Either way there are a lot of different angles to look at this subject. Below are to articles that I would like you  to read. One is written by a teacher who banned lap top use from his college classroom. In this article he explains why he banned them and why he doesn't believe they are beneficial.


Con view of laptops in the classroom

The next article discusses how through technology and the use of lap tops a low income school was able to raise their students' performance and how it helped through out the school.

Pro View to laptops in the classroom

Lastly here is a video of a teacher discussing pros and cons of the 1:1 school, classroom management, and he has more videos on youtube for things such as how to in cooperate smart boards and the laptops into your classroom.



As you can see the argument as to why laptops should or should not be used in the classroom can go on forever, but in general technology is the way the world is going and at a very rapid rate. Since the students in todays world are more adapted to communicating through technology why not help them communicate more effectively in the way that they know best, technology. It's your call....



Image used with permission from pics4learning.com

Ipad's for every student!

   Obviously everyone has heard of the new ipad. There was much anticipation for its arrival and it is defiantly the hot new device for 2011, but I wondered how this device could be incorporated into the classroom. One of the big things I saw when researching this topic is a lot of Universities looking toward devices such as the ipad and nook to lighten the loads on students backs.
    We all know that textbooks are heavy, and we dread having books we need to bring to class. Through using these devices we could have all our books literally in the palm of our hand. Obviously due to the cost not all schools can afford to provide for all their students to be equipped with the latest technology but a few schools are actually finding ways to do this.

Still not convinced? Check out this Youtube video of all the things an ipad is capable of related to class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFnWoEGWCVY&feature=related

Smart Boards in the Classroom (Blog 1 of 4)

First, please take a look at this video.




I found this video very interesting because smart boards are becoming more and more relevant in todays educational setting. In one of my class rooms in Schindler we have a smart board and the teacher struggles greatly with using it correctly. I love the idea of having smart boards in classrooms. As suggested in the video smart boards really get kids to interact and be excited to participate in the class room. I like the idea of being able to constantly have a visual in front of my students. The idea of smart boards is also incorporated into my thematic unit. In this video you see the teacher showing the students the continents and having them come up to the board and label them. In my thematic unit I stated that I would use the smart board in order to show the students the location of the oceans. I would also practice labeling them in a similar manner. The way the educational system is heading I would hope to see smart boards in every class room very soon. It will also benefit students who are visual learners or hands on learner because they will always have something to interact with in the learning process.

Think about this:  All students can learn with SMART boards!

"A SMARTBoard helps students with autism, for example, improve communication skills through group collaboration."

"For students with physical disabilities, the SMARTBoard’s touch-sensitive surface gives all students the opportunity to participate in learning."

The quotes listed above are from someone else's blog. Follow the link below to learn more.  

http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/55013.aspx

Beginning

So I have to create a blog for a class I am taking. We are suppose to blog four times about issues related to education and technology. For each post we are required to embed videos, add images, site images and all that jazz. I've always wanted to have a blog but never really knew how to get started or what to really talk about so I suppose this is a good kick in the butt to start me off. Hope I don't bore anyone that decides to follow me to terribly bad, and maybe when I am done with this class I will continue to find interesting things to blog about.