Mobile Technology Goes to School

Bafile, C. (2009). Education World. Mobile Technology Goes to School. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech248.shtml

Matt Cook is a 5th grade teacher at Trinity Meadows Intermediate School in Keller Texas. He noticed that a lot of kids were using their phones in school. Instead of figuring out ways to keep the phones out of school he figured out a way to use them in school. He had to write to many different companies to try to support this program. Verizon Wireless supports the service, HTC donates the phones, and Microsoft Mobile helps with the software issues.

How does using cell phones in school help the students? They complete many different assignments from home and e-mail them to Mr. Cook. Also the kids can e-mail him questions from home if they have questions about the homework. In school he encourages the students to take pictures of their scientific discoveries in the lab. They can also make PowerPoint's from school, sketch pictures with a new application.

How does he make sure that his students are doing the work and not texting or goofing off? The phones are not voice or text enabled. This way they are only to be used educationally.

I think this is a great thing. Students are able to communicate so much more with their teacher. In high school, you could e-mail a question to the teacher and hope they reply to you before the next class period. This way there is a guarantee that the teacher will reply to you because phones are so small and you can carry them with you whever you go. I think phones in the classroom are a good thing because it makes teacher/student relationships stronger but in a safe and healthy way.