The Ten Building Blocks for Learning with Cell Phones . (2)

6) Partnering with Students to Use Cells for LearningWhen using technology for learning, Marc Prensky’s concept of partnering with students fits in well. Bring students into the conversation and ask them about ways they can meet learning goals in life, at school, and at home.

A template might look like this:

Use Cell Phones for Real Life	Use Cell Phones for Learning Outside of School	Use Cell Phones In For Learning In Class

• Sample from class whose student’s partnered with their teacher to develop ways they could use their phones for learning.

• Student ideas for using cells for learning.

Invite your students to partner with you around a conversation of cell phones and learning. Capture their answers, then share these answers to see if there are any other ideas students may want to add. The ideas can be posted on the classroom website, blog, or wiki, with credit given to the students who are able to take more ownership of how they learn both at school and independently on their own.



7) Parent/Guardian PermissionBefore we use cells with students, we must have parent approval. By the time you ask for it, you’ve hopefully already begun some home school connection strategies with cell phones so you are on your way.

• Here are sample parental permission to use cell phones.
• Permission Slip
• Parent Cell Phone Letter
• Parent Technology Permission Form
• Tahoma School District Electronic Resources User Agreement and Parent Permission Form
• Parent Permission Form - Delta Schools, Colorado

8) Acceptable useJust like any other classroom tool, teachers need to work with students to establish acceptable use policies. In some classrooms the teacher just explains how the general policies apply to the use of cell phones, in others they create a new policy, in some schools the students help create the policies, and in some classrooms they invite parental input as well. Collecting everyone’s thoughts on acceptable use is easy when you use cell phone tools like Poll Everywhere and Wiffiti to do so.

• Here are some sample policies
• 8th grade students brainstorming cell phone rules on Wallwisher (http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/cellphones)
• St. Marys City Schools Acceptance Use Policy
• AHS Personal Wireless Devices - Personally owned devices use policy Littleton Public Schools in Centennial, Colorado General generic simple cell phone policy from FunnyMonkey
• Department of Education, Melbourne, Victoria’s New Primary School Internet and Mobile Acceptable Use Kit
• Department of Education, Melbourne, Victoria’s New Secondary Internet and Mobile Acceptable Use Kit
• Nova Scotia Cell Phone Policy
• Further reading
• Crafting a Workable Cell Phone Policy, Education World, Feb 22, 2005
• Cell Phone Dos and Don'ts | Scholastic.com
• Ways to handle cell phones and other devices in your classroom
• Cell phone etiquette for kids - Tips and Advice for Parents and Families

 

9) Cell Phone Etiquette
Adults often complain that cell phones are a distraction in class, but how much time have they really devoted to discussing proper etiquette? This can be woven into a general discussion around behavior and etiquette in different situations. Inviting students into the conversation about appropriate etiquette and what to say to those not exhibiting polite behavior usually works better than telling students how to best behave.


10) Classroom Management
As with the use of any technology in the classroom, when using cell phones in the classroom you must have classroom management procedures in place. The nice thing, however, about cell phones is that you don’t have to worry about distribution, collection, storage, imaging , and charging of devices. Consider working with your students to develop this plan, you may find that they build a strong, comprehensive policy of which they will take ownership and be more likely to follow. Once developed, the plan should be posted in advance of using cell phones in the classroom.