It is and can be a useful teaching tool which can be used by students for constructively communicating with each other and with teachers. Through texting, tweeting, bbm messaging, whatsApp messages, voice messaging and sending emails the teacher can send reminders, ask and answer questions and send responses to students using the cell phone. The speed and convenience of this method is welcomed by most students and aids in the teaching and learning process. Students can also engage in using the cellphone to carry out research on a topic as they access immediate information from the www.
In schools in Antigua ans Barbuda, cellphones are not allowed in the classroom. They must not be seen and not heard and there is ongoing debate about its use in the classroom.
However since I am aware of the value of cellphone use in the classroom, i have been bending the rule by allowing students to use their cellphones in my class. To do this I had to establish a set of rules which are
1. the cellphone MUST be used in the Art room and the Art room only when given permission by the teacher.
2. It MUST be used for research purposes only, researching only the topic being studied in the class at that time.
3. The teacher reserves the right to ask any student to see their cellphone screen while using them in the Artroom
4. If any student is caught breaking Rule #2 above, s/he will be asked to put away the phone and be punished.
This has been working effectively in my classroom. In addition I allow fifth form students to send me images of their work in progress using whatsApp message platform so that I can critique their work while they are working on it at home.
The bottom line is that clear cut rules and regulations must be put in place and the teacher must engage the students in positive use of the devices so that they can see just how powerful a learning tool it is and how to use it positively.
Below is an image of students in my class using the cellphone as a research tool during an exercise.
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