After waiting and hoping someone would respond to my request of using cell phones in the classroom; I made a phone call to a former colleague of mind asking her help on cell phone use in the classroom. Kirstin worked for my school district as a Resource Teacher Coordinator of the Office of Newark instructional technology. Kirstin was assigned to different schools in Newark and her job was to support the technology teachers and help classroom teachers incorporate technology in their lesson plans. One of her job assignments was getting schools to use cell phones in the classroom.
Kirstin did a workshop teaching the technology teachers on how to use cell phones in the classroom and as a result they would turnkey the information to the administrators and teachers. She introduced a web 2.0 tools called poll everywhere. Students would use their cell phones as an assessment tool. They can answer the multiple choice questions and open ended questions by texting their answers. Kirstin said, “The response would be answered instantly and the results would be on the website”. If a student did not have a cell phone the student can go on the website and answer the questions with the same results. In addition, this project was demonstrated to the teachers.
According to the Pupil Safety Policy, students are allowed to carry cell phones but under certain conditions. As long as it is used for safety methods , concealed (this is written in black bold letters), and in a carry bag with cell phone turned off at all times during school day on school premises or at school functions. The district of Newark is very adamant about their policy.
Parents are responsible to this policy too. They must sign a parent guardian user agreement and acknowledge that the district assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage to the cell phones. I asked Kirstin, what she thinks the parents would say if students can work with their cell phones. Kirstin mentioned with the web 2.0 toll poll everywhere parents can go online and look at the students’ data. They will get a chance to see how the cell phone operates in full force and be able to give feedback.
As for a technology problem there was none that existed. However, the biggest challenge that was presented was the use of the cell phone and breaking the pupil safety policy. If their policy was broken the students’ cell phone would be confiscated and their rights for having a cell phone would be suspended or revoked. With that in mind the project of using cell phones in the classroom was not embraced by the district of Newark.
Works Cited
Instant Audience Feedback. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2011, from Poll Everywhere: http://www.polleverywhere.com/
Newark Public School Policy. (2008, August 19). Retrieved August 6, 2011, from Pupil Safety: http://www.nps.k12.nj.us/228610716915890/lib/228610716915890/_files/pupil_safety.pdf
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