Working in a K-4 school, I hadn’t given much thought to the use of cell phones in education. The staff in my district waited a long time just to get BYOD for our own use. Among the 10 and under crowd, usually having a cell phone means having a cast off one for playing games rather than a cell phone with a working calling plan. As for policy, our elementary school policy “discourages” students from bringing cell phones and other electronics to school.
With all debate centered around whether cell phones should be allowed in high schools, I was expecting to find amazing works being done with them among ‘pro cell phone’ camp. I was surprised to find they are being used in much the same way as my students use iPads – Kahoot, QR codes, visual demonstration of learning.
With all debate centered around whether cell phones should be allowed in high schools, I was expecting to find amazing works being done with them among ‘pro cell phone’ camp. I was surprised to find they are being used in much the same way as my students use iPads – Kahoot, QR codes, visual demonstration of learning.
It was a little more difficult to find someone actually using (or planning to use) student cell phones in a project-oriented manner. Enter Jason Heiser, a high school social studies teacher. First, he introduced me to XIM, a photo-sharing application with some interesting features. The idea behind XIM is that photos can be shared instantly to multiple devices. All users see the photos and can swipe, zoom and add comments. One real selling point for educational use is that only one person needs to have the app. Others are invited through a contact list, email or phone number. And the slideshow, or XIM, disappears after an hour.
Jason is planning to use XIM via students’ cell phones for a propaganda project. Rather than put posters on the board where it is difficult to see them, students will have the poster right in front of them. With XIM’s ability to zoom students will be able to see symbols and nuances they might otherwise have missed. Students will then analyze the propaganda posters using the SCAM method (symbols, captions, activities, message). Students without a cell phone can use a laptop to participate. What an engaging lesson for students – all students have a front row seat and the opportunity to get a close up look at the works being studied!
Jason is planning to use XIM via students’ cell phones for a propaganda project. Rather than put posters on the board where it is difficult to see them, students will have the poster right in front of them. With XIM’s ability to zoom students will be able to see symbols and nuances they might otherwise have missed. Students will then analyze the propaganda posters using the SCAM method (symbols, captions, activities, message). Students without a cell phone can use a laptop to participate. What an engaging lesson for students – all students have a front row seat and the opportunity to get a close up look at the works being studied!
The cell phone policy at Jason’s school is interesting – although maybe that is in contrast to my very restricted district. In his district, parents receive a form and list of apps that could be used but they only return the form if they wish to opt out. As I thought about it, what initially appears as a passive acceptance system actually places the responsibility on the learner. I like that – rather than worrying about covering ourselves should problems arise we assume that the students and parents will take their responsibility seriously, actually read and discuss the paperwork that comes home and take any appropriate action.
Thanks to all of you who shared great ideas for working with cell phones in the classroom. I’ve certainly learned a lot – and can’t wait try XIM with my students.
Thanks to all of you who shared great ideas for working with cell phones in the classroom. I’ve certainly learned a lot – and can’t wait try XIM with my students.