Getting Started with Using Cell Phones in Class

The hardest part (for adults) of using cell phones for instruction is getting started. So here are some tips:

1. Generate excitement. Survey your students to see who has a phone, what type they have and to get an idea of their plans (lots of students don't know what their plans are).

2. Spend a good amount of time discussing digital safety and digital footprints. Have the class come up with an acceptable use policy. The policy should be signed by the student, the teacher and a parent.

3. Do simple activities first. Try using the calculator in math, stopwatch or the calendar function (as an agenda/organizer).

4. Consider access. Create activities that involve students working in groups of two or three. Doing so minimizes creating the "haves and have nots."

5. If you are not comfortable having students using cell phones in the classroom, have students use them outside of class--in conjunction with homework assignments.

What are you waiting for?