-by Dana LawitLisa Nielsen (creator of this blog) is a champion of utilizing cell phones for education. Whether using cell phones in school as a class response system or for at home for homework help, the cell phones already in use by kids can be used for school as well.
As a teacher, I've both chuckled and rolled by eyes when a student answers a test question with "idk" or turns in homework that include texting shorthand. Skeptics of the merits of using cell phones could point to these uses as evidence that students' lives are over saturated with cell phones and smart phones -- to the point that students use texting, email, and IM jargon instead of standard English.
In a new study reported by the BBC, it turns out texting may help student spelling. Turns out, it takes quote a bit of phonological awareness to turn later to l8r or homework to hmwrk. There is clearly a need for further research, but the results of this study further Lisa's point; rather than try to ban cell phones and other technologies embraced by our students, we should seek to understand how they are used by young people and how we in turn can use them in education.
(image via Flickr)
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