Should cellphones be allowed in school? My Response.

Do personal devices support learning? That's what I was asked by "The Signal" blog which facilitates a conversation about communication, safety and making families work.

The question was prompted after a recent study that found students performed better on exams under a cellphone ban which has been used to cast doubt on city's like New York who have lifted the ban. Of course studies such as these are highly flawed for numerous reasons. For example they assess students as though they live in a disconnected world where the tools we need for success outside of school are considered devices of cheating. Additionally, they look at environments where teachers look at student devices as weapons of mass distraction, rather than those where educators are knowledgeable about using devices as tools of engagement. 

I shared my ideas about how cell phones become learning tools when they are a part of, rather than apart from learning by following a five step plan and incorporating strategic building blocks to success.  Find out how by checking out the article here.

Nearly 60% of Teens Use Their Own Mobile Devices in School for Learning

The ultimate learning experience for students is both highly collaborative and extremely personalized, supported by mobile devices and digital content, reports Project Tomorrow in their latest Speak Up report.
Over the last few years of the Speak Up survey, more students and administrators have signaled the importance of being able to access mobile devices in the classroom, whether through Bring Your Own Device policy consideration and implementation or through school-provided technology. This year, nearly half of teachers (47 percent) said their students have regular access to mobile devices in their classrooms. Among high school students, 58 percent said they now use their own mobile device at school to support learning activities. 

Digital equity and access, particularly outside of school, remains an issue important to administrators. Of note this year, among students using mobile devices provided by their schools, half (51 percent of high school students and 46 percent of middle school students) say that their out of school internet connectivity is through a mobile data plan. Not to be forgotten, there are still students who report no regular access to technology in schools: 13 percent of high school students and 21 percent of middle school students.

9 Actions + Policies Necessary To Embrace Cell Phones for #MLearning + #BYOD

While interest is growing in the usage of mobile devices in school, a report on learning with mobile devices and social media tells us administrators still struggle with key concerns. Nearly half of principals identify teachers who are not trained in how to use mobile devices for instruction as the number one barrier. Teachers cite student distraction as their top concern of mobile use in the classroom.

Here are nine actions we must take to make responsible and educationally beneficial use of cellphones and other student devices a reality in the classroom.

#BYOD Toolkit Provides Resources Necessary for Success

As Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) becomes and option for more and more schools, it is important to get the right pieces in place. A good place to start is the BYOD Toolkit which is part of the K-12 Blueprint for implementing successful technology initiatives.  The Toolkit includes case studies, checklists, step-by-steps, program frameworks, forms, and presentations to help in planning and implementing a BYOD program at the school or district level.

The Toolkit allows schools to learn from others with resources such as the sample acceptable use policies below:

Prepping for #BYOD ? Home-School Connection Is Key.

When schools lift the ban on cell phones, they need to decide if they want to embrace the use of student devices for learning. If they do, it doesn't "start" with inviting devices into the classroom. 

It starts in student's homes. 
What better way to help parents understand the instructional value of cell phones than to use these devices to strengthen the home-school connection? 


Cell phones provide a terrific means for connecting with parents. Teachers can begin using phones to develop and strengthen those relationships. This can provide a foundation and help develop understanding around the benefits and value of cell phone use in general and later for use with students. 

Here are three ideas to get started:

Confronting Fears - #BYOD for Students

While most adults understand the benefits of students having cell phones in school to stay in touch with parents for safety purposes, when it comes to classroom use, some have fears. These include concerns over data collection, privacy, being a distraction, replacing personal interaction, discipline, theft, use for bullying, and more. 

The concerns are real and they don't only apply to cell phone use. It's no different when doing many things at first: Crossing the street, using pointy scissors, talking to strangers, swimming, riding a bike, and more. While all of these activities have risks, because of their advantages, rather than banning them, we patiently guide children to do them with care and scrutiny. Personal devices are no different.

Here are some ideas to arm educators with strategies to address common concerns that may arise when students bring their own devices to the classroom.

Homework is Key When Preparing for #BYOD

When schools decide they want to embrace the use of student devices for learning, it doesn't "start" with inviting devices into the classroom. It starts with inviting the use of devices into homework. 

While parents understand why cell phones are important to stay in touch with their children and keep them safe, they may not understand their usefulness for learning. This is no surprise. Students haven’t been given the opportunity or guidance by teachers in doing so.

Rather than simply telling parents about the research and benefits of using cell phones for learning, show them!

Before using cell phones in your classroom with students, begin giving students the option to use cell phones to complete their homework. This gives the teacher the opportunity to allow students to use cell phones for learning without classroom management concerns. It gives students (and their parents) experience in using cell phones for learning. Yet another benefit is that using cell phones to support learning at home enables educational leaders see firsthand how these tools can support student learning. 

To follow are some Ideas for enabling students to use cell phones for learning at home. 

CELLabration Time! @NYCSChools Pave The Way for #MLearning with Cell Phones

Social Media isn’t the only area in which New York City is paving the way. As announced in the NY Daily News, the New York City Department of Education will lift the ban on cell phones and other digital devices in March.

Instead of banning devices, schools will have options including:

1. Store mobile devices in backpacks or a designated location during the school day.
2. Allow mobile devices to be used during lunch or in designated areas only.
3. Allow mobile devices for instructional purposes in some or all classrooms.

While there have been teachers, schools, and districts who have given students the freedom to bring cell phones and other technology to school, New York City is the largest. This will set the trend and help move others to open the doors for student devices in school.

10 ways the research behind banning #mlearning for children is flawed

You may have come across Cris Rowan's popular HuffPost piece explaining 10 reasons handheld devices should be banned for children under 12. You may also haveread the rebuttal from a librarian mom who explains why she will continue to give her children handheld devices. While the pro-device author explains the benefits of handhelds, what she doesn't uncover is that the research cited by the original author doesn't support her claims.

In fact, the research cited in the Rowan piece is so unsupportive of her claims, it seems possible that the real motive behind the article was to test the reader's gullibility. If readers had dug a little deeper, they'd find the truth.

The research focuses mainly on passive television consumption and video games that are either simple or for mature audiences. Much of it also is focused, not on pre-teens, but rather on teens and adults. The research shows a dearth of findings around the type of technology use in which the overwhelming majority of children engage.

Free #mLearning book. Great companion for student-centered learning practices.

Mobile Education: Lessons from 35 Education Experts on Improving Learning with Mobile Technology is a new eBook that features me and some great friends from my learning network including my co-author of Teaching Generation Text - Willyn Webb, #Edchat cofounder - Shelly Terrell, EduClipper founder - Adam Bellow, Geeky Mama - Lee Kolbert, and a couple dozen or so more which you can see below.

The book is offered in a Slideshare format which it turns out could be a terrific platform for educators and their students to self-publish.  There are many ways to share the eBook with others. You can embed it on a blog or website, Like it, or tweet about it.

Here’s the book. You can click the < > arrows to advance the pages.

Mobile Education - Lessons from 35 Education Experts on Improving Learning with Mobile Technology from Studio B Productions, Inc.

The book features 35 essays that fit into a common theme -- technology drives student-centered learning. The book is a great companion for those interested in using mobile technologies to move from instructor-centered learning to student-centered learning.