As a teacher, my
toughest challenge was handling and managing the behaviors of my students. In
my six and seventh period classes I spent so much time trying to manage my
students that I didn’t really get a chance to actually teach. Without proper
classroom management, teaching any kind of concept is nearly impossible. Some of
the major management issues were: students getting out of their seats and
distracting others, students talking too loudly, students swearing, students
listening to loud music on their IPods, and student’s texting during class
time.
 |
| (Britton,2007) |
I go along with the
McGraw-Hill company statement “Improved
Technology—Increased Distraction” I believe that smart phones, cell
phones, and IPods should not be allowed to be turned on during class time
unless they are specifically going to be used for a lesson.
Some of the problems
I had with cell phones and IPods in my class were; students in my classrooms
were playing games, watching videos, and texting others during class time. According
to the “Cell Phones in the Classroom” article (McGraw-Hill Company, n.d.), many
other teachers have also complained about students unauthorized use of cell
phones during class time. Some of the complaints included students taking
pictures during class, harassment in the form of text messaging, and searching
for test answers.
One teacher I
volunteered with, “Terry Commean”, a sign language teacher with Seminole High
school, allowed her students to bring their IPods to school on Fridays. Every
Friday her students worked on signing to music for their end-of-semester
project. They could not wait for Fridays and loved signing to music. For her, IPods worked as a great motivational
tool with her students. I have come to the conclusion that for some classes, cell phones and IPods are just distractions while
in other classes they can be beneficial tools.
Do you think cell phones and IPods are major distractions or are you able to use them for motivational tools in your classes???
Do you think cell phones and IPods are major distractions or are you able to use them for motivational tools in your classes???
(Dellinger, 2012)
References
Britton, I. (2007, May 07). [PDA Cell Phone]. Retrieved
September 19, 2012, from http://www.freefoto.com/preview/04-12-24/PDA-Cell-Phone
Dellinger, A. (2012, July 30). [IPod]. Retrieved
September 19, 2012, from
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-free-ipod-touch-games
McGraw-Hill Company. (n.d.). Cell Phones in the
Classroom. Teaching Today. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/cell-phones-in-the-classroom
I think if you ask just about ANY teacher that they would agree that classroom behavior issues can really take the wind out of your sails. Just when you have the lesson's momentum going, POOF...one poor decision by a child can ruin it all.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that the use of technology would be of great help. I mean, it might capture the attention of a few extra students...for now. But in the end, students have to be motivated from the inside to want to succeed.
Once technology is allowed in classes, how do we decide whether students are using it correctly? How do we cut down on theft? How do we manage assignments if a student does not have access to said technology.
It seems like the use/introduction of technology (smart phones, e-readers, etc.)has the potential to be a great tool. However, the logistics need to be closely planned in order for it to be a success.
Dear Jodie,
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that proper magagement and boundaries are essential for certain technologies to be compatible, or extend the learning, in the classroom...especially at the middle school and high school levels!
I can only sympathize with dealing with the pros and cons of allowing cell phones in the classroom for this age group--since my experience is in preschool!
I think the best solution is like anything, set rules and procedures for the use of technologies (and anything in the classroom), and keep the kids engaged in learning to minimize problems. Tough issues with the widespread use of smart phones, though!
Good post.
Meghan Starling
Jodie,
ReplyDeleteI agree that classroom management is difficult enough without adding extra distractions into the mix. We all know what happens when we introduce a group activity to a classroom of students who tend to work better individually. :) And we've all had those students over the years that just have that special aversion to following class rules. So, they want us to let our students use cell phones? What??!!
Sadly, as Mike referenced, all it takes is one student to ruin a learning experience for an entire classroom. And these student behaviors have existed long before cell phones - if it's not cell phones,it's something else.
So, what do we do? We set rules and guidelines and strict consequences for misuse. It is definitely going to take time and training for all involved - teachers, parents students - in order to make cell phone use in the classroom a success.
By the way, I loved the idea of being able to use iPads as a motivation/reward for a class - something for them to work toward - great idea there!
I think it's like anything else, no matter what resource or teaching tool we put in our kids' hands, with proper training and instruction, in time, the benefits will be evident.
Great post!
Cindy Hanks