Boge - "May I Have Your Attention?" and Mr. Carter
What were the concerns of Mr. Carter and what was his explanation for the lack of use of mobile devices in his class? What counter-arguments might one make to smartphone use in class? In other words, can they work as useful pedagogical tools?
If phones in classrooms are inevitable, it seems fitting for teachers to try and wield them as a resource for learning, rather than an enemy they are continually warring against. The chapter goes onto to explain, “there are two kinds of technologies in today’s classroom: technologies that pull students away from the classroom, and technologies that pull students into the classroom. Whereas the former potentially undermine the learning experience, the latter may, in turn, enrich academic efforts” (180). I would argue that mobile devices can be leveraged as technologies that can bolster the learning experience. Having students use their phones for research, playing games that fit within a lesson, or using apps that might augment learning, are all options. There are sundry companies dedicated to creating digital platforms that support educational environments. The resources are available; they just need to be sought out. A phone does not have to be distracting. And sure, while there is no level of complete control possible, it does encourage students to see their phones as a part of the learning environment—instead of a threat to it. What can students learn about communication by using their devices? How could texting be brought into the classroom to teach students about a historical lesson, about math problems, or science experiments? How could their social media be used for research or assignments related to social studies or family consumer science? Could a teacher create a playlist on Spotify that fits with the lesson that day a student could listen to during class? How could students use their phones to create videos, podcasts, photographs, or graphics that relate to a lesson? I could easily see students making a short film about a historical event using their phones and the classroom as a pedagogical tool for engaging with educational content. The possibilities are endless. It is just up to teachers (and students) to be willing to take a leap and give phones the benefit of the doubt.
Mr. Carter was mainly concerned with the “diffusion of innovations” in schools and the negative impacts the proliferation of mobile devices can have on an educational environment (173). Specifically, despite trepidations that “devices like cell phones and iPods are way too small to try and police,” Mr. Carter enforces a policy “that the use of phones in class is strictly prohibited” (174, 177). As “a social studies and tenth-grade pre-advanced-placement instructor in a school whose students come predominantly from working-class households,” Mr. Carter is not necessarily “antitechnology” (177). It is evident through the interview that he cares about his student’s well-being. However, his most significant critique of phones is the toll they take on the classroom.
“All of this,” he said, referring to repeated instances of having to deal with media in class, “is often done at the expense of stopping class and interrupting teaching and learning.” Like many teachers, he is frustrated by the degree to which personal media use in the classroom disrupts learning for everyone in the classroom, not just the student using media. Mr. Carter’s concerns have merit (179).The concern about how phones can distract by constantly removing students from their environment is well-founded. As the chapter explains, constant interruptions, like checking texts or listening to music, can hinder productivity and focus (179-180). In turn, it makes a lot of sense why he would ban the technology outright. Ideally, a student won’t repeatedly be using their phone and can plug into the lesson being taught. This is not the reality. Students need their phones to maintain contact with family in case of emergencies. Plus, even more practically, the number of students with phones and the way younger children are raised with them as an integral part of their lives makes the likelihood any policy would stick all but mute. Luckily, there is hope.
If phones in classrooms are inevitable, it seems fitting for teachers to try and wield them as a resource for learning, rather than an enemy they are continually warring against. The chapter goes onto to explain, “there are two kinds of technologies in today’s classroom: technologies that pull students away from the classroom, and technologies that pull students into the classroom. Whereas the former potentially undermine the learning experience, the latter may, in turn, enrich academic efforts” (180). I would argue that mobile devices can be leveraged as technologies that can bolster the learning experience. Having students use their phones for research, playing games that fit within a lesson, or using apps that might augment learning, are all options. There are sundry companies dedicated to creating digital platforms that support educational environments. The resources are available; they just need to be sought out. A phone does not have to be distracting. And sure, while there is no level of complete control possible, it does encourage students to see their phones as a part of the learning environment—instead of a threat to it. What can students learn about communication by using their devices? How could texting be brought into the classroom to teach students about a historical lesson, about math problems, or science experiments? How could their social media be used for research or assignments related to social studies or family consumer science? Could a teacher create a playlist on Spotify that fits with the lesson that day a student could listen to during class? How could students use their phones to create videos, podcasts, photographs, or graphics that relate to a lesson? I could easily see students making a short film about a historical event using their phones and the classroom as a pedagogical tool for engaging with educational content. The possibilities are endless. It is just up to teachers (and students) to be willing to take a leap and give phones the benefit of the doubt.
Comments
Post a Comment