Cell Phone Applications that May Work in School

The iPhone is being used in classrooms across the country, as it offers quick and easy tasks that can be shared with their classmates as podcasts, videos or blogs. Mokey reviews apps like Evernote, which lets students record voice memos and keep all of their thoughts organized for free. I think this app could be beneficial to students with Attention Deficit Disorder for their organizational skills. Teachers can also easily communicate with their Secondary Language Learners or with Itranslate, which uses Google's translation software for several languages; it can also be a great tool for the Foreign Language classroom. Finally, I'd like to mention that for just ninety-nine cents you can benefit from the iVideoCamera, where students can do documentaries on their lives, film skits and share their work for the world to see (Mokey, Nick, 2010).

Another popular source of applications is gearing towards the Android phones, which Mokey reviews as well. Students can utilize the free and powerful Opera web browser to search for that History question, the free Softrace can organize their track and field record for P.E. class, they can paint with DoodleDroid for ninety nine cents in their Art class, and finally, for thirty dollars, you can get Documents to Go and forget about making sure there are enough computers for your students. Students can view and edit Word documents, PowerPoints, Excel spreadsheets or read that handout that you posted as a .PDF file (Mokey, Nick, 2010), which will now allow the teacher to become one step closer to a totally paperless classroom.

I feel that the only way we can successfully incorporate cell phone usage in the classroom must be with a happy medium between control and time used. One of the biggest problems with cell phones in the classroom starts off with the parent who bought their child a cell phone, "just in case of an emergency," but the child has little responsibility for it and causes the disruption of others. It is only until a partnership is developed between the child, parent and teachers that there will be successful integration of cell phones into the education of our young learners. Until then, phones will remain as toys that disturb class, are desired by thieves and cause sudden trips to the restroom for a text message diarrhea.

Bibliography

HCS. (2010, August 4). District Policies:Students p.108. Retrieved August 4, 2010, from Horry County Schools: http://www.horrycountyschools.net/UserFiles/Servers/Server_743372/File/DP%20Students.pdf

Mokey, Nick. (2010, April 22). Digital Trend. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from The Best Android Apps: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/the-best-android-apps/

Mokey, Nick. (2010, May 25). The Best iphone Apps. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from Digital Trends: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/the-best-iphone-apps/

Nicholas, Peter; Love, Julia;. (2010, August 3). Republicans decry stimulus funds for iPods, cellphones. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from The Los Angeles Times - Nation: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-republicans-stimulus-20100803,0,1846595.story

Norris, Cathie; Soloway, Elliot;. (2009, January 14). Get Cell Phones into Schools. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from Bloomberg Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2009/tc20090114_741903.htm

NSSASS. (2008, September 9). Cell Phone and Pager Issues. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from National School Safety And Security Services: http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/cell_phones.html