Hand held devices
Last week I chalanged my class to leave all there hand help devices with me for the enter day. This was for 6.5 hours. They took me up on the challange. After 4 hours some were haveing a very hard time not being able to look at there phone. With 20 min left it was even harder for them. But they made it all 6.5 hours. From this I can see from this they love to use there hand held devices and this can help in there learning experance.
Franz,
our school engages students in a "media fast" every spring semester. Some participate, others don't, but it's always a learning experience for sure!
Dr. Ryan Meers
Our school has a "Phone OFF" in class policy with "downgrades" for pulling out their phone.
With that said, SOME Gen Yers can't seem to break their need and try to hide the phone under the table as they text.
Usually, I can just point out that something must be VERY important happening in their lap and they get the message without punishment.
Daniel,
it is amazing how some seem to go through withdrawal if they can't have their technology fix.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Our school has a "Phone OFF" in class policy also with "downgrades" for pulling out their phone. I constantly find some students playing with their phone, while others sit there nervously 5 minutes before the bell not tuned in to anything in class waiting so they can check their messages.
My school also has a no phone policy. It gets very bad trying to enforce this for some students. I feel i have to "babysit" and constantly tell them to put them away. We do have a downgrade for this, but it still does not seem to be much of a deturrent. For some, it seems they would rather fail a class than leave thier phanes in thier packets.
I have also found that they sruggle with not being able to use their phones
Harry,
this is very interesting, yet representative of many work places & their rules.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I also have observed all these things in my classroom. If the Y-gens really do need to see relevance/value in their instruction as stated in this module, then perhaps we need to prove the limitaions of their tech devices. It must be proven that the device does not hold the answer to all problems. I am putting together an activity for my class in which they are allowed to use whatever resources they want including their phones to diagnose the problem. We will see who comes up with the best diagnosis and what resources proved most valuable. Perhaps even following up with a similar challenge later involving no phones to see if they can use the previously gained information to solve a different problem or will they require a revisit to the phone for an answer again. If the phone is required then what are they really learning. These devices are without a doubt a quick easy resource for information but they do not promote critical thinking or problem solving skills. If the device is not working or not allowed at thier place of employment will they be a useless employee without it?
andre,
this sounds like a great activity that will help prove the need for those critical thinking/decision making abilities.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I like this exercise because many people don't realize how dependent they have become to their computers. Just to feel the anxiety of not using their phone is an impactful lesson.
Most think they can not live with out there phones. They think there phone is more important to them then there heart.
We have a phone off in class policy and yet they can not go long before they are trying to hide the fact that they are texting.
I am not sure how this would work in my classroom.Most all of the students have cell phones and although our policy is not to have them out,or on during class time it can become very difficult to police this policy at times.
I've constantly reminded my students about how more and more facilities that we are training them for are becoming (zero phone tolerance) establishments. They usually get the picture, however I can still see a few holdouts in class that still try to get away with it.
Mike,
there will always be those holdouts but I think you are doing your students a service by reminding them of these rules in the workplace.
Dr. Ryan Meers
the issue is now even High schools allow phone in school. We will have issues in the future
In my classroom, phone on silent is a necessity. Due to the nature of our coursework, I dictate material to them and they have to rely on their listening skills. However, we have breaks every 50 minutes, and everyone checks their phone -- including me.
Kerry,
it is somewhat entertaining to stand back & watch people rush to their phone as soon as they get a break. We are connected & that is our reality.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I wonder if we could start making assignments that integrated using the hand held devices. One could be finding answers through certain apps or using twitter to react to a question. I would be curious to see if this integration would be without interference from temptation to check other cell phone features while completing an assignment. The possibility for constructive learning is possible with some careful instructions and guidelines. Has anyone had success in integrating hand held devices in the classroom?
