Journal 4

"From Toy to Tool: Audioblogging with Cell Phones"
By Liz Kolb

Many teachers are opposed to the use of cell phones in the classroom, but this article presents a different view. The author of this article argues that cell phones are not harmful to classroom environments; in fact, they can be used as learning tools. She suggests that using cell phones in the classroom allows students to communicate and collaborate with the world around them using a familiar piece of technology that is already an integral part of their everyday lives. The focus of this article is audioblogging, a process by which students can use their cell phones to send audio input to an online blog.


My Questions:

1. What would be some of the benefits of using audioblogging in the classroom?
I think that education is at it's best when students are able to learn through experience. Many students do not have the opportunity to actually experience the things that they learn about, but audioblogging would allow teachers and students to share interesting experiences with others in the classroom. By posting actual audio clips, teachers can use technology to help students relate to the subject matter, adding an interesting and interactive dimension to the class content.

2. What rules would need to be established in order to ensure that cell phone use was both appropriate and responsible during class time?
While this article points out that there are indeed some constructive uses for cell phones in the classroom, it would definitely be important to remember that allowing students to use cell phones during class time could have some drawbacks. While many students would be familiar with cell phones from personal use outside of class, it would be important to differentiate the cell phone use that would take place at school for educational purposes. It would be very important to set up some guidelines for using cell phones while at school. Personal text messaging and phone calls would be strictly prohibited, and cell phones would not be used outside of designated activities.