Steve Demby gets us started with ten that he thought of off the top of his head, but I'm determined that we can come up with 92 more. There are both students and professors who read this blog, so what can you think of (that's constructive and serves some educational purpose) that you can do with a cellphone in a classroom?
Here are Steve Demby's 10:
1) Check the spelling/definition of a word
2) Research a topic
3) Look up reference images
4) Pull up maps (even with satellite imagery)
5) Document a science lab with built in digital camera/video
6) Fact check on the fly
7) Mail questions to the teacher that they might be embarrassed to ask
8) Classroom response system
9) Take quizzes
10) Record and/or listen to podcasts
So post away! If you're reading this post, add a comment with at least one (yet unnamed) way to use cell phones in the classroom. Let's assume that the phone has standard phone capabilities as well as text-messaging, pictures, mp3 sound, video, and Internet. If your idea requires some kind of add-on beyond that (like a stand-alone keyboard) be sure to note that. If you're reading this post on a blog other than Millennial Law Prof, be sure to click over to MLP to leave your idea.
Hit it!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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11 comments:
- live blogging
- adding To Do's to remember the milk
- reporting outside of class observations (ie e-mailing pics to be projected to class)
there are some for now.
Promotes accessibility. For example you can interact with the class even if you can't speak or have a difficult stutter.
Well, how about the obvious one: looking up and then phoning someone, to conduct a live discussion about the topic at hand.
One major problem with using a cell/mobile phone in the classroom is that it is small! Many of the initial suggestions would be better carried out on a computer which more than one person could use at a time.
With a cellphone, a student can call his mother directly from class to tell her he will never be a lawyer. No need to leave class to find a pay phone like in the old days.
Prof. Kerr, let's try to keep it constructive. :)
Phone the tech department to tell them your tech isn't working. Beats running up and down 5 flights of stairs.
Heh, it's actually Dembo, not Demby :) But besides that, I'll chip in a few more...
- Calculator (there are MANY scientific ones available)
- Converter (for measurements)
- Digital Storytelling (video camera. See Ithaca's CellFlix film festival)
- Short answer response system (Poll Everywhere or Wiffiti)
- Look up class syllabus (On wap version of class homepage)
- Check homework assignments (On wap version of class homepage)
Good luck! Let me know if you make it to a hundred...
You could add a test date or study session to the alerts on the calendar of your phone.
My phone does absolutely none of these things, so the only thing I have to add is "text your friends," because you know that's really all they're going to do. Just sayin'. ;)
My Palm Treo (as well as many others like Blackberry, etc.) has a removable storage card that holds up to as much as 2 gigabytes of info (this week anyway, who knows how much they’ll cram into them next week). This is more than enough room to hold digital recordings of every class, as well as notes, outlines and relevant research downloads. Therefore wherever I am, I have access to my entire study library (including WestLaw, Lexis & the ever fruitful Google via my internet connection). If I have a question I can quickly email or text the Professor or a classmate. Outside of the classroom, headphones (on the train) enable me to listen to recorded lectures as I enhance and clarify notes taken during class simultaneously. The one kink for this aging and somewhat arthritic "Boomer" is the small size of the keyboard and limited screen size of the Palm. At times this forces me to try and remember how to use the device the old fashioned way and place a telephone call to my Optometrist and/or Orthopedist for an appointment. Luckily for my insufficient mental storage card (less than 1 gig, I’m sure…must upgrade soon), their phone numbers are in speed dial. ;-)
As an evening law school student and mother, I have found the perfect use for an in-class cell phone. Each evening at 9:30 PM I text my 12 year-old from class to make sure he has finished his homework and brushed his teeth. He then texts back with the inevitable question, "Mom, what time will you be home?" Perfect multi-tasking!
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