What are you so obsessed about? 08/25/2011
Today I asked dozens of students, "When you are using your cell phone in school what are you doing with it? texting? games? internet surfing?" I am never amazed at the honesty in students admitting they use their cell phones with or without their teacher's knowledge. As a substitute teacher, I see this all the time. They have a body language that indicates they using their phone. None of them have gotten good enough to be able to look like they are not using their phone. And for good reason--they don't have to! Teachers are not enforcing any kind of cell phone policy (by and large) with the students using them at free will (albeit not out in the open but rather trying to pretend they aren't using it). Students indicated something I pretty much already knew--they use it for many different reasons and the overwhelming majority use it for the same reason I use it at home. They use it for many various reasons and often it depends on what is going on in class. One girl said if she felt she should be paying attention in class, she may check her Twitter feeds to see what is up there. She said she can easily do it and still pay attention whereas playing a game takes too much of her attention to do when she should be paying attention to the lesson. Another girl said she felt anxious one day when she left home without her phone. She went on to say it was like going to school without putting shoes or pants on or forgetting to brush her teeth--only worse! I appreciate all the students' honesty. I told each one willing to share that in my classroom, I'd build lessons around the technology they have when not in school including cell phones. Their eyes lit up pretty bright when I said they may start the day or hour by sending me an email with a text message with the answer to a bell ringer activity--or scan with a QR scanner App on their phone that has their lesson embedded in a QR code. Instead of banning the cell phone from the classroom like a pack of cigarettes--teachers and schools need to encourage cell phone use. These kids admit they are addicted to them. A cell phone addiction could be a very good thing if they are using them for a productive reason. If teachers don't think outside of the box and get their students (high school age at least) using the cell phone for the lesson, they are going to use the cell phone in spite of and outside of the lesson. If you want their undivided attention--let them have their little addiction in your classroom and use it in your lesson! Welcome 2011-2012 School Year!!! 08/23/2011
Well, it's officially here--the 2011-2012 School Year! And school kids and teachers all across the country are wondering, "Where did the summer go?" This is an excellent question. Each year seems like the summer and all the seasons fly by a little faster than the last. I know many teachers are returning to classrooms with larger attendance sheets in classrooms that don't accommodate the number of students assigned to his or her classroom. Washington and most of the states have been irresponsible with our money. The Federal Government's Department of Education Budget is 69.9 billion dollars. I think we all can agree the money collected for education is substantial. How much of this finds its way to the classroom is another story. I wish all the teachers great success this school year realizing this may be your most difficult year to accomplish your teaching goals. To all the students--study hard, pay attention, and have responsible fun in your classes! It's the only thing you can do right now in your life to become self-sufficient and independent when you are ready to be an adult! Good luck to all in the classroom! | Loading
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