The Ten Building Blocks for Learning with Cell Phones

1) Build RelationshipsBreaking the ban starts with the building of relationships with key constituents. Here is advice on how to get started. 

2) Embrace ResearchIn today’s educational climate providing evidence that the work you are doing is aligned to research and standards is crucial! Here are some ways to do this.

In addition to content area alignment, ensure your cell infused lessons indicate alignment to the National Education Technology Standards.
This is a sample of a math teacher’s compilation of Standards-Aligned Activities with Cell Phone and Other Technologies
Incorporate the use of cell phones aligned to Robert Marzano’s nine research-based strategies.
You can think of your own or use some of these ideas shared on The Innovative Educator blog.
Demonstrate careful research of the use mobile technology to building principal and district administration. Provide specific data and examples that are up-to-date, not out-of-date. 

3) Plan Activities

• Planning is key. Create and develop a plan, lessons, and activities that you can share with those who care and want to know what you have in store for the use of cell phones in the classroom.
• Develop a well thought-out plan for embedding cell phones into instruction. Invite your students to partner with you in developing ideas to meet learning goals using cell phones. This plan can be shared on your class and/or school website as well as distributed to parents, guardians, and school community members.

 4) Pilot ProgramBe willing to start small, demonstrate success and work from there.

Meet with those key in your school and district decision making to map out an acceptable pilot program i.e. district technology coordinator, building principal and assistant principals.  

5) Access for AllAnyone interested in embedding cell phones into the curriculum has heard the argument, but what about the students who don’t have a phone??? Well, you do the same thing as you do when your class doesn’t have enough textbooks. You don’t say, I guess we can’t do our work. We find workarounds. Partner or group students. Have some extras on hand for those who don’t have. Reach out to the community for support, but don’t use that as an excuse to not innovate instruction. 

6) Partnering with Students to Use Cells for LearningWhen using technology for learning, Marc Prensky’s concept of partnering with students fits in well. Bring students into the conversation and ask them about ways they can meet learning goals in life, at school, and at home. 

7) Parent/Guardian PermissionBefore we use cells with students, we must have parent approval. By the time you ask for it, you’ve hopefully already begun some home school connection strategies with cell phones so you are on your way. 

8) Acceptable useJust like any other classroom tool, teachers need to work with students to establish acceptable use policies. In some classrooms the teacher just explains how the general policies apply to the use of cell phones, in others they create a new policy, in some schools the students help create the policies, and in some classrooms they invite parental input as well. Collecting everyone’s thoughts on acceptable use is easy when you use cell phone tools like Poll Everywhere and Wiffiti to do so. 

9) Cell Phone Etiquette
Adults often complain that cell phones are a distraction in class, but how much time have they really devoted to discussing proper etiquette? This can be woven into a general discussion around behavior and etiquette in different situations. Inviting students into the conversation about appropriate etiquette and what to say to those not exhibiting polite behavior usually works better than telling students how to best behave.

10) Classroom Management
As with the use of any technology in the classroom, when using cell phones in the classroom you must have classroom management procedures in place. The nice thing, however, about cell phones is that you don’t have to worry about distribution, collection, storage, imaging , and charging of devices. Consider working with your students to develop this plan, you may find that they build a strong, comprehensive policy of which they will take ownership and be more likely to follow. Once developed, the plan should be posted in advance of using cell phones in the classroom.