Using cell phones in class

Does your school have a ban on using mobile phones in the classroom? Do you confiscate them if you see your kids using them? Does it annoy you when your adults jump up and run out in the middle of your class to take a call?

Personally, I think that as educators we have an obligation -- especially with kids -- to get our learners into the habit of switching them off. Even with adults I would agree with them that we will all turn our phones off for an hour.

You wouldn't (would you?) interrupt a business meeting to take a call; you shouldn't interrupt a class either -- apart from anything else because it's rude to the social group (the class) we belong to.

Classroom activities with mobile phones
But there are things you can do with mobile phones in the classroom which can make interesting activities.

This article on techlearning.com has some suggestions and, for the seriously geeky, here's an article on futurelab.

See also
Skype is a possible alternative to cell phones.