I think using cell phones in the classroom is great. Students use cell phones all the time. I have cousins who text all day, even when they are in the same house or close to each other. What better way to reach students than through a medium they already use. Using cell phones allows them to use technology that is already a part of them to do a school project and making it not feel like work.

I don’t know how well this would work in an elementary classroom, especially in the lower grades. I don’t know a lot of inner city first graders who have a cell phone. A problem with it also is what Katie said, that some of her students didn’t do the project and then said they did and blamed it on the technology failing. Just like “my dog ate my homework.” There should be a way for one to be able to monitor whether the work was actually done. It is technology after all. Why not use more technology to monitor this. Like Katie being able to get a log of who called in and how long they stayed on. There will always be pros and cons to every aspect of technology, we just have to make sure that the kids get the most of the good and possibly try to turn around some the bad.

It is overall a great use of technology, and while Katie didn’t get the amount of kids she wanted to participate in the project (only 20%) it’s a start. There are always changes that can be made to engage the kids more, and it’s something new. They will warm up to it eventually.

Technology is awesome. It can even help bring kids back to nature, like in the article “What’s it like where you live. “ Our kids today are so disconnected (from the real world I mean) I laughed so hard when the student asked in the middle of the park, “Where do I find dirt?” She didn’t even realize she was standing on it. It was pretty amazing that how the teacher chose to use technology, actually made the kids get back in touch with nature. That is the way we should use technology, to create a balance, and common ground.