Part 1: 44 Smart Ways to Use Smartphones in Class

(Originally published at gettingsmart.com on January 7, 2013)

This week an online article grabbed my attention. Its title read “94 Percent of High School Students Using Cellphones in Class.” I immediately scoped out the heading and thought to myself, “Finally, teachers are beginning to embrace the powerful little gadgets.” However, it did not take me long to realize the researched article took quite a different slant. One quotation in particular caused serious professional introspection on my behalf. The article quotes the researchers as stating, “‘The potential damage stemming from heightened cell phone use during class casts a pall on the entire educational system, on the school atmosphere, on the educational achievements of the class, on the pupil’s own learning experience and on the teacher’s burnout having to cope with discipline problems in class.’” I understand the tougher task of using regular cell phones in class versus internet ready smartphones, however , I could not disagree more with the above quotation. Although there is no doubt the very same scenarios mentioned in the above article are occurring in various classrooms around the globe, I now encourage all students to bring their cellphones or smartphones to class. Just a few years prior, my colleagues and I were struggling mightily with how to integrate the crafty handheld tools. A blessed trip to the ISTE 2011 conference in Philadelphia helped me devise a BYOD classroom management plan and opened my eyes to the infinite educational potential of smartphones in the classroom. However, one of my toughest baseball coaches once said, “Potential and a dollar will get you a Coke.” With this in mind, a simple, but effective, “Traffic Light” BYOD classroom management plan was born. Check out this post to read more about it. I believe the potential of smartphones, supported by a strong classroom management system, can be summed up with what I call “The Five C’s.” Collaborate, communicate, create and coordinate/curate. Of the forty-four ideas below regarding smartphones, twelve can be accomplished with a simple cellphone. Take a look below at this enormous potential.

Use Smartphones to Collaborate

• Have students peer-assess their classmates' essays through a Google Form embedded on teacher page, and allow them to view real-time constructive criticism. Afterwards, polish up the spreadsheet and share with students. Believe me, they will be interested. Click here to see how successful this strategy can be.
• Allow texting in class to peer-edit and offer constructive criticism for writing projects. Just imagine students sharing thesis statements and introductory paragraphs without ever saying a word. This is just one of the strategies we use to create a quiet and successful writing atmosphere in Studio 113. Check it out here.
• Make brainstorming visible via a projected image with Polleverywhere.com and Wallwisher.com. Using these two sites really is too simple. Although Wallwisher requires an internet connection, students may use a cellphone for Polleverywhere.com.
• Create a shared list of notes by making a Google Form available. I usually embed Google Forms on my teacher page for easy access. Afterwards, I make the spreadsheet of notes available to all students.
• Have students post relative links of videos, websites, etc. for a unit of study. I like to think of this as the Army of Talent completing a task in a fraction of the time it would take one teacher hours to finish. This strategy is highly effective as it invites students to co-create their learning environment and unit. A Google Form would easily serve this purpose.
• Make thoughts visible by having students post videos and text or by having them phone in their answers to Voicethread. Check out our recent Voicethread here.
• Engage readers in real-time as they work through the assigned reading by collaborating with their peers via a Twitter hashtag, Polleverywhere.com, Todaysmeet.com, or Wallwisher.com.
• Have students call in-class peers during an interactive learning structure. Click here to see a cool idea.

Use Smartphones to Communicate

• Use FaceTime on the iPhone to add outside audience members during class discussion or learning activity. This is perhaps one of the coolest things we have recently done in class.
• Allow students to read from their smartphones during SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) while sharing interesting articles via Polleverywhere.com.
• Allow students to video or audio record your assignment instructions.
• View student exemplary products from school YouTube channel.
• Augment lessons with excellent videos from Ted.com or RSA.
• Use a Twitter hashtag to augment the in-class lesson or extend the conversation after class. Click here to read about a tri-state conversation about a Presidential debate.
• Establish a Twitter class account to share class assignments and reminders. If students do not want a Twitter account, make it easy. Embed the Twitter feed on your teacher page.
• Send students reminders in-class/after-class through ClassParrot and Remind 101.
• Have a silent discussion via Todaysmeet.com.
• Capture learning moments. Ever had a student raise a hand, make a connection, and say, “Have you seen the video that….?” Ask students to e-mail pertinent links during class and show the video in minutes.
• Have students assess the teacher through a Google Form.
• Use Google Translate to break down language barriers.
• Use Instagram or Twitter to advertise class projects.

Use Smartphones to Create

• Write with apps such as My Writing Spot and Evernote.
• Set up a portable writing station by connecting a keyboard to smartphone via Bluetooth.
• Use dictionary and thesaurus apps.
• Use Dragon Dictation for struggling writers. Interested? Click here.
• Write on-the-go during a field trip or active lesson on campus with Tripline.
• Create “How-To” guides using apps such as SnapGuide.
• Write to Blog Post via the Blogger app.
• Peruse playlists while double-checking the lyrics on the internet to create a soundtrack that applies to current studies.
• Create Twitter parodies of certain characters, historical figures, chemical equations, geometry theorems, and animals of study in Biology class.
• Create a mini-presentation, skit, or formal response to a prompt and e-mail the video to teacher’s Posterous blog spot.

Use Smartphones to Coordinate/Curate

• Relax and write with apps like Nature Music or iZen Garden.
• Listen to music as source of inspiration for creative projects.
• Have students access their peers’ blogs by sharing a Symbaloo webmix on teacher page. Check out this one.
• Point students in the right direction for creative tech tools.
• Save time and paper by accessing documents on teacher’s website.
• Share spreadsheets of notes with Google Drive.
• Get to know your students by having them complete a Google Form.
• Research key sites to bolster students’ projects.
• Manage students’ knowledge of current lessons by having them take a quiz directly from their smartphones via Socrative.
• Allow students to check their grades via on-line gradebook or learning platform.
• Have students question peers outside class and send their recorded opinions to Voicethread or Posterous.
• Use apps like Reminders and PocketLife Calendar to plan study times and project times. The Weather Channel app is handy for avoiding weather conflicts during outside project time.
• Use the calculator app to calculate scores during gamified learning structures.
• Use the stopwatch and timer apps to manage class time.

I hope these ideas help others appropriately manage and integrate cellphones and smartphones in the classroom learning environment. When used properly, smartphones act as handheld computers, not just overly priced texting gadgets. Please check back in two weeks for Part 2 of "Smart Ways to Use Smartphones in Class." At this time, I will discuss using smartphones for videos, pictures and more. In the meantime, please share your thoughts below.