Should Schools Use iPhones To Teach?
Cell phones won't be banned in school anymore. In fact, colleges across the country are incorporating smart phones into classes to create a unique classroom experience.
Abilene Christian University will be giving out iPhone 3G smart phones to 2/3 of this year's incoming freshmen. Students will use the smart phone to get virtual handouts and podcasts during class. "This is a new platform for learning, in the same way a laptop or a desktop was a new platform," says William Rankin, co-director of mobile learning research at the school, which is in Abilene, Texas.
Schools across the nation are signing up for a virtual experience. According to a teen survey published by Pew Internet & American Life Project, 71 percent of teens already own cell phones, while only 59 percent own computers.
Bill Davidson, senior vice-president for a global cell-phone software and chips marketing company expressed, "From a cost standpoint, they cost much less." A well-equipped cell phone with a fold out keyboard could very well replace laptops in classrooms. Phones may be a better option than laptops because the "screens created a barrier between teacher and students."
But not everyone is jumping on the smart phone wagon. Liz Kolb, who teaches instructors on new technologies said the majority of her student-teachers are reluctant to use cell phones as a teaching aid. But by the end of her course, 30-40 percent of the teachers use cell phones regularly in their classrooms.
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