smartphones in classroom Archives - Page 2 of 2 -

4 Reasons to ditch clicker hardware

Classroom clickers: they’re clunky,easy to lose, and just plain problematic. While clickers can be great classroom tools, there is simply no reason they need their own hardware.These days students can do the same plus more just by downloading an app on their smartphones.   1. They cost your students money Each semester, students shell out →

To Call or Not to Call on Students

Every teacher encounters a quiet classroom at least once. You’ve waited minutes while students refused to volunteer answers or listened to the same couple of students speak. How do you get the rest of them engaged? Some teachers choose to call on students randomly, but does this really increase engagement, or does it just increase →

5 Myths about Smartphones in the Classroom

1. They’re nothing but trouble One of the worst mistakes a school can make: telling students NOT to use the powerful computers they keep in their pockets. At a time when schools struggle with budgetary restraints, it just makes sense to allow students to use their own tools to collaborate, quickly look up facts, graph →

Ways to Approach Controversial Topics in the Classroom

Whether it’s a hot-button political issue in a social science class, a probing hypothetical in a philosophy course, or ethics in a science class, teachers often find themselves discussing controversial topics with their students. Best case scenario, students come from diverse backgrounds, offer a variety of calm, constructive opinions, and frame all disagreements in a →

3 surprising ways to keep students focused using technology

1. Allow smart phones in class Yes, you heard right! Mobile phones don’t have to mean disrupting beeps, giggles from back-row texters, or zonked-out young adults stuck on the fifth level of angry birds. Instead students can use them them to report feedback to you and even contribute in class with the help of mobile →