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Here is an interesting article on cell phone use in the classroom. Is it really realistic to ban them at the door? This article gives ideas on how they can be used in instruction.

One of the reasons for banning cell phones is the cheating that occurs with texting. This year we were required (by the state) to take up cell phones for the End Of Course tests for our SOLs. Now about the article... I liked some of the suggestions on the use of cellphones but you would need a classroom set like the class in this article to be successful. I know that teachers have always worked beyond contract time with planning and grading but with this technology comes the expection of even more from us because now we would have to monitor acceptable use 24/7.

This site is wonderful in the classroom enabling students to visit various places around the state of Virginia without leaving the classroom! It was created by 4 guys who work for HCPS.

I love that site! It's great to take kids on virtual field trips and if their teacher is on a PODcast like that, then it helps students relate to teachers and generates great discussion.

This device is just cheap enough that I think we may begin to see them in classrooms in the next few years IF schools do not advocate cell phone use in the classroom.

Article discussing pros of cell phone use in the classroom.

The one-to-one institute provides resources for integrating technology and describes some different stages of technology integration in the classroom.

How can one say that a standard body of knowledge may no longer be relevant? This sounds like an excuse to stop paying for public education and simply making technology the end all, be all of existence. Can you imagine a world where the average citizen doesn't understand the origin of the Star Spangled Banner or the Emancipation Proclamation?

I know there are school divisions in Charlottesville/Albermarle County using ipods in the classroom. There are many apps that can be appropriate for classroom use.

This is all about using technology in the classroom and why it is a good choice.

This author of this article presents different topics and gives pros and cons to all of them. She kind of plays devil's advocate, which helps the reader to see each side of the argument.

Article discussing pitfalls of classroom technology use.

I've also witnessed the use of the interactive whiteboards. The teacher stood at the front of the room and clicked on items that she had prepared on her computer while the students sat and listened just as they would during a regular lecture. It was just nicer to look at.

This is the perfect example of the intersection of pedagogy and technology: if pedagogy doesn't change (ie, teacher presentation as a primary means of instruction), then technology will be used to support that. I do know a few teachers who said that maybe they brought kids to the board more, but most of them already had students come up when they had a chalkboard so it wasn't that much of a stretch.

This article explains the importance of educators and administrators making a commitment to integrate technology in the classroom .

This works great in addition to Wordpress to make your classroom material accessible to students at home!

This is a great site listing all of the pros of using mobile computing in the classroom!

One of my students from WM created this webpage about social bookmarking.  It includes a video featuring a teacher who is using the tool in her classroom.

This was a very interesting article on using technology with young students. I have never taught kids that young so it was very eye opening. Also, I liked the points Dr. Perry made about making sure to use active technolgies rather than passive ones like TV.

Technology provides ways to enrich instruction. yada yada

"Effective" is the word that caught my attention is this article. For us to use technology effectively in an enriching and engaging manner, we need effective staff development. Most of these articles assume that the motivated teacher is going to find the time to learn this on his/her own. Not everyone is like that. I'd like to start concentrating on finding articles on effective staff development.

I found this article interesting because I never thought that companies would capitalize on the concept of 21st Century Skills to make a profit. I copied just a portion of the article for your review, however I think it would be worth your time to read the entire article. "Recently, those critics have leveled a more serious charge at the organization. P21, they allege, is a veiled attempt by technology companies-which make up the bulk of the group's membership-to gain more influence over the classroom. "The closer we look, the more P21's unproven educational program appears to be just another mechanism for selling more stuff to schools," Lynne Munson, the president and executive director of Common Core, a Washington group that advocates a stronger core curriculum, wrote in a recent blog item.".

You know, Stacy, I have always been cautious about corporate involvement in education and have major concerns about pushing 21st century skills too hard vs. focusing on content. Thanks for this article! It seems no one wants to champion or at least humor this viewpoint. I believe in objectivity and opposing viewpoints as a cornerstone of a democratic society.

This article represents the pros and cons of cell phone use in schools. It explains that if adminsitrators, teachers, parents and students worked together to reach an agreement that the whole cell phone controversy could be settled and benefit all

I am still very iffy on the cell phone issue in schools. I think it is because I have dealt with so many cell phone issues with discipline this year. I worry that middle schoolers will always cross the lines when it comes to cell phone usage, and that even putting rules and regs into place will not stop the inproper use.

I'm with Tia! I am still really skeptical on cell phones in the classroom for the same reasons. As an administrative aide, I've seen my high schoolers do some really sketchy things with their cell phones. I also think that using cellphones in a class of 25-30 kids is almost impossible to monitor.