School or Organization Name: Delta Opportunity School/Colorado Mesa University
Co-Presenter Name(s): Lisa Nielsen, the Innovative Educator
Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Colorado/New York
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience(s): Educational Leaders and Classroom Teachers
Short Session Description (one line):
Go Global by Embracing the Power of Cell Phones: A 6-Step Plan to Break the Ban
Full Session Description (as long as you would like):
A first step to connecting students with their world is to acknowledge the tool in their pocket. Embracing cell phones is a step toward connecting educators and classrooms around the world. By accepting and managing student cell phone use for learning purposes you can we can promote global awareness and instill global competency in students Rather than dealing with discipline referrals, taking phones, and calling parents, you could be collaborating on global projects, having tweet conversations with experts all over the world, and strengthening relationships with all through the ease of a single text. If you are not fortunate enough to work in or lead a school that has a policy enabling you to harness the power of cell phones to enrich learning, you may need to educate your department, principal, parents, and/or district leadership. Educators know that student learning and achievement are the basis for all efforts in education. Innovative educators who know how cell phones can engage and empower learners understand how important it is to be able to be allowed to do this work. The following five steps will show how to build relationships with stakeholders, illustrate how cell phone use for education is progressing, provide research based reasons, equip you to get supportive data in your school/district, set you up to run a pilot program, and summarize the key points for meetings.
1. Build Relationships
2. Catch the Momentum
3. Give Reasons with Research
4. Rally Support through Surveys
5. Plan a Pilot
6. Know How to Talk the Talk
Look at this as an opportunity. Just think, you could be the one that starts the process of changing policy in your school or district, paving the way for educators to use cell phone technologies to enhance their lessons. This six-part plan includes ideas many have used to change the minds of key players in their school community about the use of cell phones for learning. With all this in place, you are well positioned to take on the task of helping your local policy makers think outside the ban and embrace the technology most students already have access to for learning. By being prepared, you will open minds and start the ball rolling to lift the ban so cell phone technologies will be available for all. When policy is supportive of cell phones educators will have more choices, students will have more tools, and we will all move into the 21st century better prepared.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:
https://sites.google.com/site/teachinggenerationtext/home
http://teachinggenerationtext.blogspot.com/
http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/
www.willynwebb.com
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118076877,descCd-buy.html
http://www.coloradomesa.edu/online/gentext.html
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