An Engaging Distraction: Cell Phones in the Classroom
Abstract: Classroom cell phone use can not only help increase student interest and engagement, but can also provide teachers with a streamlined approach to the integration of in-class academic research and citation, active learning methodologies, and cooperative learning strategies. Thus, this paper first seeks to review relevant literature as it pertains to in-class cell phone use; in addition, an introduction to practical classroom tools is provided, with focus on those that can foster student-teacher interaction, integrate classroom polling, and provide student-friendly platforms to in-class academic research and citation. The objective of this paper/presentation is to help instructors encourage and integrate in-class cellular communications--most pointedly--academic resources and their corresponding referencing guidelines. NOTE: This presentation will include demonstrations of such activities, so please bring your cell phone or other smart device with you into the session!