Page 7 - Edge Issue 2 2019

A School Full of Phones
Phones have the power to be valuable tools for education.
Story by Conrad Brisson and Felicity Torres
Since their first release to the public, smartphones have been a major source
of distraction in all situations to the point where laws have to be made to curb the disturbance. Education is one field where the issue has come to this point; the smartphone has been the bane of teachers from elementary school to high school.
When a student thinks of smartphones and education, the first connections they make are more likely to be the diversions the devices cause or the rules their teachers and school board impose against them, rather than how they are actually used
for education. Taking a closer look, however, one would find that using a smartphone with academic intent is not only doable, but really helpful.
“When they’re used for collaborative or research purposes...smartphones open themselves up to a lot of different tools that students can use to produce
educationally valuable things,” said APUSH teacher Mr. Michael Brocchini. A modern smartphone holds more power and can access more
information than every computer used at NASA’s 1969 Apollo 11 mission combined. Thanks to the smartphone, books, assignments, lessons and
more can be accessed at a moment’s notice.
“Cell phones are an instant way to research and look up
information, so their connection to the Internet is something that puts a wealth of information in students’ hands,” Mr. Brocchini said.
Smartphones give students and teachers the power to near instantly communicate at practically any time, making it easier for both parties to keep track of what work needs to be done and what work is complete.
There are many smartphone applications that serve as tools
for learning, such as Quizlet’s interactive approach to memorizing materials such as vocabulary, Kahoot’s game show-esque approach to test preparation, Remind’s instant messaging from teachers to students, and Google’s suite of collaboration tools such as Docs and Classroom. Apps like these enable learning on the go, and phones make it easy to get work done in a timely manner.
As distracting as phones can be, apps designed for them can give students a helping hand with things like homework, classwork, studying, and even having fun
while learning – but it is important that phones are used accountably.
“Students have the responsibility to use the phone in a responsible manner,” said Mr. Brocchini. “When used appropriately, they can be very useful educational devices.”
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