Cross posted at the Teaching Generation Text. The blog dedicated to using mobile devices for learning.
While the fact that not all students have access to the same technology is sometimes used as an excuse for banning students from the ability to use their own devices in school, the reality is that in many cases students from low income families are adding tools like cell phones to their list of necessities. While educators never want to exclude, equal access is not a valid argument against students using their own technology for learning. Instead, this must be managed, just like we manage when we don't have enough textbooks or supplies for each student.
At Delta Opportunity School, the students who struggle the most with basic necessities (i.e. food, home, transportation) usually have a phone and have it for very serious reasons (alarm clock, way to contact potential employers, doctors, etc). Amanda, whose story is below, used her phone as a life line when there was no home, no family, no support. We cannot let the "not all students have phones" argument stop us from utilizing their educational value.
Many high school students do have access to phones and when there isn't access, there are many opportunities for sharing, collaborating, or even having a couple text-enabled, pay-as-you-go phones available for less than the cost of a textbook. By banning cell phones, we exclude all students from the ability to use their communication method of choice for learning, connecting, and blending school and life. In the anecdote below we see how a cell phone became an integral part of one young ladies success in learning and life.
Text Talk: Classroom Stories, Willyn Webb - Educator / Guidance Counselor Delta Opportunity School
A poverty stricken student named Amanda knows the importance of a text-enabled cell phone in her life and education. She is 18 years old and only has 10 credits toward graduation. However, she is determined to earn a high school diploma. Even a GED is not an option.
