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Cell Phones in the Classroom: Harness the Power for Learning David Rose - Southfield Public Schools, Southfield, MI rosed@southfield.k12.mi.us Kim Guffey - Haywood County Schools, Waynesville, NC kguffey@haywood.k12.nc.us
 * Introduction of Presenters:**

Today's 21st century learners already use technology in creative and innovative ways as they explore new tools to help them gain fast access to information and each other. Nearly two-thirds of teens and one-third of tweens (ages 8-12) own a cell phone, sending over 250,000 text messages and spending thousands of hours talking, sharing, and collaborating with this forbidden classroom technology.

In this session, participants will explore powerful ways cell phones can be used constructively for educational purposes as they actively engage in the use of cell phones to research, collaborate (using a wiki), evaluate (polls, surveys), and communicate within the content area. As educators, we can embrace this technology, that our students have already mastered, and use it as a way to present curriculum and change teaching and learning.

Cell Phone Policies
 * Cell Phones in Education:**

[|Project K-nect] [|New York Times Article] (Industry Research in NC)

// Teachers Urged to Rethink Mobile Phone Ban //, June 24, 2009 [] // Mobile Devices: Facing Challenges and Opportunities for Learning // [] Collection of research, articles and ideas: []
 * Other Articles and Resources:**


 * Wiki Access - necc09.wikispaces.com**

Part 1: Text at least one of your contacts and ask the question, "What is the temperature outside?" Record your results in Table 1 on the Activity 1 page.
 * Activity 1: Gathering Real World Data**

Part 2: Use mobile search to find the temperature of your birthplace. Record your results in Table 2 on the Activity 1 page. [|Mobile Google]

Use the calculator function on your cell phone to average the first 5 entries you see. Text 44659 and your message to 99503 (Please include your name in your response.)
 * Activity 2: Making connections with your data**

Create your own: [|Poll Everywhere] - 30 responses per poll for free [|Text The Mob] - 100 responses per poll for free

Tools: [|Mobile Google] [|SMS Google Help] [|Cha Cha]
 * Activity 3: Conducting Research**

Select one of these services and ask the question, "Who was the Vice Presidential candidate that ran with Abraham Lincoln in the 1861 election?

Google - text 466453 Cha Cha - text 242242 or call 800.2.ChaCha

Post the answer you receive along with the service you used in the table on the Activity 3 page.

Tools: [|Gabcast] - $.10 per minute for telephone access (1st 5 minutes is free to try out) [|GCast] - $99.00 per year for telephone access [|Drop.io] - free storage space (up to 100mb) online that allows for voice messages (a great alternative for those who want to podcast using cell phones like GCast and don't want to pay)
 * Activity 4: Podcasting/Multimedia**

[|Voki] - FREE (students can create avatars and animate them with their own voice - limited to 1 1/2 min. of audio)

Student Sample

Create your own: [|Voki]

[|Liz Kolb Site] [|Educational Uses for Cell Phones](Nebraska) [|Students Turn Their Cellphones On for Classroom Lessons] //Education Week// January 2009 [|//What Can You Learn From A Cell Phone? – Almost Anything!//] //How to use the 1.5 billion computers already in our students’ and trainees’ pockets to increase learning, at home and around the world// By Marc Prensky (pdf) [|Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education](ISTE Publication) [|The Mobile Learner]
 * Articles & References:**

Text 47856 and your message to 99503 (Please include your name in your response.)** Text questions to the presenters which will be answered on the wiki.**
 * Questions:
 * [|Live Text Poll]


 * [|The future is here].**