Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/114027
Top: Madilyn Zawalnicki, Christine Dominguez, and Brianna Barnes scan QR codes. Above: Olivia Conn says with proper guidelines and appropriate use, cellphones enhance student learning. grid on a white background. Smartphone users can install an app with a QR code scanner that can read a code and direct the smartphone's browser to a website for that code. Hoffman's students use their phones to evaluate classmates' essays by logging into Google Forms. In no time, responses are put into a spreadsheet and a "winner" is picked. "We are a Google Apps for Ed school district," says Hoffman, a member of the Grossmont Education Association. "We don't have to go to a computer lab. We can pull up or create documents right in class." (Google Apps for Education offers free Web-based documents for collaborative study.) "I like using my cellphone in class," says J'Ana Diamond. "You get things done faster. You're saving paper. Teachers shouldn't be freaked out by the idea. It's a good thing." If she receives a text from a friend, will she respond? "It's tempting," she replies thoughtfully. "I would probably answer it, but also get my schoolwork done." Hoffman's view of students' texting in class might surprise colleagues. "These are high school seniors working in a high-tech environment. Why would you expect them to behave differently than other adults in the workplace? I received a text a few minutes ago and responded to it. My students have to learn how to multitask in a world where they are being inundated with technological data." Not a silver bullet Incorporating phones into lesson plans doesn't automatically engage students, says Nicole Naditz, a French teacher at Bella Vista High School, Fair Oaks. "It is the selective use of the appropriate tool for the right purpose at the right time that increases engagement," says the March 2013 www.cta.org 25