Using Texting as a Tool

Entry written by: Julia Coad Topic: Texting for classroom use

I was really intrigued by the topic of texting for classroom use when we discussed it online a couple weeks ago. I think that because of how our own teachers treated texting in class, immediately we think of it as a negative thing. We say, "Well my teachers never let me text in class, so there's no way that I'll let my own students text!" However, education is constantly reforming and molding with our society. Thus, I truly believe that things are changing in such a way that texting could really be used as a tool to assist in furthering our students' education. We just need to eliminate our initial negative perspective.

Outside of the classroom, texting can be used to communicate quick and efficiently with students. Where e-mails do not always reach the younger generations, texts are becoming one of the only ways we can effectively communicate with them. It's true that there is the issue of whether or not all the students have a cell phone, but that is becoming less of a factor. Obviously, texting could not be incorporated in this way until the later grades (high school). As texting is becoming more prominent in our society, education is certainly adapting to it.

One may also think that safety is an issue, because cell phones and texting are tools that are more personal and teachers could be surpassing their boundaries. However, I agree with Professor Kipp. It can't be an issue if teachers use one account (like Google) to specifically communicate with only their students. As teachers we separate our personal lives with our working environment and students. If used in this way, texting students is no less safe than e-mailing students.

Honestly, my argument is more for using cell phones and texting as a tool outside of the classroom. I think that texting in class could risk pushing more boundaries. I think its uses are also far more limited in the classroom for now, but teachers are really getting creative with it. For example, the website polleverywhere.com is a fun and helpful site to use in the classroom. It really helps give teachers quick feedback from all the students without having to spend a lot of time discussing or collecting data. This site can also be utilized as a quick check for students' learning.