smartphones in the english language classroom

The news this week is that smartphones are bad for students:

Should smartphones be allowed in classrooms? A new report from UNESCO, the education arm of the United Nations, raises questions about the practice. Though smartphones can be used for educational purposes, the report says the devices also disrupt classroom learning, expose students to cyberbullying and can compromise students’ privacy.

About 1 in 7 countries globally, such as the Netherlands and France, have banned the use of smartphones in school – and academic performance improved as a result, particularly for low-performing students, the report notes.

As school leaders in the U.S. wrestle with whether or not to ban smartphones, The Conversation has invited four scholars to weigh in on the issue.

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Do smartphones belong in classrooms? Four scholars weigh in

But they seem to be very much part of the classroom when teaching English:

The results from the study show that smartphones do have the potential to improve teaching and learning of English amongst the teachers and students in different educational levels.

(PDF) THE POTENTIAL OF USING SMARTPHONES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

And there are some very practical ways ahead:

Here are ten tips on how to constructively allow the use of smartphones in class. Some of the exercises are just variations on traditional classroom activities. However, encouraging students to use smartphones to complete these activities will help them learn to use their devices to actively improve their English skills. Finally, it's important to insist that smartphone or tablet use in the classroom is approved only as a tool during a specific activity. In this way, they may not be tempted to use their smartphones for other reasons during class.

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10 Ways to Use Smartphones to Teach English

Mobile phones in the classroom have always been a controversial topic. Some teachers worry about the potential for student distraction, while others have decided to use them because they offer some positive learning benefits. The reality is that students, especially those ages 12-18, use smartphones on a daily basis. For most, smartphones are their device of choice, and nearly all 95% of all teens have them (Pew Research, 2018). Because this device is so commonplace, it makes sense to leverage its benefits.

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Using Smartphones in the Classroom - HuddleCamHD

The first step to using smartphones in your classroom is to rethink how you approach smartphones in a learning environment. Rather than fighting against smartphones for the attention of your students (a fight which you will lose) consider embracing the smartphone as a learning tool.

Using Smartphones in the Classroom: A Guide for Teachers

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