A teacher mentioned she recently heard that students in Japan are using their cell phones as study aids. What is this about?
Students in Asia and Europe are using cell phones to study foreign languages, spelling, math, and other academic subjects. They are also accessing lectures, both live and archived, via their cell phones. This new approach to instructional delivery is now making some inroads in the U.S. For example, high school students can now download and view SAT preparation materials on the phone’s display screen, and Random House is licensing two of its product lines to a company that delivers instructional materials to subscribers through their cell phones. These materials will be in text and audio formats.
Marc Prensky, an internationally known consultant in the field of education and learning, suggests that in light of these recent developments, U.S. educators need to stop fighting the presence of cell phones on campus and begin figuring out ways to take advantage of the fact that an increasing number of our students come to school with at least one of these powerful computing devices stashed in their backpacks.
Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young
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