Implications and Teaching Opportunities for Camera Use in Teaching and Learning

I am new to the world of smartphones. I just got my first one a week ago, and suddenly I feel like I have been introduced to a whole new world. My old phone did not have a touch screen, and it did not get apps. Often, it would die just from lack of charging it because I never used it. My new phone, dies because I use it too much! According to a recent study by Zogby Analytics they found that 87% of people dont let their smartphones leave their sides. I see the good of that, but I also see the bad.

The good side is, if you ever want to know something, you can find the answer in your phone. I constantly look up articles on my phone. My phone gives me updates on the weather, the news, and even what my friends are doing. Apps make learning easier too. I have trivia games and brain building activities on my phone and I'm constantly learning on it. However, I also see the bad. Unfortunetly not everyone uses their phones for learning. Currently as a teacher I would not trust students to do their work from their phone. I feel that they would become distracted with apps and games. I also think that more people are to busy looking down at their little screen then living life. 78% of people say that they use their phone at least two hours a day. I just hope for the futures sake that, that two hours was spent reading and learning.

One way I have personally used my phone to learn, was when I found a strange bug in my house. I took a picture of it, and did a google search by image. I found out that it was a dogbane beetle, which is native to the area. By reading about the bug and its habitat, I taught myself about my own backyard. I can now identify all the plants in my yard, and that was not even my purpose in looking up the information. I feel that, that is one way everyone can use their phone to learn outside of a classroom.

Inside the classroom the teacher has so many different ways they could successfully use a phone or tablet as a resource in the classroom. The students can use them to access their emails, Google drive, and many other personal accounts. They can use those accounts to store information that they can take with them where ever they go. Students can actually text Google a question and receive a response. (I used this a lot before I could just search the internet on my phone.) Students can use their phone or tablet to scan a QR code.

According to a study by Pearson, 81% of students agreed that using tablets is the best way of learning for them. I also found a great video that shows different ways tablets and cellphones can be used in the classroom.(Link Below)

Plug In! How to Integrate Tablets, Smart Phones, Devices, and More