[ELTWeekly Volume 11, Issue 2 | February 28, 2019 | ISSN 0975-3036]
ICT has become an inevitable part of today’s classrooms. Phones which are considered as distracting factors, can bring in a variety in your classrooms if used appropriately.
Edutopia’s Ben Johnson has shared an useful article on managing cell phones in the classroom.
Johnson says, “When I ask the students why they are so attached to their devices with the small (some aren’t so small) screens, I invariably get the response, “It’s my life.”
I just don’t get it and probably never will, but here is my attempt at understanding. After careful observation, I have determined that the cell phones are analogous to what happened when the Walkman first appeared on the scene for the older generation. A Walkman was a portable cassette player that sometimes came with a radio.
Students could conveniently take their music with them and also conveniently tune out any undesirable noise. Within this cocoon of music, students feel safe and protected. “I study better with my music” is a frequent response to “Please take the earbuds out.” It doesn’t matter how much research you share about the brain not being able to focus on more than one thing at a time, as soon as you turn your back, the earbuds will be back in”.