Using cell phones to teach? Really?

Answers to yesterday's question about "the primary purpose of college" are still trickling in.  (I promise not to grade yours, if you add it to the comments.)  Today I have a video that was posted for the instructors at my college.  Some of you may have noticed Susan's suggestion that I have my students start blogs as part of their educational experience.

Susan:  "Excited for you Bonnie! Have fun in your new classroom. How about assigning each student to create a blog for their writing assignments?"

Bonnie:  "Susan, that's a great idea! However, it may overwhelm my students, some of whom may be trying to go to college while learning English as a second language. People often think blogging must be incredibly difficult, though you and I have done enough that it no longer seems difficult. I'll keep it in mind, though, in case there's someone who could benefit from blogging. Thanks."

After watching this YouTube video, I may have to rethink my quick answer from two weeks ago.  The video tells me Susan is onto something!  Watch this, and then I'll share a link to a blog I used in class this morning.



Digital richness?  Podcasts?  Cell phones to teach?  "When I go to school, I have to 'power down'," says a student?  Well, at least I tried to be technologically adept this morning.

In July, when I agreed to teach writing, I developed a blog for the writing courses I would be teaching.  Little did I know it (the blog) would become "Plan B" this morning -- when I got to class with my flash drive, and nothing worked.
My PowerPoint presentation was nowhere to be found on the flash drive, according to the student helping me ("I've been doing this for fifteen years, and I'm only 24," he said).
But that didn't matter ...
because we couldn't use the ceiling projector anyway ...
because there was no remote at my computer console ...
or anywhere in the room.
I left my students busily writing and ran down the hall to see if the departmental secretary had the remote (asking myself, "Was I supposed to pick up a remote before using this equipment?").
The secretary had two remotes, which "didn't work," she told me.
Duh!  There were no batteries in either one.
No backs, either.
I discovered both back covers behind the equipment at my console.
What professor had separated remotes and their back covers?
And why?
Who knows?
Next objective:  find batteries!
"In that cabinet over there," said the secretary.
Wrong sizes.  Not a single battery (much less two) small enough for these remotes.
Back to my classroom, where the industrious students were still writing away.
The young man helping me confirmed the worst:  "It isn't on your flash drive."

So, on to Plan B -- my class blog.  Wanna see it?

Developmental Writing 0800, featuring today's writing prompt.  (You should comment here, rather than there.  That blog is for my students, though your comments at either place come to me for moderation and I would simply shift them over to this blog, anyway, if need be.)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.  I mean, back in the classroom.  Most of the students had finished their writing assignment -- how well is yet to be determined when I read their paragraphs.  Gone are the days when students tossed their papers on the teacher's desk as they filed out of the classroom.  My students used the computers at each seat, attached their work to an email addressed to me, and clicked "Send."

Ah, the fast and furious fun of the first week of school!  Helen, you're an educator; what do you think of the ideas in this video?
__________

Oh, by the way!  I cannot access (fancy word) my classroom and equipment until less than ten minutes before class starts -- because another class is meeting during that hour.  And I must leave immediately after class ends -- because another twenty students are arriving as we leave.  I have no idea when I could play around with "my" equipment and make sure it works.  Another little thing I need to find out.  Stay tuned.