However, a few weeks ago I learned a valuable lesson. One I should have known. One I should have been more aware of. One that I was too embarrassed to admit to at the time.
While working in an elementary building a few weeks ago, I was in and out of classrooms. I was dropping off some information for teachers to send home that day with students, so I needed to be sure that a half day class received the information before they left. So, I knocked and then walked into the classroom. I quickly scanned the room and found the teacher. She was sitting on a little stool, near several children playing on the rug with some developmentally appropriate toys. The teacher was hunched over, thumbs feverishly typing away into her mobile phone, with an occasional glance at the kids.
I rolled my eyes. I thought "nice" in scathing sarcasm in my head. I judged her. I knew immediately that she was a bad teacher that was sitting and texting away while ignoring her students. I have seen people before texting in what I consider inappropriate times, and obviously she was doing it while innocent little children where not getting the education that they deserved.
I smiled and approached the teacher and discussed with her that I needed the flyers to go home with the students that day. She was very nice while we chatted. But then she looked a little embarrassed. She said that she felt like she had been busted once again on her phone.
AHA , I was right! She was texting and ignoring children. And it wasn't the first time!
She continued to say that whenever she takes observation notes on children's play it seemed that someone would walk in the door.
Wait. What was that again?
Yes, the teacher was using an app on her phone that allowed her to enter observations on the children directly into their Student Management Software. She wasn't able to get an iPad from her boss, but she was able to download the app onto her personal phone and use it to make her job efficient. She went on to say people always thought she was playing on the phone, or that she was just nervous that people would think that.
I waved off her concerns as ridiculous; as I was hoping that my own cheeks weren't turning bright pink. I thought the very thing that she was worried about. Me: a Library Media Specialist, an early adopter of technologies, a promoter of technology, a tech trainer, a person fairly up to date in 21st Century Skills. I misjudged. I jumped to conclusions. I focused on the negative, and not the possibilities.
I witnessed an excellent use of technology in the classroom. I witnessed a teacher using her own personal property to create a better educational environment in her classroom. I wonder if she had been using an iPad or a laptop if I would have jumped to the same conclusions? Am I biased against the power of the mobile phone in educational settings? Am I a cell phone snob?
I know that teachers often and with great success use twitter in the classrooms for content conversations, occasional video projects, blog posts, etc... but obviously I have not expanded my schema of what is truly possible with the little smart phone that we all have and the majority of students have. I wish I had the wisdom to wrap this scenario up with something profound and trans formative. I don't.
But how about you? What will you think the next time you see someone on their phone?
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