cellphones

Cell Phone Serendipity
Our students all have them… and most of us do as well… most of the time they're useful… sometimes they're annoying… and every once in a while we wish we had freedom from them. They are cell phones. So what can we learn from (with) them?
 * Cell Phones in/for Education**

Liz Kolb, author of "Toys to Tools", is kind of the "go-to-girl" with some fantastic ideas for cell phones in/for education/educational purposes. So be prepared to be inundated with ideas… let it begin:

__Cell Phones as Podcast Listening Devices__ [|Lexy Radio]: a place to call in and listen to your "playlist" of podcasts… maybe while you're in the waiting room at the doctor, or just looking cool on a cell phone as you're waiting for someone. [|Cellecast] and [|Foneshow] are two more (like Lexy) that afford you the capability of listening to podcasts on your cell. Check out some [|classroom applications] from Liz Kolb. The capability of being able to randomly hang up and then call back and start at where you left off is said to be amazing. [|Liz Kolb] talks about ideas for these programs in education.

__Cell Phones as Polling Tools/Audience Response Systems/Cell phone "Clickers"__ Have you wanted feedback (either immediate or delayed) on something that has been done? This can be done with cell phones! You could even use them as an audience response system with live updated information. Check out the classroom application ideas below to get a grasp on the greatness these programs have to offer. [|SMS Poll] [|Poll Everywhere] Liz Kolb (author of "Toys to Tools") has some [|classroom applications] for these mobile polling devices.

__Cell phones as a means for group reminders and messages__ Have you ever needed to remind an entire group of people (either by voice or by text) of something that is coming up/going on? These programs have something for you! Check out the possible Classroom applications below. [|Abbyme] [|Sendible] Liz Kolb (author of "Toys to Tools") has some ideas for [|classroom application] for these programs.

__Cell phones as a means of digital storytelling/podcasting__ [|Earfl] allows people to tell stories via cell phone (in 3 minute increments) that are posted online. They can be posted publicly or privately. In addition, you can add photos in the Earfl online account. You don't need an account to get started (unlike most everything else we've done with these Web 2.0 tools). You just dial the number and tell your story. Liz Kolb says, "this is great for outside of class activities when you want students to document but do not have Internet access to set up an account." A cool idea for [|creating mobile tours] via the cell phone (have your students create them!).

__Other Cell Phone Ideas__ [|Text Messaging Shakespeare]


 * Discovery Exercise**
 * 1) Check out and sign up for at least two of the programs listed above.
 * 2) Try them out. (The more you try, either via breadth or depth, the more you know!)
 * 3) Blog about your experience as well as how you could use this personally and/or professionally.
 * If you created something, share it on the blog! We'd love to see what you did!