[YL] Text-messaging in education?

[Betsy Beredo]

Text-messaging in education?Hmm....  You bring up a great point!   Just this
morning, on my way to work, I was thinking about how we could incorporate
cell phones into meaningful learning experiences for teenagers.  I run an
afterschool youth program for adolescent girls at a science center and I am
amazed how the number of girls with cell phones has multiplied over the past
three years since we started the program - even and especially amongst girls
from lower socioeconomic homes.

During the program, it's sometimes very distracting and when they are
working on the museum floor, they are NOT allowed to use their phones, but I
would love to come up with a fun way to utilize their phones as an
educational tool and tap into theit natural interest!  Right now, we just
spend a lot fo energy taking them away.  Any ideas out there?

Betsy Beredo
Youth and Community Programs Manager
COSI Toledo


 -----Original Message-----
From: youthlearn-bounces at milhouse.edc.org
[mailto:youthlearn-bounces at milhouse.edc.org]On Behalf Of HCHUNG
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 1:07 PM
To: youthlearn at milhouse.edc.org
Subject: [YL] Text-messaging in education?


  Dear YouthLearn members-

  I am contacting all of you with my personal question for the first time.

  I was wondering how many kids in America use cell phones as an ICT tool,
and also curious if there is an example of any good use of using mobile
phones in class. In fact, my recent trip to my home Korea reminded me that
how text-messaging permeates lives of Korean youth. In East Asia,
text-messaging is more frequently used than calling among the young. The
typing speed with phones is unbelievable, especially that of young kids. The
disruption by its use in class has been always an issue - so some schools or
teachers periodically censor kids' back packs (-_-;) to ban the use of them.
But, it will become harder and harder to stop this growing number of kids
who possess cell phones. Maybe we will have less control of banning covert
phone activities in class. Do Americans kids text-message while they're in
class? If yes, I'd like to step back and contemplate why kids love doing it,
and would be interested in figuring out if there is at all a way to engage
students in class by using the good functionality of SMS feature on cell
phones. Some of my friends who are teachers in Korea mainly use cell phones
to stay connected with their students during school vacation. My question
would be about "in class" use. Someone on my team said that there could be a
possible use of SMS when it is associated with Palm-based projects. Any
ideas?

  Maybe, another question would be if there is any governmental or corporate
effort to provide real-time educational services for mobile phone users
(teachers and students) who can access to the Internet through their
devices. It's obvious that nowadays people can easily access to any kind of
information through their mobile phones. I wonder how useful it would be if
our kids or teachers can receive any information or government level of
services through mobile phones during class.

  Well, relatively speaking, this technology is not new, but I never thought
about using it for education before.

  What do you think?

  Sincerely,



  Haejung Chung

  Research Assistant, The YouthLearn Initiative

  Education Development Center, Inc.

  55 Chapel St, Newton MA 02458

  617-618-2730

  YouthLearn: http://www.youthlearn.org

  EDC: http://www.edc.org

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