[nobe-l] Cell phones in the classroom

[Catherine Mendez]

As a blind teacher, having a cell phone in the classroom can actually be tremendously useful. I use a free magnification app on my phone all the time to help me read student work and books that I haven't been able to get in a more accessible format. I use the KNFB Reader app to access professional documents.

 Additionally, my school has a campus layout, and the phones in my building don't connect directly to any of the other buildings, so if I need to get in touch with a colleague I have to use my cell phone as well. I check spelling by looking words up on the Internet when I need to write something on the board and I am second guessing myself, I use an application from Scholastic to help me level  texts in my classroom library.

My school has a policy that supposedly prohibits the use of cell phones, but it is almost never enforced, unless there is evidence that someone is doing unprofessional things on their phone during work time.

I agree with the other list remember who speculated that the phone itself is probably just the tip of an iceberg. The other factors may not have been as widely reported.

Cayte