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The smartphone is now the most widely used medium in in the Philippines and it has major
educational implications. Most users, however, do not realize the smartphone's potential for
education, nor even for the communication functions for which it was originally designed.
Most educators still see that cell phone is unrelated devices, and the smartphone more as a
personal accessory, especially for young people. With falling prices and increasing
functionality, however, it is virtually certain that not too far in the future all of the world's
students will have a smartphone. This is sufficient reason and motivation for educators to
explore the possibility of making the smartphone an important tool in the educational
Background
or satellite transmissions. Most mobile phones provide voice communications, Short Message
Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), and newer phones may also provide
Internet services such as Web browsing, instant messaging capabilities and e-mail. Here in the
Philippines, the most common usage of cellphone are SMS and making calls, and sometimes
taking photos.
A smartphone is considered to be the evolution of cellular phone, with a bigger focus on the
cellular phone part. These handheld devices integrate mobile phone capabilities with the
smartphone's features are usually more oriented towards mobile phone options than the
desktop computer-like features. There is no industry standard for what defines a smartphone,
so any mobile device that has more than basic cellphone capabilities can actually be filed
This paper will discuss why the usage of smartphone should be maximized inside the
classroom.
Debates
In the past, mobile phones were mostly about making phone calls. They had a number pad, a
digital phone book and a pick-up/hang-up button and not much more. Now smartphones
offer so much more – they’re really fully-fledged computers that you can fit in your pocket.
They can run programs and games, access the internet, send email and much more. Nearly all
smartphones now use touchscreen controls. Instead of having hardware buttons like before,
one side of the phone is taken up mostly by a touchscreen that you control using taps and
gestures. There aren’t even any number buttons; when you want to make a call, a number
pad will pop up on the touchscreen. Becoming familiar with a smartphone can take a little bit
of practice. But when you do become familiar with it, you’ll find that a smartphone can do
Smartphones has a lot of educational applications that can be used inside the classroom that
could be used by both the teachers and the students. Just as students are no longer tethered
to textbooks (in most formal education settings), apps that are strictly didactic–designed to
promote academic proficiency and foundational fluency–are often the first that parents and
teachers reach for when looking for something “constructive.” But the reality is, the 21st
century is as much about finding, evaluating, managing, sharing, and curating information as
scaffolded problems.
In that context, what are often thought of as “productivity apps” are not only “educational,”
Also, note at the bottom at each app are upvote and downvote buttons–quick feedback for
additional data on what others think. Thus, a teacher can evaluate if the application is useful
or not.
In relation to this, Joe Mecca published Seven Reasons Why Students Should be Allowed to
1. In Preparation for a Real-World Job. Most working people benefit from having their cell
phones on them. They can access their email, call clients, check inventory, read the news, use
software applications, and more. Students need to learn how to use their cell phones
responsibly.
2. To Teach Responsibility. Students know they shouldn’t use their cell phones in school to
play Angry Birds, or listen to music, or text their friends about the quiz they just took. Phones
and tablets should be used responsibly and for educational purposes. Students could do
research for English papers, or download an app that provides extra information on one of
the chemical elements in the periodic table. When necessary, teachers could combat cheating
by making students put their phones on “airplane mode” or any mode that will not allow them
to send/receive any messages or use the Internet. Whenever there is a test, teachers can
make students put their mobile devices in the front of the classroom until the test is over.
3. To Avoid Double Standards. Administrators often take notes on their phones as part of
teacher observations. Some teachers, coaches, and counselors use their cell phones in school
settings, too. It may not be permitted, but they are allowed to do so without the same
4. In Case of Emergency. If a student forgot his homework or calculator on the day of a calculus
test, he could call his parents and ask them to bring it to school without causing a scene. In
more serious emergencies, like a school threat or shooting, cell phones could help students
subjects (like astronomy, science, or anatomy) that can assist visual learners and/or students
who have dyslexia. Tablets offer the same services, but may provide a better user experience
6. To Make Detention More Bearable. All students dread detention, and skipping it only gets
them in further trouble. Why not give students an incentive to attend? Teachers can place a
cell phone charging station at the front of the classroom, allowing students to recharge their
phones while they’re busy with homework. The M8 Mobile Charging Station (shown below)
is a perfect solution. This prevents students from using their cell phones during punishment
and makes them feel comfortable knowing their precious lifelines will be charged after
King, and Ed Diener found that happiness causes success. Therefore, if we keep students,
grades k-12, happy they will be more willing to learn, more productive, and more likely to
Furthermore, Smartphones gives benefits galore for school work. According to Marcus A.
Hennesy, smartphones give students a wealth of creative options to enhance the classroom
experience, including:
Access to e-mail
Apps like ResponseWare that convert smartphones into classroom “clickers” that can
Recording lectures with Voice Memo and other third-party note-taking apps
Usage of smartphone also helps coping with distracted and disengaged students. Sam Evans-
Brown recently posted an excellent blog about smartphones in class on the NPR “All Tech
Considered” page. In it, teachers say that if students are actively engaged in class, they’re
much less apt to search for other things on their phones. Also, if you designate a time when
kids can text at will, they’re disinclined to conduct “pocket texting” or “sweatshirt texting”
during lessons.
According to one teacher Evans-Brown interviewed, emphasizing good digital citizenship goes
a long way towards discouraging cyberbullying and the posting of embarrassing content.
Conclusion
Therefore, I conclude that maximizing the usage of smartphone will truly helps the students
in his/her education. By simply taking photos of the lectures on the board is a big help for
students. As a teacher we should know the full capability of a smartphone. We should know
how to use the smartphone, that every student has, in our lessons.
Allowing mobile technology in class has an "inevitable march of progress" feel to it, like when
calculators were first allowed. And in classrooms around the country, this change is already
occurring.
If educators teach respectful and appropriate use of technology in the classroom and use it
to build their skills as well, the future of education technology looks bright.
References
Hennessy, Marcus. Using Smartphones (and other PDAs) in Class: These Days, it’s Cool from
http://lessonplanspage.com/using-smartphones-and-other-pdas-in-class-these-days-its-
cool/
Brown-Evans, Sam. 2012. Some Schools Actually Want Students To Play With Their
Smartphones In Class from
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2012/10/03/162148883/some-schools-
actually-want-students-to-play-with-their-smartphones-in-class
Beal, Vangie. 2008. The Difference Between a Cell Phone, Smartphone and PDA from
https://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/smartphone_cellphone_pd
a.asp
Ramos, Angelo. 2007. Uses of the Cell Phone for Education in the Philippines and Mongolia
from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01587910701439266?scroll=top&needAcce
ss=true
Teaching Thought Staff. 2016. 61 Educational Apps For The 21st Century Student from
https://www.teachthought.com/technology/61-educational-apps-for-the-21st-century-
student/