John Cloud misses the main problem of bringing cell phones to class [in “9 Gadgets Go to Class”]. It isn’t cheating (he mentions this); it’s distraction. I’ve caught my best students in my top A.P. classes using cell phones to check Facebook, play games, text, and yes, occasionally cheat. For most students, allowing them to go to school with cell phones is giving them a great alternative to paying attention in class. Technology is wonderful, but if I had an app teaching about mitochondria, my main job as a classroom manager would be to stop students from going back and forth between that and Twitter.
Rebecca Zarza, Mukilteo, WA