The Case for Texting in the Classroom

Nearly all high school educators have (at some point) had a problem with texting in the classroom.  Due to this, many educators are very hesitant to create an opportunity for students to bring out their phones for class activities.  However, considering the widespread use of this technology, particularly its increased use in business, it may be important for students to be comfortable using this technology in a manner other than personal use. In addition, allowing students to use this technology can also be a great way to increase engagement in the classroom.  The objective of this post is to outline a few ways the technology can be used in the classroom.

The main way I have used texting in the classroom is through www.polleverywhere.com.  PollEverywhere allows teachers to set up poll questions for students to respond to via text message, then posts the results simultaneously on a page which teachers can display via LCD projector or SmartBoard.  Educators can use either multiple choice questions or free-response.  The multiple choice questions are excellent to be used as a Check for Understanding.  The free-response questions can be used well, either as a Warm-Up so students can see the responses of other students, or perhaps post-lecture to gauge students initial responses to the ideas they just heard.  As this is a blog dedicated to discussion, it is important to note that these free response questions as well as the nature of seeing other responses in real-time can do a great thing for increasing student engagement, particularly for those students who need additional wait-time or are shy about participating.  An intro video can also be watched here.



Another way to incorporate texting is for use in a "warm-up" to build engagement or put the topic of the day in perspective.  This can be done by asking students when they enter to text a question to their friends and/or family in order to garner a response.  For instance, in a lesson about the increasing power of the Presidency a teacher could ask students to text someone they know they can get a response from to ask whether they think the President has too much, too little, or just enough power.  The idea being to 1) increase engagement 2) have students get the perspective of "real people" about these issues to frame the discussion.

Bottom Line:  Students love to text, and the importance of the text message continues to grow in areas other than personal use.  Although teachers must set very clear expectations about when texting/cell phones are OK to use in the classroom, limited use of texting for classroom purposes can be an effective tool incorporating technology, increasing engagement, and implementing a new form of discussion in the class.