Use Technology to Teach

     I just had the chance to view a youtube video about paying attention to your students.  The video gives some statistics that may shock teachers.  The average college graduate has spent over 10,000 hours playing video games, 10,000 hours using a cell phone, and 20,000 hours watching television. 
     But what do teachers do in school? We do not allow cell phones, iPods, or other technological advances in our classrooms.  This is a mistake.  Instead of banning technology, we should let students use it to create in the classroom.  Technology can be used to write, research, and learn about many different topics. 
     I know it seems surprising and possibly detrimental but the use of cell phones in the classroom may be the future of teaching.  I have already heard of schools that use cell phones in some advanced classes as sort of clickers for students to buzz into their answers.  This saves the school money on buying clickers and gets the students interested in the class because they can use their cell phones (for an education reason, of course).  This has to be done with great effort though in order to prevent students from using their phones for texting or other uses.
     In my student teaching experiences, many students asked me if they could listen to their iPods while working and as much as I know this may have helped them I had to say no due to the school's policy on iPod use.  Personally, listening to music helps me relax and do my work, so why can't my students do the same thing?  There is no good answer to this.  If the students are working and learning then let them use their technology as a tool, not as a hinderance.

Summing up, technology such as the internet, phones, and iPods need to be used in the classroom instead of prohibited, as they can greatly help students learn while not being a distraction!