Blog #15

Gigi Elshiekh

April 1, 2014

Short Analysis Draft

Texting evolving over time, should it be used in classrooms, will there be a future of texting?

            When beginning to think about how much phones have evolved it is truly amazing. Starting off with the basic flip phone that had a screen and an antenna and transforming to an iPhone and android that come standard with a 10-megapixel camera, makes one realize how far technology has come beyond the years. Back in the day, one did not dream about texting, facebooking, tweeting, or instagramming from their cellphone, let alone use it in a classroom setting. They used it for one thing and one thing only: a phone.

            From the antenna cell phones to iPhones there was instant message and emails evolved in between and many things came as a result of that. So the real question could be, does texting have or should have a place in classrooms today? Although one should not be texting a friend, writing on someone’s Facebook wall, or uploading a picture on instagram in the middle of a lesson, using their phone or iPad for other reasons should not be seen as a bad thing.

            With the way that technology keeps increasing in the real world, it only makes sense to start incorporating technology in the classroom. Now a days students will attempt to text in the classroom even though they know it is wrong and rude. One wise professor had her husband purposely call her on the first day of class and she answered the phone while writing on the board. All of the students looked around confused and annoyed with the professor, but when she got off the phone she explained it was planned and used to make the students realize how rude it is to be on the phone either texting or talking when the professor is lecturing.

            Although students should know not to text in the classroom while the teacher is lecturing, should the students be allowed to use their phones and tablets to take notes and record? Technology today allows for so many advances and those advances should be used in the classrooms as well.  There are so many apps and technology advances in the present day that if they were incorporated and brought into the classrooms they could and would really do students a lot of advantages.

            Teachers now a days see the white and black part of the texting in the classroom, meaning they are really for it or really against it. The important thing is to find the middle and in between. Some teachers would take advantage and have the students use their iPads and phones for everything while some teachers would rather not incorporate any technology in the classroom at all. Seeing the middle area and incorporating technology into lessons should be imperative. The students should not feel as if they can not take full advantage of the technology that is out there for them to use.

            Teachers should be taking workshops, collaborating, and learning how to incorporate texting in the classrooms. Overall it will greatly benefit the students and help them keep up with present day challenges. Studies have shown that students who have teachers that incorporate technology into their lessons have students succeed more in the classroom.