Week 6- Post 1- Taryn

I know we're supposed to be summing up here, but I've still got some random stuff to say before I quit typing. SPEAKING of cell phones...technology in the classroom is obviously a huge issue today. The other day I was introduced to a SmartBoard and fell in love. They are AMAZING; if you haven't seen one, ask your cooperating teacher to show you one if they have them at your school. Unfortunately, English departments aren't generally very big in the tech department, and SmartBoards haven't changed that. (I had to go to the math room to check it out.) Although I'd have to agree that technology in the classroom is mostly beneficial, there's one area where it's questionable. That area = cell phones.

After having this incident occur in the classroom of my cooperating teacher, I remembered that it had happened in my classroom last year as well. Last semester, I wrote this in my reflective journal for Melanie's class:
"My designated teacher, Ms. Whitcombe, was teaching in front of the class when I heard a high pitched noise coming from one of the student’s backpacks. Although I’m assuming that everyone heard it, most of the students ignored the pitch until it was silenced by the student who owned the cell phone. I was shocked though, that Ms. Whitcombe didn’t say anything. I saw the student punch a few keys on his phone, hiding his hands behind his backpack, and then put it back inside, only to hear the high pitched noise coming from another student’s pocket, who silenced the noise and repeated the process. Baffled by my teacher’s lack of action, I told the student sitting near me to keep his phone off and put it back in his backpack. After my confusion that day, I explained the story to one of my friends, and only then understood the use of the “mosquito” ring tone. Apparently it is something that even college students use, although I haven’t ever heard one go off in class."

Welcome all, to the perks of cell phone technology. Here's the site where you can test the ringtone and see if you can hear it: http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/. Overall, I'm not sure how we can control something that we don't know is going on. I think the best solution here would be to have a policy on cell phone use in the classroom and stick to it. Watch for weird behavior and be aware as to what's going on in your classroom. By simply keeping myself up to date and aware of these technologies, I will have a better chance of preventing their misuse in my classroom. But seriously- who is coming up with this crud that old people can't hear?! How unfair!!!