Resistance is Futile

Whenever I hear "resistance is futile" I always think of Star Trek the Next Generation and the crew's challenging fight with the Borg, an intelligence linked entity where the individual consciousness is lost in the collective consciousness. Framing the idea of successfully using smartphones in the classroom around Captain Picard and the Borg is a bit dramatic, but we must face facts; technology is a part of the educational process and will continue to integrate student learning with student achievement as long as research shows positive gains. Most schools have some sort of technology available for student usage; laptops or tablets. Why replace what is working with smartphones? Think about this, how many times you have observed a student, especially from 6th grade and up, and noticed if they had a phone. According to Pew Research 78% of teens have phones with 47% having smartphones. That is up from 23% of teens having a smartphone in 2011. Let's set aside the issue of access to a smartphone and the Internet, both important issues. The work around for access is currently resolved with one to one laptop programs in schools; let's assume the same for smartphones.
According to Edudemic students who use smartphones to study actually spend more time studying than a nonsmartphone user and use many apps that aid their endeavor. Some of the most used apps are included on the phone; calculator, camera, notepad and email. Free apps abound and our students, being digital natives have found resources on their own that help them study. If students are already using their preferred device to enhance their learning, we should be listening. If a student is more motivated and engaged with learning we should be doing somersaults and supporting them in any way we can. What's the disconnect? Smartphones are mini computers with many ways to communicate. Talking on the phone has given way to texting; an activity that can be done in silence and from the inside of a backpack or pocket. That is part of the issue, it is assumed that if students have access to smartphones in the classroom they will be texting or communicating during class instead of paying attention. This is a real possibility, as is instant messaging or being on Facebook during class if you attend a one to one laptop school. Some students are already texting in class, to control this behavior schools have gone the gamut from forbidding phones in school to leaving the usage up to the classroom teacher. The problem with smartphones is not the device but the stigma associated with the 'phone' part of a smartphone. This seems to be an adult problem, not a student one. Students have already incorporated the device that is an integral part of their life into the school part of their life. This is evidence of the gap between digital natives (students) and digital immigrants (adults).
If educators were presented with a technology that is supported by research and can motive, engage and increase learning what would be their response? They would want to incorporate this technology if at all possible because we are all headed toward the same goal. The digital natives know the lay of the land and have pointed the way. As digital immigrants we would be wise to look at their road map as we try to navigate the technological future we share.

References:

Dunn, J. (2012, August 9). The 60-Second Guide To Smartphones In Education. Edudemic. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from http://www.edudemic.com/the-60-second-guide-to-smartphones-in-education/

Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Duggan, M., Cortesi, S., & Gasser, U. (2013, March 13). Teens and Technology 2013. Pew Research Centers Internet  American Life Project RSS. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/03/13/teens-and-technology-2013/