Should cell phones be used in learning?

My answer to the above question is absolutely not.  Although cell phones have become a big part of our lifestyle, they do not have a place in the classroom.  It is easy to come up with three reasons why cell phones should not be used in school after being in the classroom for the past ten weeks.

1.  Cell phones are a distraction.  Students are constantly tring to get away with texting friends while they are in class.  Many students are obsessed with their phones and continually look at them when they are supposed to be working in class.  It is hard enough to keep teenagers focused on the content they are supposed to be learning without having to compete with people who they would rather talk to that are readily available through their phones. 

2.  Cell phones create a medium for both instant and constant communication.  In a school building, this can create problems.  At the school where I am currently teaching, bullying among students is a major concern.  Cell phones can add to this problem.  When I was in middle school and high school, students would pass notes back and forth to each other.  Now it is even easier to make comments about people or engage in petty fights with other students via text message during school.  I have overheard several instances of things like this happpening at our school.  Emotional situations created by text message are a negative influence on the student and those around them.

3.  Cell phones are too hard to monitor and control.  Since cell phones are personal items, teachers and staff can not directly address a situation that takes place through a cell phone.  If teachers try to use a cell phone as a part of a lesson, how can they be sure that students will not be playing a game, texting, etc.?  It is inevitable that students will abuse the priviledge since they know teachers can not directly see what they are doing on the phone.

While it would be great to utilize cell phone technoloy in the classroom, there are too many negative factors that prevent it from being effective.

Value of Peer Review

Peer reviewing another classmate can be very beneficial.  The assignment allows you to put yourself in the position of the co-operating teacher or supervisor.  This can be helpful because you begin to get a better picture of what they are looking for in a good lesson.  The assignment also allows us to see what our classmates classrooms look like, the resources that they have available, and how they are progressing as teachers.  It has been interesting to witness the improvement of my classmates over the past two semesters.  We have all made great strides since our very first lesson in Instructional Strategies.  Peer review also can give us good ideas that we can use in our own classroom.
Sometimes, peer review can be difficult.  You do not want to be too critical or hurt a classmate's feelings.  However, if you remember to keep feedback constructive and  professional it is usually not a problem.  It also helps to mention positive things along with things that can be improved upon.
Peer review can benefit students when used correctly in the classroom.  They must learn to use the same skills as I mentioned in the above paragraph.  Students must learn to give constructive criticism while still remaining respectful of their peers.  It is a necessary skill to learn in preparation for future education and jobs.  Students will be both on the receiving and giving end of peer review throughout their life.  The classroom is a good place to start preparing for that challenge.