It comes as no surprise that students all across the United States use their smartphones to help them complete school assignments. In fact, many teachers and schools encourage the use of mobile gadgets because they serve as a vast resource of information and data. Whether you’re a teacher or a student, it’s important to understand just how versatile smartphones are for school activities. Here’s a closer look at the top six ways your school and its students should merge smartphones into the learning environment.
Foster Excellent Communication
Image via Flickr by garryknight
When it comes to staying in touch with students and teachers, smartphones bring many advantages to the communication frontier. Teachers who give out their cell phone numbers to students should sign a contract stating that no improper communication will take place. A great solution to this type of issue is to use a messaging and voice app that records all communications taking place between students and teachers, such as Google Voice.
Students and teachers can also use their smartphones to can take part in video conferences, instant message conversations, social media discussions, and much more, all of which can be used to enhance the learning experience. Furthermore, smartphones can be used to share information, such as making social media postings about current topics being discussed in class.
Help Students Complete Assignments
Did you know that an Android smartphone can be used to create Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and other media? Students can easily complete many of their assignments right from the comfort of their phones. Best of all, the information can be synced with the students’ other mobile devices and computers, making it extremely simple to complete an assignment on a phone and then print it out via a laptop or computer. Or, if the student prefers, he or she can connect a smartphone to a printer via a wireless connection.
Allow Students to Take Tests at Home
What happens when teachers send their students home with tests or exams? Many times, a student will come back and say the test somehow got lost. When sending home students to take exams on their smartphones, however, it becomes a cinch to access and complete the tests. Teachers can even set the exams up so that students have only a certain amount of time to complete them, which simplifies carrying out timed tests.
Students who must miss school due to illness or injury can also take advantage of this policy. Take-home tests keep homebound students caught up on their lessons.
Provide Instant Access to Many Resources
From calculators to thesauruses, dictionaries, and even translators, smartphones offer instant access to a vast online world of resources. Even if students don’t have mobile access to Internet data on their phones, they can use WiFi to access the Internet. They can also use WiFi to download apps and information that can be viewed offline. If you’re looking for a phone that provides optimal mobile data capabilities, consider the 4G LTE capable Galaxy S6. The fast, reliable T-Mobile network provided with the Galaxy S6 makes it an ideal choice for any student that wants a signal they can rely on.
Serve as Textbooks
Image via Flickr by Rafiq Phillips
Did you know that entire textbooks can be downloaded to a smartphone? Gone are the days of having to drag around heavy books from one class to another. Students may even find that they are able to save money by sharing textbooks with one another on their smartphones. If students don’t like reading the digital textbooks due to small screen sizes, they can easily sync the books to their computers and tablets, which boast larger displays.
Record Lectures for Playback
Years ago, students carried bulky recorders to lectures so they could listen to them later. Nowadays, however, a student can lay a smartphone on the desk, hit the record button, and then go home later and replay to the parts they didn’t fully understand. This type of technology is especially useful for students who suffer from hearing impairments.
When cell phones first became popular at the turn of the century, they were mostly used to carry out voice calls. Now, however, they are used for numerous other purposes, including educational tasks. Students will do well to remember just how advantageous it is to use their smartphones in the classroom.
The post Smart Ways Students Can Use Their Smartphones appeared first on Smashing Buzz.