The New Normal Is Cell Phones in the Classroom

Abstract

This chapter seeks to compare and contrast a classroom without student cell phone use in 2000 to the ubiquitous use of cell phones in today's classroom and society. Cell phone use and how to include them in today's classroom is a hot topic in school systems and teacher education programs in America and therefore relevant to establishing instructional guidelines for cell phone inclusion in the classroom. The author will share lived classroom experience in the 20 years from cell phone infancy to usage by more than 90% of students in today's classroom. The author will share effective use of cell phones in the classroom and pitfalls to allowing cell phones in the class without a well-planned instruction basis for cell phone use.