Into the Driver's Seat

With effective monitoring, mobile devices can be integrated into courses and classroom time

From my point of view, personal devices such cell phones, tablets, ipads, among others, can be a huge risk if we allow students to use them in the classroom. However, it is also true that we as teachers should try to find useful ways to incorporate these potential resources into our lessons if we want to increase learner involvement and motivation while at the same time improving time management, teacher-student interaction, meaningful learning and real-time provision of feedback. 

One of the most common expressions that I use to listen to nowadays is "put your cellphone away". Many teacher deal in their daily basis with students distracted by their phones and most of time they take desperate actions towards this situations which leads to a rough environment and affects the atmosphere of the classroom. In fact, one need we have in this current days is that of creating students perception towards the use of this devices which is not  a short way to walk but neither impossible. Providing the conditions and raising awareness about other possible uses into the classroom as well as raising curiosity to what is happening in the classroom will increase the possibilities of obtaining better behaviors in terms of technology. Our task then is to start thinking of strategies to implement since the very basis of the students academic life.