How many of us find ourselves battling with teenagers who can’t peel themselves away from their devices or feel frustrated when an adult student checks their phone during class?
Should mobile phones be banned from our classrooms?
If we can’t change the habits of our students, why not meet them in the middle with some clever ways of using mobile phones in class to aid their learning?
This is just what Kat Robb, Trinity Dip. TESOL graduate and presenter at our recent free teacher workshops at our centre in Barcelona, set out to do. During this workshop, which took place on February 27th, attendees discussed their inhibitions and reluctance to use mobile phones in class, which were namely due to their concerns about it being a distraction.
This workshop was not only about helping students to learn a language using mobile phones, but also about giving confidence to teachers to bring phones into the classroom dynamic.
Some of the topics covered were audio and podcasts, creating and viewing video, using pictures, reading and writing activities and using the phone as realia. Take a look at the following video to see a few clips from the workshop with an introduction from Kat.
To find out more about Kat, visit her blog English and Tech which specializes in using technology in the classroom. If you are interested in attending our workshops in Barcelona or receiving news and special offers from Oxford TEFL, sign up to our newsletter or “like” our Facebook page.
During one activity, attendees created a short video in the same way that a student might. Take a look at the videos below to see some examples from the workshop.
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