Should students' be allowed to utilize mobile devices in the classroom? If you ask me, I think that the question is a little to vague and could have multiple answers depending on the situation. Using cellphones in the classroom could have it's pros and cons. I think that if you set particular times for when to use them they could work efficiently but if you allow your students' to use them anytime throughout the day then it could lead to a lack in education. When using computers for certain classroom activities, there should be an option to use cell phones for different research and educational games as well. Another reason that I think using cell phones in the classroom would be beneficial is because it could be used to contact others for emergency reasons. However, with those being said I also think that using cell phones in the classroom could lead to negative effects as well. Using cell phones during class could lead to distractions as well as other safety regulations. Although the students' may not mean any harm it could lead to situations that may not be the best. Another con of using cell phones in class is that it could cause a lack of communication between students as well as the teacher. Learning in schools should be spent wisely and include a lot of hands on and group activities. I personally think that cell phones being used for education reasons outside of class would be beneficial because students' can communicate with each other and the teacher outside of class but using cell phones during class could lead to many other negative factors if they are not controlled and being regulated.
Most students may have heard their teacher say in school, "Do not use Wikipedia as a source". However, I think that Wikipedia should be allowed as a tool in education.Wikipedia has its pros and cons, but I think that it could be an efficient tool in the classroom if other sources are involved with it as well. This website displays overall information on a topic, but for students to use this source on assignments they should have more details and background information on the topics that they are researching.
The advantages of students using Wikipedia is that it is used as a quick source to get exact information from. Another advantage of using Wikipedia is that it consists of various information. Today, you can go on to Wikipedia, type any subject or word you would like to know about, and it will instantaneously provide the information needed in a clear, understanding, manner. When the information needed appears on screen, you can then see many other links that are related to the particular topic. Wikipedia is also becoming more popular because it provides many different languages which causes it to have a higher advantage over many other sources.
A disadvantage that may come with the use of wikipedia in the classroom is that it may not always contain accurate information. Wikipedia pages have atually been known to be inconsistent, containing false information along with the actual facts. According to onlinelearningtips.com, " I can click the "Edit this Page" tab in Wikipedia and change an entry I'm searching on however I chooose". Therefore, if you are going to use Wikipedia as a tool to gain information from, make sure that you atleast use two other sources that contain the same information. Another disadvantage when students are using Wikipedia is that it does not contain all the sources necessary for certain assignments. Wikipedia is an overview of information, however, students that are doing an essay or any other project may need to include more details and sources.
Sources:
"Why You Shouldn’t Use Wikipedia for Research." Online Learning Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 July 2016
