Essay

Some people believe that using cell phone in the classroom can be beneficial, while other people disagree. The purpose of this essay is presenting both positions about the use of cell phones in the classroom, which can be an ally or harmful to academic development and learning.

The people in favor of cell phone use in classrooms say that we can not deny that technology is already part of us. Therefore, what we should do is take advantage of it as a tool, because this has been the case with all the technologies that have been incorporated into the educational process.

Also, it is important to point out that teachers have been trained about the use of apps and social networks, so that they can be a step ahead and guide students around the use of these media. Likewise, the teacher can channel the use of the resource and take advantage of it in an innovative and creative way. The leading of this process rest upon the teacher and the approach that brings the class so that they can take advantage of it and concentrate attention. Of course there can be distractions but the phone is not a distraction if we see it from a support tool perspective.

 So, we must seek and promote the development of new generations about the use of digital technologies to enhance their learning process, which makes it more dynamic and adapted to their learning, as for example, having mobiles in the classrooms allows greater flexibility to perform connected tasks without needing a computer room. This opens a world of possibilities from the place where the student is: accessing to the documents of the teaching staff, reading the newspaper, consulting and participating in the classroom blog, learning to search, using the dictionary, creating, editing and publishing content from text, audio, image, among others.

 It has also been pointed out that there could be an increase in motivation and participation. The use of mobile phones allows a diverse communication according to the needs of each student, which allows the methodology to be customized according to their needs, as well as the way of work, consultation, etc.

On the other hand, some parents see negatively the option of incorporating mobile devices in the education of their children, as they ensure that these can be detrimental to academic performance. 

 The little control the teacher can have to ensure that students use these devices only in specifically prepared activities would cause a problem and disorder in learning within the classroom. Although there should be a process of adaptation, the levels of attention are not the same, which could be a great distraction. To minimize them, it is important to set standards for the use of the smartphone for all people in the school.

 Likewise, the lack of pedagogical objectives causes this to be one of the greatest challenges for teachers 

in the introduction of a new tool within a programming and a methodology. Also, for the inappropriate

uses of the cell phone, such as cyberbullying, negative publications on documents in social networks, etc.

In conclusion, and upon the previously exposed background, we propose that instead of prohibiting the 
use of cell phones in students, we should look for alternatives for teachers to convert this resource into a 
tool that supports learning in the classroom. After all, it is not possible to exclude the use of such
technologies, specially in the context of a society with a fast scientific and electronical development, 
which leads to the massification of mobile phones an all kinds of electronic gadgets, along the use of this
in diary activities.