Since smartphones came to our lives, they have revolutionized the way we communicate, learn and behave with each other. Having a super computer that fits right into our pocket gives us permanent access to lots of data, which can be really useful, but also overwhelming.

That’s the main concern of teachers when they consider the possibility of using smartphones in their classroom daily activity: smartphones can become a powerful ally to draw the pupils’ attention; but it can also be a dangerous distraction for those students who can easily lose interest.

How can teachers encourage the academic use of smartphones?

Some schools and teachers might have serious doubts about letting students use their smartphones during class, but we believe that it brings more opportunities than risks. We have some tips that will help you implement this new tool in class.

Change the classroom dynamic

Forget the traditional lesson method, where the teacher stands in front of the class, giving a lecture to the students, and they only have to listen. If you introduce the smartphones in these kinds of classroom, the logical consequence will be that students will stop listening to the teacher, and start using their devices to chat with others, view content on Youtube or play games.

Instead of that, give your students an assignment that can be done via their smartphones, and walk around the classroom, answering to all their questions, and encouraging them to get the task done. That way they will feel empowered and motivated to do the task, and you can make sure all of them are using their devices for educational purposes only.

Have students use productivity apps

There are lots of productivity apps in the market that can be used by students to keep track of their homework. Teach them to use these apps, or you can even set up a gamification system, where the student who uses these apps the most will get a reward (i.e. go to school break sooner).

Test students via smartphone

Exams can be horrifying for students, but performing them on their beloved smartphones might be more attractive to them.  

You can also send your students polls, to gather their opinion on the classroom activities, and letting them decide on the order or type of content of the curricular activities. Letting them decide on some aspects of daily class routine will make them more involved and motivated during lessons.

Let them listen to music

There are some moments when you need all of your students to remain silent whilst doing their assignments. Why not letting them use their smartphones and earphones to listen to some music while they’re at it? As long as the music is not too loud, allowing them to listen to their favourite music will keep them happy and focused on their task.

Allowing students to use their smartphones during class might seem risky, but it is our duty to find a way to implement them without causing distractions. If us, as educators, failed to do so, we would be failing our kids by not adequately preparing them for the world that awaits them once they leave school.