Jack Tessier Believes

Everyone owns a smartphone. In today’s world of technology, we are giving smartphones to younger and younger children. But children are not being taught how to use their smartphones for success. Smartphones need to be used as a learning tool in the classroom because students need to learn how to use their devices for success.

If you were to sit in a classroom today and watch the students, whether in college, high school, or even grade school you would witness many of the students peeking at their phones.

Dr. Muhammad Anshari a researcher at the school of Business and Economics at the University of Brunei Darussalam in Asia conducted a study on how students used their phones for schoolwork. Along with his colleagues, Anshari conducted surveys and interviews. Anshari found that majority of the students in our survey access the Internet by using their smartphones. In contrast, 20% of the respondents stated they most access the Internet from their personal computers. Hence, it would be reasonable to consider that smartphones can be used to support learning (Anshari 3070). Anshari and his colleagues found that most students bring their phones into the classroom with them, even if it is against the rules. Their findings showed that more than half of the students already use their phones for internet searches whether it be for research or entertainment. We need to implement smartphones into the classroom and have students actively using them to learn, they will not only learn how to use the phones for success but also learn how to use them responsibly.

Robert Sterner, a teacher and computer software developer uses smartphones in his classroom and demonstrates that smartphones can be successfully used as a learning aid. He wrote the article “4 Things You’ll Miss by Banning Cell Phones in Your Classroom. Sterner allows his students to bring their smartphones into the class, because he believes learning willpower is an important part of growing up. Sterner states that “By having a policy that permits students to have and use their cell phones in a responsible manner with consequences for breaking my rules, I’m teaching more than just English. I’m teaching responsibility (Sterner 58). He uses the smartphones as a learning tool and incorporates it into his lesson plans throughout class. Sterner’s classroom and teaching method is a successful example of smartphones being used in the classroom. His teaching method will help students learn how to use their smartphones for success, while also helping them learn to have willpower. Many adults these days do not even have the self-control to keep from using their phones in a distracting way. If we can teach children at a young age how to grow and establish self-discipline. We can help them overcome the procrastination that many of us face today because of our phones. Next, we will take look at what happens when you replace textbooks with smartphones.

Jack Tessier believes that replacing textbooks with smartphones has no effects on students’ grades. His research proves that smartphones can be used in the classroom without affecting grades negatively. Tessier is an expert in the field of teaching and learning and is currently a professor at the University of New York at Delhi. Tessier conducted an experiment on one of his ecology courses and found that when he replaced the textbooks with smartphones, it had no effect on the students’ grades. Tessier’s states that “Scores on quizzes and exams did not go down after eliminating the textbook, and some scores went significantly up (Tessier 49).

In Tessier’s experiment, one semester was taught using only smartphones, no textbooks. The next semester the students used textbooks with no phones. Tessier’s findings are important for the fight to get smartphones into the classroom. Many arguments made against smartphones in classrooms are based on the effects it would have on the students’ grades. Tessier’s findings demonstrate that you can successfully use smartphones in the classroom and not have a negative effect on grades. Assuming that students are not sidetracked and use their phones as intended by the instructor there is no reason why they cannot make good grades. If we can teach students self-control at a young age, they will utilize it all the way through school and on through life.
A study conducted by Beth Humble-Thaden found that smartphones could help students who usually do not interact during class to become more involved. This is yet another reason why smartphones would be beneficial in the classroom.

Humble-Thaden conducted her study using information gathered from surveys given to college freshman. She conducted the surveys to find out what college freshman remembered of high school cell phone rules and how phones could be used as possible teaching aids. It was found that “by implementing the use of cell phones in the classroom, some students may feel a higher level of comfort responding through technology rather than in person (Humble-Thaden 13). Humble-Thaden’s research found that most students who did not interact with the classroom or with their professor would do so if they could with technology. Some students seem to show no interest in school because of their fear and anxiety of dealing with others. Just the mere thought of having to interact with their peers or even just ask their professor/teacher a question can give some anxiety. Assuming students like this had the opportunity to communicate and interact through their smartphones it could help them excel in areas that they would normally struggle in. Smartphones needs to be used in the classroom not only to teach willpower but to also reach those students who seem uninterested in learning or who are too anxious to reach out.

There are many people who believe that smartphones only distract students from learning, but new evidence proves that smartphones can be used successfully. Rory Mcgloin does not think there is enough research done on the use of cellphones in the classroom. He states, “In comparison to the duality of usage that laptops afford, we argue that smartphone usage is more likely to be correlated with engaging in off-task than on-task behaviors (Mcglloin 247). With all new studies being done and the sources presented in this paper we know that if students are taught how to use their cell phones for success and how to use self-control when it comes to smartphones in the classroom the overall outcome will be better grades for many of the students. Even for those who usually struggle to interact in the classroom. Using smartphones in the classroom will lead to having more self-disciplined adults who learned early on the importance of smartphone usage and how to successfully use them without being distracted.

Smartphones need to be used as a learning tool in the classroom because students need to learn how to use their devices for success. Sit in a classroom today and watch the students, you would see many of them peaking at their phones and not paying attention. Robert Sterner’s use of smartphones in his classroom demonstrates that if used correctly smartphones can be successfully used as a learning aid. Jack Tessier replaced textbooks with smartphone as an experiment and found that smartphones can be used in the classroom without affecting grades negatively. Beth Humble-Thaden’s work found that smartphones can help students who usually do not interact during class to become more involved. Even though there are many who believe that smartphones only distract students from learning. We now know that there is evidence that supports smartphones successfully used in the classroom. With parents now giving smartphones to younger and younger children, we need to start teaching children all throughout school how to use their devices for success.

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