A survey method, using a likert scale will be used to measure the responses to the following questions. Also includes will be pie charts, for visual illustration.

 A :Students should be allowed to use their phone for educational purposes during school hours

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

B: Allowing students to have smartphones in school, will only create further burdens, such as texting and using their phones to call friends in my classroom.

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

 C: It would be helpful, if students could have their textbooks downloaded to their phones, since JCPS text books are not allowed to be taken out of the building

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

D: I would allow my students to use their smartphone device to surf the internet for scholarly purposes

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

E: Allowing students to use their smartphone in school to web search, would actually increase student engagement:

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

  F: At one time or another, I have allowed students to use their phones in school scholarly activity:

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

G: If the school could guarantee they could block social media, and inappropriate material, I would be in favor of smart phone devices in my school:

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

H:  Our school district’s Information Service Department is sophisticated enough to block inappropriate signals being accessed via internet within our building:

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

As previously mentioned, the study I am conducting is a survey to analyze teacher readiness to integrate mobile phones in the classroom.  Its purpose is to challenge their perception of this as an effective learning tool, and to increase awareness of it being a nominal, if any, interference to classroom order, and evolving into an instrument of student centered learning.

The survey method was chosen, since I was not going to break it down to pure quantitative analysis regarding gender, age and years of experience, opting rather for a simple Likert Scale from high to low, which in reality is a survey resembling Likert then actually being a true Likert.

Thus, it is a qualitative study, which has quantitative conclusions.  There is not enough variance amongst age and gender, to make the study any more complex. The predominate demographic is female, with an equal mix of middle age to young.

Knowing this demographic, according to previous studies tend to be in favor of smart phone integration, I wanted to see what barriers at Cane Run Elementary would impact them either positive or negatively. 

Therefore, a simple mean, median and mode with bar graphs will be the instrument of measurement.

http://www.polleverywhere.com

Teaching Programming with your phone

The President is getting on board with smartphones in the schools, as an instrument that can be used to teach programming code.  The website President Obama is endorsing is code.org, but below is an example of another website to, that is also implementing and expounding about the use of smart phone devices as an education tool.

This is exciting for me, as it is personally related to the topic of my research, regarding teacher readiness for using smart phone devices as an education tool.

http://csedweek.org/educate/hoc

http://code.org/educate

Here are my survey questions. I started getting people today to fill them out, and leave them in my mailbox.

Dear Education Professional:

My name is Anthony Anderson (Tony), and a Graduate Student from Georgetown College Kentucky. The following survey, regards the use of Smart Phones in the classroom, and your participation will be most appreciated. It is not necessary for you to put your name on the survey, and if you choose not to participate, simply do not return the questionnaire. It will be assumed you opted out of participation. In addition, the grade level you teach is not relevant to this survey, but your opinion as a teaching professional and education expert, is of great value for this research.  

Please be advised that by participating in this survey, you are giving your expressed permission to participate. (Please note, the word phone, refers to digital phones, such as Iphones and Droids, with graphical touch screens).

If you are a one who teaches younger students, please try to think as if you are teaching more advanced grade levels.

Students should be allowed to use their phone for educational purposes during school hours

(Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

Allowing students to have smartphones in school, will only create further burdens, such as texting and using their phones to call friends in my classroom.

(Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

It would be helpful, if students could have their textbooks downloaded to their phones, since JCPS text books are not allowed to be taken out of the building

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

I would allow my students to use their smartphone device to surf the internet for scholarly purposes (Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

Allowing students to use their smartphone in school to web search, would actually increase student engagement: (Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

The camera application on phones, for example, is a great way for students to take pictures of needed notes: (Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

The video recording application, for example, on a smartphones is a great way to aid students with recalling needed information: (Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

At one time or another, I have allowed students to use their phones in school scholarly activity: (Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

The best grade to begin using smart phones in school, for scholarly purposes is:

(Circle one answer)

1          2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10        11        12

If the school could guarantee they could block social media, and inappropriate material, I would be in favor of smart phone devices in my school: (Circle one answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

Our school district’s Information Service Department is sophisticated enough to block inappropriate signals being accessed via internet within our building: (Circle your answer)

Strongly Agree            Agree              Neutral            Disagree           Strongly Disagree

Cell Phones in the Class Room

For a long time we as Teachers and Instructors have been dealing with the dilemma of students who bring their phones into the class room. There is no one solution to fit all, it will vary from school to school, and class to class, hence their is a degree of fluidity with this research. It is not a simple concrete yes of no outcome. But what if we can find a way, to determine if such phones, that have web access could be used for education? What if we had a form to determine both the teachers attitudes and practicality of such devices within their curriculum?

The research that I proposed to the IRB would perform exactly that function. It would enable the teacher, to set guidelines and standards for what is appropriate usage and what is not. It would also help a teacher to make up their mind and determine if their policy is to simply turn all phones off.

It allows the teacher to explore if they've allowed students to use phones in the class, for educational purposes. It examines how many have done this, and finally it examines what pitfalls exist that would have an impact on their comfort level.

It is a qualitative survey, the uses a Likert Scale, and quantitative results from these findings. There is no denial that there will be pitfalls with this approach, however, many of these could be addressed as the need arises. Other realities are going to impact the outcome, ranging from apathy to thechphobia.