We all know how popular smartphones are these days and we've heard of college professor and some high school teachers embracing the use of them with their students, but have you heard of colleges giving their incoming freshmen free smartphones? Well, that is what Seton Hall University is trying. Ryan Lytle detailed the initiative in his article "Free Cell Phones for College Students." The goals are that freshmen will be able to connect with each other and their teachers, that they will stay engaged in school from wherever they happen to be, and that they can be taught how to use the phones professionally and productively. Because students are so familiar with using smartphones, the school's vice president thinks that having them for educational purposes is a great way to keep the learners engaged. While college instructors have mixed feelings about smartphones in the classroom, many teachers are using it to their advantage in helping students connect with the real world and engage in more meaningful learning.
I just wonder if the phones will then be used strictly for educational purposes or if students are allowed to conduct all of their "personal" business on them as well. Will students no longer go to college with their own cell phones? Do you think this type of initiative will take off among other colleges?
I worry that this is a way for colleges to raise their tuition. I think laptops are a better resource than smartphones. Free wi fi would keep everyone connected.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn,
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting concept. It can prove to be useful, but I'm afraid there could be restrictions on the cell phone usage that could discourage kids from using the free cell phones for personal use. I remember when I started college everybody was excited because the credit card company set up a booth and handed out credit cards to everybody. There were some problems with kids understanding how to use credit cards properly and a lot of 3rd party spam was included. I know that is comparing apples to oranges, but I hope the free cell phones are useful. It will be interesting to see how this works out. Personally, I like Kim's comment above about the laptops instead. Thanks for sharing~
~Kate