What happens when the shine is gone? Which shine are we talking about?

Dean posted a great little bit on the use of cellphones the other day and I have say that I agree with everything that he is saying there. I especially agree with the points regarding innovation and engagement and how the novelty of the phone will come to pass. Arguably for many, that stage has already passed by in terms of many technologies that we are trying to bring into schools. But what novelty are we referring to? The novelty of the device or the novelty as to how to use the device?

I’m thinking that for many schools/teachers/instructors/admins, the novelty of the device is still a major “shine” in their eyes. For some it is still blinding and they can’t see any way to make use of it in the classroom. “It’s so new” (being many years old already) or “I never had something like this when I was in school” (many things were not around then, this hasn’t changed in many generations) are common refrains that I hear in my meanderings around the faculty as older instructors can’t get over the physical device. Unfortunately, for the students of some of these instructors, it will take many more years for the shine of the device to wear off enough to allow them to try to focus on how a tool, like a cellphone, might be used in a classroom.

The novelty of using the device however is a different thing entirely. This is something that the students will likely enjoy as they may (with luck) be able to use a tool common to their daily lives in their classes with full permission. Of course this brings into question, what if not every student has a capable device? Isn’t that an access issue? To that, I suggest groups, because there is likely to be enough capable devices to be able to form groups so that each has a device. But back to the novelty for the students… using a ubiquitous piece of technology to explore their world and relating that world to their classwork is what many instructors dream of – making the connections and transferring knowledge, showing that the classroom does not in fact have walls and end with an audible (or in audible) bell at some given time.  Using a phone in this manner will generate novelty through world is always changing and novelty is engaging. This is a shine that I don’t see wearing off any time soon.

Some things to think about… but before we get students to this stage of engagement… how do we ensure buy in, how do we explain that their world does have a relevant connection to the classroom? Bigger questions…