Cell Phones in the Classroom

Cell phones. I use them, I cannot lie, and sometimes I commit the same offense that I am going complain about, but I can go days with out it, I can go days without recieving or sending a text. I'm begining to get more and more frustrated with them. I cannot have a normal conversation with a someone with out feeling ignored because they are answering a text message WHILE I AM TALKING TO THEM! then, after finishing reading and sending a text, they say, "Sorry, what was that?" My response is usually, "Nevermind, not imortant." When really I'm screaming in my head, "If you weren't TEXTING you would have heard me the first time!" Then I get hated on because, I am unable to simply hear someone because, they are mumbling, or talk too softly for my ears to hear. If we all would communicate with people with our voices then maybe we wouldn't be such poor speakers. But what do I know.
I do enjoy the comfort that cell phones bring. Whether I'm in the car driving a long distance, or the fact that I can use it to not feel awkward in certain situations where, heaven forebid, I'm sitting/standing alone waiting for someone. They are handy and helpful and clever and useful, however, life can go on without them. Again, what do I know.
So, cell phones in the classroom. Can that happen? Can it happen without students becoming too comfertable with using them during class for other tasks than what the teacher intends them to be used? Hard to say, I guess you never know until you try.
Cell phones are being used in some schools as a cheaper alternative to clickers for things such as polls that can be used to answer questions to tests, and for other uses that will make the students more equipped for the global community. I believe that students are going to learn how to be more equipped for the global community from their own experiments and testing, I think that students know more about technology than the teachers, and therefore, the teachers may be wasting their breath "teaching" them new things that a certain technology tool can do. Teachers can use their IMAGINATION to teach new and innovative ideas to the class. Technological devices can help in many ways but should never ever be the main focus for any lesson, students are able to learn just as well with or without the technology. I think that sometimes teachers rely too much on the new things that may keep a student engaged in the lesson, when really a simple lesson without technology could be as exciting as a lesson with the latest tech tool in the school. Don't get me wrong, I do agree that technology is necessary to have these days, and there is no way to avoid the fact that they are helpful for some students and it is necessary to teach students with the new technology. However, students are still able to learn with or without the technology that some teachers rely too heavily on.
Give students a chance, let them think for their own. The teacher that can incorporate technology and common thinking strategies will be one to keep around. Let students be creative with no limitations, if thier creative ideas can expand with technology, let them work with technology, if their creative ideas work with pencil, paper, and crayons, let them work with pencil, paper, and crayons.

Images used with permission from Iowa AEA - AP Images.