Words: 981
Topic: Mobile phones are a necessary tool for education. Discuss Mobile phones are the communication device that can connect people with others in any places. Students nowadays rely on mobile phones as their communication devices with friends and parents. Some of them think mobile phones as a learning tool. Are they really essential as a learning tool? This essay will argue that mobile phones are a necessary tool for education but also they are not necessary tool for education. Firstly, it will explain why mobile phones are a necessary tool for education. Then it will explain why they are not.
First of all, Mobile phones are a learning tool. Beside teachers who are teaching students in classroom with math, science and English, the mobile phones have the abilities to do these through graphic displays and short text messages (SMS) outside the classroom. SMS technology can provide cell phones learners with data for analysis. (Prensky, 2005, p. 14) Furthermore, Mobile phones can replace textbooks. For example, ‘In Asia, novels intended to be read on phone screens’ (Prensky, 2005, p. 14) Students in china, the Philippines and Germany are used their mobile phones to learn English, and to Study Math.
Also learning processes such as listening, observing, imitating, questioning, reflecting, trying, estimating, predicting, speculating, and practicing can be supported through mobile phones. (Prensky, 2005, p. 12) So the mobile phones can act as a learning tool. Secondly, Mobile phones are convenient. Students are busier in school with their studies, assignments and school functions like assembly. They involved in these activities after school. It is very convenient for a student who does not have access to public transportation to call their parents for a ride when they need one.
For example, students in Kiribati are always leaving by public transport. Drivers are not interested to pick them. The main reason is their bus fares which are always 60 cents every way they take. So it is very useful for students to have a mobile phone, because it is convenient for their problems like mentioned above. Thirdly, Mobile phones are a researching tool for students. Like internet computers, mobile phones put many resources into the hands of every student by having a browser. (Prensky, 2005, p. 15) It enables student to carry out the research. For example, students can use it to search their topics.
Specifically, … students studying nature, architecture, art, or design can search for images on the Web that match what they find in life in order to understand their properties, style and form. (http://www. innovateonline. info/) Fourthly, mobile phones are a communication device. They connect students with teachers, classmates, school, and offices about academic and life problems. For example, ‘At Korea’s Suk Myoung University, students use mobile phones to confirm attendance, enter libraries, and buy food in the school dining hall, and prove identity. (Katz, 2009, p. 21) Moreover, in Japan, short English lessons can be conducted in cell phones by dialling the number. (Prensky, 2005, p. 13) However, mobile phones are not really essential as a necessary tool for education. Many researches and studies that had been conducted show that mobile phones have effects on learning in school. To begin with, Mobile phones are a distraction. Some students are not remembered to turn off their mobile phones during classes. The ring of mobile phones creates suspense especially if you concentrate on something.
For example, according to No mobile phones in school (2009, p13) says that mobile phones can take away the attention of students who are concentrating on learning in school. Also, ‘students who are distracted lose the ability to concentrate, to plan, and to work with complex ideas and sometimes seem to reflect a general decline in civility. ‘ (Katz, 2009, p. 22) So mobile phones are distraction to learning. Moreover, cheating can be supported through mobile phones. Students can share information during exams and also can store any information they want on their mobile phones. (http://www. ellutips. com/) Mobile communication activities have increased cheating in classrooms. (Katz, 2009, p. 22) Furthermore, Mobile phones are harmful to user’s health so they can affect their learning ways. Researchers have been found that mobile phones produce waves that are harmful to heart, internal and reproductive organs. Also, radiation from mobile phones can damage brain cell. (http://hubpages. com/hub/Effects-of-cell-phone–mobile-phone-use-on-our-brain-and-memory). For example, mobile phones can be implicated in brain tumours as a result of electromagnetic fields or radiation. Raju, 2009, p. 5) In http://hubpages. com/hub/Effects-of-cell-phone–mobile-phone-use-on-our-brain-and-memory, Say that ‘In brain, hippocampus is understood to be responsible for learning and memory. ‘ That means, when the brain has affected by radiation from mobile phones, our learning ways will be also affected because of hippocampus. So the mobile phones are not necessary tool for learning. In conclusion, it is clear that mobile phones are not necessary tool for education beside that they can be used as learning, researching, and communicating devices.
They can produce many problems that make learners distract from education, feel sick and experience cheating. So it is our responsibilities to choose which one is good or bad about our lives. It is necessary to us to choose the good one which can prevent us from getting sick which is mobile phones are not necessary tool for education. That means mobile phones can lead us (student) to sick and unable us to complete studies in school. So mobile phones distract us from education. (Length: 869 words) Bibliography http://www. cellutips. com/ http://hubpages. om/hub/Effects-of-cell-phone–mobile-phone-use-on-our-brain-and-memory Katz, E. J. ‘Mobile Phones in Educational Settings’, 2009, [Online], Available: comminfo. rutgers. edu/, (5 August, 2009) ‘No mobile phones in school. ‘ 2009, editorial, Fiji Daily Post, 7 April, pp. 13-14. Prensky, M. ‘What Can You Learn from a Cell Phone? Almost Anything! ‘, The Fischer School of Education and Human Services, 2005, [Online] Available: (http://www. innovateonline. info/)index. php? view=article&id=83 ,(3 August, 2009) Raju, R. 2009, ‘Mobile phones in schools’, Fiji Times, 28 May, pp. 5-6.