Using smartphone texting applications to help students Contents introduction

Allow students to adapt assignments
 Today’s students have a variety of apps and platforms on their phones. Allow students to adapt assignments using their technology of choice, as long as they produce quality work that meets the learning outcome. Students might produce a video, make slides or Prezis, collaborate on a paper, or write reviews—all on their phones. Student choice in platform or presentation often produces outcomes teachers never would have imagined when designing a project, and students have more fun in the end. 

Ask students to prepare for the next day’s lesson while on the run
 Instead of giving specific homework, tell students what’s on the docket for the next day or the rest of the week and ask them to do some pre-research on their phones, tablets, or laptops. Request that they be prepared with a fact or piece of content for the next day’s discussion. Students might show off a meme, discuss an article, or share a news story. The sky’s the limit! Encourage students who are low on data or don’t have a device to partner up and share, or simply to come ready to evaluate the quality of the sources the class found. 

Let students research things they’re passionate about
 Students will go above and beyond expectations if they’re allowed to choose the topics. Give multiple opportunities for students to bring in any material they find that relates to the subject at hand. Students can make research outlines, or you can give five minutes of research time in the beginning of class as a bellringer activity. Allow students to share or work in groups to account for students without phones. 

Trust in students (they won’t disappoint)
 Students often seem to be texting under the desk when in fact, they’re fact-checking. Teaching students to check facts in real time adds to the class atmosphere and holds everyone to the highest academic standards. It also takes the pressure off the teacher, who can hand over some of the burden of research to groups of students, getting them in the habit of looking for quality sources and sites at all times. 

Teach students to use speech-to-text and text-to-speech
 Teachers want students to read and write more, but some students do not feel confident in these areas. Speech-to-text and text-to-speech can help build the confidence of students who are orally gifted but want to write better. These free tools provide adaptations to build up students without singling them out by issuing special, expensive hardware or software that screams “special needs.” Rather, students can use the same tools as their peers, right on their phones. Students writing using speech-to-text still need to read the text, edit professionally, and format correctly for the purpose of the assignment, so they will be learning even if they use an adapted workflow. These are valuable tools that professionals like reporters and CEOs use. Why shouldn’t students take advantage of them, too?