10 Quick Ways to Use Mobile Phones in the Classroom

In today's society a large majority of students own smartphones. Why not implement those devices in the classroom? While reading Edumedic, I can across an article on how to use mobile phones in the classroom.
The following tips are from that article written by Katie Lepi. I've included the 10 ways I feel are the easiest to implement with the greatest educational value. Each use listed is linked to an article, lesson plan, or source that will detail implementation of the mobile device. To see the list of 40 ways, click here.

1. Scavenger hunts:
   Smartphone scavenger hunts have proven a popular pastime for technophiles, and teachers have been known to use them to provide interactive lessons about everything from natural history to nature. It’s an easy concept to adapt!
2. Send reminders:
   Whether through text or apps like Remind 101, smartphones offer greater connectivity so teachers ensure students know when assignments are due, what materials to bring, test schedules, and more.
3. Clickers:
   Instructors who love punctuating lectures with visuals like slideshows can convert their smartphones into tools for scrolling through materials. Socrative Quick Guide.
4. Memorization skills:
   Create and distribute digital flash cards so students can stay on top of what they need to know – or, better yet, make them write and trade their own! Research suggests that fusing technology with traditional methods helps nurture memorization skills, despite stereotypes of smartphone owners as forgetful types.
5. Polling:
   Take quick surveys of what students think and want by asking them to respond via smartphone apps designed specifically for realtime feedback.
6. QR codes:
   Create QR codes and let students scan them for quick access to class materials, supplements, and anything else they might need to earn the best grades possible.
7. Storyboarding:
   Have students draw or shoot photos of sequential images and challenge them to draw up their own stories or storyboards involving both text and visuals.
8. Blogging:
   Blogging provides a wonderfully diverse tool for establishing a digital classroom, and it’s easy for teachers and students alike to post, comment, read, and follow analytics.
9. Remembering notes:
   Some teachers allow their students to snap photos of the chalkboard or whiteboard as class wraps up in case they couldn’t finish taking their notes fast enough.
10. Use educational apps:
    One of the simplest strategies for engaging students using smartphones involves taking advantage of the thousands of educational apps as supplements.
• TCEA iPad Apps - click here
• TCEA iPod Apps - click here
• Top 100 Apps of 2012 by David Kapuler - click here
• 60 Apps in 60 Minutes - click here