At a school district outside Chicago, students participated in a French class by using cellphones to call classmates and speak with them in French.
And when school starts this fall at Mason High School near Cincinnati, students like Mrudu Datla will pack iPads and iPhones in their backpacks.
“(Using technology in everyday life is) not that new to us because we grew up with technology,” Datla, a sophomore, said.
Although schools have traditionally banned or limited cellphones in the classroom, 73% of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers said their students use phones in the classroom or to complete assignments, according to a Pew Research Center study released in February.
“Teachers are starting to take advantage of the opportunities of cellphones in the classroom,” said George Fornero, superintendent of Township High School District 113, located outside Chicago, whose school system has begun allowing its students use cellphones.