"Good morning class! Please clear your desks and take out your cell phones."

Cell phones have become quite the taboo in today's schools. Most schools have rules outlawing them totally thinking that cell phones are disruptive and distracting. One of my professors however asked a really interesting question: "Why?"

In our classrooms we have all kinds of technology that students have grown up using. And any of them have the potential to be a distraction to the students. But in moderation and under the supervision of teachers, they have all become enriching tools that not only enhance learning for students, but also make it more enjoyable.

So why can't cell phones be the same? Teaching methodology says that we should be capitalizing on what students are good at and what they enjoy doing when we're teaching. So why not integrate cell phones into our lessons?

For example, PollEverywhere.com (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) is an online tool that allows you to set up your own polls. Then your students can text in their answers and the website show a graphic representation of the results. This could be used in all SORTS of ways: learn more about what your students think, quiz them to see what they remember from class yesterday, get suggestions for future classes.

The sky is the limit with technology and chances are your students will not only learn more, they'll appreciate your efforts to integrate the world they live in with the world of the classroom.