Local teachers experiment with texting answers in the classroom

The room was filled with computers, but the students in Cyndy Hilby's marketing class Thursday at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School were looking at a different screen: their cell phones.

The class voted on a product to create and sell to the student body. A projected computer display at the front of the class showed the results as they came in.

“Looks like we'll be looking into baller bands,” said Hilby, as they surged ahead of the other options with 17 votes.

Hilby is one of several area high school teachers using a website called Poll Everywhere to let students provide instant feedback with cell phones.

The website works by displaying a multiple choice question, with each answer corresponding to a short numerical code. Students text the code to a phone number, and the website displays the results in real time.

Teachers traditionally have tried to keep cell phones out of their classrooms, so Jordan McCormick, 17, was surprised the first time he used the website.

“I've never had a teacher say ‘Get out your cell phone and text' before,” he said.

McCormick said he liked the texting option for its efficiency and confidentiality.

“You don't have to worry about what people say about your answer,” he said.

Because of the potential for distraction, Hilby doesn't bring the phones out in every class.

“I only use it with my upperclassmen,” she said. “They're mature enough to understand when we're done they have to put their phones away.”

Poll Everywhere does exclude students who lack a cell phone or a texting plan. Teacher Matt Willett addresses this by having his social studies class at Linn-Mar High School in Marion form groups to answer questions. Any Web-enabled device, such as a laptop, can submit answers as well.

“You don't really want to draw attention to the students who don't have cell phones,” Willett said.

Willet's students like texting their answers so much, some want to do it more often. Reilly Trent, 15, said she would rather text her online homework than use the class' Internet forums.

“It's easier to just text answers in than having to use a computer,” Trent said.

Although the students enjoy using their phones in class, teacher Jason Cochrane questions Poll Everywhere's educational benefits. He asks review questions with the site in his Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School science class, but only in moderation.

“We shouldn't be using technology just because it's cool,” Cochrane said. “That's why I typically don't use it a whole lot, except to enrich things I previously taught.”

Cochrane also noted limitations in the free version of Poll Everywhere available to teachers. No more than 30 students can respond, and multiple choice questions are the only way to keep students from taking advantage of the program.

“It doesn't let you see the phone number or preview responses, so you can get into some unwanted areas,” he said.

Teachers at Vinton-Shellsburg High School are encouraged to use the website by Principal Kirk Johnson, who said the site's positive uses outweighed its negative ones. Johnson hopes Web-enabled smart phones will one day see more use in the classroom.

“We need to look at the Web as factual recall,” Johnson said. “Teachers need to step aside and say (that) if we as adults can find this information, why can't we let students?”