Mobiles in the Classroom: An Interview with Ken Halla

Mobiles in the Classroom:

An Interview with Dr. Ken Halla

Dr. Kenneth P. Halla (Halla 1)

After reaching out to more than a dozen local school districts locally in search of someone who has used mobiles (as opposed to district issued tablets or laptops) and not discovering anyone local to whom I could talk with, I researched some online figures who were cutting edge in the push to enable the use of mobile devices in the classroom.  I contacted Dr. Kenneth P. Halla, who was a high school instructor in Fairfax County, VA, and an online instructor.  He responded to my inquiries, and we had a wonderful 30-40 minute discussion on the use of mobile technology in the classroom.

Background / History / Beginnings

When we talked about how he got started in using mobile technology, Dr. Halla referenced his teaching methodology from about 15 years ago.  He would present a topic using a projector and a PowerPoint or other form of image, talk for the majority of the period and expect the students to take notes on what he was talking about.  Around this time he began noticing that students would actually do just as well if not better when using electronic devices (laptops or computers) and having him give them broad targets and goals to research and obtain information.  He would split them into small groups of 3-4 students and give each group topics to research, then have them present their findings.  He facilitated the research as opposed to lecturing, other than a brief review at the beginning of the class, then let the students find the information required.  Basically, it was nothing more than Inquiry Based Learning.  He laughed and commented that at this point in time, the only way that he could facilitate this was to either schedule the use of a computer lab, or hamstring himself by pushing laptop carts from one end of the building to the other.

Shortly after initiating this, he realized that around half of the students in his classes had cell phones, and were constantly using them to chat or even to look up information, and that they were doing that while completing the work that he had assigned.  This is when he began looking into using cell phones as a source of information as opposed to a distraction in the classroom.

 "The phone is simply another device to use online tools with."

As cell phone usage rose among students of all ages, so too did the administration and public fear of their usage in the classroom.  It was bringing change, and people did not, and do not want or like change, even when they embrace it.

"People wanted to teach or have their kids taught the same way that they were always taught, using a form of lecture and response..."

Dr. Hall realized that to make these changes, he would have to change, and to show others how this change, this use of "forbidden technologies" could be put to a good use in the classroom.

 

"You have to fundamentally change the way that you teach.  You have to be a facilitator, not a lector.  You have to connect with the students and show them how to use what resources they have in a positive and beneficial manner."

He fought the school policy banning personal mobile devices in the classroom, but he did it on a small scale first, going to his administrators with a solid, well formulated plan of action, and supporting evidence to enable the use of such things as iPods in the classroom for research purposes.  He obtained permission to use the devices in his classroom as part of a "case study", then expanded their usage as he showed that they could be used as a viable and valuable tool.  

"The administrators were afraid of it [mobile technology], much as they are now."

He received a good bit of negative feedback from fellow teachers and administrators until he showed a definite and major improvement among his students using devices.  As cell phones became more prolific, he began to incorporate them as well, with strict guidelines as to their usage.  He requires the students to keep the phones on top of the desk, face up, so that he can monitor what is being access and done with them.  As long as they are being used properly, there is not an issue.  If it is not being used properly, he simply turned the phone upside down, and prohibited the student from accessing it for a given amount of time.  This requires a interaction with the students, with a great amount of mobility and observation, but it keeps many of them in check and on task.  He also instigated a policy for students who absolutely could not refrain from socializing with their phones:  Work first - play later.  If your work is complete, and you can show me that it is done, then you can socialize on your phones.  This gave the students a positive goal to strive for, and as his numbers showed, increased the number of assignments that were turned in on time or ahead of time exponentially.

Parental Involvement

According to Dr. Halla, one of his first attempts in connecting more with parents through media was through the use of GeoCities.  As time has progressed, he has come to find that most people, parents and students alike, don't check their online communications (emails) that often, and when they do, they often do not respond.  He therefore instigated the use of REMIND ( https://www.remind.com ) as a way to both communicate with students and parents, and to remind of homework assignments, upcoming exams and other events.  With the incorporation of this app, which is basically a phone / text based application, student involvement has risen, and parental involvement has blossomed.  According to him, anywhere from 25% - 50% of the parents now actually request to link into this app to keep track of their students work and assignments.

"Both parents and students seem to ignore information sent out by email, but when it comes directly to their phone, they are on top of it immediately"

Work Close to the Flame

When I asked Dr. Halla about how to initiate programs such as his in schools / districts that are opposed to mobile technology, he simply said:  

"work close to the flame".  

Be on the cutting edge.  Be a pilot program if possible.  You control the situation and the technology from the beginning, and make both your expectations, desired results and consequences known from the start.    Prepare and go through the levels and technology usage before trying it in the classroom, and be prepared for difficulties, quarks and bugs in the system, whether it is software or network issues.  Also, make sure that your students can actually access the sites and applications that you want to work with, and clear it with administration before you do.

Lastly, show what your kids have accomplished.  Let the kids talk, or have them actually post what is being done (under supervision).  When people talk, they will acknowledge what you have done and you can work / build from that achievement.

Dr. Kenneth Halla's bio can be found at:  https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/author/kenneth-p-halla

To find out more about Dr. Ken Halla, go to:  http://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm

Halla 1:  Image obtained from:   https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/author/kenneth-p-halla