From Toy to Tool- article

In the article “From Toy to Tool” by Liz Kolb talks about audioblogging with cell phones. Today, students use cell phones to communicate and collaborate with the world around them. Something so integral to our students’ lives outside of school deserves some consideration for potential use inside the classroom.
Audioblogging is similiar to a podcast; it is a voice message from a phone that immediately posts to a blog site. Audioblogging with a cell phone creates opportunities or students to conduct interview activities (inside or outside of school). Audioblogging with a cell phone creates opportunities
for students to conduct interview activities (inside or outside of school). For instance, In an elementary science classroom, students can collect sounds from a trip to the zoo or just a trip outside.
They can also create their own sounds for a project. What a cool thing ha?


What could be the disadvantages on using audiobloggig?
One worry is privacy and protecting students. Blogger.com is not a password-protected blog site; as a result, anyone can read the blogs or audioblogs that are posted by the students. One solution to this problem is to use blogzy.com, a password-protected site that also allows for cell phone audioblogs.

How can we teach our students about the responsibility on using their cell phones? Although audioblogging is free for anyone with a cell phone, it is also an excellent opportunity to talk with students about responsible use of their phones. We can let them know that sometimes there is a cost to all the text messaging, photos, e-mails, and calls they make (even when their plan says “unlimited”). Also, make them responsible for researching their own phone plans and being responsible for staying within the limits of their plan.