As a teacher, I'm not quite sure what the survey is really reaching for. The kids bring their own technology into school, so that they can use it, and... what?

As a teacher, I'm not quite sure what the survey is really reaching for. The kids bring their own technology into school, so that they can use it, and... what? Browse the internet for scholarly sources on a 4 inch screen? There's not a lot of technology that truly enhances education. LCD projectors make a huge difference. Document cameras (if you haven't seen one, it's essentially a webcam on an arm with VGA out) are wonderful, they let you put any student work, textbook, etc. on display. Online books and online "flash card" sites are also useful. The thing is, though, almost all of these are just improvements on technology that's been around for decades. A LCD projector with document camera is an overhead projector where you can be spontaneous rather than rely on transparencies. There's lots of other cool stuff - student response systems, wireless networking for TI calculators, Geometer's Sketchpad - I could go on. I've even friended problem students on xbox live for the explicit purpose needling them on their time playing call of duty instead of doing their homework. The thing is, though, none of this requires a student's cell phone. There is no killer app (that I'm aware of). Instead, the cell phone is a major disciplinary issue. Teachers and administrators are wary for a reason: students are irresponsible with the devices, and presently, they cause more problems then they solve.