Teaching by Texting?

In the NCTE Inbox article that I found, it was talking about how teachers are using texting as a teaching tool. In majority of the schools, cell phone use is banned and many students are to keep them in their lockers or put away throughout the day. However, a study was done through using poetry and texting. An exam was then given to students and the result was: those who texted averaged 80% on the exam, while those who didn't averaged 40%. Does this mean that texting should be allowed in the classroom? Is it beneficial to student learning or hindering it?

Personally, I believe that using texting in the classroom is not a useful tool to use. As one student was quoted in the article, "Usually kids don't like to read. But you read in text messages". This proves a great point that when students text, they are using "text" language. They are not using proper English, spelling, and grammar to express their ideas. I also think that using cell phones in the classroom can become extremely distracting. By having them available, students have the ability to use them at inappropriate times and it can hinder their learning and development in all subject areas, not just English.

Schwartz, K. (2010). Teaching by texting starts to take hold. Retrieved from http://www.aolnews.com/tech/article/teaching-by-texting-starts-to-take-hold/19459259