Tablets

You can use a tablet for all of the things listed for cell phones, but they are also good for other things in the classroom as well. This is especially true for younger children. The best thing about tablets is that they can often take the place of a computer lab. My school had two computer labs that could only fit one class at a time, so it was hard for teachers to schedule time to work. With tablets you don't need a computer lab.

Examples

Learning games/apps make it possible for children to work separately or together on the specific skills that they need to master. Maybe one group is playing a math game, and another is playing a word game. The children are actively learning, which makes them learn better.

 

Taking notes. You can add a keyboard to tablets and it becomes very easy to type up notes for a class.

Educational videos. Each child can work at their own pace to watch the video and answer any assigned questions. It's like a portable computer lab!

Research. If quick research needs to be done alone or with a group project, a tablet is great for this. And you don't have to leave the classroom.

Art Class. There are a lot of apps that focus on art and drawing techniques and would be great for a lesson in digital art.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are usually seen as a distraction in the classroom, and in most classes and schools they are not allowed to be used during class. But they could be a good thing to incorporate into the classroom of older students.

Examples:

Reminders and Calendars. If something is assigned it is very helpful if students could put the information into their phone like due dates and days of quizzes and tests. This keeps students organized.

 

The Poll Everywhere site had the users text their answers, this could be done immediately with cell phones in class.

Flashcard apps and sites are very useful for down time and allow students to carry around their study materials at all times.

Audiobooks/Ebooks. If students have a study period or a longer commute to school, this is very useful. They don't have to carry anything extra with them, and they can pull the phone out and continue their book whenever they want.

Useful/Learning Apps. There are a lot of apps that are helpful in school on almost a daily basis like the dictionary, a world atlas, thesaurus, and the periodic table. My high school didn't have enough dictionaries or maps for everyone in class, so these would have been very useful.