Samsung Galaxy Note: False Advertisement

     While watching television, I saw this commercial for the new Samsung Galaxy Note cell phone and was immediately intrigued. The commercial depicts poet and teacher Sarah Kay in a classroom filled with happy students, enthusiastic about learning poetry as they delightfully participate in the assignment by adding notes to the cell phones in different colors, enhancing the poems the class is creating. The first time I witnessed this advertisement, I thought it was definitely something I needed to look into, for I was interested to see if this commercial contained some kind of technology that would be useful in my future English classroom. However, after watching the commercial many more times, I am disheartened to realize that it really is only a gimmick to entice people, especially teachers, to buy the product. The commercial simply shows how students are writing on multiple cell phones in different colors claiming that it is inspiring a new passion within students that can only be accomplished through this new form of technology.
     Firstly, I feel that this is quite unrealistic. Many school districts have a difficult time providing their students with as up-to-date technology, such as computers, as they can, let alone have enough funds to provide each teacher with enough cell phones for each student to use during class. During the commercial Kay states “Any new technology introduces new forms of expression.” To me, this seems like a stretch within the context that she is stating this because I feel the same objective can be achieved by use of paper and different colored markers. There is nothing about this piece of technology that makes it stand out from using simple and much less expensive common classroom supplies. She also states that seeing someone’s handwriting aids in her feeling a connection with that certain student. Handwriting can also spark that same connection when written on a piece of paper. Students’ handwriting will be recognizable no matter what they are writing on or with. I believe that if this commercial convinces anyone that buying this cell phone model to use in the classroom because it inspires students by virtually doing the same thing that a piece of paper and pen can do, they need to get their priorities in order. In no way, shape or form, can this be argued to be useful classroom technology. There are so many more efficient and beneficial forms of technology that will actually provide students with a learning experience that cannot be achieved via paper and pen. Technology in the classroom is definitely important and can provide students with unique learning experiences that will alter their attitude and inspire them to succeed, but teachers do not need to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note to aid in those endeavors.