In the past, scraps of paper circulated around the classroom. Today, texts are secretly sent from one mobile phone to another. Youngsters text to arrange or cancel meetings or just to share opinions. This has created an issue - how can young people use their mobile phones responsibly? This question is not only on many parents’ minds but more and more a problem for teachers. Mobile communications in the classroom has become an important topic.

In spring 2004, the IZMF Information Centre Mobile Communication launched the Mobile communications in schools initiative. It provides training sessions for teachers and teaching materials on different aspects of mobile use. Its main purpose is to offer a range of information to promote competent mobile phone use.

Our teaching materials are available for teachers, parents and pupils. They are free and can be downloaded from the internet or ordered by post. Teachers can use them to help prepare lessons for different age groups focusing on the specifics of mobile communications. Additional material is also available for parents.

A further component of the Mobile communications in schools initiative is the media package about violence prevention “Abseits?!” (Offside). It targets pupils from the age of 9 and includes a short film plus a brochure on “Happy Slapping”, that is, recording a violent assault with a mobile phone and posting the video on the internet. The package aims to raise awareness of this phenomenon and to help teachers prevent “Happy Slapping”.