The Huffington Post recently published Janell Burley Hofmann's letter and contract to her son (who was the lucky recipient of an iPhone over the holidays) outlining the conditions of being entrusted with an iPhone. This might be useful to you as a parent, or if you are considering allowing students to bring their own handheld devices into your class. Perhaps this might be used to introduce a discussion about reasonable expectations for the use of these tools in the classroom.
Dear Gregory
Merry Christmas! You are now the proud owner of an iPhone. Hot Damn! You are a good and responsible 13-year-old boy and you deserve this gift. But with the acceptance of this present comes rules and regulations. Please read through the following contract. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it. Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership.
