Breaking Down Barriers

I have been subbing in the same classroom for two weeks now while looking for a full time job. During the first 8 days, the students and I interacted pretty much only on the "business" we were about--lanugage arts, teacher to student, student to teacher. I'd ask questions about their football games, band practices, etc, and would get short answers with a very clear indication that they didn't want to be bothered. Then on Friday, I became very cool all of the sudden thanks to my new iPhone. In the middle of 6th period, one of the kids noticed my phone and asked me about it. A quiet buzz began going through the room and we all began talking about phones, computers, and learning with them. The kids entering the room for 7th period came in asking about my phone too. Although I would prefer to have kids leaving the room talking about the amazing things they learned about English, this time, I was okay with them leaving talking about anything. Now, how do I get them that excited about reading, writing, and grammar? Maybe technology should play some kind of role. This is going to be a fun challenge for the next 8 weeks.