Cellphones in the classroom...

[Barney Google]

Under what context should cellphones be allowed in the classroom or should they be outright banned?

Should local school districts consider implementing this policy?

[jimmy4321]

Should be banned in the classroom.

[Fancy]

Come September one Victoria school will be a no cellphone zone.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3454094/cellp ... -district/

More schools will follow in all likelihood.

Other provinces have schools that have done so:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toronto-sc ... -1.3295140

I'll have to think about this - here's an article from 2012:
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/ar ... om/257325/

[Smurf]

It has been proven that banning them in classrooms doesn't work because kids find their way around the rules. Possibly if anyone caught using their phones when/where they were not allowed the school could confiscate them for 2 weeks it might work but I doubt it. Ban them in schools and put in good old regular phones for emergency calls. Cell phones do not have to be your life.

[Barney Google]

Post removed:

Self edited for committing the infraction of posting before concluding the blathering dissertation...

[Barney Google]

I have witnessed the reaction of some young people when after committing an infraction,

knowing that they would loose their cellphones if so committed, loosing said cellphone as punishment.

By the reaction one would have thought that these young people had lost a limb and could not carry on in life being so

crippled and demoralized from the temporary loss of their electronic device.

I find this quite disturbing...and a little amusing.

In many successful trouble youth programs one the first restrictions is to remove/limit all access to electronic devices.

It's always interesting to be introduced to what comes across as a sullen, introverted and antisocial young person who

refuses to engage turn into an interesting, well spoken and intelligently articulate young adult after a few weeks of no and or

limited electronic device access.

The only person in a classroom who should have cellphone use should be the teacher/instructor.

Students cellphones should be turned off and kept in their lockers to be used only during breaks and after dismissal.

IMHO I think there are far too many young people out there that are way over electronically connected and struggle with

how to balance device connected time with real face/person time.

Edited to add: I know a few adults that struggle with this too.

[techrtr]

My kids claim that their teachers expect them to have a cell phone in class so they can do research. They say that if you don't have a cell phone, you get left behind. Maybe that's just their justification for getting a phone. I think that phones should be banned because I'm sure they're a huge distraction for students and teachers.

[Smurf]

I am not a teacher and really know nothing about what actually does on in classrooms today. i can understand the using a cell phone for reference but maybe they should do some work without cell phones and computers. When they get out in the real world cell phones are not going to give them the information they need in many jobs. They need to start thinking for themselves, solving problems etc, in my opinion. Once they can do that proficiently they move on to using cell phones etc.

[CoffeeCanuck]

I am 100% against students having cell phones on their person in the classroom. Unless the phone is being used for the lesson, there is no reason for kids to have cell phones. Oh, but I may have to contact my child in an emergency. Do what I had to do in the 'good old days' before cell phones, call the secretary and they will bring your child to the office phone.

I read an article (can't find it now) where a teacher in the States got creative. She put a shoe organizer on the wall of her classroom and when the students entered the classroom they put their cell in one of the pockets. If they refused to do this, they were not permitted in her classroom and would be marked absent. At the end of the class the kids retrieved their phones. I LOVE this idea as it's a good compromise.

[Merry]

My kids claim that their teachers expect them to have a cell phone in class so they can do research. They say that if you don't have a cell phone, you get left behind. Maybe that's just their justification for getting a phone. I think that phones should be banned because I'm sure they're a huge distraction for students and teachers.

The problem with recommending kids use cellphones in class is that it unfairly discriminates against families who can't afford to give their kids a cell phone.

If schools want kids to use the internet to do research while in class, then schools should make sure there are a few computers in every classroom. If they can't afford that, then the kids should be encouraged to use computers that are in the school library. And, if that's not possible, then the kids should learn to do research the old fashioned way during school hours, and leave the electronic research for after school hours (when they can go to the Public Library if necessary).

[GordonH]

In high school I had math teacher who aloud calculator in class, on tests calculators were banned. So if you did not know how to do math (advanced mathematics/algebra) you were screwed. Because tests were 60% of ones grade.

[whatwhat]

I agree they should be banned. When I was in school they weren't allowed in the classroom, even though we all still tried. They were only the flip phone style though at that point, so the most we could do with text. There was no internet access, or games so I would assume they weren't as distracting as the smartphones were today.

I do remember once in high school when my sister was pregnant. It was past her due date, and my teacher allowed me permission to have my phone on my desk so I would be alerted when my sister was going to the hospital and my mom could come pick me up. Obviously it was a special circumstance, and it was up to the teacher to allow it. The teacher could have easily just said to have my mom call the office to let me know instead.

[Bsuds]

In high school I had math teacher who aloud calculator in class, on tests calculators were banned. So if you did not know how to do math (advanced mathematics/algebra) you were screwed. Because tests were 60% of ones grade.

Well now they don't do grades and no one is allowed to fail so who really cares!

They will learn when they get out in the "real" world just how little prepared they are.

[GordonH]

In high school I had math teacher who aloud calculator in class, on tests calculators were banned. So if you did not know how to do math (advanced mathematics/algebra) you were screwed. Because tests were 60% of ones grade.

Well now they don't do grades and no one is allowed to fail so who really cares!

They will learn when they get out in the "real" world just how little prepared they are.

Now that scary, it's good I went to school when teachers actually wanted students to apply themselves.... and use brain matter.

[perspicacious]

I am 100% against students having cell phones on their person in the classroom. Unless the phone is being used for the lesson, there is no reason for kids to have cell phones. Oh, but I may have to contact my child in an emergency. Do what I had to do in the 'good old days' before cell phones, call the secretary and they will bring your child to the office phone.

I read an article (can't find it now) where a teacher in the States got creative. She put a shoe organizer on the wall of her classroom and when the students entered the classroom they put their cell in one of the pockets. If they refused to do this, they were not permitted in her classroom and would be marked absent. At the end of the class the kids retrieved their phones. I LOVE this idea as it's a good compromise.

cell phone organizer.jpg

Should forward this to the School District. I think it is a great idea! I give my daughter @*it when I get a text message of something unimportant during school hours. I remind her that she is at her job and that she needs to pay attention and maintain her grades. It is what she does to earn her keep and get the extras I give her.