Should cell phones be used in the classroom? My first thought is no, they are distracting to students but the reality is I do not think it ultimately matters. What does matter is that teachers utilize every tool available to help encourage learning. Students enter the classroom with a range of skills and talents; many students are able to communicate effectively using various multi-media tools.
Schools could pay for student cell phones if they are added to the curriculum. It would also be a useful tool for schools to be able to contact students that do not have access to consistent phone service Beyond the logistical nightmare intrinsic in giving each student a cell phone and keeping track of minutes, texts, and data used, how long would students actually have the phone? I lose things all the time and I’m an “adult.”
The reality is students will have cell phones in schools and it is not realistic for schools to pay for student cell phones. So once we understand this, teachers and schools need to set clear behavioral expectation around how respect is expressed in the school communities regardless of cell phones ownership. We must move beyond attempts to control behaviors, and start to see the strengths inherent in each students interest, whether it is texting 200 times a day or drawing realistic chickens.
Hold on, I’ve got a call coming in…
I agree that classroom management is the key to controlling cell phone use. I think that they can be distracting and when I taught in the evening school program it was amazing to see how much time that students wasted texting and chatting when they could ahve gotten work done. At the end of the day though, of all the things to be concerned about, I think cell phones are low on the list unless it is a huge problem and interfering with student learning. Then we can talk to the parents and make a plan to keep it under control.
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