Cell Phones in Schools – The Great Debate

With today’s technological advances making cell phones ubiquitous in nearly every aspect of people’s lives, it’s no surprise that cell phones in schools have become a hotly debated topic. There are advocates on both sides: some say cell phones are an inappropriate distraction during school hours, others accept students’ familiarity with them and use them in class. While the jury is still out, both sides have some intriguing points.

Mobile phone advocates claim that there are many benefits to using the devices in educational settings; some of these advantages include:

• Parental involvement. Students may use cell phones equipped with cameras to take pictures of projects they complete in class, such as group projects that use only class time. Generally, in these situations, students do not do any research or assembly of such projects at home, so parents cannot see the results of their children’s efforts in the classroom. Allowing students to use cell phones in this capacity encourages parental involvement in their children’s lives, as well as supporting their educational development.
• Missing assignments. Teachers can enact a buddy system where students send each other emails or texts with details of assignments their buddy missed due to an absence. This will save teachers valuable time that would otherwise have been spent putting together makeup kits and instill a sense of responsibility among students for themselves and each other.
• Take notes. Students who have trouble keeping up in class when taking notes can use their mobile phone’s camera feature to take photos of the notes and save them for later study and show to parents or guardians, as well as classmates. that some of them have been lost. Teachers can also incorporate photo note taking into their buddy system for missing assignments, and allow students to send missing information during class time to absent classmates, and also allow them to receive such information if they are absent.
• Real world tools. Cell phones generally have features like calculators, which are required by most high school math classes. Using the calculator function of your cell phone can teach students the real world ability to use what is at hand to calculate mathematical problems in their everyday lives.
• Improving focus. Students with cell phones that have music capabilities and headphones may use them during homework periods or independent study times. Many students find listening to music a relaxing study habit, and studies of learning styles indicate that some students learn best by listening to music while solving problems or reading. Students who feel comfortable while studying are more likely to study longer, more often, and produce more positive results than those who don’t listen to music.

On the other hand, many believe that cell phones will only contribute to already existing problems in schools, such as cheating, disrespecting teachers and staff, and instigating problems among other students; some even mention the possibility of using cell phones for illegal activities during school.

• Unfaithful. The use of a cell phone, regardless of the age of the user or the location from which it is used, carries a responsibility. Some proponents of a cell phone ban in schools claim that using a cell phone’s camera feature allows students to cheat on tests by taking photos of answer keys, test content, or answers on the examination of a neighbor.
• Disrespect. Students can use their phones for all sorts of in-class shenanigans, including using their audio recording feature to record teachers or other staff during lectures or other conversations without them noticing the recording. Students could then use those recordings to take the speaker’s words out of context and present them in a manipulative light.
• Inciting problems. Students may use their cell phones during school to cause trouble among students and harass others. School-related violence and bullying cases are on the rise, and officials are already busy dealing with disruptive students and maintaining order at their institutions; Allowing students to use devices such as cell phones during school hours will make these problems easier to perpetrate and more difficult to control.
• Illegal activities. Students may use cell phones during school to carry out illegal activities such as ordering or receiving drugs, provoking students to fight each other, taking and placing bets on sporting events or other forms of gambling, or planning events such as such as bomb threats and other security breaches.
• Distraction. Most of those who favor banning cell phones in schools say that allowing their use in class will distract students from their studies. Features such as Internet access and video game capabilities are most often cited as the biggest distractions. While the Internet can provide legitimate research capabilities, video games do not provide any educational benefit.

Today there are schools that make use of both policies. Wiregrass Ranch High School in Pasco County uses cell phones in many of its classes, including English, math and social studies. Teachers allow students to use their phones to research literature and authors, calculate math problems, and take photos for class projects, among other tactics. Students in this district say they feel more respected and trusted than students in districts that don’t have that privilege, and they recognize that the devices can help them learn more about their world, both past and present. In the area of ​​behavior management, school teachers no longer have to battle daily with students to get them to put down their phones or pay attention during class. Instead, they are integrating cell phone use into their lesson plans, and students are more engaged during class and benefiting. Students can go about their personal business on their cell phones before and after school, as well as during lunch and break periods, so personal distractions really aren’t an issue. Administrators recognize that some students will abuse and misuse the privilege. Rules, such as usage restrictions and the removal of other non-cell phone privileges, are in place to discourage potential foolish offers.

Most schools across the country place some form of cell phone ban in their districts, mainly due to its connections to illegal activities and its disruptions during class. Some cite security concerns, saying that student access to cell phones while on campus doesn’t make them any safer in the event of a violent event, even going so far as to say that it can complicate the work of emergency services on campus. Such case. These schools also say that easy access to cell phones during the school day only increases rumors and makes bullying situations worse among students. As such, many of them enforce a “see it, we take it” policy and notify students and parents of the strict nature of such policies.

Some schools have begun to relax their cell phone policies, while others continue to uphold their bans, even tightening their rules that prohibit the presence and use of cell phones on campus. Both sides have their own clear reasons for maintaining their courses of action, and only time will tell which theory is more successful in educating students.