Philadelphia’s Hite Seeking an End to Teacher Seniority
Philadelphia school superintendent William R. Hite Jr. knows all about controversy. Since taking... Read More
Debate Continues on Cell Phone Use in Schools
Another high school in Michigan is joining the ranks of schools which allow cell phone use during specified non-class periods within school hours.
Goodrich School Board in Michigan has approved a cell phone pilot program which would allow students to use their mobile devices before and after school and during lunch times.
Goodrich High School Principal Stephanie O’Dea said the new policy acknowledges that the students are living in an age of technology and it gives them the appropriate time to use their phones, where before they simply always had to be off and out of sight.
The pilot program will begin April and makes Goodrich High School part of a small, but growing, number of local schools with similar programs. The board vote was 6-1 in favor with Chip Schulz left as the lone dissenter.
Schulz said he is worried the new policy would open the doors for students to use their phones even more during classtime for texting or using the Internet.
“I just see it as a disruption in the classroom. … What would be the full purpose of allowing a student to use a phone during the passing time and at lunch time? Their friends are already at school,”
O’Dea pointed out that it’s often the child’s parents who are texting them during school hours and allowing the children an appropriate time to check for these messages will result in less in-class violations and disruptions.
This assessment is borne out by research from app developer textPlus that suggest two-thirds of students receive text messages from their parents during school and that parents are glad to have the ability to contact their children, and vice versa, in case of emergency or forgotten appointments.
As one mother said:
“I think I use texting during the school day way more than they do — if my schedule changes, or I can’t pick someone up … the lack of pay phones pretty much dictated getting that first kids’ cell phone years ago.”
Recent News
Adobe’s Move to the Cloud Impacts School Software Plans
Following along with Microsoft’s changes to its popular productivity suite Office, Adobe... Read More
Media Shift Means Academic Publishers Embracing Open Source Journals
Sometimes the pace of change can take everyone by surprise. For decades, people in the sciences... Read More
Popular News
Number of Homeschoolers Growing Nationwide 50
Researchers are expecting a surge in the number of students educated at home by their parents over... Read More
James Shuls: Why We Need School Choice 26
The Pedagogical Agenda of Common Core Math Standards 23
Career Index
Plan your career as an educator using our free online datacase of useful information.
- Select a City Subject
- Criminal Justice Schools in Anchorage
- Criminal Justice Schools in Fairbanks
- English Schools in Bakersfield
- English Schools in Calexico
- English Schools in Costa Mesa
- English Schools in Cupertino
- English Schools in Livermore
- English Schools in Long Beach
- English Schools in Merced
- English Schools in Monterey
- English Schools in Oakland
- English Schools in Oceanside
- English Schools in Oxnard
- English Schools in Pomona
- English Schools in Quincy
- English Schools in Reedley
- English Schools in Sacramento
- English Schools in Santa Ana
- English Schools in Santa Barbara
- English Schools in Santa Rosa
- English Schools in Weed
Comments
There’s absolutely no point in pretending that technology doesn’t exist inside the classroom. Why not utilize it somehow to help kids learn?
Kevin: No one is discussing “tech”in the classroom. Stick to the
point. Cell phones (hear that?) need to be turned off in the classroom
unless there is an incompetent teacher who has no pedigogical skills,
and no disciplinary control. Then it doen’t matter. I question the data from the APP corporation (who depends on the text-phone money)
There are too many DISTRACTIONS already in many classrooms.
These kinds of things are distractions. Even thought cell phones are the new hotness, there were plenty of things forbidden in classes before them. This is no different. While the teacher is talking, you pay attention to the teacher. Just because it has a keyboard, doesn’t make it a study aid.
The problem isn’t the cell phone, it’s the parents. I would agree that probably at least half of the times that I take up phones in the classroom, it’s because a parent is calling or texting the student (occasionally it’s also a coach or another teacher). I understand about needing to coordinate schedules or inform of emergencies, but parents have been doing that since before cell phones. They either planned ahead (crazy concept!) or called the school and let the school communicate the message to the student. I agree that there are appropriate uses for cell phones and that they do have the potential to contribute to learning in the classroom, but potential and reality are often quite different, and I believe the reality will never live up to the potential with cell phones.
This question is a no-brainer! No cell phones on school grounds. Kids are at school to learn reading, writing and math. They need to stay focus and less socializing during instruction time. They need to learn to be more respectful of other and have better manners. I agree there are too many DISTRACTIONS already in many classrooms.. Why don’t they install blockers on campus. This would be a good use of school funds.
I find cell phones a good DISTRACTION no child will ever stay focused for that long. They get bored. No kids are not at school to learn reading, writing and math. This is where they prepare for the future with their social skills as well. And face the truth cell phones are becoming part of everybodies everyday life.
This is where I disagree as a parent with the schools. It is not the job of the schools or teachers to be the parent and teach them social skills. They do need to teach how to read write and do math. How are they going to learn how to read the instructions for the technology in front of them? How are they going to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? This is the problem with everyday life using the technology it is making everybody non – social. I think technology is great when it is used correctly but a lot of people are technology challenged. Why? They cannot read, write or do math. Thank you!
I agree with Kathy – it is not the job of the schools to be parents, it is the parents’ job. Unfortunately, a growing number of ‘parents’ don’t actually parent, leaving the schools to take up the slack. This is understandable, considering that schools are often penalized for students not having any ‘home training.’
I cannot teach academics to students who have learned – AT HOME – that the solution to anything is to hit and yell, while at the same time cussing up a storm, and other forms of antisocial behavior. This is addition to having to cover down on students who – through no fault of their own – haven’t eaten a square meal in several days.
Teachers would love to be able to focus on academics, but to do so means that parents send their children to school prepared not only to learn, but to function in polite society.
What if the policy required the students to turn in the cell phone before class?
How does one enforce cell phones being turned in, without searching students?
I suggest making cell phone jammers legal in the United States, so that cell phone disruptions become impossible. The drawback to this is that with the jammers on, legitimate uses of cellphones (like true emergencies) becomes impossible. I suspect that this drawback is one of the reasons cell phone jammers are illegal. I also suspect that they would cut into the profits of cell phone companies and carriers, and we can’t have that.