Cell phone use in school - evolving, finally?

[Pea-n-Me]

It seems like every time we get something new, there's a backlash, but then people start to come around.

Could this be the case with cell phone usage in school? Some people seem to think so...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifesty...ory.html?p1=Article_Recommended_ReadMore_Pos4

"The lack of consensus about cellphone use in schools is reflected in a hodgepodge of policies around Massachusetts.

Boston Public Schools prohibit their use during school hours. Melrose allows them in class with teachers’ permission, and the use of smartphones as teaching tools. Some schools permit phones only during lunchtime or in the hallways. Others decree that phones stay inside lockers; some forbid tweets or texts. At Burlington High School, students can carry silenced mobile devices, but using communication features during class is prohibited.

Still, the trend seems to be in favor of increased tolerance of cellphones.

“About a year and a half ago, I said, ‘All right, we can’t win this battle, how do we turn it so it wins for us, so we can make it a positive?’ ” said Cyndy Taymore, superintendent for Melrose Public Schools. “[Students] weren’t paying attention, they were checking their e-mail, and God forbid the Patriots were in a playoff game.”

But banning cellphones entirely can create unexpected problems. Many parents support phones in schools so they can coordinate pickups and after-school activities with their children. They also want to be able to reach them in case of emergency.

In March, the New York Department of Education lifted its decade-long ban on cellphones in the New York City schools. The ban was unpopular, not least because thousands of students in schools with metal detectors were paying daily fees to vendors to store their phones during school hours. Now administrators will decide for themselves where and how phones will be allowed on each campus.

Through it all, the efficacy of mobile devices in the learning environment remains unclear.

Blatt says: “There is a lot of substantial evidence to show the kind of learning that is possible for kids using these devices — when properly supported and managed by teachers who make the best use of them — can be powerful learning.”

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Since DD's school doesn't have lockers, they don't have much choice but to allow cell phones on the kids.

During class, the phones are supposed to be out of sight and on silent unless the teachers allow it, and there are days when we'll get a reminder that they need a device in a class for some reason.

 

[bjscheel]

I don't mind my kids having their phones with them in school. Apparently it's not too big of a problem since the high schoolers are allowed to keep them with them. We do sometimes have transportation changes- we are outside of the district so no bussing for my kids. Then we don't have to bother the office if I need to tell DD17 to take DD14 home after practice, etc. It's handy for me. DD17 uses her phone for art class to look up images and take progress pictures.

I can't see them having everyone use their phones for class, though, because not everyone will have something usable. DD17 had a dumb phone for her freshman and sophomore year. The school does provide Macbooks though so everyone can use those in class.

 

[PollyannaMom]

As a parent, I've come to love that my high-schooler can have his with him! He's in a district that allows the older kids to carry them as long as they're set on silent, but he can check and send texts at lunch and certain other times. It's been very convenient for us, as our transportation situation is a mish-mash of options. Students are sometimes allowed to use them with permission in class, as well - for research, to take a photo of assignment instructions from the board, etc.

As a substitute teacher, I of course see the distraction potential too! But I think at this point in time, it's unrealistic to give up all the benefits, and more logical determine some reasonable guidelines and encourage the kids to have good cell phone manners. - Obviously, neither the students nor I should be taking calls in class, they should be put away during tests, etc.

 

[MrsDuck]

I teach high school. I let my students use their phones for educational bellringers (Kahoot is our favorite - let's me create questions and students answer on their cell phones, then the data populates for me on the Kahoot site). I let my kids look things up (I teach History and we sometimes look up dates, obscure facts, etc). I send them texts via Remind and share cool articles on our classroom Twitter page. Sometimes they use their phone to look up vocabulary words or to study off of Quizlets.

They can be sneaky though... they want to text, they want to listen to music. And, it can be a battle. But, it's totally worth it. I love technology. And, I think it's important schools keep up with the ever-changing world.

 

[mamamary]

My daughter's school recently started "bring your own technology to school". With some things it is more convenient but I know she told me now kids text and do other things with their phone that they are not supposed to do.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Around here:

Elementary school - no policy, except no playing with them during the school day, just like any other electronic. Teachers use "Electronic Day" as a treat/incentive for good behavior.

Middle School - phones are allowed in school but must be turned off during the day. Some teachers are more strict than others about what/when they allow phones in class. Incentive Days/"Electronics Lunch"/etc are often planned. After school activities and extra-curriculars, and Friday Fun Nights/Dance allow cell phone usage and picture taking - the kids have to sign a waiver at the beginning of the year that states they will be responsible with their phones and no pictures of other students are to be posted to social media without the consent of the person in the picture.

4 years ago when DS15 was in 6th grade, there was a STRICT No Cell Phones policy in place no matter what time of day/night - NO cell phones on the Middle School campus at ALL.

High School - the only restriction for cell phones in the high school is whatever each individual teacher puts in place. Some teachers don't care, some don't want to see the phone at all. During passing periods, study halls, lunch, etc, there are no rules other than the typical electronics/internet/social media contract that each student signs every year.

Personally, and I have talked to a lot of the teachers here (small district - lots of teachers whose kids are friends with my kids) and the general consensus is that there are *less* cell phone issues now than when they used to banish phones altogether. Cell phones are not really a novelty anymore....so kids really just think of them as just another supply rather than a cool new toy. Kind of like when walkmen, and then Ipods, came out. Everyone was crazy about having one and bringing it to school (and sneaking earbuds in) and now nobody really cares.

 

[VandVsmama]

Call me old fashioned, but I think that it's really dumb to allow students to have cell phones in the classroom. I really don't care what all of the excuses are, but I will say this...I have a friend whose income is low enough that her kids are on the federal school lunch program, she struggles to get by each month, and just cannot afford for her son to have a cell phone. Her kid's school policy is no phones in class. Yet repeatedly the math teacher says to all the middle schoolers for them to get out their phones in order to use them as calculators...and her son is treated by the students AND the teacher like some sort of alien from another world because he doesn't have his own phone.

If you need a calculator...USE A CALCULATOR, NOT A PHONE AS A CALCULATOR in the classroom.

I suspect that the way I feel about this might not be the norm and y'all can certainly bite my head off and defend all the reasons why a 9 year old needs a phone at school, but let's just keep our heads on straight for a moment, ok?

What happened when WE were in school and we needed to reach 1 of our parents?
You went to the FRONT OFFICE and used the SCHOOL'S PHONE to call Mom or Dad or Grandma or your guardian, etc.

What happens when people spends tons of time in front of their tablets & smart phones? They disengage from the people sitting right in front of them. We all have seen it countless times in restaurants and heck, even at DL and WDW. How do you establish solid relationships with others? YOU TALK TO THEM...not through text messaging...not through Twitter...not through Snapchat. You have an actual conversation that involves speaking out loud, not by typing.

Ok, getting off my soap box now.

 

[cabanafrau]

Call me old fashioned, but I think that it's really dumb to allow students to have cell phones in the classroom. I really don't care what all of the excuses are, but I will say this...I have a friend whose income is low enough that her kids are on the federal school lunch program, she struggles to get by each month, and just cannot afford for her son to have a cell phone. Her kid's school policy is no phones in class. Yet repeatedly the math teacher says to all the middle schoolers for them to get out their phones in order to use them as calculators...and her son is treated by the students AND the teacher like some sort of alien from another world because he doesn't have his own phone.

If you need a calculator...USE A CALCULATOR, NOT A PHONE AS A CALCULATOR in the classroom.

I suspect that the way I feel about this might not be the norm and y'all can certainly bite my head off and defend all the reasons why a 9 year old needs a phone at school, but let's just keep our heads on straight for a moment, ok?

What happened when WE were in school and we needed to reach 1 of our parents?
You went to the FRONT OFFICE and used the SCHOOL'S PHONE to call Mom or Dad or Grandma or your guardian, etc.

What happens when people spends tons of time in front of their tablets & smart phones? They disengage from the people sitting right in front of them. We all have seen it countless times in restaurants and heck, even at DL and WDW. How do you establish solid relationships with others? YOU TALK TO THEM...not through text messaging...not through Twitter...not through Snapchat. You have an actual conversation that involves speaking out loud, not by typing.

Ok, getting off my soap box now.

I will never understand the logic in the idea that "we didn't do it that way, so no progress is needed. The End." That's clearly hand in glove with the concepts of learning, progress, adaptation and advancement of civilization.

It's a tool. Learn it's usefulness, utilize it for what it's good for and move on.

 

[RitaE]

It's kind of funny but the cell phone controversy at our Junior High this year is the staff being told they can't have their phones in the classroom. Most of the kids have them and they aren't supposed to be out in sight during the day. They can leave them in their lockers but most students turn them off an carry them in their pockets or bags.

I believe nearly all the classrooms have iPADS and tablets now and the staff has done a lot the past couple of years to develop lesson plans utilizing them. The Math program gets the TI-whatevers from an Educational Grant and those are the only calculators that are supposed to be used during instruction in the classroom and those are what the kids use when they take tests. The kids can buy their own for home, which they really need.

Otherwise, the kids really aren't allowed to use the phone in the school office for personal calls. If they are sick or something the school nurse calls out but they can't call for things like Basketball practice being changed to an hour later or whatever.

 

[PollyannaMom]

y'all can certainly bite my head off

I'm not going to do that at all, because I agree with this:

What happens when people spends tons of time in front of their tablets & smart phones? They disengage from the people sitting right in front of them. We all have seen it countless times in restaurants and heck, even at DL and WDW.

However, I'm an "everything in moderation" sort of person, and I think we can learn to use our phones as tools instead of letting them use us. It's a matter of the etiquette catching up with the technology.

I have a friend whose income is low enough that her kids are on the federal school lunch program, she struggles to get by each month, and just cannot afford for her son to have a cell phone. Her kid's school policy is no phones in class. Yet repeatedly the math teacher says to all the middle schoolers for them to get out their phones in order to use them as calculators...and her son is treated by the students AND the teacher like some sort of alien from another world because he doesn't have his own phone.

That is wrong, but I don't think the solution to not everybody having something is to not allow anybody to have it. I think the solution is the good manners not to treat somebody like an alien because they can't afford something. The teacher should be setting a better example, and also encouraging the kids to share if someone doesn't have one.

If you need a calculator...USE A CALCULATOR, NOT A PHONE AS A CALCULATOR in the classroom.

And I do agree with this. If I'm in a classroom with 25 kids on phones, I cannot possibly tell who is using their phone as a calculator and who is looking up answers on the internet. So I do think they should be put away for tests and only regular calculators allowed - even if it's just a class set.

 

[clori]

Call me old fashioned, but I think that it's really dumb to allow students to have cell phones in the classroom. I really don't care what all of the excuses are, but I will say this...I have a friend whose income is low enough that her kids are on the federal school lunch program, she struggles to get by each month, and just cannot afford for her son to have a cell phone. Her kid's school policy is no phones in class. Yet repeatedly the math teacher says to all the middle schoolers for them to get out their phones in order to use them as calculators...and her son is treated by the students AND the teacher like some sort of alien from another world because he doesn't have his own phone.

If you need a calculator...USE A CALCULATOR, NOT A PHONE AS A CALCULATOR in the classroom.

I suspect that the way I feel about this might not be the norm and y'all can certainly bite my head off and defend all the reasons why a 9 year old needs a phone at school, but let's just keep our heads on straight for a moment, ok?

What happened when WE were in school and we needed to reach 1 of our parents?
You went to the FRONT OFFICE and used the SCHOOL'S PHONE to call Mom or Dad or Grandma or your guardian, etc.


Ok, getting off my soap box now.

My dd15 didn't need a calculator for math until she was in 9th grade for geometry. They recommend a specific calculator since it is one they will teach but they have extra for in class use and there are free ones that will work online. All high school students get a chromebook and a company donated some sort of at home internet that gives kids internet at home if they qualify. Before high school no calculator was needed for math. My youngest is in 6th grade and I don't think she is supposed to ever use a calculator for math class. My dd11 does have a cell phone as do the majority of kids in her class but at age 9/4th grade plenty of kids didn't have one.

If it were me though I would feel really bad for the boy and would probably try to pick up a cheap cell phone or see if anyone has an old cell phone that works well and download a decent calculator app that he can use at school without it being used as a phone and give it to him as a present.

Last year my father had surgery that was minor but due to his heart condition the surgeon didn't give him a high chance of surviving. My dd was with me at the hospital. About a month later my mother was having routine surgery that had been postponed due to my father's health issues. I was at the high school for something and saw the principal. I asked him if I called the front office if they would get dd a message that the surgery went well since I knew she would still be a bit nervous. The principal said why do that you can just text her and tell her to keep her phone on vibrate to check when she could and skip the middleman.

 

[DisneyOma]

It seems like every time we get something new, there's a backlash, but then people start to come around.

Could this be the case with cell phone usage in school? Some people seem to think so...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifesty...ory.html?p1=Article_Recommended_ReadMore_Pos4

"The lack of consensus about cellphone use in schools is reflected in a hodgepodge of policies around Massachusetts.

Boston Public Schools prohibit their use during school hours. Melrose allows them in class with teachers’ permission, and the use of smartphones as teaching tools. Some schools permit phones only during lunchtime or in the hallways. Others decree that phones stay inside lockers; some forbid tweets or texts. At Burlington High School, students can carry silenced mobile devices, but using communication features during class is prohibited.

Still, the trend seems to be in favor of increased tolerance of cellphones.

“About a year and a half ago, I said, ‘All right, we can’t win this battle, how do we turn it so it wins for us, so we can make it a positive?’ ” said Cyndy Taymore, superintendent for Melrose Public Schools. “[Students] weren’t paying attention, they were checking their e-mail, and God forbid the Patriots were in a playoff game.”

But banning cellphones entirely can create unexpected problems. Many parents support phones in schools so they can coordinate pickups and after-school activities with their children. They also want to be able to reach them in case of emergency.

In March, the New York Department of Education lifted its decade-long ban on cellphones in the New York City schools. The ban was unpopular, not least because thousands of students in schools with metal detectors were paying daily fees to vendors to store their phones during school hours. Now administrators will decide for themselves where and how phones will be allowed on each campus.

Through it all, the efficacy of mobile devices in the learning environment remains unclear.

Blatt says: “There is a lot of substantial evidence to show the kind of learning that is possible for kids using these devices — when properly supported and managed by teachers who make the best use of them — can be powerful learning.”

I work in a high school. About 10% of the cellphone use is for education. The rest is to text someone else in the class, outside of the class, etc.

If a parent needs to contact a child during school hours, it should be done through the office. If a kid needs to contact a parent during school hours, it should be done through the office.

Kids are so fused with their phones that they'll get up in the middle of a teacher's instruction and go plug their low battery phone into the wall unit behind the teacher's desk.

I get the 'access to technology' - we're all so used to instant access. No one has to think, remember, look at each other, talk to each other. A bunch of tuned out zombies. Rise in anxiety and depression, social disorders -all came around when we got the sooooooo needed technology.

Kids can't even think without a phone in their hands. They obsess about what they may be 'missing' if they can't check their phones. They're snapchatting selfies during class, using the camera as a mirror, hiding earbuds in their hands.

So, no I don't think kids need to have access to technology during class, especially not their phones. Let them learn to listen and think.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Call me old fashioned, but I think that it's really dumb to allow students to have cell phones in the classroom. I really don't care what all of the excuses are, but I will say this...I have a friend whose income is low enough that her kids are on the federal school lunch program, she struggles to get by each month, and just cannot afford for her son to have a cell phone. Her kid's school policy is no phones in class. Yet repeatedly the math teacher says to all the middle schoolers for them to get out their phones in order to use them as calculators...and her son is treated by the students AND the teacher like some sort of alien from another world because he doesn't have his own phone.

If you need a calculator...USE A CALCULATOR, NOT A PHONE AS A CALCULATOR in the classroom.

I suspect that the way I feel about this might not be the norm and y'all can certainly bite my head off and defend all the reasons why a 9 year old needs a phone at school, but let's just keep our heads on straight for a moment, ok?

What happened when WE were in school and we needed to reach 1 of our parents?
You went to the FRONT OFFICE and used the SCHOOL'S PHONE to call Mom or Dad or Grandma or your guardian, etc.

What happens when people spends tons of time in front of their tablets & smart phones? They disengage from the people sitting right in front of them. We all have seen it countless times in restaurants and heck, even at DL and WDW. How do you establish solid relationships with others? YOU TALK TO THEM...not through text messaging...not through Twitter...not through Snapchat. You have an actual conversation that involves speaking out loud, not by typing.

Ok, getting off my soap box now.

I think there can be a middle ground, as some of these teachers and administrators have found.

I know when my kids started high school just four years ago, they had a strict no cell phones policy. Now they're allowed to have them in class. Some seem to have incorporated them into the classroom.

Kids do have to learn not to abuse the privilege because they can be a real distraction to learning (and teaching), and admittedly, that's more a work in progress, I'm sure.

 

[VandVsmama]

For example, when a high school student takes an AP test, all electronic items such as cell phones, smart phones, smart watches, laptops, tablets, MP3 players, cameras, anything that can access the Internet...all of that stuff is prohibited.

The problem with phones in the classroom is because the instructor really can't tell whether the student is using the phone for the classroom-intended use or if the student is using the phone to goof off. And honestly, if having a smart phone in class is mandatory for the student to do his/her work, then the school should provide devices for the students to use in class.

The high school that ODD & YDD will eventually go to has a strict 'no phones in class' rule. Phones are permitted to be out during break periods like lunch and after class, but if you're at an after-school club or if you're going to a teacher's classroom for extra help on a particular subject, then the no phone rule still applies. The school has a couple of classroom sets of laptops that teachers can check out and use in class, but they are not checked out for students to take home. For higher-level math classes, a certain type of calculator is required, but if a student can't afford it, the school will provide the calculator...not a phone.

 

[MrsDuck]

The problem with phones in the classroom is because the instructor really can't tell whether the student is using the phone for the classroom-intended use or if the student is using the phone to goof off.

That's simply untrue. I do it every day. Do they try to send a text? Sure. Do I catch them? Yep. Do they know the rules and mostly follow them? Yes. That comes down to classroom withitness and management.

EDIT: because I'm sure someone will say "there's no way you catch them every time!!", you're right, I probably don't. But, if I don't, it's clearly not happening enough to cause a disturbance to their learning or to the learning of those around them.

I'm sure this is an agree to disagree situation and that's perfectly fine.

 

[cabanafrau]

For example, when a high school student takes an AP test, all electronic items such as cell phones, smart phones, smart watches, laptops, tablets, MP3 players, cameras, anything that can access the Internet...all of that stuff is prohibited.

The problem with phones in the classroom is because the instructor really can't tell whether the student is using the phone for the classroom-intended use or if the student is using the phone to goof off. And honestly, if having a smart phone in class is mandatory for the student to do his/her work, then the school should provide devices for the students to use in class.

The high school that ODD & YDD will eventually go to has a strict 'no phones in class' rule. Phones are permitted to be out during break periods like lunch and after class, but if you're at an after-school club or if you're going to a teacher's classroom for extra help on a particular subject, then the no phone rule still applies. The school has a couple of classroom sets of laptops that teachers can check out and use in class, but they are not checked out for students to take home. For higher-level math classes, a certain type of calculator is required, but if a student can't afford it, the school will provide the calculator...not a phone.

I'm not certain what your point is about the electronics ban and AP testing? Both of my DDs have gone through AP classes, youngest is senior this year, and managed not to be confused by the fact they can carry and in some cases use their phones during the day, yet cannot utilize their phones during AP testing.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel better instilling a sense of personal responsibility in my kids and not relying on the idea of a school ban to convince HS students, particularly those pursuing an AP curriculum, when and how it is appropriate to use their cell phones. It's most definitely not rocket science. How does it make sense to infantilize them in HS and expect them to understand how to conduct themselves in college and in a work setting?

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

All the public schools in our district have a published "BYOD policy" (Bring Your Own Device). Free wifi is available at every school. My youngest started bringing his iPod on Fun Friday to play Minecraft with his friends in 2nd grade. My oldest is in middle school and some math teachers do want you to have a phone or device to use as a calculator when you need it. (His particular Geometry teacher makes them calculate manually, much to his dismay, LOL.) His Art teacher routinely asks the class to look up a particular piece of artwork on their phones. They're not supposed to text or play games, and they aren't supposed to have devices out at lunch or between classes. At least one charter high school I know of makes every student buy or rent an iPad - all their textbooks are on it, but other than that it's locked down pretty well and can't have certain apps installed. Technology is used everywhere - why not in schools?

 

[MrsDuck]

How does it make sense to infantilize them in HS and expect them to understand how to conduct themselves in college and in a work setting?

This x 100!

 

[tvguy]

DDs high school bans them from the classroom, they can be in your locker or in your car. Didn't cause us any issues, any coordination could be done before or after school. Any emergency calls go to the office. Now, I have seen them used like tablets, that certainly could be a benefit.