Elementary Schoolers and texting/messaging?

[Hrhpd]

LOL. Especially since most Amish still don't use landlines. And apparently live their lives just fine without. Shocking I know.

Works because that is the norm in their community. They have their own insular community.

Doesn't work as well in other communities with different expectations.

 

[Southernmiss]

But are they allowed to use the phones during school hours and in the classroom?

Yes. My middle and high school kids often use the internet from their phones in school for research.

Other teachers do use technology with their phones creatively in the classroom. They've adapted to modern teaching, learning and communication methods.

My sister in law is a teacher's assistant in kindergarten. The kids coming to kindergarten who have never used a computer are at a disadvantage and she has spent a lot of time teaching them basic use of the mouse and computer.

I was a resistant mom too about cell phones for my elementary kids. My youngest is now 14. By 11 she also had a smart phone cellphone. Oldest ds now 21 got his first cell phone-a flip phone- in 8th grade. Technology changes quickly. Kids today are expected to keep up earlier and earlier.

 

[Hrhpd]

Yes. My middle and high school kids often use the internet from their phones in school for research.

Other teachers do use technology with their phones creatively in the classroom. They've adapted to modern teaching, learning and communication methods.

My sister in law is a teacher's assistant in kindergarten. The kids coming to kindergarten who have never used a computer are at a disadvantage and she has spent a lot of time teaching them basic use of the mouse and computer.

I was a resistant mom too about cell phones for my elementary kids. My youngest is now 14. By 11 she also had a smart phone cellphone. Oldest ds now 21 got his first cell phone-a flip phone- in 8th grade. Technology changes quickly. Kids today are expected to keep up earlier and earlier.

I was volunteering in our local elementary school with kindergarten assessments that are done completely online. If a child did not know how to use a mouse to click on answers, they were at a huge disadvantage. The kindergartners listened to literacy questions and then had to click on the correct answer. My role as a volunteer was to sit with the kindergartners that were not computer literate to help them navigate the test. There were only a few that needed help.

 

[tvguy]

Yes. My middle and high school kids often use the internet from their phones in school for research.

Other teachers do use technology with their phones creatively in the classroom. They've adapted to modern teaching, learning and communication methods.

My sister in law is a teacher's assistant in kindergarten. The kids coming to kindergarten who have never used a computer are at a disadvantage and she has spent a lot of time teaching them basic use of the mouse and computer.

I was a resistant mom too about cell phones for my elementary kids. My youngest is now 14. By 11 she also had a smart phone cellphone. Oldest ds now 21 got his first cell phone-a flip phone- in 8th grade. Technology changes quickly. Kids today are expected to keep up earlier and earlier.

My kids are out of college, but my co-workers say out here in progressive California cell phones and personal devices are still banned in the classroom. However, given how many federal grants there are out there for devices and computers, all the kids have an assigned device in the classroom. They want the teacher to be able to control what they use them for.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I have a DD who is in 4th grade, will be 10 next month. She's struggling a little in school with friendships and part of the problem seems to be that many of these kids communicate with each other outside of school through texting or messaging. This is not just her saying "everyone" has a phone, etc., I'm in her school frequently and I hear the kids talking about it myself.

She just received her first "device", a kindle fire for Christmas and I have no desire for her to keep up with the joneses in this regard, but I would like to figure out a way for her to be able to communicate with her friends. Many of these kids have their own ipads, macbooks, ipods, phones, etc. and while her own ipad or macbook won't be happening a phone or ipod isn't entirely out of the question, though I was really hoping to hold off till middle school for that, but maybe I am behind the times?

I've spent hours now trying to find a free texting app to work on her kindle fire with no luck. Any advice? What age did your child get a phone? How do your 4th/5th/6th graders keep in touch with their friends?

All I will say is set some VERY strict rules now, and stick with them. Things like phone goes on the kitchen counter after 7pm, no phone in the bedroom at night. No locking phone, no passcode, parental access at all times. Easier to be super strict now and ease off later.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I have a 5th grade student who now wears an Apple Watch! I'm sure it will be banned form school soon.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

If a parent can afford to keep up with the latest technology for their children, I think they owe it to them. You wouldn't dress your kids in 70's or 80's fashions, I hope. The world is always evolving and very few people are writing letters any more but I remember some people refusing to use email to correspond when that came out. Most of them got over it since they were being left in the dust.

There's nothing worse than a parent trying to keep their kids in the last generation thinking those were the 'good ole days'.

 

[aprilgail]

All I will say is set some VERY strict rules now, and stick with them. Things like phone goes on the kitchen counter after 7pm, no phone in the bedroom at night. No locking phone, no passcode, parental access at all times. Easier to be super strict now and ease off later.

No locking the phone is a VERY bad idea!! If they lose the phone anyone can access it. Why wouldn't you lock it and just both know the code????

 

[MommyMK]

OP here again. Just wanted to chime in and say that I'm not in any way trying to facilitate or hold her hand with regard to friendships, but just give her the ability to contact and build relationships with the friends she already has at school outside of school hours. As I said DD is my oldest, our school is almost entirely bussed and it's not like I spend a lot of time hanging out with 4th graders, so I was unaware of the norm. In my social circle DD is one of the oldest kids so I've not had anyone I know personally go through this recently and I was unaware that we had moved past the parents arranging all the play dates stage of the game. Lately I have been volunteering at the school weekly so I have seen a little more of what goes on and that's why I posted to see what the norm was.

DD is a very sweet and respectful kid and she's just not the type to ask for/expect expensive electronics. She knows a phone is a privilege and it's expensive and when it has come up in passing we've always said middle school. She is also not the most responsible kid, always misplacing things so she knows a $500 iPad is not in her near future.

 

[sk!mom]

But are they allowed to use the phones during school hours and in the classroom?

I have Ipads in my classroom so no, I don't have them use their phones. However, as we wait for rides at dismissal, the majority pull out phones to check with parents about pick up or to check in with parents as they walk home.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

In our high school (public,) it is mandatory to have a macbook or a laptop with certain specifications. Our son's macbook was about $1,200.

If you are on free or reduced lunch and can prove economic hardship, you can borrow one from the school.

In lower grades, devices are highly encouraged but not mandatory. The schools have tech carts that the children can check out an ipad or a laptop for a few hours.

In our high school, all incoming freshman are required to buy a chromebook as part of their registration. It is an added $150 to the bill. As I live in IL, and our extortionist state is OK with us paying hundreds of dollars a year in what I call "public school tuition", everyone just pays it and voila! Their kid has a chromebook. Anyone who can claim free/reduced lunch can aply for a fee waiver and get the chromebook for free.

 

[shoney]

In our high school, all incoming freshman are required to buy a chromebook as part of their registration. It is an added $150 to the bill. As I live in IL, and our extortionist state is OK with us paying hundreds of dollars a year in what I call "public school tuition", everyone just pays it and voila! Their kid has a chromebook. Anyone who can claim free/reduced lunch can aply for a fee waiver and get the chromebook for free.

But what are your taxes?

 

[Lilacs4Me]

But what are your taxes?

Mine are $7,500/year, for a 1400 sq foot brick cape cod on a lot where I can stand at my side-door and reach out and touch my house and my neighbors. Our houses are *maybe* 5 feet apart.

Ave of $1,300 for water/sewage/garbage on top of that.

More land, bigger house in my neighborhood - up to $12,000.

We live in a ridiculously high cost of living area.

In the state we lived before this, we had a 1800 new-build on an acre of land in a rural area. Paid $160K for the house in 2003 and $3,500/year in taxes. It all depends on where you live of course. And the schools were not nearly as good....our current HS ranks in the top 20 routinely in our state. So, I guess I cannot complain, because we def moved here for the schools, but $700 in mandatory "registration and material fees" a year for public education still stings.

For the elementary kid and MS kid, I paid $350 in school fees. $120 of that was for the 4th grader to ride the bus to/from school. DD doesn't have the option of a bus, and neither does DS15 even though the HS is 1.8 miles from our house. Some kids live up to 3 miles away - no bussing for anyone in the HS district.

Nothing is "included" here. We pay for everything. Even field trips are, on average, $10-20 each.

 

[tefrench]

Just a note about the Amish....around here, some Amish do have phone shacks. Basically a shack with a phone to record messages, and I think has to be off their property. Also, quite a few have cell phones, but it can't be registered in their name. They get a non-Amish friend to take care of it for them.

 

[mjkacmom]

Mine are $7,500/year, for a 1400 sq foot brick cape cod on a lot where I can stand at my side-door and reach out and touch my house and my neighbors. Our houses are *maybe* 5 feet apart.

Ave of $1,300 for water/sewage/garbage on top of that.

More land, bigger house in my neighborhood - up to $12,000.

We live in a ridiculously high cost of living area.

In the state we lived before this, we had a 1800 new-build on an acre of land in a rural area. Paid $160K for the house in 2003 and $3,500/year in taxes. It all depends on where you live of course. And the schools were not nearly as good....our current HS ranks in the top 20 routinely in our state. So, I guess I cannot complain, because we def moved here for the schools, but $700 in mandatory "registration and material fees" a year for public education still stings.

For the elementary kid and MS kid, I paid $350 in school fees. $120 of that was for the 4th grader to ride the bus to/from school. DD doesn't have the option of a bus, and neither does DS15 even though the HS is 1.8 miles from our house. Some kids live up to 3 miles away - no bussing for anyone in the HS district.

Nothing is "included" here. We pay for everything. Even field trips are, on average, $10-20 each.

If it makes you feel better, I live in a county with one of the the highest property taxes in the US. The highest town in my county averages $22,000 in property taxes. My town's average is only $10,000, we pay over $12,000. We pay to pay for sports, and of course pay for field trips.

 

[maxaroni]

Fellow NJer here. Originally from Bergen county, now Burlington. Property taxes are crazy high.