What is wrong with the no-use cellphone policy in school?
The profound impact of the computer and the web on our society showed that youth and devices have become virtually inseparable. Young people cannot imagine a world without their mobiles, iphones digital cameras and the rest. Complicating the issue is the fact that most students are multi-tasking as texting or staying online while behind the wheels, chatting, snacking, and taking notes in class. They believed that in no way does technology affect their performance.
School issues on cellphones:
Parents are trying to decide what is the right age for a child to own a cellphone; meanwhile, schools are struggling to decide whether or not cellphones should be used in school or not. A study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project study found that 65% of teens with mobiles bring their gadgets to school even if it is banned and that over 50% owning mobiles at schools that disallowed them were able to send a text message during their class. Most schools set a compromise by allowing students to bring cellphones but they must be turned off during class for it is disrupting and distracting.
Today, cellphone overall expanded uses as devices in school have increased tremendously. A public school In Pennsylvania recently changed their decision after they discovered that mobiles have implications for safety, distractions in the classroom, privacy, and even bullying. And being aware that students bring them to school whether allowed or not. Many schools are re-considering their previous “no cellphone policy.”
Will cellphone ban be lifted?
Starting this March, New York City’s largest school district in the country with 1.1 million students will change its long-standing ban on cellphones. The Bloomberg administration implemented the ban on 2006. Presently, Mayor Bill De Blasio championed the change of policy for he believed that parents should be able to easily contact their kids.
Professor Liz Kolb from the University of Michigan School of Education and author of Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education, said that close to 70% of schools that banned cellphones five years ago are reversing their policies.
Cellphones should be allowed in school fpr these reasons:
Educational benefit ‘“ The cameras on phones can give students the opportunity to make a visual record of field trips or school events that can enhance learning. It is a great way to develop photo essays.
- Easy contact with parents ‘“ Parents can keep in touch with their children ay all times; they will know their whereabouts. The Pew study noted that 48% of parents use the phone to monitor their child’s location and scheduled pick up time.
- In case of emergency ‘“ Unexpected happenings need cellphones to connect with loved ones. Your kids can reach you in the event of an emergency, and vice versa. If in danger, your children can reach the authorities or a medical provider.
- Conclusion:Cellphones give students easy access to the internet – Whether at home or in school, students can easily access the internet that facilitates research replacing the use of a computer within the school.
- For safety concerns ‘“ Parents and some administrators argued on the safety as issue in favor of allowing use of devices in schools. The cellphone can serve as parents’ mouthpiece on potential concerns about safety for kids who are out of the watchful eye of their parents.
It is clear that schools must adopt acceptable policy for the use of cellphones in the classroom. Just as adults indicated that they are lost without their cellphones, it is also the same on the part of students. Just for the advantages mentioned, it is hardly acceptable for students to be banned from access to their mobiles.
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