Cell phones in the Classroom: Tool or Distraction?
Teaching at an urban school is already a difficult task, but to teach at a low-income urban school is another task to take on. Mrs. Kenny has been teaching Science to sophomore students for 5 years now and she could not be more passionate about her job and students. It has always been Mrs. Kenny’s first priority to do anything she can to adapt to every student in the classroom so that it can further help them in their learning. She is a firm believer in using hands-on activities in her teaching because it gives the students a chance to exercise their brain. She is provided with little to none resources for her classroom, so Mrs. Kenny uses a good amount of her money to provide supplies for …show more content…
“Critics point out that access to such communications usually detracts from the overall time students spent thinking about studies. That is why at least 10 states, and many other school districts, have outright bans on cell phones on school premises” (Richtel & Stone, 2009). On the other hand, about how many students use their phones during class, regardless of the strict policies? If this is the case, schools might as well propose and inform the students about a better way to use the phone effectively in the classroom. “Have students engage in a debate on the pros and cons of using cell phones in school. They should delve into questions of policy, cost, usefulness and innovation along with the potential for mischief, distraction and cheating” (Nankani & Ojalvo, 2010). When students are treated like adults, they are more likely to act like adults. The school having a strict no phone policy is a form of prohibition, which likely lead to rebellious actions. When all of the positive and negative uses of the phone are stated upfront permissively as a class, teacher and students, they create a mutual understanding. Again, the students are going to use their phones regardless of the policies, so teachers should take this is an opportunity to engage their kids more. “’This is a device kids have, it’s a device they are familiar with and want to take advantage of,’ said Shawn Gross” (Richtel & Stone, 2009). Distractions on the phone are likely to happen but they are also just as likely to happen if the teacher isn’t keeping the students interested. There are many different ways of involving the students in lessons using their phones. “Halla recommends polleverywhere.com to test students’ knowledge of their subject material before an upcoming test” (Graham, 2013). Polleverywhere.com is a cost free website that allows someone
Teaching at an urban school is already a difficult task, but to teach at a low-income urban school is another task to take on. Mrs. Kenny has been teaching Science to sophomore students for 5 years now and she could not be more passionate about her job and students. It has always been Mrs. Kenny’s first priority to do anything she can to adapt to every student in the classroom so that it can further help them in their learning. She is a firm believer in using hands-on activities in her teaching because it gives the students a chance to exercise their brain. She is provided with little to none resources for her classroom, so Mrs. Kenny uses a good amount of her money to provide supplies for …show more content…
“Critics point out that access to such communications usually detracts from the overall time students spent thinking about studies. That is why at least 10 states, and many other school districts, have outright bans on cell phones on school premises” (Richtel & Stone, 2009). On the other hand, about how many students use their phones during class, regardless of the strict policies? If this is the case, schools might as well propose and inform the students about a better way to use the phone effectively in the classroom. “Have students engage in a debate on the pros and cons of using cell phones in school. They should delve into questions of policy, cost, usefulness and innovation along with the potential for mischief, distraction and cheating” (Nankani & Ojalvo, 2010). When students are treated like adults, they are more likely to act like adults. The school having a strict no phone policy is a form of prohibition, which likely lead to rebellious actions. When all of the positive and negative uses of the phone are stated upfront permissively as a class, teacher and students, they create a mutual understanding. Again, the students are going to use their phones regardless of the policies, so teachers should take this is an opportunity to engage their kids more. “’This is a device kids have, it’s a device they are familiar with and want to take advantage of,’ said Shawn Gross” (Richtel & Stone, 2009). Distractions on the phone are likely to happen but they are also just as likely to happen if the teacher isn’t keeping the students interested. There are many different ways of involving the students in lessons using their phones. “Halla recommends polleverywhere.com to test students’ knowledge of their subject material before an upcoming test” (Graham, 2013). Polleverywhere.com is a cost free website that allows someone