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Home›Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech›Educators: What You Need To Know About Cell Phones

Educators: What You Need To Know About Cell Phones

By Matthew Lynch
June 27, 2016
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Cell phones: good or bad? There’s no denying they’ve made modern life much more convenient. Communication happens at the drop of a hat – or at the click of a button. However, the instant gratification can make cell phones a little too attractive, making it hard for students to let go and focus on learning.

In our increasingly technological society, teachers have to deal with the fact that students as young as seven own cell phones, and many bring them to school. Some schools initially banned cell phones, but with the multitude of tragedies that have happened over the last decade, many have changed their policy. Also, parents pushed for the change, insisting their children needed to use their cell phones to reach them after school hours and to schedule rides. Many schools have now lifted their bans on cell phones.

Unfortunately, while restrictions on cell phone use have either been lifted or relaxed by most school districts, the distractions caused by cell phones and smart phones have increased. This is partly because the cell phones of today allow users to do much more than they could in the past. In addition to texting and making calls, students can take pictures, record short videos, play games, surf the Net, and more.

As a teacher, you’ll undoubtedly have problems with students abusing cell phones by texting each other during class, sending answers to exam questions, and harassing and bullying classmates. Because of this, you’ll need to impose strict rules to combat these issues. Your school may already have rules in place concerning cell phones that they require all teachers to adhere to. If it doesn’t, consider implementing the following rules in your classroom:

  • Students who are caught using a cell phone in the classroom without permission will have points deducted from their class participation score.
  • Students who are caught using a cell phone during a test will receive a one- or two-grade deduction from their test score.
  • Students must place their cell phones in a basket at the beginning of class. When class is over, they can retrieve their phones.

Cell phones in the classroom are not all bad, because they can be used as powerful teaching tools. Many feature multifunction calculators that can be used during math and science classes. The camera can be used to take wonderful photos, and the video feature can be used to take short videos. If your school does not have laptops available for classroom use, students can use the Internet browser on their phone to search for valuable information or to complete complex projects. Students can even use a dictionary app.

The cell phone can be a powerful distraction or an educational tool. You have to decide which it will be in your classroom. Make sure that you explain the school’s policy on cell phones at the beginning of the year. In the absence of formal school rules, you can make your own. Take advantage of this powerful teaching tool, but don’t let it distract your students.


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1 comment

  1. Sheldon Soper 29 March, 2017 at 12:42 Reply

    Cell phone usage can be a valuable addition to the classroom workflow. I have students who often use their cellphones outside of school to access and submit assignments on our course Google Classroom page. This digital submission (either with photographs or uploaded files) makes for a clean, trackable workflow that removes the he-said/she-said conflicts over whether work was submitted or not. All the work and accompanying resources are time-stamped and attached to the relevant assignment.

    That being said, I make it a point to remain cognizant of the fact that not all students have this type of digital access. Technology access can be a serious cause of a widening achievement gap. As such, there are always resources and digital tools available in class for my students to use; accessing digital content or using digital devices outside of the classroom environment is never a requirement.

    On a related note, it’ is important for teachers to also consider the fact that the ubiquity of cellphones being present in their classrooms (whether they are allowed or not) means that there is the potential for anything in the classroom to be recorded, photographed, or even streamed online. This can have serious legal and professional ramifications and is another reason to be sure your cellphone policy is clear and supported at an administrative level.

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