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Add to FavoritesWhile this was a difficult question for me to answer, I kept going back to the simple question at hand: Should children have cell phones at school? In short, my answer is yes. However, this is not a clear cut answer for me. Here's my thinking.
I do believe that students should have the right to carry a cell phone to school. Most schools (mine included) have a policy about acceptable use for cell phones. For instance, our students are not allowed to have their phones on during the school day. Before and after school, students are free to use their phones on school property. Our school has also established firm consequences if students are caught using their phones during school hours. The first time it happens, the phone is taken away from the student and a parent must come pick it up in the office. If it happens a second time, the office keeps the phone until the end of the school year. This policy and consequences are clearly stated in our student handbook. Due to the severity of the consequences, our school has not had many issues with this policy. As a teacher and coach, I understand that schedules change with both students and parents. I think it it important for students to have a reliable and convenient form of communication with their parents in these situations, as long as they follow the school usage policy. Unfortunately there have been several school and other non-related emergencies that have made national headlines. Providing students with the option to bring a cell phone for these emergencies may give both students and parents a peace of mind in knowing that they have a direct connection, if needed, to communicate (Shaw, 2005, Associated Content News). In many of these instances, teachers and students were fortunate to have cell phones nearby.
My response is favorable to students having the opportunity to bring cell phones to school with them. However, here is where my opinion does not favor the usage of cell phones inside the classroom. I don't think cell phones are a necessary teaching tool. For one, I think it's unfair to assume that all students will have access to a cell phone. When I think about my student population, we have a wide range of socioeconomic status. While many students have their own phone, there are certainly a great number of students whose parents simply can not afford another bill to pay.
Another reason why I don't believe students should have access to phones in the classroom is because they are more likely to use the phone for inappropriate reasons such as cheating, taking photos, texting, sexting, etc. (Clark, 2009, CBS News). Although we'd like to think that classroom management and monitoring of these uses would alleviate these problems, it's just not feasible to think that one teacher can closely monitor a class of 25-30 students when implementing cell phones as a classroom tool. If in fact inappropriate usage is detected, who is to blame? Student or teacher?
I also see the usage of cell phones in the classroom as a distraction. There are too many features of cell phones that will take the students' attention away from their learning. It is easy for students to be distracted or preoccupied with a cell phone. Texting, phone calls, photos, internet, etc will interfere with the learning environment of the class (National School Safety and Security Services, 2008).
As I began this article, my position to the simplicity of this question is yes. Students should be able to have cell phones in school. However, I am a firm believer in having policies and regulations in place that will restrict the usage of the phones. I do not support using them in the classroom because I think students will abuse the privilege and will become easily distracted by the functions of the phone. There are plenty of other forms of technology that can be accessed by students in a beneficial way. I believe using cell phones in the classroom will create more problems than it's worth.
Learn more about this author, Matt Kleinfelter.
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No
As a middle school English teacher, I actually gave this topic to my students last year for a persuasive composition. I knew that my students would automatically want to argue for having cell phones in school, but I required at least half the class to argue against. My students came up with many reasons why they should not have cell phones in school, and honestly, I found them to be more convincing. Seeing how middle school children are, I have come to the conclusion that cell phones should not be allowed in school.
Our school has a policy that students are allowed cell phones, but they need to be out of sight during the day. Before and after school, outside and in the hallways, our students are allowed to talk on cell phones, but when school is in session, they are not to be seen. This may seem like a fair enough rule, but my sixth and seventh graders still struggle with the concept. I have found that my students, like many, are easily distracted. If a cell phone accidentally rings in class, or even vibrates loudly in someone's pocket, they are finished listening to my lesson, and they are now all wondering who was calling and why. Cell phones are also a distraction because students are so accustomed to text messaging each other after school hours, and they are often tempted to text message their friends during their lunch or study periods. On numerous occasions I have caught students in the bathroom texting their friends who are in class. The teacher might not see a student texting in their room, but the five students sitting next to them are watching the whole thing.
Another reason why students should not have cell phones in school is because they can be used for cheating. Cell phones are not just used for making phone calls anymore. Cell phones are often as advanced as our computers. They are able to quickly look up answers, have "cheat sheets" stored on their phone, and are able to use the calculator when they may not normally be allowed. Web browsing is coming standard on most phones, and students are able to take full advantage of this.
I know many teachers say that cell phones are good in school because if there was an emergency, students would be able to call home. There are plenty of phones in our building, and there is no need for a child to have to use a cell phone to contact home or an emergency crew. All phones in the classroom are able to connect with 911. The nurse's main complaint at our school is that she has parents calling her asking why she won't allow their child to go home sick, but the child hasn't even visited the nurse, instead they have called their parent from their cell phone. Procedures have to be followed, and cell phones are interfering with these. I also had a horrible situation happen when a student was upset in my class and I had her go to the bathroom and calm down, and when she came back she handed me a cell phone and said, "My mother wants to talk to you." Obviously this was a strange occurrence, but this type of thing did not happen when students did not have cell phones at their fingertips. I believe that cell phones should remain at home and have no business in the classroom.
Learn more about this author, Breanne Frandsen.
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