by Barry Mccormick

Created on: May 22, 2009   Last Updated: May 28, 2009

Learning needs concentration. It requires the teacher to communicate the learning outcomes interestingly and effectively, in an inclusive way and for the learner to listen and interact to better their learning. Cell phones for some students simply cause distraction.

The distraction of a cell phone not only disrupts the learning of the student whose cell phone it is, it potentially can disrupt the learning of other students as well. The sound of a ring tone or even a vibrating phone for anyone can cause an unnecessary disturbance. Someone sitting, sending and SMS or MMS, seeing that from the corner of your eye will distract you. It makes you start wondering who they are texting, why are they texting, what are they texting. And those sort of thoughts can get your mind wondering away from the task set by the teacher or make you shut off from a tutorial or instruction which could be essential for the learning of the class.

If it can distract someone who is not using the phone then it must be causing ten times more distraction to the person using it. Constant thoughts about the conversation happening, what if they said the wrong thing, how are they going to respond. Before they know it, their mind is totally and solely focused on the conversation and simply are unable to concentrate on much more else.

Cell phones have been used to humiliate both other students and even teachers. There have been instances when students have behaved really badly to enrage teachers and peers have filmed it on their camera and put it on You Tube or publicised it some other way. People's privacy needs to be protected especially in classroom situations. Mobile phones can exploit this and in doing so potentially damage and / or hinder the learning of students.

Admittedly, like most behaviour which causes distraction and disruption in classrooms, people who cause distraction and are distracted by cell phones in the class are not the majority. There are those responsible students who will keep their phone on silent and not respond to it till their break or recess.

Should these responsible students be punished like those who are not responsible? In this I wouldn't say it is a punishment, more just a way for it to be fair across the board that one rule is for all, so these students shouldn't feel they are getting punished. So it should include responsible students also should they become banned as you cannot easily, in a classroom environment, implement one rule for one student and not the other.

Cell phones simply cause a potential detrimental affect on learning. By removing the potential by banning it from the classroom the problem has been solved. Learning simply improves with less distraction.

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