by Matt Kleinfelter

Created on: October 05, 2009

While 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

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