by Caroline Boving

Created on: November 23, 2010

In my personal opinion, cell phones have no place in my elementary classroom. My kids can barely read short vowels, never mind use a cell phone to text their parents about an emergency at school or check their homework. I am trying to teach them phonics and spelling patterns, not encourage them to use shorthand text speak. They have to learn the whole, correct word first! More than half of the articles on Helium were pro-cell phones in school, but the writers were describing middle or high school classrooms. I think that there could be a purpose for cell phones in a secondary classroom or college, but not in elementary school.

There are many articles online that support my view of limiting cell phones in school, although, again, they are directed towards upper grades. The site for for schoolsecurity.org stated that, “On a day-to-day basis, they are disruptive to the educational environment…..Ringing cell phones can disrupt classes and distract students who should be paying attention to their lessons at hand. Text message has been used for cheating. And new cell phones with cameras could be used to take photos of exams, take pictures of students changing clothes in gym locker areas, and so on.” These are some scary uses of cell phones!  Another site, familyeducation.com pointed out that cell phones have been used to call in bomb threats. The site states, “Students have been known to use cell phones to call in bomb threats to schools, to avoid or condense class time.”

One article from journalstar.com/life quotes a principal who does not allow cell phones to be used at all in the school building, although many students still have them in their pockets. The article states, "We never allow a student to have a phone turned on or used in the building - ever," said principal Chris Deibler. "They can bring them to school, turn them off and put them in the locker during the day. They can use them before school in the morning on the porch and after school when they need to contact rides."  Deibler is adamant: Cell phones take away from the learning environment - especially among younger kids.  "They go from tool to a toy. When they are used as tools, fine. When they are toys, they are not. Parents say they are using it as a tool. Unfortunately there are too many kids who cannot control the use of it to where it becomes a toy to them. They are too obsessed with it and it detracts from the learning environment. We

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