With technology growing more and more advanced, kids both old and young are seen everywhere carrying a fancy smartphone. New apps are constantly being invented or created for these phones. In a sense each child is carrying around their own mini computer. I am not an owner of a smartphone, but I see great potential in what they can do and aspire to be the owner of one someday. However, with the rise of these phones, should teachers allow kids to take advantage of their uses in the world of education? Or will these phones cause too much of a distraction with social media, texting, and games? Let's take a look at both sides of the situation.
According to Family Education, there are many pros to kids having cellphones in school. These include parents having the ability to monitor their child's whereabouts, kids being able to contact somebody instantly in the case of an emergency, using them as a means of research without having to use a computer, and they can be turned on or off depending on if the situation calls for them. The website also mentions a few cons which include ringtones disrupting the class, distractions from learning, cyberbullying, and especially cheating.
An online article taken from a Scholastic magazine talked briefly about this topic as well. It gave a few concerns about having cellphones and then described the benefits. The biggest point about the benefits is the idea that kids can use them when necessary. "You can't schedule for surprises. School violence, terrorist attacks, and medical emergencies can happen at any time." On the flip side though, the article also talks about how schools already have phones provided for such a case. "All schools have telephones in the classroom or main office. Children are allowed access to those phones as long as they are not distracting the class. Everyday details and emergencies can be handles through the school."
An article on Kwikboost discussed seven reasons why kids should definitely be allowed to carry cellphones at schools. Their argument explained how cellphones can help prepare kids for the real world once their adults. Having them teaches the kids how to use them responsibly. They make detention more bearable and also just keeps the kids happy. They are also seen as a great learning tool since smartphones have access to the internet. It also makes the claim that some teachers like to take notes on their phones in class, so letting kids have them too eliminates that double standard.
In a teen edition of the New York Times, both sides of the argument are presented yet again--this time by other educators. The one who said phones should be banned claimed that "A student with a cell phone is an uninterested student, one with a short attention span who cares more about socializing than education." She says this from her own experiences teaching; many students would fail her classes or drop out of school because they were always seen playing on the phones. The teacher who said that they should be allowed agreed with the previous teacher about them being a distraction. She does want them to stay though as a safety precaution. She doesn't support them so much in the classroom as she does outside the classroom when the students are traveling to and from school or participating in extracurricular activities.
My view on the matter is this: I believe that cellphones should be allowed in schools but only under certain conditions. I'm fine with kids using them in between classes, before school, and after school. The only time I would let kids use them in class would be when internet research is required for the lesson and we're unable to get into a room with computers. Or, if there are more students than computers, I would allow the remaining students to use them. I do believe that they're a distraction, but I as a future educator think that when necessary we can teach these kids to use this everyday object as a tool for educational growth. Again, when necessary. As someone going into music, I probably will not be needing students to use them in my music classroom.
Sources:
http://life.familyeducation.com/cellular-telephones/school/51264.html
http://district.auburn.cnyric.org/departments/science/g6e4.pdf
http://www.kwikboost.com/7-reasons-students-allowed-use-cell-phones-school/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/debate/index.asp?article=d1211
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