Should You Allow Cell Phones in the Classroom?

Should your School Allow

Cell Phones in the Classroom?

Technology can be our best friend, but technology can also take away the joy in our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a day dream, to imagine something wonderful, because we’re too addicted to our cell phones. We all know that phones have become a big part of our reality, but should we let them be a part of our kids’ education? Should schools allow cell phones in the classroom? If you walked into a classroom today, you would probably see over half the class on their phones. 73% of teachers from grades 6-12 say that their students use their phones in the classroom, and 43% use other mobile devices (PEW internet and America Life Project). And what teachers don’t realize is that with the advanced technology today, students can practically do anything with their phones and not get caught. With this being said, I believe cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms for three reasons; students can cheat easier, they’re not focused, and it will backfire as they progress in school.

Forget the old ways of cheating, kids have a more cunning and useful way of working the system: using their cellphones. More than one third of teens admit to using their phones to cheat; if it be texting friends, having stored information on

them, or looking something up on the internet (Zach Miners, U.S News). A recent graduate of Baylake Pines School, says for papers, online tests, in class exams, etc. that students use the web to copy and paste and take advantage of the iPhone with its internet access (Miners, U.S. News). But, as teens electronics advance, so are educators with their own anti- cheating technologies such as text-matching software, biometric equipment, virtual students, and cheat proof tests.

“We’ve scared the living daylights out of them,” explains Taylor Ellis (associate dean of undergraduate programs and technology at UCF’s college of business). If this is the case then why don’t they stop?

Not only are kids cheating, they’re just straight out not paying attention by using them in the classroom. Due to technology advancements, kids have all kinds of media they constantly check on and use, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Tumbler, Facebook, Pinterest, Vine, etc. 54% of teachers say all or almost all of students have access to their phones inside of school (PEW Internet and ALP). Aaron Tillery, a UMKC sophomore says, “Many people who go to class don’t even listen, they just sit there; they get on their phones.” And Rita Morales, A UMKC senior says, “You’re really not paying that much attention as if you were if you didn’t have it in class to begin with.” So, Dr. Kathleen Kilway, a UMKC chemistry professor, has a strict no phones policy in her classroom. She says the atmosphere is better with no phones. Students are more focused, there are no distractions, and there’s an all-around unified feel like they’re all in it together. So cheating or not, students are unfocused and distracted by their phones either way (Action News video).

Some may think that restricting phones is not the answer. Wiregrass High School took a different direction by using the students’