Educators Want Cellphones Taken out of Classrooms.

 

DUH!  I don't want to be the phone police. I want to teach. That is a common theme I have heard from people I know that are teachers and educators.

A team led by Wharton professor and psychologist Angela Duckworth is only a few months into yearlong research on cell phones in public schools, but the preliminary findings are clear: The stricter the policy, the better.

More than 20,000 public school educators nationwide have responded to the Phones in Focus survey since it was launched in April to understand the broad effects of cell phone use on student achievement and well-being. The key finding so far is that school-wide bans that keep phones out of the classroom are linked with fewer distractions. 

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/do-school-cell-phone-bans-help-students-do-better/

It’s amazing to me that a focus survey is even needed. Where is the common sense that cell phones should not be in the classroom or at least put in a cell phone storage area, or shelf in the classroom while the teacher is instructing. This takes away the argument that some parents have in case of an emergency. 

The bigger point here are cell phones being allowed in the classroom is a direct RESULT of the terrible policies of allowing Chromebooks and Tablets in the classrooms many years ago (Still going on today).

WHY? Because the idea is valid the but the process of allowing them to roll out is/was flawed. There needs to be algorithms built in the Chromebooks and tablets that ONLY allow educational sites pre-determined by the school districts for teaching purposes only.

Students go to sites that are not restricted that take their attention away from learning just like the cell phones do today. For privacy reasons you can’t restrict a person’s cell phone, but you can limit what is allowed on Chromebooks and tablets.