Why Phones Don’t Belong in School

[Deleted]

Uhm isn't the simple solution of a special app.

This app allows teachers to lock and unlock certain acces through wifi on the phone (with an option to be locked by default in school time).
- Locked: Only specially granted contacts can be called or received. Certain apps are accesible like an aproved calculator.
- Unlocked: Free acces for purposes of internet.

The school or parent with the instructions of school install an app which the student can't remove unless they have the password (or do factory reset). This app must be installed otherwise they can't get acces to the free wifi in school.

You might want different stages of locked because you might not want students to have acces to things like whatsapp, but this might be blocked through wifi as well. Not sure though if this blocked requires deep acces to the operating system though.

[Elim Garak]

In the age of internet, I'm surprised kids still go to school, looks like a waste of time.

[Jibjub]

They don't need video games either. Should they be restricted to 18+?

Because video games can distract kids in school and make them dumber (oh wait, without smartphones, they'd have no way of playing). Because video games have created this culture of sexting that is really ruining younger generations (not to mention when girls send pictures and they get shared to everyone) -- seriously, it's getting bad. Because video games have created a generation with the attention span of a hummingbird. Because video games have caused younger generations to barely be able to string together a coherent sentence -- and then name the nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, and adverbs in that sentence.

They negatives of phones -- to wit: smartphones -- FAR outweigh the good. Put them in the hands of little kids who are now coddled more than ever, and things are bleak. But, like I said, it's the parents fault (who are also often times addicted to them).

You are clearly a young child who NEEDS his/her phone.

It's sad.

[Zarc]

This is so racist. Phones has the same rights as anyone else to go to school.

[Jibjub]

In the age of internet, I'm surprised kids still go to school, looks like a waste of time.

Access to knowledge isn't knowledge. Do you think kids use or ever would use the internet to learn?

I give you Mr. Feeny:

[Elim Garak]

Do they learn in schools doe? I'm all for social Darwinism.

[Jibjub]

Do they learn in schools doe? I'm all for social Darwinism.

You got me there. Public schools are a joke.

[Bigbamboozal]

Firstly, the reason they became so popularly allowed in schools plain and simple: classroom shootings.
Calling the school, office has kid sent to the office does not work for that.
While I can empathise with many people's position on it, it's not going away.

My son does not have one yet, he's eight.
But I imagine he'll be getting one around time for high school.
He will be obeying the rules of not using it in class, or suffering his consequences as is appropriate to instill consideration by him
I think teachers should stop whining like losers with sour grapes and rise to the occasion, if you can't compete with phone, you need to work on your teaching skills and more over your people skills.

If fuck you is the answer to put your phone away, (provided it's not being used as a calculator or so forth and is being used inappropriately in class, and still fuck you are not the words to use to a teacher...), the obvious response is to send that child to the office. The problem there isn't the phone, it's refusing to comply and being mouthy.
Yes, phones can be a huge distraction, but they are also a safety net.
Since schools and teachers have proven time and again that they aren't able to always protect our kids, and that when bad things happen large scale, their communications networks are absolutely useless, it's not leaving.
I'm not suggesting they aren't leaving, I'm telling you.
My kid, his safety is my number one concern, you don't get to step on that because you can't hold class attention.
I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be alone as a parent making sure the parties involved in a school cell phone ban would get their walking papers before this happened.
It really is that simple.

[Morrigenn]

Ruin a life because during a stage known to be immature, they made an immature remark? Who's childish now?

Okay so they're "immature" at this stage. Please tell me at what stage you think they will learn that actions have consequences and that they're NOT the center of the fucking universe if a response to: "please put the phone away" is "fuck you" in a schoolroom? That sort of seriously unacceptable response needs to be seriously dealt with. It isn't a playground, it isn't the mall, it isn't a joke. Actions have CONSEQUENCES. (And not always pleasant consequences).

Phones should NOT be allowed in schools. Period. Too damn much distraction.

Does anyone remember that kids are in school to LEARN, and anything that takes their attention away from learning is a BIG negative? From what I see coming into the workforce, there's not nearly enough "learning" going on and waaaaay too much sense of entitlement and feeling like rules don't apply.

[Akka]

take my phone away and i will turn your life into hell itself.


in our school, we are allowed to have and use it, just not during the lessons.

I think you just proved the whole point of the article.

[Phookah]

It's not "to do their homework". The point is, there's little reason for a school library these days, when you have access to far more information at your fingertips. That's a ridiculously powerful resource to just give up on.

Its not giving up on it. If the school wants or needs you on the internet for something, then they should provide a device for such.
The reason phones don't belong in school are the same reasons ANY kid shouldn't bring toys or expensive things; they provide a distraction, they cause drama and wasted resources when they eventually get stolen/lost, and they just aren't needed. As for the "technologically hamstring our children" comment, you really think having to not touch your phone for 7 hours a day is going to impair a teenagers ability to what? Use the internet? Use it as a resource?
I think its good to teach them early that there are times and places for whipping out your phone and staring at it, and work/your education (again, outside of research which can be done on school provided equipment, or you can do it on your phone at home) aren't it.

[Crillam]

Cell phones should be banned in the classroom, I absolutely agree.

And if you under 15 years old, why the hell do you need a cell phone?

I personally didn't get one until I was 17.

Ehm, I will quote Garrosh "Times change"
Every one that is around my age (I was born 96) got a cell phone, it is todays standard. It is like computers, is is standard, and so is internet etc, etc. But I do agree that it should be banned in classrooms, which it is in Sweden but no one cares, and if the teacher tells you to put it away, you can say " I use it as my calculator" you show them and they can't prove you wrong.

- - - Updated - - -

Hundreds of generations managed to make it through school without a cellphone, you can too. Turn that shit off and use it on your own time.

When I was in school, or problem was pagers. I honestly can't think WHY a kid would need a pager, especially in the middle of school, but there it was. They got banned at our school, and even then became such a problem that the principal confiscated a few of them from some of the more...dubious students, and during lunch, took a sledge hammer to them in the middle of the cafeteria. It of course brought in the parents who paid for those devices, and a whole legal battle ensued, but it significantly dropped the amount of pagers that showed up in school afterward.

I wish a teacher would do this to someone's cellphone. Oh god, I would back that teacher up so fucking much.

Well if you put it like that. Thousands of generations managed to make it through cold winters, hot summers, barely any food, harsh weather conditions, without proper cloths, a house, roof over their heads and I can go on and on. People hunted other creatures with bow and arrow, sword and spears. They walked for miles and miles with no shoes, did not know were it would lead them. Food ran out and small groups often died out. You can too, get your shit together and just DO IT.

Or you just accept that things change over time. If you need to live in the past, atleast accept the future and keep the rest to yourself.

[bledgor]

My son does not have one yet, he's eight.
But I imagine he'll be getting one around time for high school.
He will be obeying the rules of not using it in class, or suffering his consequences as is appropriate to instill consideration by him
I think teachers should stop whining like losers with sour grapes and rise to the occasion, if you can't compete with phone, you need to work on your teaching skills and more over your people skills.

Except few parents do follow through, because of the reason you stated above, they are afraid, and since fear rules them they won't deprive their child of the phone, so I have to combat it. The amount of disrespect shown to me in classroom is disgusting, so parents who actually give consequences to their children is the few and far between. I had a young gentlemen last semester I wrote up EVERY SINGLE DAY for his phone (I even gave him 2 warnings PER A CLASS to put it away). What happened to him? He got detention every week or 2 he didn't attend which results in an ISS after about a month (our principal was horrible about doing things in a timely manner) and no response from home, though I had to call home every single time I assigned detention which was daily.

If fuck you is the answer to put your phone away, (provided it's not being used as a calculator or so forth and is being used inappropriately in class, and still fuck you are not the words to use to a teacher...), the obvious response is to send that child to the office. The problem there isn't the phone, it's refusing to comply and being mouthy.

Again the issue is no matter what I say in the classroom I don't get the support from the outside, because 9/10 parents complain, so the principals back down leaving me with a children who now knows if he/she complains to mommy and daddy they will take care of the problem. In a perfect world your words would be true, but we don't live in a such a world.

Yes, phones can be a huge distraction, but they are also a safety net.
Since schools and teachers have proven time and again that they aren't able to always protect our kids, and that when bad things happen large scale, their communications networks are absolutely useless, it's not leaving.

What safety do they provide? They aren't going to defend the child from the school shooter, and if their is a shooter unless they see the gun before the shooting starts they aren't informing anyone. All they do is allow parents to possible know if their child is okay (but wait, if the child is playing around on the phone to inform the parents they might very well alert the shooter to where they are, especially if say the parent panics and calls the child and the child being naive answers the call and starts talking). You want children to be safe, we need better education, but not just in schools, in the homes too, a little something called respect (and not just others, but ourselves as well).

I'm not suggesting they aren't leaving, I'm telling you.
My kid, his safety is my number one concern, you don't get to step on that because you can't hold class attention.
I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be alone as a parent making sure the parties involved in a school cell phone ban would get their walking papers before this happened.
It really is that simple.

Your child's safety is my number 1 concern too, and the cellphone isn't going to help at all, your child following my instructions is, and if they are glued to their phone it isn't going to happen. You don't get to step into disrupting my classroom because of the small chance their is a shooter and you want to make sure your child is okay. I am fairly certain I wouldn't be alone as a teacher in telling you that if you fell your child having a phone is more important than their education feel free to home school your child. (In fact both my mother and my sister who are high school teachers have told me they feel the same).

[Bigbamboozal]

Except few parents do follow through, because of the reason you stated above, they are afraid, and since fear rules them they won't deprive their child of the phone, so I have to combat it. The amount of disrespect shown to me in classroom is disgusting, so parents who actually give consequences to their children is the few and far between. I had a young gentlemen last semester I wrote up EVERY SINGLE DAY for his phone (I even gave him 2 warnings PER A CLASS to put it away). What happened to him? He got detention every week or 2 he didn't attend which results in an ISS after about a month (our principal was horrible about doing things in a timely manner) and no response from home, though I had to call home every single time I assigned detention which was daily.



Again the issue is no matter what I say in the classroom I don't get the support from the outside, because 9/10 parents complain, so the principals back down leaving me with a children who now knows if he/she complains to mommy and daddy they will take care of the problem. In a perfect world your words would be true, but we don't live in a such a world.



What safety do they provide? They aren't going to defend the child from the school shooter, and if their is a shooter unless they see the gun before the shooting starts they aren't informing anyone. All they do is allow parents to possible know if their child is okay (but wait, if the child is playing around on the phone to inform the parents they might very well alert the shooter to where they are, especially if say the parent panics and calls the child and the child being naive answers the call and starts talking). You want children to be safe, we need better education, but not just in schools, in the homes too, a little something called respect (and not just others, but ourselves as well).




Your child's safety is my number 1 concern too, and the cellphone isn't going to help at all, your child following my instructions is, and if they are glued to their phone it isn't going to happen. You don't get to step into disrupting my classroom because of the small chance their is a shooter and you want to make sure your child is okay. I am fairly certain I wouldn't be alone as a teacher in telling you that if you fell your child having a phone is more important than their education feel free to home school your child. (In fact both my mother and my sister who are high school teachers have told me they feel the same).

So to paraphrase your rebuttal, you are getting shafted by the admin at your school who aren't providing you the support you need or feel you need, and the long and short of it is that you feel the shit should run downhill?
Clearly you want to throw everyone in with the lowest common denominator ie: little billy did this, so now you're all hosed.
How my child having a cell phone increases his safety is pretty simple, I can be in contact.
If you can't see the wisdom in that, stop teaching, you've failed life 101.
Personally, seeing your post on here makes me question the validity of your instructions, I think you have napolean syndrome.
Furthermore, you and two family members agreeing with you is a really shitty metric.

I had teachers like you growing up, burnt out, mad at the world, and their continuation as teachers when in that state, because they wanted that pension, was by far a larger detriment to kids.
I invite you to quit.
Leave teaching, find a different job where you can work with the challenges, where you can reach into yourself and pull out the ability to do something well enough that people put down their phones willingly, because you are engauging and brilliant.
This whole diatribe is pathetic.
Aren't you ashamed that your life's work is trumped by a 2.5"x5" piece of plastic and metal?
That you can't make use of the tech instead of losing to it?
If you are so uninventive you can't get past this with some ingenuity instead of attempted strongarming, what does that say about your skills as an educator?
Not much.

Oh, and by the way, I DO get to interupt your classroom if i think my child is at risk, very much I DO.
It's very simple, I show up, I take my child. You don't have to like it, but laws are pretty clear about you keeping my child against my wishes.
I can do this at any time. Whenever i feel like it. Because that is MY child. Not yours. You're a teacher, not the law.

Again, I'm sorry you fail to have control of your students in your class, in your school the admin isn't backing you up, that's not good... why you haven't brought that up with union reps I'll never know...
Doesn't mean you get to make up rules that reach past your view.

Also, laughing pretty hard right now, you come here with this and you don't want others to have their own opinion.
Typical of our current education system and why it's going so poorly.
Yup, teach those kids to think for themselves, but DON'T DO IT IN MY CLASSROOM!
Seriously, go back to waiting tables.

[Molis]

phones don't belong in schools for the same or at least similar reasons they don't belong at the (at most) workplace.

HEY!
How am I going to keep my Clash Royale chests on timer at work without my phone?

On Topic

Not banned from schools. Not usable in class for any social or gaming purposes.
They only come out when the Teacher indicates you may use your phone for this lesson.

[oxymoronic]

take my phone away and i will turn your life into hell itself.


in our school, we are allowed to have and use it, just not during the lessons.

students like this should not be allowed in regular schools. its insane to have kids this dumb in with the regular students. ruin it for all.

- - - Updated - - -

So to paraphrase your rebuttal, you are getting shafted by the admin at your school who aren't providing you the support you need or feel you need, and the long and short of it is that you feel the shit should run downhill?
Clearly you want to throw everyone in with the lowest common denominator ie: little billy did this, so now you're all hosed.
How my child having a cell phone increases his safety is pretty simple, I can be in contact.
If you can't see the wisdom in that, stop teaching, you've failed life 101.
Personally, seeing your post on here makes me question the validity of your instructions, I think you have napolean syndrome.
Furthermore, you and two family members agreeing with you is a really shitty metric.

I had teachers like you growing up, burnt out, mad at the world, and their continuation as teachers when in that state, because they wanted that pension, was by far a larger detriment to kids.
I invite you to quit.
Leave teaching, find a different job where you can work with the challenges, where you can reach into yourself and pull out the ability to do something well enough that people put down their phones willingly, because you are engauging and brilliant.
This whole diatribe is pathetic.
Aren't you ashamed that your life's work is trumped by a 2.5"x5" piece of plastic and metal?
That you can't make use of the tech instead of losing to it?
If you are so uninventive you can't get past this with some ingenuity instead of attempted strongarming, what does that say about your skills as an educator?
Not much.

trying to steal my jackass of the year award?> how old are you? 17? this is another kid that needed "special" classes. probably degraded the education for hundreds over the years.


[Infracted]

[bledgor]

So to paraphrase your rebuttal, you are getting shafted by the admin at your school who aren't providing you the support you need or feel you need, and the long and short of it is that you feel the shit should run downhill?
Clearly you want to throw everyone in with the lowest common denominator ie: little billy did this, so now you're all hosed.
How my child having a cell phone increases his safety is pretty simple, I can be in contact.
If you can't see the wisdom in that, stop teaching, you've failed life 101.

Oh, so the child can call you and then you are going to magically appear at the school to protect them? Them having a phone ISN'T going to protect them in fact it could very well harm them. If you can understand that you fail at logic 101.

Personally, seeing your post on here makes me question the validity of your instructions, I think you have napolean syndrome.
Furthermore, you and two family members agreeing with you is a really shitty metric.

Nice personal attacks, I have won teacher of the year awards at my school (voted by the children) so logic would dictate you are wrong. If you want more teachers I can drum up any in my school.

I had teachers like you growing up, burnt out, mad at the world, and their continuation as teachers when in that state, because they wanted that pension, was by far a larger detriment to kids.
I invite you to quit.

I have had parents like you, who think because they were students once they best know how to teach, or that somehow with the billions of people on this planet they have special rights because something involves their child, or that their child is special. Let me tell you, just because you went to school once doesn't make you an expert on education. Your child isn't special, and from the sound of it you don't even know whats best for your child.

Leave teaching, find a different job where you can work with the challenges, where you can reach into yourself and pull out the ability to do something well enough that people put down their phones willingly, because you are engauging and brilliant.

I reach plenty of kids, and I will go above and beyond for kids, I actually quite like teaching and interacting with kids, my number 1 and 2 problem with teacher are insufficient support from admins, and the fact 90% of parents are incompetent lazy excuses for caregivers that don't know anything about raising a child or teaching them the important things like respect, listening to adults (authority figures, not all adults necessarily), etc.

This whole diatribe is pathetic.
Aren't you ashamed that your life's work is trumped by a 2.5"x5" piece of plastic and metal?
That you can't make use of the tech instead of losing to it?
If you are so uninventive you can't get past this with some ingenuity instead of attempted strongarming, what does that say about your skills as an educator?
Not much.

Your whole diatribe is depressing, because it shows how far out of touch with reality some parents are. A phone is somehow magically going to save their child from a school shooting (you know that what .1% chance occurrence IF THAT) which totally offsets the negative effects it brings into education. I wonder why you even let your child leave the house into this "evil" world. I can use technology quite fine, but I have the capabilities to understand a time and place for technology unlike some people apparently. As for what it says about my skills, I mean if you really want safety why aren't you fighting to arm your child with a gun, that way if their is a shooter they can stop them! I could also learn to teach in a room that is sub-zero temperature but there is no point to it, like their is no point to your cell phones.

Oh, and by the way, I DO get to interupt your classroom if i think my child is at risk, very much I DO.
It's very simple, I show up, I take my child. You don't have to like it, but laws are pretty clear about you keeping my child against my wishes.
I can do this at any time. Whenever i feel like it. Because that is MY child. Not yours. You're a teacher, not the law.

Except your child isn't at risk of anything other than a helicopter parent who isn't allowing them to mature and find self-dependence. As for the rest of your points you are going off an a tangent that had nothing to do with what I was saying. However I will contend that YOUR insecurities and baseless fears don't get to interrupt my classroom and ruin the learning experience of the 20 odd other children in my classroom. You want to take the child out, fine, I will just have that child removed from my class, but enjoy when the next teacher tells you the same thing.

Again, I'm sorry you fail to have control of your students in your class, in your school.
Doesn't mean you get to make up rules.

Never said I don't have control of my classroom, I teach fine, my students all passed their EoC, my juniors while I don't have the results yet just took and felt good about their ACT's, and the only 2 children failing are the two that play on their phones and don't do any work out of my 114 kids. Also when I teach as long as my rules conform to buildings codes I in fact get to make them. You as a parent who has a single child however have no real say in what rules I make in the classroom. If you want fear to run your life I suggest you vote Trump, he will help you lose all your rights in the name of security.

Also, laughing pretty hard right now, you come here with this and you don't want others to have their own opinion.
Typical of our current education system and why it's going so poorly.
Yup, teach those kids to think for themselves, but DON'T DO IT IN MY CLASSROOM!
Seriously, go back to waiting tables.

I respect opinions based on fact, not baseless emotions and senseless logic, I am a teacher after all. I am not laughing because ignorant parents like you are the 2nd biggest issue with education, and boy are you proving it. It is indeed typical of our education system and why it is doing poorly, you think your child is more important that the other 24 children in the classroom. I teach children to think for themselves, I also teach them to base said thought on logic and facts; oh and I teach them to show respect to others. Seriously don't have any more children, because the only ones suffering are them.

[Bigbamboozal]

Oh, so the child can call you and then you are going to magically appear at the school to protect them? Them having a phone ISN'T going to protect them in fact it could very well harm them. If you can understand that you fail at logic 101.




Nice personal attacks, I have won teacher of the year awards at my school (voted by the children) so logic would dictate you are wrong. If you want more teachers I can drum up any in my school.



I have had parents like you, who think because they were students once they best know how to teach, or that somehow with the billions of people on this planet they have special rights because something involves their child, or that their child is special. Let me tell you, just because you went to school once doesn't make you an expert on education. Your child isn't special, and from the sound of it you don't even know whats best for your child.



I reach plenty of kids, and I will go above and beyond for kids, I actually quite like teaching and interacting with kids, my number 1 and 2 problem with teacher are insufficient support from admins, and the fact 90% of parents are incompetent lazy excuses for caregivers that don't know anything about raising a child or teaching them the important things like respect, listening to adults (authority figures, not all adults necessarily), etc.




Your whole diatribe is depressing, because it shows how far out of touch with reality some parents are. A phone is somehow magically going to save their child from a school shooting (you know that what .1% chance occurrence IF THAT) which totally offsets the negative effects it brings into education. I wonder why you even let your child leave the house into this "evil" world. I can use technology quite fine, but I have the capabilities to understand a time and place for technology unlike some people apparently. As for what it says about my skills, I mean if you really want safety why aren't you fighting to arm your child with a gun, that way if their is a shooter they can stop them! I could also learn to teach in a room that is sub-zero temperature but there is no point to it, like their is no point to your cell phones.




Except your child isn't at risk of anything other than a helicopter parent who isn't allowing them to mature and find self-dependence. As for the rest of your points you are going off an a tangent that had nothing to do with what I was saying. However I will contend that YOUR insecurities and baseless fears don't get to interrupt my classroom and ruin the learning experience of the 20 odd other children in my classroom. You want to take the child out, fine, I will just have that child removed from my class, but enjoy when the next teacher tells you the same thing.



Never said I don't have control of my classroom, I teach fine, my students all passed their EoC, my juniors while I don't have the results yet just took and felt good about their ACT's, and the only 2 children failing are the two that play on their phones and don't do any work out of my 114 kids. Also when I teach as long as my rules conform to buildings codes I in fact get to make them. You as a parent who has a single child however have no real say in what rules I make in the classroom. If you want fear to run your life I suggest you vote Trump, he will help you lose all your rights in the name of security.




I respect opinions based on fact, not baseless emotions and senseless logic, I am a teacher after all. I am not laughing because ignorant parents like you are the 2nd biggest issue with education, and boy are you proving it. It is indeed typical of our education system and why it is doing poorly, you think your child is more important that the other 24 children in the classroom. I teach children to think for themselves, I also teach them to base said thought on logic and facts; oh and I teach them to show respect to others. Seriously don't have any more children, because the only ones suffering are them.

Lol, no, you respect YOUR view, and if you don't like personal attacks, don't use them. I live a block from the school, and I'm a veteran. After serving as an infantryman overseas I was an instructor for over twenty years with the armed forces. I'd wager I stand a better chance of helping than you'd expect. I'd also bet that gives me a pretty good insight into teaching. So try to say what you like, but the bullshit doesn't wash.

As for control, you've all but directly admitted you have no control over students with phones.
You've shown flawed logic that favours the lowest common denominator, not saying I haven't in my own way have biased logic, but it's not your place to question my parenting methods, which you are doing from a clearly emotional place, and while I can't say your objections are baseless, I can say you're way overboard.
Too bad so sad, you don't like it.
Doesn't change anything, and QQ'ing about it on here isn't going to help you.
In the future, maybe cry up a storm on a teaching forum instead.
Still won't change it.
You gonna go try to squeeze toothpaste back into the tube while you're at it?
Maybe you missed the interoffice memo that says: you are a teacher, you don't get to lord over the parents, just children.

My advice to you, is to make peace with it, and find a way past it, or quit.
Because you sound like it's really bugging you. I get that, I do...but it's not going to change. So you change.
Or shit, don't, be miserable, I don't really care.
But it's not going to change.

[Zantos]

take my phone away and i will turn your life into hell itself.


in our school, we are allowed to have and use it, just not during the lessons.

That is how it should be. That is how my school did it. If it rang, you were in trouble. If you were using it, you were in trouble. Its up to the kids to have discipline to not use them when they shouldn't be. If they can't resist, they have other problems then a cell phone at school.

It has its uses. Like in case of an emergency, you will then have all of those kids who can call 911. Or video taping evidence of abusive teachers or bullies to get some real action taken against the offenders. Contacting their parents in an emergency situation since, lets be honest, school nurses aren't exactly the best in some situations.

It has the same uses as in any other location. It should have the same restrictions as they would have at a business. The problem is the fact that some schools don't care. I frequently see photos and facebook chats happening While my younger family members are In Class. While it is a problem, it has its valid reasons for being allowed to remain in school. It will be with them in college and at work. Prepare them for the real world properly by establishing the fact that there is a time and place for everything, including using your cellphone.

[Hisholyness]

How about we solve the fucking problem with guns in schools first #august1st

Edit: Cell phones are a larger societal problem, not just a surgical school-based issue