Cell Phones

Cell phones should be permitted in classrooms for educational purposes. Having cell phones in an environment that is already geared towards learning opens the opportunity to teach safety and manners for the devices. Teachers can explain in detail to their students how to remain safe on the internet and how to utilize it to its fullest ability. This presents the ideal circumstances for addressing issues such as cyberbullying and online predators as well as how to avoid or properly deal with these topics. The school also can monitor and control what sites students may visit, and it protects them from off-topic or detrimental websites. In addition to safety, instructors may lead lectures on etiquette associated with these devices (http://www.schoolmoney.org). Using technology in the classroom is useful for recording and recalling information. Ken Halla found that his students turned in their homework more often when they were using their devices to remind themselves of their homework. By using the devices as reminders, the students were able to combat their forgetfulness and raise their grades as they had begun to complete their assignments (http://neatoday.org). Another teacher, Sherri Story, uses smart phones to administer group quizzes in which a total of six phones are used, so all the students get a chance to participate and work together. She finds that the students have all the information they need at their fingertips and can find answers that even she does not know almost immediately. The students can share notes and assignments that their classmates may have missed in a previous period, which allows the absent student just as much time to work on a given topic as his peers and no excuse for not completing assignments (https://pilotonline.com). Implementing a ‘Bring Your Own Device,' or ‘BYOD' policy can be cost-effective for schools that are underfunded. For schools that cannot afford many computers; laptops; or tablets, having students bringing in their own devices, even if they must be shared, saves the school from expending money that it does not have (http://neatoday.org). Additionally, a study, led by Joshua Littenberg-Tobias and Vincent Cho, showed that when students' devices were utilized for learning in Boston College, the teachers saw improvement in the learning abilities of their students (https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org). Because the use of technology has grown exponentially over the years, the quantity of educationally focused applications has grown. Apps, such as Remind101, are used to remind students of upcoming assignments while websites like Poll Everywhere can be used to determine what materials a class needs to review before assessments and what it does not. Other apps, such as dictionary or reference apps are quick and easy to use, cutting down on the time needed to search for information so that more time may be spent on learning (http://www.nea.org). Certain apps such as Kahoot are tailored to make learning in all subjects enjoyable, entertaining, and like a game, which helps some students learn better than simply sitting through a lesson without understanding (https://education.cu-portland.edu). Cellular devices may be used by children that would otherwise not ask for assistance. They may by utilized by disabled children to communicate with everyone else and give them a sense of normality. They may also be used by students who are too shy or nervous to ask for help in front of their entire class. These students may fear that they will be considered stupid if they ask for help, so the anonymity gives them the confidence they need to receive the additional attention they need. Moreover, when students are placed into groups to complete projects, none of them are singled out because they do not own a smartphone. All students in a group work together, using a single device (https://www.edutopia.org). Permitting cell phones in an academic setting would be a wise decision, despite its drawbacks, which are easily remedied.