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Oxford learning

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These days, more and more students are bringing cell phones to class. Even elementary school-aged students have cell phones in their pockets and backpacks.

However, the news of Ontario's decision to ban cell phones in classrooms opens again the debate about whether or not students should have cellphones in school. It also brings up the question of whether it's possible for technology to exist in the classroom as a learning tool-rather than simply a distraction.

Ontario's Classroom Cell Phone Ban

Starting in September 2019, cell phones will be banned in Ontario classrooms during instructional time.

The new ban means elementary and secondary school students won't be able to use their cellphones in the classroom unless it is for educational purposes, medical reasons, or as a support for students with special needs. How the ban is enforced will be up to individual boards and schools.

By banning cellphones, Ontario's Education Ministry hopes to remove distractions so students can focus on acquiring foundational learning skills they need, including reading, writing and math.

The decision and renewed debate has many teachers and parents left wondering: can cell phones ever really benefit students in class, or are they best left tucked away?

Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of students having cell phones in school.

Cell Phone Use In The Classroom

Students check their phones in the classroom an average of more than 11 times a day. That can add up to a lot of time spent distracted from schoolwork. And when students are distracted, it's a recipe for extra stress, frustration, and catch-up time for everyone.

With students spending up to 20% of their in-class time texting, emailing, and checking social media, it's no wonder the debate about cell phones in the classroom is alive and well.

Students check their cell phones in the classroom more than 11 times a day.
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Learn more about the pros and cons of students bringing their cell phones into the classroom.

How Cell Phones Can Be Used Effectively In the Classroom

If properly managed, cell phones can be used as tools to help children learn in the classroom. The following are some of the pros of allowing cell phones in school:

1. Using educational learning apps

Cell phones give students access to tools and apps that can help them complete and stay on top of their class work. These tools can also teach students to develop better study habits, like time management and organization skills.

2. Incorporating digital platforms into lessons

Using social media can keep students interested in class and encourage them to participate in the discussion. Some teachers create twitter hashtags or message boards students can use during class discussions to share thoughts and ideas. This can be especially helpful for students who might not be comfortable speaking in class.

3. Supplementing lessons with digital materials

Teachers can take advantage of cell phones by providing students with resources to find more information about a topic. This can include videos, news stories, online discussion groups, and more. Allowing students to access these resources in class can help encourage participation and discussions.

4. Providing easy access to more information

Cell phones can give students access to more information, letting them research more about a topic while having class discussions. This is especially true for current events that have not yet been covered in school textbooks.

The Drawbacks Of Allowing Cell Phones In Classrooms

While cell phones can be used as learning tools, it is a challenge to make sure students are using them for school-related tasks. A cell phone can easily turn from "classroom learning tool" into "classroom disruption".

Cons of allowing cell phones in school include:

1. Distractions and interruptions

When students use their cell phones to check social media and text their friends in class, it leads to distractions for those students as well as for their peers. This can cause disruptions in class, particularly if the teacher is constantly telling students to turn their devices off.

2. Cyberbullying

Cell phones can also lead to increased problems with bullying on the schoolground. Cyberbullying can be harder to see than other forms of bullying, making it difficult for teachers to identify and stop when it is happening.

3. Cheating

Cell phones can be a helpful learning tool in class. But they can also be used by students to access information while taking a test, leading to cheating. Even if a student isn't caught, this can lead to him or her having a poor understanding of the material in the future, and is unfair to students who studied hard to do well.

4. Disconnection from face-to-face activities

While cell phones can help encourage participation by offering different channels, this can also lead to less in-person discussion and fewer learning opportunities. Learning to work together with others is an important part of students' education, and can be lost with too much dependence on cell phones and other digital technology.

The Bottom Line: Should Students Have Cell Phones In School?

There's no easy answer: there are both pros and cons to students having cell phones in school. Although they can be used as a learning tool in the classroom, this only works as long as students use them effectively.

This means for teachers who decide to use cell phones (or any other digital device) as part of their lessons, it's important to set ground rules and keep a close eye on how they are being used.

Where do you stand on the cell phone debate? Let us know by tweeting @oxfordlearning on Twitter!

Related Resources:

Is Multitasking Bad For Students?
How To Study Without Being Distracted

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Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In Classrooms? | Oxford Learning

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These days, more and more students are bringing cell phones to class. Even elementary school-aged students have cell phones in their pockets and backpacks. However, the news of Ontario's decision to ban cell phones in classrooms opens again the debate about whether or not students should have cellphones in school.

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Student Tutor

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There's no denying that technology is changing the face of education. Personal digital devices like laptops and tablets have unavoidably found their way from student's homes to their classroom. Using phones in school is also allowed on some campuses.

In fact, you can charge your phone, take pictures of homework assignments, or put on your headphones and listen to music... all during the middle of class!

Yet other, more old-fashioned schools remain adamant on their stance against allowing personal devices, like cellphones, in school.

Citing issues like inappropriate use, cheating, and general disruption, certain schools have maintained their policy on prohibiting using cellphones in the classroom; other schools have gone so far as to ban cellphones entirely!

While the problems with cellphones in school are valid, and clear consequences for misuse should be enforced, implementing a blanket policy forbidding the resource altogether would be severely counter-intuitive and unrealistic!

While overseeing a student's safety is important, parents and teachers alike both fail to notice the untapped educational possibilities of cellphones!

11 Reasons Why Phones in School Should Be Allowed

1. Cellphones in school are inevitable.

The education system is a constantly evolving and dynamic landscape. Technology will always find its way into the classroom!

For example, think about how the role of calculators in the schools went from being dismissed as an unnecessary crutch, to becoming an efficient and essential tool in mathematics!

More recently, we've seen presentations evolve from using bulky, noisy overhead slide-projectors, to live video-projectors and fun interactive whiteboards!
The widespread adoption of technology is unavoidable, and traditional schools resistant to change can be detrimental...
"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow."

The quote above by the influential education reformer was aimed at the many antiquated 20 century schools, yet it remains highly relevant today.

Dewey understood that schools should be the first place in society to implement visionary new methodologies, take risks, and challenge well-established notions. He saw the introduction of new technology as an opportunity to enhance the learning experience!

With these radical new ideas, he reorganized the curricula of schools and adopted progressive instructional approaches, transforming American schools from a passive model to what we have today: a hands-on learning environment with an emphasis on the freedom and individuality of young people.

If John Dewey was alive today, I'm sure he would be an advocate for cellphones in school and their potential to customize individual students' learning environments and make education viable, anytime and anywhere.

2. Phones in school are good for the environment!

The paperless initiative has helped organizations save time, save money, and save the planet all at once. Considering the amount of paper waste generated by the typical classroom for handouts, worksheets, assignments, and exams, schools should follow suit.

Since going paperless, eleven elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools in the district are saving millions of sheets of paper annually.

"During a recent four-month period, CCSD teachers uploaded 91,000 total documents to the file sharing system, saving an estimated five million sheets of paper. Nearly 102,000 unique CCSD student documents were also uploaded during that same time period."

For the CCSD, converting class materials to digital formats and requiring students to access everything on their device has produced real, tangible results.

3. Phones in school teach digital literacy.

At this day in age, almost all children grow up surrounded by computers and mobile devices. In fact, most kids get their first smartphone when they are 10 years old.

Innovative schools should provide these "digital natives" the guidance to use technology responsibly at an early age, so they build computer skills that will allow them to succeed in current and future job markets.
For Carol Rainbow , a retired teacher, the decision to use cellphones at school for educational purposes is an obvious one:

"Many students already have their own trusted devices, which they are comfortable using, it makes sense to use them in education rather than a machine that belongs to school which they leave behind at the end of the day... [Their phones] are available 24/7 so always and anywhere, learning becomes viable."

Rainbow understands that smartphones are so much more than just phones; they are powerful handheld computers with cameras, speakers, access to the internet, educational apps, and worldwide communication.

Teaching children to use these tools productively enables a world of creativity from pieces of art, videos, presentations, audio recordings, research on any topic, and so much more!

Furthermore, utilizing the full extent of mobile devices helps prevent the rising trend of computer addiction and dependence by "turning toys into tools."

4. Phones in school improve communication.

The role of the 21 century teacher has expanded to also include encourage adviser and coach. Unfortunately, as class sizes grow, teachers have less time and attention to dedicate to each student. As a result, class participation and student engagement has diminished.

You guessed it... Cellphones in school!

Through student response systems, such as discussion forums and crowd-sourcing polls, teachers can gather student feedback via smartphone apps and gain insight on each student's understanding of a topic... in real-time. Teachers can also take attendance and assign grades for tests and homework in a FRACTION of the time... freeing them up for more personal instruction for each student.

Ken Halla, a ninth-grade World History and AP Government teacher for over 22 years recommends using PollEverywhere to gauge student comprehension of subject material before a test.

Using this tool, teachers can create questions and send them to each student-usually in multiple-choice format. Students text in their answers, then they're compiled by the website. If many students answer the same question incorrectly, the teacher can immediately prepare to review those topics.

By encouraging a mobile device-friendly environment, schools can overcome some of the challenges of large classroom sizes and significantly increase productivity, as students will always have a direct platform to communicate with their teachers and they are taught time management techniques.

5. Cellphones in school increase flexibility, convenience, and organization.

Smartphones make carrying around heavy textbooks, assignments, notes, and everything else in a backpack obsolete!

All these things can now be accessed anytime and anywhere from a portable, lightweight device. In addition, calendar and planner apps provide an opportunity for students to learn time management skills and keep their studies organized.

After incorporating the app into the classroom, Ken Halla was "stunned by how many more kids started doing the homework." Originally, Halla just assumed that "they didn't want to do the work, but it was more that they were unorganized and had forgotten to do it."

José Picardo, a foreign language teacher at Nottingham High School, uses smartphones to help students stay organized and assess their learning.

In his class, students use their smartphones regularly to bring up current foreign language news during group discussions, access online dictionaries and download foreign language podcasts.

Bringing cellphones in school increases the sense of safety of both students and parents. This is because there are some instances where they need to contact each other due to emergencies.

Contacting parents mediated by school sometimes takes time so one of the best options is if the student can contact them directly. This is especially useful during medical emergencies. There are also times where the parents need to get ahold of their child for some important reason or just to check up on them on why they are running late.

How do using cellphones save up money? Well, let's just say that if a child has a phone with her, she can easily download learning materials without spending a lot of money. Unlike buying books or printing modules, accessing these materials is instant and not heavy on the pocket which is helpful for those students who are working in high school.

Smartphones can replace notebooks and pens. Students can even use this to take notes so it is very handy and functional.

Surely, during recitations, some students find it hard to keep up with their top classmates because they lack knowledge of their subject matter. If smartphones are allowed in school, students will have easy access to more information and therefore will be more participative during class discussion.

Being able to search up facts in just a few clicks is one of the biggest advantages of using technology. There will be more interesting debates and exchange of opinions inside the class since everyone has something to say.

Another reason why cell phones should be allowed in school is that there are useful supplementary learning materials that can be found on the internet. A good example of this is Youtube.

Tons of videos are uploaded on Youtube every year and a good number of this can be used as a springboard in teaching several topics at school. For instance, if the teacher is discussing WWII, aside from the usual board talk, she can also make her students watch videos related to it. This way, the students will be more engaged most especially those who are visual and auditory learners.

There are also websites that offer a lot of useful content. For instance, Math websites and Science websites. Students will only go to their webpage and they will be presented with additional information on your previous or current lesson.

There are so many quizzes and tests that students have to review for in school so it is beneficial for them to use their phones in reviewing. If they are allowed to use their smartphones to take notes or even take pictures of lessons that are too complicated to copy by hand, they can just boot their phones up and they can review anywhere.

This is also especially handy during science class. If they did some laboratory work or encountered certain creatures, plants, chemical reactions that they may not ever encounter again, they can document it using their phone.

This will be possible if teachers will create lesson plans that would integrate the use of cellphone in every lesson. The teacher will only serve as a facilitator and the students will access every learning material on their phones. This will help students to be more independent because they will be in charge of their own learning.

Listed above are just some of the few reasons why innovative schools across the country are integrating smartphones into the classroom. The "" (BYOD) movement, which began in the business world as an approach to increase employee morale and productivity, is now being adopted by more and more schools.

This relatively new idea still has many unexplored opportunities, as well as unknown challenges. While these challenges may be difficult to confront, all organizations must be open to change and trying new methods, none more so than our schools.

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Learn why thousands of schools are embracing the idea of cellphones in school.

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There's no denying that technology is changing the face of education. Personal digital devices like laptops and tablets have unavoidably found their way from student's homes to their classroom. Using phones in school is also allowed on some campuses. In fact, you can charge your phone, take pictures of homework assignments, or put on your headphones and listen to music...

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Cell phones have established themselves as an absolutely indispensable item for students in schools these days. Parents and staff certainly know that cell phones can have amazing benefits for children today. Nonetheless, allowing kids to have cell phones in schools has remained a controversial topic the past decade.

Here's our take on why cell phone should in fact be allowed at schools:

Cell phones ensure a child's safety

Believe it or not, cell phones keep children safe. How?

In case of any emergency children can instantly get in touch with you and seek help.

Students can call 911 or other hotlines in case of an emergency.

With unforeseen violence, a student can promptly inform school authorities.

Easy and prompt communication

Cell phones have literally empowered parents to keep a watch on their children. One quick call or text message and you get to know the immediate whereabouts of children. Of course, there's always the call home for a forgotten lunch, homework project, or change of after school plans.

Information and knowledge at your finger-tips

Teachers often complain about students playing and fidgeting with smartphone apps while in class. Additionally, some parents might label phone apps as addictive and "bad". On the contrary, there are several apps that could be very beneficial for educational purposes.

Over 70% of schools have reversed cell phone bans and it doesn't come as a surprise given that students use cell phones:

To discuss homework with friends.

For internet research.

As a calculator and stopwatch for science experiments.

To keep the track of time elapsed during exams.

As a spell check or dictionary.

Use organization apps

Alternative thought to conventional methods

Millennials usually get bored with the conventional methods of teaching and tend to be less attentive in class. As a result their academics suffer. Students with mobile phones find learning more exciting with great mobile apps.

Students learn faster through useful mobile apps.

Students tend to develop a level of respect for the teachers and school authorities, with the encouragement and trust being exhibited by the school in motivating students to bring their own mobile devices.

However, students found misusing the devices shall be deprived from using them and the mobile devices would be confiscated by school authorities.

A stepping stone towards professional Life

Right from ordering designer clothes, vegetables, groceries, gadgets, movie tickets to checking business mails, searching and applying for jobs, cell phones have literally defined a new dimension in how the various facets of professional world operates and functions.

So how do you prepare students for future challenges without introducing them to the cell phone use in school? It is crucial and important that school students get acquainted with the world of opportunities right at their finger-tips. This is the predominant reason why more and more schools across the geography are proactively working towards motivating students to carry mobile phones to school premises.

A practical problem: How to keep cell phones charged up?

Battery life is short lived. A charging solution for 1:1 technology schools, universities, colleges, and other campuses is a LockerPower charging kiosk. The LockerPower kiosk features individual lockers that can charge virtually all phones and tablets. Students and staff can stay fully charged and always connected.

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should cell phones be allowed in schools

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Why should cell phones be allowed in schools | Veloxity

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Cell phones have established themselves as an absolutely indispensable item for students in schools these days. Parents and staff certainly know that cell phones can have amazing benefits for children today. Nonetheless, allowing kids to have cell phones in schools has remained a controversial topic the past decade.

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C - this article was published in 2007
R - this information relates againist  my claim because it goes with cellphone should be used in schools

A -publishers john s. obringer and Coffey kent and its from the Journal of technology studies significant distraction at some stage in instructional time. Sustained focus of instructor  college university college students is no longer affected by the teacher’s very non public use of a mobile phone.

A -https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ847358.pdf