Ending the Cell Phone Ban

Money is always seen as an obstacle to increasing technology in the classroom. That being the case why won't schools embrace technology that will not cost a cent? Most students have a perfect technology tool in their pocket. It's the cell phone. In the classroom, I am always on guard for contraband cell phones. Our students are allowed to have cell phones at school, but they must be turned off and cannot be visible. Cell phones are not going away, for students or adults. We must teach students the etiquette for cell phones. It is not acceptable to text during class, play games during class, or listen to music through headphones hidden by long hair. In a weird sense making cell phones contraband encourages the secrecy of their use and misuse in the classroom.

Because this technology is at no cost to the schools, we must embrace it and find ways to harness it in the classroom. It is unconscionable to ignore the potential of this technology. At the bare minimum cell phones have calendar functions, communication and alarms. Most cell phones now have cameras, and many have internet capabilities. All of these could be used in the classroom.

Since cell phones are wireless, they can be used anywhere in the classroom without hardware (Kim, Holmes, & Mims, 2005). Cell phones are affordable for almost all students. In fact very few of my students do not have cell phones. Cell phones are a perfect way for students to organize and manage school. Students can make to do lists, put reminders on calendars, and set alarms as reminders. By using the cameras on phones students can work on a production component for assignments.

Cell phones are a technology students already have and can use with minimal instruction. School must stop fearing their use. There is potential for cell phone abuse. Perhaps it will make it more difficult to monitor student use of cell phones if they are a part of class. After all, when cell phones are banned anytime they are visible is against the rules. But, when students learn to use the technology in conjunction with the classroom, they also learn the proper way to use cell phones. And isn't that are responsibility as educators -- to prepare our students for the future. In their careers, students shouldn't sneak peeks at their cell phones during meetings. However, if they develop this practice in the classroom, what will change their behavior in the future?

Schools must embrace this inexpensive technology for its potential in the classroom and to illustrate the proper etiquette for cell phone use.


References
Kim, S., Holmes, K., & Mims, C. (2005). Opening a dialogue on the new technologies in education. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 49(3), 54-89. Retrieved July 7, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.