Cell-Phones in School

13 years ago

Our provincial Premier is looking at allowing cell phones in school. He thinks they're a great learning tool, when used correctly. WHAT???

Aren't the teachers there to teach? How can one do their job when all the kids are typing on their cell phones, completely ignoring her. Who are they texting???? The kid in the next row?

Recently, there was a news article where a teacher uses a microphone head-set to teach. She recommends it.

These are elementary kids....not college kids with huge classes.

What happened to being quiet to listen to your teacher? They are all busy talking and chatting that she has to use a microphone to make herself heard. Pathetic.

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Comments (18)

kacram
13 years ago
I agree.
mariend
13 years ago
I agree, teachers are in the schools to teach and kids are there to learn. Some schools here do ban the use of cell phones during the actual teaching time. There is a use for emergency only situations which I can see, but during the actual teaching time-NO NO.
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BM told the courts we (meaning I) don't allow her to talk to her children ... so after that we granted free access to a phone to call mom don't care what time it is ... she pays for their cell phones ... she bought one for SD for christmas. So here we have a cycle of phones ringing if mom wants to talk to her children ... house phone, 3 kids cell phones, and hubby's cell phone ... she calls them in a circle until someone answers one time.... I was sick as a dog and the last thing on my mind was taking a phone with me into the bathroom .... she called the house, hubby's cell, and 2 kids phones consecutively for almost a half hour hubby was outside with the 2 of the kids doing stuff in the yard.. i yelled for them to answer the phone mom's calling ... no one heard a phone ringing ... finally it stopped .... 15 minutes later the ringing started again ... at this point i picked up the phone and said unless ss14 is on fire stop calling here! She said he's not on fire but I want to talk to my babies!!!! I hung up the phone. The police showed up, had to explain to the officer that I was spewing liquid out of every orafice of my body and that hubby and the children were not in the home to answer her calls ... showed him how many times she had called EACH phone. She called again while he was here this time the house phone. He answered the phone and told her everything was fine and the children were fine did she need anything else ... she needed to talk to her children he told her your children are outside playing they will call you when they come in. SS14 broke his cell phone on purpose .... 2 months ago .... he doesn't want another one ... what 14 yr old wouldn't want a cell phone he has had it since he was 11 mind you ..... he can't stand how his mom bugs him all the time calling him constantly so he told her he doesn't want a new phone ... i gave him an old one of mine which he really likes he refuses to bring it to mom's to have it turned on .... this way she can't bug him .... So LH until SS gets tired of the phone calls you just have to deal.... he needs to tell her i'll call you and your hubby needs to set her straight ... no clue how my hubby never could .... I totally agree it interupts his time with the kids and undermines anything you are doing with them and its a distraction ... but see your hubby is not the one getting the phone calls .... When SD was seeing a counselor who told me she can't really talk to her mom that much on the phone .... told her ok I will leave a message on your phone everytime she calls mom and another when she gets off the phone .... did it for a week .... the counselor told mom there has to be a better way to deal with this than being on the phone constantly. So thinking your hubby needs a call everytime mom's calls just to interupt his day .... When the house phone rings now ... unless one of the kids answers it it goes to voicemail.... I do not even look at hubby's phone to see who is calling.... kids phone are on vibrate while here and if they are talking to mom they have to go in their rooms. SD isn't allowed to bring her cell phone to school ... so mom drops it off here when SD is here so SD can have it if she needs it. she's 11. I see it as a control issue ... mom gets to control the kids and dad's relationship even when they are here.
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cynic
13 years ago
What's his idea of used correctly? I can't really think of a good use for them. I can see the new "list" of required provisions: Pencils, Facial Tissue, Hand Sanitizer, Cell Phone...
susan_on
13 years ago
Also, the teachers are upset because THEY are not allowed to use c/p's in class. I think they have reason to be upset, but the irony is that this premier got into office by courting the teachers and winning their support. This c/p idea is a very bad idea, but I don't expect anything better from McGuinty. Can we get in trouble for talking about CANADIAN politics here? LOL. J/k.
heather_on
13 years ago
Yes it is a really stupid idea of his to allow it and he has gotten lots of flak. His example of a teacher asking students to search a website is just nuts. The screens are too small to really search without being awkward and some kids don't have cellphones let alone ones with internet capability. Kids should be paying attention in class and not texting their friends and ignoring the teacher.
jel48
13 years ago
I agree. It's not a good idea.
phyllis__mn
13 years ago
Well,heck, who needs a teacher? Just get on that old cell and you can find any amount of knowledge!
taigen_gw
13 years ago
I haven't had a child in school for 4 yrs but I can tell you that they were removing cells back then. If kids took them to school they were left in the office and the kids had to pick them up at the end of the day.
There is no reason a child in school needs a phone, but I can see a teacher in each class having one for emergency reasons.
The kids just tune out the teachers now a days. I have no problem with computers in the class as long as they are strictly monitored. Unfortunately these kids know way too many ways to get around blocks etc. I think a better solution might be a smart board in the class rooms...but no government is going to pay for that!
dotmom
13 years ago
Used correctly???? More dumbing down of America. In a town I used to live in, they voted to allow kids to wear their hats to class, calling it 'self expression' I told one teacher, they had plenty of time for 'self expression' after school and weekends. School was the place the kids were to learn to be productive adults, some day. Geesh!!
Terri_PacNW
13 years ago
Well being that I work in our schools at all the levels.

I don't know what kind of tool they could be classified as.
Unless they all have smart phones and internet access..they could do research..but that is certainly stretching it. LOL

In Elementary..phones are to be turned off in backpacks out of reach for the day. (we have a lot of latch key kids in our community)
In middle school, the phones are to be turned off and can be kept in pockets or back packs and brought out at Lunch.
In high school, here's where it gets a bit tricky. Technically the rules are the same as Middle School..however there are some teachers that use them themselves and check their phones often and allow the kids to have their phones on and in use in class, unless it's during a test. But there are more teachers that will confiscate a phone than not. The kids do know which teachers allow phones and which don't. Over the 2 months I worked at our 9/10th grade campus last year, I had 5 or 6 phones turned into me for parents to come pick up.

Did you know that kids can text without looking under their desks? It's quite an "impressive" skill to see..LOL
cynic
13 years ago
Texting without looking is simply a form of touch typing. I'm not looking at the keyboard while I'm typing this. In fact I'm watching "Highway Patrol"!

AFAIC teachers complaining about not being able to use them, don't they know they're supposed to be "working", and I use that term quite loosely considering what the bulk of teachers do.

Emergency? Hmmm, that's stretching it a bunch but I don't object to a teacher having one for a once-in-a-lifetime event but I do object to them using it for any personal reason from the time they come into the building until the time they leave, with the possible exception of their lunch break.

I think Phyllis touched on a great idea. Let's get rid of some teachers. Save the money and kids can teach themselves. In a lot of ways and in a lot of cases they do it anyway.

Or another option to save some money: Make the kids provide net-capable cell phones and eliminate all the computers and internet access in the schools. Lots of possibilities here.
mike1975
13 years ago
I graduated from high school in 93 and I did it without the help of a cell phone. In 4 years of school the 2 times that I needed to leave early due to a family emergency my parents called the school office and they came and got me out of class. I'm pretty sure it works the same way now. If kids take their phone to school, I'd say that 99% of them take them out of their bags for some stupid reason and usually get busted.

Sign me as someone who had to go to their nephew's school to pick up his cell phone because he was "just checking to see if anyone texted me." My response," At 830 in the ****ing morning?!!"
minnie_tx
13 years ago
Gee, I guess passing notes to classmates has gone out of style. And there used to be punishment if caught!!
I agree with Phyliss who needs a teacher........
bluejeans4ever
13 years ago
I agree Jasdip, I don't get it either. I have a daughter in HS and it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

McGuinty said that cps are a good tool to use when accessing information and that's how it can be benefical to the students.

The kids will not be allowed to text until Teacher says it's okay.

My question is, who will pay for these phones? What about the kids who can't afford cell phones and espcially the cell phones that have internet access. We will have to get our kid a Blackberry now. The cost isn't a hinderance to me, but I can see it being one to parents who have several kids.

The logic behind it is still pretty sketchy to me. Shrugging my shoulders on this one.

BJ
Jasdip
Original Author
13 years ago
BJ, that's my thought as well. Are WE going to be footing the bill for those kids who can't afford Smart Phones? Just because of McSquinty's stupidity?

Kids on tv were saying that it's great, they'll be able to have their phones *on top* of the desk now instead of in their laps, texting. And one kid said he puts his "hat on his desk" and hides the phone in there and texts. The hats in school, that's another thing that bugs me.
bluejeans4ever
13 years ago
OMG! Jasdip! You call him McSquinty, too? ROFLOLMAO! That's what we call him! TOO FUNNY! It's the squinty eyes, isn't it. I see you are a McSqunity fan as well! LOL
susan_on
13 years ago
McSquinty! LOL!
cynic
13 years ago
Back in the olden days we'd pass notes or hold up something to read, but then again, in those days we could read and write!

Cell-Phones in School

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kacram

mariend

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cynic

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cynic

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bluejeans4ever

Jasdip
Original Author

bluejeans4ever

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cynic

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Cell-Phones in School

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