A Few Simple Things: Cell Phones

     Cell Phones.  Why do we allow these in school?  We spend so much time as a school system trying to justify students having their cell phones.  This even includes justifying the students having their phones out in class.  “Technology at their fingertips.”  “Instant research capabilities.”  “Allows students to keep up with important school reminders.”  A high estimation of how much of cell phone use by students in class go towards these high ideals would be around 10%.  On the other hand the teacher will spend 25% of class time addressing the inappropriate cell phone use by the students.
     Instead of educational purposes, the students use their cell phones to:  text, video fights, take pictures, take pictures of quizzes and tests to share, listen to music, and playing games.  Imagine asking a student a question in class and having them respond:  “Just a second, I have to send this text.”  Yes, that actually happens.  Can you imagine you go out to eat with your family and as you wait to be seated the high school age hostess sits at his/her station finishing his/her text before acknowledging that you are waiting for her to seat you.  Why would they ever think this was acceptable behavior?  Because we allow it to take place everyday in class. 
     We have computers in our schools.  Some schools even have 1 to 1 iPads or laptops for their students.  Most schools have the use of Smart Boards available.  We have these old things referred to as textbooks.  All of these provide more of an educational connection, a learning spark, than that of a cell phone.