Some battles will never be won; it does not matter if schools want to ban cell phone use in school. Students will always find a way of bringing them to school. If you disagree with me, try to go to any school which has banned cell phone use, you will find students in halls trying to text each other. Others are using them for social network communication. So, in my opinion, i suggest that cell phones should be allowed in schools, though regulations should be set to control their usage. Teachers should have printed guidelines showing students when and how to use their cell phones at school. Academic administrators should find ways of integrating cell phone use in the Curriculum, because, it is very easy for a student to have a cell phone rather than having a computer.
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Now day’s students have smart cell phones which can use APPS and they can also access internet or type notes using these smart cell phones. The private business sector has invested millions of dollars in creating mobile learning applications; students can access digital libraries using Library Apps, they can listen to audio books, they can learn how to spell using grammar APPS, they can learn Math using Math Apps……etc.
Cell phones are known for causing distractions, especially now that they can access the internet, students can spend most of their time using social networks like facebook or twitter. But for teachers to control this they can find ways of integrating social technology into their curriculum, so instead of students using casual social networks, they can use educational, social networks. We have some good educational, social networks online and these include Piazza.com, epals.com, Remind101.com, edmondo.com. All these networks have been designed to connect students, teachers and parents. So if cell phones are allowed in schools, students should use them for academic hangouts, this can be an interesting way of learning.
REASONS WHY CELL PHONES SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN SCHOOLS:
1. Use cell phones to monitor students or children: Both parents and teachers can use cell phone technology to monitor their students or children. For parents, they can use Footprints App to track their children locations, this application can work on smartphones, so it will help parents know when their children are at school or not. Then for teachers, they can use Piazza App, to track their students’ performance. In this case, teachers can assign course works to their students using Piazza Mobile App, and then students will complete the coursework and submit it to their teachers using the same application.
2. Cell phones can be used as Emergency tools: Nowadays, schools get closed because of various reasons, sometimes they’re natural disasters or gunshots which have become so common in most American schools. Also, our children or students face many predators while at school or off the campus, children kidnappers are on the rise, so it is a must for schools to allow cell phones in schools. Maybe to reduce the distraction caused by these gadgets, teachers can simply regulate the time of using of cell phones in school. Cell phones can be used by students to report any emergency; students can contact their parents if the school has closed because of a natural disaster or any other abrupt cause.
3. Cell phones can be used as Reminders: Students take more than one subject in a day, and they have loads of assignments which they have to finish on time. So it is very important for these students to use cell phones as reminding gadgets. Mobile applications like Remind101.com can help students remember when to submit in specific coursework, know when a test will be done, know when a teacher will be in class, help teachers be in touch with their students and parents. I remember when I was still in college, I used to have a tight schedule, we used to get lots of coursework and I used to find it difficult to balance my time. So sometimes I could submit my coursework when it was too late. Now, with the help of Remind101 Application, a student’s life is made simple, the application can be used by teachers to text reminding messages about coursework or tests.
4. Cell phones can be used to access the internet: Students need internet to do research. So it is logical if students are allowed to use cell phones in school. All smartphones can access the internet, which can help students do extensive personal reading. Schools can use computers in classrooms, but encourage phone usage out of the classroom. Schools can provide free wifi internet at school so that their students can easily access the internet while at school. Most important educational websites like Wikipedia.org and Google.com can be accessed via mobile phones.
5. Cell phones can be used for communication in schools: Besides taking pictures or recording of videos and podcasts, cell phones can be used in educational communication while in school or classroom. The easiest way students and teachers can communicate using cell phones can be text messaging. Teachers can simply use mass texting services like Remind101 to communicate with students and parents. Then students can use Twitter to stay in touch with their classmates and exchange academic information. Shy students will find it easier to communicate through cell phones rather than face to face communication.
