Mobile Phones in the Classroom: Should They Be Allowed?

At first banned by schools as an unnecessary distraction, events such as?the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the Columbine tragedy have made most districts reconsider the place of mobile phones in middle and high schools.

Cell Phones have been a ubiquitous accessory of high school students since the late 1990s. Initially banned by schools as an unnecessary distraction, events such as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the Columbine tragedy have made most districts reconsider the place of mobile phones in middle and high schools.

Although many districts have struggled with these policies, most have removed the bans at the behest of students and parents alike. Parents want to be able to reach their children before and after school hours. Students use TV Function Cell Phone to extracurricular activities and schedule rides and call parents. Administrators also maintain that in an emergency, students could contact family members—or even the police—quicker.

Instituting Rules to Combat Cell Phone Misuse
If your school does not already have rules in place to regulate HiPhone use, consider implementing the following at school.
*If found using cell phone during class, automatic deduction from their participation score. Make the deduction appropriately severe to be a deterrent.
*If found with a cell phone turned on during a test, students receive an automatic two grade deduction from the test scores. Remind everyone to turn their phones off prior to the test.
*Have students label their Blackberry Phone and place them in a basket at the beginning of class. Return them to students at the end of class.


Improved Technology—Increased Distraction
Although the bans have largely been removed, the problems—or distractions—of cell phone technology have only increased.

Wifi Cell Phone today allow users to do so much more than just a few years ago. Students can use their Dual Camera Cell Phones to take and send digital photos, and write and send text messages, even take and send short digital video clips, in addition to making phone calls. Nearly all of the uses can become inappropriate and undesirable in middle and high school classrooms.

For this reason, while most schools have lay a bans on taking cell phones, many require students to keep them off at school, unless a real emergency occurs. Unfortunately, this rule is often broken, as students find that they can easily elude detection by using increasingly more compact cell phones.
The key problems teachers have with unsanctioned cell phone use in schools include: * Sending or receiving test answers.
*Taking and distributing inappropriate digital photos of students.
*Sending friends text messages during class time.
*Bullying or harassment via unwanted text messaging.
Some schools are questioning whether they simply make it easier for inappropriate behaviors to go unnoticed, or whether the policy is truly serving to make the school a more secure environment.

Cell Phones as Teaching Tools
If, like some teachers, you want to try to exploit theMulti Function Cell Phones as a teaching tool, consider its ever evolving range of functions.
* Dictionaries. Students in literature and language arts classes can benefit from being able to quickly query the definition of a word. Additionally, students who are English learners especially can benefit from translation dictionaries which are becoming available on cell phones from China Wholesale.
*Internet access. Many Dual SIM Card Cell Phones have wireless Internet access, thus opening up a world of possibilities for class use. Science students might conduct fieldwork and submit their observations or data to either an internal or external data gathering site. Students can subscribe to podcasts that you produce or offered by a multitude of other sources.
*Calculators. Although most schools have them in math class, other classes that don't have them on hand for students can benefit from number crunching. For example, social studies students studying elections can quickly determine percentages of electoral votes or other scenarios. Science classrooms can use them to perform calculations related to fieldwork.
* Digital cameras. Not all schools or classrooms are outfitted with digital cameras, although many can benefit from them. For example, students can use them to document a variety of things for multimedia presentations or reports. Fieldtrips can be documented and incorporated into digital travelogues.
Recent Developments
Many schools are refining their use policies to include a ban on phone video and camera use, at least for now. Because these hold abuse of access to lockers rooms and the greatest potential for inappropriate use, rooms, rest etc, the ban may actually stick.

Although many teachers will be able to avoid making policies regarding cell phone from China Wholesaler use, they will not avoid having to cope with their persistent appearance in purses, backpacks, and desks. Teachers can help set the tone by explaining to students early in the year class and school policies regarding their use.

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