Reasons why cell phone should be allowed in school: Why Should Students Be Allowed to Use Cell Phones in Class?

Why Should Students Be Allowed to Use Cell Phones in Class?

The number of cell phone users across the globe has increased significantly over just the last few years. And, this increase includes a large number of younger, school-aged users as well.

Cell phones are a forbidden item in most classrooms. Many schools have policies against students taking their cell phones out of their backpacks during the day or even bringing them to school at all.

However, I think that cell phones can play a very beneficial role in a classroom, especially when used effectively. I’ve stretched the ‘rules’ in the past and let my students pull out their phones for various classroom lessons and activities, and I’m definitely glad I did!

In addition to keeping my students more engaged in learning, using the cell phones offered a whole host of other benefits, many of which I didn’t even think of until I saw them! I’d love to share my answers to the question “why should students be allowed to use cell phones in class” with you.

In this article, I’ll share:

• Opinions of other teachers on using cell phones in the classroom.
• The top reasons students should be allowed to use the phones in class.
• Ways to effectively use cell phones in the classroom.
• Digital etiquette to share with students.

You can watch this video below. It contains a btief retelling of the article.

Cell Phones in School — Teachers’ Thoughts

Many teachers and parents are on the fence about whether to let students have cell phones in school. More and more teachers are beginning to see the potential learning benefits cell phones can offer to their students and are advocating for cell phone use in the classroom. In this video, Sam from New EdTech Classroom Why we should allow students to use cell phones in schools.

Below are what some teachers have shared about using cell phones in the classroom.

“We need to embrace these changes and instead of trying to separate that reality from an outdated vision of a classroom, we need to find a way to optimize the educational experience for the connected kids of the future. We can’t disconnect them from the world between the hours of 8am – 3pm everyday. Don’t be scared. You have to leave your comfort zone and take a risk. The same thing you ask your students to do. Take a risk and see what the future may look like and then change your teaching to ensure that the technology is used as a tool and not just a distraction.”

Tim Floyd, Education Awesomeness

“I’ve also seen the value that cell phones can bring to education. Students who might not have access to computers at home can type and submit essays on their phones. Students can quickly look up some information and verify its validity. Furthermore, students can also use their cell phones to collaborate with their peers.”

Christina, The Darling English Teacher

“When students have access to technology and social media, they have access to empowerment and leadership online. As educators, we need to empower our students to use technology for good. When students are given the chance to use their cellphones in class as a learning tool, we can teach them how to positively influence and impact other people online.”

Amanda, EDTech Endeavors

“How about we put the focus back on a skill (and mindset) that speaks volumes in any profession, in any relationship, in any situation. Be present. Yep, that’s it. Be present in the classroom when we are having a discussion. Be present when we are working on something collaboratively. Be present when given choice in your learning path. Be present in your interactions with others. Be present in the challenges that you face. Be present. If we focused on helping students be present we would actually eliminate the arguments for and against cell phones. To be present is to be engaged in our curriculum, and empowered in figuring out their future.”

A.J. Juliani, the Director of Technology & Innovation for Centennial School District

Why Should Students be Allowed to Use Cell Phones in Class — 9 Reasons

There is a lot of debate about whether cell phones should be allowed in schools. While there are some cons to letting your students use cell phones in class, I feel that the benefits using cell phones can bring outweigh these cons. As long as you have solid classroom management and set clear expectations for students using their cell phones, I think you’ll find that there are many benefits to letting your students use them.

Setting up a cell phone charging station, just as you may set up a tablet or Chromebook charging station in your classroom, can ensure your students’ cell phones are charged and ready when needed during instruction.

Many people wonder, “why should students be allowed to use cell phones in class?” In my opinion, some of the biggest benefits of allowing students to use their cell phones in school include:

1. Providing an Additional Tool for Learning

When students are able to use their cell phones in class, they’ll have access to technology. This can be especially beneficial in classrooms that don’t have enough tablets or computers for each student. Students can use their cell phones to conduct research, answering classroom polling questions, or even type their responses to questions or essays.

2. Safety

Students should be able to have their cell phones with them in the event there is an emergency at school. This will allow them to contact their parents. Many students walk home alone or stay after school for a club, and may need to get in touch with their parents or emergency services. Without a phone, this won’t be easy.

3. Improved Communication

In addition to using their cell phones to communicate with their parents and friends, students can also use their cell phones to communicate with their teachers. This can allow students to share feedback and questions with teachers easily and receive answers whenever the teacher has time. If the teacher doesn’t have time to read a student’s question until after the school day, the student could see the reply immediately, rather than waiting until the next day.

4. Organization

Cell phones include calendar apps, clocks, alarms, and reminders that students can use to help them stay more organized. These tools can help them keep track of assignments, make sure they’re not late to class, and plan out their study time.

5. Can Save Schools Money

Many e-books and necessary course materials are available online. If students are able to use access these materials through their phones, it can allow schools to save money by not purchasing materials they otherwise would need to. Teachers can also share many documents digitally and cut down on printing and copying costs.

6. Good for the Environment

In addition to saving money by cutting down on the number of print resources, you’ll need to provide students, you’ll also be having a positive impact on the environment. Less printing and copying means you’re using less paper, ink, power, and other resources.

7. Prepares Students for the Future

Our job as educators is to prepare our students for the future. I think we can all agree that technology is going to play a huge role in that future. Allowing students to use their cell phone and increase their proficiency with technology can help prepare them for a future career.

8. Can Create Digitally Responsible Citizens

Letting students use their cell phones in school and also teaching them proper cell phone etiquette (see below) can help create digitally responsible citizens. Students can learn when it is and is not OK to use their phones in different contexts and how to look up to show respect when someone is speaking to them. Without this practice in school, students may not be prepared to interact with their phones and others properly in the future.

9. Can Help Students When Studying

During instruction, students can use the camera on their phone to take pictures of important diagrams or images to supplement their notes. They can then pull these images back out as they study for quizzes and exams.

5 Ideas How Cell Phones Can Be Used Effectively in the Classroom

As we mentioned above, allowing students to use cell phones in the classroom can greatly benefit your instruction.

There are a number of ways you can use these technological tools to enhance your lessons and provide your students with access to resources they may otherwise not be able to use. Some of the top ways to effectively use cell phones in the classroom include:

1. Scanning QR Codes

Teachers can create QR codes to send students to a specific website where they can find important information. You can also use QR codes to let students self-check their work (multiple QR codes, with the one next to the correct answer directing students to the next question or problem to solve).

2. Using Educational Apps

There is a multitude of educational apps out there designed for students of all ages and all subject areas. Choosing a few of these apps to use to give your students extra practice on a skill or target a specific area of need can be quite beneficial.

3. Collaborating on Assignment

Students can work together with their classmates using Google Docs and see what the other is typing. This could work with students seated together, as well as with students working separately from one another.

4. Completing Surveys and Quizzes

You can have your students answer polling questions through their phones to assess their understanding of a given topic. These questions may be written as true/false, multiple-choice, or short answers. There are many different programs and websites that can help you with creating quizzes and surveys for your students.

5. Providing Feedback to Others

Students can read other students’ writing assignments or other work and provide them with digital feedback or additional questions to consider.

Digital Etiquette for Students in the Classroom

Once your school has settled the debate over whether cell phones should be allowed in school () and decided to let students use these valuable technological resources, it is essential to teach proper cell phone and technology etiquette to your students and develop systems to manage cell phone use in your classroom. Using cell phones in the classroom properly is key; they should not be a distraction or something that gets in the way of learning.

In this video, CJ Reynolds is talking about tips that he uses to keep kids off their phones without making it a big deal.

Share these rules for digital etiquette with your students to help ensure cell phones are a beneficial tool, not one that distracts from learning.

1. Put your phone down when someone is talking to you and make eye contact with the speaker.
2. Don’t text while you are walking.
3. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t get distracted from someone or something important.
4. Silence your phone when you are in class.
5. Remove your headphones if someone is trying to talk to you.
6. Don’t post on social media during the school day.
7. Be a good digital citizen and avoid getting into any digital drama.
8. Know the cell phone policy for each of your teachers, and respect it when in their classroom.
9. Don’t make your teacher, classmates, friends, or family secondary to your phone.

Watch more about digital etiquette in this video by Rich Colosi Media.

Useful Resources

• Cell phones in school: Let’s talk about the pros and cons
• What is classroom management?
• 19 big and small classroom management strategies

Final Thoughts

There are some pros and cons to consider regarding using cell phones in the classroom. However, given all the benefits that were shared above, I think the reasons to allow cell phones in school far outweigh the reasons against allowing them. Allowing students to use their cell phones in the classroom will help keep them engaged in learning and provide them with instant access to technology, tools, and resources to help them learn.

So, now that you know the answer to the question, “why should students be allowed to use cell phones in class,” has you’re thinking changed? How do you see yourself using cell phones with your students?

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Simona Johnes is the visionary being the creation of our project. Johnes spent much of her career in the classroom working with students. And, after many years in the classroom, Johnes became a principal.

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20 Reasons Why Cell Phones Should Be Allowed in School

Posted inParenting and Technology

Posted by

Josh Burgoyne

Read more from Josh Burgoyne

May 6, 2022

Technology has become an important part of every classroom—and that’s not a bad thing. When you enter an elementary school classroom in 2022, you’ll likely see kids typing up reports on school laptops, teachers using a projector to show videos, and students studying their textbooks on an iPad. 

So what about phones?

According to NPR, 53% of kids own a cell phone by age 11, with over 84% entering the mobile world by the time they’re a teen. With these statistics, it’s inevitable that many students take phones to school. And while phones can be distracting, they are a valuable educational tool when used correctly. After all, cell phones have a bundle of benefits that help make learning easier, accessible, and entertaining. 

So why should phones be allowed in school? Well, if the easy access to information and utility as a classroom resource don’t convince you, one of these twenty reasons should:

1. Educational apps and games make learning fun! Education is exciting. Learning new things should be an enjoyable endeavor for people of all ages, but some kids look at learning as a boring waste of time. Thankfully, there are a plethora of fun apps and games that make learning fun again—and many of these apps are available on Troomi phones! Click here to learn a little more about Troomi’s fun and educational KidSmart® apps, and then click here to see what amazing plans are available.

2. Students can access digital learning material on their phones. Resources like news stories, blog posts, and magazine articles are valuable learning materials in the classroom. This is especially the case in history and writing courses, where studying a variety of sources aids in a student’s understanding. 

3. Students can access educational videos. Imagine how much stronger learning about Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech would be by hearing the words from the man himself. With a phone, it’s easier than ever to watch educational videos like historic speeches, lectures, and even exciting science experiments. 

4. Cell phone e-readers make textbooks more accessible than ever. Textbooks are a necessary part of many classes, but their high cost and heavy weight often gets in the way of educational accessibility. With a phone’s e-reader capability, however, most textbooks are available at the tap of a finger, giving students the information they need to excel in any course they take.

5. Making cell phones a classroom resource introduces necessary tech skills early. In today’s world, technological know-how is an absolute must. By introducing cell phones to the classroom, teachers have the ability to help their students learn how to use technology responsibly and appropriately. Start by teaching them some basic tech lingo!

6. Educational exposure to phones teaches kids the basics of digital citizenship. Knowing how to work a phone is one thing, but using it appropriately is another. Being a  digital citizen means knowing how to engage with technology in a positive and beneficial way. Digital citizenship skills are absolutely vital in today’s world, and there’s no better place to learn them than in the classroom.

7. Quiz games like Kahoot! make phones a participation tool. A ton of my high school and university teachers used online quiz games like Kahoot! to get students interested and engaged in a lesson. Students connect to a teacher’s quiz with their phones, then use their device as a controller to answer questions and test their knowledge.  

8. Phones help kids get quick answers to important questions. Oftentimes in a classroom, the teacher doesn’t get the opportunity to answer every student’s question. In this case, a phone can be a great resource!

9. Online encyclopedias satisfy a student’s curiosity. Kids are naturally curious people, and a phone provides easy answers to their questions. Do they want to know who fought in the Battle of Waterloo? Or perhaps they’re interested in knowing who first discovered America (hint: it wasn’t Columbus). Gone are the days of digging through 1,000 page encyclopedias to find the answers. Now all it takes is a few clicks through online resources like Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica.

10. Cell phones can be used as calculators. Remember when you weren’t allowed to use a calculator in math class, because the teacher said you wouldn’t have one with you in your everyday life? Well the times have changed; now, we carry a calculator with us all the time! Teaching students to use the calculator on their phones is a valuable skill that will only deepen their grasp of mathematical concepts.

11. Students can look up definitions on their phone’s dictionary. The English language is lexically vast, and it’s inevitable that kids will stumble upon words they aren’t familiar with as they practice reading. Most cell phones have a built-in dictionary. All it takes is a few taps (or a question to Siri) to learn what new words mean, how they’re used in a sentence, and if they have any synonyms. 

12. Phones help kids learn how to organize. In the twenty-first century, phones are the key to coordination. These little devices are a powerhouse of organization, helping students stay on top of tasks, homework assignments, deadlines, and other projects. These are no longer the days of only paper yearly planners and to-do lists—now, planning can be done digitally on your phone.

13. Cell phones feature a built-in timer. Whether your little student is timing their mile in gym class or racing with a friend to complete a math worksheet, timers are an indispensable classroom tool. When I taught first grade, we used timers to help students stay on task. When a student worked hard and focused on one task for 30 minutes, they got a short break before the cycle began again. It worked wonders!

14. Kids can check in with parents about the day’s plan. For kids with acute anxiety and ADHD, a routine schedule can mean the difference between chaos and serenity. Of course, kids may forget what that plan is and start feeling anxious as a result. A cell phone makes it easy to refresh their brain and restore composure—all it takes is a text.

15. Teachers can send messages to students through Canvas or Google Classroom. Communicating with teachers is easy with online learning platforms like Canvas and Google Classroom. What’s more, both of these apps are available on Troomi phones! 

16. Kids can contact parents when there’s an emergency. Life is unpredictable, and it’s impossible to plan for every emergency. In the case of a medical emergency, fire, or natural disaster, phones make it easy for children and teens alike to get in touch with their parents. 

17. Parents can contact kids in the case of an emergency. Sometimes the situation is reversed and parents need to get in touch with their kids. Keeping a cell phone on hand makes navigating emergencies less stressful than ever before. In trying times, one little text that reads, “I’m OK,” can work wonders for a parent’s peace of mind.

18. Phones make it easy to connect with classmates. And no, we’re not talking about connecting on SnapChat. On the Troomi blog we’ve talked a lot about the dangers and downsides to social media. While we don’t recommend social media, phones can be a valuable tool to connect classroom peers just with a phone call or text!

19. Phones teach kids responsibility. In most classrooms, there are consequences that come with using your phone inappropriately during class time. Teaching kids to use their phone responsibly during class is a great way to model responsible phone usage later in life. Eliminating phones from schools entirely robs students of the chance to learn this valuable lesson.

20. Phones help kids create memories with friends. Phones have a lot of educational potential, but that’s not all. They’re also an amazing tool when it comes to connection and socializing! Kids can use phones to share music with friends, tell jokes over text, and take pictures of their favorite moments. Allowing phones at school makes these meaningful moments all the more frequent.

As parents, we want to see our children succeed inside and outside of the classroom. By allowing children to use phones as an educational resource (at appropriate times), we encourage them to properly engage with a phone. After all, healthy habits start early, and appropriate phone usage is one of the most important habits to have mastered.

Banning phones in schools: arguments of supporters and critics – magazine

Text author: Alina Miroshnikova

European media are discussing the news from France, where the use of mobile phones in schools was banned at the state level. We tell why the government took this step, and what supporters and critics of this decision say in different countries.

Why it was banned and how it is being implemented

The ban on smartphones in schools is an extraordinary event in a country where only one out of fourteen students does not have their own phone. For comparison, in Ukraine there are one in five of them. From the next academic year, students aged 6-15 will not be able to use mobile phones even at recess. By the way, the promise to take this step was part of the election campaign of the current French President Emmanuel Macron. According to representatives of the local Ministry of Education, such measures will help protect the health of children. nine0003

Children, parents and teachers take sharply opposite positions on this issue, but agree on one thing: gadgets have already taken over educational institutions anyway, for good or not. And prohibition is a counter-revolution in education.

There is no plan to implement the government’s decision yet. If you have to check the bags of students, 200 thousand teachers should be involved in this. If you leave smartphones in special lockers, then you need to additionally install as many as three million. Even the creation of wave interference or the use of vans near educational institutions, where children will deposit gadgets until the end of classes, are being considered. nine0003

Arguments from supporters

1. Academic performance will improve

Test scores improved by 6% in places where smartphones were banned, according to a study by the London School of Economics. However, the ban on using mobile phones only in the classroom does not work: more than half of the students secretly break the rule. Therefore, cheating from gadgets still happens.

Even when the sound is muted, the phones vibrate with messages, preventing students from concentrating. Fear of not answering a friend in time or dropping out of discussions on social networks does not allow children to concentrate on their studies. And other people’s idealistic photos and messages give the impression that life is passing by while they are sitting in class. nine0003

2. Pupils will communicate more live

“Today’s children no longer play at recess, they look at their smartphones,” said French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanc. “Children communicate exclusively with their phone, they will lose the ability to communicate with each other,” says the head of the elite Shiplake College (UK), in which students are punished for using phones.

3. Health will improve

Physical, because children move little with gadgets, which affects the cardiovascular system. And mentally, because studies show that those who spend more than two hours a day on social networks are more likely to have mental problems. nine0003

One of them is anorexia and other eating disorders. So, in a private school for girls in Stroud (UK), phones are banned because of programs that count the number of calories and the number of steps. Teachers noticed that students aged 7-11 skipped lunch and went on diets if they could not fit into the model standards. But high school students are allowed smartphones, because they have already formed healthy habits.

4. The level of Internet addiction will decrease

In the US back in the 2000s, summer “digital detox” camps were organized to allow children to spend some time without gadgets. In many educational institutions in the UK, phones in schools are prohibited only for young students, because it is believed that at this age there is a higher risk of Internet addiction. For example, at Brighton College from the age of 10, phones are allowed twice a week, and from 11 – four times. For students under the age of 9, mobile phones are temporarily replaced with school board games like Monopoly. nine0003

5. . Cyberbullying and sexting will be suspended

Sexting is the sending of sexual messages or erotic photos and videos via a mobile phone. Western experts say that this is now a fairly common phenomenon among teenagers. Therefore, supporters of a ban on phones in schools hope that sexting among students will stop at least for the duration of classes.

Perhaps this ban will help fight cyberbullying, that is, online bullying. Students will not write violent comments about collective victims. No gadget at hand in class – there will be fewer humiliating pictures of classmates that are distributed on social networks. Even teachers are afraid that they are being filmed. nine0003

In Bavaria, Germany, the same law adopted in France has been in force since 2006, after the police exposed pornographic and violent images on the smartphones of many schoolchildren. But in the Australian Queensland College, they even violate the privacy of students. True, with the written consent of the parents. Educators view any suspicious content on students’ phones. If evidence of sexting or cyberbullying is found, students are expelled. nine0003

Arguments of critics

1. The “digital umbilical cord” with parents will be broken

This is how the press calls the opportunity to be in touch during the day and locate children using GPS. Parents are afraid that their son or daughter will get lost, get into trouble and will not be able to consult, will be left without support or telephone advice.

The inability to hear a child’s voice during the day can increase the anxiety of today’s parents. In the United States, it is precisely because of this that reverse processes occur. In 2015, New York authorities lifted a 10-year ban on phones in schools. And in France, parents who protest against the new law are most often unhappy with this. Moreover, the safety in schools is not all right. A smartphone saved many schoolchildren from offenders right in the premises or in the yard of the educational institution. nine0003

2. Pupils are isolated from reality

“It is forbidden to go to real life” – you cannot hang such a sign in schools,” teachers in Karlstadt (Bavaria) turn to teachers. They said they would not comply with the requirement to ban mobile phones. In their opinion, it is worth teaching children the safe use of the Internet and gadgets, and not prohibiting them.

According to the Minister of Education of Italy, Valeria Fedeli, if you leave your child alone with a smartphone, it is likely that he will be deceived by a fake or become a victim of cybercriminals. If a student is instructed by a qualified teacher, he will be able to explain a lot. In this country, they plan to lift the ban on mobile phones in the classroom, which has existed since 2007. nine0003

3. They will lose modern teaching aids

It’s like giving up thousands of computers. This is how they think in the USA, Canada, Scandinavian countries – where there are programs for including schoolchildren’s gadgets in the educational process. The practice of BYOD (Bring your own device, that is, “Bring your own device”) has been operating in schools in Belgium since last year, and in Canada since 2012.

St. Julian’s school (Newport, USA) does not have paper diaries – all data is stored in the cloud, and teachers use Twitter to give instructions to students. Lessons are filmed and watched at home. nine0003

In Portsmouth, students have been actively learning geography ever since they started using smartphones: creating podcasts, animations, using GPS and mapping software. And the most popular is geocaching – a game using satellite navigation systems: searching for caches on school grounds using geographic coordinates.

Even in elementary grades, teachers send text messages with riddles and stories to encourage them to read and write.

In Ireland, where students do not know their native language well, but think and communicate in English, teachers send them voice messages with Irish words during class. nine0003

4. It’s easy for students to get around the rule

The Independent journalist Stephen Morris did his own research on whether the rules are followed in schools that already have a ban on smartphones. The students talked about a lot of tricks. For example, students have two phones, one of which they hand over at the entrance to the school, and the other is secretly used. And one student demonstrated how to bypass parental control in 30 seconds: google Spanish words on any taboo topics and enter them exactly. nine0003

Based on The Independent, The Guardian, BBC, Telegraph, Le Monde, New York Post, Der Spiegel, La Repubblica.

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Out of sight: what did the ban on smartphones in schools lead to | Articles

Every fourth school in Russia has restricted or banned the use of smartphones during lessons. This is a consequence of methodological recommendations developed in the summer by several departments at once. And although the document can be interpreted quite broadly, many educational organizations limited themselves to banning gadgets. nine0100 Whether schools began to live better – together with teachers, Izvestia sorted out.

The decision is overdue

The negative impact of smartphones on the body, especially a growing one, has been talked about for years. Scientists still cannot agree on some issues. How much more harmful is the phone than other devices that surround us? Is it better to use a headset during a call? The debate continues to this day, however, with the fact that the regular use of the gadget is bad for the health of children, at least on vision and the psyche, according to the majority. Research confirms this. nine0101

In September 2019, the experiment of scientists from the Institute of Biochemical Physics. N.M. Emanuel RAS and the Russian National Committee for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. For 14 years, experts have studied the impact of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones on the performance of schoolchildren, comparing them with the performance of children who do not use a smartphone. It turned out that in the first group of children, simple auditory and visual-motor reactions slowed down, they had higher indicators of fatigue, and fine motor skills of the hands were underdeveloped. nine0101

Scientists abroad came to similar conclusions. In order to at least slightly protect children from harmful effects, in some countries they decided to get rid of gadgets in the classroom. So, in France in 2018, a law was passed that prohibits the use of mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, and other electronic devices in schools. For violation of the requirements, the teacher can take them away for a while. More detailed instructions are already written in the internal regulations of educational institutions. nine0003

A survey conducted this summer by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) showed that Russians are also against smartphones in class. Next, the relevant departments have also prepared guidelines on how to use mobile devices at school.

Photo: RIA Novosti / Artem Zhitenev

Areas of work

The compilers give examples of the negative consequences of the regular use of smartphones and foreign practice of abandoning gadgets. nine0101 “In Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, Malaysia, Nigeria, France, Uzbekistan, Uganda, based on the results of research, recommendations have been developed on the mode of using mobile communication devices by children, including in educational institutions,” the recommendations say.

In the UK, this decision has already given a positive result, the drafters assure. The success of passing tests among 16-year-old schoolchildren increased by 6.4%.

Recommendations for domestic schools actually duplicate similar documents abroad. nine0100 It is proposed to limit the use of mobile communication devices by schoolchildren, with the exception of children who need it for health reasons. When entering an educational organization, children are advised to switch the phone to “silent” mode, and during breaks they should communicate and engage in outdoor activities, using the phone only when necessary – call or write a message.

In certain cases, schools may provide storage space for gadgets during class. nine0100 All restrictions, as planned, should be accompanied by educational work. Authorized employees are encouraged to educate both adults and students about device safety culture, how to behave in today’s digital environment, and how to prevent the adverse health effects of smartphones on children.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Denis Abramov

While the document is advisory in nature, it means that it is up to the schools to decide which norms to take note of and whether to take them at all. nine0101 Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova told Izvestiya that such a model will be tested during the year , then Rospotrebnadzor will study the results in terms of health, and Rosobrnadzor – in the performance of schools where phones are used and not used. “ At the end of the 2019/20 academic year, we will study the interim results in order to understand how justified the form of methodological recommendations is and whether something needs to be changed in ,” Popova explains.

Cannot communicate and write cheat sheets

In lyceum No. 17, with the consent of schoolchildren, parents, teaching staff and administration, for the fifth year now, a set of measures has been carried out to reduce the negative impact of mobile phones.

“ Gadgets are used only at home, mainly for viewing homework in an electronic journal,” Yekaterina Sidorenko, whose children participate in this program, tells Izvestia. “At school, the emphasis is only on live communication and interaction.” nine0003

Convincing the children of the need for such a decision, according to Ekaterina, was not so difficult : “Reasonable arguments helped to reach an agreement. They explained that there are many temptations and dangers in terms of fraud on the Internet, and testing life for strength is a risk . As we go to the forest with a guide, so we should not wander on the Internet alone.”

Children have not been left without traditional Internet entertainment – there is a dedicated time for online games and communication. They don’t need more, as their parents say, because there are many activities without a gadget: sports, robotics, reading. nine0101

Photo: RIA Novosti / Vitaly Ankov

Most of the schools that took note of the recommendations followed the same path. Phones before classes are either simply handed over or put in bags. “In our school, we came to this decision at the beginning of the year at the parents’ meeting. Parents do not mind that the phone of the children during the lesson was in the briefcase. So they are much less tempted to be distracted or write off, ”explains Maria Ivanovna, teacher of history and social studies at one of the Moscow schools. nine0003

According to the teacher, smartphones not only prevent students from concentrating on the lesson, but also have a bad effect on their ability to absorb the material.

Quote

“We were making cheat sheets, and it was still preparation, because we memorized something while writing. Now the children have ready-made information on the phone, they just write everything off. When they are tested for the Unified State Examination and the OGE, the results turn out to be completely different, ”Maria Ivanovna argues in an interview with Izvestia. nine0003

Another problem, the teacher believes, becomes immediately apparent during breaks, when phones are allowed: “If you came to school, you would immediately understand that this generation is no longer able to communicate. They are all the change – in the phone, all in the games.

Benefit

However, not all teachers agree that the telephone is evil. According to Kirill Zagustin, a teacher at one of the schools in St. Petersburg, it is inefficient and wrong to completely remove smartphones from schools. nine0101

Quote

“Like any tool, smartphones can do both good and bad. Why are some teachers and schools trying to ban it? Because this is the easiest way to take modern technology out of the educational process. On the one hand, the problem, albeit radically, is being solved, and on the other hand, a new one appears: the educational process does not evolve. We live using smartphones, but we learn without using them. It’s not entirely logical,” says Zagustin. nine0003

Today, many services have been developed that can make life easier for teachers and save their time, such as online questionnaires. In addition, it is difficult to deny that the Internet has become the main source of information for us.

“Sometimes when seniors ask a question about a related topic, I might say, ‘Googling it right now, answer your question, and tell the others.’ Plus, they also do all additional tasks, reports, messages using the Internet, the children have stopped turning to written sources. Here I simply demand a list of sources and an understanding of what is written. Someone may just have a copy-paste from Wiki, and someone, even with one link, has shoveled the entire content of the article, it is clear that they have worked with it. nine0101 Then why not? ”, – says the teacher in an interview with Izvestia.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Maxim Bogodvid

Calling a smartphone the main distraction is also wrong, the expert believes.

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“Of course, there is a chance that instead of doing school things, the child will just sit on TikTok, Instagram – anywhere. But in this regard, harm from phones is not fundamentally different from exchanging notes or playing sea battles. The point is not that the phone is distracting, but that the teacher or communication with students is not built in the same way, or the student himself is not motivated, ”says Kirill Zagustin. nine0003

However, Kirill Zagustin uses this method of work only in high school. « In the fifth grade we learn to analyze information and work with the text of a textbook. Its content is prepared and everyone will understand, so there is simply no need for phones,” the teacher explains.

Technical base

Sometimes a teacher’s desire to introduce technology into the educational process is not enough. Difficulties also arise at the level of the material base. nine0003

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“In our elementary school, phones are completely prohibited in the classroom, but in the senior school I allow the use of applications if we repeat words before the dictation, if we discuss some tasks, we need to look at the word,” says Ekaterina Vershinina, teacher foreign language. – In the future, I want to try to use gaming applications sometimes, but first I will have to find out if the guys have mobile Internet. Because the last time we did a project in class, I handed out mine.” nine0003

In addition, not everyone’s phone supports certain applications, someone may not have a smartphone at all, someone may have run out of battery. It takes a lot of time to solve all these problems, so it is often easier to abandon the idea altogether. But in this case, another and more global problem arises – children begin to perceive the gadget solely as a means of entertainment.

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“When I try to show that you can do interesting things online for studying, my eighth graders howl, and the most that some of them have is a Wikipedia article. They have not been taught otherwise, in their understanding there is no connection between technology and the competencies they need in the future,” explains Ksenia Melenchuk, an English teacher in Vladivostok. nine0003

In order to improve the situation, teachers believe, it is necessary to find a compromise.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Maxim Bogodvid

Teaching children to use gadgets correctly is really not easy, but it is important, says Natalya Vinogradova, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and specialist of the Russian Textbook corporation. “The basic rule for using smartphones is the rule of expediency. It is necessary to take care of the child, not to infringe on his interests, while remembering his health. Basically, the use of mobile devices is prohibited in schools that have little use of digital educational solutions. If digital content is familiar to everyone, then, as a rule, there are much fewer problems with smartphones, ”the expert believes. nine0003

Therefore, many people see the right way out in the active use of the technology that the school has at its disposal.

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“We hand over phones almost before each lesson, but you can order tablets for class. It is convenient to quickly get feedback, check knowledge. No need to carry stacks of leaflets and notebooks, – Yaroslava Kashtanova, a teacher of Russian language and literature in Izhevsk, shares with Izvestia. “Recently, we took phonetics with 5th graders, I conducted tests in this format, saved time for checking.” nine0003

They regularly use modern technologies, according to the teacher, in the lessons of mathematics, computer science and in the natural sciences.