To Stay Safe and to be Responsibility: how Students Using Cell Phones

In the last decade cell phone usage in classrooms has been a battle. Students in this past decade have gradually become more engaged in technology, especially into cell phones. Some teachers believe cell phones have no educational purpose, because of texting, calling, and using other apps in classrooms. But a small group of teachers around the country have allowed cell phones in their classrooms for educational purposes like, calculations, research, and answer polls. Therefore students should be able to use their cell phones because it has can help students study, stay safe, and gain more responsibility.

A lot of teachers would agree that cell phones in school are a distraction and have no educational use, but using technology is both fun and a great way to get updated information. Ben Lomond High School has teachers who use "Kahoot.it" to help students study. Kahoot.it is a website that allows teachers to create small quizzes and have the students answer them with their cell phones or tablets. A Pew Research study says "Although schools have traditionally banned or limited cell phones in the classroom, 73% of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers said their students use phones in the classroom or to complete assignments." Some schools even have a program that encourages students to bring their own technology to help them study (Higgins). 12 of 17 Students in Mrs.Becnels class, a teacher from Ben Lomond High School, use their cell phones to provide themselves help with their vocabulary homework. Cell phones are a great way to encourage students to learn and have fun.

If something were to happen at home while a student is at school the parent cannot always contact the student. Teachers do not always answer their classroom phones during lectures or tests. Cell phones can be used to reach a student in the case of an emergency. Cell phones are argued by many as a smart and safe device to have on a student. If an emergency occurs parents need to be able to have direct contact with their children. It also allows students to communicate their schedules with their parents such as sports practices, after school tutoring, and pick up times (Galloway). What if there was a shooter in the school and they found a way to hack the classroom phones? Cell phones can allow the students to not only inform the police about the incident but also their parents so that the crowd outside isn't so hectic wondering if their students are injured or worse. Cell phones are a great safety device and should be allowed in schools for these purposes.

Although there are irresponsible students who use their cell phones for personal use all students are not this way. Cell phones can help a student gain responsibility and respect (Galloway). Many students at Ben Lomond High School see their teachers using cell phones in the classroom, even for their personal use. This makes some students upset and have less respect for their teachers because they feel as if they are being hypocritical towards them. Schools allowing cell phones make students feel more respect along with responsibility because students feel as if they must responsibly use their cell phones or they will be taken. All students should not lose cell phone privileges because of the few students who use their cell phones inappropriately. Technology isn't the issue in classrooms; it is the students who disrespect the teachers by using them for personal use (Galloway). Cell phones in class can raise a student's responsibility and respect level.

Many people only see cell phones in school as a bad idea because they can be a distraction. Some students use their phones to text and play games while a teacher is preforming a lecture (Galloway). Some would say since about 20 percent of high school students don't have cell phones using them as an educational tool is pointless to some. Teachers are also worried that students will use phones to cheat on quizzes and tests. Students are at school to be educated not to play on their electronic devices (Puente). Cell phones are seen as a bad device to be used in school so they shouldn't be allowed in schools.

Although some students do innapropriatly use cell phones in school such as cheat and play with them does not mean they should be banned. If students are using cell phones innapropriatly then the teacher should warn them to put it away and if the student doesn't listen it should be confiscated for the rest of the class period (Galloway). Even though there is cheating with electronic devices there are also solutions to stopping it. Many teachers at Ben Lomond High School already have rules in place stating that if phones are touched during a test or quiz the phone will be confisscated and the student will recieve a zero that cannot be made up.

Teachers should also be walking around the class room observing the class during a test. Electronical devices are not the only way to cheat, students have come up with some creative ideas. Some of these ideas consist of bottle labels and hats (Heibutzki). Roughly 80 percent of high school students have a cell phone, so if a couple students per class do not own cell phones they could pair up and work together (Hammond). Although there are disadvantages to cellphone usage in school there are solutions and they should be allowed to help students.

As a final point advanced placement students (73%) who used their phones did assignments like, writing, projects, and vocabulary, to complete assignments quicker, and more conveniently. Also students would be able to receive contact from their parents if something happened. Cell phones would be more resourceful for police in case of emergencies like, a lock downs, natural disasters, and family tragedies. Last having a cell phone is a responsibility, and to be able to know when and not to use in school is an acquired tribute that teachers should emphasize to students. In short I believe that students across the nation should be able to use their cell phones in class, for educational purposes.

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