NFT: School cell phone policy

in my school. They could be used positively the right way if monitored, but between facebook, snapchat, twitter.... they are not used in the right way whatsoever.

during class. That says it all.

For what?

I brought a slide rule. They bring a cell phone. Get off my lawn.

DTgiants I am not referring to you but to some people in general.

If the policy was created with the law in mind then its legal.

One person complains and everyone gets all upset and up in arms about it. Its a fair policy to me.

has a zero tolerance policy. no in-class mobile device usage or you lose it.

students have to sign it and parents have to sign it.

I just ask the kid to put it away.

However, there are a ton of issues with cell phones so I do agree with policies like this. One thing I tell my kids is that part of growing up is knowing the difference between right amd wrong and DOING THE RIGHT THING. Kids know what the right thing to do is but the hard part for them is actually doing it. Parents that complain about these policies AFTER THE FACT do nothing but teach their kids bad values. If they really had an issue with the policy then bring attention to it in a positive way and come up with a better one. Have a solution. Another problem is people giving up when others complain loud enough. That just enables more people to do the same. Oh, you don't like something? Just make a big enough stink and the other party will adhere to your demands regardless if it is the right thing to do or not.

In comment 12974654 robbieballs2003 said:

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I just ask the kid to put it away. However, there are a ton of issues with cell phones so I do agree with policies like this. One thing I tell my kids is that part of growing up is knowing the difference between right amd wrong and DOING THE RIGHT THING. Kids know what the right thing to do is but the hard part for them is actually doing it. Parents that complain about these policies AFTER THE FACT do nothing but teach their kids bad values. If they really had an issue with the policy then bring attention to it in a positive way and come up with a better one. Have a solution. Another problem is people giving up when others complain loud enough. That just enables more people to do the same. Oh, you don't like something? Just make a big enough stink and the other party will adhere to your demands regardless if it is the right thing to do or not.

A teacher here as well and I couldn't have said it better. I agree 100%.

Exactly. This is where we need to focus our energy as educators. These kids have this tool that can be used for incredible things, and also terrible things. They're not going away. How do we better teach the kids to use them?

As far as whether or not "taking a kids cell phone" is kosher with the law, I actually dont know. What I DO know is, as a teacher, if I ask a kid for their phone, and just say "no", I don't have any recourse. None. You could give a kid another punishment, but you're still not getting the phone! That, to me, makes the idea of taking away the phone hollow and pointless.

But if they make an appearance during class time when a teacher says no, that phone is collected until the end of the class.

Let the states rule, on this one. lol (In other words, have an overall policy, and in class? Let the teachers decide what they will/won't allow.)

As my dear ol' Dad used to say, related to just about everything ... TOO MANY RULES!

Here in Denmark we can only go so far as to take the phone and make the parents pick it up after work. If the students say no we send them to the principal's office.

Yes, it is an incredible tool to have all that information in the palm of your hand, but people are becoming more and more addicted to them. I work in a manufacturing setting and people can't focus on their work because they are stopping what they are doing every 5 minutes to check their phones. The company allows two 10 minutes breaks and a lunch break during a shift and that should be plenty of time to do what needs to be done. They have asked that people refrain from being on their cell phones while working, but everybody still does it constantly. The company called a meeting and reiterated, in a little stronger way, that people shouldn't be on their phones while working. Five minutes after the meeting, I saw multiple people blatantly texting, checking messages, watching cat videos, whatever. It's an addiction and it is only getting worse. I mentioned to a co-worker about always being on the phone and they asked where my phone was. I told them I left it in my locker and they looked at me like I has two heads. It's bad folks and it getting worse. Stop living life in the palm of your hand and get back in the world! Oh...and get off the phone while driving you asshole before you kill someone.

is that it took 12 responses to this thread as Giant jake did to put the issue front and center...to all of you enablers, 1 out of every traffic accident is a result of cell phone use. This number is from the National Saftey Council .

Put it in your pocket and say no. Your welcome.

1 out of every 4.

In comment 12974723 sometimeswrite said:

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1 out of every 4.

So if we ban cell phones and alcohol there will hardly be any accidents?

In comment 12974697 GiantJake said:

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Yes, it is an incredible tool to have all that information in the palm of your hand, but people are becoming more and more addicted to them. I work in a manufacturing setting and people can't focus on their work because they are stopping what they are doing every 5 minutes to check their phones. The company allows two 10 minutes breaks and a lunch break during a shift and that should be plenty of time to do what needs to be done. They have asked that people refrain from being on their cell phones while working, but everybody still does it constantly. The company called a meeting and reiterated, in a little stronger way, that people shouldn't be on their phones while working. Five minutes after the meeting, I saw multiple people blatantly texting, checking messages, watching cat videos, whatever. It's an addiction and it is only getting worse. I mentioned to a co-worker about always being on the phone and they asked where my phone was. I told them I left it in my locker and they looked at me like I has two heads. It's bad folks and it getting worse. Stop living life in the palm of your hand and get back in the world! Oh...and get off the phone while driving you asshole before you kill someone.

You should stop working there since you are the only one working there. It's your bosses problem not yours, just do your job and go home, right?

In comment 12974725 est1986 said:

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In comment 12974723 sometimeswrite said: Quote: 1 out of every 4. So if we ban cell phones and alcohol there will hardly be any accidents?

you don't think it would make a difference?

The mother can say whatever she wants. There is nothing to press charges over and if she doesn't come to pick up the phone, the kid doesn't get it back. It's a simple rule.

What would be refreshing is if the mother got angry at her kid for breaking the rule at least 3 times.

In comment 12974729 Matt M. said:

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The mother can say whatever she wants. There is nothing to press charges over and if she doesn't come to pick up the phone, the kid doesn't get it back. It's a simple rule. What would be refreshing is if the mother got angry at her kid for breaking the rule at least 3 times.

spot on.

our school has a similar policy. I tell them that if they have them out when they're not supposed to that I take them away and give them to the school secretary after class ends. The secretary tracks how often this is happening with the kids and negotiates the return through the parents similarly.

I used to have a big problem with it. I took it as a sign that my kids weren't engaged and made a lot of changes to my instruction.

Where it used to be a regular problem for me, I now run into 2 or 3 problems in the first few weeks as students learn my expectations and the routines of class. After that, I really don't have any issues with it at all.

to NEED to use a cell phone in school. Nothing good comes from having them on. If the parents have an emergency, they can call the school and can easily get in touch with the kid.

In comment 12974729 Matt M. said:

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The mother can say whatever she wants. There is nothing to press charges over and if she doesn't come to pick up the phone, the kid doesn't get it back. It's a simple rule. What would be refreshing is if the mother got angry at her kid for breaking the rule at least 3 times.

^^ right there. Parents are the primary reason why so many kids just suck. Fucking enablers.

NYC public school teacher. "Over the counter" highschool kids. 80% of th kids on phones all the time, they dont give up their phones to the admin, or even school safty. Oh Im sorry, its all the teachers fault. These kids have a great time in school. No consequences, they dont do homework, half havent owned a notebook for years. Only the teachers are happy for summer vaction because we're the only people working and held accountable for their performance. They enjoy summer school too. They say its easier, come a few hours and get passed No pressure. What a joke. No disipline, no consequences, no teacher support equals low quality education.

In comment 12974654 robbieballs2003 said:

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I just ask the kid to put it away.

And what do you do about the one's who don't put them away, or take them back out when they get a text? If you actually have everyone adhering to you guidelines, you're my new hero :)

Not sure what to make about your comment on my post. I should quit my job because lots of people are constantly on their cell phones? Um...no. Frankly, I have been with the company two years and have been promoted three times. There are 30 people that have been with the company longer than I have and within the next week or two I will have moved past all of them and into management. So, when you say it is management's problem....I have a pretty good reason to talk about what I see as a serious problem.

and then can go onto blocked sites like Facebook and all that crap. I would ban them during the school day. People forget that schools functioned fine when parents had to call the office to contact their children.

When I was "subbing". Many kids are simply addicted. I have an "Old School" flip phone. Whenever the kids saw me using it (walking from one side of campus to another), I'd get a lot of good-natured kidding - they all had the latest Smart Phones.

Way too many, their minds are focused on how many Facebook "likes" they are accumulating, not on what is going on in school.

It's worse in China ....

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Mobile-phone-addiction-plagues-Chinese-youth/articleshow/5836.cms

on the wrong side of this one. I've had friends of my son's get their phones confiscated (they also have a pretty straightforward 'no cell phone during the school day' rule with punishment of confiscation). Their parents, otherwise rational, intelligent people - went ballistic when the phones were confiscated. 'Why wasn't there a warning', 'it was just 5 minutes to check', etc.

Really strange - not sure how they could be competent in most other ways and yet really wrong on that one.

I'm disgusted when I see an elementary school student with a phone. And then when they get disciplined, I've seen these students try to take out their phones and call Mom. Hell no! I've seen parents trying to call their kids during the school day. No one has any respect anymore.

My kids don't have cell phones. They aren't getting cell phones anytime soon. When they do, they won't be smartphones. They'll be these little flip phones that allow them to call me, their mother, or 911.

In comment 12976839 jcn56 said:

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on the wrong side of this one. I've had friends of my son's get their phones confiscated (they also have a pretty straightforward 'no cell phone during the school day' rule with punishment of confiscation). Their parents, otherwise rational, intelligent people - went ballistic when the phones were confiscated. 'Why wasn't there a warning', 'it was just 5 minutes to check', etc. Really strange - not sure how they could be competent in most other ways and yet really wrong on that one.

Probably because there was a warning. Maybe at the start of the school year. Or maybe that day. Their kid just chose not to mention that.

In comment 12974605 Big Al said:

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I brought a slide rule. They bring a cell phone. Get off my lawn.

Just like you to bring a slide rule to a computer fight.

seems to be the new bullying.....the weaker kids create the hotspots - pay the bill on the minutes - so that the others can surf and do whatever they want all day....

kids don't care about phones as much as they used to.

My older ones thought it was the most important thing in the world and couldn't believe that we made them wait until they were 11(!). Now with the younger ones approaching that age, they don't care - they have been facetiming their friends for years on their wifi devices. No reason to actually use a phone to call. Now they just want it as a right of passage.