Cellphone ban in schools!

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I don't expect them to monitor that. It's an impossible situation to put them in. If it is a concern to you, as a parent, enforce your own 'ban' on your own kids' phone. This is possible. It's not malcolmk14's job to do this for me.

I agree with this but it's also an ideal situation that unfortunately doesn't work in the real world. Too many parents don't take an active role in their child's education, whether its through lack of time because they're working multiple jobs, or through disinterest. So you end up with the kids whose active parents keeping them off their phones and others who push it back on the teachers to control their kid's phone use.

A blanket ban takes the onus off teachers to be "the bad guy" who has take away a child's property and be responsible if it gets stolen or damaged.

Being a teacher is a hell of a lot more complex than it was 20 years ago and removing one obstical/distraction from them is a good thing.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by KTrain

I agree with this but it's also an ideal situation that unfortunately doesn't work in the real world. Too many parents don't take an active role in their child's education, whether its through lack of time because they're working multiple jobs, or through disinterest. So you end up with the kids whose active parents keeping them off their phones and others who push it back on the teachers to control their kid's phone use.

A blanket ban takes the onus off teachers to be "the bad guy" who has take away a child's property and be responsible if it gets stolen or damaged.

Being a teacher is a hell of a lot more complex than it was 20 years ago and removing one obstical/distraction from them is a good thing.

This is the key imo. If we were all on the same page, this wouldn't be much of a problem, but we aren't. There are plenty of parents who will freak out over this ban. Almost no two sets of parents are ever on the exact same page.

There's a whole ecosystem to consider. A lesson easily goes off the rails if the teacher suddenly has to be Judge Judy Executioner for every kid on their phone. Even 1 is a problem, and it's generally 5-10.

[flamingred89]

I read the thread title quickly and thought it said Cellophane ban and wondered why the hell kids couldn't have fresh sandwiches at school. Cellphones makes way more sense.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Russic

This is the key imo. If we were all on the same page, this wouldn't be much of a problem, but we aren't. There are plenty of parents who will freak out over this ban. Almost no two sets of parents are ever on the exact same page.

There's a whole ecosystem to consider. A lesson easily goes off the rails if the teacher suddenly has to be Judge Judy Executioner for every kid on their phone. Even 1 is a problem, and it's generally 5-10.

I think we should just go Medieval. No electronics of any kind. Nothing more complicated than an analog watch.

[Mr.Coffee]

Maybe some experts could weigh in here but why can’t we fail kids anymore and hold them back?

I’m not sure I understand why this is the case.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by flamingred89

I read the thread title quickly and thought it said Cellophane ban and wondered why the hell kids couldn't have fresh sandwiches at school. Cellphones makes way more sense.

umm it's called saran wrap!

[WinnipegFan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

If the schools could block out social media sites, and non essential websites, except maybe research sites.



And block in coming and outgoing calls, except at lunch, or to emergency numbers, that would almost make sense.



I mean, I know we don't have a lot of school shootings in Canada, but access to 9/11 for students might be something to consider.


But the rest isn't needed.

911 is accessible in every classroom on a landline. The easiest way to accomplish what you have stated is to ban cellphones. We can’t block the sites on cellphones that have data. Only on wifi.

[WinnipegFan]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Maybe some experts could weigh in here but why can’t we fail kids anymore and hold them back?

I’m not sure I understand why this is the case.

It originated from a movement that got footing in the 80’s where we began to protect the ego of kids. Now at the time it had validity. However, as is the case with most things it went too far and now we have helicopter parenting (which in reality is more like fighter pilot, tank driving, artillery dropping parents).

This then combined with a pedagogical approach of authentic assessment. Which also has validity as some kids were being unjustly punished. However, when it creates sweeping mandates such as: no zeros, no failing, etc. it causes more harm then good as it was done to target a small demographic but caused massive unforeseen co sequences for the majority of other kids. It eliminated teachers from being allowed to comment on or evaluate behaviour, while simultaneously asking them to be responsible for all behaviour. So all the responsibility with no clout.

[Fuzz]

I just assumed kids aren't allowed to repeat because schools are full, can't have one kid taking 2 spots.

[nfotiu]

I have a kid off to college next year and a rising junior in high school, and this is what our policy has been for a few years. It sounds like a good policy, but I can tell you that it isn't even close to what happens in reality. If you are actually wanting them out of classrooms, then collecting them all before class is the only thing that would actually work.

A student must keep the cellular telephone in a book bag or car during the instructional day and turned off (8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.). Any student in violation of the conditions for possessing a cellular telephone will lose the privilege and will be subject to disciplinary action. Any student, who uses a cellular telephone for unlawful activity while on school property, or while attending any school activity while on school property, or while attending any school function or activity, will be subject to disciplinary action that may include out-of-school suspension or a recommendation for expulsion. The use of cell phones during any testing situation will have consequences associated with the Honor policy.

Consequences for Cell Phone misuse:

Cell phones will only be available, for PARENT pick-up with an appointment and parent/student/administrator conference.

First Violation

Phone is confiscated.

Students pick up after school hours.

Second Violation

Phone is confiscated.

Parent pick up between 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. (please allow time for phone to arrive in the main office)

Third Violation

Phone is confiscated.

Parents must contact the main office to schedule a parent/student/administrator conference between 8:00 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Phones are returned to parents.

Fourth Violation

Phone is confiscated.

Student is assigned by Admin and serves 2 hours in after school detention.

Parents can pick up the phone the day after the detention is served.

The CCPS Code of Conduct book states

Schools may establish procedures that allow a student to possess, turn on and use a personal cellular telephone or other personal device while on school property during the instructional day. Schools may also establish in these procedures that violations may result in confiscation of the cellular phone and repeated violations could result in the loss of these privileges and may result in before or after-school detention or out of school suspension of up to ten days. A student found using a cellular telephone during any testing situation will have the cellular telephone immediately confiscated and will lose the privilege for the remainder of the school year. Any student, who uses a cellular telephone for unlawful activity while on school property, or while attending any school function or activity, will be subject to disciplinary action that may include out-of-school suspension or a recommendation for expulsion. Chesterfield County Public Schools is not responsible for lost or stolen personal cellular telephones or other personal electronic devices.

[Barnes]

That's pretty much my son's school policy almost. I know he uses it to listen to music when working at school and probably ####s around too much on it at times that are not appropriate. I know I would have.

An outright ban though? I dunno, his marks, class notes, due and overdue assignments, some unit tests, schedule etc are all online and his school does not have chromebooks.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by WinnipegFan

911 is accessible in every classroom on a landline. The easiest way to accomplish what you have stated is to ban cellphones. We can’t block the sites on cellphones that have data. Only on wifi.

You could pull the SIM card, which would accomplish preventing the cell phone from doing anything but calling 911.



Would add a whole new slew of problems for what you do with the SIM card during school hours though, I imagine.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

You could pull the SIM card, which would accomplish preventing the cell phone from doing anything but calling 911.



Would add a whole new slew of problems for what you do with the SIM card during school hours though, I imagine.

Physical sim cards? What are those? The rich kids with modern phones will be laughing at that rule!

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Hell, I remember having graphing calculators banned becasue we'd program games into them.

"You're never going to use your calculator when you get a real job".

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by nik-

80085

There was a 69 year old lady. She was 222 fat. She went to 51 street to meet doctor X who gave her 8 pills which left her....

[Buff]

Talked about this with my kids last night. There answers to no phones in classrooms "Same as the current rules, some teachers are blind and some are lenient but they all do draw a line somewhere"

Then. "No social media? There's a vpn for that". They blocked VPN once but they used another one to get around it. I asked what they used and was told "data".

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Buff

Talked about this with my kids last night. There answers to no phones in classrooms "Same as the current rules, some teachers are blind and some are lenient but they all do draw a line somewhere"

Then. "No social media? There's a vpn for that". They blocked VPN once but they used another one to get around it. I asked what they used and was told "data".

So...Faraday Cage all schools? Maybe an EMP?

[Sr. Mints]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Fail a student? In 2024? That's funny.

My wife would have to apologize to her Principal and the kids parents for even suggesting such a devastating course of action to these little terrors

Are you saying if a student shows up to 20-level Social Studies, just doesn't complete half the assignments, bombs all exams and ought to get a 21% final grade, he/she will be moved to 30-level?

Or is it more like if a student at least completes every assignment, does the work, shows up, and makes a "valiant effort" they'll skate through, even though their grade is more like 42%?

Edit: Ah, I see this was touched on after the post I responded to. It seems I may have been just passed on through the system in high school.

[DoubleF]

I find it kinda funny that 20 years later, the issues that plagued schools digital policies are still basically the same. There's new ways being used of course and there's an increase in external content consumption, but the end result and concerns are basically the same.

I sat in a school association meeting not long ago and the digital policy was discussed and a net nanny was brought up. The VP responded that net nannies don't catch everything and don't do anything for phones using data/tethering. I chuckled and mentioned that Bess didn't stop everything. If we wanted a way around it, we'd figure it out.

In general, all you need is one or two kids in a 100GB+ plan tethering other kids for snacks and favors and your intranet policy is useless. It was advised that teaching kids how to self manage was a stronger and more effective approach that fencing everything off. Kids were advised to report any digital usage that was against the rules and then teachers/staff would have a discussion with the student about the appropriate time to use the devices. Outright bans of the devices was mentioned as something the principal and VP did not want to pursue, and this is for elementary school.

There's too much overthinking about all of this. Similar to 20 years ago, there were things that were disruptive as well. Have a policy about stuff in general that is disruptive and the consequences of that is confiscation or expulsion. Treat phones no differently than we did mp3/mini disc players/game boys/playing cards etc. in school 20 years ago.

Existing rules seem to be adequate. Schools need to stop formalizing rules for weird exceptions for that make it harder for teachers to do anything. Allow these devices on campus, but not allowed to be used except in very narrow situations (ie: Recess, quiet work time based on teacher's but not school decision etc.). Arguments about these devices will result in confiscation and potentially expulsion. The latter being more to do with the fact the child is being disruptive and non-cooperative multiple times and nothing to do with the devices.

[Fuzz]

I'd suggest the difference between now and then is the far more addictive nature of social media and the algorithms. I honestly don't think the mind of a child stands any chance against that(let alone adults) so self management is much more difficult.