Phones Potentially Being Banned in Arrowhead Classrooms
A Cell Phone at Arrowhead High School, North Campus.
In April of 2017, the teachers of Arrowhead gathered together and agreed upon the possibility of cellular devices being banned in classrooms, unless granted permission. This effect would take place in the 2017-2018 school year.
Andrew Johnson, an English teacher at South Campus says, “Cell phones could possibly be banned next year, in classrooms, that is”. Johnson is extremely against cell phone usage at Arrowhead, leading him to support the school’s potential decision.” Johnson says to his English class, “I agree with the rule, I hate students using their phones in class.”
According to Family Education, 65% of high school students in America use their phones in class for anything, and that some schools already have taken action against this. They have placed boundaries on the amount of cell phone usage, allowing students to have them in class, as long as they are powered off. However, cell phones can be quite useful to have in class, in case of emergency or parental contact.
Family Education says, “Students often forget to turn off their phones in class, and ringing noises or text-messages alerts disrupt learning. Even if set to silent, cell phones can still cause distraction, since text messaging has become a high-tech method of passing notes in school.”
Cell phones can also be used to spread rumors, or misinformation, as Family Education says. “Student cell phone networks add to the spread of rumors and misinformation, which can be harmful.” Family Education also says, “Mobile phones with a connection to the internet can be even more of a distraction, and can even be used for cyberbullying.”
Some people, like Phillip Wegner, a writer at Securedge Networks, agree with phone usage at school. “First and foremost, your job as an educator is to prepare your students for the future. Well in order to do so you need to incorporate mobile technology in the classroom. Working with mobile devices will not only be a part of their everyday lives as adults, but it will also be a vital part of many career paths.”
Many schools, like New York City public schools have applied a cell phone ban to their schools to reduce cyberbullying, and phone misusage.
It is uncertain to whether or not this rule will take place next year at Arrowhead.
