Updating cell phone and iPod policy

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Classroom Discipline Chatboard

Updating cell phone and iPod policy

by Daniel Hanson

Aug 7, 2011

Hello again!

I would like to discuss another issue that has been brewing in the back of my mind this past summer. Midway through the year, I started becoming lax about cell phone use in my class. I think it started with allowing one girl to listen to her iPod in class because she had shut down and planned on failing the entire course. So, another girl started sneaking her earphones in class. I gradually went down the rationalization slope until I didn’t mind students’ texting each other unless we were taking an exam or a quiz. I know that there are some teachers at my campus who have given up on the cell phone and iPod fight. I was at a school assembly and was warning students to put their cell phones away and a history teacher commented on why even bother with it; they are doing to do it anyway. Also, this last year, the administration told us in a faculty meeting or two that they cannot handle a huge cell phone caseload and told us to use are discretion and that they wou...See MoreHello again!

I would like to discuss another issue that has been brewing in the back of my mind this past summer. Midway through the year, I started becoming lax about cell phone use in my class. I think it started with allowing one girl to listen to her iPod in class because she had shut down and planned on failing the entire course. So, another girl started sneaking her earphones in class. I gradually went down the rationalization slope until I didn’t mind students’ texting each other unless we were taking an exam or a quiz. I know that there are some teachers at my campus who have given up on the cell phone and iPod fight. I was at a school assembly and was warning students to put their cell phones away and a history teacher commented on why even bother with it; they are doing to do it anyway. Also, this last year, the administration told us in a faculty meeting or two that they cannot handle a huge cell phone caseload and told us to use are discretion and that they would support us in the classroom if the student is using their phone or iPod because it was interfering with the learning environment. However, for in the hallway, during lunch, etc., we were told by the administration to just warn students to put away their cell phones. The school policy for cell phones is: 1st time submitted to office— student picks up the phone at the end of the day with a warning from the dean, 2nd time—parent has to pick up the phone and the student is assigned a Saturday school, 3rd time—student is suspended from school. As you can see, I’m sure the administration doesn’t want to deal too much with suspending students, which I don’t blame them.

Anyway, I don’t know what my position is on this issue now. I can totally see texting as the modern form of passing notes in class. I can totally see using cell phones and iPod/MP3 players to listen to music while working quietly (which many teachers allow, some even during and after tests). I know for some students, they really mellow out because they are allowed to listen to music. Sometimes I play music in the background while students are working. I tend to assign a lot of written book work. Also, sometimes when I find students pulling out their phones, I really do feel like they are checking the time. Kids are so used to looking at digital clocks that they are not accustomed to non-digital clocks, which is what the school has in every classroom. Should I purchase a digital clock so students don’t have the excuse of looking at their cell phone for the time? (At this point of the game, I’m okay with spending the money to do that if it would reduce the numbers of students who try to secretly look at the time on their phones.) Also, instead of having to pull a big dictionary off of the bookshelf in the back of my room, they can very easily use a Translator or Dictionary app on their phone. I probably would do the same thing if given the option if I wanted to know how to say something in Spanish or I didn’t know a word I was reading in the textbook or something. (The vocabulary used in the reading sections of the ¡En Español! Textbook series are notorious for using words not listed in the back of the book glossary and students can’t understand everything in the reading and get frustrated.)

On the other hand, there is still a part of me that feels guilty for allowing students to use iPods or phones in class because they should just be focused on my class and nothing else during the entire 56 min. period. They should learn how to read non-digital clocks. They shouldn’t be texting each other, even if it’s the modern version of passing notes. And there have been some students who are immature or irresponsible with their phones, like playing with their cam or other apps in class. I don’t want students to rely on technology to do their work for them nor will students fully remember and use the vocabulary in spontaneous speech if they haven’t worked with the vocabulary and grammar themselves.

Another part of the issue is do I want to go through with the cell phone policy and send phones up to the office according to the school policy (which the secretaries and administration will begrudge) or do I keep the phones myself like one teacher does, which leaves the office out of the equation to enforce the cell phone policy. He holds the phone ‘til the end of class, then holds the phone until the end of the day. Then, for the rest of the school year, the offender has to place his/her phone in a basket as they enter class. That seems like a possible problem because if the phone gets broken or misplaced while in my position, I get held responsible. It’s a lot safer to just send it to the office with a campus monitor or to take it up their myself in between classes.

Anyway, that’s one of my dilemmas I don’t know how to tackle.

Thanks for listening and for any guidance you can give me! 

Public High School Spanish Teacher

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