The Pros Of Using Cell Phones In Classroom

    Should cell phones be allowed in school? Technology has changed almost everything. With the Internet and our mobile devices, everyone is now connected. Cell phones have become a necessity, more than just a luxury. And today, there is a very long standing debate about the use of mobile phones in the classroom. Here is some opinions from parents, teachers and principal.

 
Parents’ opinion:

    I think it is good to use cell phones. At present, there are many students are living at school, so it will be very convenient to contact their kids through cell phones. However, the parents should manage the phone charges.

    For students who are using cell phones, they think cell phones are not only convenient but also improve the friendship between the classmates and strengthen the link between relatives. And now the cell phones have more and more function, which will enrich the students’ life. It is impossible to give up using cell phones. Like computer, although there are network games and bad information in it, every school opens the computer class.

   In my opinion, secondary students have the ability of self-control. They can distinguish the primary, and use cell phones reasonably. It’s unwise to forbid them to use cell phones. Cell phone is innocent, and the key is how parents and teachers help them to use phones correctly.

    Besides, as parents, we can use cell phones as a tool for learning responsibility by teaching our child how to keep track of minutes and text messages in accordance with his or her monthly allowance. We may even ask him or her to contribute to the bill. And because a cell phone tends to become such an important part of a kid's life, as parents, we can use it as a tool for motivation. Cell phone use can be linked to completing homework, calling upon arrival at certain destinations and coming home on time.

Furthermore, a cell phone gives a kid the opportunity to stay in close contact with friends and family. He or she can talk to his or her friend who moved away or call his or her parents to let them know he or she aced the test. Next, a student with a cell phone can be easily accessed by parents who need to connect him or her or pass on information. If a parent is running late to pick up his or her son after soccer practice, parent can give him  a call on his cell and let him know. And the most important is student with a cell phone can call for help in any number of situations. If she gets lost on her way back from a walk to town, she can call her parents and get a ride or directions.

As a conclusion, I agree that students can bring cell phones to school.

Teachers’ opinion:

    Let us not forget that mobile devices do have a lot of positive uses in a school environment. Cell phones can serve as a connection between students and their parents. Taking photos of class presentations or projects and sending them to their parents will give students the affirmation they deserve even if they're not physically with their parents.

    Surfing the web used to be something that was only possible while sitting at a desk and being plugged into a wall. Now, with the advent of smart cell phones, students can connect to the Internet in the classroom. Students can quickly do research on a topic while sitting in the classroom too. The access to immediate information is a very valuable educational tool.

    Besides that, podcasting is something that has become more and more popular over the past few years. Students are able to take a video and then upload it onto the Internet in different episodes, or "pods," where others are able to watch. This is an ideal tool for educators, as students can rewatch a lecture, watch a presentation that they may have missed or watch someone talk about a topic from thousands of miles away. Cell phones have the ability to show podcasts, enabling students to watch them from virtually anywhere.

    Furthermore, sharing notes with classmates can be easier too with mobile technology present. Missed assignments and notes will be a thing of the past. Communicating with classmates with the help of cell phones can increase productivity and can foster a collaborative environment. The multimedia content that can be accessed through cell phones can also help students relax if they use it outside class hours. For every reason to keep a student from bringing a cell phone to school, there's an equally logical reason to believe that bringing a cell phone to school is a wise idea.

At the same time, though, there is a growing sense among education thought leaders and policy leaders that not only are cell phones here to stay but there seems to be interesting potential to use these small, connected computers that so many students already have.

As a conclusion, I agree that students can bring cell phones to school.

Principal’s opinion:

    Although you hope that you will never have to do this, you sometimes need to get in contact with your school-aged child while they are in class. This could be because of a death in the family, an accident or other family emergency that may require his or her attention and/or attendance. By being able to call your child directly, you also help alleviate the workload of the school's administrative team. This is particularly useful during recess and lunch hours when students aren't in class and may be difficult to find. The problems with knowing where your children are after school could also be reduced if parents had the ability to call them and vice versa. Text messages can make communicating easy and discreet.

    Besides, students who have a smartphone can use various applications that are designed to assist in learning and designed just for students. Many of these smartphones have programs that are similar to what is found in a laptop or desktop computer. Being able to quickly look up facts on the internet is possible on many phones. If a student needs assistance with classwork and does not have access to a computer, a smartphone can be used in a snap.

    Next, most cell phones have a camera these days, so children can use these to take pictures of things in class. This is great for science class, for example, where they may be exposed to certain creatures, plants and other things that they probably won't encounter anywhere else. This is much more effective that simply producing a quick sketch. Pictures can also be useful for any sort of step-by-step process, so that they can later review the photos to better understand the procedure in metalwork, woodwork or other hands-on courses.

    Furthermore, nearly every mobile phone has a built-in calendar function and this can be very useful for students who have a hard time remembering test dates, assignment due dates and other such details where time is of the essence. By putting these in a cell phone organizer and assigning an alarm, they'll never forget again! After all, paper-based agendas and notebooks can be easily lost, forgotten, overlooked or scribbled over.

Lastly, important phone numbers can be easily stored in cell phones. For students, this can be important in case they become sick while at school or are in an emergency situation. Their cell phone can contain important numbers such as their parent's work, doctor's office, dentist, who to call in case of an emergency as well as numbers of close family members and friends.

As a conclusion, I agree that students can bring cell phones to school.

    Although much of the public debate is against it, there are pros associated with allowing cell phones in school. These advantages should not be ignored since cell phones in schools can actually add value to the educational experience, rather than simply be a detriment to it. 

By,

Doreen Chang

Pauline Chung

Jacqueline Chong