TECH EDUCATION

Why Cell Phones Should Be Allowed In School – Discuss Their Use in Education

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The issue of whether cell phones should be allowed in schools or not has really been a tricky one for so long with some people saying yes backed up with strong views and others saying no with strong backups as well.  For now this looks like a battle that is not about to be won by either sides!  However we shouldn’t ignore that fact that cell phones of today are mainly the smart phones that are more like mini-computers allowing you do almost about everything that a computer can do. You can use it to do some research, record some lessons, have privacy and so much more and it is also a lot more convenient as compared to using the computers that are much heavier to carry around and require a power outlet to be powered on. However on the other side we also shouldn’t ignore the fact that these cell phones can also be so distractive to the students because they will use the internet on the phone to be on social Medias like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on, watch and download music and videos and so on instead of paying attention in class. However on the positive side, teachers can come up with ways of integrating social technology in their curriculum and this way students will use the educational social network instead of spending time on social networks alone. Some of the good educational social networks on the internet include Piazza.com, Remind101.com, epals.com, edmondo.com and so on. Through these networks, teachers, students and parents are connected.

RELATED:- 13 Critical Pros And Cons Of Having Cell Phones In Schools

 

What is a cell phone?

A cell phone also better known as a mobile phone is a telephone that is portable and can make or receive calls over a radio frequency link as the user is moving inside a telephone service area. The link of the radio frequency is that one that sets up a connection to the switching systems of the operator of the mobile phone that offers access to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The mobile phones that were created from the 2000’s to this day have the ability to support a multitude of other services like text messaging, email, MMS, internet access, gaming, infrared, Bluetooth, computing ability and finally digital photography

Reasons why cell phones should be allowed in schools

  1. Source of internet access: one of the reasons why cell phones should be allowed in schools is so as to assist students easily access the internet. Internet is very important especially when research is to be made related to class subjects and this will aid the students learn better as they have other sources to refer to and some of these sources have better explanations as compared to what the teacher might be giving in class. Now every kind of smart phone today is able to access the internet and this means that the student learning won’t only be restricted to the libraries and computer labs but anywhere including the compounds, corridors and so much more. What the school has to do is maybe limit its use inside the classroom while the teacher is making explanations about a particular subject so that they can concentrate better and during the breaks they can research better on that topic and understand clearly. Another thing the school can do is provide Wifi internet at school so that the students have easy and unlimited access to the internet while at school. The good thing with these mobile phones is that they can easily access these educational websites like Google.com, Wikipdia.org and so much more.
  2. Can be used to monitor students: another reason why I think that cell phones should be allowed in schools is so as to monitor the students or the children. This kind of monitoring can be done by both the parents and the teachers while using their cell phone technology. there are apps like the Footprints App that can be used by parents to assist them have track of the location of their children at all times and this application works very well in Smart phones. This way a parent will easily know if their children are in school or not and then they can take precaution. Then there is also the Piazza App that is designed to allow the teacher be able to track their students performance at any time. Teachers are also able to provide assignments like course works to their students through the Piazza Mobile App and then when the students complete it, they can easily submit it online to their teachers while using that same app. This is much more convenient as compared to going to the teacher because a student can submit in the coursework online at any time.
  3. Can be used as an emergency tool: we live in a world whereby the next minute might not be guaranteed as a success due to a number of different reasons like natural disasters, health problems, gun shots that have become so popular especially in schools in America and so on. This is the very reason why phones should be allowed in schools so that emergency calls are made not only to the parents but also the police and so on. So in case a natural disaster has happened like floods, earthquakes, fire and so forth have occurred then a student can easily make contact to the parent and other responsible people so that lives are saved or so they get picked especially when the school has been closed abrupt due to an emergency. There are very many predators in this century as compared to the past like for example a student might face a predator while within the school premises or kidnappers in the case of children that is why the cell phones should be allowed in schools so that the teachers and parents are informed and the problem solved before it’s too late.
  4. Used for communication: the major function of a cell phone is to provide communication and that is why it should be allowed in schools. Sometimes a teacher might require to communicate to the students and the best form is through their cell phones as it will reach much quicker as compared to other means. In this case, a teacher can therefore make use of a mass texting service like for example Remind101 to communicate to the students as well as the parents through text. In the same way the students can also use the cell phones to communicate with each other to exchange academic information like on social media like Twitter. There are also some students that have a problem of shyness but can interact easily through cell phones to help them communicate and this is why these cell phones should be allowed in schools.
  5. Can be used as reminders: another reason that these cell phones should be allowed in schools is to act as reminding gadgets to the students. This is because there are many subjects taken by these students which makes it very easy for them to forget about doing some assignments in time especially when they are many. So with a cell phone, handy, it will act as a reminding gadget allowing them finish all their assignments in time. For example they can make use of the Remind101.com mobile application that can assist them easily remember the time when they have to hand in a specific course work, be informed when a teacher will be in class, know when a particular test is to be done and so much more. This way a student will be able to balance their time so well knowing what is to be done at what time. This way they will learn to be very organized, they will love school more because life has been made simple. Another good thing with this app is that if you forget to set a reminder then the teacher can text their students a text reminder about the tests and the course works.
  6. Reduce on traffic in computer labs: now most of the schools do not have enough computers for each of the students to spend enough time on doing research. In other words the number of the computers doesn’t match up to the number of students and most times a student will go to the computer lab and find the entire computer being occupied. It is for that reason why cell phones should be allowed in schools as an alternative so that the students can be able to access the internet, read, do research, and communicate and so on without having to wait for another to first finish using the school computer. This way assignments will be done and handed in time since the students can use their cell phones at any time to access the internet. Also another thing with computer labs is that sometimes due to the traffic, the internet might be kind of slow but with the cell phones it will be quiet hard for the traffic to be slow since the students are doing research from different parts of the school.
  7. Can be used to take notes and record lessons: another reason why cell phones should be allowed in schools is so as to allow students be able to take some notes or even just record the lesson as it’s going on. This is because sometimes you might be in class without a book maybe because you forgot it home, misplaced it or the pages are full and instead or borrowing a paper that could easily get lost or just sitting there and not taking notes. You could just pull out your cell phone and use it to take notes during the lesson so you can refer to them later as you read. Or there are times when you might not be understanding the explanation that the teacher is making because of different reasons or you might have a friend that has missed class for that day due to illness or something and if you have a cell phone then you can just record the entire lesson and listen to it in future when you are much more prepared or then you can send it to your friend that had missed the lesson.
  8. Can be used as learning aids: it is very important for cell phones to be allowed in schools because it can be used as learning aids. This is because many of the smart phone apps do provide a visual representation of the courses or subjects that are quiet really hard to grasp like an example of such a subject being science, astronomy and so on. This will greatly be helpful to the visual learners or students that also have dyslexia as well. This way all the students will be able to learn easily and perform well in their school.
  9. To prepare students for real world jobs: another reason why cells phones should be allowed in schools are so as to assist prepare the student for the real world jobs at an earlier age or time. In this era, you will find that most of the already working people benefit a lot from using their cell phones even while they are at work like for instance, they can use their phones to assist them access their emails, read news, call clients, use the different software applications, check inventory and so much more. In the same way if cell phones are allowed in schools then students will be able to learn how to use their phones for the right purposes and thus prepare them for the real world jobs that is ahead of them. This is because they will spend enough time with their phones and learn to use it responsibly other than spend less time with it and when they get back home then use it irresponsibly as they try to catch up with all that they missed while at school.

 

References

https://kwikboost.com/7-reasons-students-allowed-use-cell-phones-school/

http://www.useoftechnology.com/cell-phones-allowed-in-school/

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-cell-phones-be-allowed-in-school

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone

Vanilla Farmer, Amazon Retailer & Tech Researcher. Yosaki is my personal blog but I'm working on some big tech project back doors. I will keep on posting various topics on things I have knowledge about.

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