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Not really - it depends on how you go about it. If the students are told from the beginning that you/the teacher won't mind if they use their electronics device SO LONG AS they keep their grades up and participate in class and not distract others, then that right there might be the incentive some of them need to do well in class and not cause a disruption. Kids these days hate nothing more than to be parted from their precious devices.
And it also keeps the teacher from looking like the bad guy when the electronic devices are to be put away - it puts the power and self-motivation in the hands of the students, and relieves pressure off the teacher. The kids will know that if they are disruptive, or they don't do well in the class, they can expect to be told to put their electronic devices away.
Teachers can only do so much. It's ridiculous that teachers should allow themselves to be distracted by this issue. It's up to the kids to do well in the class, no teacher is going to do that for them.
One of my son's teachers in middle school had a safe in the room. At the beginning of the class as kids walked in, they had to put their electronic devices in a ziploc bag with their name on it and put it in the safe. At the end of class, the teacher opened up the safe and passed the devices back as kids left the classroom. It worked out pretty well for that class. That particular teacher was really old-school. He didn't even use email, and expected the kids to hand write - in cursive (!!) - all their assignments. At first our son hated that class, but by the end of the year he loved it... and now he lists that teacher as one of his favorites that he's had so far. He learned a lot, too... up to that point I was concerned about his writing... but now he's doing great.
It seems odd that in the same post you are advocating allowing cell phone usage, while giving an example of a great teacher that had zero tolerance for it.
well i guess thats good that he liked his class although i feel that a middle schooler is too young to have a cell phone but that is my own personal stance I also am "old school" and while taking up the cell phones is a good idea, it takes away more time from what i want to do which is teaching. Did i also forget to mention that most districts have a no cell phone policy and WE get into trouble if the students are caught texting? Also, I really do not want my voice, picture or likeness to be put on facebook, youtube,twitter or anything else of the sort. Taxpayers pay us as teachers to teach the children and I do not think they want to waste money allowing children to text when they are paying us to teach them and the children are not paying attention.
I know teenagers hate being away from their cell phones but they are just going to have to "suck it up"as I don't know of many jobs that allow you to just text or use the phone for non-business purposes and that is where the problem is, we are setting the children up for failure as they will feel like this is the norm. I have seen many a co-worker get fired(in retail and other jobs) for texting or being on their cell phone without permission. Just what kind of example are we setting for the kids if we allow this kind of behavior to continue?
100% right on. It's common courtesy to pay attention when someone is talking.
Oh jeez, not the mommy wars again. Next you're going to use the snowflake analogy again.
I for one, think that using a cell phone when ANYONE is talking to you is rude and it's not just kids that do it. I'm 50 and when we go out with our friends, we can't get through one dinner without someone checking their phone for messages or sending texts. Nothing to do with "mommy wars", it's just technology overload. I'm as guilty as the next person, but there's is a line to be drawn as far as students go.
The simplest thing to do is assume that all kids have cell phones and have them put them face down on their desks at the beginning of every class.
Oh jeez, not the mommy wars again. Next you're going to use the snowflake analogy again.
I for one, think that using a cell phone when ANYONE is talking to you is rude and it's not just kids that do it. I'm 50 and when we go out with our friends, we can't get through one dinner without someone checking their phone for messages or sending texts. Nothing to do with "mommy wars", it's just technology overload. I'm as guilty as the next person, but there's is a line to be drawn as far as students go.
The simplest thing to do is assume that all kids have cell phones and have them put them face down on their desks at the beginning of every class.
At our school that would result in the wholesale theft of phones. There are usually several per week that are stolen, and that's without them being allowed to be used during class.
At our school that would result in the wholesale theft of phones. There are usually several per week that are stolen, and that's without them being allowed to be used during class.
It's always amazing to me how careless the kids are with these really expensive smart phones. I have a cheap phone that would not be a hardship to replace. I can't imagine how much these families pay for everyone to have a smartphone and apparently unlimited data. There's really not much point to block websites at school anymore because most of the kids can get it on their phones.
At our school that would result in the wholesale theft of phones. There are usually several per week that are stolen, and that's without them being allowed to be used during class.
And I would be responsible for the ones that would be stolen because I made them put them on their desks....
Oh jeez, not the mommy wars again. Next you're going to use the snowflake analogy again.
I for one, think that using a cell phone when ANYONE is talking to you is rude and it's not just kids that do it. I'm 50 and when we go out with our friends, we can't get through one dinner without someone checking their phone for messages or sending texts. Nothing to do with "mommy wars", it's just technology overload. I'm as guilty as the next person, but there's is a line to be drawn as far as students go.
The simplest thing to do is assume that all kids have cell phones and have them put them face down on their desks at the beginning of every class.
Is that the best you can do? Mock what I said? If you can't debate it why bother?
I do think that the mommy wars and teaching kids they are special snowflakes are much of what is wrong today. parenting is not a competitive sport and kids need to learn to take responsibility. You'd solve a lot of what ails this country if you fixed those two things....well in a couple of decades once the current crop of special snowflakes stepped aside for a generation that could actually do something.
Kids today think they are special and should be treated special. Interesting that they lack the common sense to realize that if everyone is special NO ONE is special.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 03-15-2012 at 04:16 PM..
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I also am "old school" and while taking up the cell phones is a good idea, it takes away more time from what i want to do which is teaching. Did i also forget to mention that most districts have a no cell phone policy and WE get into trouble if the students are caught texting? Also, I really do not want my voice, picture or likeness to be put on facebook, youtube,twitter or anything else of the sort. Taxpayers pay us as teachers to teach the children and I do not think they want to waste money allowing children to text when they are paying us to teach them and the children are not paying attention. 
