Sep
2010
Cell Phones in the Classroom…good idea or bad one?
Read the article:
Watch the video: http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/premier_open_to_allowing_cellphones_in_class/4b83c52b
As technology changes so rapidly, so does how we learn and approach learning in the classroom. Are cell phones, or smart phones (blacberry or iphones) a good thing to be allowed in our classrooms.
Some positive arguments are that students will write more, through texting and instant messaging. As well, students will be able to access the web quickly at their desk and look up information on their own.
Some negative arguments are that students will talk more and not pay attention in class, be distracted from instant messaging and emailing and these students will not be supervised in their use of the internet.
Some things to consider:
– age limits, not everyone can afford a cell/smart phone
– students will be more independent earlier, access to the web will be at their finger tips.
It is an interesting but difficult debate.
Give your answer in a paragraph—-if you are stuck with ideas, read some other comments from your classmates.
Paragrah must: 1. have a clear opinion supported with proof or evidence from your own life, the article or the video. 2. a good opening sentence without “I think that…”
Raquel
September 16, 2010 at 4:18 pm (14 years ago)Cell phones should not be allowed in the classrom.Maybe some of you will think I’m crazy but, I will give you my reasons. Have you watched the video? What happened? Have you heard Dalton MacGuinty almost at the end of his speech, saying “that gentleman over here was completely ignoring me and doing his own thing”?, that’s what’s going to happen to us if we have cell phones in class. Teachers will be talking and we won’t be listening all the time; that will lead us into missing important information, bad grades,…
As for us having access to the net, we have computers in school.
Not everybody can afford a cell phone. Have you stoppped to think how the kids that can’t afford a cell phone would feel? How would you feel if you were the one with no cell phone?
YES cell phones are important/cool to have but for all the reasons that I just said, they shouldn’t be allowed in the classroom.
Don’t hate me guys!!!
sofia
September 16, 2010 at 5:52 pm (14 years ago)My opinion of bringing in electronics is very nice for the kids because tjey get more access to be free on the internet.Its even better because they will get better at writting through out the unit.
There will be some negetivity too.When they are on there cells texting the answers to each other, that will become a problem between the parents and the teachers.
Well I have an explanation to all of that.So the teachers make a vote for the student that at a certain time you can only use your cell.
love,
Sofia. Sultani
Tanya
September 16, 2010 at 6:02 pm (14 years ago)Cell phones In the Classroom
I think this is wrong and also right!
I say that this wrong because if one child loses their phone the parents will get mad!! =(
You can also drop the phone and it can break or if someone steps on it WILL break.
I also say that this is right to bring a phone to school is that you have so many different opportunities like you text other people in different classes!
Like if my friend had to stay in she could text me and says “I have to stay in to finish work!”
So I don’t have to waste my time to just stand there!
You can search the web when the teacher tells you to!
But if we do bring cell phones to school some parents might say that my son/daughter is too young to have a cell phone at this age or the parents can’t afford to buy a cell phone for their child!
There are many different answers!
But if I really had to pick I would have said “No” because you are going to bring a cell phone to school in middle school and high school you may not be able to text in class but you can also lose the phone!!!
By: Tanya Anand =) 🙂 🙂
Jacob No
September 16, 2010 at 6:07 pm (14 years ago)Bringing cell phones is a bad idea because cell phones are distracting. If the cell phone rings it interrupts the class and we won’t listen to Mr. Woods. We would also play games on them and not listen to the instruction.
Cell phones also cost a lot of money so, if someone breaks or loses it, they would get upset. It also won’t be fair for the people who don’t have the money to buy cell phones.
The one good thing about cell phones is that if you walk home from school alone, and you carry a cell phone, mothers and fathers would know where you are and that you are safe.
That’s my 2 cents.
jr mohan
September 16, 2010 at 6:45 pm (14 years ago)no because during class people can play games and not listen to the teacher and in math tests some people can cheat by using a calculator on there phone. they are also expensive so if you lose it or it breaks you can get in big trouble, especially if its your parents. people can also steal it and not give it back. I hate when people steal my stuff. that is why you should not bring a phone.
Tushar Nair
September 16, 2010 at 7:05 pm (14 years ago)Well personally i think its a bad idea because if they broke or lost it their parents would be mad, and I think its a bad idea because in the video Dalton McGuinty said that kids should be able to bring in cellphones because its a good way to communicate, but not all people can afford cells so they might feel bad, but in the video Dalton McGuinty said only if the cellphones don’t distract kids and if they used it safely, and in the video there was this part where a bunch of people were using cellphones while they were working and some cellphones have internet so what if kids were going onto websites that are bad. So that is why I think cellphones in class is a bad idea, but other than that I think they’re good.
imran alli
September 16, 2010 at 8:00 pm (14 years ago)I disagree because at the end of video Dalton James Patrick McGuinty said that there is [a guy here that is compeatley ignoring me]the hole time so I think that kids would not pay attention to the teacher and\or the princepal.The student can cheat during tests or exams.And they can play games when they are in class and they can send bad notes to each other or treats. Also most parents can not afford a cell phone and then you have to pay the mobility bill.It will causes bulleying in school and in the play ground. so I hope that Mr Dalton James Patrick McGuinty reconsider haveing cell phones in class.
imran alli
September 16, 2010 at 8:05 pm (14 years ago)I disagree because at the end of video Dalton James Patrick McGuinty said that there is [a guy here that is compeatley ignoring me]the hole time so I think that kids would not pay attention to the teacher and\or the princepal.The student can cheat during tests or exams.And they can play games when they are in class and they can send bad notes to each other or treats. Also most parents can not afford a cell phone and then you have to pay the mobility bill.It will causes bulleying in school and in the play ground. so I hope that Mr Dalton James Patrick McGuinty reconsider haveing cell phones in class.I do hope my opinion counts.
Ryan
September 16, 2010 at 8:49 pm (14 years ago)Cell phones should not be allowed in the classroom because they’re a distraction to every one. Firstly, when the teacher is speaking, someone’s cell phone could go off. Secondly, the teacher would never know if you are texting to a friend. Texting could be a distraction to someone else because people might use inappropriate ring tones and this might make the students laugh. Also if I had a cell phone I would want to check my e-mail and I would get influenced by new things on the cell phone.
Ahkash
September 16, 2010 at 8:50 pm (14 years ago)I say it’s bad to bring a cellphone to school and I have many reasons, first of all if you lose it the techer is not responsible and you lose like $100 or more, and not only that people might be texting or playing games during class and you never know what people could be doing on their phone, they could go to the washroom and stay their talking to someone on their phone without the techer knowing and you never know sometimes they could be talking to some stranger they don’t know and get into lots of problems
Adi
September 16, 2010 at 9:20 pm (14 years ago)Cellphones should not be allowed in the classrooms. All of us would then get distracted and not listen to Mr. Wood. The main purpose of school is to focus on studies, with phones we would lose the focus. There is then no need to come to school, we could just text in our answers to the questions.
Phones are great sources of diversion. As a consequence, one could miss the important information and start getting bad grades on tests. It`s hard to control adults from texting, so it’s not an easy task controlling 30 students in one class with phones.
In the video, it showed that everyone was on phones at the time when they should have been doing their work. Also, near the ending of the video, Mr. Dalton MacGuinty, the premier of Ontario said “And this gentlemen over here completely ignoring me and doing his own thing.”
The people with phones would be texting but how would the people without phones feel, they would feel upset and left out. Plus in the middle of a lesson someone’s phone could ring, disturbing the whole class. Cellphones or Smartphone’s cost lots of money. If someone loses or breaks then it can be a big problem.
If older kids have phones then younger kids & siblings will whine and cry. Also in tests and quizzes students can misuse the phone and give answers to each other. Cell phones can also cause serious health issues and addiction problems.
For me cellphones are a big NO!
Matthew
September 16, 2010 at 9:31 pm (14 years ago)Cellphones should not be allowed in the classroom because people may text each other and the noises will be distracting. Some people who don’t have cellphones may steal them. My Dad works at Bell Mobility and he said there are devices that could be put in the classroom to stop the phones from working. My Mom thinks that stopping cellphones from working could be dangerous because alot of students carry phones for safety.
Brandon
September 16, 2010 at 9:55 pm (14 years ago)In my opinion it’s good in some ways and bad in some ways. It’s good because teachers can tell the students what information to access. The information on a cell phone is easily accessed and most of it is up to date. I know there is good reasons for this but, I also know there bad things coming with this. I do know that when I’m in high school I’ll appreciate this rule but, right now I know that the students will be texting and playing during the class time and that’s something bad.
Becca
September 19, 2010 at 12:30 pm (14 years ago)Well if I had a cell phone I would probably agree with McGuinty.Therfore I would have to disagree with Dalton McGuinty use of cell phones in the classroom. It’s a great way for kids to communicate amongst themselves with the latest gossip or what they ae doing at lunch.It would be a distraction with every text that came in because of the multitasking and schoolwork would be put on the back burner. Cell phones are a means of communication with another person not for a learning tool, we have computers for that.