might be in order for lower grades. Along with being useful classroom
tools--as cameras, as internet devices, as timers and clocks and
watches--cellphones (most of which are to some degree smartphones these
days) are just plain the human standard in personal communication.
Why make rules directed at making the things disappear (see #10 below,
losing battle) instead of working to develop general behavioral parameters
that acknowledge their many positive uses and their potential as academic
tools, simultaneously focusing on responsible and thoughtful use? And at the
same time start training and exciting teachers about ways to harness the
power of this ubiquitous technology?
No, we don't want phones ringing in class or bouts of texting to distract
students from their work, but why not start conversations that help kids
understand why these aren't good things at the same time that you encourage
them and their teachers to exploit phones' potential? Heck, half the time
kids have their phones out they're just checking to see what time it is--how
many of your kids wear watches any more? And how useful is that kid whose
nimble fingers can Google or Wikipedia some highly useful piece of
information on his/her smartphone in the very moment of class discussion?
Restrict that? I think not.
It's been my experience that when teachers get up on their high horses to
devise clever and foolproof prohibitions on something that the popular--and
especially the adult--culture has fully embraced, the prohibitions fail
completely while too many units of faculty time and brainpower are expended
that might be better have been spent talking about teaching and learning.
And then the culture and the technologies move on, and we've got elaborate
rules to restrict the obsolete.
Anyhow, let's all have a great year. Gotta run, cell phone is playing
gamelan music--Peter Gow
On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 8:37 PM, Jonathan E. Martin <
jmartin@stgregoryschool.org> wrote:
> Reading the three responses posted publicly to Vinnie's question prompts me
> to share this; it is an excellent analysis from a renowned private school
> educator, Vicki Davis, aka Cool Cat Teacher.
>
> *10 Reasons Why Cell Phones Should be Allowed in
> School.<
> http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2009/03/making-case-for-cell-phones-in-schools.html
> >
> *
> The full discussion is on the blog link, but here is here is her list:
>
> 1. Cell Phones Can Save Us Money
> 2. Cell Phones Can Help Students Be More Organized
> 3. It Makes Kids More Safe
> 4. It Allows Sensitive Issues to be Kept Private
> 5. It Alleviates Strain on the Network.
> 6. It Alleviates Strain in the IT Department
> 7. It Speeds Up Information Retrieval
> 8. It Allows Us to Teach Kids Digital Responsibility and Citizenship
> 9. It Sets a Model for Effective Change and Innovation
> 10. You're fighting a losing battle.
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 4:46 PM, Sandy Lyon <slyon@saccds.org> wrote:
> >
> > We do not allow cell phone use during the day at all. They need to be in
> the backpack or locker, but the students may use them after school. If the
> cell phone rings in class or is otherwise caught out, it is confiscated
> until a parent can pick it up. An afternoon detention is also
> administered.
> >
> > Sandy Lyon
> > Head of Middle School
> > Sacramento Country Day School
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: A forum for independent school educators [mailto:
> ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Vinnie Vrotny
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 10:28 AM
> > To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> > Subject: Cell phone policies
> >
> > I know that this was just sent recently, but I am in a faculty meeting
> and
> cannot search. Does anyone have a cell phone policy which is working and
> you
> would be willing to share (vvrotny@gmail.com)
> >
> > Sent from my iPad
> > [ For info on ISED-L see
> https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=128874]
> > Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.
> > RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=ISED-L
> >
> > [ For info on ISED-L see
> https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=128874]
> > Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.
> > RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=ISED-L
>
>
>
> --
> Jonathan E. Martin
> Head of School
> St. Gregory College Preparatory School
> Tucson, Arizona
> www.stgregoryschool.org
> www.21k12blog.net
> Twitter:@JonathanEMartin
> 520-327-6395
> St. Gregory: Creating Leaders and Innovators for the 21st century
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see https://www.gds.org/podium/default.aspx?t=128874]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.
> RSS Feed, http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?RSS&L=ISED-L
>
--
Peter Gow
Director of College Counseling and Special Programs
Beaver Country Day School
791 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
www.bcdschool.org
617-738-2755 (O)
617-738-2747 (F)
petergow3 (Skype)
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