As technology continues to advance at such a rapid pace, nowadays it is not all that shocking to see a 10 year old with their eyes glued to their smartphone. Cell phones allow children to keep in regular contact with their parents and friends, and serve as safety lines in uncomfortable or awkward situations. Text messages, photos, videos, and even sound clips can all be shared with the tap of a finger. While there are many positives associated with this instant ability to connect, communicate, and share with anyone in the world, it also creates several potential problems, especially for educators. Cell phones are one of the leading causes of distraction in the classroom, and cheating (Common Sense Media, 2009), sexting — a portmanteau of the term sex and texting which is the act of sending sexually explicit texts or pictures via cell phones (Boucek, 2009; Soronen, Vitale, & Haase, 2010), the use of autocorrect and textease — an abbreviated form of English used while texting (Lenhart, Arafeff, Smith, & Macgill, 2008), and cyberbullying (Feinberg & Robey, 2008; Long, 2008) that stem from the use of cell phones in schools have changed the way today’s students think, act, and learn. However, with proper use cell phones can be effective in enhancing the education of students today.
Literature review
There is no doubt that technology provides students and educators with a number of valuable new resources and opportunities. But while accessibility has greatly increased, a study conducted by Common Sense Media in 2009 found that most (69%) U.S. schools have banned the use of cell phones in the classroom by students and teachers (Common Sense Media, 2009). If this study were to be conducted again today, almost a decade later, the percentage of schools that have a cell phone ban in place could be drastically different. In some schools with this type of policy, consequences include confiscating the phone, and having a parent come retrieve the phone at the end of the school day (Pahomov, 2015). Although the statute dates back to 1998 and should be updated to fit the age of technology, Connecticut state law expressly “allows local or regional boards of education to restrict student possession or use of cell phones in school” (Connecticut General Statutes § 10-233j).
The debate over cell phones is part of a broader conversation about a cultural shift underway in classrooms — a move away from the traditional model of teachers imparting information to students, to one where students actively participate in their own learning, using mobile devices to access the Web, educational apps, and other tools. Still, there are several reasons some schools have chosen to ban cell phone use during school hours. Cell phones allow students to play on the Internet, chat with friends, and ignore the classroom teacher while scrolling through social media on their phone. “Currently, cell phones are viewed as a Budweiser t-shirt, a bandana, a mini-skirt, and excessive talking. In other words, a cell phone is considered a 'disruption to the learning environment'” (Ferriter, 2009).
For as long as there have been tests in school there has been the temptation to cheat; the pressure on students to perform has never been greater. With the explosion of mobile devices, students have found a new way of cheating the system that’s right in their pocket. A study conducted by Common Sense Media (2009) found that one-third of high school students admitted using their cell phones to cheat. Additionally, 26% store information on their phones to retrieve during a test, 25% text a friend about test answers, 17% take pictures of tests to send to their friends, and 20% search the Internet for answers during a test (Common Sense Media, 2009). Cheating tactics include storing notes on mobile telephones for reference during exams, exchanging text messages about answers while taking tests, searching the internet for answers during exams, and using the devices to send pictures of tests to friends scheduled to take the same test later in a day.
But photographing test questions is not the only thing students are getting in trouble doing on their phones; students are also using their cell phones to take and share inappropriate pictures of a sexual nature. “Sexting” can be defined as, “the sending or receiving of sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images or video via a cell phone” (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010, p. 1). This term has been used to describe incidents where teenagers take nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves and distribute those pictures to others using their cell phones through texting, social media, FaceTime, etc.
Many teachers, school administrators, and parents find themselves unprepared to adequately handle sexting and its consequences (Nguyen & Mark, 2014; Hinduja & Patchin, 2010). It is important that any adult who is made aware of sexting incidents act quickly to limit the extent of harm that may result. Educators should work with their school resource officer to collect any evidence and investigate the incident. Moving forwards, I don’t believe that formal law and policy will magically solve sexting scandals in preventing them from happening. Adolescents tend not to be deterred by rules and laws (Cooley et al., 2015). Of course, this does not mean that schools should not develop well-informed policies that will raise awareness among students on the foolishness of sending or receiving sexually-explicit images of themselves or someone else.
Several schools have also taken to stricter policies on grading written assignments. This is due to text-ease, an abbreviated form of English used while texting (Lenhart, Arafeff, Smith, & Macgill, 2008). Texting slang is slowly creeping into students’ writing. A Pew Research Center survey (Purcell, 2013) of 2,462 teachers nationwide sheds light on new challenges when it comes to teaching students how to write, including the “creep” of informal style into academic essays. About two-thirds of the middle and high school teachers surveyed in the Pew study (Purcell, 2013) said that digital tools, such as cell phones, make students more likely to take shortcuts in their writing and make students more likely to “write too fast and be careless” (Purcell, 2013). For example, students who write the letter ‘u’ for the word ‘you’. Although this type of text frequently appears in text messaging and social media networks in order to convenience communication, they are just a couple of the ways abbreviated phrases and sentences are influencing our students’ spelling and writing skills.
Electronic communication is affording students new means of bullying one another. Cyberbullying, also referred to as “electronic bullying” (Kowalski & Limber, 2007, p. S22) is a phenomenon that “includes bullying through email, social networking sites, or through text messages or images sent to a cell phone” (Kowalski & Limber, 2007, p. S22). A research study conducted by Robin Kowalski, Ph.D., and Susan Limber, Ph.D. (2007), found that among 3,767 middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8 who attend six elementary and middle schools in the southeastern and northwestern United States approximately 18% of students had been bullied through text messaging within the previous two months. Unfortunately, students and people in general, are more likely to communicate messages that they would not say to another person’s face through texting messaging or the Internet. The anonymity provided by today’s technology is heightened by the fact that people cannot see the target’s emotional reactions; unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can occur at any time which may heighten children’s perceptions of vulnerability. Additionally, cyberbullying messages and images also can be distributed quickly to a wide audience. The interactions that occur in virtual reality can affect the everyday reality that students experience elsewhere. Prohibiting students from carrying their cell phones throughout their school day would limit the amount of time students spend on their phones as well as the number of cyberbullying incidents that can occur.
The debate over cell phone bans in schools has been on-going since students first started bringing the devices to school with them. As the number of students with cell phones continues to increase to include younger students, it is time for the current policies on cell phones in schools be revised. School officials have become increasingly concerned about the impact cell phones may have upon students’ work in the classroom. They have noted the increased potential for cheating, as students use their phones to jot down test questions and answers for fellow classmates, and even take photos of tests and quizzes. Other concerns include the perpetuation of cyberbullying, arranging meetings with classmates disguised as “bathroom breaks,” and finally, the evolution of cell phones containing video and camera capabilities that presents concerns regarding privacy and sexual harassment.
A national survey conducted in 2007 reported that 84% of principals indicated that their schools maintained written policies regarding the use of cell phones (Maddox, 2012). The most common feature of these policies is prohibiting students from using these devices at school, and some schools pressed further to strictly ban students from bringing cell phones to school altogether (Maddox, 2012). Connecticut Regional School District Eight’s cell phone policy, created by the Board of Education, states, “Privately owned technological devices may not be used during instructional time, except as specifically permitted by instructional staff… violation of this policy may result in loss of access privileges, a prohibition on the use and/or possession of privately owned technological devices on school property or at school-sponsored events, and/or suspension or expulsion in accordance with the Board’s policies related to student discipline (Region 8 Board of Education, 2015). Consequences for students who violate these rules are broad but most generally result in the immediate confiscation of the phone and retention of it by school officials for a specified period of time. If Region 8 students fail to comply, they are escorted out of class and spend the remainder of the day in the In-School Suspension room. The problem, however, stems from enforcement and teacher buy-in.In my personal opinion, completely banning cell phones from schools would be too challenging, and will create more havoc for administration with protesting students and parents. There are some positives to allowing students to keep their cell phones on hand throughout the day, including safety and in the case of an emergency, access to educational resources, and ability to communicate with parents and teachers through educational apps. Some teachers allow cell phones to a certain extent, for research or to listen to music, but students abuse the rules. Other teachers do not want cell phones out at all, yet students still use them. However teachers need to buy into the policies that have been put into place in school districts with restrictions similar to Region 8. I believe that if schools are going to have a cell phone ban in schools, then they should start confiscating cell phones that are in use, and writing referrals for students who have their cell phones taken. If students refuse to listen, teachers should send the student to the office and call their parents. There is a time and place for cell phone use, and classroom instruction is not one of them.
Cell phones can be implemented into school counseling classroom lessons to help keep students engaged in activities. Pre and post assessment data can be collected using Google Forms or Poll Everywhere (Poll Everywhere, n.d.) to aid in assessments. These platforms allow students to respond to survey questions using their electronic devices to track instant answers. Lessons on the mobile safety that cover privacy, steering clear of viruses, cyberbullying, and sexting can be covered by school counselors in classroom or group settings as well. Enforcing a strict zero-tolerance policy for cell phones in schools will be extremely difficult. I think it is about time schools get on-board the technology train and use this new era of cell phones, laptops, and tablets to our advantage.
Establishing a “bring your own device” policy in schools and incorporating technology into classrooms will require a few things. First off, teachers who are not as “tech-savvy” and up to speed with the most current technological devices will need to be caught up to speed (Misra, 2010). Training modules can be incorporated into Professional Development sessions, and incentives for attendance to this sessions can be provided (Misra, 2010). Using technology in the classroom gives teachers and other faculty members the opportunity to develop their student's digital citizenship skills (Misra, 2010). It's one thing to use mobile devices, it's a completely other thing to know how to use them correctly and responsibly. However, this can only be achieved if teachers understand how to use the devices first themselves. But potentially the biggest requirement school’s will need in order to be able to increase the number of devices in classrooms is “making sure their network infrastructure is up-to-date and/or sufficient enough to properly support their end-users” (Mareco, 2017). Using technology to enhance learning will not be possibly if the Wifi network cannot support several devices at once.
In summary, the pace at which technology is advancing is changing how we live and learn. The debate about whether or not cell phones and other technological devices should be incorporated into students’ education has been on-going, but both sides make valid arguments. While cell phones are one of the leading causes of distraction in the classroom, future research should be conducted to show how valuable these devices actually are in keeping students engaged.