Cell phones allow students to broaden their research and use their resources to the maximum ability. They open a door for further growth in not only their academics but the manner in which you can achieve them accurately and more efficiently. As years pass, more and more schools are lifting the ban on their academic usages. With access to smartphones, students are able to look up anything in a timely manner and are able to contact anybody if in need of an immediate favor or in case of an emergency. The access also benefits teachers due to various features promoting in-class participation because of majority students constantly carrying their smart phones. Although they can be a major distraction in certain situations, cell phones offer students educational opportunities, assistance during emergency occurrences, and an instant connection for communicative purposes.
Cell phones offer educational opportunities that do not require schools to fund laptops or other electronic devices. “Bring your own device”, or BYOD, first introduced the concept of students using cell phones productively in class. In his article concerning smartphones in the classroom, Edward Graham discusses how Ken Halla, a teacher with twenty-two years of experience, has turned his classroom into a mobile device-friendly environment. Over the years, he has realized the growth of smartphone possession and its ability to allow immediate access to the web. The rates at which possession and usage increase correspond to the amount of educational-friendly apps that provide necessary fundamentals for students. Over the course of acceptance, Google has released its own version of interactive applications, such as Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and Classroom. Students have access to these sources through their smartphones, which further supports the acknowledgement of technology in education.
Instant answers, wider access, and social learning have allowed students to use their smartphones in ways other than disruptive purposes. With the allowance of smartphones, students are capable of expanding their informative resources in a more time-efficient manner. Search-and-learn is a coined concept of instant access for curious students. According to Concordia University in Portland Oregon, “Social learning is a great way for students to share information, thoughts and ideas on a subject.” For example, most college campuses use Canvas, an app that grants student access to communicate with other students as well as their professors. The program also provides information regarding grades and an annual calendar foreshadowing future assignments. Applications such as this promote smart phone usage inside and outside the classroom. Focusing on the updates of internal advancements, Alabama Virtual Library author Obyung Kwun explains,
“With the recent development of software applications and network connections, a smartphone can perform the functions of personal computers such as notebook and desktop computers. A smartphone can be used to do various things ranging from checking emails and taking notes to conducting research and writing papers” (Smith, 2012).
Not only do smartphones present direct sources and valid, credible information, but studies proven by Pew Resource Center in 2012 conclude that Americans ranging in all income levels resort to using their digital devices for internet access over laptops and tablets. Kwun hypothesizes that stable smartphone usage is dependent upon system quality, information quality, and system uses. His findings suggested that information quality was viewed as the most relevant variable in smartphone usage and user satisfaction.In conclusion, this study proved that students who use cellular devices see immense benefits of using them for educational purposes.
Over the years, schools have been exposed to intruders and unexpected attacks on students where emergency services could have been contacted more immediately. Although the few required Resource Officers are helpful in drug and in-school issues, time has told us that when one versus a gun, the gun always wins. Smartphones are a necessity in the classroom because students, teachers, and parents never know what could happen at any time. In a newspaper article published by Weekly Reader, it states that “Some school districts have decided to change their policies because of the role cell phones have played in some emergency situations.” Cell phones in the classroom give students the opportunity to connect with their parents and update them on their safety. Attacks such as Sandy Hook, in which an intruder attacked an elementary school in New Jersey, and Columbine, an attack by two high school student that ended fifteen students dead and including themselves, have further drawn attention to the importance of cell phones in any school environment. After events such as these, the thought of their presence should almost be a no-brainer. Parents would rather know that their kid is safe rather than them not knowing anything at all. Concordia University, a Prestigious College in Portland, Oregon noted in their article that “more and more cellphones and smartphones contain GPS devices that can be tracked if necessary.” Parents can set their mind at ease knowing the whereabouts of their child, even when in a place as safe as a school environment.
Not only can students contact their parents, but with smartphones they can also connect with teachers through various applications. Students are more likely to complete assignments if they are assigned electronically because the majority are always on their phone. Teachers now have access to multiple “apps” that allow them to send mass text alerts, reminders, and assignments to their students with more assurance that they will be completed. In his article concerning students’ use of cell phones in the classroom, Jim Birsch explains that “In addition, cell phone messaging could provide valuable information for students in keeping track of class requirements while providing parents with the same information, thus keeping them inside the teaching and learning loop.” As technology advances, so does the rate at these which academic resources are created and amplified through social applications. This growth in technology offers a new way for teachers to communicate with their students without the nuisance of being ignored or talked over. On its website, Fox News is explaining how teachers are now starting to use applications such as Edmodo, Poll Everywhere, and Dropbox to connect with their students on an educational level. Whether the level ranges from in-class games to online assessments, cellphones grant accessible operations to improve learning abilities. If students are always on their phone, it only makes sense to make a move towards electronic communication not only amongst students, but between entire student bodies and administrations.
Although there are many schools that have agreed to put an end to banning cell phones, there are also many schools that have rebelled in order to prove their advantages. Some schools believe that if a student has a phone out, they are either texting or doing something other than what the phone should be used for while in class. Students have also had complaints of cyberbullying in the recent past because of too much lenience with cell phone usage. According to Roman Espejo in his edit of Introduction to Cell Phones in School: At Issue, “26 percent of teens who have cell phones claim that someone has harassed them through their devices. Girls are more likely to be targeted at 30 percent, compared with boys at 22 percent,” (1). In order to avoid problems such as this, teachers should only allow students to use their devices when they are granted permission or in case of an emergency. Administrators also hold assumptions that the presence of a cell phone in the classroom indicates uninterest and unwillingness to learn. In order to reverse those beliefs, teachers can assign designated times when cell phones can be in use, provide assignments through education applications, and use technology to their benefit in creating a more connected classroom environment through powerpoints, Kahoot games, and educational videos.
Cellular devices allow students to find resources quickly without hesitation and are very helpful in linking students to their teachers, parents, and as well as other classmates. Without smartphones in the classroom, the material and the manner in which it is taught can be repetitive and one dimensional. Also, in case of an emergency, parents of students would have the instant opportunity of communication with their child. Cell phones not only give students a form of learning more familiar to them, but allow a one-on-one connection between their teachers and other pupils. Society is tending to advance in technology more rapidly than a pencil-paper pair because we are becoming an academic and environmental savvy generation. Students such as myself hope to prove the benefits of technology in a school environment through improved grades, attention spans, and academic achievements. One day, schools will be dominated with what thought to be a distraction, but turned out to be the most efficient promoter in academic enhancement.