Should Teachers Allow Cell Phones in the English Classroom?

As information becomes more readily available on the internet, more and more people have become dependent on cell phones. Information that once upon a time required serious thought, or personal assistance, is now simply a few buttons away. With so many answers sitting in the palm of one’s hand, it seems as though cell phones would have taken their place in the classroom of America’s schools by now. Particularly with the English classroom where students have their own personal spell check. However, as many teachers understand, there are certain complications that arise when trying to introduce cell phones into classrooms of any subject. Ultimately, cell phone usage in classroom depends on the mentality of the teacher and the students themselves.

Teachers should not be told how to do their job, and as such, forcing teachers to allow cell phones in the classroom is wrong. Therefore, the question of whether cell phones should be allowed begins with the teacher’s mentality toward phones being used as an educational tool. A quick glance at debate.org, a website dedicated to exploring some of the world’s most two-sided questions, will show that people are divided on the topic with many naysayers bringing up the fact that cell phones cause distractions, or can lead to cheating on assignments. Teachers who feel these issues outweigh the potential benefits of cell phone usage will likely say no, students should not be allowed to have cell phones out during instructional periods.

However, this is just one side of the argument and one kind of teacher. For every teacher who feels cell phones cause more harm than good, there’s another of the opposite variety. What merit do proponents of cell phone usage have for responsible cell phone use? According to USA TODAY’s, Brian Shane, a study by the Pew Research Center found that “77% of people between the ages 12-17 have cell phones,” and that one school, Assabet Valley Vocational High School in Marlborough, Mass, regularly use cell phones and tablets for apps on various subjects. According to the administration of these schools, they are seeing promising results while trying to iron out the faults that come along with cell phone usage in classes.

Ideally, cell phone usage in schools makes sense. It allows for quick retrieval of information that would otherwise only be available through traditional text. However, no one knows a set of students better than their teacher. Teaching requires differentiation due to the fact that no two set of students learn exactly alike. It’s because of this that some students can handle the responsibility of cell phone usage and others cannot. While 1^st period may have no trouble staying on task and using their phone to enrich their educational experience, 2^nd period may use their phones solely to take goofy pictures, text one another, or browse unrelated topics on the internet. In reality, the teacher is the one who should make the ultimate call on cell phone usage.

Of course, there’s a host of other issues including school security. However, based solely on the academic potential of pocket size technology in the classroom, cell phones could make a huge difference in learning. Answering the question of whether or not schools should allow cell phones isn't as simple as yes or no. The deciding factor ultimately lies with the teacher.

Sources:

Shane, Brian. "Schools use smart devices to help make kids smarter." USA Today. n. page. Print. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/27/students-use-cellphones-as-part-of-classroom-lessons/1794883/>.

"Should cell phones be allowed in school?." Debate.org. N.p.. Web. 27 Oct 2013. <http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-cell-phones-be-allowed-in-school>.