Featured photo courtesy of Adem AY on Unsplash
in collaboration with three other future teachers.
Podcast: here we discuss amongst each other our significant findings in regards to cell phone use within classrooms.
Positive Integration of Cell Phones within the Classroom
Cell phones allow students to have: access to a calculator, documentation through a camera, as well as access to the internet. With the advances in smartphones, phones are often able to act as a personal computer that can be taken beyond the classroom provided that students have access to the same resources or tools at school as if they were at home (ensures transferability of work from school and home, barring internet connection). Phones are an equalizer in education access and a portal to the internet, Thomas and O’Bannon mention that as many as 80% will have access to mobile devices by 2015 and two thirds of high school students will have access (2013). Situations where a set of computers are required can call for advanced planning and setup for teachers to enable their students to access the internet. Rather than deal with cell phone use some schools have outright banned them. Phones are an extremely powerful tool as they can act as a vehicle for: content creation, assessment and reflection, camera feature for documentation of projects, (Thomas, et al. 2013). Phones can act in the same way as computers do, but with added flexibility. Access to cellphones in the classroom can provide opportunities for cooperative problem solving, research, and general collaboration. Phones have built in mathematical tools to perform calculations which can reduce a burden on many students to buy a calculator (graphing or simple). Students could learn through a video or an audio which would not be readily available otherwise, a second source of learning has been found especially useful in a class like dance (Li, Zhou, Teo 2018). Having access to phones allows for the submission of surveys quickly and anonymously.
Sources
Kevin Thomas & Blanche O’Bannon (2013) Cell Phones in the Classroom, Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 30:1, 11-20, DOI: 10.1080/21532974.2013.10784721
Zihao Li, Mingming Zhou & Timothy Teo (2018) Mobile technology in dance education: a case study of three Canadian high school dance programs, Research in Dance Education, 19:2, 183-196, DOI: 10.1080/14647893.2017.1370449
Arnold L. Glass & Mengxue Kang (2019) Dividing attention in the classroom reduces exam performance, Educational Psychology, 39:3, 395-408, DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2018.1489046
(article did a study on how students when trying to multitask or divide their attention with phones/laptops are less able to retain information for the final exam). Negative effect of cell phone
Kevin M. Thomas, Blanche W. O’Bannon & Natalie Bolton (2013) Cell Phones in the Classroom: Teachers’ Perspectives of Inclusion, Benefits, and Barriers, Computers in the Schools, 30:4, 295-308, DOI: 10.1080/07380569.2013.844637
Alternatives to Cell Phones in the Classroom
Much of the polemic surrounding cellphones in public schools centers on a dichotomy of a blanket ban on cellphones, claiming they are a disruptive menace to learning and those that begrudgingly accept their presence as an inevitability and we should we utilize their positive attributes in order to assist learning as much as possible. I think the only solution is a compromise. Teachers should try to explore alternatives to cell phones in the class and not use it as a default tool of learning. I would start with something as simple as a cell phone holder on tables in class. Cell phones would be placed in holders at the start of class and only come out when the teacher instructs them to do so to facilitate the lesson. The cell phone therefore is visible to the teacher. Second, students constantly on their phones in class is an indicator that they are not engaged in the class material. Students should be given clear objectives in each class and transitions between each activity in the lesson need to be smooth and efficient as it is in these pauses that students instinctively reach for our phones. When students interact with each other meaningfully, or possibly competitively, they build social and communication skills and will forget about their phones. For example, if students are not actively participating in an activity, they should be given the task of evaluating peers. Introverted students can articulate opinions on exit sheets to be submitted in lieu of active vocal contributions. Lastly, one of my main concerns about cell phone use is its deleterious effects on memory, or digital amnesia. To address this, I would encourage using ‘brain dumps’, in which research indicates improved long-term memory when we are routinely asked to pull ideas from memory. We should encourage students to do brain dumps on what they’ve learned recently as opposed to reflexively telling students to reach for phones. Extensions to this could be making lists, drawing pictures and free writes. (A reflection from a fellow EDCI 336 group member)
The following are additional alternatives tools which can replace cell phone use in the classroom.
| Videos | Engaging Slide Decks |
| Peer teaching | Silent reading |
| Passion projects | Role plays |
| Outdoor education | Journaling |
| (QTF) Question Formulating Techniques |
Hance, Misty 2019. 5 Ways to Keep Students Off Their Cell Phones in the Classroom https://www.teachhub.com/technology-in-the-classroom/2019/07/5-ways-to-keep-students-off-their-cell-phones-in-the-classroom/
10 no-internet remote learning activities. (2020, March 30). Retrieved from https://ditchthattextbook.com/no-internet-remote-learning/
Challenges with Cell Phone Integration within the Classroom
The major challenges seen with the effective usage of cell phones lies within students ability to be autonomous. Cell phones are incredibly powerful tools but they aren’t always used positively. Students may often know what is best for them and answering or texting important information should be warranted just like any adult would need to respond to an urgent message. It can be quite a challenge for a teacher to monitor cell phone usage for appropriate behavior and only adds an extra layer of consistency when it comes to enforceable rules. The problem is between autonomy and productivity. Students have been seen to be less productive when allowed access to their cellphones (productive relative to a test score, who know what else they may have learned while ‘distracted’). This effect was less pronounced as the individuals grade level increased: grade 12 students were the least affected by having access to their cell phones. This only illustrates further importance of autonomy with cell phone use. There are a few arguments that can be made: one that by removing or imposing rules we give students the chance to be responsible for their actions, but this comes at the cost of not allowing students to practice their autonomy. As such I think this leads to teachers having a wide range, which is understandable given the wide range of teaching philosophies. Let’s look at the range of policies within classrooms in B.C.
Current School Policies in B.C. Regarding Cell Phone Use in the Classroom
What policies are in place across BC?
– No policies across the province
– School districts are responsible for setting policies
– Vancouver school board was not considering a district-wide ban either, leaves the decision up to each school
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cellphone-ban-ontario-1.5054099\
- The above article mentions that B.C. has decided against following Ontario’s footsteps of a cell phone ban. They mention that there they want teachers to be in control and available to make rules that address unique student populations. The question that is left unanswered is how are teacher’s supported in their decision? B.C. has chosen not to ban cell phone use but how do they support teachers who may face backlash from parents of students who they have restricted their cell phone?
Greater Victoria School District Policies on Technology in the classroom
School district 61, or the Greater Victoria School District, has a BYOD policy which allows students access to their devices only for the purposes of education. The rest of the article reads more like a legal document, obscure references to other documents can be seen when looking at teacher responsibilities, “responsible within their areas”.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cellphone-school-ban-victoria-1.4116609
Central Middle School in Victoria bans cell phones all together, again highlighting the problem when giving immature students autonomy. Would it be reasonable to expect controlled cellphone use from a middle school student? Why or why not? I would imagine for the middle school student who is able to control their cellphone use they’ve already reached and surpassed so many important life skills in which those that are able to control their use are going to understand their peers inability to monitor their cell phone usage effectively. Simply said a student who can avoid distraction is probably also aware of the difficulty it poses for their peers.
Dunsmuir Middle School in Victoria bans cellphones
– Cell phone ban request
https://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/ban-cell-phones-in-schools/
Within this article there is a plea to ban cell phones and cellphones are mentioned alongside illicit drugs and weapons, as having no place within a school. A struggle that many students have when in higher grades is the need for communication with peers, coworkers, teammates, coaches and family members, it is difficult to sweepingly remove a communication device for those that require its use, but for those that don’t require its use this article argues that its not a tool made with learning in mind.
Examples of school policies implemented
There are similar policies seen throughout Westview Elementary
https://www.sd44.ca/school/westview/Students/mobiledevices/Pages/default.aspx#/=
and Monterey Middle School
https://clearsec.sd73.bc.ca/en/our-schools-programs/cell-phone-use.aspx
as well as North Island Secondary School
Through the exploration of the inquiry question of what role cell phones have in the classroom, I was able to gain a more nuanced understanding of the issues that come with cell phone use. I believe there are effective methods in managing cell phones within classrooms while keeping them available as means for important communication as well as education tools. By researching and understanding some of the reasons why schools have banned or kept policies open, I am able to make the informed decision in my personal practice. I will remind those that want to sweepingly remove cell phones that students are the center of learning and it is our job to explore options and tools we may not be comfortable with in their best interest. I imagine that students will always be ahead of the curve when it comes to technology use and as such it is our job to stay informed with all of the benefits and compromises that come with new technology.
References:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1251768.pdf
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/02/05/should-kids-have-cellphones-at-school/4669488002/
https://www.educationcorner.com/cell-phones-learning-tools.html
https://www.educationcorner.com/cell-phones-learning-tools.html
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