Why cell phones should be allowed in school

Did you know that 75% of students believe that using personal devices (such as cell phones), have improved their ability to learn and retain information? A staggering 58% of students use their cell phones to take pictures of lecture slides, 41% to google answers for in-class questions and 31% to access digital features such as textbooks, calculators, dictionaries, etc. Today I will be talking about the benefits of using cellphones in class and why all schools should allow students to use and bring their cell phones.

Emergencies or accidents

What if there was an emergency or accident? Students may have to notify their parents about an after school activity, such as detention, school programs, tryouts, etc. It could be the other way around, too. A parent may have to contact their child to notify them about something important, such as whether to take the bus or not, or family emergencies.

Did you know that 48% of parents use their cell phones to monitor their children? Someone who disagrees with me might say, “well, there are land-lines in every classroom.” However, those phones are mostly used to contact other staff members. Therefore, teachers would not allow students to contact their parents on it. Also, some conversations are private and the student or the parent might not want the conversation to be heard by any staff member.

If the school devices aren’t working

Most schools have devices for kids to use for their work, but what if they aren't working? They could be broken, the battery could be dead and in most cases, there aren’t enough devices for every student! If any of these situations occur, don’t you think it would be easier for the student to use their phone, to do the research and complete the assignment?

Studies show most students prefer to use their own device, which is usually a cell phone. Someone might argue that say “phones are a distraction. Yes, that can be true, but it could be a distraction to the rest of the class because of notification alerts or calls coming in. The owner of the phone may also be using it inappropriately by using social media or texting friends. However, all phones are equipped with a toggle feature which easily turns the ringer and notifications on and off. If someone is using his or her phone in class, that is their choice. It's practically the same thing as misbehaving in class, which is also a choice. Command responsibility, don’t control!

Cell phones have many features

All cell phones have a camera feature, so you can take pictures of things like homework questions, Powerpoint presentations, and more. Phones also have a built-in video feature, so if you need to leave the classroom, you could record the lesson so you don’t miss anything.

Cell phones also have built-in calculators, which could be used for in-class work, homework, and tests. Also, on Safari, you can find a bunch of online translation websites, dictionaries, thesaurus and lots of other educational websites. It is so much more convenient than buying a bunch of separate programs and books when it’s all accessible on your phone.

Someone might disagree and say, “That’s what iPads and computers are for.” Well logistically, a phone is a very convenient device to transport. Cell phones are usually small in size, lightweight and they are super easy to carry. You can fit them in your pocket, backpack or purse without difficulty. Laptops, tablets and iPads are rather large devices, you cannot fit them in your pocket. When you fit them into your backpack with your school supplies, your backpack tends to get heavy. Kidshealth.org says people who carry heavy backpacks sometimes lean forward. This can cause the shoulders to become rounded and the upper back to become curved. There's a chance of developing shoulder, neck, and back pain.”

Conclusion

I hope that by reading this essay you are now able to see why it’s not only important but practical that students are allowed to use a cell phone in classrooms. I feel very passionate about this subject and hope one day things will change. Hopefully one day, we can convince teachers, principals and the school board that phones should be allowed in classrooms.

References

Rhea, K. (2017) Survey: 94% of Students Want to Use Their Cellphones in Class, Retrieved from https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/12/12/students-want-to-use-their-cell-phones-in-class.aspx