A teacher is in front of the classroom presenting a lesson. As she moves about the room, she notices one of her students in the back vigorously texting on her cell phone. The teacher responds by demanding the cell phone. The student knows that she will now have to pay $15 to get it back.
These days, cell phones do so much more than just make phone calls. In fact, people get so attached to their phones that they cannot go fifteen minutes without checking it for alerts, texting, calling, or using the latest app. Kids are no exception--they are bringing phones to school at younger and younger ages. Phones become a distraction in class and create complications in the school building.
While many districts and campuses find it difficult to ban cell phones entirely, they each have their local policies describing when and how phones can be used and what happens to students if they use them inappropriately. Yet cell phones still cause problems on campus. The latest buzz is about cell phone jammers. Cell phone jammers are "devices designed to block communications and create a “quiet zone” in vehicles, schools, theaters, restaurants, and other places" as defined by the Federal Communications Commission. While every teacher and administrator might secretly wish for such a device on campus, the truth is that cell phone jammers or similar devices are illegal in the United States. So what can campuses do to prevent distractions from cell phones?
Be consistent. Whatever the district or campus rules are regarding cell phones, those rules should be enforced consistently--at all times by all staff.
Communicate with parents. Help parents understand how distracting cell phones can be. When parents know that their child's phone is a problem, they can refuse to allow the student to bring the phone to school or restrict their calling features during school hours.
Know your students. The culture of the community can help to determine how lenient or strict the cell phone policy needs to be in your area. Some schools have designated times for free use of cell phones, while other schools prohibit them entirely.
As technology increases, not only will cell phones be a continued problem, but so will electronic notebooks, e-readers, and other tech devices. Since there will be no reprieve by using cell phone jammers anytime soon, schools have to keep pace with innovation by knowing when to say no to technology and when to embrace it.
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