Cell Phones In School Essay

Cell phones are an integral part of everyday life. People use them for everything from creating lists and making appointments, to communicating for work and handling important documents. The uses for cell phones are endless. As such, their applications for school use are broad and still expanding. Lisa Nielsen, a Director of Digital Engagement for the New York State Department of Education, and Willyn Webb, adjunct professor of social ethics at Colorado Christian University, performed a survey to see the different ways students use cell phones in school. They found that 69 percent of students use phones to write down notes, 64 percent use them to view textbooks online, and 56 percent use them to assist with homework (Nielsen & Webb 70). Students
Students and teachers most often agree with this statement. Cell phones are a source for communications and social networking, both of which cause students to get off task. Though cell phones are distracting, high schools have several options that would limit the inappropriate use of cell phones in class. Mary Beth Humble-Thaden, writer for the Journal of Technology Studies, describes how the majority of public schools in the United States require students to either leave their phones in lockers, or leave them home altogether (Humble-Thaden 10). This form of cell phone limitation is strict, and counterproductive to a student’s learning. Often students will not abide by this rule, thus causing the distraction of cell phones to return. Linda Matchan describes another solution to the cell phone distraction problem; some high schools allow cell phone use, but forbid the use of any communications while in class (Matchan 5). By disallowing communications, schools eliminate the aspect of cell phones that are the most distracting. Students are then able to use their cell phones as tools to further their education. Schools have several options to limit the inappropriate use of cell phones in class, even though they can be