The Iowa legislature has recently proposed a bill that would ban phones in school. They consider phones to be a distraction, making it hard for students to learn. The phone ban has been a hot issue in schools. Teachers are anxious to get phones out of the classrooms, and students are nervous that they won’t be able to bring their phones into the building. While yes phones are a distraction to students, there are ways to limit the distractions that don’t involve completely taking them away. Phones can help students learn, and they are very important for student safety and communication. There are ways to limit phone use that don’t involve taking them away, such as phone pockets or teaching students how to limit phone use. For these reasons, phones should not be banned in schools.
For starters, phones help students learn. In school, students use their phones to look up information quickly, take notes, and use learning apps. With technological advancements becoming more and more advanced, it is important for students to learn how to use the technology. Many students also have apps that help guide them through learning if they have learning disabilities, making phones even more necessary for those students. Teachers can also use apps to help guide learning. In many classes, we use an app called Blooket. It’s an app where you answer questions and participate in mini games for answering the questions correctly. Those apps seem to be more engaging and a fun way to learn.
Phones are necessary for student safety and communication. Without phones, there is no quick way for parents to contact their children. Students need to contact their parents for many reasons, such as changing plans, how they are getting picked up, and most importantly, for emergencies. In the instance of an emergency, students need to be able to contact their parents; whether it is simply bad weather or in the extreme instance of an immediate threat, having quick access to a phone is a must for student safety.
While phones can distract students, there are other ways to limit distractions that don’t involve taking them away, such as using a phone pocket. Phone pockets are an effective way to keep students off their phones while having them quickly accessible. Many classes implement a phone pocket. How it works is a teacher will have a place for students to put their phones, whether it is hanging on the front board or near the teacher’s desk, and they won’t be able to get on them unless the teacher gives permission to the student. I find it to be very effective in keeping students’ attention off their phones and on the lesson. A teacher here at Mount Vernon High School says, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
Taking away phones will create more problems than it solves. Kids will find ways to use their phones, making them even more of a distraction. Phones have many benefits, not just for communicating but also for school use. They will be around forever, so banning them in school will just create future problems that will need to be resolved. For those reasons, phones should not be banned in school.
