In our ever-changing world of technology, it is inevitable that schools will have issues. Students are being reprimanded for their misuse of cell phones and computers during school hours.
In the Pittsburgh Public Schools District, students may not have their cell phones visible during the school day and computers are used for educational purposes only.
Ronald Jones, Ph.D., is the director of Arts and Academics at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12.
“I believe that the websites ban are completely appropriate,” Jones said. “Websites like YouTube can be used at home.”
Jones said that cell phone use is not a major issue in Pittsburgh schools.
“I do think that it should be monitored,” he said, “ and students definitely do abuse their cell phones in bathrooms and between classes.” The CAPA handbook states: “Students are permitted to carry cellular phone and two-way pagers in the building, but phones/pagers must be in the off position. Students are not permitted to accept or make phone calls or text messages during school hours. If violated, cell phones or two-way pagers will be confiscated and will only be returned to a parent/guardian. An after-school detention may be assigned.
School authorities may approve the presence of a beeper for a student only under the following circumstance: the student is a member of a volunteer fire company, ambulance or rescue squad, or the student has a need for the presence of a beeper due to the medical condition of an immediate family member.”
Camille Downing, a parent of two children in the Hampton School District where cell phone bans were recently lifted, believes it is a good idea for students to not have strict policies on their cell phone use.
Parents of the Hampton School District were concerned that they had no means of communicating with their children in case of an emergency during school hours.
“My understanding was that they (the board members) got a lot of pressure from parents wanting to reach their children,” said Downing. “They can use them if they are in study hall or in the halls between classes. I do not think that the kids will abuse them, though.”
She personally did not have conflict with the previous rule banning cell phones, but sees no issue with the recent lift of the ban either.
Though the ban was lifted, kids are still expected to not use phones in class. Downing said she does not think there will be issues.
Cell phone usage is even a problem for the nation’s largest school district, New York City’s. According to the Associated Press, The New York City School District has a complete ban on all cell phone use during schools; you are not even allowed to bring one into school with you.
This raises issues for many parents and teens within the District. Parents are concerned that another event like 9/11 will occur and they will not be able to get in contact with their children. The 1.1 million students in the school system would have no means of communicating with anybody during such an incident.
Rallies and protests have been staged as an attempt to reverse this regulation that was introduced in the late 1980s.
While kids and parents across the country are determined to have their cell phone and computer privileges, one professor at Point Park University thinks the opposite.
Bob O’Gara, a teacher of public relations, advertisement and introduction to mass media at Point Park University, has an assignment for his freshmen students that most find to be grueling: no technology use for 24 hours.
Technology meaning no IPods, cell phones, computers or radios. Nothing. The only two technological exceptions are that his students can use a land-line to make phone calls and, if they really want to, they can view a movie. If technology is used, the student has to fess up to it in the concluding reflective essay.
O’Gara says that few of his students find the assignment to be a good idea, and the majority are not eager to start the assignment.
Once the essays are completed, he finds that most students have similar reactions. They all find the experience of value, though it is a bit of struggle for them.
O’Gara may have guts for making his students do this, but he likes them to have this loss-of-technology experience.
“A lot of them are forced to do things that they usually won’t do,” says O’Gara. “They are forced to communicate personally and do things like play board games, clean their rooms, read books, have parties. Some even make a surprise visit to their family.”
About Zachary Mosel