Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Phones in G-T MS & G-T/R-A HS

Dear Students,

I am contemplating banning phones from our school (a drastic consideration for a technology proponent such as myself, don't you think?). Do you have any idea why I am considering this on such a large scale versus one or two cell phone users? 

Please take some time to reflect and reply on your thoughts on phones in school, specifically our school. What are the positive implications? What are the negative implications? Do not mention names.

I will delete any responses not written with a strong consideration toward conventions, grammar, etiquette, etc. Therefore, I highly encourage you to take your time; read your work aloud to yourself and to another person; have someone proofread and help you organize your writing; and check, double check, and RECHECK before posting. (Tip: save your work so you can make improvements if your response is deleted.)

Remember: the key to a solid argument is acknowledging the opposite viewpoint including the weaknesses of what you are trying to argue. Support your points with research/evidence. Opinions have little to no value. You may reference page 23 in the G-T MSHS Planner.

Thank you,
Mrs. Alesch

P.S. If I have few responses, I will conclude my suspicions and hesitations about phones in our school at this moment are correct. I will stop actively reading responses on Saturday, November 16, 2013.

Image Credit: http://www.mobshield.com/

24 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs.Alesch,
    I personally do not have a phone, but I do feel bad for the other people that do. Yes it may be a distraction. But people some people actually follow the rules. There are reasons that we do use our phones during class. Like maybe we need to talk to our parents about something that is embarrassing. So we decide to text them because we don't want to talk about it in front of the Jane and everybody else thats in the office. Hoe would you feel if you had to talk about something you did not want to in front of people you barely knew? My main answer towards this whole situation is that I think that you shouldn't ban phones from our school. But if you do decide to ban phones then you should at least let us either keep the in our lockers still or put them in an basket that our teacher has. I would prefer us to keep it in our lockers because someone can easily steal a phone but it can also be stolen out of our locker.

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  2. Dear Mrs. Alesch,

    I do not believe that cell phones should be banned from our school. I can understand why you would propose this, because many students on are using their phones one way or another actively during class. However, many students are not. Many students, such as myself, occasionally check my cell phone once in awhile or respond to a text throughout the school day, which is sometimes during class. Although this may seem like a bad idea, I am still paying attention and am engaged in my class lecture or discussion. Many times, if I am checking my phone, it is because of an important message from a family member, and usually has some urgent reason that I need to respond. Of course there are always students whom are constantly on their phone all the time, doing less productive things. I also understand that this is not a good thing to have during class. Another reason I think we should be able to have phones with us, is because emergencies happen. My parents or other close family members depend on me to be there for them and don't want to have to explain things to Jane or whomever is answering the phone at the time. My family for an example, is one that has many health issues. This being said, emergencies do in fact, happen frequently.

    I hope you keep my response in mind when making your decision.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    Caroline J. Koekenhoff
    Graettinger-Terril High School

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  3. Mrs. Alesch,

    I understand where you are coming from with wanting to ban cell phones from our school; however, it may not be the most beneficial idea to implement. In an article on www.theatlantic.com, written by Robert Earl, a Rhodes scholar who has spent many years observing public schools, states that in an April 2010 study, research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the University of Michigan found that schools that allow students to use their cell phones report that 71% of students sent and received messages during class. In schools where cell phones are permitted within the school but not during class time reported 65% of students still used them in class, and even in schools that have banned cell phone usage completely still face a whopping 58% of continued usage. This study shows that even if cell phones were to be banned from the school, over half of our students would still find a way to use them. This website also emphasizes the importance of teachers connecting with their students during class. If a student is actively involved throughout the class period, constantly being encouraged and inspired, their minds will be less likely to wander back to what the latest on their Twitter feed or Snap Chat has to tell them. With that being said, there are some students who simply are not interested in learning or listening to what the teacher has to say. The frustration associated with that is only imaginable, but that is the reality of schools all over the United States.
    We, as high schoolers, have grown up in the epitome of a technological revolution and are not accustomed to life without a cell phone, a computer, and more than likely some other piece of modern technology no more than a few feet away from us. Considering that and other influences at our school, such as: how small and personal our school is, our 1:1 laptops, and the laid-back demeanor here, banning cell phones simply would not 'stick' well with the students at Graettinger-Terril MS/HS.
    If you have any questions or want to discuss anything further, you are more than welcome to contact me.

    Thank you,

    Cassy Olesen
    colesen16@gtschools.k12.ia.us

    Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/do-cell-phones-belong-in-the-classroom/257325/

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  4. I'll keep this one short for you(:. If phones are banned I'll be honest and tell you I would pay less attention because I would be trying to hide the fact that I'm texting. We live in America. I also pay for my own phone, not my parents so I'd say its something I make my own decisions on. I'm passing all my classes and if my teachers feel like I'm doing bad and not paying attention because of my phone, they would let me know.

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  5. I know I do not attend Graettinger, but I will be next semester and I feel strongly about this subject. I understand where you are coming from with wanting to ban cell phones. They are distractions and it is frustrating when certain students will not stay off them. What you need to understand is that these students are the minority. Most students are not like that and we should not be punished because of these particular people. I love my phone, texting, and social networks just like the next person, but I respect that there are times I can't use it. I occasionally check my phone throughout the day and have it open when I know it is appropriate. I think rather than just cutting them off, we should have some set and stone rules and punish those who don't follow them. For example, at Ruthven, we are allowed to use our cell phones at lunch, study hall, and between classes. We may also use them during down time in class if the teacher allows. Before we decide to just eliminate them, we should consider other options that would allow students the opportunity to use them responsibly. As Daisy already said, most students wouldn't follow this rule and we would end up dealing with many more issues because of them going against this new policy. A huge part of our learning in high school is to prepare the students for future workplace and college experiences. When we enter the adult world, we must learn how to responsibly use our cell phones and get our work done at the same time. I am proud of my fellow classmates, because we have very flexible rules with cell phones and I feel that we have done well with not abusing this. I would appreciate you considering other options and seeing the students point of view!

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  6. Dear Mrs. Alesch

    As a learning environment, it is the schools job as well as our own to prepare ourselves for the workplace and phones will always be a part of our lives. Banning phones is taking a valuable workplace skill away from us, as we must learn how to responsibly use our phones and still succeed otherwise we risk failure as adults rather than as teens when we are supposed to make mistakes. If we struggle from overuse of our devices then we will learn from the experience and will not repeat the mistakes in college or in our workplace. The role of a school in society is to teach not only academic lessons but life lessons as well.
    I feel that individual punishment should be the answer to this "problem". That is, if a single student is using their phone to the point that their grades are suffering and it is a distraction to them in class then that student is asked to put their phone away and/or the phone is taken if the "offenses" persist. Many students simply use their phones within a few seconds each period. Of the classes I am in, the teachers both allow phones to be sitting out on their desks which makes it possible for the teachers to see the amount of time spent on their devices. I do not believe in a ban of cell phones but the teachers should, as they have been thus far in the year, have the power over their classroom as to when the phone use gets out of hand.

    Thank you,
    Tye Reiman

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  7. I do not think phones should be banned.

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  8. Dear Mrs. Alesch,
    I don't really think that banning cell phones is that big a deal. I don't ever bring my phone to school, so it wouldn't affect me. I know some people that bring their phones to school but leave them in their lockers the whole day. - Morgan

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  9. I do not believe it is a good idea to ban phones. I speak from personal experience when I tell you this. No one really texts in class and a lot have their phones locked, off, or on silent. When I am in school, I make sure to turn my phone on silent and lock it so it doesn't make any noise and interrupt class. I always feel safer with a phone in my possession because if something were to happen, I could either call 911 or my mom could tell me important information. I only check my phone before lunch and after school. If one of my family members were say in a accident, I would like to know right away instead of someone else telling be because I am quite a worrier. I also feel safer because all of my siblings are out of school and my little brother is in Terril. When I come to school without my phone, I get really worried and once I got so worked up that I had to call my mom in the office to calm down and I almost puked. There are a lot of reasons I think that phones should be allowed. I can see why they would be concerned about phones interrupting class, but it really hasn't been a problem this year. In all, I think that keeping phones in school would be safer, better, and would be a relief for student who are (like me) worriers. Thanks for your time! :)

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  10. I think should not be because you may need them for a family use.

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  11. Dear Mrs. Alesch

    What I think about the banning cell phone? I think that you should not bane cell phones from school because if someone dies in your family.

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  12. Dear Mrs. Alesch


    I do not think that we should have cell phone banned from schools. Even if they are not banned you could just set restrictions. One of the restrictions could be giving setting that a student should be able to use their phone, such as study hall, in between classes, and in a classes down time. Personally I believe that a students phone usage should be their own business as long as they are not doing badly in any classes and are still participating in school. If it does become a distraction then the teacher can just talk to the student and they will be unable to use their phone in the class they are not doing well in. Honestly, not having my phone would probably cause more of a distraction than having one would. This is because I would be too focused on texting or snapchatting in secret and only on not getting caught. For this reason I think we, the students, should be able to have our cell phones.

    Thank you.

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  13. Dear Mrs. Alesch
    I understand your view on the cell phone situation, but I feel cell phones should not be banned. You can set limits to it, such as only having them during study halls, lunch, between classes, and in down time of a class. Another thing could be that if the teachers feel you can have them during their class then they should be able to. I feel that it is the teacher's room then they can set the limits to the cell phone. Honestly in all my classes there isn't a problem with anything. I see a few phones but nothing majorly and when I see a phone, it is only to check it and see if they have anything. There are many emergency situations that where we need to look at our phones, there are also times where I have a doctors, dentist, etc, and need our cell phones for our parents to simply text and say you have an appointment. There has been times that the office never tells me so if it wasn't for my mom texting me and telling me that I had one then I would have never known.
    I hope you take this into consideration.
    Thank you.

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  14. Dear Mrs. Alesch,

    I think that banning phones at our school would be a bad idea. I will admit that some students do not use their phones appropriately during school, but those who do (which is most of the student body) should not have this privilege taken away because of other students misuse. Take phones away from those who are failing classes, or don't regularly pay attention in class and get in trouble daily for it. Let the students who are actually doing well in school keep their phones.

    Thanks!

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  15. I feel why you would want to ban them. But if you took them away 80% of the people would still be on them behind your back. So I think the best idea is just confront the student who is not paying attention. In my opinion keep them because more people would get in trouble for being on them if you take it. I hope you take into consideration of what we are trying to say. Thanks.

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  16. Dear Mrs. Alesch,
    I also do not believe that cellphone use should be banned in school. As a senior in high school, I've seen cell phone use throughout the years, and I do have a strong and honest opinion about it. I will be extremely honest here, I do use my cell phone a lot throughout the school day. Mostly to text my boyfriend and my mother, and I know during cheerleading season I communicated with the cheerleaders a lot. I also tend to play Candy Crush because I really enjoy that game. However, I know when to put it away. I've already had a teacher tell me to put it away in the past, and I do. It's not a problem. My grades are currently all A's, college classes included, with the exception of a B+ in advisory. I am on my cell phone a lot especially during down time. Yes, I know I can read or study, but I like doing that on my own time without any school distractions. Obviously, it looks like my phone is not a problem because I am extremely responsible with it. I know school comes first. I don't believe banning them would help anything. Kids would still text in class and it would end up becoming a bigger problem than it is now. Isn't the cellphone use in class at the teacher's discretion anyways? I know I can't use cellphones in Mrs. Walder's class, therefor I seldom take it out unless I have free time. If a child is always on his or her phone and is doing poorly in class, let them be. Yes, they'll fail, but maybe they'll learn their lesson. I seriously don't think it's that big a problem.
    Please, consider letting us keep our cell phone privilege,
    Thank you,
    Tessa Surcouf

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  17. Dear Mrs. Alesch,

    I think that kids should be able to bring phones into our school. If there's an emergency, then you can call your parents. And this is very important for people who goes onto athletic teams. If you are heading back from practices or games, you have to text or call your parents to pick you up. Hopefully you can take this into consideration. Thank You.

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  18. Dear Mrs. Alesch,

    I think there are good arguments for both sides. Those who want to keep their phones could say they need them incase something happens in their family. On the other hand, those against it could say that most of the time, people don't use their phones for family matters. I think that phones should at least be restricted in the classroom. They could take the phones and give them back at the end of class.

    Thank You,

    Travis Meyer

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  19. Dear Mrs. Alesch,
    I believe you shouldn't band cell phones, just because I believe you should worry more about other things then kids being on there cell phones. Like Daisy said I'd be more focus on trying to hide it then paying attention. Also I have never been told to put away my cell phone. If I was asked to put it away I would. In the handbook it says we can have our cell phones out and I don't think you'd be able to change that until the summer and approve it with the school board. Even if you did band cell phones I don't think i'd be able to make a difference till the following year. (I think so?) Also my mom texts me threw out the day asking what time I work and such so instead of e mailing me or calling Jane to ask she would just text me and I'd reply at the right time. Honestly I think computers are just as bad as cell phones, you have way bigger opportunity to get on Waleno or Pinterest during the day or watch Netflix. I hope you take this into consideration.
    Thank you.

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  20. Dear Mrs. Alesh
    I personally do not believe that taking away the phones will help the issue, not because students will still find a way to use them during school hours, but because i have talked to a number of students on the subject and they have told me they would be very upset about it. The majority of students are not being distracted by their cellular devices but by their computers. The students that do get distracted by their phones do it because the teachers allow them to be. By saying that i don't mean they say they can they are just not strict enough about them with certain students that they like more than others. I ask you to take this into consideration maybe instead of cracking down on students crack down on the teachers.
    Thank you.

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  21. I think we should still have phones in school. If students are caught doing inappropriate things, such as texting or games, then the teachers can take the phones until the end of their class. Most students won't get their phones taken though because most behave when they are on them.

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  22. Dear Mrs. Alesch,

    I understand the reasons you are considering banning cell phones in our school. Many students are distracted by their cell phones on a day to day basis, but about the same amount are distracted by our 1:1 laptops. I believe that the allowance of cell phones in our school is preparing us for the real world, where we will always be surrounded with technology and its many distractions. I know that many students do use their phones in educational ways, or to contact their parents. I occasionally have to leave the school due to appointments, and I need to know when my grandma or mother is here to pick me up. My mother also has to remind me of my appointments, sometimes, and she does this by texting/calling me. My boss has texted me occasionally during school, to ask me to work for someone that night. I know he would not text me unless he really needed someone. I personally feel more comfortable in the school when I have my cell phone with me, and I believe many others would agree. Like at the beginning of the year, when we had the intruder drill, I felt the need to let my mom know. Also, I am a straight A student, with little exceptions, and I always get my homework done on time, regardless of the times I am on my cell phone. I also have a two-track mind, which I think many other students do, as well. When the teacher is talking about something, I can listen to them while also focussing on my own thing. There are also many educational apps that you can download for your phone, such as Lumosity Mobile, Quizlet, Edmodo, and many others. There are also many educational games that work your mind, without you even realizing it. Some of these include Candy Crush, 4 Pics 1 Word, Sudoku, and Emoji Pop. As you read these many reasons why cell phones should not be banned in our school, I hope your take my thoughts into consideration.
    Sincerely,
    Sophia Moran

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  23. Dear Mrs. Alesch,

    The world we are living in today depends on technology in many ways. I don’t believe the students at G-T/R-A need cell phones in the classroom because they are a huge distraction. The main reason why I think you are considering this in the first place is because most of our teachers don’t enforce putting our cell phones away. When I was in middle school you never wanted to get caught with your phone, however it has since then changed. Cell phones don’t need to be banned from school because kids will still bring them. In an April 2010 study, schools that allowed students to have cell phones had 71% of their students sending and receiving messages. They also found that the schools that ban phones still have 58% of their students sending and receiving messages. When students have their phones out in class it is very distracting and you aren’t fully engaged in the class. I did research to see what the educational benefits of having a cell phone in class is and there were not many. The only things that you could benefit from were if you were using twitter, facebook, instragam, or other social media networks for something in your class. At G-T we don’t use any of these for our classes so therefore there is no educational benefit to having them. Students also sit in study hall on their phones and then teachers wonder why there are so many students with missing assignments. In reality, we are in High School and should know when the appropriate time is to have our phones out. It would be best for our teachers to pay more attention to who has their phones out and take them away when they see them. I believe not having cell phones in the classroom would be more beneficial then not. I could be like everyone else and say we need them but in reality there is no educational benefit to having cell phones in the classroom and we are at school to learn.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely, Brooke Hoffman

    Source:
    http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/do-cell-phones-belong-in-the-classroom/257325/

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  24. I feel that banning cell phones would be the wrong the to do. I understand completely where you are coming from with banning them, but there is so many positive options that phones can be used for. One positive thing that cell phones can be used for is the use of the internet. The internet is always being used in today's world and can be used for many different things including looking up information about certain topics in class and looking up some activities that could help you better understand the topic at hand. For example, in math class we were discussing the pythagorean theorem, so I used my phone to help me look up a better description of it because we had to write a paper on it. I learn better with looking at graphics than hearing it from a person. Another positive to phones is that people can stay in contact with a family member if something tragic has happened in their family. I know that when one of my family members is really sick, I like to know how things are going many times a day. I know that Jane is able to take calls from family members, but she seems to be very busy throughout the day with Infinite Campus and attendance. I feel that keeping cell phones can help with family members getting ahold of their child in need of a tragic incident. One last reason why phones should be kept in school is with your phone, you can text or call a classmate for help. I know that many times this year, I have had to text a classmate that was gone and tell them what we were doing in a class. I also remember a time when I was home sick and was not able to be at school, I was able to text one of my classmates while they were in class and they were able to tell me what they were doing so I could have it done when I came back. Three main reasons I feel that cell phones should not banned from school are that we can use them for the internet help, we can stay in contact with family members if something tragic has happened within our family, and we are able to contact our classmates if we are in need of an assignment.

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