SMOL: Smartphone use in school; good students, good teachers?

ROBERT SMOL

As I have written, the class routine & # 39; My day as a teacher & # 39; high school became a losing battle against forces supposedly more "progressive" best practices & # 39; learning to think that students should be allowed to use smartphones in class.

Today, a growing number of & # 39; schools failed to believe that the theoretical possibility that a student can & # 39 ;, sometimes, smartphone use for academic function, means that they must be allowed to use them. Similarly, teachers are now trying to find a way for these into the class & # 39; routine.

And, of course, there are still some ingenious stakeholders in the education system to think that the increased presence of & # 39; any electronic computing device means "smarter people".

Of course, there is always the hint that the use of the smartphone is "at the discretion of the classroom teacher" and that its use should always be for "academic purposes". I think that some really think we have super-human ability to personally monitor the individual smartphone use & # 39; 25-30 teenager while, at the same time, learning and management classroom.

But the simple truth is that every student knows these devices are personal way & # 39; entertainment and distraction. They are the means to communicate with their friends, playing video games and listening to music. However, the fact that are created as & # 39; education possible tool is the means by which students can actually be given the benefit of the doubt whenever allowed to interact with & # 39; their smartphones inside and outside the classroom.

There are, however, remain & # 39; only one area in schools enter the use of & # 39; smartphone in class.

Teachers!

I should be clear, totally agree that teachers m & # 39; should take their smartphones in class for all the same reasons. I do not think the students & # 39; should use them. They distraction. That is why my solitary restriction on the use of & # 39; smartphone applies to me just as rigorously as they apply to my students.

But when I hear & # 39; managers b & # 39; categorically declare it as "unprofessional" for teachers to use in class smartphones, while at the same time say they can & # 39; acceptable for students, is nothing less than a double standard.

Indeed, teachers who use iPhones / cellphones in class can actually face prosecution for professional misconduct. This happened to a teacher in & # 39; Hamilton area a few years ago.

Can & # 39; is that only children and teenagers who can be trusted to never use their smartphones at school for computer games, Snapchat, texting, YouTube and music?

Unless someone can & # 39; to convince this veteran teacher 14-18 year may only just b & # 39; unequivocal way be trusted to use smartphone for academic reasons, then maybe we need to give teachers the same trust and discretion to give to students.

Only when those in my profession can freely take their smartphone in the classroom and open access to any apps that we have for "academic purposes related to & # 39; school" makers really making seeing the face true & # 39; that means learning smartphones.

– Smol is a teacher and freelance writer in the GTA.