Why send a mobile phone to school?

My 9yr old son is always asking for a phone.

Put simply, i live my working life governed by the dreaded things and i want my child to remain a child for as long as possible. Last minute this and emergency that is a load of rubbish.

They are at school to learn and do as they are told. Mobile phones have no place in schools

There great in school, when ever the kids get them out it gives me a reason to send them out the class to visit the Depute, less brats in the class to disrupt the lesson RESULT.

The ones the use the phones in class are usually the ones that dont really want an education and will end up on the dole anyway.

We are considering fitting one of the jammer things, going to be funny to see the kids faces when thats installed.

I’m not aware of any approved jammers?

Its an area when a number of LAs are currently looking for more guidlines.

The issues regarding mobile phones are more than just the disraction they cause, there is a serious issue surrounding the use of video and bullying. And general cyber bullying using text.

But surely the kids would just carry on “cyber bullying” when out of the class – during breaks and after school/weekends?

It does depend on the child, my daughters could crash through 2000 mms a month my son barely manages 20.

Tis an expensive shame that I have 4 daughters and 1 son….

stevewhyte – Member
There great in school, when ever the kids get them out it gives me a reason to send them out the class to visit the Depute, less brats in the class to disrupt the lesson RESULT.

The ones the use the phones in class are usually the ones that dont really want an education and will end up on the dole anyway.

We are considering fitting one of the jammer things, going to be funny to see the kids faces when thats installed

Please tell me you’re not a teacher.

Please?

You can neither spell nor punctuate, and you seem more concerned with belittling children.

Oh, hold on. You ARE a teacher. It’s clear to me now.

druidh – Member

But surely the kids would just carry on “cyber bullying” when out of the class – during breaks and after school/weekends?

Indeed, but we have to take a bit of a stand.
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Flashnob your coming over all twatish whats your problem? Did a naughty teacher give you a C- when you did your cycling proficiency.

i think his problem is you’re awesome use of apostrophe’s.

I guess he needs to tell it to someone who give a flying f…

You come across people like that in all walks of life and they all have one thing in common, their all tossers.

yoo cant be a techre you cant spel

They are at school to learn and do as they are told.

Hi there Victorian Father! Authority issues much?

People who expect teachers to be able to spell and punctuate are all tossers.

I learned something today.

Great, now thats what teachers should do. Help you learn, glad to be of service.

Bullys, bully. They don’t give a toss if they’re doing it by phone or by smacking someone round the head with a cricket bat.

Of course, I know **** all but having worn glasses and a brace all the way through school and being quite skinny and by comitting the most terrible sin a school child can make….being reasonably smart….I’m assuming that I understand what an average level of bullying is.

If there’s no mobile phones they’ll just give them a good kicking. Trust me. I have the scars to prove it.

Some coming back to the OP, it makes them feel a little bit safer. Yep, I can’t be there all the time but my lad always knew if he called and said come and get me now, I’d drop everything and do it.

I never had that luxury, it’s certainly one I’d have liked when yet another fist was heading towards my face for doing nothing more than paying attention in class but I’m glad I can give it to my son.

The question of mobile phones in school is a tricky one. Parents believe that having a phone empowers their children, and this is certainly true in most circumstances; the ability to contact mum and dad is both useful and important. I have a rule at my school which means that all students have to turn their phones in, and get them back at break/lunch time. This is easily facilitated when you only have 15 students (PRU), but inherently complex in a school with 1800 on role. Having said that, the academy I previously worked for seemed to work the system well, and there were very few issues.

There are two issues with the phone in school. It disrupts/distracts learners, and is used as a tool for bullying. The use of BBM as a weapon by bullies is on the rise in a big way, and many of the incidents I have had to deal with this year have been because of this. As adults we are incredulous as to why kids that don’t belong to the same social groups would give out their numbers/become friends on Facebook etc, but for some inexplicable reason they do, even when they know it might lead to some form of bullying.

I’m off to change my daughters nappy. G’night!

The funniest thing is when a parent calls a pupil in class and they answer it, then you get into the positiion where you have to take th ephone off them and suggest to the parent that phoning your child while in school is a bit dim, i know that you want them to collect a packet of Dorchester on the way home but maybe you should wait till after 3.35.

During school hours phones have no place in the school building, they really dont.

We can’t unphone the population just the same way as we can’t be sure that every phone is off in class but we can hope that they understand that if it goes off then they can collect it at the end of the day from a member of the SMT.

We operate a three strikes rule, not sure what happens after the third strike but then that’s above my pay band.

The beauty of a swanky new science building with one zinc side and fancy louvres and metallised blackout blinds is you have a pretty effective Faraday cage with the ability to passively block signals. When I want to make sure all phones are off I close the blinds for a few minutes “for a short youtube clip” when opened at least one phone will buzz.

At rugby a couple of weeks ago I collected the “vals” bag. 12 iPhones assorted other smart phones and iPods and one wallet with £70 in it. And we wonder why petty thieves are targeting school changing rooms.

I see phones as a tool for learning.

At the very least they’ve got a calculator. The camera/video/audio can be pretty useful in class too for recording / note taking/ assesssment.

Why ban them from schools when they can be so useful? A classic kneejerk reaction from people who can’t be bothered teaching appropriate use instead, we’re meant to be teachers afterall.

stevewhyte – just out of interest, what do you teach? I am curious as you’ve now spelt they’re wrong twice in two different ways, amongst other grammatical and punctuation errors.

It’s not a dig, but genuine curiosity, in a time of reported slipping standards of teaching and co-inciding with a damning Ofsted report at my daughters school.

Spin they are not a tool for learning.

I have been known to let a not so quick writer photograph the board, especially where equations are being shown, but if you let them use the ‘phone as a calculator and they get used to its functions and the way it works. What is going to happen come exam time?

What is appropriate use and importantly with something like a ‘phone how do yo police it? Some universities in America are banning the use of laptops in lectures because the majority were gaming or on the web instead of learning..

Oh, and not digging either but stevewhyte’s first post made me cringe as a fellow professional.

Why ban them from schools when they can be so useful? A classic kneejerk reaction from people who can’t be bothered teaching appropriate use instead, we’re meant to be teachers afterall.

Do you mean by ‘we’ that you’re a teacher, or just that as adults we should be teaching the youth? If you are a teacher, where/what do you teach? I’d be interested to know about how you govern the phone issue in your school if possible? If such a model is working effectively and there are no issues I’d love to do some collaborative work, maybe shadowing you and your (schools) students.

Good to see a fellow educationalist advocating the technological advance in communication and making it work. Ideas and solutions are what we need.

Spin they are not a tool for learning.

They are in my class. Photographing the board is no different to copying something down from the board in terms of retention (IMO, no studies to back that up). It is however much quicker leaving more time for activities that lead to proper learning.

What is going to happen come exam time

Forget exam time and fast forward to the real world where people use their phones for that kind of stuff all the time. I guess it depends on how you see your role as a teacher, getting them through exams or preparing them for life (or trying to at least). Both are important.

I’d be interested to know about how you govern the phone issue in your school if possible?

I tend to say something like ‘use your phone to add up those figure’s and if I see anyone using anything other than the calculator I’ll confiscate it.’ Interestingly, although I have confiscated many phones from pupils it’s never been during a task in which they were using them.

Is this what you do?

Not really. I now live in England, mother is in the best country in the world (Wales, natch), am 45, and my mother has multiple sclerosis. Oh, and she’d tell me to do one. Good come back by the way, I’ll store it for later use.

But honestly – my colleagues who work won’t allow their children to go out and play. They’re scared of things happening to them. As a result they play on consoles. Shame.

Spin, really same retention? I doubt it. Open a book photograph page 127 close book now tell me what was on page 127. Majority of kids won’t read a handout never mind a photograph unless you back it up with ” i want to see that written up next time”.

And I’m but sorry not thinking about exams smacks of naivety. I try and give the full skills for life experience (coaching sport, running DofE and in charge of Outdoor Ed) but at the end of the day, never mind the rights and wrongs of it, exams matter hugely. Oh and many work places will not allow ‘phones either.

Handwriting and typing skills are massively important and neither are improved with a point and shoot photograph.

Suprised so many find phones such a problem. If they get them out in my lessons they get one warning then its taken away and they have to get a parent in to get it back. Simples.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR i teachet English as a second langage in a scool for the specialy grifted.

onehundredthidiot glad i can make you cringe you really must have the square root of **** all to do if you think i could care less about what my fingers do on the keyboard.

Seriously, give it a rest with the spelling/grammar police it is starting to wear a bit thin and just creep towards cockdum.

You teach English to foreign geniuses?

stevewhyte – I’m not sure if you are on the wind-up, but your attitude stinks too. English skills aside, I’m glad you don’t teach my daughter.

Stevewhyte, you sound like a moron.

If parents find giving their loved one a phone lets them relax a little, then who are you/me/anyone to question it? (Unless of course you are a teacher etc.)

Me and a friend had a conversation recently about the lack of kids you see outside, I see millions of them walking home at 3:30, but none playing in the park or riding bikes in the woods (honestly I’m not a paedo). I went to hamsterly downhill track one weekday in the summer holidays. Lovely day, sun out, the place was empty. Just me there. I can’t say this is the same everyday but it backed up by theory that all children are indoors on an xbox/ps3 getting fat and stupid. The end.

And I’m but sorry not thinking about exams smacks of naivety

Read my post again. I said both are important.

Open a book photograph page 127 close book now tell me what was on page 127

You really have a talent for misreading stuff. I’m suggesting that after having generated something on the board or co-operatively pupils photograph it rather than copy it down. Yes, taking a photo in itself has zero educational value. What it does is free up time for the stuff with value and ensure pupils have a record of the work. Whether they use that is up to them.

Are you seriously suggesting that copying notes from a board or a book is a valid method for anything other than the odd snippet? Copying notes is a time time filling / crowd control tactic with tiny educational value.

Handwriting and typing skills are massively important and neither are improved with a point and shoot photograph.

Can’t argue with you there, but again you’ve got the wrong end of the stick. I’m not trying to improve those skills in this way. That would be silly. If I want pupils to improve those skills we do an activity focused on them.

I’m off oot on the bike now. 😀

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR lols how do you know i dont.

Why not take the dirty great plank out of your eye before you complain about the speck of dust in mine.

You have no idea what my attitude is towards anything, if you think a cycling forum is the basis for informed debate the you are naive at best.

How about less personal attacks and discuss the topic eh.

You have no idea what my attitude is towards anything, if you think a cycling forum is the basis for informed debate the you are naive at best.

How about less personal attacks and discuss the topic eh.

If you have been discussing the topic, then he has an idea what your attitude is, no?