Education resources center excludes mobile phones in some schools
Education resources center limits the use of mobile phones in the classroom. Many elementary and middle schools face challenges when it comes to controlling the use of mobile phones in schools. Almost every school banned the use of the new mobile phone technology.
Today, the education resources center in some schools are adapting to the use of mobile phone technology in the classroom. Other schools are still finding it difficult to embrace this new technology in the instructional day. There are pros and cons to mobile phone usage in elementary and middle schools. Some people still think mobile phones don't belong in school.
As time passes, mobile phone technology will become an everyday part of the lives of schoolchildren. Most kids don’t have a problem with using a mobile phone in the classroom. However, many teachers object to constantly having to compete with the devices for the attention of their young charges in class. Many educators believe that allowing students to use mobile phones in school affects the way students learn. They think that there are other safety issues associated with the use of mobile phones in school.
Why do teachers omit the use mobile phones from the education resources center in school?
Many parents and teachers would rather see children playing outside in a playground instead of always indoors playing with their mobile phones.
• Classroom management distraction. Student use of mobile phones for anything other than classroom assignments is a distraction to the teacher. Text messaging, chatting on the phone during classroom instruction and unrestricted Internet access to non-educational websites disrupt the learning environment.
• Theft. Educators don’t want the risk of making mobile phone devices easy targets for criminals to steal mobile phone devices. Parents won’t have to spend money to replace these stolen items. Criminals won’t be able to remove or extract the user data and then resell the mobile phones for profit.
Are these chickens pecking at the mobile phones teachers have confiscated from the disobedient students?
• Cheating. Students can use a fully featured Web browser to find answers to a closed book or device test questions online. Teachers expect students to prepare for these tests by completing class assignments and studying. They also have a closed book, notes and device policy in the classroom during the times students are required to complete a test.
• Cyber bullying. Teachers, parents and school administrators all agree that this is a big problem in today’s schools. Old school thinking believes that the resolution to this issue is to prohibit the use of mobile phone devices on school property. Not allowing mobile phones in the classroom is one way to control and manage cyber bulling. Newer thinking is that cyber bullying will take place on or off school property. The new way is to ask parents to prevent their children from becoming cyber bullies in school.
• Not part of the education resources center curriculum. Students like to communicate with one another through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Educators are concerned that children are spending too much time using social media and not enough time on academic pursuits. Teachers and school administrators believe that limiting the use of mobile phones in school will encourage students to complete their assignments rather than wasting time on social media channels with their mobile phone devices.
Historical websites accessible with a mobile phone
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC
Mount Vernon in Alexandria, Virginia
National Women's History Alliance
History Today
History News Network
Colonial Williamsburg
