Simranjeet Kaur Prof D Blenkhorn WRTG 1100 S10 10 December 2018 Term Paper Cell Phone Policies at SchoolLearners use of cell phone is so omnipresent that some are consenting to danger it all to sneak their devices in classroom. Nowadays young people are extremely social and averse to the school management because they are always ready to formulate ways to beat the system rules. The statistics are surprising as Anne Paul cites that about 80 percent of college text in the classroom while another 15 percent send more than eleven texts during a single classroom session[4].
With the errant use of internet, students may engage in exam cheating, share unsuitable pictures, involved in cyberbullying, and some other cell-phone mediated behaviors. Therefore, school administrators must develop and implement policies that minimizing the use of cellphones in the classroom. School cellphone policies should involve a mixture of strategies such as designating specific cellphone restricted zones, sensitizing pupil on dangers of the cellphone in class, and use of spy ware.
In scheming cellphone policies, school decision makers should think about the idea of tech breaks as a way of enticing the learners to complete the tasks at hand instead of multitasking. According to Aagaard, most of the young people today have been raised in the context of digital technologies[885]. Management must understand and plan policies with the perspective that cellphone use among teens is a realism. Young people have a different view about multitasking because they have supposedly developed the ability to rapidly process parallel and discontinuous information [ Aagaard 885]. Paul suggested that introducing tech breaks’ allow students to satisfy their craving for computer-mediated communication [6]. Such breaks permit students to check the social sites, post content, and text before returning to studies. In such a way, students can focus or extend their times in studies knowing that a break is available to satisfy their electronic craving. Turkle commented that the world of connectivity seems to suit the overworked and over scheduled life style of today[324]. Multitasking is a part of the learner life both at home and school, but the level should be less and only when necessary. Furthermore, teachers can boost students to choose tech break’ models at home because it is entirely applicable. Another functional approach would be sensitizing students on the disadvantage of cellphone multitasking. Perhaps, head of the institute can establish a multitasking campaign period that permit students to understand the risk of multitasking and how the activity affects their grades. For illustration, multitasking with cellphone in classroom cause inattention and distract the student from learning the discussion topic in class. Bregman warns that people falsely convince themselves that they can engage in multiple activities at once because the reality is that productivity reduces by more than 40 percent [519]. Transferring from one task to another distract and cause time wastage. Similarly, texting and receiving text lessen the ability of students to recall information during lectures [ Carrier et al. 71]. Paul asserts that same sentiment by warning that media multitasking affects student’s grades negatively [6]. Through creating knowingness of the risk of cell phone multitasking at school, especially classroom, students understand, and mind may change because of all in involved in learning for good academic performance. The formulation would be useful because it transfers the trouble to the students by triggering a mindset variation rather than restrictions. At times, it is suggested to help students identify problems associated with some their behaviors to solve the essential cause.Lastly, school administrations should consider using restricted areas and spy ware movement. Since classrooms are the most affected, schools should develop some policies that prohibit that renders classrooms as no cellphones zones. Paul indicates that some professors prefer installed electronic spy ware or use of human observes to limit learners from using cell phones in class [3]. Some of the restrictions to manage cellphones in the class may include appropriated cell phones from students messaging or consider the student as absent when their phones ring during lecture session. Furthermore, zero permissiveness for cell phones during exams is essential to eliminate chance of cheating by implementing a policy of automatic zero when one is found with a phone in exam room [Tindell and Bohlander. 6]. However, school management should understand that no cell phone zone policy in the classroom would also demand support from teachers. Teachers should minimize usage of cell phone during lecture hours. Silverman argues that multitasking is crucial for survival in today’s busy environment [522]. Students can engage in multitasking because the practices is common in today’s society. Therefore, restrictive practices can mark their effectiveness from the manner in which offenders who break the rules are managed. School management should create a dare consequence for disregarding restricted zone policy’ on cell phone use at school. In conclusion, cell phone use among the youth is continue due to technological era. However, the problem is only when the cell phones become distraction in the learning process. It is prudent if school administration implement policies aimed at reducing the problems associated with cell phone use in the classroom. Strategies introduce tech break’ cooperative framework for solving the difficulty. Tech break of fifteen minutes can allow students to satisfy their craving for online presence and resume regular learning. Furthermore, sensitizing students on the dangers of cellphone multitasking- such as distraction, and low grades- prompt the students to find solutions for themselves. In utmost cases, teachers and other staff of the management can use approaches like punishment and spy ware for controlling cell phone use in the classroom. The usefulness of the given approach depends on consistency, cooperation with learners and making the pupil understand that their grades depend on them no multitasking with cell phones in class during lectures.