Appreciate your nuanced treatment of the issues! Another problem with the argument that smart phones are useful educationally is that even now a small percentage of 9th-12th graders either don't have a phone or don't bring one to school.
This is another area where parent support makes a huge difference, I would think.
My teens KNOW that if they got in trouble for using a phone during class, that would have consequences at home, too. (Probably the phone would be taken away for a while.)
The only reason we even let them bring phones to school is because of their after-school activities: they often need to be picked up after the office is closed (so there is no landline phone to call home).
This is a hot topic in Australia. Good to see you put two sides to the story. Australia, like many developed countries is experiencing a mental health crisis -withh 39% of teenagers seeking professional mental health assistance, which is up from 19% pre COVID. Many reasons, including cultural and economic reasons (not often talked about) but phone use is in the mix, but way lower down.
Jacqueline, thanks for the article - very timely as this is a hot topic in school. Many independent schools back home are instituting new cell phone policies this fall. Most are having students turn in their phones to their advisor each morning and retrieve them at the end of the day. These schools also have 1:1 laptop programs so students have access to educational technology. We're all hopeful that this will have a positive impact.
Wondering: Do you ban phones in your classrooms at Brown? I’m a uni prof too and have taken the “do yourself a favor and put it away” which only works for a little while and the. I have to choose between ignoring or policing which is terrible. Mulling over what I will do this year…love to hear abt your strategies. Maybe Brown students / Ivy League culture is different than where I work (small regional comprehensive uni with a liberal arts undergrad program) tho? I know that matters too.
Appreciate your nuanced treatment of the issues! Another problem with the argument that smart phones are useful educationally is that even now a small percentage of 9th-12th graders either don't have a phone or don't bring one to school.
This is another area where parent support makes a huge difference, I would think.
My teens KNOW that if they got in trouble for using a phone during class, that would have consequences at home, too. (Probably the phone would be taken away for a while.)
The only reason we even let them bring phones to school is because of their after-school activities: they often need to be picked up after the office is closed (so there is no landline phone to call home).
This is a hot topic in Australia. Good to see you put two sides to the story. Australia, like many developed countries is experiencing a mental health crisis -withh 39% of teenagers seeking professional mental health assistance, which is up from 19% pre COVID. Many reasons, including cultural and economic reasons (not often talked about) but phone use is in the mix, but way lower down.
Jacqueline, thanks for the article - very timely as this is a hot topic in school. Many independent schools back home are instituting new cell phone policies this fall. Most are having students turn in their phones to their advisor each morning and retrieve them at the end of the day. These schools also have 1:1 laptop programs so students have access to educational technology. We're all hopeful that this will have a positive impact.
Wondering: Do you ban phones in your classrooms at Brown? I’m a uni prof too and have taken the “do yourself a favor and put it away” which only works for a little while and the. I have to choose between ignoring or policing which is terrible. Mulling over what I will do this year…love to hear abt your strategies. Maybe Brown students / Ivy League culture is different than where I work (small regional comprehensive uni with a liberal arts undergrad program) tho? I know that matters too.