Outline
I. Introduction
A. Learners can make use of cell phones’ cameras to capture important scenes during field trips.
B. Some cell phones are equipped with wireless internet features which can enhance online research among students.
C. Built-in clock is another significant feature of cell phones, and it can be used by both instructors and students to time group activities.
D. In case of an emergency, for instance, if there is a fire outbreak, cell phones can be very useful, especially among students who may require emergency support
E. Cell phones can assist students in planning their school activities. A student can make diary and also preset various reminders in his or her cell phone.
II.
A. Cell phones can greatly interfere with learning activities especially in a situation where students use their phones carelessly.
B. Students may also forget to switch off their cell phones. Therefore, incoming phone calls and messages will disrupt the whole class (Russell 1)
C. Cheating in examinations can be enhanced by cell phones.
D. Cell phone cameras may also be used for wrong purposes by students.
III. Conclusion
Cell Phones in the Classroom
According to the Beach School system regulations, middle and high school students are allowed to have cell phones in school, but they can only use them after a completed instructional day. However, last year my daughter was attending middle school and in one of her classes she was required to use her cell phone to log her homework and test dates. The teacher found that the students responded better if they used their phones as a planner instead of the normal paperback. Even today in high school where the policy has not changed, my daughter is using her cell for her accelerated courses. I found that ironic since this was against the school’s policy and Student Code of Conduct. “Public school systems have policies in place for cell phone use in the classroom; the issue seems to cause debate on whether or not cell phones have an actual educational place in the classroom” (Virginia Beach City Public Schools 1).
Modern cell phones are sophisticated and can perform several applications, which can facilitate effective learning. For instance, “in some North Carolina high schools students are using their phones to calculate Algebra equations” (Stansbury 1).
Learners can make use of cell phones’ cameras to capture important scenes during field trips. The video clips can be of great importance to the students during report writing. Besides this, the digital cameras can enable students to document multimedia presentations. Moreover, a student can capture information written by an instructor on the board and send it to his or her colleague who is absent.
Some cell phones are equipped with wireless internet features which can enhance online research among students. Access to the internet also enables students to form online discussion groups. Hence, they can avoid holding discussions physically. This mode of discussion is appropriate to shy students who may not be comfortable to express themselves in front of their colleagues.
Many students usually find it rather cumbersome to use the dictionaries owing to their bulky nature. This challenge can be surmounted by accessing dictionaries online through cell phones. For example, a student can easily get definitions of vocabularies on the internet.
Built-in clock is another significant feature of cell phones, and it can be used by both instructors and students to time group activities. This will enhance concentration of students because they will not be worried about time management. Consequently, students will be more focused on their learning tasks. By setting the timers, students can perform speed tests more effectively since they will not glance at the classroom clock.
In case of an emergency, for instance, if there is a fire outbreak, cell phones can be very useful, especially among students who may require emergency support. For instance, students can easily communicate to their colleagues and parents during such emergencies. Cell phones can also be helpful in situations when the school communication systems are disrupted. For example, cell phones can prevent a school communication system from getting jammed with calls when emergency cases arise.
Lastly, cell phones can assist students in planning their school activities. A student can make diary and also preset various reminders in his or her cell phone. This will prevent students from forgetting and missing important activities. They will also remember to do their assignments on time.
Cell phones can greatly interfere with learning activities especially in a situation where students use their phones carelessly. Studies reveal that students can easily lose concentration during learning if they possess many electronic gadgets in the learning environment. "There are some students who will just continually text, and teachers have often reported that they cannot complete a lesson because students are sitting texting” (Benton 2).
Students may also forget to switch off their cell phones. Therefore, incoming phone calls and messages will disrupt the whole class (Russell 1). Detecting such cases of indiscipline may be not easy to an instructor since text messages are written silently, and an instructor may not easily identify the students who are not concentrating.
Cheating in examinations can be enhanced by cell phones. For example, some students can search for answers through their phones. Besides this, students can receive and send examination answers to their colleagues. Moreover, a teacher may not have evidence to penalize a student who cheats in examination using a cell phone simply because they can easily delete the information after getting the answers.
Cell phone cameras may also be used for wrong purposes by students. For instance, “some kids whose cell phones have cameras take pictures and send them to their friends” (Fortner 22). Such activities can create conflicts among students. Apart from this, the victims of such actions may be affected psychologically, and this can jeopardize their studies.
From the above discussion it is evident that cell phones have many advantages to learners, but they can also cause interference in classes if they are not properly used. Teachers should, therefore, come up with rules, which regulate the use of cell phones in classrooms. If there is a need to use one, the teacher concerned should clearly give instructions. This is because cell phones can create a lot of interference in the learning environment if proper measures are not put in place to control how they are used in classrooms. Therefore, I suggest that young students should be allowed to use phones in various class activities, but under proper guidance.
