WaPo: Students can’t get off their phones. Schools have had enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are not the end all, be all. The content is limited and targeted to the lowest education standards of huge states TX and FL.

Right! As critical as I am of the cell phone situation, going to all paper, pencil and textbooks is not the way forward.

We need better controls and enforcement on technology use, so we can use technology for what it's good for and limit its potential to cause harm and distraction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Also bring back textbooks. No homework or online grades. Many fewer assignments but more quality.

This requires a lot of shelving and organizing of paper.

It will never happen but it will soon be his the elite are educated. The poor kids will get YouTube videos and online worksheets.

I’m a teacher….20 years.

Is this satire?
You know where those papers go once people are done with them? The trash.

At least they are reading. Kids today are playing dumb games and watching other people do stupid things on their phones. They also use them as a mirror.

[Anonymous]

One of the many reasons I love my kids’ private school. Strict rules to keep phones and Apple Watches in their lockers until the end of the school day!

As a public school teacher, I’m heartbroken that we can’t enforce the same rule for our students. They are constantly distracted by their phones!

[Anonymous]

I'm not against having students put their phones into a pouch when they walk into a classroom but students are also distracted by the content on their school-issued laptops and tablets.

[Anonymous]

This isn't a real problem. If you don't want your kid using a phone, don't buy them one. It's that simple. Really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are not the end all, be all. The content is limited and targeted to the lowest education standards of huge states TX and FL.

Right! As critical as I am of the cell phone situation, going to all paper, pencil and textbooks is not the way forward.

We need better controls and enforcement on technology use, so we can use technology for what it's good for and limit its potential to cause harm and distraction.

I have to wonder about this fascination with outmoded textbooks too. That industry just prayed on school districts for decades but is so obsolete now that nobody needs their garbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not against having students put their phones into a pouch when they walk into a classroom but students are also distracted by the content on their school-issued laptops and tablets.

Agreed. Screentime overall is a problem, for attention, eyesight, etc. -- not just with phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Textbooks are not the end all, be all. The content is limited and targeted to the lowest education standards of huge states TX and FL.

Right! As critical as I am of the cell phone situation, going to all paper, pencil and textbooks is not the way forward.

We need better controls and enforcement on technology use, so we can use technology for what it's good for and limit its potential to cause harm and distraction.

I have to wonder about this fascination with outmoded textbooks too. That industry just prayed on school districts for decades but is so obsolete now that nobody needs their garbage.

The same industry preys on districts with web apps now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Also bring back textbooks. No homework or online grades. Many fewer assignments but more quality.

This requires a lot of shelving and organizing of paper.

It will never happen but it will soon be his the elite are educated. The poor kids will get YouTube videos and online worksheets.

I’m a teacher….20 years.

Is this satire?
You know where those papers go once people are done with them? The trash.

At least they are reading. Kids today are playing dumb games and watching other people do stupid things on their phones. They also use them as a mirror.

How appalling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't see any meaningful solutions proposed in the articles. It's such a mess and there's no real solution in sight.

Is it really so difficult? Phones stay in locker; or phones stay in pouch, desk, etc. for duration of class. Would parents really oppose this? And if not, why not implement?

I also do not see why kids, certainly pre-high school, need constant access to a laptop & internet in class. If they are done early, they can read a book, do extra credit, catch up on homework from another class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't see any meaningful solutions proposed in the articles. It's such a mess and there's no real solution in sight.

Is it really so difficult? Phones stay in locker; or phones stay in pouch, desk, etc. for duration of class. Would parents really oppose this? And if not, why not implement?

I also do not see why kids, certainly pre-high school, need constant access to a laptop & internet in class. If they are done early, they can read a book, do extra credit, catch up on homework from another class.

As the article points out, challenges with the pouch model include:

1) Not as feasible for larger school districts due to cost and maintenance

2) Students can just slip an old phone in the pouch and keep their real phone on them

3) Not all parents have universal consensus that kids shouldn't have phones in the classroom so there's not always enough buy-in in some districts to support this. Their reasons are they want to always have access to their child at all times...

4) It still requires teachers to be the cell phone police, which isn't their job, and carries severe risk as several students have been charged and arrested for teachers taking their phones away from them in compliance with these policies.

In short, we have a policy on paper that is either unenforceable or if enforced, comes with severe drawbacks, and we can't even get parents on the same page on what to do about it.

[Anonymous]

Something that really pisses me off is the reading online. My 1st grade dd is having a read-a-thon. It only counts though if you read online. So if she's reading at her brother's soccer practice, it doesn't count. Or the reading she does at night with me doesn't count either. Only their limited, online selection counts.

I think it's a terrible habit to tie kids to computers like this. Bad for their eyes too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the many reasons I love my kids’ private school. Strict rules to keep phones and Apple Watches in their lockers until the end of the school day!

As a public school teacher, I’m heartbroken that we can’t enforce the same rule for our students. They are constantly distracted by their phones!

Yes! I'm only in my 30s but I remember you'd get detention if caught with a phone out of your locker during school hours. You could only use it during lunch or before/after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Also bring back textbooks. No homework or online grades. Many fewer assignments but more quality.

This requires a lot of shelving and organizing of paper.

It will never happen but it will soon be his the elite are educated. The poor kids will get YouTube videos and online worksheets.

I’m a teacher….20 years.

Is this satire?
You know where those papers go once people are done with them? The trash.

At least they are reading. Kids today are playing dumb games and watching other people do stupid things on their phones. They also use them as a mirror.

I think we agree actually. I must have misunderstood the meme.

[Anonymous]

Just went into a women's restroom at work. Two women came out of the stalls looking at their phones. 1) GROSS and 2) you don't need to be on your damn phone 24/7. You can pee without it, I promise. You aren't that important, people will not miss you, you're not getting more done as a result of having in the bathroom while you pee. Gee, I wonder where our kids are learning it.