May 23rd, 2006
Hang It Up
By Jesse Scaccia
New York Times
You’re a teacher in the New York City public school system. It’s September, and you’re lecturing the class on the structure of an essay. Your students need to know this information to pass your class and the Regents exam, and you, of course, hope that one day your talented students will dazzle and amaze English professors all over the country.
You turn your back to write the definition of ‘’thesis’’ on the chalk board. It takes about 15 seconds. You turn around to the class expecting to see 25 students scribbling the concept in their notebook. Instead, you see a group of students who have sprung appendages of technology.
Jose has grown an earphone. Maria’s thumbs have sprouted a two-way. Man Keung, recently arrived from China, is texting away on a cellphone connected to his wrist. And Christina appears to be playing Mine Sweeper on a Pocket PC on her lap.
Come the end of the term, a handful will fail the class. A number will never pass the Regents. As we all know, far too many will drop out of school. And I can tell you with no hint of pride that it isn’t the teacher’s fault. As much as any other problem plaguing our schools, the onus for failure should be placed on distractions in the classroom, specifically the cellphone.
Though electronic devices have been banned in public schools for years, the issue came to the forefront last month when Chancellor Joel Klein announced the random placement of metal detectors in schools. The result: more than 800 cellphones have been confiscated.
Students and their parents, who say they rely on cellphones for safety reasons, are outraged. There’s even talk of a lawsuit arguing that the rule should be struck down.
But as a former New York City public school teacher, I can tell you that cellphones don’t belong in the classroom. A student with a cellphone is an uninterested student, one with a short attention span who cares more about his social life than education.
Parents think of cellphones as a connection to their children in an emergency. I have a few questions for those parents: First, when was the last situation that genuinely called for immediate interaction with your child? In most cases, the hospital or the police would seem more urgent. Second, is phoning the main office and having it patch you through to your child not quick enough? And third, do you know why your children really want to take cellphones to school?
Because just like the new Jordans and Rocawear they desire, cellphones are status symbols. Because when their cellphone rings while the teacher is talking, everyone laughs. Because playing video games on their cell makes them look cool. Because text messaging their friend in the next room is more fun than learning about the topic sentence. So is listening to the new Three 6 Mafia song they just downloaded onto their cell.
And saying students can store their phones in the locker is a joke. If they have cellphones, they’re going to bring them into class.
There are legitimate causes that parents should be taking on. Rally against crowding in the classroom. Fight against the oppressive and culturally biased Regents tests. But you’re wrong on this cellphone issue. In this case, you are part of the problem, not the solution.
Comments
- Posted by Dave Kovacs on May 23rd, 2006
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Posted by Brian Reed on May 24th, 2006
If I were a parent, I would be fighting like mad to KEEP cell phones banned from school, and if they didn’t, I would pull my kid out and send him/her to private school. And to all you parents out there who are buying your kids cell phones, you had better be really firm about teaching them cell phone etiquette and respect for those around them. If you’re really concerned about your kid’s safety, here are two other points you would be wise to consider: the possiblity of your kid/teen being involved in a cell phone/distracted driving accident, or even a cell phone rage incident. If you think the latter is far-fetched, think again. I witnessed a fight break out in a movie theatre a couple weeks ago over a couple of 16-year-olds who wouldn’t stop answering their ringing cells in the middle of the movie.
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Posted by Al Mangini on June 1st, 2006
I for one will join teachers in the fight to ban cell phones from the schools. They are very distractive for classmates and very annoying for teachers to try and teach over them. I say kick out the cell phone and if the kid keeos bringing it, then kick out the kid, and let the parents pay a fine to have the kid reinstated. We didnt need cell phones in the schools years ago, why suddenly now we need them? We dont, its just something for kids and bad parents to cry about.
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Posted by Andy on June 2nd, 2006
Cell phones are also a safety issue: students use them to call their posse to meet them outside when there is an altercation in school. This has happened more than once in my building. The cell phones are NOT necessary for students to have, the students are too immature to use them responsibly, and they are a constant distraction in the classroom. Cell phone blockers are available; however, they are technically illegal to use except for law enforcement.
The argument that we need cell phones in classrooms in case of dire emergencies is the weakest argument since “the government should be able to spy on anyone since if you have nothing to hide why care?”
The way some people idolize technology---you would think 20 years ago, before everyone had cell phones, our society was just an anarchaic monster on the verge of a Roman-style fall.