@ School cellphone bans spread nationwide

[jinkies]

Idk our high school has the same lunch/club/tutoring block in the middle of the day, and everything is managed through Canvas and emails. It's not that hard. If the room moves, and the kids don't check their email and have to redirect after seeing a paper sign on the door... so what? I don't see that as such a pressing issue that it over rides the problems caused by having phones in class.

To some extent, they rely on phones because they are available. If they aren't available, there are plenty of other ways to communicate (like actual walkie talkies in the case of the production class).

[eb777888]

@@@@ David's school went along with the public school guidelines and banned them this year (from being with the student. Apparently you can turn them in to the front desk at the beginning of the day and ask to use it if needed). They also banned Apple Watches. I thought parents were going to revolt but it's been no big deal at all.

[melmaria]

Sept 30, 2024 13:52:13 GMT -5 Michelle said:

Sept 30, 2024 12:01:29 GMT -5 melmaria said:

To play devils advocate: virtually all kids nowadays also have laptops/chromebooks in high school. Why can’t these clubs send out emails instead? Kids can still check their school email during the day. Laptops and chromebooks present their own problems (e.g., kids watching YouTube during class) but they are still easier to manage/limit than phones.

Kids managed to be in multiple clubs/sports before the existence of smartphones. And no one is saying they can’t have them before/after school to communicate - we are talking about a 7 hour period of downtime.

I really hate that we (as a society) have moved toward a system where information about sports/clubs/events/etc. is only posted via social media apps like instagram. What about kids who don't want to be on social media?

ETA - I don’t want my kid getting distracted by social media/GroupMe-type notifications in math class. I want them to be thinking about math. Or at the very least, if they aren’t paying attention to math, daydreaming/doodling lol.

Appreciate the discussion!

I have mixed feelings about the socials advertising too, because you can get distracted by the non-school noise that comes through there. But the GroupMe communications are moderated by teachers as well, so I like that there is no bullying or communication that is not school-appropriate, AND no one has someone's phone number for a school reason to then use it for a non-school reason or without permission (e.g. to harass).

I like your recommendation about some email advertising, but the kids using their phones and GroupMe aren't going to be able to practically handle a laptop as nimbly as a phone in their pocket. As they push costume carts, band equipment, sets, etc. across the building, safely transporting a laptop is a lot harder than a phone. Again, they use them like walkie talkies throughout production class, [Mascot] Hour, and after school.

And when they are in class, the device should be silenced and put away, so they are only catching up on the GroupMe's between classes, such as at the start of [mascot] Hour. They can do that easily in a crowded hallway or while eating lunch whereas doing so with a laptop would be a real pain. Most the kids have a school-issued laptop and personal phone or smartwatch, not a tablet.

Sorry, but this doesn’t sway me at all.

Kids can always come up with a million reasons why they “need” a phone during the school day. But the reality is that when phones are taken away, kids adjust/adapt and figure it out.

On balance, the pros/cons of having a phone in school strongly weigh toward not having them. The research is bearing this out more and more.

[pixy0stix]

I realize I'm old and don't know how all kids organize their lives nowadays, but Michelle, isn't what you're talking about re: all the activities part of the larger discussion we've had about kids being overscheduled and not having time to just breathe?

I think for a lot of us if we have so many things that we're *heavily* reliant on our phone to keep us organized that we're overscheduled and heading towards a breakdown. And that perhaps if we're forced to rely on analog and not digital means to keep us organized, especially when we're kids, we lead a more stress free life.

[mainelyfoolish]

Sept 29, 2024 21:02:02 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

My kid’s only complaint with it is that they constantly forget their phone and have to go from classroom to classroom at the end of school trying to find it because they don’t even remember which class they left it, which is a PITA after school. That and they now banned headphones at all, which is making focusing during independent work a lot harder (they generally play classical music to aid focus and that was allowed until this year, listening to classmates talk and cough and shuffle chairs is making it hard).

My DC has an accommodation in their 504 plan that allows them to use an earbud and keep their phone in their backpack so they can listen to music during independent work time. My DC similarly can't focus when the room is "quiet."

[penguingrrl]

Sept 30, 2024 17:05:37 GMT -5 mainelyfoolish said:

Sept 29, 2024 21:02:02 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

My kid’s only complaint with it is that they constantly forget their phone and have to go from classroom to classroom at the end of school trying to find it because they don’t even remember which class they left it, which is a PITA after school. That and they now banned headphones at all, which is making focusing during independent work a lot harder (they generally play classical music to aid focus and that was allowed until this year, listening to classmates talk and cough and shuffle chairs is making it hard).

My DC has an accommodation in their 504 plan that allows them to use an earbud and keep their phone in their backpack so they can listen to music during independent work time. My DC similarly can't focus when the room is "quiet."

We’re working on adding that to their existing 504! Thanks so much!

[DotAndBuzz]

We're at an independent school, grades 6-12, and they aren't allowed to have them out in middle school, but are in HS, with the caveat that if it becomes a problem, they are asked to put them away. For the most part, it's not a problem. max class size is 15, so kids are forced to be tuned into class, and they can't really get away with much since it's a small environment. As they get older (like grades 10-12) they're also given a lot of freedom, with a heavy emphasis on the responsibility that comes with it, in and phone use is part of that.

What I LOVE is that they aren't allowed at the dances. The school has a free Photo Booth, and a "cell phone zone" where kids can go to use their phone/take pics, but the than that, no phones allowed out. So no one can be filmed/have pictures posted without their consent, by default, because there aren't phones allowed out on the dance floor/in that room. I think they allow it at prom, but that may be it.

[Jalapeñomel]

I direct the shows at my school, and we just use walkie talkies or headsets. Clip them on your shirt charge them when done. And the students LOVE using them.

There’s really no good argument for cellphones during school hours. They have technology on laptops, and they should be frequently checking their email (which they don’t because cellphones 🤬).

[erbear]

Sept 30, 2024 17:16:47 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

We're at an independent school, grades 6-12, and they aren't allowed to have them out in middle school, but are in HS, with the caveat that if it becomes a problem, they are asked to put them away. For the most part, it's not a problem. max class size is 15, so kids are forced to be tuned into class, and they can't really get away with much since it's a small environment. As they get older (like grades 10-12) they're also given a lot of freedom, with a heavy emphasis on the responsibility that comes with it, in and phone use is part of that.

What I LOVE is that they aren't allowed at the dances. The school has a free Photo Booth, and a "cell phone zone" where kids can go to use their phone/take pics, but the than that, no phones allowed out. So no one can be filmed/have pictures posted without their consent, by default, because there aren't phones allowed out on the dance floor/in that room. I think they allow it at prom, but that may be it.

We also collect kids’ phones at dances (in middle school). It’s been great.

[basilosaurus]

Sept 30, 2024 19:03:24 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I direct the shows at my school, and we just use walkie talkies or headsets. Clip them on your shirt charge them when done. And the students LOVE using them.

There’s really no good argument for cellphones during school hours. They have technology on laptops, and they should be frequently checking their email (which they don’t because cellphones 🤬).

I think she s saying that not all kids working on the production do so simultaneously, so having a record is helpful. I'm sure there are non phone workarounds like spend a few minutes toward the end of the bloc to type in a communal log

[candreco]

DD's school is one of our district's "control" schools at the HS level, and is basically just enforcing the existing policy more strongly in response to VA's new law. According to DD, it's mostly teachers requiring kids to haul out laptops for things like kahoot, where they would have been allowed to use a phone previously. Other schools are testing locked bags or something, and it honestly sounds like a time suck getting phones in and out each class period. I am all for phones staying put away in bags during class time (we don't have lockers so kids are schlepping their stuff around all day anyway).

DS (6th grade) has his in his backpack during the school day so he can ask to go to a friend's house after school, but he also knows that I check activity and if I see anything happening during school hours he loses the phone entirely.

[formerlyak]

Sept 30, 2024 13:52:13 GMT -5 Michelle said:

Sept 30, 2024 12:01:29 GMT -5 melmaria said:

To play devils advocate: virtually all kids nowadays also have laptops/chromebooks in high school. Why can’t these clubs send out emails instead? Kids can still check their school email during the day. Laptops and chromebooks present their own problems (e.g., kids watching YouTube during class) but they are still easier to manage/limit than phones.

Kids managed to be in multiple clubs/sports before the existence of smartphones. And no one is saying they can’t have them before/after school to communicate - we are talking about a 7 hour period of downtime.

I really hate that we (as a society) have moved toward a system where information about sports/clubs/events/etc. is only posted via social media apps like instagram. What about kids who don't want to be on social media?

ETA - I don’t want my kid getting distracted by social media/GroupMe-type notifications in math class. I want them to be thinking about math. Or at the very least, if they aren’t paying attention to math, daydreaming/doodling lol.

Appreciate the discussion!

I have mixed feelings about the socials advertising too, because you can get distracted by the non-school noise that comes through there. But the GroupMe communications are moderated by teachers as well, so I like that there is no bullying or communication that is not school-appropriate, AND no one has someone's phone number for a school reason to then use it for a non-school reason or without permission (e.g. to harass).

I like your recommendation about some email advertising, but the kids using their phones and GroupMe aren't going to be able to practically handle a laptop as nimbly as a phone in their pocket. As they push costume carts, band equipment, sets, etc. across the building, safely transporting a laptop is a lot harder than a phone. Again, they use them like walkie talkies throughout production class, [Mascot] Hour, and after school.

And when they are in class, the device should be silenced and put away, so they are only catching up on the GroupMe's between classes, such as at the start of [mascot] Hour. They can do that easily in a crowded hallway or while eating lunch whereas doing so with a laptop would be a real pain. Most the kids have a school-issued laptop and personal phone or smartwatch, not a tablet.

School-related Group Mes are monitored. But there are plenty that aren’t affiliated and bullying can happen there. I guarantee kids aren’t only using Group Me for school things.

[mae0111]

My kids' school issued each child a Yondr pouch. Each day, they have to lock their phones in the pouches. If they don't have a phone (school is 5th-12th), the parents have to sign a document indicating that. DD1 (9th) locks her phone every day, and then they open up the unlock stations at the end of the day before sports and activities start.

DD2 (6th) opted not to bring her phone to school anymore. She let her teacher know, I confirmed, that she would only bring it in when she had to travel for a soccer game. Her first game is this Friday and her teacher has been holding on to her pouch for her.

If they lose the pouch, we get hit with a $40 charge and they issue a new one.

All teachers and admin have reported that the kids are interacting a lot more now that they can't just stare at phones. Middle school teachers say that the kids are reading during free periods or after school study halls, rather than playing on phones. They brought in a foosball table for after school study hall. At the high school, the student lounge has a more interactive vibe - group projects, ping pong games, etc. DD1 has been more eager to stay later at school and watch her friends play sports, rather than come home and just be on her phone. It's a nice shift.

I like it!

[Michelle]

Sept 30, 2024 16:27:56 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I realize I'm old and don't know how all kids organize their lives nowadays, but Michelle, isn't what you're talking about re: all the activities part of the larger discussion we've had about kids being overscheduled and not having time to just breathe?

I think for a lot of us if we have so many things that we're *heavily* reliant on our phone to keep us organized that we're overscheduled and heading towards a breakdown. And that perhaps if we're forced to rely on analog and not digital means to keep us organized, especially when we're kids, we lead a more stress free life.

I hear you - and for me, learning how to balance that is preparation for adulthood.

But also, my kid benefits from a parent who monitors that stuff, applies screentime and app download restrictions, and challenges her on taking as many A/P classes as she wants to take so she does have some balance and doesn't burn out. Not all kids have that.


The reality is that the phones are out there, so learning how to put them away when you need to focus and pull them out to be a tool when they are handy is a good experience and life habit. I totally support the phone collection bins/buckets/etc. at the front of the room (or these shoe-organizer kinds of things that most teachers have on the backs of their doors so kids can deposit their phones there). It teaches the kid to leverage technology where it helps (apps for various reminders, planner, GroupMe, etc.) and also the value of putting it away so it isn't a distraction when you need to focus.

I see kids now doing "check your device at the door" parties that look just like that classroom experience, and I think it's a great mindset for entering adulthood. 

I'm also that parent that didn't let my kid have a phone outside the house until HS (she had a gizmo gadget watch since there are no pay phones and she had a long bus ride), and no social media until sophomore year, with gradual introduction, screen sharing and monitoring, etc.


But like everyone said - if it becomes outlawed, kids will learn to adapt another way. 

[Michelle]

Oct 1, 2024 10:18:10 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

My kids' school issued each child a Yondr pouch. Each day, they have to lock their phones in the pouches. If they don't have a phone (school is 5th-12th), the parents have to sign a document indicating that. DD1 (9th) locks her phone every day, and then they open up the unlock stations at the end of the day before sports and activities start.

DD2 (6th) opted not to bring her phone to school anymore. She let her teacher know, I confirmed, that she would only bring it in when she had to travel for a soccer game. Her first game is this Friday and her teacher has been holding on to her pouch for her.

If they lose the pouch, we get hit with a $40 charge and they issue a new one.

All teachers and admin have reported that the kids are interacting a lot more now that they can't just stare at phones. Middle school teachers say that the kids are reading during free periods or after school study halls, rather than playing on phones. They brought in a foosball table for after school study hall. At the high school, the student lounge has a more interactive vibe - group projects, ping pong games, etc. DD1 has been more eager to stay later at school and watch her friends play sports, rather than come home and just be on her phone. It's a nice shift.

I like it!

I think this is a great way of applying some restrictions/balance with then having devices for when it makes sense. I'd totally support this. For my specific scenario, the pouches could be unlocked for [Mascot] hour and locked again when classes resume. Win win all around.

[Michelle]

Sept 30, 2024 20:32:21 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Sept 30, 2024 19:03:24 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I direct the shows at my school, and we just use walkie talkies or headsets. Clip them on your shirt charge them when done. And the students LOVE using them.

There’s really no good argument for cellphones during school hours. They have technology on laptops, and they should be frequently checking their email (which they don’t because cellphones 🤬).

I think she s saying that not all kids working on the production do so simultaneously, so having a record is helpful. I'm sure there are non phone workarounds like spend a few minutes toward the end of the bloc to type in a communal log

I actually tried the communal log thing (I'm a parent volunteer for one of the theater committees working directly with the kids)... they laughed at me and called me a Boomer. But to the point that others made, there are work arounds if the phones get banned, and this would be one that could also work.