How Smartphones are a Part of Schools Today
Some Things Have Changed, but Some Things Have Remained The Same
--
Almost every student has a cell phone in class. Students use smartphones to take notes; some use them for entertainment, and still, some use them to communicate with friends in class.
My school had a cell phone schoolwide policy, but it was too difficult to handle. Instead, they left it up to teachers to decide on cell use in the classroom. It is an area administrators could classify as a bullet point associated with class culture.
So much has changed since I started teaching. The students didn’t have personal cell phones when I started teaching in the late 90s. The list below is what I had to worry about when I started teaching.
The Late 90s
1. Students playing cards in class
2. Students not taking notes in class
3. Students not bringing textbooks to class
4. Students not paying attention in class
5. Students write down answers to questions on a paper to use on a closed notes test
6. Students do not do homework
2021–2022 School Year
1. Students using cell phones in class
2. Students not taking notes in class.
3. Students don’t want textbooks; they take pictures of the pages instead.
4. Students not paying attention in class
5. Students share tests and answers through their cell phones
6. Students don’t do homework
7. Parents call their children on their cell phones in class.
Takeaway
The smartphone has made a significant difference in the classroom. The days of students hiding their notes under the test to gain an advantage are long gone. If they want answers, they need only ask their friends to airdrop them.
Note-taking? What note-taking? They take a picture of the notes or wait for it on google classroom; it saves them time to take notes.
