A new concept (to me) was brought up today, instead of shutting down a student who is on their phone, try asking them why they are on their phone or if they are okay. I find myself understanding this concept, yet inside I am torn. For kids these days, these cellphones are how they function and interact with the world around them. When we take the phone away, we may break a connection. I told a student he was not allowed to have his phone out and he proceeded to hide under a table and cry. The tears were due to a number a reasons, but nonetheless this shows the attachment some of these kids can have to cellphones. I get it. I too enjoy having my phone with me and the connectivity it provides, but how do we find the balance of respecting their world of this constant connection and our world of facilitating learning? I struggle to see the place of cellphones. I know it will take some time to understand the students attachment to their phones. To balance the two worlds, boundaries and rules will need to be set up like any other piece of classroom management. With enough procedures, the students should be able to use their cellphones without abusing the privilege. Respect is a two way street. If we are to allow some cellphone use in the classroom, we need to make sure the students are aware of what it looks like to show respect to someone. To facilitate this respect, relationships and trust need to be formed. If there is trust and care between the students and teacher, the child is more likely to open up and let them know what they need. This may look like taking a break and checking their cellphone. It will take some time, but I believe a climate of respect can be created to balance the use of cellphones in the classroom. Here is an article that discusses what cellphone use may look like in a classroom. Cell phones in class: Yes, it can work
Hi Katelyn,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your reflection on this subject, because I too am wrestling with the role of the phone in the classroom. You capture the importance of a cell phone to a student well, and I appreciate how you put yourself in that camp too. Often adults get mad at kids for things they are also doing.
Respect definitely will make the use of cell phones a smoother process, with less students becoming angry at having to put their phone away. I wonder if another way to build an environment of respect, might also be including cell phones into instruction. I am not sure what this looks like for elementary, but for high school it might be using Pear Deck, which is an ad-on for google slides that lets teachers ask formative assessments during the lesson and students respond on their phone. I am not sure this is as feasible with elementary, but perhaps flipgrade or seesaw could be another thing brought into the classroom.
I really like your idea of letting students take a break to check their phone. It is difficult for teachers to figure out what motivates students - and time on their cell phones is definitely motivating! Thanks for your thoughts!