There are essentially three core stances most schools have took with their cell phone policies. One such policy basically bans their students from having their cell phones at all. If students are caught with cell phones, then they can be confiscated or fined or in some cases the student may be suspended. Another common cell phone policy allows students to bring their cell phones to school and allows them to use them during non-instructional times such as time in between classes and lunch. If students are caught with them in class, then they are confiscated from the student. Another cell phone policy is leaning towards a shift in administrators thinking. Students are not only allowed to possess and use their cell phones, but are also encouraged to use them in class as learning tools.
Schools that ban their students from having their cell phones or limit their usage do this for a variety of reasons. Those include not wanting it to make it easy for students to cheat, being afraid that students are sending inappropriate content, playing games, or setting up drug deals. Teachers also feel like they are distracting and disrespectful. All of these are valid concerns and are why this is such a hot issue among school administrators.
The movement towards embracing the use of cell phones by students as a teaching/learning tool must begins with educating students on proper use of phones at school. A cell phone can be a power educational tool. Smart phones especially have the ability to provide students with so much information that teachers cannot deny that they can be powerful technological tools in the classroom.
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