How the cell phone has affected the classroom Essay Example for Free

How the cell phone has affected the classroom Essay Mobile technology is said to have been around for quite sometime. But in the past it used to be costly and came in the form of a car phone. â€Å"Cell phones connect friends and families. In a moment, across the country or oversees a parent can call his son to see whether he is doing all right† (Armbrustor-Sandoval, p. 64). Businessmen can make their business deals and get everything done when they are away from their offices. Students at school communicate frequently, and this is a case of concern to the administrators. The government has also come in and has considered whether to ban cell phones in schools or not. For sure this instant method of communication has its drawbacks. Cell phones are said to help in interpersonal relationships. According to some people, â€Å"text messages, a popular phone feature has affected the English language† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). â€Å"That is abbreviated messages. The use of vowels has also been affected† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). All the same the cell phones make a big difference in the way people communicate they have increased communication even in schools. The students have taken advantage of the prices of the current cell phones and have forced their parents to buy for them. They have tried to learn the use of these cell phones even as early as fourteen years. For sure parents cannot see anything wrong with buying their children phones and yet they are nowadays affordable by almost everybody. . There is nothing wrong with technology but it normally comes with its disadvantages. However, there are some students who acquire cell phones through peer pressure. When they see their schoolmates with cell phones they also tend to force their parents to buy for them. As such most students if not all have cell phones. They use them even in the classroom. (Silin, 1999, p. 50) The use of cell phones by students normally go undetected especially when the student in question put the cell phone in vibrator then when he gets a call, he pretends to be going for a cell of nature and yet his main aim is to receive the call. It shows that most students do not concentrate in class when the teacher is teaching. The idea has to a good extend made some teachers propose the idea of banning cell phones in schools. Is the idea of banning cell phones in schools a good idea? (Silin, 1999, p. 74) It should be a good idea. If before cell phones came in plenty teachers and students were able to survive without them. What will have changed if they are banned? Or if they should not be banned then the students should always turn them off when in the classrooms and use them where appropriate. But it is hard to abide by the rules. Some may turn them off but there is always that one student who does not care and will always leave his phone on. If cell phones are to be banned in schools let them be banned. Schools are places of education. They are not to be taken as pubs or nightclubs. (Foust, Soukup, 2006, p. 119) Since it has already been argued that the cell phones tend to affect the use of English language, then students will better not be allowed to use them. This message ought to be emphasized to parents not to allow their children to use cell phones. But it will be hard for parents to assume that their children do not use the cell phones, because these cell phones are everywhere (Luke, 2005, p. 86). However, there are some parents who cannot allow their children not to use cell phones. These are normally permissive parents. They will do anything to protect the freedom of their children, even if it means suing the government. So the idea of banning phones in schools is an idea, which should be handled with care. Flexibility is needed on the side of teachers. Also flexibility is needed on the side of the government. There are some parents, who can claim that their children are very responsible, and they know when to put on or put off the cell phone and so they should be allowed to use cell phones even in schools. As such to them the most important thing is for parents to take enough time and teach their children proper use of the cell phone since it ought to be the responsibility of parents to do so. Such parents can go to any length to ensure the freedom and rights of their children are protected. So it is better before the government thinks of banning cell phones in schools, it should first of all think of not allowing technology invent these cell phones (Fretcher, 2000, p. 69). The phones are already with us, and so we have no otherwise but to use them, anywhere, any place. If cell phones are then to be banned from schools, it can sound as if they would have better not have been invented at all. Because children are future users of these important gadgets, it is hard for all parents to agree with the school administration or with the government. Then unless the government thinks of a better way of doing about the presence of cell phones in schools then it will better forget the whole thing. (Foust, Soukup, 2006, p. 240) â€Å"Teenagers have learned to heavily rely on cell phones. † (Armbrustor-Sandoval, 2005, p. 71) But this case shows that in some cases they go to an extend of using them in exam cheating. This is really a serious issue, and it is why the government is contemplating banning cell phones in schools. The case has also extended to include campuses. Banning cell phones is a good idea but some exceptions should be allowed. Cell phones can be used in reporting emergencies. However, the issue of exam cheating is very serious indeed, and should therefore be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Let the government think seriously about it before it is too late. It should not be a matter of allowing students to use their brains when having cell phones, but it should be ensuring that students use their brains in the examinations and nothing else. The use of cell phones is said to â€Å"hinder face – to – face communication†. (Fretcher, 2000, p. 65). So the use of cell phones should in a way generally be discouraged even to other users. It is stupid to rely on cell phone to cheat in exams instead of using brains. It is also not good to destroy over good norms, which have brought us to this present moment. Technologies should do something about these cell phones. It means students should be discouraged to use them and also other general users should be discouraged to use them as well. There are many other cases, which show that teenagers are not the only people who abuse the use of cell phones. There are many cases, which concern adults who abuse the use of cell phones. It is then stupid for teachers and government to find a convenient way of just putting things in one category and try to solve them. It is better for people to be taught how to be accountable. The government has a responsibility of educating the public (Trackson, Lyons, 2004, p. 100). This issue in question should not be allowed to get out of hand. If the parents can not take control of their children then the government should try. Kids have rights to their possessions, and so is everyone else. Let the authorities concerned think hard about the cell phones. Let the issue at hand be handled without discrimination. Banning the cell phones completely is not a good idea. Banning them in schools only is not a good idea either. (Trackson, Lyons, 2004, p127). At the university everyone has a cell phone. Let the kids learn early enough how to use them. The government and the teachers should use common sense. But common sense is not common to everyone. So let the concerned authorities address this issue soberly. â€Å"Scientists should use technology properly and give us better cell phones. They should give us better gadgets which do not interfere with communication in any way. † (Luke, 2005, p. 217) They should give us gadgets which do not cause problems with the use of English language; cell phones which are as perfect as possible. Where there is a will here is a way. Something can still be done. Rules should be made in both schools and public places; rules which instruct how to use phones properly. As such the complaints about the use of cell phones will be minimized. There are people who can argue that some rules are meant to be broken. They can even go to an extend of pinpointing such rules which govern the use of phones in both schools and public places. As such any attempt to ban cell phones is not likely to materialize. What the authorities should do is to try their level best and get a better way. There are parents who take pride at buying their children anything they want. It is very hard to control such parents. They have real love for their children. They want their children to feel loved always. They can say and at the same time argue that it is only a few who have corrupted the use of cell phones and so the majority should not be sacrificed because of just the mistakes of the few people. One of the best ways of handling cell phones in schools is to situate cell phone jammar. This jammar should only be turned off during lunch hour. Jammers are already in use in some places in the United States. Let the government think better. It can always handle these cases (Silin, 1999, p. 348). Cell phones have now got a wide use. Everyone including students needs them; however the idea of using cell phones to cheat in exams is a very serious offense. Let students have their freedom but this freedom should be checked. It is important to have freedom but absolute freedom destroys absolutely. Let democracy prevail but the kind of democracy that is reasonable and useful. In a way when you consider whether students need cell phones while at school or not, the whole idea can sound absurd. Students go to school to learn not to use phones. They cheat with the phones, and so parents should not allow this. Let parents help teachers to fight this tendency, which is now already a habit. Cell phones should be banned in schools (Luke, 2005, p. 139). The government and teachers should act tough and try to make the issue of students using cell phones in schools a past tense. But has the cell phone really affected the classroom? Should the use of cell phones be banned in schools? Work Cited Armbrustor-Sandoval, R (2005):Is Another World possible? Is another classroom possible? Radical pedagogy. Activity and social change; social justice, vol. 32 Foust, R. C. , Soukup, C. (2006); Do I Exist? Transcendent subject and secrets in the sixth sense; Western Journal of communication, Vol. 70.