NYC Addresses Complaints Over School Cell Ban By Charging Students To Store Them
from the one-bad-idea-after-another dept
Several years ago, the New York City school district decided to solve the problem of in-class cellphone use by banning the devices in schools completely, which as you might expect -- hasn't gone over very well with text-happy students. Teachers enjoyed having the devices out of the classroom, while parents were annoyed that they couldn't reach their children in emergencies. In a feeble effort to appease parents, officials have now come up with an even dumber proposal: charging students to store their cellphones in lockers outside school entrances, despite a lack of funds or room for new lockers. The idea being kids could at least communicate with mom and pop on the way to school, and during off-campus breaks. Parents don't like this either -- and argue that the school shouldn't profit off a bad idea, and that it discriminates against poor students who can't pay the rental fee. One solution would be the legalization of short-range jammers for use in schools, though that would impede teacher and legit wireless communications, and as we've discussed, the more pervasive jamming technologies are (in theaters, hotels, schools, etc.), the more collateral communications issues will surface. Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg should start building giant faraday cages anywhere cellphones aren't wanted, or line school walls with signal absorbing magnetic wood. If cost is such an issue for many school districts, it's still not entirely clear why confiscating phones from disruptive students is such an unworkable solution.
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does this also stop pagers from working? or are pagers only for doctors, emt and such...
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Jamming?
First of all, a school cell phone ban isnt that uncommon, and many many schools have them. Jamming cell phone traffic is almost always a bad idea. The necessity of communications in a legit emergency trumps every reason short of national security for jamming cell phones.
Second, having very strict punishments for using cellphones in class would deter all but the worst offenders. I mean STRICT punishments. Such as detention, loss of all credit for that day in class, even as far as suspension. A very harsh, but "non-zero-tolerence" policy should be adopted.
Third, in most junior highs, students put keep their phone. turned off, and in their locker for the school day. This is reasonable, and harshly punish students found with cell phones in class, or with cell phones turned on in hallways during school hours. For grade school students just make sure the phones are turned off.
The problem with the way you describe the issue is that there's some invisible limit preventing cell phones from entering school property.
With after school activities, and students arriving early to school for many many reasons, cell phones are increasingly necessary to schedule rides, update parents on changes, and whatnot.
I dont understand why taking a very hard line on students disobeying the rule wouldnt fix the problem.
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Re: Jamming?
I have no problems with this and if I were to get a call off the school complaining about his constant use of mobiles in class times would probably do the home equivilant when he got in
It really is that simple - all that is required is a bit of discipline and common sense
As for Jamming - not 100% with you on that one I personally love the idea of certain areas where mobiles simply cannot be used (ah the peace) but thats been done to death on another post from carl a month or so ago
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Karl Bode is onto something...
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re comment #1
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magnetic panels...
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If it rings or if a teacher catches you using it during class they take it and turn it into the office. From there your parents have to go pick it up for you.
A lot of teachers will let you play games and listen to music on them (or MP3 players) during free or extra work time. It keeps the classroom quieter, so people who need work time can work.
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in college
Talking on a phone? Talking in general? Taking a nap? Not paying attention? Reading material for another course?
Almost always in the first two cases, and occasionally in the last three, professor/instructor/GTA just tells you to leave. And they don't particularly give a crap if you ever come back.
That kind of "If you dont want to be here, don't come" attitude should be brought in to the high school level. By then, they either want to learn or they do not. No additional skills are learned in high school that they'll need for minial labor like janitor positions, or burger-flippers or construction jobs or drug dealing, so best to let them have the option to leave so that those that are college bound arent distracted, socially and intellectually, by these failures.
Parents predictably would scream over this, however, if they spent half the effort complaining about such a measure on their kids to encourage them to follow the proper path, then they wouldn't be having a problem.
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Re: in college
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woops
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Right on, ucf
Playing to the lowest common denominator 4tl.
(for the win, for the loss, that is.)
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great idea
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Students should have no say
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Why over complicate the issue?
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Poor students
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Dumb Idea
One of my old teachers had a great solution if you continued to play with something you should after repeated attempts he threw it out the window and made you got get it(we were on second story). Thankfully there were bushes down below so my stuff never broke.
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Zero Tolerance
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Re: Zero Tolerance
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Re: Re: Zero Tolerance
This is a discipline issue, not a technological issue. I like the approach that another commenter made - if the phone is used in class, it goes to the office where the parent must pick it up.
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Re: Re: Re: Zero Tolerance
From the U.S. Department of Justice website: the national homicide rate rose steeply in the late 60's, peaked in the late 80's, and has fallen off dramatically in the late 90's. Right now the homicide rate is about the same (per capita) as it was in the early 60's - and lower than it was 10 or 20 years ago. From this page on homicide rates by age, you can see that young homicide victims per capita are essentially unchanged since the 70's.
I think the myth of "things are so much worse now" hinges upon two issues: one, we have double the population of the 60's, so the total number of victims is higher; two, the media coverage of crime is much better now. So even though per capita crime rates are about the same as the 1960's (meaning your actual risk is unchanged), there are more total crimes - and you're more likely to hear about them. Thus the likelihood of being a victim seems higher, when in fact it has not changed significantly.
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Re: Re: Zero Tolerance
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RRR
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Difficult Dilemna
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Agree with Bob
People in our society have a sense of entitlement that causes stuff like this to happen and things are starting to get out of hand.
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prolonged dependency
Do children need cellphones at school? Absolutely not. Not even for emergencies. There is no conceivable situation in which the child needs to contact the parent during school time. Within those hours the child is in loco parenti - the school assumes all the legal rights and responsibilities of the real parent. If there is an emergency in which the parent needs to contact the child it can be done through the school and somebody will go and fetch the kid out of class. If the child needs to contact the parent they can ask a teacher and go down to the school office to use a payphone or free landline for necessity.
The interesting part is before and after school where transport arrangements are made. Not only is this outside the schools responsibility and juristiction, it is not really anybodys place to judge the family arrangements.
From a psychology POV I think parents giving kids cellphones to "stay in touch" just prolongs their dependency, it is an umbilical cord that does not foster self-determination, security and personal responsibility. But some mothers and fathers want their children to remain wet and needy, in most pathologies it is the parents who are unable to let go, not the kids. When I was 9 years old I spent days at a time camping out in the woods. But, if we had been able to afford walkie-talkie radios with a good range back in the 1970s I think they would have bought a pair. It's hard to compare my rural childhood 40 years ago with urban kids today, but I get the impression they are pretty weak - not their fault, they are raised that way.
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how dare they
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but their studies
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some replies
to "bad parends": sure, parents should know where their kids are at all times. however, if your kid has practice at the school, but then during the day, it gets canceled, the kid's left to wait until the "scheduled" pracite is over. the kid could hitch a ride witha friend, but then how woulod you know? maybe you are at grandma's house in bumblefart w/o telling your kid., how would they know wehre you are, to call you?
as for teacher collection: it's not the teachers job to collect cell phones. that takes precious classroom time away. and kids need every nanosecond they can get.
as for calling the school: i know people who had messages and weren't told until the end of the day. i was lucky (but i was a goodie goodie and in with all the office staff). so, if you got amessage to get a ride home, you'd have all of like 10 minutes to get to the bus, or try and bum a ride, where if you were gtting picked up, you knew you had more time to get ready.
as for throwing away, descruction of property. i'm sure they wouldnl't do it if it was a schoolbook. ohwell..
i could go on, but i don't see a "fair" way to resolve this.
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You Miss the Point
Since as it stands they can't bring the phone to school, unless it's viable for them to go home and get it before work, etc the problem arises. Being this is about NYC, most of them probably take public transit and don't have a car to leave it in either.
They should be able to leave it in their locker, (with the exception of lunch), during the school day. Deal with those who abuse the policy apropriatly
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Why Complicate The Issue
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Re: Why Complicate The Issue
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Re: Re: Why Complicate The Issue
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