Smartphones should not be used in the classroom

[Amazinggrace233]

Ds always leaves his phone at home as I make sure he's not taking it to school as it could pose a distraction. Today he said the Class was asked to login in to google classrooms and he was bored as he didn't have his phone on him.
Aibu to think smartphones have no place in the classroom.

Well with things the way they are and not supposed to be using paper etc I guess it's practical to upload into cloud classrooms. Although I would expect the school to be relating this method to the parents

YANBU
If school want to use technology in the classroom then they need to make this clear to parents and have enough alternative devices for those who either don't have a smartphone.

I'm sure people will be along saying 'it's the 21st century, keep up dinosaur' but since when was it acceptable to exclude children from a lesson based on the technology their parents have decided to allow/not allow/buy/can't afford to buy?

I think technology, including smart phones, could have a place in the classroom. But this is not it.

Nearly all students have smart phones.

I am a computer science teacher, and on numerous occasions have students use their phones to access online quizz sites. Especially now as we're not allowed access to computer classrooms.

At the opening evening if my DDs school we were told the procedure for phones that they must not be switched on, or in blazer pockets, but that in some lessons they would be permitted to use them. They needed to download an app for the library and have used in other lessons.
Dd needed to get some science books this week which can only be done via thumb print/parent pay so she text me from school to ask to top up her account.

How old is your son?
If primary then yanbu.

YeaSure
Yes they do, but is it right for staff to be relying on them if:

• it's not written into the school teaching and learning policies
• parents haven't been informed
• students aren't aware of the expectation that they have a smartphone for learning
• not every child with a smartphone has a data plan, so does the school have a student WIFI for them to connect to?
• not every child has a smartphone, not all parents want to allow their child to take a phone to school, not all students will have charge / may have low charge and need to keep battery for the way home later or because they're not going home for a few hours etc
• school hasn't got the devices spare to allow every child to access the lesson materials online

I don't mind using technology in the classroom, but I'm bothered when there's assumptions and expectations that students can, or should, be propping up a school's poor technology provision without total transparency to parents and suitable arrangements for all children to access learning.

Well my kid would struggle because I have parental controls so he might not be able to access stuff. However if I were told ahead of time I'd be able to ensure he could. They can be a useful tool.

This exact thread has been posted before, same phrasing and everything.

@mediumperiperi he's secondary y8

TeaStory
Good spot.
I remember there was one earlier in lockdown, but hadn't noticed the phrasing.

yabu. They've become essential at DC school for many educational reasons, not least of all lack of dictionaries for each child. Am so very grateful DC had the HT they did & saw phones as useful not obstacles.

They definitely have a place in schools, especially at the moment.

However, school should have let you know in advance that they were needed. We had an email at the start of term asking that all dc who had them took their smartphones in to school, charged and with enough space to download kahoot. They have a limited number of tablets available and a WiFi network they can log into.

No place in school!

TheFormerPorpentinaScamander
That's how it should be done.

YABU OP.

Of course they do.

When I was at school there was a blanket ban on phones. They had to be kept in your locker. I'm glad that policy was there.