Are teachers allowed to use mobile phones in class?

[hulahoopsilove]

Ds just said the teacher yr4 got her mobile out and was taking pictures of his work...artwork.

I thought mobiles were banned surely to safe guard children.

[3bunnies]

In a nursery setting seeing a child naked is quite normal I can see why mobile phones are banned. In a classroom other than when changing for PE and in reception a child is much less likely to be in such positions and I fail to get excited even if a teacher put their artwork on Facebook. Children's photos are all over the school website (anonymous and with permission). And I think we are fairly conservative - no surnames to be linked with our dc due to dh's work.

Texting and calls etc are different if they are not work related, but it would probably only bother me if I was already concerned in other ways. dd1's teacher could text all day and she would still be fab - but then because she is so fab she wouldn't dream of spending all day texting.

[holmessweetholmes]

A lot of secondary schools are thinking of moving towards a 'bring your own device' scenario, so probably eventually kids and staff will all have their own iPads/laptops in school or just their smartphones and be able to access the school network, teaching resources etc in class. It's hard to see how this will work if devices are banned.
Admittedly this probably won't be happening in primaries, but the principle is the same, and there are still potential safeguarding issues.

[Bloodyteenagers]

What do you prefer op?
Resources for the children to do work.. Or a camera in every class.

A camera in every class means that the money comes from the budget. There is a limited amount, and by getting cameras, depending on the school budget it could mean come January there is no more money for resources.

Also with phones/ipads, when adding to the database, there is no need to then upload onto the pc, because the info can be added straight. This means the teacher has a bit more time, to erm, teach.

Nurseries have different policies, because staff go into personal care areas and see the children undressed. So they have a blanket no phone policy.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

Am mystified why it would make any difference whether a picture was taken on a phone or a digital camera. If someone wanted to use the images for immoral purposes, they could do that just as easily with a camera as with a phone. Not that there's much you could do with a picture of little Johnny's painting of Van Gogh's sunflowers ... .

[asandwichshort]

Personal mobiles are not allowed but specific devices are used for assessments to record childrens progress like this www.focus-education.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=41

[Bunnyjo]

Oh my God, teachers are allowed mobile phones?

Next you'll be telling me you've seen them drink alcohol on a night out...

I'm also loving the drip feed of information. Firstly you say she took photos of your DS's artwork. Then, when you don't get the reaction you were expecting from others, she's "always texting and talking calls"

I very much doubt that!

[cosikitty]

Why wouldn't the teacher be allowed to take a photo of a child with a phone? In our school we constantly photograph the children with an ipad or a digital camera in order to evidence work/activities or use for displays etc. What's the difference?

[craftynclothy]

Dd1's teacher uses a phone quite often. The only problem I have with it is Dd1 keeps saying she wants an iPhone and iPad too . Apparently it works with the smart board they have in class.

[emptychair]

In my current school (and the one I've just left) we are not to use our phones in the classroom when children are present for any reason. Teachers should certainly not be using personal phones to take pictures of anything in front of children, be it work or child.

All classrooms have a digital camera so there is no reason to use a phone.

[Onesie]

I think it's fine for teachers to have phones and taking a photo of work is a very quick way of essential recording/documenting. It's not like she is changing nappies in private like nursery staff would. Teachers don't deal with personal care.

Obviously she needs to make phone calls and texts during her break. Receiving texts is fine as long as the kids concentration isn't broken.

[lljkk]

Colleague has a phone that chirps constantly with text updates & gets on my nerves. I wouldn't like that in class.
Really don't understand the fears over pictures, people so determined to copyright their own image.

[indyandlara]

Not every classroom in the UK has a digital camera. Some may but lots of schools don't. If your school provides all the IT equipment you need then great. However, lots of teachers are not in these ideal situations and try to plug the gaps using their own equipment.

[TheGruffalo2]

Yes, I went to a moderation meeting last year and was told all non-written evidence had to be photographed to be counted as valid evidence. Great, but I share a camera with two other classes. I can't really get everyone to freeze and send someone off to find the camera can I. So I use my own personal iPad, email it to my school address so it can be downloaded and printed, as only school laptops are networked to the school printer.

There are circumstances that an actual photograph of a child is important to the curriculum. Learning Journeys are full of photos of work and children and phones are an easy and portable way of having a camera facility in easy reach all the time. Some parents must send their children to far wealthier schools than any I know, we don't have the luxury of multiple cameras around the place.

[TheGruffalo2]

I agree with indyandlara - teachers plug the gap with all sorts of things from home - books, DVDs, CDs, resource books, kettles to demonstrate science, heaters when the school heating fails but we need to remain open so parents can go to work, ingredients for cooking, Christmas craft .... schools would be very different places if we only used what the HT could afford to provide.

[ItsATIARA]

DS's TA showed me a video on her phone the other day of DS joining in with the others during PE. Probably wouldn't have been recognisable as participation to anyone else, but for DS it was huge progress, and she wanted to share her pride with me. If I didn't trust her to take a photo of my child then she shouldn't be in the classroom anyway.

[WingsontheWind]

My friend was telling me that they are not only allowed a (switched off phone in class) but it has to be locked away in a cupboard elsewhere in the school... He has had to sign documentation to say he will do this

[Lambsie]

I have taken phone calls in class. These were to receive medical test results where I had no choice about the timing of the calls. The alternative would have been to have several classes covered by supply staff. If I had had children I would have always kept my phone on as the office were known to not pass urgent messages on to staff.

[hellokittymania]

Goodness, I live in Vietnan and both teachers and students use their phones.... to do what they wantt! Many students even upload videos on youtube..
Totally different world!

[mrz]

There are a number of assessment tracking programmes that run on iphones OP and involve the teacher typing info into the phone (texting?)

Look at Orbit or 2build a profile for example

[StealthPolarBear]

Teachers are grown ups

[Looby12]

I think it's about potential risks for both pupil and child. If personal phones are used then it opens up opportunities for problems to happen. There is no control. If you need to photograph work then use equipment provided by the school.

In my line of work we need to contact young people by text message/phone. We either use the shared work mobile or the landline, we wouldn't use our personal phones because that opens up a window for false accusations etc

I don't agree that teachers should have their personal mobile anywhere near the classroom

[Looby12]

Previous post meant pupil and teacher

[mrz]

I don't think teachers are more trusted than EY practitioners but have much less opportunity to commit the type of abuse seen in Nottingham - incidentally the same ipad tracking is used by many ey practioners in the private sector

[mrz]

Teachers don't have work mobiles Looby we are lucky to have a work pen and paper quite often we pay for those ourselves