So here's the situation:
Every student in my class has an i phone, cell phone, or mp3 player in their pocket. Period.
No students are allowed to have them on their person.Period.
We are a "Technology" District.
There are some valid applications of I phones and cell phones in an art class. For instance, to teach a unit on the elements of design, students could use their phones to capture photos which demonstrate form, texture, color, line, etc., and save them or send them to me as a digital art journal. Or they could use downloaded drawing apps to create exciting art works. They could text responses to art history questions.
In addition, allowing students to listen to their own music would intensify concentration on projects, creating better work ( hopefully), and would cut down on classroom management issues.
To date, I have enforced the school policy on electronic devices in the classroom, which is to collect the device, and write students up if they object. I trully understand the reasoning behind the ban; students do make bad choices through social texting, cyberbullying, playing video games, and looking at inappropraite material.
But here's the problem; one by one, teachers and administrators are relaxing the policy. So when students come to my class, they whine and moan about how cruel I am in comparison with their other teachers. Hey, I like having a job! I follow the rules! There are even parents who've complained about me because they can't get in touch by text with their children during my class!
Yet I am accountable for following the district policy, and I'm the one who would be punished if I flout the rules!
There needs to be a serious discussion in my district regarding this policy, because we teachers are floundering in a gray area again, left in the middle between administrators, parents, and students.
I f we go ahead and allow these devices in class, wonderful! If we are not going to allow them, support us in enforcing the policy.
I know where you're coming from. It's the same way at my school. Most of the teachers follow the rules, but we do have those few 'cool teachers' that allow them in class, and it is frustrating. I don't know the answer, I like it as a parent wanting to get in touch with my child as needed, but as a teacher not sure if its beneficial in the classroom or a hinderance!?!
ReplyDeleteSuch valid points. I also struggle with enforcing policies that I don't believe in. As a rule follower, like you, I enforce the 'no hat' policy and the 'no cellphone/iPod policy', yet agree that sometimes they can be educational. At times, they're even required. To create a gmail address from our school, google requires you to get a text from them with a confirmation code. I always have to escort the kids from the lab (where there's no service) to the hallway and plead with the administrators to allow them to use their cellphone just for a minute to allow us to get a gmail account. I agree it's going to be tough, but it does seem like the way we've been doing thing, banning websites, banning cellphones, etc. isn't going to work much longer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments,Casey and Wendy! I had this discussion with my students this week, and what we came up with was maybe a petition for students being able to use ipods/ etc in art class for specific art related peurposes. But I know,for an administrator, putting something in writing would be a no go. It's crazy- if just one bullying text gor out during my class as a result, it would be my hide!
ReplyDeleteMy district has the same policy. However, I was able to get permission for students to use their cell phones in class for a special activity where they could take pictures of erosion and send them to my teacher email for printing. I had the discussion with my students about propriety and had them brainstorm. What the students decided to do was write a letter to our principal. They dictated and I typed. In the letter they even addressed the issue of what should happen if they abused the privilege. All classes had to dictate their own letter. Each student in the class had to sign the letter. I was surprised that for all the planning, not that many students utilized their cell phones, but some did and took good pictures for their project. You never know, give your principal a chance to say "yes."
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