[jet3099]

One of my biggest problems as a high school administrator is the MISUSE of cell phones by students. Paranoid parents, thinking that they must reach their child in an "emergency", give thier children a device that often gets them into lots of trouble or endangers their very lives. Students are using these phones for the following activities: -Cheating in school by text messaging each other........ -Checking themselves or their friends out of school by making bogus phone calls........ -Taking inappropriate pictures, with and WITHOUT the permission of the person being photographed, then emailing them or posting them on the internet........... - AND PROBABLY THE WORST SCENARIO........DRIVING while on the phone! We have a student from our high school lying in a coma now as a result of being hit head-on by another student that was text messaging and attempting to drive at the same time. When are parents going to stop giving in to the damands of their children and do what is best for them? I wish I had a scrambler I could mount on the top of the school to disable all cell phones on campus.......
Any thoughts .................?

[brapper]

I have no issues with keeping them out of the classroom.
Should be allowed to have them in their lockers though.

[mduell]

The students need to learn to be responsible. Making their cellphones not work doesn't teach them anything.

[tooki]

Yeah. Students misusing the phones is a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. Students cheating is a problem. Students lying is a problem. Kids did those things before cellphones, and they'll do them without phones.

I definitely think that phones need to be turned off during class (people's phones ringing during class is a huge problem in college, even -- it annoys me to no end). But they should not be banned.

And talking on a cellphone isn't as bad as people think -- having an argument in the car is the same. Rather than preaching cellphone-while-driving abstinence, responsible driving should be taught (e.g. put down the phone if you need to drive).

tooki

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by jet3099

I wish I had a scrambler I could mount on the top of the school to disable all cell phones on campus.......
Any thoughts .................?

so why dont' you do it? and driving and cell phone isnt a problem with just high schoolers.

[macintologist]

Tooki, I agree 100%. It's incredible the lengths some people will go to blame social ills on society's latest toys. What ever happened to personal responsibility and good parenting? Candy Lightner pulled this crap back in the 80s when she exploited her daughters death and tried to raise the minimum drinking age. There needs to be a radical change in the way we view personal liberty and responsibility.

[QuadG5Man]

Cell phones are one more distraction (of the many) that high school students and grades below do not need, let alone the problems they create.

If I were a high school principal (or someone with power to make rules), I would ban cell phones in any "classroom environmen" where there is an instructor and learning is *supposed* to be taking place. Any offenses (like a ringing cell phone in class) would result in the students cell phone being confiscated for 7 days.

Driving and talking on a hand-held cell phone should be illegal! IMHO

[Kevin]

Your mom uses a cellphone in college.

[chabig]

Here is the cell phone policy from my son's high school:

"Cellular telephones and paging devices/beepers are part of our society,
however, interruptions by such devices will not be tolerated during
class instruction or in the Library/Media Center. Response to
beepers/cell phones is limited to class passing time/unscheduled times.
First offense in classroom will result in a warning. Second offense the
teacher will take the cell phone for later return, end of class. Third
offense the cell phone will be confiscated, given to an administrator
and parents notified."

The Principal's philosophy is "if you want them to act like adults, treat them like adults."

Chris

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by QuadG5Man

Cell phones are one more distraction (of the many) that high school students and grades below do not need, let alone the problems they create.

If I were a high school principal (or someone with power to make rules), I would ban cell phones in any "classroom environmen" where there is an instructor and learning is *supposed* to be taking place. Any offenses (like a ringing cell phone in class) would result in the students cell phone being confiscated for 7 days.

Driving and talking on a hand-held cell phone should be illegal! IMHO

Well what about students who use their cell phone as their calendar like me? Are you going to make it difficult for me to organize and remember meetings with teachers just to fulfill your ludite unibomber anti-technology fetish (most likely driven by sexual frustration!)

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by chabig

Here is the cell phone policy from my son's high school:

"Cellular telephones and paging devices/beepers are part of our society,
however, interruptions by such devices will not be tolerated during
class instruction or in the Library/Media Center. Response to
beepers/cell phones is limited to class passing time/unscheduled times.
First offense in classroom will result in a warning. Second offense the
teacher will take the cell phone for later return, end of class. Third
offense the cell phone will be confiscated, given to an administrator
and parents notified."

The Principal's philosophy is "if you want them to act like adults, treat them like adults."

Chris

This is a reasonable policy. It's much like allowing teenagers drink alcohol legally, but punish them harshly when they break the law like drinking and driving.

[misc]

Originally Posted by chabig

Here is the cell phone policy from my son's high school:

"Cellular telephones and paging devices/beepers are part of our society,
however, interruptions by such devices will not be tolerated during
class instruction or in the Library/Media Center. Response to
beepers/cell phones is limited to class passing time/unscheduled times.
First offense in classroom will result in a warning. Second offense the
teacher will take the cell phone for later return, end of class. Third
offense the cell phone will be confiscated, given to an administrator
and parents notified."

The Principal's philosophy is "if you want them to act like adults, treat them like adults."

Chris

How is taking someone's personal property away treating them like adults?...

On a side note, scrambling cell phone signals is illegal.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by macintologist

Well what about students who use their cell phone as their calendar like me? Are you going to make it difficult for me to organize and remember meetings with teachers just to fulfill your ludite unibomber anti-technology fetish (most likely driven by sexual frustration!)

Just enter the stuff between classes. There is nothing at all wrong with a policy that bans the use of them inside the classroom. While you make reasonable use of the phone, many people use them to SMS during class to cheat or do whatever else. I'm sorry to have to inform you that you will have a lifetime of suffering from the abusers. There is a long list of things that we can't do because a few jerks ruined it for everyone.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by misc

How is taking someone's personal property away treating them like adults?...

It's taken away after repeated offenses. Big whoop. You lost the adult treatment when you kept abusing the situation.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by macintologist

It's incredible the lengths some people will go to blame social ills on society's latest toys. What ever happened to personal responsibility and good parenting?

If you notice, the OP was not blaming the phones themselves - the blame was placed on the students' misuse of them and the parents' demand that they be allowed to answer them in class.

[QuadG5Man]

That principal has it right. Macintologist, you could bust out your digital planner/cell phone in between classes, right?

Taking away the phones simply holds them responsible for their actions. Sounds like being treated like an adult to me.

[misc]

Originally Posted by wallinbl

It's taken away after repeated offenses. Big whoop. You lost the adult treatment when you kept abusing the situation.

Yeah, I realised what he meant after I hit submit.

Having been in school for the last five years with a cell phone, sometimes **** happens and you forget to silence your phone or forget to leave them in your locker. I've also seen teacher's cell phones go off in class (and answer them). Good example, eh?

As for the car accident - I've been in the car when my friends have used their cell phones to text message or attempt to change their iPod's song while driving. I grab the "oh ****" bar and say a few selected words to them. It is incredible stupid for them to do.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by misc

As for the car accident - I've been in the car when my friends have used their cell phones to text message or attempt to change their iPod's song while driving. I grab the "oh ****" bar and say a few selected words to them. It is incredible stupid for them to do.

I type on my Blackberry while stopped at traffic lights. Sometimes, it drives me nuts to have to bang out a message over several lights, and I even wish for them to turn red on me.

[misc]

Originally Posted by wallinbl

I type on my Blackberry while stopped at traffic lights. Sometimes, it drives me nuts to have to bang out a message over several lights, and I even wish for them to turn red on me.

Point? If you need to type out a message that badly, pull over.

[11011001]

I hated high school because of the over bearing authoritarian teachers. Worst years of my life. I wish it could have been more like university, where the students are responsible for their own success, etc. When faced with the possibility of failure, without the support of parents and teachers, one tends to take their own lives in their hands, and act responsibly. However, teachers have an obligation to help their students achieve success, so I can't really offer a solution.

[QuadG5Man]

Wall....

LOL

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by misc

Point? If you need to type out a message that badly, pull over.

I'm personally a fan of handsfree. Americans typically don't use handsfree, I don't know why, but they should.

[misc]

Originally Posted by macintologist

I'm personally a fan of handsfree. Americans typically don't use handsfree, I don't know why, but they should.

I use it for making phone calls, but the voice recognition in the text messaging services are not quite good enough yet.

[JoshuaZ]

You can't stop the kids from having them, but you can restrict where they have them. I agree that it can be a problem, as I saw phones go off way too many times in college classrooms. But these days giving your teenager a cell phone isn't a bad idea. Lots of kids have cars. Lots of kids are in activities. Lots of kids go out and do things. If you want to keep track of your kids, yet give him/her some personal responsibility and freedom, a cell phone isn't too bad.

Keeping them in lockers = ok. In class = bad.

Cheating happens in many different ways. Like some kid who printed answers on the label of his water bottle. Smart kid, wrong way to use his smarts.

[ghporter]

Here's my son's school policy on cell phones:

High school students having cellular phones or paging devices must
keep the devices turned off and not visible during the regular school day.

There is no reason a student can't write down assignments instead of having to enter this sort of thing in some electronic device. In fact, having to process the information more than once is useful in remembering it-typing up handwritten notes has proven helpful for a lot of students, me included.

Using a phone in ANY mode while driving is bad for the driver's concentration. I've seen studies that equate active phone use with the same level of imparment experienced by drivers who've been drinking. Typing anything ON anything while driving is as bad as reading the freakin' paper or putting on makeup, and should be grounds for pulling the driver's license-or just pulling him or her out of the car and making him or her walk home.

[DeathToWindows]

I'd go with the treat-them-like-adults model.

Abuse it, lose it.

And, bloody hell, install blockers in lecture halls!

[wuzup101]

The problem is responsibility not kids having cell phones. I had a cell phone throughout highschool and now in college, and to this day it's never gone off during a class. Sure, I've gotten calls during classes, but I've always had the phone on vibrate/silent or turned off (for exams). Having a cell phone makes life a lot easier, and IMHO increases productivity through easier communication (not saying that you can't waste time on a cell phone... but if used as it was intended).

The proposed plan above (the 3 strike policy) is much the same as it was in my high school, and we didn't have many problems. Just make sure teachers inforce said policy. Let students know that it's okay to have them on school property but that it is there responsibility to use them under your guidelines. I will also note that we weren't permitted to use them during any time when classes were in session, regardless of if it were inbetween classes or not. They could be carried on you, but couldn't be used between class hours (8am-3pm).

I really don't know why parents would argue such a policy. If they need to contact their child in an emergency, then they should call the school. During school hours, while classes are in session, it's the school's responsibility to know where their students are. Since all classrooms have phones in them, any student can be contacted in a few seconds and be called to the office or can use the classroom phone in the hall.

[SSharon]

I know that cell phones are not allowed in classrooms in my old highschool and forcing students to leave them in their lockers only meant that they got stolen more often.

People should be able to drive and talk on the phone. Driving classes and licensing should be much more strict, but if you can smoke, change CDs and whatever else a cellphone isn't any different.

I agree that if a parent needs to contact a student they should call the school.

As for the cheating, this happened in my school just recently (university not highschool). Expel anyone caught cheating and be done with it. I don't care if they have cameras in my classes during tests to enforce this.

I use the calendar of my phone because unlike a scrap of paper I won't lose it and the info it contains at the end of the day. I want to keep my phone with me in class and will make appropriate sacrifices to do so.

[SuvsareRetarded]

Cell phone scramblers have been available for a while now. Google them, buy one, and put it in your school if you care so much.

[volcano]

Originally Posted by SSharon

People should be able to drive and talk on the phone. Driving classes and licensing should be much more strict, but if you can smoke, change CDs and whatever else a cellphone isn't any different.

I disagree with the latter part of your statement. Repetive and simplistic tasks like smoking a cigarette and changing a CD aren't as likely to completely distract your attention away from the road. When you talk on the phone, your mind concentrates on the conversation itself as you contemplate and respond to questions - which could easily distract your attention away from the road. Because of this, drivers seem to care less about the rules of the road, leading to annoyances such as cut-offs, the classic "four lane switch because I didn't realize my turn was that soon" or the "Oh ****! There's the exit!" type of driving.

To be honest, I wish they would ban cell phone usage on roadways unless you pull over to the side of the road, here in Texas.

My high school had similiar policies as the ones posted above. Did they work? Hardly. It was easy to catch kids during class blatantly hiding behind a book or a purse, text messaging their friends. The best one? "I need to go to the bathroom." Needless to say, it was almost guaranteed that at least 4 or 5 kids would be in the nearest bathroom either talking or text messaging on their cellphone.

[SuvsareRetarded]

Originally Posted by volcano

I disagree with the latter part of your statement. Repetive and simplistic tasks like smoking a cigarette and changing a CD aren't as likely to completely distract your attention away from the road. When you talk on the phone, your mind concentrates on the conversation itself as you contemplate and respond to questions - which could easily distract your attention away from the road. Because of this, drivers seem to care less about the rules of the road, leading to annoyances such as cut-offs, the classic "four lane switch because I didn't realize my turn was that soon" or the "Oh ****! There's the exit!" type of driving

So should talking with someone who's riding in the passenger seat also be outlawed?

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by volcano

I disagree with the latter part of your statement. Repetive and simplistic tasks like smoking a cigarette and changing a CD aren't as likely to completely distract your attention away from the road. When you talk on the phone, your mind concentrates on the conversation itself as you contemplate and respond to questions - which could easily distract your attention away from the road. Because of this, drivers seem to care less about the rules of the road, leading to annoyances such as cut-offs, the classic "four lane switch because I didn't realize my turn was that soon" or the "Oh ****! There's the exit!" type of driving.

I wish the rest of you would just learn to talk while driving. There is one simple rule of talking on the phone while driving - remember that you are a driver first, and a talker second. If it means you have to be partially rude to the person you are talking to, then so be it - you're driving and they should understand that. Talking on a cell phone has no more impact on my driving that talking to a passenger, because I am aware that my first task is to drive and sometimes that means ignoring the person I'm on the phone with because I need to focus on merging or whatever is going on.

If the rest of the country screws this up and gets talking while driving banned, I'll be pretty ticked off. It's a simple matter of priorities and the people getting in wrecks prioritized the phone over driving.

[Eriamjh]

Some people today insist that cell phones are absolutely necessary for everything they do.

"I use my cell phone as a planner in school". Guess what? Some schools don't allow it. Not because its a planner, but because it's a phone. Use a notebook or a PDA.

"I need to contact my child in an emergency." No, actually, you don't. Contacting them is not a matter of life or death. If a grandparent has passed away, he is still dead. Contacting the child won't change it. Besides, he's in school. You know where to reach him.

"I forgot to turn it off." OK, I'll buy that once or twice a year. But why is someone calling you anyway? Your stupid friends all know you are in school.

"They don't treat us like adults." You're not an adult. And you don't deserve to be treated like one since you refuse to act like one. Graduate, and we'll talk.


I absolutely hated high school. College was much better. For me, it was a big deal in school when calculators had enough memory to store formulas or text. Now, one can cram the whole text book into a phone or PDA. At least we didn't have students calling one another every 5 seconds to say "wassup?". How did we survive?

[skalie]

Using a cell phone while driving is illegal in the Netherlands, unless it's a hands free car kit.

[Kevin]

The last two accidents I have gotten into had to do with female teenage drivers not paying attention.

One was putting makeup on.

One was talking on the cell.

The latter got the crap scared out of her enough I doubt she does it again.

[wuzup101]

I personally don't think you should be driving while talking on the cell phone either, unless you are using a hands free kit. Talking to someone next to you in the car is different than talking to someone on a cell phone without a hands free kit. It's a lot easier to drive and just talk than to drive and hold a cell while talking. I personally drive stick, and while I can easily talk on the cell phone while driving, i choose not to. Holding the cell with my shoulder while I talk isn't a safe option. I really hate those people who read while driving... get a fregging book on tape if you must have something to do that badly. Someone ever hits me while reading or putting on makeup... and trust me... my neck will hurt... it will hurt a lot... and you will be paying for it.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by wuzup101

I personally don't think you should be driving while talking on the cell phone either, unless you are using a hands free kit.

Then don't. Don't tell me I can't.

Talking to someone next to you in the car is different than talking to someone on a cell phone without a hands free kit.

How? A conversation is a conversation. Does it require more concentration if you can't see them? It doesn't for me. And, the person on the other end of the phone doesn't do anything dumb like yell LOOKOUT! That's dangerous.

It's a lot easier to drive and just talk than to drive and hold a cell while talking. I personally drive stick, and while I can easily talk on the cell phone while driving, i choose not to. Holding the cell with my shoulder while I talk isn't a safe option.

I don't drive a stick, so I have a free hand. I never drive with two hands on the wheel, so having one near my ear has no impact.

I really hate those people who read while driving... get a fregging book on tape if you must have something to do that badly. Someone ever hits me while reading or putting on makeup... and trust me... my neck will hurt... it will hurt a lot... and you will be paying for it.

If I see you doing that, I will honk relentlessly until you stop. Then, I will make sure that you and I are not near each other so when you cause an accident, it doesn't involve me.

[SSharon]

This is why I said driving tests should be harder. If the tests accounted for more distractions people would learn how to just drop the phone and drive. All other times I don't need both hands on the wheel. Hands free is nonsense since remote conversations are equally distracting whether you are holding the phone or not. Having a wire going to my ear (no bluetooth yet) actually makes it worse since I turn my neck less.

Driving and communicating is not a difficult skill to learn. All emergency personnel, myself included, can drive and talk on a radio/cellphone or whatever else is needed. Make the test harder, teach people the right way to do it and be done with it.

[Mastrap]

Driving while talking on a cell phone, regardless whether using a handsfree set or not, increases your chances of being involved in an accident fourfold.

Having a conversation in the car doesn't. The simple reason appears to be that a passenger sees what is happening around the car and the conversation structures itself around the attention needs of the driver, i.e the passenger stops talking when the driver needs to concentrate. The same doesn't happen on the phone.

[screamingFit]

There is no reason for a kid to have a cellphone in school.

[MacMan4000]

why is this persons 1st post just a rant on cell phones... in a mac forum?

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

There is no reason for a kid to have a cellphone in school.

There are LOTS of reasons for a kid in high school to have a cell phone. About 99.999% of them deal with after school issues, such as events being cancelled or rescheduled, study groups changing and so on. They basically revolve around managing transportation after school. It also reduces the load a teenager puts on the family's land line...which WILL be pretty harsh!

And as I posted, the rules in my son's school made lots of sense: out of sight and off during school hours. Period. No accidental rings during class (confiscated) no overlong calls during lunch (confiscated) and no texting during tests (confiscated AND suspended for test compromise).

I have been in many college classes wherein students failed to silence or turn off their phones. The better professors made it very embarrassing for the students responsible, and those students didn't forget again. The funniest one was when I was in a psychology experiment room, getting ready for the experiment: one guy's phone went off with the theme from Sessamee Street, and after he turned it off, most of the rest of us quickly got out our own phones and either ensured they were off or turned them off...and we all met in our Psych class a little later and laughed about it.

[screamingFit]

Originally Posted by ghporter

There are LOTS of reasons for a kid in high school to have a cell phone. About 99.999% of them deal with after school issues, such as events being cancelled or rescheduled, study groups changing and so on. They basically revolve around managing transportation after school. It also reduces the load a teenager puts on the family's land line...which WILL be pretty harsh!

And as I posted, the rules in my son's school made lots of sense: out of sight and off during school hours. Period. No accidental rings during class (confiscated) no overlong calls during lunch (confiscated) and no texting during tests (confiscated AND suspended for test compromise).

I have been in many college classes wherein students failed to silence or turn off their phones. The better professors made it very embarrassing for the students responsible, and those students didn't forget again. The funniest one was when I was in a psychology experiment room, getting ready for the experiment: one guy's phone went off with the theme from Sessamee Street, and after he turned it off, most of the rest of us quickly got out our own phones and either ensured they were off or turned them off...and we all met in our Psych class a little later and laughed about it.

Weren't those same reasons applicable before everyone and their mother had a cellphone? My school had a bank of about 5 pay phones - that seemed to work pretty good. And you never had to worry about those going off in the middle of a class. And as far as land line use??? It's only $15.00 a month here for unlimited time.

[SuvsareRetarded]

Originally Posted by ghporter

There are LOTS of reasons for a kid in high school to have a cell phone. About 99.999% of them deal with after school issues, such as events being cancelled or rescheduled, study groups changing and so on. They basically revolve around managing transportation after school. It also reduces the load a teenager puts on the family's land line...which WILL be pretty harsh!

I think you reasoning is total BS. I was in a lot of afterschool activities and I didn't have a cell phone, NOR WOULD I HAVE WANTED ONE. It's nice to be away from your parents without them being able to call you at any moment and find out where you are. Lets you eh.... get into better situations, sometimes. Cell phones suck, and honestly I wish they could be uninvented. People are so god damn annoying with them, talking way too loud, acting like assholes, even taking calls during movies, weddings, concerts, anything! Plus they call people without having **** to say! Ever walk near some people on cells? THEY ARE JUST WASTING TIME! It's ****ing pointless conversation! Throw in the fact that people drive like total ass while they're on their phones, and man... **** cell phones. Maybe I should buy a cell phone scrambler and just put it in my backpack 'on' 24-7.

[SuvsareRetarded]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Weren't those same reasons applicable before everyone and their mother had a cellphone? My school had a bank of about 5 pay phones - that seemed to work pretty good. And you never had to worry about those going off in the middle of a class. And as far as land line use??? It's only $15.00 a month here for unlimited time.

Ditto. He's using hte same retarded logic as people 'justifying' their needs for owning and driving an SUV. "BUT IT GETS SNOWY!"

SO?!

It's been snowing a lot longer htan SUVs have been around, and people have been driving for decades in the snow just fine.

[ghporter]

Sorry, but neither of us is a high school student right now, and the way kids lives run in school today is dictated by parents who demand the flexibility of being able to deal with these kinds of issues via cell phone. I've been in I don't know how many parent-teacher group meetings where the parents were the ones pushing the school to allow kids to have cell phones. And since the payphone situation has changed a LOT in the last few years (they have to make a profit), they are pretty scarce. Add to that the fear that a lot of parents have that something like Columbine is going to happen and nobody will be able to call the police because they're fleeing the building, and you wind up with (to a lot of parents) some pretty compelling reasons for students to have cell phones in high school.

I don't think kids younger than high school age need their own phones at all. On the other hand, my son's phone is a leash we can use to check on his location, his schedule, and his progress in any tasks we've given him. Most parents don't know the power of being able to interrupt their children at any time by remote control...

[SuvsareRetarded]

The reason taht parents want their ****ing kids to have cell phones is because they are worry warts. I dont' blame htem, the media emblazons the fear of having somebody kidnap your kid almost daily, so I can see why they're so paranoid, but in most cases it's just stupid. However, this mentality of constant worry is a pretty far cry from reality. I'm sure the only kids who families can afford to get htem their own cell phones don't live in the type of neighborhood where crime and abductions are going to happen anyway.

[ghporter]

I had a very odd kind of work schedule through my son's last two years in high school; sometimes I could get away for something there, and sometimes I couldn't. Note that we live on the other side of the fence from the school-it was about getting there to attend after school events or pick him up for appointments. His having a cell phone had nothing to do with OUR being worry warts and everything to do with HIS being concerned about events and appointments. His phone cost us an extra $10 a month.

My niece lives in a neighborhood in Houston that's arguably the location of unsavory acts and more crime than I'd like to see. Everybody she knows has a cell phone; they're cheap today. It's not a class thing.

[SuvsareRetarded]

Whatever dude. I think it's unnecessary. If you can't make it somewhere to pick him up, surely he must have friends who also have parents.

[screamingFit]

Originally Posted by ghporter

[snip]
the payphone situation has changed a LOT in the last few years (they have to make a profit), they are pretty scarce

Only because they aren't around areas with high cell phone concentration. If schools outlawed cell phones, they'd put in pay phones. They'd make their profit.

Everybody she knows has a cell phone; they're cheap today. It's not a class thing.

And, cell phones are cheap? Where the heck did you steal yours from? I sure as hell can't afford one.