Sample Essay On Cell Phone Usage In Classrooms

Cell phones have evolved over the years. It has become a very important part of the society due to the fact that it has evolved to become the most used means of communication all over the world. The use of cell phones has evolved and is currently used as a learning tool in different schools. Though cell phones on students have been viewed as a distraction, there are those who argue that cell phones have their benefits on the lives of the students. It has been a contentious issue with both parties trying to argue out their points on whether cell phones should or should not be used in classrooms. Due to the fact that cell phones are no longer as expensive as it used to be, it has been possible for many students to afford it thus it is with almost all the students. This paper is meant to discuss the use of cell phones in classrooms and the effect it has both positive and negative.
The use of cell phones in classroom is not only a problem faced by the college fraternity; it has also become a problem among high school students. This is contributed by the fact that parents have found it necessary to provide phones to their children. It has become a challenge to the teachers trying to ensure that the students do not get carried away by the use of their phones. This is because the students themselves are not willing to let go of their phones for whatever reason given by their teachers and they go to great lengths to ensure that they break the rules that might be set up to regulate the use of these gadgets.
Cell phones are used to teach many different subjects in schools. Though many different educators have different feelings towards the use of cell phones, some of the educators have actually incorporated its use in their lessons. They use text messages to assign lessons to the students and even get feedback through the same channel. The fact that the technological advancements of the cell phones has been very huge in terms of the speeds that it uses to access the internet, it has been easier for educators to do their lectures online and even see the progress of their students through the same channel.
It is clear that some of the students do not attend classes and this is an easier way for the educators to keep track of them. As this may be seen to be a successful way of using this form of technology, the educators who are incorporating it want the phones to have different advanced software’s installed in the gadgets to ensure that their lessons run smoothly.
There have been different results from researchers on the amount of time students spend on their phones. Some argue that it is way past the necessary amount of time while others say that only few students have an issue with spending a lot of time on their phones. This bone of contention has also been a basis of many professors banning the use of phones in their classes. The professors argue that those with cell phones do not concentrate in class and are always absent minded. They argue that instead of the students concentrating on their lectures; they are always busy looking at their phones which are distractive to both them and other students.
A research that was conducted by some professors showed that when students turned off their phones during lessons, they tended to be more aggressive and they participate more in class. They are also seen to be more alert during the lesson. The professors also noticed that the overall performance of the class had a tremendous improvement at the end of the semester. This proved the point that the use of cell phones was a distraction to the students. Some of the students in the survey also corroborated the story saying that during the period when they did not have their phones on in class the class was more awake compared to when the phones were with them.
The students also say that they have gotten a chance to know each other more because they can engage in discussions without one looking at their phone or sending text messages. The students say that they felt the impact of the absence of the cell phones in a more positive way. It is clear to say by these findings that it is very necessary for the implementation of rules to regulate the conduct of students and the use of technology in schools and especially in the classroom.
Research has established that most of the students who use their phones during lessons do not perform well in school. This is said to be the result of the scholars trying to multi task. This is very hard considering the fact that the use of the phone can draw ones attention from all other things. (Tindell et al, 2011)This is especially in situations where for example the student is using face book and also texting other people out of the class and at the same time trying to take down notes in the lecture room. This is practically impossible because the brain cannot focus on all of this tasks and the student will end up concentrating more on what they love rather than the lesson which they might consider boring.
The use of phones in the classroom has also been associated with aiding cheating during examinations. This is because the phones have internet access where the students can assess answers via the web. Students themselves argue that it is not right to use phones in class during examinations but it is okay to use the phones during class hours because in the normal lessons there is nothing to cheat about. Though, they do agree that when they have phones in class during examinations, they are tempted to cheat.
According to the students, they do not see the problem in the use of phones in the classroom.(Campbell et al,2006) They do not find any truth in the say that it is a tool that distracts them from the happenings in the class. They argue that they can easily switch their minds from the use of their phones to the lessons in class which is not the case according to the professors. According to research, many of the students who support the use of phones in the classroom are those who are in the habit of having the phones in the classroom. Those that do not carry their phones to class argue that it is very distractive and annoying when one uses their phone during lectures. It shows how much the user of the phone has no respect towards the lecturer and other students. Some of the cell phone users giggle in class thus causing distraction to other students in the class.
Many students agree that when a student decides to use a cell phone in class whereas it is not allowed, the consequences should fall solely on them. This is because they are big enough to decide on their own and as long as they know the rule, they should take responsibility for their disregard of the said rules. Many schools have tried to lay down rules that regulate the use of cell phones in classrooms but many of these rules have gone unnoticed. This has happened due to the fact that the teachers who are supposed to enforce the law either do not understand it or are just reluctant to follow the rule.
Many students should be educated on the right ways and wrong ways to use their cell phones. It should be clear to the students, parents and teachers that there are rules that are in place to regulate the use of these cell phones. These rules should be put in place with the help of all the parties concerned to ensure there is no conflict of interest. The needs of the students should also be considered when drafting the rules. And the rules should also be those that can be implemented and they are supposed to use rules that are reasonable in every aspect of the matter.
The students argue that the fact that the teachers have a different way of implementing rules on the use of cell phones in the classroom has been a contributing factor on the increase of its use. Teachers also agree to this claim they also say that the fact that some of the rules that regulate the use of the phones are not well outlined. This has proved to be a challenge in enforcement of these rules. The students also say that even though they enjoy using their phones, they have set their own regulations on where and when they can use their phones. It is an agreement between many students that some subjects such as maths require a person’s full attention and thus they cannot use their phones during the lessons.
It is also clear that they consider the way their teachers react when they see them with cell phones during class hours. They say there are teachers who understand and they can be able to agree with the teacher on the issue of the cell phones while there are others who are ruthless in their implementation of rules regulating the use of cell phones in classrooms. The students and the teachers both agree that the relationship they have with their teachers provides a leeway for them to be able to reason with the teachers in case of a cell phone found in the classroom. Trust issue has also been highlighted by both the students and the teachers. The students trust other teachers more than others thus they are free when conversing with this teachers.
There has been great difficulty in implementing rules that regulate the use of phones in the classroom. Some students argue that even though it is said that the phones can disrupt their studies, they do exceptionally well in their classes and thus they feel they are justified to use the gadgets. The size of the class can also be a hindrance in the implementation of these rules considering the fact that when a teacher is in the front of the class, they can rarely see what goes on at the back of the class. Thus, they get the opportunity to use their cell phones without being noticed at all.
Some rules that are put in place to curb this menace have proved impossible to implement. Such rules include confiscating the phones of those found using them inappropriately. (Engell et al, 2011) This has been close to impossible because it is the parents of the students who pay for the phones and it will be infringing on their personal property by taking the phone. On this issue, there should be an agreement between the parents, teachers and the students on the issue of the phone usage in class and its repercautions. This will ensure that students take more care of their conduct knowing that the parents are in support of whatever measures the teachers may take in case of misconduct.
Many of the students say that they mostly communicate with their parents using their cell phones and that is an easier way for their parents to keep track of where they are and if they are doing fine. The teachers and students can build very good relationships with the use of cell phones and this can also help them in getting to know the personalities of their students and what they like or dislike. Social media that is a favourite of many students is a very easy way of knowing about the characters of the students. They post their daily activity online and thus one can know if they are having problems or they are happy. Even with the introduction of the use of mobile phones as a form of study, it should also be considered that there are those individuals who cannot afford to purchase a smart phone that can help in their studies. Thus, proper care and calculations should be done before this measure that is recommended by many scholars is put into action.
Technology is advancing and the use of cell phones is also broadening each day. In order to ensure that the use of these phones does not affect students negatively, they should be incorporated in the education system to ensure that it becomes beneficial to the students. It is almost impossible to get rid of the use of cell phones among students due to the fact that most of the youth are more excited about technology and if this excitement can be put into good use, then the use of these gadgets can be beneficial. With the combined efforts of the teachers and the students and basically good terms of agreement, then there will be discipline in the use of phones in class.
Parents should also take responsibility for their children by ensuring that they are performing well in school despite having cell phones and if not, they should talk to the teachers and find out what might be the problem. This will go a long way in ensuring that students try to perform well to avoid having problems with their parents.

Works cited

Campbell, Scott W. "Perceptions of mobile phones in college classrooms: Ringing, cheating, and classroom policies." Communication education 55.3 (2006): 280-294.
Engel, George, and Tim Green. "Cell Phones in the Classroom: Are We Dialing up Disaster?." TechTrends 55.2 (2011): 39-45.
Tindell, Deborah R., and Robert W. Bohlander. "The use and abuse of cell phones and text messaging in the classroom: A survey of college students." College Teaching 60.1 (2012): 1-9.