A very thought-provoking and informative post as always. It is always interesting to hear people’s opinions on matters such as mobile phones in the classroom and the comments have provided an additional, alternative perspective without being so blunt or close-minded as to say ‘ban them, ban them all!’

Clearly they can be a distraction (but as you say, so can an empty biro and wads of paper!), but I love the simple concept of having mobile phones on the desk at all times where they can be seen, although we have to consider whether this does start to alienate children without phones / with older generation phones…Clearly it is working for David, so fair play!

Soon to open Hackney University Technical College told me how mobile phones will play a key part in their teaching and learning strategy, but to combat misuse, an acceptable use policy will be put in place:

“At present, every school is required to create a home-school agreement and we will be incorporating a mobile phone acceptable use policy into ours, as well as our e-safety agreement…”

With regards to alienating pupils without mobile phones, I wonder if the fact that we distinguish such devices as separate technologies to everything else is a big part of the issue?

In English, we don’t ask pupils to take out their fountain pens (anymore!), instead they can use biros, fountain pens, black ink, blue ink etc. So, why don’t we suggest that pupils use their “mobile phones, classroom laptops, iPads, or whatever device they feel is suitable for the piece of work.” Surely, if we are not placing an emphasis on phones being a separate tool but instead just one weapon in our armoury, pupils will do the same? As you know, I am no teacher but I do wonder if this approach would make any difference?

If you are interested, you can read the ‘Mobile Phones in Schools, Educate or Eradicate’ article I wrote at http://www.bee-it.co.uk/blogslink/796-mobile-phones-in-schools-educate-or-eradicate.html

Where we disagree is that I think the problem is not the phone – but the lack of a clear policy well-implemented. This can happen in any school and is no more likely in one social class than another.

The technology cannot be responsible for harming the learning. When a child picks up a chair and throws it across the room – no one calls for them to be banned. (sorry for this strained example)

I am not sure middle class kids are any more likely to be in a utopian classroom. I know lots of schools in the real world that are making good use of phones in class.

As you say, it is sad that your school cannot find a way to safely embrace phones – but I am glad that you are successfully using other tech : )

My support of phones in school is not so much in denial of the problems you state. But, have all problems with phones and cyberbullying stopped in your school cos you banned them?

Surely better to stop fighting the inevitable – model appropriate use of tech – even in class! – and help children to use the phones for good – rather than leave them to explore the obvious negative uses that the most disruptive kids will strive to get away with.

But what about when that technology itself is responsible for harming the learning? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for embracing technology – but how do we manage this effectively?

When I chipped in my tuppence to the debate on Twitter at the weekend, I stated that “Phones are ok in a middle class utopian classroom – but out here in the real world, they cause trouble.”

To elaborate, in challenging urban schools I have witnessed first-hand students using mobile technology to abuse, bully and undermine staff and fellow students. Examples include “slagging off” teachers on Twitter during lessons, taking ‘upskirt’ photographs of female members of staff and posting them on the internet for all to see, and students using facebook to arrange a mutiny during which 150+ students walked out in the middle of their lessons to sit on the school driveway for no other reason than to cause disruption.

There’s more than just classroom management issues here. It’s hard for teachers to deal with misuse of mobile technology when that technology is being used to access external social media over which the school has no control. Not to mention the obvious child protection issues that are raised – I’ve witnessed students being bullied via text, or accessing inappopriate content, on numerous occasions.

In addition, there are also issues regarding equal access for students in deprived circumstances. To expect students in schools in deprived social areas to use mobile phones would be completely unfair to the 5-6 students in each class do not own one – it’s devisive and unfairly excludes poorer students from the learning acitvity.

In my current school mobile phones are banned, and while it is sad that we cannot currently find a way to safely embrace and utilise the technology, it has created a calmer, more focused learning environment. And that doesn’t mean we don’t use technology – video cameras, PCs, laptops, microphones, virtual learning environments, iPads and iPods are all used in a successful, controlled way.

Are you Primary or Secondary BTW?

We need to teach them safe use rather than ban altogether. I keep seeing people using the analogy of learning to swim. If they don’t then they’re struggling in a pool of information with no shallow end….

Responsibility (liability) are clearly tougher issues for a school to discuss with governors/parents…and good communication is needed before ‘allowing’ devices in.
There are differences between primary / secondary approaches.. but the driver for this must be teachers and learners agreeing that the positives DO outweight the problems and to work together to make them work.