A rising number of school districts and states are putting in place more restrictive policies to curb the use of cellphones in schools. The policy trend is a direct response to concerns that the devices are hurting students’ abilities to concentrate in school and build meaningful relationships with peers and adults in their lives.
But in many cases, policies are being put in place before the people most affected by such measures—the students themselves—are asked what they think would work best.
To give educators a teenage perspective about the benefits and drawbacks of cellphones in schools, Education Week published interviews with three teenagers:
Those stories were used to create this downloadable resource with six tips from teens on how to manage cellphones in schools.
Explore our coverage around students’ use of cellphones in schools:
> Guide to setting a policy: Here’s a decisionmaking tool for educators to map out the different potential outcomes when putting cellphone policies in play.
> Cellphone bans and restrictions: See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools in our tracker. Explore our tracker.
> Nuisance or teaching tool? How teachers are turning an ubiquitous and growing class nuisance—the smartphone—into a tool for learning.
> Cellphone policies, explained: Education Week breaks down the different ways schools are addressing cellphone use, and the factors to weigh before adopting or changing the rules. Check out our explainer.
> Tips from teens & teachers: Teenagers offer 6 tips on how schools should manage students’ cellphone use, and educators share their tips on policing cellphone use in classrooms.
> Then & now: How the “sexting” panic previewed today’s debate about kids’ cellphone use.
