New York to ban smartphones in schools

[mr_raccoon]

Forgot dev mode can be locked down. Sorry for sounding dumb

[ClutchLinkey]

I’d love to hear the classroom conversation where a teacher tells the class about the proposed ban and has them go through the pros and cons. Turn it into a lesson, maybe even have a proper debate where students need to argue each position. Then, if they decide on a ban or partial ban, have them come up with enforcement policies. And if they decide against a ban, have them figure out how to hold onto the “pros” they identified with a ban, but in other ways.
It could be a really meaningful exercise for the kids.

[lizard-of-oz]

@RickMycroft

They could make phones for kids with the parental option to lock out everything but core functions during school hours, or geo-fenced to school grounds (plus a generous margin to discourage sneaking out).

Technical solutions for social problems rarely make things better. And I think that at least oart of that is already possible on iPhones with Screentime. On Android, too, most likely .

@anon61221983

is to stop having public schools be so authoritarian and rigid? Maybe bring in pedagogies that aren’t about shoving knowledge into the heads of young people in only “one correct way” but by understanding that education can be fun and interesting and mind expanding.

100% this. Over the past decade, I have coached a number of private schools that focus on this, and it is so cool to watch kids thrive in those environments. But I also participated in my share of public events where these ideas are promoted, and the curious thing is that the people speaking out most against that are … teachers.

But then, most teachers here have not been exposed to much pedagogy, at least over here. They actually have no ideas what kids are capable of, they often see them as stupid little people.

[DukeTrout]

@Ian_Berger

the truth is they don’t

I know two who definitely did throughout high school and one who continues to do so in college. My son in college reports that his friends all did in high school. That’s anecdata but certainly refutes the absolute statements. Maybe it’s a West Coast thing? Of course I’m talking about kids who were in high school for the remote learning part of the pandemic, so that also might shape behaviors.

[AnthonyC]

Why do kids even have smartphones in schools?

People above have already covered school shooter scenarios and the like, so I’ll just point out that some schools mandate use of specific apps on personal devices to track attendance, assignments, and things like that. I recently read a teacher’s informal study of their classes that such apps were 10-15% of the notifications received by the median student during class.

If I had a choice (and I realize I don’t, and shouldn’t) my preference would be: take away parents’ ability to complain to schools about students’ grades suffering if they don’t pay attention, and then let the phones stay. If a student (in middle school or later) is only distracting themselves, let them, while very clearly explaining (to them and to their parents) that that’s what’s happening if they then fail. Punish them if they use their devices in ways that distract others.