Will Students Give Up Their Cellphones?

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:54:32 GMT

By Lexie Neville

Maria Kokenos
A Barlow senior stores her cellphone casually in her back pocket.

The presence of students’ cell phones in school is causing much concern to some members of the Joel Barlow High School staff. Between repeated offences of loud ringers being heard in class and texting, gaming, and social networking through the hallways, many teachers are becoming concerned that their students are allowing technology to take away an unhealthy portion of their day. Linda Detelich, a substitute teacher at Joel Barlow High School, does not believe cell phone use should be permitted during the school day because, ultimately, they will be taken out during class. “Texting while a teacher is trying to teach is disrespectful, insulting, and rude,” said Mrs Detelich. “Teachers wouldn’t text during class and students should have the same respect for their teachers.” Some teachers have been an active part of the educational system for a considerable amount of years, and can vividly recall a time when students did not use cell phones at all. They advocate the use of the phone in the main office. This argument is impervious to emergency situations. “In the event of an emergency, an announcement can be released to parents/guardians,” said Mrs. Detelich. “Furthermore, I’ve been teaching long enough to know that students can communicate with each other as well as their families very nicely without the expediency of cell phones.” The Joel Barlow High School Handbook for the 2010-2011 school year states that the “use of cell phones by students during the academic day is prohibited, and the devices are subject to confiscation and disciplinary action.” Pearl Richards, Joel Barlow’s security paraprofessional, feels there are no exceptions to the cell phone rule in place at Barlow. “There are no cell phones in school. That is the rule,” she said. Although Barlow administration is against cell-phone use, it is one of few schools that have instituted and implemented a rule. Bruce Miller, the Commons Paraprofessional, has seen many students using cell phones in the hallways and during their study halls. “The cell phone rule is not a state-wide rule; it is upheld by the district alone,” he said. There are currently no legitimate exceptions to the rule, although some feel there should be. Some teachers understand students’ devotions to their phones, and encourage responsible use during the school day. Margaret Egan, the Academic Center Coordinator and a special education teacher at Joel Barlow, feels that cell phones have a time and a place. “It’s alright to use during Commons,” she said. “But students really need that face to face time to interact with each other.” Apart from losing time with each other, teachers fear that students are costing students valuable class time experience. “Ideally, students could ask to use their phones if they were logging in homework or other responsibilities and then put it away,” said Mrs. Detelich, “I don’t think this is realistic, however.” Students today are living in an age of technology. The idea of leaving cell phones at home does not even occur to most. Melissa Liik, a junior at Joel Barlow High School, does not bring her phone to school to aid in her social interactions. “I just like to have it with me because I know I have a way to contact anyone I need to, especially in case of a real emergency,” she said. The truth remains that students have many uses for their cell phones. Many are balancing afterschool activities, their social lives, part-time jobs, and family obligations; some have responsibilities that require them to be in contact with people all day long. The feeling is common among the student body that these commitments are incapable of being understood by Barlow authority figures. Teachers, however, reiterate the fact that they do understand and are simply searching for respect. “When the next generation becomes educators, they will feel just as disrespected by their own students constant texting and disregard of important class time,” said Mrs. Egan.