Five reasons why banning cellphones is a bad idea.

1 Comment / #socialLEADia, Engaging in Courageous Conversations / By

My social media feed and my phone went crazy today because of the issue of a cellphone ban which will apparently become law in Ontario in the 2019/2020 school year, released interestingly during March Break.

I’m certain that many people will think banning cellphones is a great idea. In fact, there may be a few teachers who think this is a great idea. After all, kids these days are distracted addicted, and apathetic right???

I have spoken to thousands of teachers and students about thinking differently about the powerful devices which fit in our pockets.

Here, in essence are my concerns with a cellphone ban:

But when I look closely at the “ban” itself, it doesn’t feel really different from what we have been doing in Ontario schools already?

It looks like I will be able to continue to do what I do: co-construct with kids appropriate times to use devices, allow my students to use them to share their voices in class, access accessibility tools, and to create demonstrations of their learning in a variety of ways.

What I won’t be able to do anymore is ask my students when they are on spare or lunch: “Is your device helping your or distracting you?” something that has been so helpful for students to reflect on their own use of devices. This will mean missed opportunities for reflection and a loss of relationship-building when I now have to police devices in the Library Learning Commons. It may also mean that teachers who do allow devices will be pitted against teachers who don’t allow them.

On the one hand, I don’t see the ban as changing very much, although, the fact that it exists shows a distrust for educational institutions to do what they deem is best for the students in their care. It also undermines relationships which are foundational building blocks for learning.

And where are the students in this? Has anyone asked them?

Here is the statement:

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