You have two months

One of the comments says it all…

How did we get by without one?

The topic was, of course, cellphones and was in response to this article in the Toronto Sun.

Ontario implementing classroom cellphone ban Nov. 4

The response is with respect to the distraction that can come along when the cellphone gets more attention than the teacher.

The topic has been debated on both sides for so long. There’s no point repeating the same arguments on both sides of this. They’ve long grown very tired.

I think the timing is interesting. If there was a concerted effort to ban them, then

1. why not have it kick in September 2?
2. why have all the exceptions to the ban?

It seems to me that these are deliberate loopholes to not come down with the heavy handed approach that some would like. The ultimate solution will come from school districts and individual teachers. A look around the province shows that the power of portable technology is known and understood by educators.

They know when it is appropriate and when it is a distraction.

They know the power of having up to date access to resources rather than relying on dated traditional textbooks and resources. They know that it’s pretty hard to justify using a videotape in the classroom, assuming they can find a television and a VCR player.

In particular, I find the second paragraph in the story telling.

But, of course, we got by without cellphones in the 70s and 80s. Back then, the technology was truly telephonic. They pale in comparison to the powerful smartphone devices that we have today. Who even uses the term cellphone for these things. That’s but one function that they have.

We know the power of the internet, connectiveness, and what technology enables in the classroom. A more interesting story might be that every student in the province will be assigned a computer to assist in their education. Of course, that won’t happen.

I’ll bet everyone can remember one dated silly thing you just had to learn – like Man Very Early Made Jars Stand Up Nearly Perpendicular – now that that information has been taking up room in my grey matter, I wonder if I could use it for something else. Today, I wouldn’t have to memorize that.