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Ask HN: Restricting cell phone use in a classroom setting?

3 points by aantix ↗ HN
Is anyone aware of any successful policies or technological solutions that have discouraged or prohibited cell phone use in a classroom setting?

Teachers are spending enormous amounts of classroom energy policing cell phones - I'm wondering what others have seen as solutions in their local area schools?

5 comments

[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 27.3 ms ] thread
dougmwne
Potentially you could use some kind of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth device ID system to identify that cell phones were not in airplane mode. Any kind of signal blocking system seems like it would be illegal and dangerous.
fnordian_slip
I believe that you can never completely get rid of it, because any technical measure (signals jamming comes to mind) will interfere with the use of phones in an emergency, which trumps all other considerations.

So the only way that I see is to make an honest connection with the students on a human level. This means they will probably keep the disruption to a minimum because they either want to learn, or because they at least do not want to interrupt the learning of others too much.

It's not easy, but teaching well never is, and of course it is highly dependent on the students.

mr90210
I am not a teacher, but what about actually give them the freedom to use it when the feel like using?

The ones not paying attention will likely not perform well but, wouldn’t a lesson be thought to them when some realize that using the phone in the class leads to poor results.

Like I said, I am not a teacher, so my comment might be full of flaws.

aantix
I think that’s been the default up until now.

But like any group of teens, some can handle it, some see the errors of their ways, but others literally fail out of high school because they can’t handle the distraction.

It’s the latter that I’m seeking solutions for.

lisasays
It's disruptive to everyone in the room, and makes it difficult for other students to contain their own impulses.