Should cellphones be allowed in school thesis statement?

The use of cell phone among students at school has generated intense debate over the years. This paper is developed amid this controversy. By relying on varied literature, the paper attempts to answer the question, “Should cell phone be banned at school?”
Annotated Bibliography..II
This section is split into five parts. Each part explores the perspectives of scholars on the use of cell phone at school. The following articles are explored.

"National School Debate: Banning Cell Phones in Public Schools: Analyzing a National School and Community Relations Problem."

"Cell Phones in American High Schools: A National Survey."
"Cell phones for education."
"Students and cell phones: Controversy in the classroom."
"The use and abuse of cell phones and text messaging in the classroom: A survey of college students."
ConclusionIII
This part answers the fundamental question regarding cell phone use. The conclusion relies on the author’s submissions on the subject of debate.

Introduction

Opposition towards cell phone use hinges on the claim that use of cell phones at school cause unnecessary distraction to students. This is because students are supposed to learn and concentrate in their studies rather than make or receive phone calls. However, the contrary argument holds that cell phone use is the life line of kids. Kids use cell phones to call their parents. Proponents of cell phone use argue that kids should not be stereotyped on the basis of the negative outcomes that arise due to the use of cell phones. Instead, positive outcomes should be stressed. Studies reveal that students are going to take their phones to school irrespective of the school policies and regulations guiding the use of cell phones. In this regard, cell phone should be allowed at school but after a well thought out plan that would ensure that students do not use cell phone for purposes such as accessing materials for use in an examination situation. In light of these controversies, this paper sought to find an answer to the fundamental question regarding cell phone use. The following section sections give side views of various authors on the subject under study. Their views provide illumination into issues that exists on this subject and a premise upon which a conclusion is made.

Annotated bibliography

Johnson, Clarence, and William Allan Kritsonis. "National School Debate: Banning Cell Phones in Public Schools: Analyzing a National School and Community Relations Problem." Online Submission 25.4 (2007).
This article focuses on community relations problems that pitied parents against school authorities following the ban on the use of cell phone among students. New York, Chicago and Miami cities undertook drastic measures to ban the use of cell phones among students. However, this move was frustrated by the futility of keeping phones away from reach of students. The situation was compounded by an external force exerted by parents that want constant access with their children. The authors argue that banning cell phones is counterproductive (Johnson & William 3). To address the community relations, schools are forced to try out friendly policies that allow students to use phones during breaks and lunch. Other policies include asking students to conduct web searches or view educational videos. This is because education stakeholders have realized that they cannot stop students from having cell phones in the classroom settings.
The article reveals that parents overbearing desire to maintain constant communication with their children is the main reason why students sneak cell phone into school. This dual collaboration between the parent and the student, defeats an otherwise establishment that discourages the ban. In this regard, a strategy that promotes understanding between the community and the school helps to foster a warm relationship between the stakeholders of education. The article expresses the worry that teachers have about the use of cell phones. While it is important to establish relations between the school and the community, the long term benefit of the educational process to the student should not be overlooked (Johnson & William 4).
The article reveals that schools should not condemn the use of cell phones but rather foster self control among students so that they become responsible people that can have control of their processes and activities. Enforcing a ban on the use of phones causes conflict between the teacher and the student (Johnson & William 5). This in turn hurts the relationship between the two important stakeholders in the educational process. Thus, the ban on the use of cell phones negatives the essence of the educational process. This article concludes that banning cell phone use does not solve the problem. Instead, banning cell phone use exacerbates a problem that has already been compounded by inevitable advancement in technology.
Obringer, S. John, and Kent Coffey. "Cell Phones in American High Schools: A National Survey." Journal of Technology Studies 33.1 (2007): 41-47.
This research carried a survey in American high schools to find out the use of cell phones among students. It developed a survey instrument to achieve this purpose. The findings of the study revealed that many high schools have policies in place reading the use of cell phones. Most parents supported the use of cell phones among students. The use of cell phones has been an increasing phenomenon among students. In 2004, 58% of students between grade 6 and 12 had cell phones. The United States registered an increase in cell phone use by 143.8 million between 1987 and 2002 (Obringer & Kent 41). The authors point out to the worry and concerns among administrators regarding the use of cell phones. These issues include distractions to students, cheating during examinations, bomb threats, text messaging during lessons and cyber bullying of students.
In addition to this, students have also been reported to be using the functions on the calculator to cheat during math tests. Despite these worries, many parents see the positive aspects of cell phones as accessibility of students in cases of emergency. The study found out that most schools have disciplinary actions for abuse of cell phones. Students can either be reprimanded or have their phones confiscated. However, most schools are yet to put mechanisms that can address misuse of camera phones. The authors conclude that the use of phones in schools is part of American culture (Obringer & Kent 42). Most schools are embracing this technology. Due to this, schools should review their policies regularly to ensure that they stay ahead of emerging technologies.
Roberson, James H., and Rita A. Hagelik. "Cell phones for education." Meridian
11.2 (2012).
This article addresses the use of cell phones for educational purposes. It was developed against the backdrop of an earlier ban that the United States Department of Education had placed regarding the use of cell phones in classrooms. The ban was influenced by concerns that students used cell phones to cheat during examinations. It also caused various incidences between students. The authors argue that students should be allowed to use their phones in school. However, the article adds that the use of phone should be monitored to prevent cases of cheating among students. This involves having students placing their phones between the desk and a sandwich bad then sealing them with tapes (Roberson & Rita 3). Through this, students cannot have the temptation to look for answers to examination question through their phones since the teacher would be able to notice unzipping sound as the students try to get their phones.
Shaw, Katherine. "Students and cell phones: Controversy in the classroom." Associated Content (2011).
Shaw analyzed the controversy that exist in the classroom environment and found out that students use cell phones for various reasons. Shaw posited that phones should not be used in classroom because they don’t belong in the classroom. She added that students who have phones in school are seriously distracted because their attention shifts between classroom activities and socializing. Such students are said to have a short span of attention which limits their involvement in classroom activities. In her work, she reveals the story of a New York City teacher in a public school that recounted a worrying ordeal. While the teacher wrote on the blackboard, students concentrated on their phones to text messages or play games (Shaw 1).
The above situation is worrying because not only do the students fail to understand what is taught in the classroom, the essence of the teacher’s time and effort in the classroom is thrown into jeopardy. It thus begs the questions, “When does a student get to listen to the teacher?” “When do students write the notes and participate in the classroom learning activities?” Shaw further observed that students that use phones in school fail in the final exams. This is because they are unable to relate what they are being tested for during the examination period with what they ought to learn, had they not been distracted by phones. Some students have deliberately opted to drop out of school. This is because they are unable to cope with the pace of learning. The onus of failure primarily hinges on the level of distraction that goes on the classroom environment (Shaw 3).
Shaw observed that parents feel connected to their children using cell phones. This occurs during events of emergencies. However, emergencies cannot be used as excuses to justify the use of cell phones among students because they hardly occur. In the events that they occur, they do not occur all at once in all schools. Shaw observed that students play video games while the teacher is in class. While they play video games, they become relaxed an inattentive to the activities that take place inside the classroom. Students write messages to one another which make them derive fun than concentrate in the classroom activities. Shaw concludes that it may be impossible to prevent students from carrying phones to school (Shaw 7). Also, if students have cell phones at school, they will take into the classroom. Thus, to reduce their attention, there should be deliberate efforts to acknowledge that cell phones exist in school then ask students to put them on top of their lockers and hold them with stickers to ensure that they do not use them before the teacher.
Tindell, Deborah R., and Robert W. Bohlander. "The use and abuse of cell phones and text messaging in the classroom: A survey of college students." College Teaching 60.1
(2012): 1-9.
The work of Tindell and Robert reinforces that of Shaw. The authors argue that schools make a set of rules and regulations that govern the conduct and behavior of students while they are at school. These rules are meant to ensure enhanced quality of education. The basic purpose of the school is education and students should work hard towards meeting the goals and vision of their respective school by enhancing quality. But how is quality education enhanced? The authors answer this question by attributing the success stories of most school to a peaceful learning environment. Such a learning environment, they observed, is least distracted (2). Thus, using cell phones in the school environment is tantamount to entrenchment of distraction that has a direct correlation with student underperformance. The authors argued that cell phones cause a painful distraction of the student’s mind whose consequences live long after the student has finished studies at the institution. They observed that cell phones should be banned entirely. Banning should encompass limiting access of cell phones for students while they are in the school compound or while travelling in and from educational institutions.

Conclusion

This paper sought to answer the question, “Should cell phone be banned at school?” By relying on the works of researchers, the study revealed the controversies that have characterized the use of cell phones among students. Most parents support cell phone use among students. This argument is supported by the notion that cell phones help to connect students with their parents during emergencies. However, the contrary argument holds that cell phone use encourages laziness among students because students are distracted during classroom activities. The study found that the argument against use of cell phone is supported by many factors including students’ temptation to cheat using phones, cyber-bullying, bomb threats and writing text messages during class activities. The study recognizes that the use of cell phones among students is a rising phenomenon in the United States. That, regardless of various policies by schools, students would sneak phones into schools. Thus, imposing a ban on the cell phone use might not necessarily address the problems highlighted. In this regard, the cell phone use among students should not be banned. To solve the existing problems regarding phone use, there is need for administrators and policy makers to rethink their policies on phone use. These policies should be addressed in light of the inevitable realities that accompany new technologies.

Works Cited

Johnson, Clarence, and William Allan Kritsonis. "National School Debate: Banning Cell Phones in Public Schools: Analyzing a National School and Community Relations Problem." Online Submission 25.4 (2007).
Obringer, S. John, and Kent Coffey. "Cell Phones in American High Schools: A National Survey." Journal of Technology Studies 33.1 (2007): 41-47.
Roberson, James H., and Rita A. Hagelik. "Cell phones for education." Meridian 11.2 (2012).
Shaw, Katherine. "Students and cell phones: Controversy in the classroom." Associated Content (2011).
Tindell, Deborah R., and Robert W. Bohlander. "The use and abuse of cell phones and text messaging in the classroom: A survey of college students." College Teaching 60.1 (2012): 1-9.

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