Cellphone usage in schools

[PlasbianX]

Now this is a topic that I'd like to bring up for debate for a little bit. What's your views on cellphone usage in class? Earlier I woke up and went to get breakfast and saw a copy of my sister's school newspaper sitting on the table. There was a whole article on cellphone usage. The paper stated that cellphones must be off and stored in the students' lockers at all times. Now this is a slight change from when I was in high school, as we could have them on us, just not visible yet they still had to be off. Keeping them in the lockers isn't that bad of an idea.. except for if there was an emergency and someone needed one. The second thing I still that could be a potential problem is the fact that a lot of students jam the lock on their locker to save time having to put in their combo (I was one of these kids) between classes. However, that would be their fault if it gets stolen then, eh?

Now, here's the good part. I was reading on in the article.. and it said that the teacher has every right to search your phone when its confiscated from you. Wait.. what? Where does a teacher get the right to turn your phone on (you have to turn it off when you give it to them) and search your private data? The article even said you can be suspended if you take the battery out of your phone when you turn it in because that gives them a higher suspicion that you're trying to hide something.

So, what's your views on this?

1) How do you feel about cellphone usage in school?
2) Is it ethical for a teacher to search your phone?

[rossmum]

Phones were banned during class time, unless there was an emergency. During recess and lunch, and free periods, they were fair game.

Why would a teacher need to search a phone? Unless there is overwhelming evidence that something illegal or against school rules is going on, there is no reason for them to even turn it on.

[RedBaron]

The first 3 years that I was in high school, it was pretty much as strict as you described. Towards the last month of my Junior year however, everyone noticed that they were building a giant antenna/pole type thing past the football fields, on a slight hill. Everyone assumed that, because cell phone usage had been so strict, that the antenna was going to be used to dampen all cell usage and effectively make every mobile useless on school grounds.

Now, when I came back for Senior year, it turns out that the giant antenna is actually for wifi, usable by any student who has wifi enabled phones. Apparently, the school district figured that with the popularity of iPhones, students should be allowed to use their mobiles for "educational purposes, so long as the individual teachers approve of it". I guess I'm one of the few lucky people who attend a district that like to keep up with technology, though the taxes that my parents have to pay are outrageous...

On a side note, apparently some of the other physics classes have witnessed some sweet nasty lightning bolts strike the antenna. The thing must be at least 40ft tall.

[Corndogman]

Now, here's the good part. I was reading on in the article.. and it said that the teacher has every right to search your phone when its confiscated from you. Wait.. what? Where does a teacher get the right to turn your phone on


Supreme court case T.L.O vs New Jersey, 1985. That's where they get the right.

My high school policy was just that it had to be off and in your bag (no lockers at my school) and if they see it they can take it. I, like most others I'm sure, keep it on vibrate in my pocket. I know of multiple instances where teachers have looked at kids phones, and probably with good reasons (sometimes teachers just do it to be dicks/be funny.) i.e. if they see someone using it during a test they'll search it to make sure they weren't cheating via internet,text messages, or text documents, etc.

[PlasbianX]

Supreme court case T.L.O vs New Jersey, 1985. That's where they get the right.

My high school policy was just that it had to be off and in your bag (no lockers at my school) and if they see it they can take it. I, like most others I'm sure, keep it on vibrate in my pocket. I know of multiple instances where teachers have looked at kids phones, and probably with good reasons (sometimes teachers just do it to be dicks/be funny.) i.e. if they see someone using it during a test they'll search it to make sure they weren't cheating via internet,text messages, or text documents, etc.


Well I understand if they search it in that situation. But, take my senior year for example. I was in a CAD class and we were just messing around in CAD making random models cause our teacher thought it would be good for us to just experiment around for a week and see what we can create. So my group was making an Apache when my buddy pulled out his phone real quick to check a text. The teacher confiscated it and searched it. Now, its a CAD class. We weren't taking a test. There's no possible way he could be cheating when we were just making whatever our minds desired. So why search the phone? That's the kind of instance where I see it as unjustified and just total BS. But looking at the T.L.O case, I see now where they get the right to. But in my opinion, its still BS.

[blind]

my school, grade 11 - teachers asked you to put away phone if they saw it
grade 12 - teachers took phone til end of class or bitched at u to turn it off if it was in the hall
next year - teachers take the phone til the end of the day for first offence, second offence they call your parents

[blind]

Supreme court case T.L.O vs New Jersey, 1985. That's where they get the right.
would that not only apply to phones confiscated during an assessment, arbitrarily searching it would definitely be an unreasonable search

[Corndogman]

E: @ Plas

Yeah, I understand what you're saying, and I agree with you. I was just providing an example of a certain situation where it would be acceptable. I do think its BS if they do it without reasonable suspicion though. For instance if you have some, lets say, sensitive pictures and you get in trouble for it, when they had no reason to have to search it, other than the fact that you had it when you shouldn't have.

[PlasbianX]

my school, grade 11 - teachers asked you to put away phone if they saw it
grade 12 - teachers took phone til end of class or bitched at u to turn it off if it was in the hall
next year - teachers take the phone til the end of the day for first offence, second offence they call your parents


That's how it is at my old high school now. First offense they take it till the end of the day, 2nd offense your parents are called and have to pick up your phone or you don't get it back, 3rd offense is a 5 day in-school suspension (you can make up work), 4th is a 5 day out of school suspension (can't make up work).

And if they search your phone and find anything proving cheating or anything of that matter, its automatic expulsion.

[kid908]

Depending on the class an teacher, we could use it or not. School policy is you can't use it in class, but it's not very strictly enforced, and really depends on the teacher. My AP teachers don't want to see it since they have an entire textbook to cover before the AP test and such, but during my math class, you can just walk into the class and someone have their cell out on the table, on (or using it at that matter). If you need to talk, you usually just walk outside the class, but texting is just fine. Of course this depends on the teacher, and what we're doing in class. Tests and lectures are times you can't use them, but like class work time, it doesn't matter.

Classes I can use any electronic devices most of the time:
PE
Pre-Cal
Research and Dev (why would I need a phone when computers surround me?)
Anatomy and Physiology (I can't be rarely do, Medical terms are such a pain >.<)

Can't:
AP-History
AP-English III
AP-Physics B
Economics (most of the time I can't, but there are times you can.)

[Limited]

"Turn that phone off!" to me means put it in your pocket on silent.

In terms they can take it off you, I say fuck that, you should be able to actually show them you turning it off and put it away. We had a discussion before as to whether they can take stuff away and in my opinion they shouldnt be able to. They should be able to make you turn it off/put in your locker or bag.

As to they should be allowed to search your phone, and if you take to battery out that means your trying to hide some thing? Maybe I am hiding some thing F them.

Quite ironic, one of my classes now they have given me a phone. And I fail if I dont use it in class.

[jcap]

Supreme court case T.L.O vs New Jersey, 1985. That's where they get the right.
Different circumstances.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_v._T._L._O.

From what that says, they had probable cause for a search, which they really did if she was caught smoking.

I believe it was decided in some past court cases that schools do have the right to search a student if they are suspected of carrying contraband, even if it is just a rumor, because it is the school's responsibility to ensure the safety of you and all the other students when in their hands. It rests hand-in-hand with schools being for anything happening to the students, so this is all part of being proactive.

If you are using a cellphone, that's not probable cause for anything. There is no danger or risk to other students implied by anything if you are texting or receiving a call in class. Refusal to hand over a phone when you are caught could be insubordination, depending on the rules. Handing over a locked phone or one without the battery cannot be construed as insubordination. This falls under the Fourth Amendment and the Fifth Amendment.

The fourth protects against unreasonable search and seizure. No reason, no right. This is where they got the girl in T.L.O. v NJ, since she was suspected of carrying contraband.

The fifth protects against self-incrimination. If you hand over a phone that is not locked, you have two problems. First, it requires no warrant or anything to search, I believe. Today, both inside and outside of school, searching cellphones is very gray. Second, by handing it over unlocked, you are essentially saying, "Sure, here you go! I don't mind giving up everything on there!" You are incriminating yourself. If they threaten suspension when you are observing your Constitutional rights, you are now under duress and the school could potentially be assraped in court. If you are suspended for observing your rights, there will be nothing that the school can say to dance around your Fifth Amendment rights.

[Inferno]

I use my ipod in class all the time. Teachers can't catch me and some of them don't care.

[Corndogman]

You make good points, Jcap. Like I said before, I'm not trying to justify them searching it without a probable cause. Like you said, in T.L.O. they decided that she could be searched because she could have been a danger to other students (via, in this case drugs). So for example if somebody pulls out their cell phone and says "Hey, look at this picture of me smoking weed! hurf durf!" the teacher should have the right to search the phone. I might be wrong about that, but that's my opinion at least and it seems sound. Your right about still having those amendment rights though.

[Needles]

My school says just to turn it off and put it away, but the teachers and staff there really don't care if it's on in your pocket and it's on vibrate, they just don't want to hear a ringing or see it out in your hands.

I didn't know schools actually used lockers, mine only has them for P.E.

[Limited]

My school says just to turn it off and put it away, but the teachers and staff there really don't care if it's on in your pocket and it's on vibrate, they just don't want to hear a ringing or see it out in your hands.

I didn't know schools actually used lockers, mine only has them for P.E.
Yeah lockers is where you keep your lunch and stuff, your bag and other books your not using.

Least that was what it was like when I was in school, ahh 5 years ago the time speeds by.

[Chainsy]

Heh, my school is even worse. If they see your phone this is what occurs:

1st offense: Keep it till after school and a detention.
2nd offense: They take the phone and call your parents and you have to pay 15 dollars to get it back and they search it.

That's right. I have to pay money to get my property back that I bought, hell it turns out they don't even know technology and one time when this happened to me they "searching my phone" made a call to one of my friends...who lives in the UK, I live in the US, huge bill plastered on my phone on top of the 15 dollars and an angry UK guy texting me I got his phone taken up in class. :smith:

edited- At Jcap, my school's excuse is that you have to be 18 (an adult) for the rights to apply to you, and most students believing everything they hear, instantly get shot down to try anything in court believing they are telling the truth.

[Aerowyn]

Now this is a topic that I'd like to bring up for debate for a little bit.

Serious Discussion board. That's still all I'm saying.


What's your views on cellphone usage in class?

Don't like it. If I were a teacher, I would find it INCREDIBLY frustrating to look and see most of my students texting instead of learning pertinent information. Not that it stops them--in my day (haha) the "preppy" girls would leave their bags on their desks with their hands hidden inside so they could text one another.

Not to mention the fact that students can and do use them to cheat on their tests (via texting across the classroom, or having a friend outside of class provide the answers). I've seen it done.

One of my UNIVERSITY professors won't even let us listen to ipods during tests because one could make an MP3 reading all of the material from the lectures and listen to it while testing. And that, too, has happened. It's INSANE the sorts of things people will come up with to avoid actually LEARNING the material.


Keeping them in the lockers isn't that bad of an idea.. except for if there was an emergency and someone needed one.

Most of the teachers I had in high school carried their cell phones during the school day (turned off of course) for this reason. Also, I don't know how your school runs but my high school had a telephone in EACH and EVERY classroom that connected to the main office, and was capable of dialing 911. It pretty much covers the emergency factor.


Where does a teacher get the right to turn your phone on (you have to turn it off when you give it to them) and search your private data? The article even said you can be suspended if you take the battery out of your phone when you turn it in because that gives them a higher suspicion that you're trying to hide something.

http://www.aclupa.org/education/studentsrightsmanual/privacyrights/lockerbackpackbodysearches.htm

If a school official had a reasonable belief that you were using your cellphone to violate school code, they have every right to search your phone for signs of misconduct.

Also, if you seriously can't resist the urge to text or use your phone for 6 hours, there's something wrong with you and I'd highly suggest therapy.



my school's excuse is that you have to be 18 (an adult) for the rights to apply to you.

It's not an excuse. Until you are 18 you are a minor under the law. You have basic constitutional rights, but as soon as you step through the doorway of your school, your property and privacy become forfeit because you are using THEIR facilities. You are in the DISTRICT'S care until a certain time of the day.

In Connecticut, they even have an addition to their school police wherein school officials have the right to "Discipline Pupil for Conduct Away from School Grounds or Not Immediately Connected With School activities."

[flibitijibibo]

Teacher alert, weewooweewoo.

When I taught middle/high school, I fucking hated texters. So very, very much. To combat this, rather than just take it away for a few hours (like most schools), I did something different. To me, texting is nothing more than note passing (in both annoyance and content). Being olde schoole, I decided to be the kind of teacher that reads notes to class. That taught them quickly to save their conversations for more appropriate times. Cell phones never should have changed that.

On a much more personal note, some of the texts I got to read were fucking hilarious. And I thought my generation was... degenerate? Yeah.

[Amit]

I get texts all the time in class and I'll read them, but I rarely ever respond to them unless in a semi-private place, such as the bathroom during lunch or class hours. However, I do acknowledge that cellphones are a no go at the school and that should it be seen, it will be taken. At my school, most teachers will take it from you and have you pick it up at the office at the end of school. Some teachers will just tell you to put it away. It's funny because after having the same teacher take away your phone many time, they just don't give a shit anymore and just don't say anything (the student always puts their phone away regardless).

The really bitchass teachers will take it from you, go through it, take it to the office, send YOU to the office, and get your parents involved. After that the administrators have to go through the phone to check for anything incriminating. Oh, and the phone has to go to the Police station right next to my school for a detailed examination if anything deemed suspicious is found. The phone also has to stay in the office one day after it comes back from the station too. I've only heard of two such cases, but both dudes said when they got their phone back it was pretty much cleaned. They considered themselves lucky that they didn't get charged. The only thing left on on their phones was their contacts list, but nothing else that was personally downloaded to the phone, such as ringtones or wallpapers.

The VPs at my school are fed up with this one teacher who keeps accusing students of random shit, but they have to put up with it because for some reason they need to follow procedure if the teacher suspects that there is illegal shit on it (mostly in the case of weed and drugs). I've heard of some cases where teachers send texts to the first 10 people on a contact list saying that the phone has been confiscated. I even remember one time this total bitch of a teacher took a student's phone, called a random number and let the phone ring and ring. The student's bill came up to something like $163. That teacher got charged and fired.

[paladin]

When I was in HS, the took it for a week and your parents had to pick it up after. I remember my brother got his taken away and my mom didnt pick it up for like a month. I agree that they should be allowed in class, theres no reason for them. But if they are confiscated, theres no reason for them to be search. What are they gonna find? 100+ text messages about so and so showed her boobs at the party last Saturday.....

Now in college, they just tell us to turn it off and dont really care. I have one professor though, that if it rings, hell take it and answer it.

[flibitijibibo]

I have one professor though, that if it rings, hell take it and answer it.

I did get the joy of answering a call once, too. Nice lady. Wasn't so nice to the kid when she found out what was going on.

[Dwood]

Constitutional rights apply to every citizen. schools that are nazi about phones are violating your rights... i can give specific court examples where they have held up a students constitutional rights in the supreme court too. Im posting from my phone now and its a pain so i wont.

[Huero]

if they see you texting in class they take it.
if they see it in the hall it's usually excusable
during lunch you get in trouble but they don't really take it
after school you're free to do whatever

if you're like me though you never get caught B)

[legionaire45]

I don't think that cell phones should be policed unless they are being used in a way that distracts the class. If a student is texting during a class instead of listening to a teacher than that's their loss.

Originally, my high school had a very lax policy regarding cell phones - so long as you kept them in your pocket during class, you could use them whenever you wanted. People would wait until the next break period to use their phones and everything was good. During my Solar Car class we would sometimes have to make calls to businesses when we were getting price quotes or ordering something, and being able to use cell phones instead of having to march over to the office and call from their phone was really handy.

After some people got caught using proxies during 11th grade my school became total dictators regarding cell phone usage and all of a sudden cell phone usage actually became a problem. People started sneaking texting and stuff during class since that was the best time to do it since the teachers were somewhat distracted by their teaching. Banning cell phone usage didn't actually stop people from using their cell phones, instead it made cell phone usage problematic whereas before it was used responsibly.

Most of my college teachers don't give much of a shit about using your cell phone in class - so long as you aren't obnoxious about it, you can go outside of class and make a call.

[Timo]

They have no right to go through your phone if you're texting in class. At my high school, teachers would etake it and you'd either get it back at the end of class, end of the period or they wouldn't take it at all provided you weren't texting while they were talking. You figured out pretty quick what each teacher would let you get away with.

At uni no lecturers really care, as long as your phone doesn't make a fucking loud sound when it vibrates on your desk/beeps/rings.

[Aerowyn]

Constitutional rights apply to every citizen. schools that are nazi about phones are violating your rights...

What right is that, exactly? Where in the constitution does it give you the right to bear cell phones in class? And I don't even want to HEAR, "When they take away my phone in class, I can't text my friends and that's hindering my freedom of speech..."

That'd be the dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard of.


They have no right to go through your phone if you're texting in class.

Yes, they do. Let's pretend you were taking an AP History exam. You and your friend were texting the answers to one another, and your teacher notices you using your phone and suspects your cheating. What reason would you have to be USING YOUR CELL PHONE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EXAM?

Does that teacher NOT have the right to view your text messages to affirm academic dishonesty? Do you honestly think teachers should just lie down and take it when students cheat because they CAN'T look at the phone to prove it?

Come on now.

[Chainsy]

I understanding confiscating it, but searching it for no reason, or taking it away and not giving it back unless you pay them money for your property?

[Timo]

Yes, they do. Let's pretend you were taking an AP History exam. You and your friend were texting the answers to one another, and your teacher notices you using your phone and suspects your cheating. What reason would you have to be USING YOUR CELL PHONE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EXAM?

Does that teacher NOT have the right to view your text messages to affirm academic dishonesty? Do you honestly think teachers should just lie down and take it when students cheat because they CAN'T look at the phone to prove it?

Come on now.

Of course they do. Texting during an exam is completely different to texting in the middle of class/a lecture :|

Here all cellphones/electronics (mp3 players, dictionaries) are banned during uni exams. If you're caught using one they have the right to wipe all your grades for that semester if they believe they have enough grounds to believe you were cheating. Same for high school exams.

[Aerowyn]

Texting during an exam is completely different to texting in the middle of class/a lecture :|


Okay then. Let's say you had AP History at 10:00. Your friend has AP History at 12:00. You had already had the exam, and you thought it was a breeze. Your friend didn't study and were stressing, BIG TIME.

So, while you're sitting in Calculus, you are texting them the answers.

It's still academic dishonesty, and that's the sort of thing that professors SHOULD be able to look for.

[Timo]

Well then exams over there are setup completely different to ones here. Each exam is taken at the same time, over a number of lecture theatres. That way there's no way students could communicate the answers without being in the exam. If for some reason you couldn't make it to that exam, you would take a slightly different exam at a different date.

Are the people who took the 10am exam locked up until the 12pm exam finishes? That seems like a retarded way to do exams if students are able to talk to each other inbetween them :\.

[Dwood]

Thats why i said nazi schools, aerowyn. search and seizure of property without due cause, or reasonable suspicion, as well as your rights not being respected, specifically.

[Donut]

people in my school are incredibly annoying with their texting. they talk and talk and keep talking even when the teacher tells them to shut up, and then they text. is it so difficult to just pay attention? and then people complain when teachers take their phones. i dislike people like that. alot.

when i was in freshman year, this girl got her phone taken, so she tried to take the battery out, which made the teacher suspicious. normally when teachers see kids with phones, theyll either tell them to put it away, or take it and the kid can get it back at the end of the day. i really love what my teacher did to that girl though. she took the phone with the battery, held on to it, but DID NOT go through it. instead she had the girls parents come get it, and strongly suggested that the PARENTS check the phone. turns out the girl was going to host a party with alcohol that weekend. hearing that made my day

[blind]

people in my school are incredibly annoying with their texting. they talk and talk and keep talking even when the teacher tells them to shut up, and then they text. is it so difficult to just pay attention? and then people complain when teachers take their phones. i dislike people like that. alot.

when i was in freshman year, this girl got her phone taken, so she tried to take the battery out, which made the teacher suspicious. normally when teachers see kids with phones, theyll either tell them to put it away, or take it and the kid can get it back at the end of the day. i really love what my teacher did to that girl though. she took the phone with the battery, held on to it, but DID NOT go through it. instead she had the girls parents come get it, and strongly suggested that the PARENTS check the phone. turns out the girl was going to host a party with alcohol that weekend. hearing that made my day
oh a party with alcohol?! :ohdear:

[paladin]

Of course they do. Texting during an exam is completely different to texting in the middle of class/a lecture :|

Here all cellphones/electronics (mp3 players, dictionaries) are banned during uni exams. If you're caught using one they have the right to wipe all your grades for that semester if they believe they have enough grounds to believe you were cheating. Same for high school exams.



Im pretty sure thats the policy for most universities, at least the two that Ive been to.

e. also, you give up quite a few of your rights while your at school. Schools, especially public ones, can get away with a lot of stuff.

[Aerowyn]

Well then exams over there are setup completely different to ones here. Each exam is taken at the same time, over a number of lecture theatres. That way there's no way students could communicate the answers without being in the exam. If for some reason you couldn't make it to that exam, you would take a slightly different exam at a different date.

Are the people who took the 10am exam locked up until the 12pm exam finishes? That seems like a retarded way to do exams if students are able to talk to each other inbetween them :\.

I'm referring to HIGH SCHOOLS in regards to this cell phone rule. I don't know how your high school school rolls, but we had the "Period" system. I might have math first period, you might have math 8th period. All math students can't take the test at the same time; it's a high school, there wouldn't be enough room for everyone to take the test at the same time.

Students who took the class EARLIER in the day (like during 2nd period) have already taken the test and gone on to their other classes. They could easily tell their friends answers/tips on taking the test.

I believe the OP meant in regards to high school as well.

Bottom line is this:

The point of going to school is to LEARN SOMETHING to better yourself for the future, not to send text messages and make phone calls. They only keep you there for a few hours a day; it would NOT kill you to sit and listen to the material your teacher spent the night before preparing for you.

You go to school to learn. If you value your cellphone and "texting time" MORE than you do an education, DROP OUT.

[Cortexian]

Teachers didn't even have the right or jurisdiction to confiscate any of our personal property when I was in school.

However if you refused to hand over whatever they were asking for they were well within their rights to kick you out of the school for a day or two...

[Timo]

I'm referring to HIGH SCHOOLS in regards to this cell phone rule. I don't know how your high school school rolls, but we had the "Period" system. I might have math first period, you might have math 8th period. All math students can't take the test at the same time; it's a high school, there wouldn't be enough room for everyone to take the test at the same time.

Students who took the class EARLIER in the day (like during 2nd period) have already taken the test and gone on to their other classes. They could easily tell their friends answers/tips on taking the test.

I believe the OP meant in regards to high school as well.

Bottom line is this:

The point of going to school is to LEARN SOMETHING to better yourself for the future, not to send text messages and make phone calls. They only keep you there for a few hours a day; it would NOT kill you to sit and listen to the material your teacher spent the night before preparing for you.

You go to school to learn. If you value your cellphone and "texting time" MORE than you do an education, DROP OUT.


We had a period system as well, but tests weren't common as most credits sat on the end of year exams. Then everyone from every stream of the same subject was crammed into a hall for 3 hours.

If tests were worth credits they were done at the same time as well to prevent that from happening. Besides, what's stopping students from having a conversation about the test at lunch time? There's no point being strict about cell phone usage after a test if all other mediums of conversation aren't cut off.

I don't see "texting time" as a huge deal if it's done sparingly. Although I do agree that's it's done far too much, a lot of my class mates spend about a third of each period just texting while doing their work. I rarely text, and I did even less during class (only sent about 50-100 texts per month in total). As long as you've finished your work and the teacher isn't teaching anything (waiting for other students to catch up) then I don't see anything wrong with it. It's like having a conversation to the person next to you in the middle of class when you've both finished your work, except it's silent and you're not preventing/stopping anyone in your class from learning. You're not wasting the teachers time either if they're not teaching. YOU CAN HAVE BOTH. I can use capitals and bold too :\.

[Heathen]

I think Cell Phones are okay, as long as they are off in class, and no, it is not okay for a teacher to search your phone, just like it isn't okay for you to search a teacher's purse.

[Con]

I'm in favour of them taking the phone from you until the end of the class/day. Just leave it off... it's that simple. They shouldn't be able to search your phone; that's a breach of privacy, but teachers have threatened to that in the past (as a lie) and it seemed to make kids stop. Phones are a distraction and annoy others in the class. For example, last Friday a student behind me spent the whole class texting.

click click click click click click click click

[Aerowyn]

Phones are a distraction and annoy others in the class. For example, last Friday a student behind me spent the whole class texting.

click click click click click click click click

This. This. This.

I can't even tell you how many times I have ended up stuck in front of people who text ALL class long. I don't think they picked up a pen to take notes the whole semester.

[Varmint260]

Being olde schoole, I decided to be the kind of teacher that reads notes to class... On a much more personal note, some of the texts I got to read were fucking hilarious. And I thought my generation was... degenerate? Yeah.

I wish I had you as a teacher back in high school!

My Chem11/Chem12 teacher was the school principal and he wouldn't do anything to students talking on phones and texting except pause in his teaching and wait for them to finish, hoping they'd react to his sudden silence. Which rarely worked. It created massive pauses in the learning process that pissed me off, though. At least if he'd have read the texts or answered the calls in front of the class, we'd have had some entertainment to make up for the interruptions!

What's my opinion on cell phones in class? They have no place if they're interrupting the learning process for other students. If they're not interrupting, I don't really care.

Should teachers have the right to search confiscated cell phones? Sure, if they have reason to believe something illegal is going on centered around that student. Otherwise, no.

Interesting aside: this school principal I talked about installed a cell phone signal damper (whatever you call them) that basically killed the cell signal inside the building about a year ago, well after I had graduated. Unfortunately, he was then informed this violates some kind of Canadian constitutional right. Still, he said it was the best two days of teaching he'd ever had with no cell phones going off at all.

[flibitijibibo]

Thirding the clickclickclickclick.

Two things I wanted to add:
1. I'm going to take phones in my lectures all I want, especially because I (mostly) teach band. Fuck your logic on test vs. lecture.
2. If anyone wants an interesting tip (some people probably know this), put an amp in the classroom and turn it on. Static = phone signal. Easy mode for finding callers (don't remember how easy it is for texting, it's been a while).

[Yoko]

Honestly why do people need their phones on in high school

Hey we're only 100ft away at all times, let's update on every detail thats going on during class because the recipient will deeply care. waiting a whole 50 minute period is TOO DANG LONG cause they need to know whats going on now. let's also waste $50/month because we're also incapable of using speech, even if it's 5 of us in a circle all texting each other at once.

I've actually seen groups of people standing 4 inches apart texting to each other. A little bit of hope for humanity dies every time I see this.

[PlasbianX]

When I was in HS, the took it for a week and your parents had to pick it up after. I remember my brother got his taken away and my mom didnt pick it up for like a month. I agree that they should be allowed in class, theres no reason for them. But if they are confiscated, theres no reason for them to be search. What are they gonna find? 100+ text messages about so and so showed her boobs at the party last Saturday.....

Now in college, they just tell us to turn it off and dont really care. I have one professor though, that if it rings, hell take it and answer it.

That's how it is with me in college. One professor will actually kick you out if he sees you using it. The others, well they don't care. Their argument is "if you wanna waste daddy and mommy's money by texting in class and not paying attention then by all means do so."

My freshmen seminar professor was great though. Like yours, he would answer the call, put it on speaker phone, and have a conversation with the person lol. Best part was he also taught criminal justice, and is a law enforcement officer for the area around the college lol.

[Yoko]

In college, I don't see why any professor should stop you. Since there could very well be adults in your class who are already working, some get important business calls. I'm sure letting them step out of class for 60 seconds to take a quick call isn't gonna hurt anything. Stepping out of class for 30 minutes to text with your girlfriend, different story.

[Timo]

Cellphones ringing in lectures you've paid for are pretty damn annoying.