Should Smart Phones be Banned from School Campuses?

[Gaius46]

Because you keep saying that it will never replicate the human mind.

I have never said it will. it doesn't have to replicate us to be better and more efficient than us at almost everything that humans are paid to do today.

It doesn't have to be perfect to replace us.

yea, i'm not really talking about true "AI".

Fair enough. So it will relieve us of unimaginative grunt work. I can easily agree with that and don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Disruptive to be sure but whether it's good or bad depends on how we deal with it.

 

[reflechissez]

Yes. And unless we are giving dumb phones to every student, my position stands.

The school mentioned in the OP is doing just that.

 

[Peter]

I can certainly see how smartphones are a nightmare for schools but short of collecting them all at the start of every less and then giving them back after I'm not sure what they can do.

 

[trixare4kids]

how would they be able to call their parents when confronted with a school shooter ... or do those incidents no longer happen?

After the gun banners are done with their work, problem solved. Right?

 

[justabubba]

After the gun banners are done with their work, problem solved. Right?

until that happens, you want the students subjected to terror to be unable to communicate with their parents
not surprised at the display of 'compassionate conservatism'

 

[trixare4kids]

until that happens, you want the students subjected to terror to be unable to communicate with their parents
not surprised at the display of 'compassionate conservatism'

That’s what you think I’d want.

 

[j brown's body]

how would they be able to call their parents when confronted with a school shooter ... or do those incidents no longer happen?

They don't really need to call their parents if there is a school shooter.

 

[justabubba]

That’s what you think I’d want.

that's what your posts tell us

but here is your opportunity to correct the record

begin:

 

[samiam5211]

Fair enough. So it will relieve us of unimaginative grunt work. I can easily agree with that and don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Disruptive to be sure but whether it's good or bad depends on how we deal with it.

It will be undeniably bad for the generation that lives through the disruption.

It is little solice to someone to say that it will be better after they are dead.

We have to get over the notion that people need to work for a living.

 

[samiam5211]

The school in the OP supplied every student with a non-smart phone.

I don’t see every district doing that.



I’m fine with rules stating a phone must be turned to silent/kept in a backpack.

I am against banning cellphones/smart phones in schools/on the student.

A school doesn’t get to dictate that my child is unable to reach ME in an emergency.

This is just a nonsense take.

Kids shouldn't have phones at school, at all.

It was that way for all of us when we were in school, because they didn't exist. Parents need to get over helicopter parenting.

 

[BirdinHand]

This is just a nonsense take.

Kids shouldn't have phones at school, at all.

It was that way for all of us when we were in school, because they didn't exist. Parents need to get over helicopter parenting.

I disagree.

There were pay phones in my schools in middle and high school. By my senior year I had a cell (granted, that truly was for emergencies because in 96 minutes were expensive)

Technology is the future. Looking backwards and saying “when I was in school” and such type of thinking to me is ridiculous. We aren’t going back to an era without technology unless things go really, really bad.

It is best to teach kids how to effectively use and manage technology. That includes knowing when it is/isn’t appropriate.

Banning smart phones doesn’t accomplish that goal.

My son doesn’t even have chalkboards as part
of his life experience it’s all smartboards. -I want him learning how to use AI and every new technology possible. I want him surrounded by it, not intimidated by it and mastering it.

It’s why I’m not a parent that limits iPad or screen time or such. Just like I don’t limit or dictate what he eats and leave Candy sitting on my kitchen island as well as a bowl of fruit.

We talk about technology use just like we talk about food choices. The only way to learn how to make good decisions is being given decisions to make and information around them.

 

[Paradoxical]

ChatGPT is not replacing human thinking. WaPO did an interesting experiment recently where they sent a bunch of ChatGPT written college entrance essays mixed in with ones written by humans to Harvard admissions people. None of the ones written by ChatGPT were acceptable.

ChatGPT is the equivalent of paint by numbers. Once you get past the gree whiz factor it writes like shit.

I checked and your information is correct. I use Copilot and Bard regularly and generally, they are outstanding but they do make errors. I find them both to the very far left, just like many posters here. Their programming is only as good as the inputs and there hasn't been enough time yet for them to be aware of everything. As for their writing skills concerning stories, I think they are awesome, They can write a book and/or chapters far better than 95% of humans, surpassed only by authors who are highly skilled in language and storytelling.,

 

[samiam5211]

I disagree.

There were pay phones in my schools in middle and high school. By my senior year I had a cell (granted, that truly was for emergencies because in 96 minutes were expensive)

Technology is the future. Looking backwards and saying “when I was in school” and such type of thinking to me is ridiculous. We aren’t going back to an era without technology unless things go really, really bad.

It is best to teach kids how to effectively use and manage technology. That includes knowing when it is/isn’t appropriate.

Banning smart phones doesn’t accomplish that goal.

My son doesn’t even have chalkboards as part
of his life experience it’s all smartboards. -I want him learning how to use AI and every new technology possible. I want him surrounded by it, not intimidated by it and mastering it.

It’s why I’m not a parent that limits iPad or screen time or such. Just like I don’t limit or dictate what he eats and leave Candy sitting on my kitchen island as well as a bowl of fruit.

We talk about technology use just like we talk about food choices. The only way to learn how to make good decisions is being given decisions to make and information around them.

I was a teacher when cell phones (not smartphones) started to become common.

At that time the school had a strict policy against students having them on campus, and no one thought it should be any other way.

 

[BirdinHand]

I was a teacher when cell phones (not smartphones) started to become common.

At that time the school had a strict policy against students having them on campus, and no one thought it should be any other way.

And?

How does that apply to anything I’ve said.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

One school in the State of Massachusetts thinks so and the ban it adopted has produced excellent results after being one year in place. The students are given dumb phones with very limited capabilities but are not allowed to bring their smart phones onto the campus. Is this a way forward in a world where Chat GPT and other AI are replacing human thinking and reasoning skills in primary and secondary educations?

What happens when a school bans smartphones? A complete transformation

Teachers say mobile phones make their lives a living hell – so one Massachusetts school barred them

www.theguardian.com

It's worth a read!

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

If manufacturers were just a wee-e-e-e-e-e-e bit more moral and responsible they would offer software that allows a smartphone to be put into "EDUCATIONAL" mode or...call it whatever you wish.

Schools would be able to load a software app that uses a profile that limits what a phone can and cannot do.
For instance, limit contacts to a group of five people who are close or immediate in the student's life, like parents or older siblings.
Limit internet connectivity to campus intranet instead of the public cellular network, or carve out a range of exclusive IP addresses and limit access to only those while on campus.
If a student's phone is discovered to not be running the prescribed campus app, it can be confiscated until the issue is rectified or otherwise dealt with.
Additionally, things like cameras and microphones would be limited or blocked unless the school permits it.

There is all kinds of ways you can regulate phone use on campus. It's not that difficult.

 

[samiam5211]

And?

How does that apply to anything I’ve said.

Your child doesn't need a cellphone at school.

 

[BirdinHand]

Your child doesn't need a cellphone at school.

My son is 8. He carries a phone in his backpack daily. And also wears an iWatch.

Take them off his body/out of his bag.

I dare you.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

All I know is, if you work at a secure corporate or government installation, you are required to put limits on your phone, or you have to stick with using a company or government secured device instead of your personal phone. So what I'm getting at is, the ways and means do exist. We are not reinventing the wheel here.
The difference is, all a school district wants is to limit phone use to legit purposes only during school hours and to prevent phones from being used as a distraction.
That's a damn sight easier than corporate or government security needs.

 

[samiam5211]

My son is 8. He carries a phone in his backpack daily. And also wears an iWatch.

Take them off his body/out of his bag.

I dare you.

Schools should not allow it in school.

The parents opinions shouldn't matter.

 

[samiam5211]

All I know is, if you work at a secure corporate or government installation, you are required to put limits on your phone, or you have to stick with using a company or government secured device instead of your personal phone. So what I'm getting at is, the ways and means do exist. We are not reinventing the wheel here.
The difference is, all a school district wants is to limit phone use to legit purposes only during school hours and to prevent phones from being used as a distraction.
That's a damn sight easier than corporate or government security needs.

It's not remotely easier.

Does your employer have 500 kids who don't care about rules, with parents who will complain to them when they try to enforce the rules?

 

[Gaius46]

Schools should not allow it in school.

The parents opinions shouldn't matter.

Presumably the teacher isn't asleep at the wheel and would actually see cell phone usage in the class and deal with it on a case by case basis. Or am I missing something here.

Parent's opinion do matter. And there are all kinds of legitimate reasons why a child and parent may need to talk during the day. Once a technology comes into widespread use people find all kinds of ways to use it to make life easier/better. That horse it out of the barn, banning isn't happening in the vast majority of schools. Best to find ways to accommodate it

 

[Manc Skipper]

The school in the OP supplied every student with a non-smart phone.

I don’t see every district doing that.



I’m fine with rules stating a phone must be turned to silent/kept in a backpack.

I am against banning cellphones/smart phones in schools/on the student.

A school doesn’t get to dictate that my child is unable to reach ME in an emergency.

What possible emergency that you could do anything about needs your immediately being informed? A dumb phone could do that.

 

[Manc Skipper]

Presumably the teacher isn't asleep at the wheel and would actually see cell phone usage in the class and deal with it on a case by case basis. Or am I missing something here.

Parent's opinion do matter. And there are all kinds of legitimate reasons why a child and parent may need to talk during the day. Once a technology comes into widespread use people find all kinds of ways to use it to make life easier/better. That horse it out of the barn, banning isn't happening in the vast majority of schools. Best to find ways to accommodate it

What legitimate reasons are there for a student to talk to anyone but their teacher during class?

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

It's not remotely easier.

Does your employer have 500 kids who don't care about rules, with parents who will complain to them when they try to enforce the rules?

Not what I'm on about.
In order to even be allowed to keep their phone they must allow the app to be installed and kept on.
School districts CAN reserve the right to prohibit the phones altogether, so there's that.
And this is my conservative side speaking, if they are told they can't, then those laws need to be altered.
Challenge accepted.

 

[BirdinHand]

Schools should not allow it in school.

The parents opinions shouldn't matter.

I pay the tuition. My opinion matters a great deal.

What possible emergency that you could do anything about needs your immediately being informed? A dumb phone could do that.

He forgot his lunch.