Many teachers think that smartphones are nothing more than a distraction. While many people may think this to be true, others believe that smartphones are the greatest learning tools of the century. The first IPhone was released on January 9, 2007. It has around 94 millions users to date. Since then, the smart phone has become an essential part of life. It’s evolved from fuzzy phones, slide phones, and high-tech phones. Phones are the best way to communicate with your friends, tell your mom that you’ve cancelled your sports practices, or ask your English Teacher when homework is due. Today’s technology is so advanced that you have a wide range of options available on your smartphone. Can this distract or help teens with their education?
In our article about distance learning, we have listed many helpful learning tools. Teachers would probably agree that smartphone use is distracting. It can be difficult to focus on a lesson when half the class has their phones out. If you have any questions about your homework, a smartphone can help. You can also use your smartphone to download Remind apps or PDFs to read textbooks. Google has many apps to help with projects and updates. Freeman, being in an area with poor service, has many people connecting to Wi-Fi. To prevent social media use and other non-school sites, our Technology Department has blocked them. If you are in an urgent situation such as a lockdown at school, a fire or shooting in school, having a phone will make it easier to contact your guardian. This will allow you to focus on the education you want to do without the distraction of checking Instagram or sending Snapchats. A translation website is also a great tool, especially for those in foreign language classes. It’s much more convenient than waiting for the computer to load and only using it for five minutes. A study by the University of Michigan found that 71% of the students used their phone to send or receive texts in class. The school then banned phones, but shockingly 65% of the students still used their phones. Cell phones are a good tool for quick research when people don’t know what something is. Smartphones are mini computers today with the latest technology. They can search for information, send emails, and even type on their phone using word documents! App stores are available on most smartphones. These can be used to download educational apps.
Apps like “Google Docs” and “Google Classroom” are available. Google Classroom can remind you to submit your essay or bring something you need to class. There are some downsides to using a smartphone for education, even though it has many benefits. Some people argue that even though the school’s Wi-Fi blocks social media, the students can still use their data to access the websites. The student could also be distracted by checking their phone for notifications. Social media is not the only distraction. Kids are also distracted by music apps and can have headphones on if they wish.
A classroom full of children can be distracted by students who are using their phones. The teacher will have to stop their lesson and tell them to put down their phone before they can get back to learning. The student using the phone is not the only one distracted. All the students are also affected.
Cell phones can be a great educational tool, but they can also be very annoying if misused. I think the education system should allow students to use their cell phones as educational tools to save on time.
