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Eleanor F. Russell

Professor Lahmon

Eng 1201

20 November, 2018

Should Smartphones be Allowed in the Classroom

Smartphones: a helpful learning tool or a distraction in the classroom? This topic has

been widely debated by parents, faculty, and students. The accessibility of smartphones for high

school students is at its peak. There is already a B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Device) plan

implemented in many schools, and students would have access to more learning materials. Many

teachers have done research in order to prove the positive effects of smartphones in their

classrooms. Smartphones can be a positive learning tool in the classroom if set guidelines are in

place.

The access to smartphones by high schoolers continues to increase. According to

statistics by Nielsen in the article “Using Smartphones in the Classroom”, “...58 percent of

American children from 13- to 17-years-old owned a smartphone as of July 2012—an increase of

more than 60 percent over the previous year. And with over 50 percent of mobile phone users in

America now using smartphones, the numbers only seem to be growing.”(Graham). This high

access can allow for schools to use this technology to change the way that students are being

taught. In schools, a new acceptance of technology in the classroom has already impacted the

learning environment. Smartphones are an alternative form of technology that students already

have on hand at every time of the day. According to Pew Research Center in the article “Should
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Cellphones Be Allowed in School?”, “...92 percent of American teens go online daily, and the

percentage increases to 94 percent for teens with access to a smartphone. Nearly 75 percent of

teens have access to a smartphone, and with open Wifi networks in schools, libraries, and at

home, staying connected is effortless”(Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School?). Pew

Research Center also proves that the accessibility to smartphone and wi-fi by teenagers is at a

very high rate. These devices are already in the hands of countless teenagers, so why are these

devices treated differently from laptops that are having to be bought by parents? The access to

smartphones by teenagers in continuing to grow, and incorporating these devices in the

classroom can change the dynamic.

In most classrooms, the technology being used are basic computers, smart boards, and

laptops. Some of these are brought by students. Schools have begun to implement the Bring

Your Own Device (B.Y.O.D.) in order to allow students to use online resources in their learning.

Programs like B.Y.O.D promote online access and also try to regulate how students use their

devices. Many teachers are justifying smartphone use since they are a useful technological tool.

Teachers are using educational apps in order to allow smartphone usage in school. For example,

in the article “Using Smartphones in the Classroom”, Ken Halla, a teacher that accepts

smartphones into the classroom, recommends “... Remind101, where students voluntarily sign up

to receive a text reminder when they have an upcoming assignment due. Not only does it help

students better organize their assignments, but it’s also engaging parents. Halla says many

parents sign up for the app to keep track of their children’s homework”(Graham). Apps like

Remind101 allow students to be more organized and help them to remember when test and

assignments are due. Throughout the article “Using Smartphones in the Classroom”, Ken Halla

tells his experiences and applications that he uses in his classroom. Also in this article, Mr. Halla
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touches on how his teaching style incorporates the B.Y.O.D program. This program is able to “...

change the classroom dynamic from lecturing at the front of the room to having no traditional

front of the classroom at all. During class, Halla roams around the room helping students with

their work, all the while overseeing everything to make sure that they’re staying on task”

(Graham). Halla uses a different teaching style to adapt to the changing technology. The teachers

that incorporate this new teaching style are seeing positive effects on the students. The use of the

B.Y.O.D. programs in schools to allow smartphone use in the classroom can lead to a positive

learning environment, and an improved organization in students.

The access to new information is expanded once new technology is accepted into the

classroom. Smartphones allow teenagers to get the answer in a few clicks. This access will lead

to an expanded education. For example, in the article “Pros and Cons: Debating the Usage of

Digital Devices in the Classroom”, it states, “Now, when they want to know “Why do leaves

change color,” they are only a search away from an answer. This also gives students the ability to

get an answer to a question they may feel uncomfortable asking in class. If a teacher uses a term

they don’t understand, they can find the answer discreetly, and without interrupting the class”

(Pros and Cons: Debating the Usage of Digital Devices in the Classroom). Smartphone use in the

classroom adapts to many different learning types by students. Students who learn best by videos

may look up videos to watch in downtime during class. Students who are too nervous to ask

questions may look them up online. Using this new technology in classrooms will also teach

students how to detect false sources. The use of smartphones will teach students many new

techniques and knowledge to use in the classroom and online. The acceptance of smartphones

into the classroom will develop useful knowledge for students.

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Although many agree that, under set rules, smartphones can be a positive educational tool

in classrooms, some believe that smartphones are a distraction to students. According to “Should

Cellphones Be Allowed in School?”, some schools, “Teachers already struggle with maintaining

students’ attention during class, and with cell phones’ providing other ways to “escape” the

classroom, many teachers feel that students’ grades have declined as a result. Research supports

this theory and has shown that multitasking can be detrimental to one’s academic performance.

Checking Facebook while listening to a class lecture can actually increase the amount of time

that students will have to study at home since they did not absorb the content fully in the

lecture”(Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School?). In some academic settings, phones will be

a distraction to students. For example, they may not pay attention in class and text their friends.

Students may also attempt to cheat on a test using their smartphones. This is why many schools

have set guidelines for smartphone use in class. Many do not allow phones during school and

change the teaching dynamic so that the students have a harder time not paying attention in class.

Although smartphones can distract students, smartphones can change the way that schools teach

and help students in different ways.

Across the board, the positives of smartphones in the classroom outweigh the negatives.

Although many people believe that access to this technology in the classroom may lead to

distractions, with set guidelines, smartphones are amazing tools to expand learning. The

B.Y.O.D program and the access to smartphones from high schoolers also lead to more positive

influences in the learning experience of students. By setting up rules for students on smartphone

use, these devices are able to impact the learning of students in a positive way.
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Works Cited

Güliz, Naciye. “MOBILE PHONES AS DISTRACTING TOOLS IN THE

CLASSROOM: COLLEGE STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE.” Directory of Open

Access Journals, 2016, doaj.org/article/6ffc895d6e034df690f9c7ce9419daa3.

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Graham, Edward. “Using Smartphones in the Classroom.” NEA,

www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm.

Kolb, Liz. “Cell Phones in the Classroom : A Practical Guide for Educators.” Sinclair

College Off-Campus Authentication Form, web-a-ebscohost-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzQ3NjExNV9fQU

41?sid=9abee533-2547-4439-8a24-2ea0d935290c%40sdc-v-

sessmgr04&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_7&rid=0.

“Pros and Cons: Debating the Usage of Digital Devices in the Classroom.” Concordia

University-Portland, 30 July 2018, education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-

resources/pros-and-cons-of-allowing-digital-devices-in-the-classroom/.

“Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School?” American University School of Education,

soeonline.american.edu/blog/cell-phones-in-school.