We're looking here at the current cell phone policy (which basically bans them in school during school hours). There's been an overwhelming amount of time and energy being devoted to enforcement on this (as we've heard from assistant principals); there's also been a change in cell phone technology since the policy was implemented (they're much more like mini-computers now).
There's a move here towards talking both to assistant principals and to teachers, to get a policy that is enforce-able, but also to see if there is a use to which the teachers can be putting them, and a policy that would allow that.
It's staying in subcommittee for a report back from admin.
Assuming that the phones are like mini-computers that could be put to use in the classroom also assumes that parents are willing/able to pay for that functionality. Opening the phone up to the web for classroom use also opens it up to the web for other use, and data access fees can be expensive.
ReplyDeleteI probably did a not great job of covering this, but we're trying not to assume at all, including assuming that kids even have cell phones (which some don't). And I'd say (thanks for pointing this out) that we'd absolutely want the kids using the school wifi networks (all secondary schools will have them soon; it's a priority) rather than using their own data access. From my own perspective, it's more that I want us to view phones as potential tools rather than toys.
ReplyDeleteis it techniclly possible to run a smart phone off a wif network? my mom has a notebook with a sprintcard and we cant access any free wi-fi off it
ReplyDeleteT, I know I can run mine off wifi systems. Maybe a tech support question.
ReplyDelete