This document summarizes the debate around allowing cellphone use in classrooms. It traces the history of cellphones from their introduction in the 1980s to smartphones and the rise of BYOD (bring your own device) policies in schools in the 2010s. The document outlines arguments both for and against cellphone use, citing various studies on their impact on student learning and engagement. It also presents examples of classroom policies and systems that teachers have developed to manage cellphone use, such as the stoplight system and tools for student self-assessment of their phone habits.

1. April 14, 2018
Cellphones in the Classroom:
Distraction or Digital Necessity?
Andrew Campbell (@acampbell99)

2. Cellphones in the Classroom
goo.gl/RTKaho

3. Motorola 1983 Nokia 1994 Blackberry 2003
Cell Phones Through The Ages

4. Cellphones in Schools (2006-2010)

5. April 2007, TDSB Bans Cellphones

7. Apple Invents the Smart Phone
January 9, 2007, MacWorld

8. “Schools Should be Open to Cellphones in Class”
September 2010, Mount Joy School in Markham

9. “School boards are moving away from
providing hardware for students in
schools. Boards focussing more on
providing infrastructure for students
and expecting families to provide
hardware. BYOD is the future of
EdTech”
–An IT Consultant for an Ontario School Board (2011)

10. What is the ‘D’ in
BYOD? Discrimination?
Divide?…
✤ Equity- Not all families can
afford to buy hardware
✤ Inequality- Some students will
have the latest, up to date
technology and others won’t.
✤ If we believe in using
technology, we need to provide
it.

11. BYOD – Worst Idea
of the 21st Century?
✤ Cell phones are limited
✤ Don’t make educative
decisions on price
✤ Education is reduced to
information access & chatting
✤ Increases teacher anxiety
✤ Weakest device

12. BYOD is bad educational practice
…But no one listened

13. Danika Tipping (@DanikaTipping)
Students created twitter accounts and tweeted on their phones as those characters.

14. Growth of BYOD Continued
School boards began spending less on hardware and instead
installing wifi connections for students and developing BYOD
policies.
“…student cell phones should be turned off and stored during
school hours, unless a teacher gives permission” motion
passed at 2013 ETFO AGM
2014 Study by MSL found that
almost 60% of Ontario schools
had BYOD policies and allowed
students to bring own devices

15. Cellphone Ban
(2017)
✤ Wasn’t a ban
✤ Phones in lockers during class
time, but could be used outside
class
✤ Two issues
✤ Inappropriate uses at break
✤ Parents texting students during
class time
✤ Enforceable??

16. Michael Drezak (@m_drez) Rolland Chidiac (@rchids)
An Ongoing Tension

17. The Case Against Cell Phones in Class

18. a survey of high schools in Birmingham, London, Leicester and
Manchester in spring of 2013
“following a ban on phone use, student test scores improve by
6.41%”
no significant gains in student performance if a ban is not
widely complied with
Students in the lowest quartile of prior achievement gain
14.23%
students in the top quartile are neither positively nor negatively
affected
"We found the impact of banning phones for these students was
equivalent to an additional hour a week in school, or to
increasing the school year by five days."

19. Australian study on effect of Facebook distractions in the
classroom
Interaction between engagement and FB intrusions and the
effect of learning
Allocated 150 participants to one of 6 random groups
Students that were engaged by learning were less likely to be
distracted by FB
Even when engaged by learning, FB distractions “significantly
reduced lecture comprehension” compared to no distractions.
“The results highlight the need for recourses that will help
educators increase student engagement with their learning
task.”

20. examined the impact of different cell phone policies on
learning and emotion‐regulation style
randomly assigned to one of four experimental
conditions
students that were not allowed access to a cell phone
tested better than students that had access to cell
phones.

21. The Case In Favour of Cell Phones in Class

22. Online interviews with 1,000 students in grades 6-8
Improved learning
Students used smartphones in the classroom were more
likely to be interested in STEM
More likely to feel smart, happy, or excited about
STEM subjects
Wealthier students were more likely to be allowed to
use smartphones in the classroom
“Our research supports the fact that mobile technology
can inspire and engage students today. We need to meet
children where they are and leverage their use of
mobile devices to increase their interest in STEM”.
Rose Stuckey Kirk, President of the Verizon

23. Research review focussing on “at risk’ students and technology
positive impacts on student enhanced when there is at least one
device per student
the devices are readily available for multiple uses by the student
throughout the school day
Given current cost restrictions in most schools this is best
facilitated through BYOD policies.

24. 2017 study conducted by Dr. James Derounian at the University
of Gloucestershire
100 participants
45% of students believe that the use of phones in classrooms
supports their education
Phones allowed students to access digital textbooks and thus
engage deeper with the material presented

25. How is learning defined and measured?
Are standardized tests an effective way to measure the learning
in your class?
What instructional methods are being used?
Are results generated in lectures translatable to other
instructional methods?
YMMV-What may not be effective for you, may be effective in
another class.
Professional judgment.

27. Jess
(@EnglishTeach75)
Missouri
HS English
“I just pick my battles...modelled and moved
on. I have AP and Honors though. Deep
content and not a lot of time to fuss over
phones.

28. YONDR
Locking up the phones so that students don’t get distracted

30. Clearly Defined Expectations and Procedures
This letter is to inform you of the class policy regarding Mobile Phone (and ot
If a student’s phone is seen at any time during the 75-minute class period, the
1. The student will be sent directly to the office;
2. A vice-principal may confiscate the cell phone for the remainder of the scho
3. The student will be sent back to class.

31. Clearly Defined Expectations and Procedures

32. Clearly Defined Expectations and Procedures
Kyle Geerlings (@MrGeelings)
Every teacher has put their own interpretation/spin, but
overall the core expectations are still the same
Personally doesn’t use the letter and instead put a note
about it on the course outline.
“In no way have I figured out the best approach yet to all
this, but for my classes, not having their cellphones out
the majority of the time has helped immensely -
something they even agree with.”

33. The "Stoplight System"
(developed by Troy Tennant and Cindy Cosentino in HDSB)
assroom norms wrt cellphone use. Why do students use them?

34. The "Stoplight System"
(developed by Troy Tennant and Cindy Cosentino in HDSB)
set of class norms that is either co-created, partially co-created or fully teache

35. The "Stoplight System"
(developed by Troy Tennant and Cindy Cosentino in HDSB)

36. The "Stoplight System"
(developed by Troy Tennant and Cindy Cosentino in HDSB)

37. The "Stoplight System"
(developed by Troy Tennant and Cindy Cosentino in HDSB)
Collaborative Note Taking

38. The "Stoplight System"
(developed by Troy Tennant and Cindy Cosentino in HDSB)
“Front of the class and shared verbally whenever the signs change. Not
just "we are moving from Red to Yellow"...but why the class is moving,
"When we do a lab you can use your phone for a calculator, but safety is
important so no texting or picture taking”
“Conversations with the student. Calls Home. Refer to admin. Usually
doesn’t come to that. The students co-construct what each stoplight means.
So if a student doesn’t or won’t follow it, it’s easy to say “This is what you
and your classmates wanted...”.
"Yes, students are for the most part worse at mental math, but when they
come to us knowing how to use technology well, we can do way more
interesting problems in math class"
Transitions?
Student Refusal?
Technological Reliance?

39. Self-Assessing Student Cell Phone Usage
(Lisa Rubini-LaForest, @rubinilaforest) TDSB, Grade 11 Computer Science)
Students enter the class and the rubric in on the board. Discuss.
Use the rubric to self-assess.

40. Self-Assessing Student Cell Phone Usage
(Lisa Rubini-LaForest, @rubinilaforest) TDSB, Grade 11 Computer Science)
Students enter “look fors” that will be used to help them assess their
cell phone use.

41. Self-Assessing Student Cell Phone Usage
(Lisa Rubini-LaForest, @rubinilaforest) TDSB, Grade 11 Computer Science)
Provide students with the self-assessment form and encourage them to
provide honest answers. Remind them that you are not marking their answers.
Use that as part of ongoing assessment and feedback.

42. Self-Assessing Student Cell Phone Usage
(Chris Cluff) York Region, HS Special Education, chrisjcluff.com)
Students completion online survey about their use of cell phones.
He uses this to assess their knowledge of how to use a cellphone to
support learning.

43. Self-Assessing Student Cell Phone Usage
(Chris Cluff) York Region, HS Special Education, chrisjcluff.com)
On the basis of the survey he restricts students access
to their cell phones in class
Creates activities to improve their ability in using
productivity tools
As students prove they are capable, their ability to use
their cell phone in class increases
Every student (including those with SEA equipment)
have to demonstrate skills competence before they can
“freestyle”
Must also be able to demonstrate self-regulation skills
which is part of an ongoing conversation
In some cases devices get packed away and students
have to work their way back to full access.

44. DeValle HS in Austin, Texas
Students required to bring their phones every day

45. Hero K-12
School-wide system to capture and collect data
100,000 schools, 3M students

46. Hero K-12

47. Cellphones in the Classroom
goo.gl/RTKaho

48. Thank y o u f o r l i s t e n i n g
Enjoy therest o f thec o n f e r e n c e
AndrewSCampbell.Com
@acampbell99