“What kids do and say now—as high school students—will stick with them far longer than we, teachers and students, might imagine.”
(Side note: I am unable to access one of the articles in full, so this post might be shorter than normal.)
In the current age of technology, privacy is just a word. No one is safe from companies or individuals scraping the internet for any and all information relating to oneself. Anything we say or do can be tracked and monitored. Ever notice how ads seem to know what you’re thinking? Or how your YouTube home page is chock full of videos that interest you? It’s easy to build an algorithm that appeases to someone simply by tracking their search history and their most viewed media.
“My student’s behavior in my class becomes linked with their desire to hold on to this symbolic totem, the cellphone.”
In many cases, cellphones represent more than just a device to communicate. They are customizable and contain a large part of a person’s life. Taking away this item is something more than just taking away a less important possession, it’s taking away a part of someone. The difference between saying “Please put your phone away.” and “Give me your phone.” is vast. It’s the difference between asking for a favor and demanding attention. It’s important to respect your students, and in return they will respect you. On top of this, cellphone usage in the classroom can be more than just for social media. Getting the students to use their phones as an extension of the lesson provides for easy interaction and gets students familiar with using technology to find information.
