I believe
cell phones should be allowed at Woodward Middle School. Cell phones
are the “passing notes” of the twenty first century but unlike
passing notes there are compelling reasons cell phones have a place
inside our school. Cell phones are needed for communication, as an aid
to learning and for emergencies.
Communication is essential in today’s busy society. Children
as well as adults need the ability to change plans and act quickly to
unforeseen circumstances during school hours. With cell phones kids
can call and stay late for chess club or to say math practice has been
cancelled. Parent’s lives are busy as well and they may need to
change the daily schedule without much notice. Children can use their
phones to communicate with their friends as well to ask for homework
assignments or just to talk. Children with close friends are happier
in all aspects of their life. Just like passing notes or being too
chatty some kids will need to learn not to overuse their phones.
A cell phone can be an important tool for learning. Cell phones
today are so sophisticated that many have the ability to act as
calculators. My scientific calculator cost almost $160. The same app
on the phone cost 99 cents. Many cell phones have the ability to
download great teaching tools for math and science. Phones are also a
handy camera. My Cannon XL cost $300 dollars three years ago. My cell
phone takes better photos with more pixels and came free with the
phone. Digital photography is a great class and would be open to so
many more students if they did not have to worry about the expense of
a digital camera. Phones can also access the internet. This feature
alone is worth the price of a phone. There are never enough computers
available in the school to work on. If all the children with phones
used them to download school information the line would be so much
shorter to get to a computer. Many people believe that cheating on
exams will be easier with cell phones but like all cheating people can
be caught and punished.
The biggest reason to allow cell phones in school is safety.
During the Columbine shootings in 1999 cell phones could have been
used to alert police to where the shooters were in the school and
where people were hiding. During September 11th phones
connected people instantly to relatives waiting for word of their
safety. Phones can call the school office the instant a stranger
enters the school or when children are in any kind of danger. One
month ago 28,000 people died in Japan during the earthquake and
tsunami. Literally thousands of lives could have been saved just by
going up two flights of stairs to higher ground if they had gotten a
phone call instantly. Some believe during emergencies too many people
will use their phones to call police but the authorities always like
more information on large security events and can handle almost any
call volume.
Cell phones are simply part of our daily lives now. They are so
useful in so many ways. Like all new technology it will eventually
become part of our school day and we will not even remember what we
did without it. I believe Bainbridge Island should look to this
technology as a good step in the right direction and allow cell phones
at Woodward Middle School.
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