I am a teacher in a big city public high school. What with the cell...

[Sam D]

...phones, iPods, and all other sorts of? gadgets that they carry with them, it isn't any wonder that only half of them ever make it to college. And yet, the school board has refused to ban these items, making our jobs as teachers so much more complicated. Should school boards ban all these things that distract students from their studies while in school? The United States way low on the list of best educational systems. I wonder if all these gadgets don't have something to do with it.

[Maryn Bittner]

I'm going to need to see some cause and effect before I believe that these gadgets are behind the kids' failure to learn.

I live where I do because the public school district is consistently ranked among the best of the country. The same gadgets are popular with kids who are high achievers. They're not banned, although their use during class time is discouraged. (And you better believe there's plenty of surreptitious texting going on.)

While a gadget ban may improve concentration and minimize distraction, the proliferation of such items is not the reason many schools are failing in their mandate to give every kid a good education.

[Rachel]

I agree. I blame parents trying to keep up with each other. Kids shouldnt ahve these things and if they do, they should be left at home. You go to school to learn. I would ban them

[Summer B]

Make it your classroom/personal policy that if you see them you take them away and they can come after school and get them. That will usually teach them a lesson.

[hananimsarang]

"If you cannot beat them, join them." comes to my mind. I have not tried it myself because our school does not allow using personal electronic devices in class, but I would like to suggest making some lessons out of it.

Let them do some assignments in pod-casting instead of PowerPoint presentation. Let them IM kids in a foreign country if possible using their language. I can imagine two reactions at least. Kids will either get into the lesson or stop bringing their gadget to classroom.

We are as responsible as our students when it comes to lagging behind since it takes a village to raise a kid.

[laurel g]

Are you allowed to insist that all cell phones, etc. be turned OFF while in your class? I taught, and I would have been SO upset to have cell phones going off during classtime, or students playing with so many 'toys' they have these days......while I was trying to TEACH! Even the vibrating cells should be 'turned off', and outside communications, as well as students communicating with one another INSIDE your classroom should be grounds for having to put that cell phone, etc. in a particular spot, to be picked up while leaving class.

[?Patric?]

Just because the school board doesn't ban them doesn't mean you can't in you're class.