Will Richardson

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It Takes a Vision

May 22, 2007 By Will Richardson

The thing that bothers me most when I see legislators, either national or state or local, putting up bills that are supposed to “protect” kids or make schools safer, is that none of them have a clue as to the technology that they are legislating. Case in point, this new proposal from the state house in Harrisburg, Pa.

Section 1317.1 Posession of [Telephone Pagers] Electronic Devices Prohibited.–(a) The possession by students of telephone paging devices, commonly referred to as beepers, cellular telephones and portable electronic devices that record or play audio or video material shall be prohibited on school grounds, at school sponsored activities, and on buses or other vehicles provided by the school district.

God forbid we manage to think about the phone as a learning device. I guarantee you that none of the sponsors of the bill have ever typed “define insipid” (or any other word, for that matter) into a text message on their phone and sent it to 46645? (Try it sometime.) I know I mention this a lot in my presentations, but I’m wondering why cell phones aren’t a part of my kids’ curriculum between now and the time they graduate from high school. I’m wondering why teachers aren’t picking up their cell phones and finding answers to the questions they’re asking, modeling the technology for their students. Why they aren’t talking about ethical and effective use instead of making sure kids check them at the door.

I mean seriously. Do we really think that in ten years’ time that my kids aren’t going to be using their phones in all kinds of ways that we haven’t even imagined yet?

Ah, what the heck. Maybe it’s better the kids just figure it out for themselves…

(Thanks to Jim Gates for the link.)

Technorati Tags: education, technology, learning, schools

Filed Under: On My Mind, The Shifts

Comments

  1. Scott McLeod says

    May 22, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    I posted on this too:

    http://tinyurl.com/25xesh

    Our policymakers need help!

  2. M. C. says

    May 22, 2007 at 10:48 pm

    I think for these legislators it is easier to ban digital communication devices than embrace the teachable moment. Most legislators are not and were never teachers (so “teachable moment would not be in their vocabulary). What drives me crazy is when political appointees pop up in educational positions for which they have no experience. The power of the business model takes over…and the children are left behind. Behind in 1975…

  3. James O'Hagan says

    May 23, 2007 at 8:43 am

    For the love of it, say this is a joke. What’s next? Kill all laptop programs? Why not get rid of the calculator? How about the Sharpie Pen? Ballpoints are a little suspect with their abilities to be converted in to dangerous spitball launching platforms. Gum isn’t banned yet… lots of clean up costs there. Oh and the chalkboard… all that dust can really damage those children with dust allergies. Paper? Well, don’t get me started on the dangers of paper, what with its sharp edges and all. Valuable classtime is lost when a student has to go to the office to take care of those traumatic papercuts.

    I think I will just crawl in my grave now.

  4. A. Woody DeLauder says

    May 23, 2007 at 8:51 am

    I think that this problem lies within a deeper problem in our society. We, as a society, have been fed fear through media and government for as long as I have walked on Earth. What the government can’t control they teach us to fear. One student uses a camera phone to cheat on a test: ban the camera phone. One little league baseball player gets hit in the face with a ball: make the kids wear face shields. I wonder why cars havn’t been banned?? there are accidents every day. Our government finds it necessary to create a law for every small unfortunate accident or for the actions of one person. It’s ridiculous!!!!

  5. Geoff S. says

    May 23, 2007 at 10:39 am

    The beauty of laws like these (and the rules we set in the schools) are that the kids can’t see a hint of relevance or reason in them, and so they blow them off. I’m guessing in our school more students follow the speed limit than the cell phone rule. Eventually they’ll be the legislators and they can erase such laws from the books. Maybe we should be convincing more of our senior students to run for state office?

  6. John Roch says

    May 23, 2007 at 10:49 am

    Sooo.. this would cut out laptops too.

  7. Gary Stager says

    May 24, 2007 at 2:32 am

    Will,

    I think we make a big mistake by digging so deep to find an educational rationale to combat such legislative stupidity. Googling a definition to a word via cellphone will hardly convince a legislator (or administrator) from banning such devices in school. In their world view, school is about order and compliance.

    We should argue that schools over infringing upon the rights of chilren and their families. Legal devices should be legal. Period.

    A few years ago I wrote a column about how my daughter’s high school banned cellphones and that placed her safety at-risk when she left drama rehearsals at 10:45 PM on a dark campus where the payphones (I doubt they even have them anymore) were locked up for their protection, but my kid was on her own.

    Creating a climate of mutual respect and civility is the reason why kids should be allowed to have phones AND expected to have them off during class.

    When will we acknowledge the unpleasant truth that we don’t love children too much in our society?

    We should do what is morally right without the necessity of some trivial curricular justification.

    BTW: How many cellphones go off during your presentations to educators?

    A NY judge just ruled against kids in favor of the NYC Schools banning cellphones on campus.

  8. Gary Stager says

    May 24, 2007 at 2:32 am

    BTW: I know of day care centers that ban toys. It should come as no surprise that cellphones are feared and prohibited.

  9. Will Richardson says

    May 24, 2007 at 6:25 am

    Gary,
    Ok…c’mon. My point is not to trivialize the larger issue but to suggest that there is a total lack of understanding by lawmakers as to why we need to include some of these technologies into the curriculum both as a communication/information device and as a way to teach the ethical uses of the tools they are already using. I always appreciate your comments, but that feels like a little deep digging on your part.
    Best, Will

  10. Gary Stager says

    May 24, 2007 at 1:33 pm

    Do we really need to teach cellphone use? If so, get ready for the complaints that we’re stuffing one more thing into the overcrowded curriculum.

    Lawmakers completely understand this issue (IMHO). Their worldview suggests that kids are subservient to adults. Education is about compliance and therefore kids should be controlled. Trusting children to behave responsibly undermines that mindset.

    My larger point is that we need to choose our battles and don’t need to be drawn into every kooky bruhaha.

  11. Mrs. Durff says

    June 9, 2007 at 12:03 am

    What about just as a communication device? A parent might just need to contact their child!
    RSS homework reminders can be delivered to cell phones – some cool software does it easily….and listening to educational podcasts and what about listening to music while writing….oh my! Let’s legislate learning out of the schools too…

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