By Asghar Nadeem
If you are a student then which favorite entertaining tool you see in the classroom? Cell phones. Lots of them. Virtually all students have one, and it’s typical to see them tapping away or listening to music through their ear buds — not just in the hallways during the five minutes between classes, but also in the classroom, at every opportunity the teacher gives them.
Most schools allow students to have cell phones for safety. Apart from emergency situations, most schools don’t officially allow students to use cell phones during class time. However, when the teacher is busy helping out another student or writing on the board, out come the phones as students send instant messages to friends, listen to music, or watch videos on the Internet. Eventually, the teacher notices and warns them that their phones will be taken. The phones disappear with reluctant obedience — until the next opportunity arises to pull them out again.
At a time when middle-class homes are filled with computers and mobile devices, schools are grappling with the question of how much technology to bring into the classrooms. But whatever a school’s approach to technology, cell phones seem to be nearly present everywhere. And in schools that permitted students to have cell phones, 71 percent of students sent or received text messages on their cell phones in class. In the majority of schools — those that allow students to have phones in school but not use them in the classroom – the percentage was almost as high: 65%. Even in schools that ban cell phones entirely, the percentage was still a shocking 58%.(Approximately)
Many teachers have given in and allowed their students to listen to music through their earbuds while they’re doing individual class work (reading or writing or conducting research). “I concentrate better on my schoolwork when I’m listening to music,” is the rationalization from many students. Many teachers seem to accept this reasoning, little knowing about the data on multitasking and its harmful effects on concentration and the ability to think clearly.
Think, Analyze & Share 
Actually the main topic is clear that is cell phone a sourse of destruction or useful for students but the explanation made by Nadeem is confusive as he has not made it clear whether he is in the favour or against the topic. And if he has given both merits and demerits even then theses are confusing. As far as I think that cell phones are useful device for the students as everyone now have the cell phone so it’s not the big thing which you have to buy only for the study purpose or classroom. Cell phones help in googling out everything a student wants to know which means by using cell phone the knowledge is in the palm of the students. But if you say cell phone destruct away the focus of the students then it’s a wrong concept as you can’t make it or forse a student who really don’t want to study at the time as if he has no cell even then he can think as much ordinary things as much he wants so you can’t make it sure that every student in the class is mentally present in the class. But if cell phones are allowed then it is a chance that may be he won’t study what the teacher is teaching but there are many chances that he’ll learn something atleast by using cell it could be anything so it’s better to learn something by having cell instead of nothing because of not having the cell.
Yup! True that. Children, whenever stopped from anything, their level of curiosity increases that what if we did that stuff and then they try their level best to reach that particular thing. They try through every possible right and wrong way. Teachers at last have to give up because as much as they stop children, they do not listen to them and do not obey them. So, i think it is not a good idea to stop a child from using cell phone in schools/class. As we all know that cell phones are becoming our utmost need these days. Giving child the awareness to use a cell phone in class rooms is somehow a better idea to overcome this. But this idea fails in many cases. Letting the students explore the world by themselves, experience different things and let them learn through those experiences. Let they be satisfied with their curiosity. Their are much more harmful effects. As every thing has its positive and negative aspects. But for children it is harmful more than a useful thing, until unless they don’t become that much mature to understand its right and wrong use.
I think technology has both aspects negative and positive it totally depends on how an individual uses it same goes for the cell phones as well.I totally agree with above mentioned point that schools should restrict students from using cell phones during class.For example if students will use cell phones in class in case teacher caught them and warn them the whole class will be distracted as the result of it.Being a student I do not prefer using cell phones during my lectures however in urgent cases if I use it afterwards it will be difficult for me to catch my lecture again.So I personally believe schools should make strict rules and policies for students in addition administration keep check and balance that their students will not bring them to campus.These above ways should be followed for the benefit of the students as well as for teachers.
Mobile phones is a good idea it gives us a great benefit of enjoying internet and many other thing like music but in the class room when you are trying to learn some thing is not good. Our brain can concentrate on one thing at a time weather you learn or make text message. Listening music during study or research is a ridiculous
s idea accept in math where you can concentrate easily. Technology is for the beneficial purposes but its depend on the user that how they use technology or mobile in positive way or negative. I think school firstly aware the student then allow to use the mobile in class.
In my opinion cell phone is a technology to which teachers can approach easily. In today’s world internet facility is available on most of the mobiles easily. I just want to give an idea that how a teacher can use it in their classrooms to enhance a student learning outcome. For example a teacher wants to use a jigsaw model to create a discussion environment in class on a topic. He can divide his class into groups and give a topic to a class for example world war 2. Then he divides this one topic among groups like one group will give presentation on causes of world war two. Other group can discuss its consequences and so on. Now to gather the information about it student use their internet facilities on their cell phones. This can be a way to utilize this technology in a classroom. This is how students will learn how to use technology for productive learning task rather than wasting time with their cells during class time.
I think students should be given a chance to use mobile technology in classroom, because in doing so, they would be paying more attention to whatever is going in class and at the same time they would be refraining from other random instant messages which they do otherwise when they are asked not to use mobile phones in class. But at the same time, its a teacher’s job to make rules and regulations of using mobile phones in classroom, and make it a point that students should use their mobile phones when needed, for example, if teacher asks to discuss something through text messages or find something on google they should only use them at that time but when teacher wants them to discuss something face to face or write on paper, students should do that.
I think technolgy has negative as well as postive aspects it depends on how an individual uses it same goes for the cell phones.As metioned in the above post that schools should restrict their students fro using cell phoes I support this arugment.For example if student using cell phones in class and caught by the teaccher he will warn him not to use it as a result of it the whole class will be distracted.Being a student i do not prefer using cell in class if in any urgent cases I use it afterwards it become difficult for me to catch my lecture again.So in my opinion the schools should makestrict rul;es and policies that refrain students for using cell pones rather they should not allow them to bring them on campus.The above mentioned ways should be followed by the schools for the benefit of students and teachers.
Theres this whole talk about disruptive and productive technology. All the posts above make good points and cell phones are a hard nut to deal with. Its one thing to carry a cell phones which is all right. Its a necessity now and its pretty obvious part of life. Its difficult to imagine someone not carrying a cellphone and its especially weird when the old teacher specifically warns students to bring cell phones. I remember very well that in my school time not only could I not use a cell phone in class but they had regular checks- pockets, bags and all- to see if we brought one. It didnt matter if it was off. At that time and now it still seems like an off thing to do.
Cellphones arent the devil and what if i did bring one to school. Its for my safety, use and its bloody resourceful. The problem is these teachers and their prehistoric hardwired brains. Never met one who would like to go back to tat schools of time past.
My teachers even felt weird about whiteboards. They would have rather used chalks. (These old timin pilgrims).
Heres my opinion in a jist. There isnt anything wrong with bringing a cellphone to class. Respect the classroom, keep the thing on silent, no problem. And. And if the teacher finds these things disruptive and thinks keeps students from concentrating then id suggest they better make the classrooms more interesting and education more interactive. Get with the times man. Thats all they gotta do.
Other than that I dont see how cellphones can be used productively in class. They can only be used like a cellphone. Period. But they are still ok to use.
Wajeeh Ahsan
A phone can be used for educational purposes. Students should definitely be able to use their phones during class. A phone is a great device. It can used for many educational things like research, projects, calculators, and even putting in important dates when a homework assignment or a project is due. You can also use a phone to call or text your parents if maybe you forgot your lunch at home, need lunch money so you can eat at school, or to let them know that you have tutorials after school that day. There are many things that phones are useful for.
In a way that they are helping they can be a big distraction as well. Students need to get their act together in class and pay full attention to the teacher that is there. Wasting their time by using their phones distracts both the teachers and other students. These students are there for a reason and allowing phones in school would take away from their education.