69´«Ã½

Classroom Technology

How to Manage Cellphones in 69´«Ã½: 6 Tips From Teens (Download)

By Arianna Prothero & Kevin Bushweller — July 24, 2024 1 min read
Sets of hands holding phones. Scrolling smartphones, apps mail, applications, photos. cellphone camera.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

A rising number of school districts and states are putting in place more restrictive policies to curb the use of cellphones in schools. The policy trend is a direct response to concerns that the devices are hurting students’ abilities to concentrate in school and build meaningful relationships with peers and adults in their lives.

But in many cases, policies are being put in place before the people most affected by such measures—the students themselves—are asked what they think would work best.

To give educators a teenage perspective about the benefits and drawbacks of cellphones in schools, Education Week published interviews with three teenagers:

Young man and woman without energy on giant phone screen with speech and heart icons above them. Addiction. Contemporary art collage. Concept of social media, influence, online communication
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock
Photo collage of hands holding phones with communication symbols superimposed. Learning phone etiquette.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Young girl looking on mobile phone screen with multicolored social media icons. Finding community, belonging. Contemporary art collage. Concept of social media, influence, online communication and connection.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock

Those stories were used to create this downloadable resource with six tips from teens on how to manage cellphones in schools.

Cellphones in 69´«Ã½

Explore our coverage around students’ use of cellphones in schools:
> Guide to setting a policy: Here’s a decisionmaking tool for educators to map out the different potential outcomes when putting cellphone policies in play.
> Cellphone bans and restrictions: See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools in our tracker. Explore our tracker.
> Nuisance or teaching tool? How teachers are turning an ubiquitous and growing class nuisance—the smartphone—into a tool for learning.
> Cellphone policies, explained: Education Week breaks down the different ways schools are addressing cellphone use, and the factors to weigh before adopting or changing the rules. Check out our explainer.
> Tips from teens & teachers: Teenagers offer 6 tips on how schools should manage students’ cellphone use, and educators share their tips on policing cellphone use in classrooms.
> Then & now: How the “sexting†panic previewed today’s debate about kids’ cellphone use.

Complete coverage on cellphones in schools >

Related Tags:

Vanessa Solis, Associate Design Director contributed to this article.
A version of this article appeared in the August 14, 2024 edition of Education Week as How to Manage Cellphones in 69´«Ã½: 6 Tips From Teens

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Classroom Technology Most Teens Believe Conspiracy Theories, See News as Biased. What Can 69´«Ã½ Do?
Teenagers—like adults—struggle to recognize accurate, unbiased information in a chaotic digital media landscape.
6 min read
Fake News concept with gray words 'fact' in row and single bold word 'fake' highlighted by black magnifying glass on blue background
Firn/iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on Blended Learning
This Spotlight will help you analyze key research on school tech use, explore strategies for engaging virtual instruction, and more.
Classroom Technology Opinion This Group is Trying to Teach ‘Digital Literacy.’ Here’s How
How can students avoid getting duped by deepfakes online?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Classroom Technology Opinion 69´«Ã½ Are 'Digital Natives,' But Here’s Where They Struggle
The internet is awash with dubious claims. How can educators teach students to distinguish fact from fiction?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty