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A recent move by the education minister has schools across Ontario enforcing a ban on cellphones as they cause distractions. The cellphone might be a new distraction, but kids have been distracted from the moment the first school was built.
Their devices ranged from toys they would bring from home to comic books or Mad Magazines inserted into a textbook.
The point is there have always been distractions in the classroom; and we all know the answer is not as simple as Premier Doug Ford likes to point out. Banning is not the solution and could have a reverse effect on the educational enhancements this device has to offer.
Most of us already realize that it’s not the phone, nor the comic book, nor the Mad Magazine — it’s the behaviour; and it’s the behaviour we need to modify.
This behaviour is not only present in schools but surrounds us all day long. From the person who walks at a snail pace while texting, to the executive who forgot to put his phone on vibrate. In fact, our children are just repeating what we do with an exactness that astounds us.
I believe the solution to the problem is twofold. We need to lead by example and teach responsible, effective ways to use the cellphone.
So far, one of the best examples we have shown in terms of classroom distractions, rude behaviour and even physical violence, is our own Provincial Legislature. How can we just demand focus and attention when our leaders display childish behaviour?
There is a big difference between government bullies and Grade 6 backbenchers. This is the best example of how I can show the device is not the issue.
The second part in the solution involves the incredible opportunity we have not only in teaching students to have a sense of responsibility, but also to develop their skills using the cellphone proficiently.
The current modern cellphone is a computer as well as a communication device, and app development and research will always be ongoing. For this reason, it will become much like learning the computer back in the 1980s and 1990s. The combination of both in addition to recent cloud computing technologies, will be a definite skill in the workforce.
In the case of school bullying, the cellphone offers itself as physical evidence and proof, whereas before children suffered in silence.
In summing up, I believe the solution is with the children, as well as the adults in their lives. It would also help to have our leaders treat each other with the dignity they all deserve for being in office.
I think the Government of Ontario could investigate corporate routing that could be customized for the school scenario. There are network and software solutions available instead of policing phones.
The ultimate solution is to teach the children about some productivity tools within the cellphone environment; perhaps even a segment of the class time dedicated to its application, just like we had when we were first learning the calculator?
Instill in students a sense of responsibility when it comes to using the device. After all, teachers are there to teach, and it’s so much easier when it’s something students are already attracted to.
Mark Brunet
Greater Sudbury