Cell Phones

I'm in middle school, and we already have a cell phone ban in place. If someone is caught with their phone during the school day, they can get reported and get a detention. I understand that phones aren't helpful to a positive school environment, but they can be helpful. 

This week at my school was "Spirit Week" and we had to do a mural in the hallway. The high schoolers were able to use their phones, so they could look up inspiration and use it as they worked. The middle school had to look at something on our Chromebooks, and them remember it to paint it onto the mural. We didn't want to have our Chromebooks with us because they we would have to put them somewhere, and that puts them at risk for getting paint on them. With a phone you can easily hold it while you work, or stash it in a pocket when you don't need it anymore. Since we were not in class, it would've been helpful to have phones and they would not have interfered with learning. 

However I do understand why phones can be very disruptive at school. If someone's phone rings it not only distracts that one person, it distracts the whole class. After an interruption like that some classes then have trouble getting back on track, and therefore causing an even bigger break in the learning. 

I think that students should be allowed to have their phones for certain things. During class, no phones because it interferes with learning. During lunch and recess, no phones because those times are for socializing with friends. But if you're doing something, like a project in art class, they could be helpful to have.