Cell Phones: Use Your Power for Good

Are the cell phones the problem, or how we use them the problem? Over the last few years cell phones have become a major part of almost everyone’s life. In their eyes it’s an essential. Students are so used to having their phones and using them for anything they can, that when they can’t use them, they often get irritated, angry, and in some cases defiant. In school, cell phones are seen as negative things that distract students from learning, and are the cause of a lot of conflicts.

Cell phones were made to benefit people and now we can even organize our lives with our phones, but instead they’re being used for all the wrong things. The negative side of cell phones in school are using social media sites in class, listening to music while you’re supposed to be learning, recording fights, and cyberbullying.

If you’re going to use your cell phones in school, why not use them to be productive?  There are some apps that can help students organize their school lives. These apps include Google Classroom, which connects the student with their teacher and their classmates, the Homework App, which is an app that can remind students of any important assignments and homework due.  There is also App Flashcards, which generates flashcards that you can easily pull up on your phone and study anytime you need to.
There are also apps that are made to help out teachers. Kahoot is a fun and effective way for students to review in class. Teach-Learn-Lead is an app that connects teachers with other teachers who teach the same subject to share their ideas and to get and give support and feedback. Additio is an app that can help teachers organize and manage their classroom by keeping attendance, taking notes, and keeping track of assignments.

So cell phones themselves aren't really the problem; they can actually be pretty useful when used for the right things. Maybe it wouldn't be a big deal and discouraged if we stopped using our phones for the wrong reason and start using them to be productive.  The choice is up to us.

Sonyalice McGrew