As I read this, my first thought was the headaches this will cause for many students, but I really applaud it. It’s a step in the right direction and hopefully many more schools, if not the rest in the state follow. 

From Google/Lex18:

With the new policy in place, it will now be mandatory for students to turn in their cell phones to teachers at the start of each class. Carroll County High School says students will regain access to their cellphones during transitional periods and lunch. Teachers will hold phones in clear containers with compartments.

 

My sons school already has this rule in place. Most of the teachers allow them to have them back if they have down time in class, so it really isn't an issue. I like the rule, but some parents don't like the idea of not being able to contact their child immediatley. Which leads to the question of who is more addicted to the phone, parents or kids?

Kids in school have no business taking a cell phone inside the school.

4 hours ago, Breds82 said:

My sons school already has this rule in place. Most of the teachers allow them to have them back if they have down time in class, so it really isn't an issue. I like the rule, but some parents don't like the idea of not being able to contact their child immediatley. Which leads to the question of who is more addicted to the phone, parents or kids?

Agreed.

They can contact their children through the school.  If I was teaching, I would not want phones to be in the hands of students.

3 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

Kids in school have no business taking a cell phone inside the school.

Phone technology has become so ubiquitous that nearly everyone now has a phone. And while they can be distractions, there are also benefits. For diabetics, their phone is often part of their blood sugar management. Phones could also play important roles in the case of emergencies. And if I were a teacher, I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of collecting and redistributing phones at the beginning and end of every class, even if they are just throwing them in a collection bin. Adults manage to survive meetings, and work with their phones on their person...it's a skill that kids will have to learn eventually.

3 minutes ago, rjs4470 said:

Phone technology has become so ubiquitous that nearly everyone now has a phone. And while they can be distractions, there are also benefits. For diabetics, their phone is often part of their blood sugar management. Phones could also play important roles in the case of emergencies. And if I were a teacher, I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of collecting and redistributing phones at the beginning and end of every class, even if they are just throwing them in a collection bin. Adults manage to survive meetings, and work with their phones on their person...it's a skill that kids will have to learn eventually.

There certainly are benefits to having phones.  I just think for teens, the distractions far outweigh those benefits.  As for collection, it seems to me that it's the student's responsibility to store the phone in the bin upon entrance to the classroom.  The onus is on the student and not the teacher.

That said, if I were a teacher, I wouldn't want the responsibility of collecting phones or being responsible for them.  I would rather a no phone policy be communicated to students and then the teacher enforces it as he/she sees fit.  But that will require administrators to stand with the teachers when phone discipline occurs.

Teachers have had a hard job since forever, but the last decade or so, the job has become unbearable.  It's no wonder we have a nationwide teacher shortage.  I think we need to do everything to help make their jobs better, and removing phones in classrooms would be near the top of my list.

1 hour ago, rjs4470 said:

Phone technology has become so ubiquitous that nearly everyone now has a phone. And while they can be distractions, there are also benefits. For diabetics, their phone is often part of their blood sugar management. Phones could also play important roles in the case of emergencies. And if I were a teacher, I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of collecting and redistributing phones at the beginning and end of every class, even if they are just throwing them in a collection bin. Adults manage to survive meetings, and work with their phones on their person...it's a skill that kids will have to learn eventually.

I know numerous adults that can't manage their phones or their kids.

I don't like this.  I think everyone should keep their own property and if a student violates the rule and pulls out their phone in class then they are not allowed to bring a phone to school for a week for the first offense, a month for a second offense, and the entire year for the third offense. 

55 minutes ago, theguru said:

I don't like this.  I think everyone should keep their own property and if a student violates the rule and pulls out their phone in class then they are not allowed to bring a phone to school for a week for the first offense, a month for a second offense, and the entire year for the third offense. 

This is more where I stand on the issue. Handling, removing, keeping other people’s property is asking for potential trouble. The horse is already out of the barn with phones. Teaching appropriate phone usage I think is the better plan as opposed to temporarily confiscating them.

1 hour ago, 4 Quarters said:

I know numerous adults that can't manage their phones or their kids.

That’s why kids need to learn this “skill”.

Phones are no different than guns, which are not permitted in schools.  Just leave them at home.

I've taught for twenty years so I've seen phones change a bit over time. What I have settled on in the last few years is allowing students to keep their phone but it must be in their pocket. However, there are times when we use the phone for classroom instruction/activities so they have them at ready access. If class ends early, they can use their phone.

The only time I take them up are on test days. I have an old brown box that originally shipped blackberry preserves. The kids put it in the box, it sits on my desk, then they can get their phone after completing the test. It has become a joke in the classroom that when the brown box comes out, they groan because they know the phones are going away.

5 minutes ago, gchs_uk9 said:

I've taught for twenty years so I've seen phones change a bit over time. What I have settled on in the last few years is allowing students to keep their phone but it must be in their pocket. However, there are times when we use the phone for classroom instruction/activities so they have them at ready access. If class ends early, they can use their phone.

The only time I take them up are on test days. I have an old brown box that originally shipped blackberry preserves. The kids put it in the box, it sits on my desk, then they can get their phone after completing the test. It has become a joke in the classroom that when the brown box comes out, they groan because they know the phones are going away.

This!

11 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

Phones are no different than guns, which are not permitted in schools.  Just leave them at home.

The comparison isn’t even close. It also ignores the fact that phones have become a virtual necessity just to be able to get around in life. It’s a tool that makes many things beyond just simple communication easier. And as such, it can and does play a role in education. And I completely understand that this was not true a generation ago, but things have changed and to just ignore that and say “phones don’t belong in school” is a shortsighted and antiquated take on the issue.

5 hours ago, rjs4470 said:

The comparison isn’t even close. It also ignores the fact that phones have become a virtual necessity just to be able to get around in life. It’s a tool that makes many things beyond just simple communication easier. And as such, it can and does play a role in education. And I completely understand that this was not true a generation ago, but things have changed and to just ignore that and say “phones don’t belong in school” is a shortsighted and antiquated take on the issue.

Call it what ever you want, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.