Where Do Cell Phones Belong?

I'm addicted to my cell phone. No, I mean really addicted. (As you can see from some of my posts, I have several "technology addictions.") I have a smartphone, and I am on it so much that it dies by 5:00 p.m. almost every day--even if it's fully charged in the morning. I chat. I text. I Google. I email. Yes, I waste tons of time, but I also use it as a resource.

So the question becomes, in terms of students, where do their cell phones belong: in their lockers, in their pockets, or out and ready to use? This is an extremely difficult question, and I'm not going to pretend that I've come up with the answer--I'm sure I'd be a hero if I had. Rather, I thought I'd use this space to consider different arguments and share the perspectives of many teachers I know.

The in-their-lockers camp:
Cell phones don't belong in the classroom. They're dangerous, distracting, and the parent/administrator/school district doesn't want to be responsible for what happens with them. (And I can't blame them on part of this!)

The in-their-pockets camp:
These are dangerous times, and it is a safety measure to allow students to carry their cell phones on them. If it becomes a problem, that can be dealt with accordingly.

The out-and-ready-to-use camp:
Cell phones can be used for educational purposes! Let's have them out and on the desks. If students need to look something up, use a calculator, etc., they can whip out their phones and find the answer!

I have a feeling that a majority of parents, teachers, and administrators would fall into the second group here. After Columbine and the many school shootings that have followed, allowing students to carry their cell phones on them is almost like a security blanket. But there is, of course, a danger. Students have come up with many the clever way to use their cell phones during class, and it can be a major distraction. Two  years ago one of my students wrote a process analysis paper on "how to use your cell phone in class and not get caught." Curious? Text with your phone in your lap, in your hoody pocket, or from your pencil pouch--or if you want to be really tricky, learn to text without looking at your phone for optimal stealthiness. I learned so much from this paper.

What camp am I in? I'd like to place myself in the "real world" camp. I know, that's not really fair since I didn't list it in the options above. Back to my point, though: In the real world, people use their phones all the time. Some people have figured out when it is appropriate to do so, and some have not. I say let the students have their cell phones, but teach them proper cell phone etiquette. Yes, it can be hard to do and some things will slip through the cracks, but it is absolutely necessary. Where else are they going to learn this? If they don't, things like this can have dire consequences. For instance, one of my friends recently told me that a man was fired from his company because he texted constantly at his desk. I personally don't want to see this happen to one of my former students.

It's all about audience and understanding that there is a time and place for certain things. It's funny how so many things in life come down to understanding audience, and this is something I mentioned in my last post as well. This is a key part of literacy that is overlooked--you have to understand and be able to recognize and read an audience in order to be successful sometimes. Again, that's why I'm staying in the real world camp.