Should Cell Phones be Allowed in Schools?

This is the heated question that some teachers would love me for bringing up, and some hate me. I bring it up because I recently read an interesting article on how and why we should be allowing students to use their smart phones in school, and what we can be benefitting from in doing so.

Interesting right? When I saw the title of it, I decided that I needed to take some time and read about it. This is the link if you want to go and read it directly, I will just briefly summarize it here and add a few of my own opinions.

Her main point, which I think is one of the strongest, is that most all (if not every) professions allow their employees to use their smart phones...so why not teach students (who are future professional employees)how to efficiently and effectively use them.  They are also crucial in teaching 21st century skills AND if a school is on a tight budget which might prevent them from having a good source of technology, why not make the most of the truly "smart" phone most students have in their pockets anyway?

       www.cnet.com

These points are all very strong in my opinion...the world is changing, and to our benefit-in some ways-that are enhancing our way of living. I think we should be making the most of it, not just in our personal lives, but even in incorporating it into otherwise "traditional" ways of life (such as school).

With this new found freedom though, as all other freedoms require, we must incorporate different (not necessarily more) responsibilities. This is where the debate could get heated...in adding my "two-cents" I don't think change is a bad thing nor should it be feared by rather embraced when set in the correct boundaries.