Our generation today are privileged to experience the advancement in technology which we have in our world currently. Many decades ago, people do not have the easy access to information through technology like it is today where a simple click on our Android phone can bring up answers to our many questions.
I wonder if students of nowadays were told of the hard work we went through those days going to the state library, searching for information, and reading magazines to get answers to our questions. Things are a lot easier now, indeed! Even with the numerous benefits of technology, its downside can't be overlooked, and that brought me to answering this question: Should the use of phones by students be allowed in schools?
No doubt, phones can be an important tool for students regarding research and learning. Also, a lot of schools now take advantage of the tech advancement for their lessons by the use of projectors and desktops to demonstrate some practical learning, which makes learning fun, exciting, and seamless. However, it is difficult to get the students to make use of phones positively only, no matter how beneficial a phone can be to the students in the class.
Before I go further, take a look at this message I received from my sister's school through the parents WhatsApp group.
Can you see the above text? It's sad that a tool that is supposed to be of great help to students and to aid learning is serving as a tool for distractions and all manner of negativities, causing more harm than good. Parents have a lot of roles to play in order to bring about balance even as students need to research always using phones.
The truth is that allowing the use of phones by students in classes and for tests, including the ones with AI capabilities, will not only limit the critical thinking of the students at the moment but affect them in the long run. Everything is not about shortcuts; it's important to challenge our brains and think deeply about problems. If for every classwork, students are being allowed to press calculator on their phones or whatever, how on earth will they think critically? We will end up producing lazy graduates who cannot make use of their brains when critical issues arise in our society. We will end up producing graduates who can't face the real world with its challenges.
I am surprised that a lot of schools, especially in Lagos here, allow students to make use of phones in schools. What do they expect? Only the positive side of the usage? I will say no to phone usage for students in schools. It can make things worse; the generation we have today is already exposed to a lot of things out there, and I see it as an error to allow students to use phones as they like in school in the name of learning. When we talk about tertiary students, it's understandable, but primary and secondary school students, I haven't seen the need for them to use phones in school, but rather, they can have that at home to do their research and assignments and through the guidance of their parents in order to curtail the negative excesses that come from phone usage by these students.
Wrapping up, I am of the opinion that the use of phones by the students should not be allowed in school, be it for tests or during classes for further research or for examination, because it will not only affect the students from thinking critically but be an agent of distractions in many ways. It will be worse when the phone has AI capability, meaning that these students will solely depend on technology to solve their questions, cheat, and do all manner of dishonesty, which can also lead them to shallow learning and more negative effects in the long run.
This is my response to the #HiveLearners community contest on the topic titled, No Phones Allowed.
Image 1 was created using Meta AI, while image 2 is mine
Posted Using INLEO
Everything has it's disadvantages. And in case of allowing smartphone in school have negative consequences also. I can distract little students from the study and it's the major issue and it's matter of concern.
!PIZZA
Exactly..the distraction is inevitable
I hope schools and parents handle this with a smart approach
Your comment is very meaningful, "Not everything should be done with shortcuts; it is important to learn to challenge our brains and think deeply about problems." It reminds us of the true purpose of education. Your writing is truly commendable.
I concurred to that place where you said, writing of test or exam with the aid of AI will affect at the long run
It's not negotiable my dear
Thanks for engaging
In a broader sense, Mobile Phones will spoil our young generation hence we should build connection with books that bring creativity.
I agree with you... however, for a student who is disciplined enough to find balance, it can be if advantage if used judiciously
Continuous distraction by phones lead to attention deficit. The more people withdraw from using phones the better for them, because these days young ones use their phones so much that it looks like addiction...
You said it all...when we achieve balance, it becomes better
$PIZZA slices delivered:
(5/5) @intishar tipped @nkemakonam89