Students should be able to use cell phones in school

Many schools across the country have lifted the ban on high school students' use of cell phones in school by entering into acceptable use agreements and educating the students about the proper etiquette of using cell phones during school. This way, when the students (especially, seniors) go off to college, they will be prepared to work with the mobile learning (m-learning) environment that is proliferating on almost all college campuses. M-learning is an inevitable reality and we cannot ignore it for long. Many opponents of mobile learning simply don't know the benefits of m-learning, or are afraid of the change because "some" might abuse the privilege. I think it is about time that faculty and administrators engage in teaching students how to employ m-learning and communicating in school by following acceptable use agreements. Many colleges now require their students to even sign these agreements. As schools get ready to integrate technology in education, it is important that they change their policy regarding no cell phones in school. We all have and use them; then why pretend that it does not (or should not) happen? We prepare our high school students for English and Math when they go off to college or work, then why not prepare them for mobile learning and communication, which will be part of their future academic and/ or professional lives anyway? Click for more information: The Innovative Educator: 10 Talking Points to Lift the Ban on Cell Phones or copy and paste the following url into your browser: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-talking-points-to-lift-ban-on-cell.html