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My Love-Hate Relationships with Cellphones

I am a HUGE proponent for the integration of technology into the learning environment. I am not however a fan of how much of my day gets completely consumed by the drama that is caused when kids abuse their cellphones. The volume of cases seem to increasing and it can become overwhelming. Stories are difficult to corroborate/substantiate. It's very grey, very fuzzy...

Sometimes I feel like we've been talking to brick walls over the last number of years. Kids don't seem to be getting the messages we have been sending about the consequences that certain choices yield, not to mention how inhumane it is to troll and spam each other, distribute inappropriate photos, engage in group chats aimed to malign the reputation of another - the list goes on and on. These incidents take place off school property, separate from the school day and administrators are being made to deal with the fallout. I strongly believe that this is an issue that goes beyond school.

So... between the interviewing and re-interviewing, screenshot viewing, the text message reading and the sob-filled accounts about what happened on Saturday night at a party and the phone calls that ensued, I think it's time we re-examine this issue and the people who can support administrators - parents and police. In working with our school resource officers, I know they feel pressured to deal with these matters but they are certainly better equipped than I am. How many more guest speakers do we need to hire? How many more suspensions do we have to issue? Sometimes I feel like schools are on the front line of this issue and made to deal solely with the fallout.  There have been stories in the news about schools banning phones outright and I'm not all that comfortable with that because there is so much potential for good. I'm just so baffled why these tools are being used for so much evil. Maybe there's a bigger issue that needs to be addressed here and the on-going misuse of cellular technology is only a symptom.

I always feel so badly for kids who get caught in the middle of other people's poor choices and I know that it is my job to make their school a safe place for them. As for the kids who hurt other kids, I always want to present them with an opportunity to redeem themselves, to make better choices going forward but I seem to see repeat offenses more often than not. It's disappointing.

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