as ontario is about to ban smartphones, b.c. teachers try to make them allies in class - smart board in school

The policy of restricting students' use of smartphones during school is becoming more and more popular in Ontario and Europe, often due to parents' contempt for potentially distracting technologies and social media such as Snapchat. Teachers in B. C.
Smartphones are being accepted as teaching tools to increase drama and reduce the drudgery in the classroom, even if Ontario is rushing to impose a mobile phone ban during teaching hours.
Ontario has promised to formally announce a ban that will be applied in the province for schools and boards to study how to enforce it.
In Vancouver, however, math teacher Jacqueline Sheppet lets students make quick calculations using equipment, such as drawing charts and changing values in real time, tasks done manually with paper and pencils.
"Yesterday, I was ahead of the estimated square root in the eighth grade," she said . ".
"I asked them to guess, and then we asked Siri the answer, and when I used the calculator she responded without interrupting my class.
If the child is right, they will say "yes" and if they are wrong, they will say "shhh ".
"Talking and interacting, and then using Siri for quick calculations, is the proper use of the technology she wants to model for her students.
The policy of restricting students' use of smartphones during school is becoming more and more popular in Ontario and Europe, often because parents are concerned that technology and social media such as Snapchat may be distracting.
Paddy McCallum, Sechelt teacher, said: "I call it the Red Little School of the mind, where the children sit with their hands and are focused on preparing for study," who held a workshop for wireless technology teachers.
"If so, the classroom is no longer there.
He said: "themes such as photography, film and video are natural places to use smartphones, dynamic shooting and editing.
"If I say something in a psychology class that interests students, she can quickly find and share it with the class," he said . ".
The teacher who wants to rule out the equipment asked the students to put their mobile phones on the wall
McCallum said the hangers during the class and even offered a charge to make the deal sweeter.
Whether a smartphone makes sense in the classroom depends largely on the teacher's personal style, not the subject taught.
"So, schools avoid a package of policies," he said . "
"This is a conversation that teachers can have with children about how to use smartphones and what is appropriate. ”B. C.
The Chinese Ministry of Education is pleased to make B.
According to a spokesman, the C school district has a policy to use wireless technology in schools.
On Tuesday, Zeng Ewan, a technical secondary school in Vancouver, used his smartphone.
Ontario is in a hurry to impose a mobile phone ban during school teaching.
There is little interest in participating in the Georgian/PNGBut region.
"In the Vancouver School District, there is no plan to deal with cell phone issues in District classrooms at the moment," a regional spokesperson said . ".
"Individual schools will have their own mobile phone usage guidelines to meet the needs of students and parents.
"Only a few schools are troubled," McCallum said.
Ontario will ban smartphone use from next September. per-
Support for some restrictions.
France recently banned children under the age of 15 from using mobile phones in schools. U. K.
The school does not have to ban smartphones, but in any case, 98 students have already done so, and some studies have shown that the results have improved as a result.
Parent advocate Tara Hurle is concerned that using a smartphone in class can create a gap between students who can afford the device and students who can't afford it.
"I have not had a parent or teacher for many years who is in favor of using them in class," she said . ".
"There is no evidence that academic performance has improved with the use of mobile phones.
In fact, the opposite is true.
A 2015 study by the London School of Economics found that students' performance tends to increase after cell phones are banned
Benefit students the most.
Many teachers support a comprehensive policy on mobile phones.
Lorali dubque, English teacher at Williams Lake, believes that restricting mobile phones "is very worthwhile.
"Mobile phones support rampant cheating and are the main distractions," she said . "
"Most teachers don't. cellphone-in-
Some form of class policy, but support will make this battle easier.
"Rshore @ postmedia.
ComCLICK reports a typo here.
Is there more to this story?
We would like to hear from you about this or any other story you think we should know.
Email vantips @ postmedia. com.