Cell Phones & Classrooms Essay

Cell phones are a relatively recent invention, but they have greatly improved our way of life. School-age children are now starting to get their own phones at earlier times, and with them obtaining their phones, they start to carry their phones everywhere; so therefore, there is a risk of the children using their phones during school. Now, one would think that this is something that should be punished, but in reality, it opens many doors for education and educators. Cell Phones should be allowed in class because of how much of an effect they would have on students, teachers, and school systems. Computers are very costly, and with the introduction of cell phones in the classroom, schools would not have to pay money for new computers. Spotsylvania County Schools are in somewhat of an economic downturn, and if no computers were bought, and students were allowed to use cell phones, then the County’s technology expenses would decrease. Cell phones cost less than computers, and no keyboards or mice need to be bought, saving even more money. Students and parents would pay for their own phones, lifting the burden off of the schools. Money is hard for most people and schools to come by in this day and age, and letting the students have their cell phones in class would allow the school system to spend more money on and fund more useful things, such as teachers and sports teams. Phones are more reasonable to have than large, bulky desktop computers. Desktops are becoming outdated and unnecessary because of how many pieces are necessary to be brought for the whole computer. Phones are just one piece small and light, making them extremely portable, unlike the colossal computers that the schools have. As a cause of this, it would make it easier for students to take their work home and do research, just because of how conveyable and convenient the phones are. With the implementation of phones in the classroom, it would render the desktop useless, saving the schools a large amount of money. Many people think that schools should ban cell phones completely, but that is just not true. What the people don’t understand is that the students can and will use their phones for educational purposes. There are now apps, such as Dropbox, that allow students to sync folders containing documents on their computers to their phones, which is an ultimately successful way to use the phone. People who oppose this also think that the phones wouldn’t be cost effective. If one compares the average price for a computer, around or above $700, and the average price for a smart phone, around $200, they can see that it is actually much more cost effective. No peripherals for the phones need to be purchased either, unlike for the computers. Some people think that cell phones are a bad thing, but when one looks at the effects it has on things, such as saving money and useful resources. Cell phones, at this time, are a very controversial topic, whether being used while driving or in the classroom. Cell phones are much more cost effective than computers. Cell phones are also infinitely more portable than desktop computers. The ability of students being able to have phones would allow them to see new things that change the way they think about life. Cell phones should be allowed in the schools because of the ultimate positive effect that they would have on the educators, students, and the overall school system.