Students, teachers not in favour of smartphone ban

“They don’t know a time without it, right?” she said. “They have been having iPods and other kinds of tablets and other devices from a very early age and so they’re very good at using the technology. One of the struggles sometimes is how to use it in a way that’s productive.”

Hancock knows how distracting the World Wide Web can be, especially when it’s just within arms reach.

Teachers, like Hancock, are constantly changing how they bring their lessons to life, even encouraging students to use their devices.

“We use our cell phones every day, sometimes good, sometimes bad,” said grade 12 student Jake Lukasiewich. “They can be used to write projects, you can even use Google Docs on your phone, so it’s very convenient.”

But all it takes is one vibration to peak someone’s curiosity and that can be distracting for other students.

“Sometimes I get a notification, like, not from Snapchat, but like a text message,” said Grade 8 student Liam Towle. “It vibrates in my pocket, I take it out, look and if it’s my mom, I’ll answer,”

Hancock and students agree that a cell phone ban wouldn’t solve anything.

“You would remove a distraction entirely but you would create other problems,” Hancock said. “You would have students who wouldn’t necessarily want to follow that rule and so then you become more of that police agent where you’re having to constantly reinforce and discipline.”

“That would not be good for half the kids in the school because most kids use their phones to communicate with their parents,” Towle said.

“I try hard to stay focused,” said Lukasiewich. “In class, phones away.”

by Ashley Wiebe

Students, teachers not in favour of smartphone ban

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