Most schools ban the use of cellphones during class, but we know kids do it anyway. So what is the purpose of allowing kids to take their phones to school in the first place? Why wouldn't the school just say no student cellphones on school property, period, and if you do you will be suspended?

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication. Constantly texting, yakking on the phone while in a grocery line, can't even drive a short distance without blabbing or texting. You're sitting there trying to have dinner with a friend and it's a constant "brrrring! brrrring!" because their texter or FB notification or whatever is going off. It's ridiculous and pathetic.

but but but, what if mommy and daddy need to reach the little devil

we are the lamest parents in the world because we have the ONLY teenagers in the world w/ out cell phones...apparently :rolleyes:

For us, it certainly makes communications and coordination amongst a busy family much easier. Who's picking up the boy after practice? Was supposed to be me, but I just got tasked with a work thing that run past that time. Letting him know that he needs to get a ride home with a teammates parents, or similar.

I do agree that folks need to know when to set them to silent, but at the same time, it really does make it easier to get stuff done. Can you live without them? Sure, but it's gonna cost you in time and effort. Your choice, but me, I would prefer to be in touch than out of it.

back in the olden times of the early 90s my parents sent me to school with a quarter. they had these do hickeys on the wall that i could put that quarter in a slot, call for a ride, and magically get picked up in less than 20 minutes.

For us, it certainly makes communications and coordination amongst a busy family much easier. Who's picking up the boy after practice? Was supposed to be me, but I just got tasked with a work thing that run past that time. Letting him know that he needs to get a ride home with a teammates parents, or similar.

I do agree that folks need to know when to set them to silent, but at the same time, it really does make it easier to get stuff done. Can you live without them? Sure, but it's gonna cost you in time and effort. Your choice, but me, I would prefer to be in touch than out of it.

I agree with everything you've said but it seems so lazy. Back in my day, by crackey, my Mom said, "Here's what's going on..." and I was expected to remember. If I forgot my books or something, too bad for me - it'll teach me to remember next time. Sports practice is out early, then you can hang around and wait until I get there. Parents can't get away to come get you when they were supposed to, they arranged for someone else to do it. It wasn't brain surgery or, believe me, my Mom wouldn't have been able to manage it. :lol:

Most schools ban the use of cellphones during class, but we know kids do it anyway. So what is the purpose of allowing kids to take their phones to school in the first place? Why wouldn't the school just say no student cellphones on school property, period, and if you do you will be suspended?

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication. Constantly texting, yakking on the phone while in a grocery line, can't even drive a short distance without blabbing or texting. You're sitting there trying to have dinner with a friend and it's a constant "brrrring! brrrring!" because their texter or FB notification or whatever is going off. It's ridiculous and pathetic.


The schools have tried to ban cell phones/pagers before but didn't do it because of parents fussing about to the BoE, believe it or not. When pagers first became common, the SMCPS had a rule that pagers were not allowed in the school building because they were still associated with drug dealers at that time. Until last year, SMCPS had a basic set of rules but each school made there own policy for that school. With the 2011-2012 school year, all schools fall under the same rules.

Most schools ban the use of cellphones during class, but we know kids do it anyway. So what is the purpose of allowing kids to take their phones to school in the first place? Why wouldn't the school just say no student cellphones on school property, period, and if you do you will be suspended?

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication. Constantly texting, yakking on the phone while in a grocery line, can't even drive a short distance without blabbing or texting. You're sitting there trying to have dinner with a friend and it's a constant "brrrring! brrrring!" because their texter or FB notification or whatever is going off. It's ridiculous and pathetic. And I don't get it? What the hell did these people do before cell phones? The ones that just have to be on the phone when they are driving....even though it's against the law. They just have to be talking while checking out their groceries. Ran into one of those the other day and she was doing it in the self checkout line. "Hey lady, the rest of us would like to get out of here with our groceries too." I usually have a little more patience with folks, but she had the dayum phone in one hand and trying to check groceries with the other. :doh: She had no brains.

back in the olden times of the early 90s my parents sent me to school with a quarter. they had these do hickeys on the wall that i could put that quarter in a slot, call for a ride, and magically get picked up in less than 20 minutes.

You got picked up? Damn ya'll must have been rich!!! I had to walk to & from every day.

I agree with everything you've said but it seems so lazy. Back in my day, by crackey, my Mom said, "Here's what's going on..." and I was expected to remember. If I forgot my books or something, too bad for me - it'll teach me to remember next time. Sports practice is out early, then you can hang around and wait until I get there. Parents can't get away to come get you when they were supposed to, they arranged for someone else to do it. It wasn't brain surgery or, believe me, my Mom wouldn't have been able to manage it. :lol:

One persons lazy in another persons efficient. And another generation might have said you were lazy to use a washing machine to clean clothes.

You got picked up? Damn ya'll must have been rich!!! I had to walk to & from every day.

momma always saids i was special. even said that on my helmet.

The really sad, sad thing is that there are tons of ways that we could be using them educationally but we can't because of "policy". Instead, those policies are encouraging inappropriate use (think teenage rebellion and kids' need to test limits). The kids are better at using them than we are because they've grown up with technology. We really need to get out of this "reactive" mode with respect to technology (anticipating that the kids will do the worst possible thing with it), and get into the "proactive" mode which enables us to teach appropriate use. After all, technology is continuing to evolve as we speak and it really is these kids' world. Why do we persist in trying to keep it locked up in the closet? It's so stupid to deal with it that way!

(and yes, I know, much of what education does today is stupid...I try to fix what I can but I'm just a small cog in the machine. And yes, I've told my students about certain helpful phone apps -- in elementary school!)

eh it wouldn't do any good anyway. The only difference is now kids can text each other the mean stuff they think about, instead of writing it in a notebook and passing it to each other in the hall, like we used to do.

One persons lazy in another persons efficient. And another generation might have said you were lazy to use a washing machine to clean clothes.
Personally, I don't give a crap if they use their cell phone until it's welded to their ear, but don't screw everyone else over doing it, i.e. the girl on the cell phone that pulled out in front of me when I was on the motorcycle. Didn't see me, didn't even bother to look. Then gives me the finger when I have to go around her on the right side to avoid hitting her stupid azz.

And I don't get it? What the hell did these people do before cell phones? The ones that just have to be on the phone when they are driving....even though it's against the law. They just have to be talking while checking out their groceries. Ran into one of those the other day and she was doing it in the self checkout line. "Hey lady, the rest of us would like to get out of here with our groceries too." I usually have a little more patience with folks, but she had the dayum phone in one hand and trying to check groceries with the other. :doh: She had no brains.

What the hell did these people do before (fill in the blank)?

That could be asked about a lot of things. The Internet, cordless phones, TV, microwave ovens, CDs, DVDs, etc.

The really sad, sad thing is that there are tons of ways that we could be using them educationally but we can't because of "policy". Instead, those policies are encouraging inappropriate use (think teenage rebellion and kids' need to test limits). The kids are better at using them than we are because they've grown up with technology. We really need to get out of this "reactive" mode with respect to technology (anticipating that the kids will do the worst possible thing with it), and get into the "proactive" mode which enables us to teach appropriate use. After all, technology is continuing to evolve as we speak and it really is these kids' world. Why do we persist in trying to keep it locked up in the closet? It's so stupid to deal with it that way!

(and yes, I know, much of what education does today is stupid...I try to fix what I can but I'm just a small cog in the machine. And yes, I've told my students about certain helpful phone apps -- in elementary school!)

You're right, the education world should be capitalizing on this technology. It's how this generation is learning. SMCPS is starting to offer online classes as a means to earn original credit in addition to using it for retaking a failed class. They've found that some kids do very well at learning in an online format. Heck colleges are doing it.

Personally, I don't give a crap if they use their cell phone until it's welded to their ear, but don't screw everyone else over doing it, i.e. the girl on the cell phone that pulled out in front of me when I was on the motorcycle. Didn't see me, didn't even bother to look. Then gives me the finger when I have to go around her on the right side to avoid hitting her stupid azz.

Agreed %110. I always have advocated a "First, do no harm" policy in all ways while driving, and that applies to phones also. All drivers should shoot for a "No action of mine shall cause another driver to alter course or speed" driving style. Impossible to achieve, of course, but if you strive for that, then you mnimize your impact of others drivers considerably.

I agree with everything you've said but it seems so lazy. Back in my day, by crackey, my Mom said, "Here's what's going on..." and I was expected to remember. If I forgot my books or something, too bad for me - it'll teach me to remember next time. Sports practice is out early, then you can hang around and wait until I get there. Parents can't get away to come get you when they were supposed to, they arranged for someone else to do it. It wasn't brain surgery or, believe me, my Mom wouldn't have been able to manage it. :lol:

:yeahthat:

:lol:

You got picked up? Damn ya'll must have been rich!!! I had to walk to & from every day.

:yeahthat:

But for me it was a brisk sprint home :iwasbullied:

:yeahthat:

But for me it was a brisk sprint home :iwasbullied:

:poorbaby:

:huggy:

Most schools ban the use of cellphones during class, but we know kids do it anyway. So what is the purpose of allowing kids to take their phones to school in the first place? Why wouldn't the school just say no student cellphones on school property, period, and if you do you will be suspended?

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication. Constantly texting, yakking on the phone while in a grocery line, can't even drive a short distance without blabbing or texting. You're sitting there trying to have dinner with a friend and it's a constant "brrrring! brrrring!" because their texter or FB notification or whatever is going off. It's ridiculous and pathetic.

Those WERE the rules at MOST Schools in the two local counties..


UNTIL 9/11

As you can well imagine EVERy kid at school knew what was going on, and several students had parents that either worked at the Pentagon, or visited regularly, and we even has some kids whose parents were at the World Trade Center in NY on business.

So THAT day cell phones were against the rules to possess.. you could have it confiscated just for the fact of having it on your person..

THAT day, thousands of illegal cell phones appeared out of nowhere as kids tried to communicate with their parents.. how many do you think the schools confiscated on THAT day?

Now the rules are much LESS stringent, and they are allowed to have them, possess them, but they aren't supposed to USE them during shool hours.

I like it that my kids had cell phones at school.. before school, and after school.. And I know my youngest daughter used to break the rules with her's (I'd get text messages from her while she was in class).. but I felt good about allowing her to do more knowing I was only a text message, or a phone call away.

:yeahthat:

But for me it was a brisk sprint home :iwasbullied:

:poorbaby:

:huggy:

None of that mollycoddling here......:smack:


:killingme

we are the lamest parents in the world because we have the ONLY teenagers in the world w/ out cell phones...apparently :rolleyes:

Nope :buddies: Our sons (ages 12 and 15) don't have them either. I was a chaperon this past weekend at MD State Special Olympics Summer Games (15 yr old son won 3 golds and a silver! :bann:) and the cellphones were a colossal PITA. Having to tell kids to shut them off cause it was something like during Opening Ceremonies or bedtime or breakfast, etc.

Nope :buddies: Our sons (ages 12 and 15) don't have them either. I was a chaperon this past weekend at MD State Special Olympics Summer Games (15 yr old son won 3 golds and a silver! :bann:) and the cellphones were a colossal PITA. Having to tell kids to shut them off cause it was something like during Opening Ceremonies or bedtime or breakfast, etc.:buddies:

but but but, what if mommy and daddy need to reach the little devil

We used to call the school office and a message was passed to the student/teacher.

We used to call the school office and a message was passed to the student/teacher.
:yeahthat:
My children are ages 9, 11 & 13. None have cell phones. To date the reasons they've needed/wanted to call me during the school day consist of 1. "Mom, I forgot my homework and I begged the bus driver to let me use her phone." 2. "Mom, I forgot my lunch and my lunch account is empty, so I asked the school secretary if I could call home." and 3. "Mom, the bus driver passed out in the school parking lot and was rushed to the hospital, so if you can't come pick me up from school, I'm going to be really late getting home while they get a sub to drive the bus."

And ONCE I felt the need to contact one of my kids while he was in school, to tell him that I had faxed a permission slip last minute for him to stay after school and I expected him to do so...The secretary was able to deliver the message.

Now, when I was in high school WAAAAYYY back in the day, the fashion was to wear black penny-loafers with dimes in them instead of pennies. Phone calls were 20 cents at the pay phone located right outside the school door. That is until they raised the cost of a call to a quarter. Those of us who stayed afterschool for various activities kept quarters handy in case plans changed and we needed to call Mom. Those who forgot the quarter learned how to make collect calls ($2 a pop and then Mom made sure we had quarters after that).

Kids who were volunteer firemen had pagers, but they had to turn them off during class because they weren't allowed to leave school for a fire call anyway...they could have them in their possession, with a note from the VFD, but had to keep them turned off until the last bell rang.

That said...pay phones are virtually non-existent these days, so for kids who are highly involved in extracurricular activities, I can see them having cell phones, but they need to be turned off during class time...not on vibrate, but OFF.

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication.



I remember when houses had ONE Phone usually in the Kitchen or dining room - maybe 2 - we have one push button one dial ....

.... Grandma's phone had a dial and in rural PA in the 70's you still only had to dial 5 numbers to ready someone in town ....

NO Answer Machines - if no one picked up after 6 - 8 rings you called back later


now I just enjoy having the internet available on my iPhone - I still do not Test or talk that much ........

I remember when houses had ONE Phone usually in the Kitchen or dining room - maybe 2 - we have one push button one dial ....

.... Grandma's phone had a dial and in rural PA in the 70's you still only had to dial 5 numbers to ready someone in town ....

NO Answer Machines - if no one picked up after 6 - 8 rings you called back later


now I just enjoy having the internet available on my iPhone - I still do not Test or talk that much ........
Party lines!

As I recall, 9/11 prompted many parents to request that students be allowed to bring cell phones to school in the event of emergencies/catastrophes.

It's funny, but when 911 happened I didn't even think to try and contact the kids at school to make sure they were okay. I assumed they were, since they were nowhere near any crash areas. In the event of catastrophe or national emergency you can't get to your kids anyway and they're honestly better off at the school, continuing their regularly scheduled program. The fun begins when you have a bunch of freaking out parents converging on a school trying to "rescue" their child who is in no danger.

Anyway, here's the idiotically amusing thing I did yesterday:

Our assignment in my C&R class was to think of a problem, examine why it's a problem, then present a proposal to solve it. My problem was people who have to be constantly yak yakking on their phone in public, annoying those around them and being nuisances in general. So class lets out and I immediately made a phone call to a friend to see if they wanted to meet me for dinner, gabbing away as I was walking out of the classroom. Granted, it wasn't right in the middle of class, but still..... :dork:

It's funny, but when 911 happened I didn't even think to try and contact the kids at school to make sure they were okay. I assumed they were, since they were nowhere near any crash areas. In the event of catastrophe or national emergency you can't get to your kids anyway and they're honestly better off at the school, continuing their regularly scheduled program. The fun begins when you have a bunch of freaking out parents converging on a school trying to "rescue" their child who is in no danger.

Exactly! In the event of a true emergency or event, cellphone towers get overwhelmed and calls CANNOT go through... just jog your brain back to last year when the earthquake hit our area. It was hours before cellphone use was back to normal.

All schools have disaster plans and I agree with you, Vrai... parents better serve their children by returning home and reconnoitering the situation rather than wreaking havoc by flooding the schools.

Now back to the topic of cellphones at school... I believe that the majority of kids in high school have cellphones and most of those that do aren't asses with them. If an adult feels a kid is abusing the rules then the phone gets snatched. Why should all kids be punished up front by forbidding them from carrying their phone when there are rules and consequences in place that can deal with the rude idiots? :shrug:

When I was in high school I had my cell phone with me. It was silent, and it was a rare day that I had it out. If something important was going on in my family that I had to have it on for, I just let the staff know. It was no big deal. But other teenagers were on them all day- some even during testing! Stuff like that always annoyed me.

And I see an incredible number of people on their cell phones while driving. It's kind of scary. Not the fact that they are talking on the phone, just the fact that they don't seem to realize they aren't staying in their lane and are incapable of maintaining speed.

I feel like they should have to be off or in their locker during school.

I think it would be fun to send some kids back in time, just a little. The whole no cell phones would blow their minds, many would probably have nervous break downs.

When I was in highschool I would use a pay phone to call my mom if I needed a ride after after-school activities or I would just catch a ride (stupid september birthday, most of my friends could drive before I could). I was smart enough to determine this in before the activity so that my mom would have time to come get me. And SOMETIMES I had to wait until it was convinient for her to come get me :cds:

And SOMETIMES I had to wait until it was convinient for her to come get me

My god, that's practically child abuse these days! :jameo:

back in the olden times of the early 90s my parents sent me to school with a quarter. they had these do hickeys on the wall that i could put that quarter in a slot, call for a ride, and magically get picked up in less than 20 minutes.

Not me. I had to walk 20 miles through the snow, in the dead of summer, uphill, both ways.

Barefoot.

I remember when houses had ONE Phone usually in the Kitchen or dining room - maybe 2 - we have one push button one dial ....

.... Grandma's phone had a dial and in rural PA in the 70's you still only had to dial 5 numbers to ready someone in town ....

NO Answer Machines - if no one picked up after 6 - 8 rings you called back later


now I just enjoy having the internet available on my iPhone - I still do not Test or talk that much ........

Got you beat. Grew up on a farm in the midwest. If you had to make an urgent or emergency phone call, you picked up the earpiece and spoke into the mouthpiece that was mounted on the wall, and you asked the 6 or so folks on the party line to clear it so you could call the sheriff or the fire, or whatnot.

When I was in high school cell phones were still new enough that not many people had them. We're not talking brick phones or anything though. :lol: We were absolutely not allowed to have them in school and it would have never occurred to me to bring one. I don't even think text messaging was a thing yet. :lol: My youngest brother is 12 years younger than me and just graduated and I know he was on his cell phone all day long at school.

My kid is 10 and has friends that have cell phones. :ohwell:

if youre worried about coordinating with your kid, emergencies, etc. then buy them a 20 dollar phone card.

they can pay for their own freakin cell phone.

back in the olden times of the early 90s my parents sent me to school with a quarter. they had these do hickeys on the wall that i could put that quarter in a slot, call for a ride, and magically get picked up in less than 20 minutes.

That's funny. The other day I got a call on my home phone, yep, still got one. One of them even has a curly cord on it. :killingme Anyway, the caller ID came up "Pay Phone". I'm thinking where the heck is this person? Some third world country. Do these even exist any more?

You're right, the education world should be capitalizing on this technology. It's how this generation is learning.

But then the 'means-tested' kiddies would have to be given a "brand new, nothing's-missing" free phone since they can't afford this week's latest version.

Most schools ban the use of cellphones during class, but we know kids do it anyway. So what is the purpose of allowing kids to take their phones to school in the first place? Why wouldn't the school just say no student cellphones on school property, period, and if you do you will be suspended?

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication. Constantly texting, yakking on the phone while in a grocery line, can't even drive a short distance without blabbing or texting. You're sitting there trying to have dinner with a friend and it's a constant "brrrring! brrrring!" because their texter or FB notification or whatever is going off. It's ridiculous and pathetic.

No cell phone possession or use under the age of 21. :yay:

Sorry, I find it too convenient for me and mine to be affected because some people cannot teach their children proper behavior. Punish the guilty, not everybody. Hell, if we are going to use that reasoning, lets take the damn cars away from everybody under the age of 21. Makes a lot more sense than taking away the phones. Take the phones, makes no significant difference in fatality rates, but take away the cars and thousands live who otherwise might have died. Since we refuse to teach them, why let them do it?

This discounts the phone/car interaction, of course, but teens had the highest rate of fatalities since they were given cars. It's easy to be a curmudgeon, but in reality, if a phone is going to affect your kids schooling, they probably weren't going to learn a lot anyway. Same with driving and phones. Might up your chances for a crash, but the same sort of disconnectedness was going to bite your azz behind the wheel eventually.

So, in a nutshell, suck it, Luddites. Step up all the way, or sit down. :evil:

Most schools ban the use of cellphones during class, but we know kids do it anyway. So what is the purpose of allowing kids to take their phones to school in the first place? Why wouldn't the school just say no student cellphones on school property, period, and if you do you will be suspended?

Honestly, I'm sick of cellphones anyway and this need to be in constant communication. Constantly texting, yakking on the phone while in a grocery line, can't even drive a short distance without blabbing or texting. You're sitting there trying to have dinner with a friend and it's a constant "brrrring! brrrring!" because their texter or FB notification or whatever is going off. It's ridiculous and pathetic.

Wow, This comming from a person that has 80,685 posts on the internet.
Maybe if you had a life outside of SMO you would not worry about kids cell phones. Step away from the computer.

Wow, This comming from a person that has 80,685 posts on the internet.
Maybe if you had a life outside of SMO you would not worry about kids cell phones. Step away from the computer.

:roflmao:

:roflmao:

Oh you would find this hilarious, miss almost 61,000 post...:mad:

Oh you would find this hilarious, miss almost 61,000 post...:mad:

I know, right! :lol:

So, in a nutshell, suck it, Luddites. Step up all the way, or sit down. :evil:

Cool, I'll step up all the way. Knuckle dragging, mouth breathing parasites should have no rights. Let them till up the soccer fields, the baseball fields, and the field fields and learn to farm. Let the symphony of wasted taxpayer's dollars called a gymnasium become instead a large area where discipline is taught. Let them learn how to use the most primitive forms of communication available, because the kids ahead of them are going to squander and destroy what the parents of a generation or two before tried to establish. Let them learn that they are entitled to nothing except an opportunity to pull their heads out of their rectums and go to work, hard work, and pretty darn quick, or they will die in the brave new world established by the kiddies who screwed it all away before them. That good enough for ya, Ma'am or Sir? No answer needed. I'm Sergeant Joe Friday and I know the difference between right and wrong.

Cool, I'll step up all the way. Knuckle dragging, mouth breathing parasites should have no rights. Let them till up the soccer fields, the baseball fields, and the field fields and learn to farm. Let the symphony of wasted taxpayer's dollars called a gymnasium become instead a large area where discipline is taught. Let them learn how to use the most primitive forms of communication available, because the kids ahead of them are going to squander and destroy what the parents of a generation or two before tried to establish. Let them learn that they are entitled to nothing except an opportunity to pull their heads out of their rectums and go to work, hard work, and pretty darn quick, or they will die in the brave new world established by the kiddies who screwed it all away before them. That good enough for ya, Ma'am or Sir? No answer needed. I'm Sergeant Joe Friday and I know the difference between right and wrong.

My kids, who are now in the late 20s/early30s range, are angry with me that I didn't do a better job for preparing them for the economical and financial meltdown that they are seeing as almost inevitable (without my influence). I was raising kids to be shiny happy people. Not derelicts as we all may become soon. Cell phones were never an issue. They had none, and they had no desire to ask for them.

My kids, who are now in the late 20s/early30s range, are angry with me that I didn't do a better job for preparing them for the economical and financial meltdown that they are seeing as almost inevitable (without my influence). I was raising kids to be shiny happy people. Not derelicts as we all may become soon. Cell phones were never an issue. They had none, and they had no desire to ask for them.

And by the way, parents need to learn the difference between being nice and being stupid. Kid needs to call you from school? Remember the Front Office? They still have one.

And by the way, parents need to learn the difference between being nice and being stupid. Kid needs to call you from school? Remember the Front Office? They still have one.

See? All true as far as the popular vote goes. The rest need re-education centers. :dance:

:Mmmuaaah:

You are now infected by reading this. :howdy: