I think that at an elementary level, cell phones are distractions. My thoughts pretty well align with School District 61 Code of Conduct Update: Cell Phones & Personal Digital Devices. Elementary school is a crucial period for kids’ cognitive, social, and emotional development. Schools aim to provide an environment where students can focus on hands-on learning, physical activity, and direct engagement with peers, which I think would be hindered by phone use. Elementary students are still developing the emotional maturity required to handle the responsibilities that come with having a phone (privacy concerns, online safety, managing screen time etc.), and I think that adding the expectation of using it responsibly in class is too much at this stage of their development.
I don’t think that phones have a place in grade four and five classrooms (which is the grade that I’m learning towards teaching). Most of the kids I see on Wednesdays don’t have phones, and watching them try to use Chromebooks was a bit of a struggle. For that reason, I don’t think that my group would be able to use the Arduino Science Journal. I think it has some super cool activities, but I think that they are better suited to a middle & high school crowd. In older age groups, I think that students will be better equipped to make responsible decisions about their use of technology.
I recognize that I’ve taken a pretty hard stance on no phones in class, but I do understand how they can be useful for certain students and in certain situations. I absolutely believe that accommodations such as access to a computer or Chromebook should be made for students without personal digital devices who may need access to the internet to complete schoolwork. I also believe that if the use of personal digital devices can support students with disabilities, diverse abilities, or medical needs as outlined in the student’s support plan or IEP, that those devices should be supported and encouraged.
Here is a screenshot of my Arduino Science Journal activity. I was using the light detector to investigate the light in my environment! I found my highest reading when I tilted the phone towards the natural light in my room, and its lowest reading when I hovered my finger over the light sensor (I found it on the front face of my phone!). Super cool activity!
