WMUR’S ARIELLE MITROPOULOS SHARES HOW FAMILIES AND SCHOOL LEADERS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE – ARE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE ISSUE… <(CLIP: WTR5224 – 17;59;53 – 17;59;55): “I THINK IN THE CLASSROOM, THEY SHOULDN’T BE USED.”> EVERYDAY WHEN MACKENZIE PRESHER SENDS HER DAUGHTER CHARLOTTE OFF TO 10TH GRADE AT LONDONDERRY HIGH… SHE KNOWS HER PHONE IS TUCKED AWAY IN HER BACKPACK… <(CLIP: WTR5224 – 17;59;09 – 17;59;13): “THEY JUST TELL US NOT TO USE THEM IN CLASS, AND WE’RE ALLOWED TO USE THEM IN THE HALLWAY, BUT THAT’S IT.”> SCHOOL THESE DAYS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS… EVEN A DECADE AGO… WITH PEW RESEARCH REPORTING THAT 7 IN 10 HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS SAY STUDENTS GETTING DISTRACTED BY THEIR PHONES IS A MAJOR ISSUE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS.. <(CLIP: WTR5231 – 18;28;58 – 18;29;05): “BACK IN THE DAY, IT USED TO LIKE NOTES, PAPERS, RIGHT? CELL PHONES ARE A MUCH MORE POWERFUL TOOL RIGHT NOW TO KIND OF DO SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND ALSO JUST BE VERY DISTRACTING.”> HOW DISTRACTING THOSE PHONE CAN BE IS THE WORRY… SO ON TUESDAY… U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY MIGUEL CARDONA ANNOUNCED HE’S CALLING ON EVERY STATE, DISTRICT, AND SCHOOL… TO COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO HANDLE CELL PHONES IN CLASS… <(CLIP: WTR5231 – 18;29;06 – 18;29;12): “WE JUST DON’T WANT KIDS TO HAVE TO SACRIFICE THEIR LEARNING WITH CELL PHONES. PLUS, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE REAL PROBLEM HERE IS SOCIAL MEDIA.”> <(CLIP: ARIELLE-BRIDGE – DJIó20241203192156ó0185óDó A01 – 17;59;09 – 11;32;21): “SO MAYBE A KIDS SITTING IN CLASS, BUT IF THEY CHECK SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A MINUTE… EDUCATORS SAY IT CAN TAKE 20 MINUTES FOR THEM TO GET FOCUSED AGAIN.”> <(CLIP: WTR5231 – 18;32;58 – 18;33;04): “YOU HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO, LIKE, MAKE SURE IT’S NOT PART OF THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, BUT STILL A WAY FOR PARENTS TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS.”> IN LONDONDERRY – MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO HAVE THEIR PHONES OUT… WHILE HIGH SCHOOLERS CAN HAVE THEM DURING FREE TI
New Hampshire schools weigh tighter cellphone policies, amidst concerns over distractions in class
Schools in New Hampshire are working to adjust their policies around cellphone use in the classroom, after the U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it is calling on every state, district, and school to adopt phone policies for students.The department shared a 37-page planning report, providing resources to help school leaders identify the best ways to handle this new digital age in schools.“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” wrote U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Tuesday.Cardona wrote that while phones are a remarkable way that parents can keep in touch with their children, particularly, in emergencies, “a growing body of evidence is cause for concern about the impact of cell phones in schools on our young people.” He said that with social media, virtually designed to keep people distracted, it has been increasingly difficult for some students to stay on task, instead turning to social networking sites, furthering adding that it can take students up to 20 minutes to refocus on school, after becoming distracted.Cardona wrote that there is no one-size-fits-all policy, and each community will have to determine what is best for them.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<“Different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices – parents, educators, and students – inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school,” Cardona said.In Londonderry, there are already cellphone policies in place, but Superintendent Dan Black told WMUR-TV that the district is considering tightening the rules.”Back in the day, it used to like notes, papers, right? Cellphones are a much more powerful tool right now to kind of do some of those things and also just be very distracting,” Black said. “We want to teach our kids to be responsible, and we want to come up with a good way for them to understand it’s a tool, but something that shouldn’t take away from their learning.”Londonderry High School student Charlotte Presher, and her mother, Mackenzie, said that they agree that cellphones should stay in students’ backpacks during class, though they find comfort in knowing that the phone is not too far away, if there were an emergency.
Schools in New Hampshire are working to adjust their policies around cellphone use in the classroom, after the U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it is calling on every state, district, and school to adopt phone policies for students.
The department shared a 37-page planning report, providing resources to help school leaders identify the best ways to handle this new digital age in schools.
“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” wrote U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Tuesday.
Cardona wrote that while phones are a remarkable way that parents can keep in touch with their children, particularly, in emergencies, “a growing body of evidence is cause for concern about the impact of cell phones in schools on our young people.”
He said that with social media, virtually designed to keep people distracted, it has been increasingly difficult for some students to stay on task, instead turning to social networking sites, furthering adding that it can take students up to 20 minutes to refocus on school, after becoming distracted.
Cardona wrote that there is no one-size-fits-all policy, and each community will have to determine what is best for them.
>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<
“Different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices – parents, educators, and students – inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school,” Cardona said.
In Londonderry, there are already cellphone policies in place, but Superintendent Dan Black told WMUR-TV that the district is considering tightening the rules.
“Back in the day, it used to like notes, papers, right? Cellphones are a much more powerful tool right now to kind of do some of those things and also just be very distracting,” Black said. “We want to teach our kids to be responsible, and we want to come up with a good way for them to understand it’s a tool, but something that shouldn’t take away from their learning.”
Londonderry High School student Charlotte Presher, and her mother, Mackenzie, said that they agree that cellphones should stay in students’ backpacks during class, though they find comfort in knowing that the phone is not too far away, if there were an emergency.
