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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Now here's your host, Adam Bush.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 Welcome back to Your Morning Boost, our podcast that is designed to give you
00:00:21 --> 00:00:25 school leaders the edge you need to navigate the dynamic world of education every day.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 Happy Wednesday, everybody. And as I was doing a little research for the show
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 today, I saw that today, July 2nd, is National I Forgot Day.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:39 Not really sure why we need National I Forgot Day, but I guess it's a general
00:00:39 --> 00:00:43 reminder to pause, reflect, and maybe even write some things down, I guess.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:47 A useful tip for any busy school leader for sure, I suppose.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 But today is National I Forgot Day.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:55 On our real topic for today, we're going to tackle an often debated issue in
00:00:55 --> 00:00:56 schools, and that is cell phones.
00:00:56 --> 00:01:01 We're going to dive into an insightful article from the 74million.org website
00:01:01 --> 00:01:07 titled, Instead of Banning Cellphones in School, Our Connecticut District Embraced Them.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 This article, of course, is
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 in the Grundmeyer Leader Services Fitting 5 newsletter. You can find that.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 This is article number three in that newsletter, so if you don't have that newsletter
00:01:16 --> 00:01:20 already, reach out to us at AWB. We can get you hooked up with that immediately.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:25 But this piece offers a refreshing perspective on how one district chose to
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 integrate rather than eliminate cell phones.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:32 And this led to some unexpected benefits for learning and student responsibility.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:36 So we're going to explore their approach and discuss how school leaders can
00:01:36 --> 00:01:42 reconsider traditional policies to foster a more modern and engaging educational environment.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:48 Stay tuned to discover how a different approach to technology can empower your students and teachers.
00:01:51 --> 00:01:56 So let's explore this fantastic approach to cell phones in schools as detailed
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 in this 74million.org article.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:04 The article challenges the common instinct to simply ban cell phones and instead
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 presents a case for thoughtful integration.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:10 The core idea here is that instead of outright bans, which can be difficult
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 to enforce in the first place and often lead to power struggles,
00:02:13 --> 00:02:17 this Connecticut district chose to embrace cell phones as learning tools.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:22 This aligns with the reality that phones are ambiguous in students' lives and
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 also a vital part of how they connect with the world.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:30 One key benefit highlighted is the potential for cell phones to facilitate immediate
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 research and access to information during lessons.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:38 Imagine a student being able to quickly verify a fact or look up a definition
00:02:38 --> 00:02:42 during a class discussion, deepening their understanding in real time.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:47 The district found that by explicitly teaching students how to use their devices
00:02:47 --> 00:02:53 responsibly for learning, they were also cultivating essential digital citizenship skills.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:57 This is crucial for preparing students for a world where technology is an integral
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 part of personal and professional life.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:05 The article also suggests that this approach empowers students by giving them
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 a sense of autonomy and responsibility over their learning tools.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:15 When students are trusted, they often rise to the occasion. A compelling example comes to mind.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 One of the district's high school history classes, students were encouraged
00:03:18 --> 00:03:23 to use their phones to track real-time news events related to the historical
00:03:23 --> 00:03:24 period they were studying.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:28 This allowed them to draw direct parallels between past and present.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:33 It led to incredibly dynamic and relevant discussions that a band would have
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 just completely stifled.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 Furthermore, by integrating phones into the learning environment,
00:03:38 --> 00:03:42 teachers could leverage a variety of educational apps and online resources that
00:03:42 --> 00:03:47 are accessible via mobile devices, thus enriching instructional methods and
00:03:47 --> 00:03:48 engaging students in diverse ways.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:54 The district emphasized that clear expectations and consistent enforcement of
00:03:54 --> 00:03:58 responsible use, rather than a blanket ban, was the key to their success.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:03 This takes educators setting ground rules, modeling appropriate usage,
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 and having conversations with students when those rules are not met.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:12 Music.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:16 Okay, to recap this article, it offers a compelling argument for school leaders
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 to reconsider traditional cell phone bans.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:23 By choosing to integrate phones as learning tools, districts can foster digital
00:04:23 --> 00:04:27 citizenship, empower students with autonomy, enhance learning through immediate
00:04:27 --> 00:04:33 access to information and educational apps, and cultivate a more dynamic classroom environment.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:39 The success lies in clear expectations, responsible use, and consistent enforcement,
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 rather than outright prohibition.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:46 I realize that depending on what state you live in, the banning of cell phones
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 may be kind of a hot-button topic. But if you have some flexibility,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:51 thinking about this from a
00:04:51 --> 00:04:56 different lens of don't do it versus how to do it may be worth your time.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 If you have a chance to check out this article, I would strongly recommend it.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 Again, you can get a hold of that in the Fitting 5 newsletter.
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 Reach out to us at AWB Education by going to the show notes,
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 the link in the show notes, and we will get that sent to you immediately.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:13 But otherwise, have yourself a wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for joining us again
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 on your Morning Boost, and we will talk with you again tomorrow.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:20 You have been listening to your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership
00:05:20 --> 00:05:21 with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:26 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:31 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.