Legislators hope to give cover to districts that seek greater restrictions on smartphone use in schools, especially among teens who struggle to put the devices down.
Solving today's challenge will require something more fundamental than either tech solutions or event planning: people working together to build close-knit school communities.
As someone who has helped launch nearly 1,000 esports programs, I've seen how they draw students to school, and how districts can set up teams at little or no cost.
Most districts in central Ohio have policies limiting cellphone use during school hours. For example, the region's largest schools, including Columbus, Olentangy, South-Western and Westerville, all have student conduct policy prohibiting cellphone use during class time unless otherwise instructed by their teacher or principal.
Parents are distressingly aware of the distractions and the mental health issues associated with smartphones and social media. But teachers say parents might not realize how much those struggles play out at school.
Larger Oklahoma districts could get an extra $1 million in state funding under a new proposal while another measure would cover the costs of banning cellphones.
In California, a high school teacher complains that students watch Netflix on their phones during class. In Maryland, a chemistry teacher says students use gambling apps to place bets during the school day.
Banning cellphones to increase student engagement is about effective as making a nuclear power plant safer by upgrading the shed where workers park their bicycles, an edtech thought leader warns.
The medical community doesn't have a full grasp on just how social media affects the health of students but a new report offers some solutions without calling for an outright ban.
