Smartphone ban at school? Be part of education!

There are more and more voices that the iPhone should disappear from education, just like ChatGPT. But do you know what is also a good option: making them part of the education!

Smartphone ban at school is too easy

Minister Dennis Wiersma (Primary and Secondary Education) is starting an investigation into whether there should be a smartphone ban in schools. The minister previously stated that he wanted to leave this to the schools themselves, but now Wiersma will talk to teachers and students about the subject. A decision must be made before the summer.

There have been voices in the second chamber for some time that the iPhone has no place at school. Students could concentrate less with that smartphone nearby.

A ban is therefore already a reality across the border. In France, it is no longer allowed to use a smartphone at school since 2018. Not even in the hallway or on the square. Students are expected to turn off their iPhone and put it in their bag. Students in China and Madrid are also no longer allowed to use smartphones at school.

Positive reactions from staff

Dutch teachers are also calling for a ban. Through the app Teacher Tap employees in education are asked questions about things that are going on at school. Including whether they are for or against a smartphone ban.

In this month’s results, 1,347 people responded to the question of who should be banned from school smartphones. Of these, 42 percent is for ‘only for pupils/students/course participants’. In addition, 12 percent is for ‘both pupils/students/course participants and staff.’ 22 percent vote against, the rest are neutral or not yet resolved.

However, what stands out in the Teacher Tapp surveys is that teachers also use smartphones in creative ways in education. Consider, for example, doing a quiz to make the material interactive, searching for information on the internet, or listening to music while working independently so that students are not distracted by the things around them.

Advantages of smartphones in school

When this topic is discussed, education and the smartphone are often put in direct opposition. The smartphone is then the evil that keeps students away from education. While there are also many ways to make the smartphone part of education.

Take ChatGPT as an example. The first reaction is: help, my students use this service to write papers and we are screwed. An alternative way to look at it is to see ChatGPT as a new educational tool for students and teachers.

Read more: Using ChatGPT – this chatbot answers all your questions

For example, ChatGPT can help students with questions about correct grammar, if you are learning English, German or French. Students can ask ChatGPT to explain complex material more easily. You can have ChatGPT write a paragraph about a topic and then discuss with the students whether the information is correct or not. The possibilities are endless.

Other advantages of smartphones in schools should also not be forgotten. You can communicate more quickly with your students via the smartphone, for example about their grades or a room change. You can also find apps on smartphones that help you to concentrate. Apps like Forest not only help you to ignore the temptations of your iPhone, but also to focus on the task at hand.

Education about smartphones

In addition, schools can play a major role in teaching safe smartphone use. A world full of danger is accessible to children via the smartphone. In education, attention could be paid to, for example, the correct use of social media: why shouldn’t you share too much about yourself, how do you ensure that what you share remains private and are all those other people real? In addition, consider topics such as phishing.

Teachers are struggling because traditional forms of education are under threat, but banning smartphones seems to me to be too easy a solution. The smartphone is an integral part of the lives of these students. Teaching them to use that device responsibly is worth more in the long run than ignoring it. And by making smartphones and new tech such as ChatGPT part of education at the right time, you actually meet the students in their world of experience.

The best school apps

The iPhone can be an indispensable device, even when it comes to keeping track of your homework and your lessons. We’ve picked out the best calendar apps for school and study. In addition, we offer you even more inspiration for school apps.

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