Student Suspended for Call to Mom in Iraq

[kylebisme]

In a few years? All I'm getting is deff ears right now and I finished highscool a decade ago. I'm not bitching because I want to use my cell phone on my lunchbreak, I don't even keep a cell phone and haven't had to worry about any such absurd restrictions for quite some time anyway. I just don't see where anyone has the right to get off pushing anyone else around for something as inconsequential as ussing a cellphone on a lunchbreak, and I don't see any reason at all to systematicly subject our childern to such oppresion.

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Has worked well within my family for at least 5 generations. 3 generations have had phone service for contacting the school as needed.

4 of those generations have worked on the spreading of freedom and/or suppression of tyranny starting from WWI.
Last generation is currently to young. I will expect that at least one will serve honorably and I will be proud of them.

I do not see the problem.

If they were pushing people around under the pretence of "that is how we did it when I was a kid", it wasn't freedom they were spreading.

 

[EagleKeeper]

What is the justification of having a cell phone available during class/school hours.

That becomes the key. Do the benifits outway the distractions/problems?

 

[kylebisme]

I'm not rightly one to speak much for justfication as I don't even care for cell phones to begin with, but I'm sure would get plenty of different answers depending on who you ask and all of them would simply be subjective opinions. However, I don't see how anyone's subjective opinion of where the benefit and the losses stand can be justifcations limit the freedoms of another.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
I'm not rightly one to speak much for justfication as I don't even care for cell phones to begin with, but I'm sure would get plenty of different answers depending on who you ask and all of them would simply be subjective opinions. However, I don't see how anyone's subjective opinion of where the benefit and the losses stand can be justifcations limit the freedoms of another.

I just can not see what the benifits of having a cell phone in school will accomplish for a student. After school it can be a social instrument; while in school, how will it benift education?

 

[kylebisme]

I never suggested there were any, and even if they arn't I still don't see how that is grounds to restrict it.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
I never suggested there were any, and even if they arn't I still don't see how that is grounds to restrict it.

Reasons for restriction was stated early.
Distractions, potential for cheating and explotation of illegal activities that have started to exist within the schools. Note that pagers were banned from schools due to items #1,3.

At this point, unless there is a public safety need shown, they should not be allowed to be used during school hours.

 

[kylebisme]

We handle those issues in the rest of the world without taking everyone's ablity to use a cell phone away, and our children deserve the same respect.

 

[arcenite]

I think the teacher should have respected the student's wishes due to the fact that the student's mother is serving the country for which her son, his teachers, and the people who run the school all live in. If I were the mother of that child, any personnel involved in the suspension of my child for talking to me on the phone while I was across the world would have a lot of explaining to do.

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: arcenite
I think the teacher should have respected the student's wishes due to the fact that the student's mother is serving the country for which her son, his teachers, and the people who run the school all live in. If I were the mother of that child, any personnel involved in the suspension of my child for talking to me on the phone while I was across the world would have a lot of explaining to do.

He's not being suspended for talking to his mom in Iraq, he's being suspended for being an impudent little bastard.

 

[arcenite]

Originally posted by: kogase

Originally posted by: arcenite
I think the teacher should have respected the student's wishes due to the fact that the student's mother is serving the country for which her son, his teachers, and the people who run the school all live in. If I were the mother of that child, any personnel involved in the suspension of my child for talking to me on the phone while I was across the world would have a lot of explaining to do.

He's not being suspended for talking to his mom in Iraq, he's being suspended for being an impudent little bastard.

I'd be pissed too if someone asked me to get off the phone with my mother whom I havn't seen in months++

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: arcenite

Originally posted by: kogase

Originally posted by: arcenite
I think the teacher should have respected the student's wishes due to the fact that the student's mother is serving the country for which her son, his teachers, and the people who run the school all live in. If I were the mother of that child, any personnel involved in the suspension of my child for talking to me on the phone while I was across the world would have a lot of explaining to do.

He's not being suspended for talking to his mom in Iraq, he's being suspended for being an impudent little bastard.

I'd be pissed too if someone asked me to get off the phone with my mother whom I havn't seen in months++

And? How would the teacher know it was his mother before the student told him in an impudent and little-bastardish way?

 

[raildogg]

Wtf do you need a cell phone in a school when you know the rules? These cell phones are getting way out of hand, it seems an abuse of new technology. The teacher says put something away which isn't allowed to be used in the first place and the kid refuses and curses the teacher out? He is lucky is only got suspended.

The teacher is right, the student is wrong. Plain and simple. Cell phones are not allowed for use in schools. There is no need for them in school. Rules are rules.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: raildogg
Wtf do you need a cell phone in a school when you know the rules? These cell phones are getting way out of hand, it seems an abuse of new technology. The teacher says put something away which isn't allowed to be used in the first place and the kid refuses and curses the teacher out? He is lucky is only got suspended.

The teacher is right, the student is wrong. Plain and simple. Cell phones are not allowed for use in schools. There is no need for them in school. Rules are rules.

Achtung Raildogg has spoken!!!

Need a Fuher Icon

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: raildogg
Wtf do you need a cell phone in a school when you know the rules? These cell phones are getting way out of hand, it seems an abuse of new technology. The teacher says put something away which isn't allowed to be used in the first place and the kid refuses and curses the teacher out? He is lucky is only got suspended.

The teacher is right, the student is wrong. Plain and simple. Cell phones are not allowed for use in schools. There is no need for them in school. Rules are rules.

Achtung Raildogg has spoken!!!

Need a Fuher Icon

Almost cute.

 

[B00ne]

Originally posted by: episodic
Rules are rules. While I feel for the child, if phones are not to be on during the school day, they should not be on.

He was breaking rules before the phone call ever commenced.

Rules are rules my a$$. Sounds like a pretty stupid rule to me. It was lunch time and not class even if it was in during the break in between classes I dont see a problem with a phone call.
What if the school made a rule: You may not crap during school hrs - tough luck ey, rules are rules :disgust:

 

[Zebo]

This thread once again reminds me why we need vouchers so bad. There are so many conflicting opinions in this thread of how children should be treated. Diametrically opposed in fact most of the time on most issues. Which is good. No "one size fits all" approach even works in the same family let alone with thousands of children in a school.

In a voucher setup, one could send his child to the school that even allows cell phone use in class if they wanted. The other group could send his child to one like my sons go to where they'll simply kick you out for even bringing a cell phone to school after two times.

Vouchers are the perfect world in education🙂

*Sometimes I think we should just eliminate all property taxes and let people finance thier own childs education, then maybe they'd respect the institution they choose to send thier child a little more. Teachers are attacked from every angle these days... I'm really surprised they can even find people to do the job.

 

[ciba]

For those of you that think the school is right in both the rule and suspension... Do you really think teachers should enforce rules like this outside of classtime when they can't even manage their jobs in classtime?

This is not a rant a teachers, but teachers/administration/school board and government oversight combined. They need to teach first and enforce asinine rules when the complete job #1.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: ciba
For those of you that think the school is right in both the rule and suspension... Do you really think teachers should enforce rules like this outside of classtime when they can't even manage their jobs in classtime?

This is not a rant a teachers, but teachers/administration/school board and government oversight combined. They need to teach first and enforce asinine rules when the complete job #1.

Some of those rules that you complain about impact the quality of teaching.

When pagers were being used for drug deals, they started being banned. What was the outcry.
Now cell phones are being used instead for illegal uses. How does a teacher determine what is what? They have 10-30 other children that they are responsible for; they can not look over the shoulder of each one.

Cell phones are also being used for text messaging; what is to stop them from being used for cheating on tests?

Until the benefit of access to a cell phone by a student can be shown to improve the edcuational level, then there is no need for them.

 

[powerup]

I am a teacher in an urban setting. Another very good reason for not allowing cell phones is that the students will get into a fight then use their phones to call their "boys." This creates all kinds of problems. I have also seen situations where a student did not like that a teacher told them to stop doing something so they called their parents and spun the situation to make it look like it was the teachers fault or that the teacher touched them. About 10 min. later the parent is in the office about to punch that teacher. Cell phones are allowed in schools for emergency purposes only. Not personal calls during the school hours. I believe one of the main reasons cell phones are even allowed in schools is because of Columbine. Otherwise they serve no real purpose for education. In fact they mostly disrupt it.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: powerup
I am a teacher in an urban setting. Another very good reason for not allowing cell phones is that the students will get into a fight then use their phones to call their "boys." This creates all kinds of problems.

And without cell phones such thugs are more likely to travel in packs, but we should deal with the thugs for being thugs, not punish everyone by dissalowing the use of cell phones.

Originally posted by: powerup I have also seen situations where a student did not like that a teacher told them to stop doing something so they called their parents and spun the situation to make it look like it was the teachers fault or that the teacher touched them. About 10 min. later the parent is in the office about to punch that teacher.

And If it wasn't for the cell phone the kid would have likely gone home and rilled up his parrent the old fasion way leading to the same result but merely delayed a day; again no reason to punish everyone by taking away their right to use their phones.

Originally posted by: powerupCell phones are allowed in schools for emergency purposes only. Not personal calls during the school hours. I believe one of the main reasons cell phones are even allowed in schools is because of Columbine.

Being able to quickly call up a resoponce to situations like that is defenatly a plus.

Originally posted by: powerupOtherwise they serve no real purpose for education. In fact they mostly disrupt it.

Of course there are ways kids can use cell phones to further their eductation during school hours; just because you don't care to acknologe those ways does not change the fact that they are there. Besides, I'n the case in question, nothing was being disrupted until the teacher tried to call the boy on the rule.

 

[powerup]

rules are rules. They are established for a reason. Exaclty what "educational purpose can a cell phone accomplish that a computer can not? Cell phones should be alllowed for emergency situations only.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: powerup
rules are rules. They are established for a reason.

But that doesn't change the fact that rules can unjustly step on freedom and cause more harm than good.

Originally posted by: powerupExaclty what "educational purpose can a cell phone accomplish that a computer can not? Cell phones should be alllowed for emergency situations only.

There you go, newer cell phones can do many of the same functions as a computer, but a student can use his cell phone to do so while finishing off lunch where as the computer labs rightfully have a no food or drink policy. Then there is cases like the one I brought up earlier with a gamma on the floor in need of heart medication; with such benefits available though the appropriate use of cell phones it is clearly worth the effort to find alterative ways to handle inappropriate usage instead of outright banning the devices.

 

[powerup]

like I said emergency situations only. That is also what Michigan Law says. Cell phones can and should be taken away if used for any other purpose. The computer lab is open. You can choose to eat then go to the lab.

 

[kylebisme]

On the other hand you can choose to try to dictate every lasting moment of your students time in school, but you will create a lot less conflict if you treat them with the simple respect of letting them deside between their cell phone or the computer lab in peace.

 

[powerup]

If the student was in fact using it for educational purposes, I personally would not have a problem with it. The problem is that all too often it turns into something non educational. An example of this is the internet in classrooms. There is a reason for firewalls and blocks.