To prevent students from using cellular devices during instructional time, Clark County School District issued phone pouches to all middle and high schools in the district. Phone pouches are electromagnetic pulse devices (EMP), essentially the EMP devices shut off all electrical connections to prevent the phone from using data, Bluetooth, etc. Pouches are optional for teachers at Sierra Vista, yet if a teacher asks a student to use the pouch, the student must follow the teacher’s request.
Teachers such as Ms. Faye, a computer science teacher, Mr. Shumm, a math teacher, and Ms. Simon, a Spanish Teacher, all utilize the pouches in their classes. Assistant Principal Ms. Galloway shares, “There is a lot of research that supports educators limiting phone usage during school hours. Phones cause distractions for many students. The school district is leaning towards making them mandatory for the next school year. Teens need a break from their phones, especially while a teacher instructs. Personal devices have some educational benefits in the classroom, but too many students use their phones for things unrelated to school topics.”
Moreover, a Harvard research study on students using their phones in school finds it negatively impacts students this article goes over the cost and benefits of cellular devices in school.
Ms. Ventura Assistant Principal adds, “Phone pouches have pushed for more hands-on learning as well a better teacher-student connection.” Furthermore, the pouches encourage students to talk to other students and form relationships.
Some parental concerns center on the inability to contact their children and see the pouches as troublesome if they needed to contact their kids they could start a mess by assuming something happened to their kid. Ms. Ventura assures “If parents need to contact their children there are plenty of staff and student aids that can contact the student, and students get all their notifications after taking the phone out of the pouch.”
Despite some students finding the pouches troublesome, their phones are always close to them, and they can always check their phones after class. Hopefully, students will warm up to the pouches, as next year Sierra Vista is making them mandatory for all teachers to use. Some students are against the idea of them being mandatory, and see them as an invasion of privacy, often arguing their phone is their personal property. Other students see it as an opportunity to focus more in class, as well as an opportunity to improve relationships with fellow peers.
