Ya, lol, "sexting" is what I suspect as I walk near students who hide their cell phones as I walk within their vicinity during my morning duty. It really worries me what is going on with their young, impressionable minds.

Of course, an argument can be made for kids having cell phones for emergency contact, but it goes much beyond that. Plus, the school would (or should) allow any student to call home in case of emergencies. If they are not allowing this, then they are at fault. I know our school does allow students to call home when there is a genuine need.

I'm 58, so yeah, I'm definitely out of touch with the need for this texting thing. I harken back to my own middle school age experience, and I recall we all started getting transistor radios which we held to our heads!

I've just had a very bad 9 weeks with the 8th graders. Much of this, I feel is due to texting. They're simply NOT there.

Here's part of an article from Iowa that seems to be on top of the issue:


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Texting in Class Sparks Bill to Ban Cell Phones
DesMoinesRegister.com
3/6/2009

A debate over Iowa students and their cell phones has shifted from the classroom to the Capitol.

Publicity about tech-savvy teenagers who pick fights, cheat on tests and trade racy photographs via text message has prompted a bill that would ban cell phones during school hours. The effort comes at a time when many Iowa school policies have loosened because administrators are tired of fighting cell phones or have embraced them as teaching tools.

"Kids are texting, and they're just not paying attention in class," said state Rep. Deborah Berry, D-Waterloo, who is pushing the bill. "Somebody has to get some control here."

Berry's bill could be a long shot, but it has sparked a widespread debate in Iowa over where schools should draw the line between embracing technology and falling victim to it.

Full Story

Patty