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From Amen to Amen

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School districts around the country from New York State to Texas have instituted cell phone bands. In fact, through 2025, some 37 states have enacted laws or policies regarding K-12 classroom or school cellphone usage, with many mandating a ban or strict limitations. These policies vary from “bell-to-bell” bans forbidding phones for students all day long, to “instructional time” bans. These bands include locking ones phone away for the school day or placing one’s phone in a pouch or collecting phones in the back of a classroom. In New York State called the bill to be legislation, for example, Governor Huckle instituted that from the ringing of the first bell, indicating the start of the school day to the ringing of the bell indicating dismissal students for cell phones should not be seen were used for anything but pedagogic purposes. Her statement on this policy said, “I know our young people succeed when they are learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling.”  (see:https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/distraction-free-schools-governor-hochul-announces-new-york-become-largest-state-nation) As an elected trustee of our local school board, I have sat at the table for the conversations about these policies and the conversations about the deeper underlying challenges of how we continue to engage and connect in the digital age. On the one hand are the very troubling reports and research about children in our digital age failing to thrive. These focus on an array of concerns, including sleep disruption, mental health challenges, and increases in social bullying and isolation.  On the other hand, are some critical benefits that smartphones have introduced to our schools, including adaptive technologies, better access to robust rigorous academic content, and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)