[HN] Unesco calls for global ban on smartphones in schools
[HN] Unesco calls for global ban on smartphones in schools
Major UN report issues warning over excessive use, with one in six countries already banning the devices
[ comments | sourced from HackerNews ]
And what it is gonna do? Phones are already banned in classrooms here.
You know what students do? They use it hidden, they go against the rule even when found out.
We recently have implemented learning via tablets, and I think its the best decision ever. What they will do is just limit safety and access to quick information.
No, getting rid of smartphones in classrooms is the only way to actually teach critical thinking. Using devices in classrooms teaches kids that all the answers are on Google and that they don't need to think, only search.
Google/wikipedia is an incredibly useful tool, but before you learn to use them you first need to be taught basics. The scientific method is the first things kids need to learn: how to observe the world around them, form ideas of how it works, test those ideas, change them based on further observation. This kind of reasoning is sabotages when the kid learns that if they just use Google they can get the answer without learning how to do the work.
Takes like yours generally come from a place of well-meaning but are far removed from the actual reality of the classroom. Kids need to learn first how to figure out information in the real world hands-on before they are introduced to the abstract digital world.
You actually can successfully ban devices in the classroom through a variety of methods.