TIMMINS - The school board's already noted an unexpected benefit to new rules for using cell phones in the classroom.
At the Oct. 8 District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) board of trustee meeting, the final reading of the new mobile device code of conduct was unanimously approved. It brings the board's policy on cell phone use in schools in line with the provincial government's new guidelines.
“It’s a significant change for some students but not for others in terms of during instructional time there is to be no cell phones,” said DSB1 education director Lesleigh Dye.
The policy limits distractions during instructional time from mobile devices like cell phones and smartwatches. It applies to students, staff, and visitors to the school.
The procedures that go with this policy have not yet had a final reading by the board.
Those procedures outline the on-the-ground use of the policy, including the distinction between primary and secondary student mobile device use.
Primary students must keep their devices off or silenced and out of site throughout the school day, whereas secondary students can use them during lunch.
Safeguards are in place to protect students’ devices from damage or loss if the student has been caught using the device during class.
The policy has been in use since the beginning of the school year, and Dye said it has gone well so far.
“We have had a few rare instances where students are not appreciative of the new direction, and there’s been a little bit of back and forth with the administrator,” she said. “Overall, though, we have delighted with the implementation.”
The board will receive another report on the policy and procedure later in the school year when there has been enough time to determine its effectiveness.
There has been an unforeseen benefit to the policy.
“We have noticed our data usage significantly has decreased during instructional time,” said Dye.
The policy is available online.
