[nobe-l] I would welcome your thoughts on cell phone procedures

Kathy goldendolphin17 at hotmail.com
Sat Jun 10 19:19:11 UTC 2017


So, I don't do this myself but have thought about it. There are jewelry holders or shoe holders that have canvas/cloth pockets, multiple, hanging on a hanger that could be hung on a nail in the wall. Students are required to put their cell phones in a designated pocket. There could be names or seat numbers or something coordinating with the room set up. Then, you as the blind teacher can touch those pockets to see whose pocket is empty, thus the phone missing. This could be a first stop procedure when students come into the room. The pocket hangers are off behind the teachers desk and therefore not accessible to students while you are teaching. There is a risk, of course, that students will say they did not bring their phones that day. Then, there is a power struggle of sorts because they could still quietly use them. If you have a culture of collaboration and accountability in the class, along with a vehicle by which honorable students could privately notify you about cell phone users, this method can work.

Kathy Nimmer
Even in the valleys, keep believing in the mountains.

> On Jun 10, 2017, at 11:28 AM, Craig Cooper via NOBE-L <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Greetings,
> I know that we have discussed the challenge of dealing with cell
> phones in classrooms, on previous threads.  My principal and I were
> having a conversation this week, regarding this topic.  I mentioned to
> her that I am considering a change in procedure, for next school year.
> I continue to encounter students being on their cell phones, during
> instructional time in class.  Quite often, they are off task with
> their phones, texting, looking at videos, taking pictures, etc.
> Obviously, they distract themselves and other students around them,
> with this behavior.  Quite often, I am not aware that several students
> have their phones out, despite the clear handbook prohibition against
> unauthorized cell phone use.
> With this in mind, I proposed to my principal that I am considering
> having students place their phones in a secure location, at the front
> of the class, when they enter the classroom.  They would collect their
> phone, at the end of class.  I would likely nominate a student to be a
> monitor, to ensure that the correct number of phones were placed in
> the container, and that students were complying with the procedure.
> Students who were caught with phones would leave class for the rest of
> the period.
> What are your thoughts, regarding this procedure?  I teach juniors in
> high school, and I'd like to think they would follow the student
> handbook and my instructions that all phones are to be off and away,
> unless the teacher authorizes their use.  The reality is that once
> students know that they can take their phones out with a blind
> teacher, and that they will likely not get caught, several students
> will do this, disrupting their learning, as well as that of students
> around them, in many instances.
> Thank you in advance.
> Craig
> 
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