Students making real connections since cellphone rule adopted, principal says
Since the start of the school year in September, students at Venture Heights Elementary School in Martensville have been putting their cellphones away when the school day begins.
“The word ‘ban’ is kind of a tricky one for us, it sounds so draconian,” said the school’s principal, Ron Biberdorf. He prefers to use the word “policy” to describe the rule, which applies to all students from kindergarten to Grade 8.
The rule, which states that staff should not be able to see students’ phones, was put into effect for all students for the first time this year. The rollout came in phases over the course of three years, at first applying to the younger students in K-4. Last year, the grades 5 and 6 teachers enforced the rule in their classrooms.
“We have so much technology in the building, and good technology and good use of technology, that the cellphones don’t add to that technology experience,” Biberdorf said. “The negativity associated with cellphones is something we’re trying to limit.”
Concerns about distracted learning and the potential ill effects of social media use in younger people contributed to the decision to have the kids keep their phones out of sight.
Cellphones contribute to distracted learning and staff want kids to focus on learning in the classroom and not checking social media, Biberdorf said.
He also cited research that links social media use to mental health issues in youth; while it’s not solely attributed to cellphone use, it’s a common denominator, he said.
Other schools have reached out to Venture Heights, seeking out both the research the school cited and the correspondence it sent home to parents.
Since the rule came into effect, Biberdorf said staff have observed a change in how the students interact with each other.
“We’re seeing kids make real-life social interactions with other kids. So rather than having artificial conversations and virtual friendships, they ’re having actual friendships again,” he said.
“They’re talking, they’re laughing, they’re chatting, they’re making plans. They’re back to being verbal and social with one another.”
The ban on having phones in hand during the school day isn’t going anywhere. Down the road, there may be a place for smartphones in classrooms, he said.
“But the opportunities that a smartphone provide educationally can be covered by the tablets, the Chromebooks, just as well — probably more so with the opportunities kids have with coding and video editing and so on. We embrace technology, we embrace these technologies.
“We just don’t want the negatives associated with cellphone use to get in the way of that.”