New Phone Policy Making an Impact
September 23, 2019
Story By:Autumn Garrett
RING!!! RING!!! “YONDR!”
With the new year comes new changes. One of the bigger ones being the new cell phone policy. Stating that neither students or teachers can have their devices (headphones, earbuds, or phones) out during class and passing time. If they do, the policy now allows for these electronic devices to go to the office and be placed in Yondr bags that the student will now carry for the rest of the day but have no access to their device.
The Yondr bag or pouch is a secure storage device that can only be opened with a special magnetic key. Students whose devices are “Yondr-ed” can have the bag opened at the end of the school day. There can be 14 - 30 “Yondr-ed” a day, averaging out into the low 20s. If lost or damaged the Yondr bags cost $25 to replace.
Many students and teachers have a different reaction to the new policy. Changing the way school works for students and teachers alike. What the students and teachers have in common are struggles that come with the new policy.
“Hardest part being that phones were a big part of our lives,” said social studies teacher.
Though they have become part of student and staff life and an attempt was made to find ways to use the newfound technology in the classroom over the past decade, it was also found to cause a disruption in the classroom and hinder the focus and learning experience of many.
After meeting with a variety of focus groups including staff, students, and the community, the Independence School District decided to implement the new policy, which allows for students to have until the starting bell, then at lunch, and eventually after the last bell of the day.
One major cause of concern for students has been that they cannot use it during passing period.
“The urge of not having them in passing time. It’s our time.” junior Dakota Banks said..
For some, it is difficult to adapt to the change because they had been used for some classroom activities. While the policy limits use, it does allow for phones and other electronic devices to be used at teacher discretion but only as part of an entire-class activity.
Students from the past years have grown used to the old policy, but for underclassmen, it is not dissimilar from the middle school policy, which disallowed any use from the first bell of the day to the last.
Though there are negative effects of the policy for some, there are benefits that are shown throughout the school.
“It makes students more sociable” senior Makenzie Cole, a senior.
Both students and teachers say not being able to access cell phones in class has led to more engagement and less distractions while learning.
“But people are entitled to disagree. That is an essential American value,” said Jason Grubb, a government teacher at Chrisman who played a role in the research process for the new policy.
Gubb took a 45-minute class period last school year and asked students to tally on the board each time they got a message or notification. At the end, in just one class period, there were more than 300 disruptions.
The policy also applies to teachers as they have been encouraged to model the appropriate behavior, not just in their words
“By holding teachers to the same standard it has forced us to teach more full class periods and checkpoints,” Grubb said.
Story By:Autumn Garrett
RING!!! RING!!! “YONDR!”
With the new year comes new changes. One of the bigger ones being the new cell phone policy. Stating that neither students or teachers can have their devices (headphones, earbuds, or phones) out during class and passing time. If they do, the policy now allows for these electronic devices to go to the office and be placed in Yondr bags that the student will now carry for the rest of the day but have no access to their device.
The Yondr bag or pouch is a secure storage device that can only be opened with a special magnetic key. Students whose devices are “Yondr-ed” can have the bag opened at the end of the school day. There can be 14 - 30 “Yondr-ed” a day, averaging out into the low 20s. If lost or damaged the Yondr bags cost $25 to replace.
Many students and teachers have a different reaction to the new policy. Changing the way school works for students and teachers alike. What the students and teachers have in common are struggles that come with the new policy.
“Hardest part being that phones were a big part of our lives,” said social studies teacher.
Though they have become part of student and staff life and an attempt was made to find ways to use the newfound technology in the classroom over the past decade, it was also found to cause a disruption in the classroom and hinder the focus and learning experience of many.
After meeting with a variety of focus groups including staff, students, and the community, the Independence School District decided to implement the new policy, which allows for students to have until the starting bell, then at lunch, and eventually after the last bell of the day.
One major cause of concern for students has been that they cannot use it during passing period.
“The urge of not having them in passing time. It’s our time.” junior Dakota Banks said..
For some, it is difficult to adapt to the change because they had been used for some classroom activities. While the policy limits use, it does allow for phones and other electronic devices to be used at teacher discretion but only as part of an entire-class activity.
Students from the past years have grown used to the old policy, but for underclassmen, it is not dissimilar from the middle school policy, which disallowed any use from the first bell of the day to the last.
Though there are negative effects of the policy for some, there are benefits that are shown throughout the school.
“It makes students more sociable” senior Makenzie Cole, a senior.
Both students and teachers say not being able to access cell phones in class has led to more engagement and less distractions while learning.
“But people are entitled to disagree. That is an essential American value,” said Jason Grubb, a government teacher at Chrisman who played a role in the research process for the new policy.
Gubb took a 45-minute class period last school year and asked students to tally on the board each time they got a message or notification. At the end, in just one class period, there were more than 300 disruptions.
The policy also applies to teachers as they have been encouraged to model the appropriate behavior, not just in their words
“By holding teachers to the same standard it has forced us to teach more full class periods and checkpoints,” Grubb said.