NJ middle school makes students go phone-free
A middle school in Union County, NJ is forcing its students to stay disconnected in class, by prohibiting cellphones.
Maxson Middle School Principal Kevin Stansbury implemented the phone ban last week after he noticed some major issues inside of the school.
“Our test scores were down, suspensions were up, discipline was up,” he says.
Stansbury says students were too distracted by their phones to focus on school. So he purchased Yondr pouches for the school. When students come in to class each morning, they place their phones in the pouch, which is then locked up tight. It can only be opened using a special device at the end of the day.
Eighth-graders who spoke with News 12 New Jersey say that they noticed a change in a matter of hours.
“It’s just better for everyone because you’ll understand how it feels to get more work done instead of paying attention to the phone,” says student Charlene V.
“I’m usually listening to music, not listening to no one, but today I got to communicate with all my friends,” says student Desiree D.
The program was originally met with some backlash from students and parents. But teachers and administrators say that the program will have a major impact.
“Students were talking and laughing and there were no cellphones other than being carried in the pouches,” Stansbury says.
Teacher Nia Cummings says she even noticed students bouncing ideas off each other in class. She says students used to give up quickly and just look for answers on their phones. She says they now try to figure it out themselves.
Maxson Middle School is currently the only one in the district to use these pouches.
Yondr Pouches have been used at some concerts and comedy shows in venues that do not want their audiences to use their phones.
Image Source: https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/yondr-pouch-820x546.jpg
Article Source: https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/nj-middle-school-makes-students-go-phone-free/
Vocabulary:
1. prohibit / verb : to forbid (an action, activity, etc.) by authority or law:
2. implement / verb : to fulfill; perform; carry out:
3. distract / verb : to draw away or divert, as the mind or attention:
4. backlash / noun : a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.
5. pouch / noun : a bag, sack, or similar receptacle, especially one for small articles or quantities:
6. venue / noun : the scene or locale of any action or event.
Questions:
1. List the who, what, where and when of this news item.
2. For what reasons has the principal implemented this policy?
3. How does the school ensure students don’t use their cellphones during the school day? Be specific
4. How have students reacted to the use of the Yondr pouches in school?
5. What did the principal and teacher Nia Cummings notice about student interaction once the program began?
6. Most people – teens and adults – are addicted to their smartphones. It is too hard for individual students to turn their phones off for a whole school day if no one else is doing so. Yondr forces all to be in the same situation. What are the positive benefits to experiencing the school day without smartphones – now, and then later as adults?
