The Edjurist: Can Policies Stop the Mobile Learning Tsunami?
Can Policies Stop a Mobile Learning Tsunami? According to Education Law Professor, Justin Bathon, the answer is no. He wrote the following on his Edjurist Blog:
No. They can't. There is no legal floodwall even remotely big enough to stop this one.Yet, we keep trying ... and causing ourselves even more policy trouble in the effort because as we are trying to build the wall higher and stronger we are also trying to bail out the water already on the other side.Is it time to switch tactics yet? Is it time to go with the flow and help direct the waters in responsible directions? We legal types are the ones that need to let administrators know when it is appropriate to stop trying to plug the dam. That is our responsibility as their advisors.Meanwhile, the kids are waiting for us ...
I agree with Mr. Bathon. I like the angle he took in approaching this from a legal/policy perspective by asking if school policies will hold back the coming mobile tsunami. Students are using their cell phones in school whether the school bans them or not. The video below quotes the study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project that found over 60% of students who attend a school where cell phones are banned, still use them. I think it is more prudent for schools to embrace student cell phones and teach students how to use them responsibly. Below is a CNN video that discusses the issue of cell phones in schools.
