And Yes, This Will Include Buna ISD

 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday signed a bill banning students from using cell phones in school.

House Bill 1481-   Requires public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to adopt and implement policies prohibiting students from using “personal communication devices” during school hours.

" Devices include cell phones, tablets, smart watches, radio devices, paging devices, or any other electronic devices" ...."capable of telecommunication or digital communication.” 

This of course includes the Buna, Kirbyville, Evadale, Vidor, LCM, Silsbee etc. ISDs....... All Texas Independent School Districts. 

 Why did the Texas Legislature wait so long? 

Why now? 

Shouldn't this have been passed 10-15 years ago? 

Literally, a generation of kids have done through school with cell phones. 

How hard is it going to be this Fall to get the Gen z and Gen Alpha kids, who are literally addicted to their electronic devices off of them come the new school year?   

And at this point, I would be having to re-work my lessons. I can see all sort of applications for Microeconomics and Macroeconomics for my class using a cell phone, iPad, heck any sort of pad.  

Also, if I didn't want you to have cell phone, I would have had a box, some sort of individual holder for the kids to put their phones in, as they walked into class....And you can get them as you leave.  

Now, do younger kids need cell phone? I don't think so. And could I adjust back to old school teaching? of course. 

This of course puts ANOTHER duty on teachers to battle, and it will be one. There will be kids figure ways around the ban, and teachers will have to enforce another rule, something else to worry with instead of trying to teach. 

Again, I have mixed emotions about this. I can see all sorts of practical applications, especially in economics.... I also can see not wanting them in lower grades, and there would be time I would not want kids having them, especially at test time. 

This is typical of the state legislature, putting 10 years behind the rest of the world.