From High School to Preschool

Recently in class, we brought up the topic of technology and media within the high school classroom. As we went around, it was the general consensus that most devices are prohibited within the classroom, even if for educational purposes. Cell phones, laptops, or even speech translators are prohibited from the classroom in order to maintain the style of learning accepted in a high school setting.

Upon analyzing, the idea of prohibiting these devices is completely absurd. In the beginning, I was all for it.I was in high school once and kids at that age are very "ADD". They want to play with everything and anything that doesn't have to do with the academic topic at hand. Weather surfing the Internet or playing pinball on the games menu, kids will be distracted by anything. I changed my opinion, however. Looking back, most kids in high school are not presented with the option to have a laptop. If they are, maybe they will take on new responsibility and use it for educational purposes. This is not to mention the fact that the school can limit what the student can and cannot access on the computer. Same goes for cell phones in that if kids are able to use them, they will eventually get tired of using them it they will only be used for the purpose they serve.

These policies in school are in place for a reason. As times change and technology progresses, so must the policies in these places. We now live in a digital wonderland where everything, both academically and recreational, is in the form of media. As a result, we must extend our high school policies in order to accompany these changing times. Laptops and cellphones are no longer distractions, they are tools for the future that allow our young minds to strive. If we open up media in our high schools and approach it with a academic purpose, who knows how far our innovative minds can bring us.