Editorials from EIL students debate cellphone use in class Students need phones in class BY: MUNKHBAYAR MAGVANDORJ Today lots of people like to use smartphones when they are at work, class, the gym, and family meetings. According to research, there are 3.3 million smartphone users in the world. That is an unexpected number compared to when I was a child. What are the good and bad effects of smartphones? Mobile devices help students improve their study skills. Lots of people say smartphones badly affect their bodies. Min my own view, however, it is better to have a phone than to not have a one. Phones in class help students to be good learners, get information and manage time. First of all, smartphones allow students to better understand their lessons. Sometimes students do not have phones in a class, but they need to write and draw many things in a short time. If they have their smartphones, they can easy to get all the information they need during a class. Students use phone applications to record lectures that are helpful when they have difficulty understanding lectures. Also when students use a “note-taking” application, it is an advantage to help them. For example, it is easy to text notes, checklists, audio files, photo files, sketches, and document notes. When I use the “note-talking” application during my classes, it is easy to remember what the teacher said in the class. Second, smartphones provide good opportunities to get information. The Internet has tons of knowledge, if students get information wisely. Students use smartphones because they do not want many books. They just install the books on their phones. I like to read books on my phone. It’s easy to highlight some of the ideas and easy to copy to prepare topics. 12
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Lastly, a student’s time management is very important to help them organize their time. Smartphones have the ability to set up events in a calendar. I think that calendar and to-do lists improve time management. Sometimes students waste time and forget their assignment due dates and they may get the lowest score in the class. When students learn how to organize their time, it helps a student to become successful in the future. Overall, smartphones provide good opportunities when students use them wisely. If teachers do not ban phones in their classes, students are able to effectively plan, gain information, and be a straight-A student. •
E D ITOR ’S N OT E : Students in Associate Professor Mark Wolfersberger’s Fall 2019 EIL 371 class, called written accuracy, wrote editorials on the topic of technology in the classroom. Two of the students’ editorials were selected to be printed in this issue. “We have been reading and writing recently about technology use in the classroom,” said Wolfersberger.
“Some recent studies have shown that cell phones cause lower test scores with students. People have used this research to argue for banning cell phones in class. But other people argue that teachers and pedagogy have not caught up with the ways in which people use phones and technology. They say teachers need to change and adapt rather than ban phones. My students are now writing about their opinions on this topic.” Graphics by Brad Carbine
