One thought on “Should Schools Allow Students to Use Smartphones in Classrooms? (Part 1, Larry Cuban)”
my answer to Larry:
The reasons for not banning telephones are absurd! I repeat them here: banning smartphones would hinder students’ independent thinking (i.e., finding new sources for an on-going class discussion, answering teachers’ questions, and completing in-class assignments). Thinking independently is not parroting something found on the Internet/Wikipedia. Teachers ask questions about what has been taught so attending to the lesson (no phone!) and retrieving it from memory is a better strategy. The same is true for assignments, though allowing during that process the child to use a laptop for, let’s say 10 minutes and then closing it, for help is a possible work around.
From experience to meaning... 
my answer to Larry:
The reasons for not banning telephones are absurd! I repeat them here: banning smartphones would hinder students’ independent thinking (i.e., finding new sources for an on-going class discussion, answering teachers’ questions, and completing in-class assignments). Thinking independently is not parroting something found on the Internet/Wikipedia. Teachers ask questions about what has been taught so attending to the lesson (no phone!) and retrieving it from memory is a better strategy. The same is true for assignments, though allowing during that process the child to use a laptop for, let’s say 10 minutes and then closing it, for help is a possible work around.