A high school in California found students' mobile phones too distracting, so they locked them

It was not enough to tell students at San Mateo High School to put their phones in class. Now, California school officials have asked them to lock them up.

And although their familiar companions may still be nearby, high school students are now required to keep their devices in a magnetically sealed pouch during school hours.

The growing frustration of student attention led school administrators, located about 20 km south of San Francisco, to adopt the new policy this school year, which began earlier this month.

"We could go into different classrooms and kids would stay on their cell phones for 5 seconds, checking one text, between 30 and 45 minutes at a time," said Adam Gelb, vice principal of San Mateo High School, NBC Bay. . Zoned. "You are here to learn, you are here to work with your teachers and students, and we have started to move away from them because of these devices and the addiction that they can engender."

Every school day, nearly 1,700 students drop their devices in a Yondr clutch that closes with an exclusive lock. School administrators unlock them at the end of the day.

Administrators and teachers say they have already seen a positive effect on students, but this policy has met with mixed reactions among researchers who support its long-term effectiveness.

Students remain in the possession of the student, but they can not access it, the school said. The program was funded with a grant of $ 20,000. Scholarships were awarded free to students, but losing $ 25 to high school students.

Some technology experts believe that the new policy is a step in the right direction and will limit distraction in the classroom.

"Removing cell phones from the classroom is a no-brainer," said Calvin Newport, a professor of computer science at Georgetown University.

Students tend to have worse results when they have access to network connectivity in the classroom, he said.

"The ability to not be distracted and focus on things is more and more valuable, so it's a good general function of our schools to be a place where our students are trained to stay focused on one thing. at the same time, "he added.

Many school students have adopted the idea after initially hesitating.

"Last year, many people spent their lunch looking at the phone, without talking to each other, but this year there is nothing to do but talk," he said. Michael Picchi, a student of San Mateo High School.

"It has helped me a lot … I am like a typical teenager, you know, as if I were still on the phone," said Polina Tu "ipuloto, another student. "Before, I usually liked to sit on the side of my desk and look at my phone and send an SMS to everyone.But now, we have nothing else to look at or do than talking to our teacher or paying attention. "

There is a real delay in changing your brain from a calculating professor to SnapChat, and this affects the concentration of memory and critical thinking, said Newport. When you focus between a teacher and a mobile phone, your brain's performance pays a "switch cost," Newport added.

A study by Rutgers University found that students who had a mobile phone or laptop during class had a lower score of 5%, or half a letter, on exams compared to students who did not use electronics.

A non-cell phone policy enhances the educational experience, said Arnold Glass, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University, who led the study. "Cell phones have a negative effect on learning, and if you're here to learn, it's not helpful to show you if you're on the phone."

While many researchers have focused on the benefits of cutting peripherals out of the classroom, others are worried about deleting something on which young people depend.

Larry Rosen, a psychology researcher at California State University, said young people were constantly looking at their phones to reduce their anxiety. They are eager to stay informed, and this anguish will grow as they are forced to abandon the devices, he says. Pick up phones does not work for everyone, he argues.

Instead, he thinks that "technological advances" are a much happier way.

Giving students a few minutes between lessons to check their phone helps dispel a lot of anxiety, he said. If a student is focused on what's missing, he will not focus on the teacher, Rosen said.

"I want to warn this school that one of the consequences of this policy is that you activate anxiety among your students, which can backfire on you," he said.

Some students argue that the policy should be more balanced.

"I think lunch time should be allowed," said Kaveela Blackwell, a student at NBC Bay Area. "It's your free time to do what you want."

Removing mobile phones will not reduce student distractions, but people will simply be distracted by other things, said Jesse Stommel, Executive Director of the Teaching and Learning Technologies Division at the University of Mary Washington. .

Cell phones are deeply rooted in our lives, and we can not ignore them, he said. Students will respond better by putting cell phones in place more effectively in the classroom.

"It's better to help students understand how to deal with distractions instead of trying to eliminate them. It's better to master it and help make it productive. "