All around the world, cell phones are being banned from the classrooms. While there are merits to the current status quo, blanket policies are not helpful and can cause more harm than good. Blanket bans only support one side of the argument and eliminate any other side from the equation. It stops conversations in their tracks and does not allow for the academic testing needed to see if any other argument has any merit. This paper explores the challenges and benefits of using cell phones within the classroom, and argues that current bans on cell phones in schools are based on fears that can be remedied with small changes to pedagogy and academic policies. The aim of this paper is to keep the conversation going on this topic, instead of allowing it to be stopped in its tracks through bans.
