Hilton, N.Y. – A teacher announces to his Earth Science Class, “The first thing I'd like you to do is go ahead and pull out your phones.”Not a pen, pencil or notebook but a phone.
Students at Hilton High School have the green light to use them.
In fact, in some classes, teachers encourage students to use their phones as much as possible.
Hilton High School Principal Brian Bartalo says because so many students have access to cell phones, faculty came up with the idea last spring.
The school began implementing cell phone use this summer.
“We've taken away that fight, it's no longer going to be an argument about putting away your phone anymore,” said Bartalo.
“I think it gives us a lot more freedom and shows we can be trusted,” says student Cody Whiting.
“Before we were always sneaking around, hiding under tables,” student Adam Price said.
The school uses Q.R. codes to help students stay connected.
Students can snap a photo of the code and be linked to different websites.
Students can check out courses they’d like to take next year or find library material.
“For econ, we're supposed to look up stock and we have to check our stock everyday,” said student Maria Russo. “I just checked my stock and it's down.”
Teachers also use cell phones to generate responses to questions, using a poll on a projection screen.
Teachers say it creates more participation and less intimidation.
“There's no fear factor with this because they're to put an answer up, no one's going to see if they're wrong,” said Biology teacher Mike Szczepanik.
Teachers say it's all about moderation when it comes to incorporating cell phone use in class.
And it's not a requirement to have a cell phone, but for students who don't have one, teachers provide laptops and some tablets so all students can participate.
