Cell phones can annoy even in the work world – which, after a fashion, is what the classroom is. This is certainly a vignette for a good reaction to the use of the device in an obviously disruptive manner. Many presenters (instructors or press secretaries) would like phones to be silent to prevent the temptation to talk on them. I’m sure that there would not have been a similar response if the people involved were just hammering away on the keyboards instead.
Taking this one step further, it might be a good idea to make use of phones before or after direct instruction, but not during. Students/participants can use them to collect information to bring to the face to face event, but during the face to face time, the device should only be used in a collaborative manner. So if the entire class/room can share in the discussion, then talking on the phone might be justified. Otherwise, the accessing of information to support or explain the topic is likely the most polite/correct course of action.
Leave a Reply