DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – In this day and age, our cell phones seem to be part of our daily wardrobe, and in a generation with technology constantly changing, they’ve become part of a battle teachers have been struggling to fight for years.
Darlington High School teachers are embracing the technology, instead of fighting it.
It’s a device that gives us answers right at our fingertips, which is why teachers are struggling to agree on a policy.
For Darlington High School Principal Greg Harrison, it’s a tool to keep his students engaged, allowing him to know instantly if his students understand the lesson.
Students use their phones to answer questions, look up figures, and indicate whether or not they understand the material. Still, many teachers worry phones will help students cheat, or distract them during class.
“My response to cheating is people have been cheating since you could write it on a sheet of paper and put it in your pocket. I mean, yeah, there’s always a possibility that someone could cheat, but my view is that I want them to understand the information. If they go and look it up, and they learn it by looking it up, then my task has been accomplished,” said Harrison.
Harrison says in order to avoid these problems, it’s on the teacher to educate responsible use of cell phones in the classroom.
“Educate them when it’s appropriate to have a phone out, when it’s appropriate to use it, and when it’s not appropriate. You have to set those guidelines. You have to set those parameters in each class in order for it to be successful,” said Harrison.
For most schools in the Pee Dee, the rule is simple. When you walk through school doors, you’re supposed to turn your phone off.
Teachers say that’s a rule that’s nearly impossible to enforce, and that’s why Darlington Schools Technology Coordinator Diane Sigmond says several school around the state are embracing the technology, instead of fighting it.
“It’s just a powerful tool. They have it in their hands, why fight it,” said Sigmond.
That’s the message Darlington School Superintendent Eddie Ingram says they have to adapt to in order to stay ahead in a constantly changing digital world.
“We’re entering an age that is exciting, and we can either drive a train, jump on a train, or get run over by a train, and I’d rather be the one that’s driving it whenever possible,” said Ingram.
Ingram says the biggest challenge is teaching students the importance of responsible use when it comes to using their phones, a skill he says will help them well beyond the classroom.
Educating the students for the future is what Harrison says the technology initiative is all about.
“Their jobs are going to require that they be technology savvy, and if we don’ t have students that are graduating technology savvy and are up-to-date, we’re not preparing them for the world that they’re going to have to live in and produce in,” said Harrison.
Darlington is one of the first schools in the area to try implementing cell phones as a learning tool in the classroom.
Several schools around the Pee Dee said they would be interested in trying the technology in the classroom at some point in the future.
Florence, Dillon and Marion schools all have similar policies. Cell phones must be turned off and out of sight during school hours.
