The Carlisle Area School District in Pennsylvania proposes banning camera phones in schools and field trips, but digital cameras would be allowed on school trips, according to an article in The Sentinel.
Cellular phones without cameras would be allowed on trips. School officials are concerned about students using camera phones inappropriately, such as for cheating, and without anyone knowing about it
However, there’s an inconsistency to the policy of not allowing camera phones on field trips and at least one school district board member agrees.
Inconsistency
Nancy Fishman, a member of the school board, says in the article, “I’m not sure that this is all consistent enough to make sense.” She says many students have camera phones instead of regular cameras and it would be unfair not to allow students to take photos of field trips.
John Friend, an assistant superintendent (of Carlisle High School?), has said that perhaps teachers on field trips wouldn’t check students to determine if a cellular phone had a camera and would only intervene if the phone was used inappropriately.
However, the article isn’t clear about whether that means a student could carry a camera phone — but not take a photo — or take photos but not inappropriate ones. I assume it’s the latter.
More debate
The policy has been tabled until the school board’s next committee meeting in July.
I understand the difficulty. It’s tough enough to teach kids without technology “getting in the way.” Many schools try to bar the doors to technology as a way to avoid distruptions.
However, inconsistent policies (as in Houston) only make matters worse. Kids can figure out (well, some can!) when policies make sense, regardless of whether they agree with them.
Not an easy decision
Allowing digital cameras but not camera phones on school trips doesn’t make sense. But if camera phones are allowed on trips but not in school, that also poses a problem.
After all, is a parent supposed to purchase two cellular phones, one with a camera for outside of school time and one without? I think the article is referring to high school students — prime users of camera phones and other cellular features — who are more likely than most people to purchase camera phones.
Sure, the child could take a film or digital camera and that might solve the problem. This assumes the child has a non-cellular camera to take.
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