Rules and Tips for Educators

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That first very own cell phone inevitably finds its way into the classroom. This often has to due with a mutual desire of parents and children to be able to contact each other at any and all times. The challenge for educators then is to position themselves to address this form of early media use in a competent way.

Correct usage behavior presents quite a few challenges to educators. Here are five important rules to remember:

Follow the children’s media use with genuine interest. Talk with them about how they use their phones, what for, and how often. Ask them how it may have changed the way they communicate or how they look at sources of information.

Agree on specific rules for the use of cell phones in school and during class together with the children – and stick to them yourself!

Coordinate with parents about appropriate cell phone use in school.

Make the children’s privacy a topic – and remember to respect theirs. What they have on their smartphones and mobiles is private and may only be viewed in exceptional cases or when the children wish to show you.

Discuss with the children about choosing content that is age appropriate. Get them to think about media content and experiences together as a group.

Further Information

The question comes up in nearly every family whether the children should have their own cell phones or even smartphones. And more and more frequently the answer to this question is yes. Multimedia all-rounders

More and more children are receiving their first mobile phones around the time they start elementary school. Meanwhile, today’s cell phones, esp. smartphones, have more and more features and are no longer for just making phone calls. Rules and tips for parents

Cellular phone agreement

Proper use of digital media

Educator and consultant

“Self-made cell case”