Slap happy

It seems that the calls to ban mobile phones from British classrooms are getting louder. There has been quite a debate about it recently. Many schools in the UK have already banned mobile phones due to fears of class disruption, child safety, cheating and most currently, to try to deter a number of happy slapping incidents. And its not just the teachers who are banned. They have also banned pupils from using them too.

Today a BBC News article outlined a new reason for a total ban. One teaching union has called for all schools to be 'mobile free zones' after a child in a Scottish school was filmed allegedly assaulting a teacher. Allegedly?? Well, either it was an attack or it wasn't, surely? And the evidence of the mobile phone footage should settle the question one way or the other shouldn't it? Shouldn't the real question be whether the presence of the mobile phone prompted the attack, or whether the presence of cameras could actually deter such violence - or am I missing something here?

Actually, I'm all for the use of mobile phones in certain education settings. Just before Christmas I attended a Futurelab conference in London, and one of the presenters refreshingly requested that all delegates should keep their mobile phones on. He asked us to turn off our ringtones, and then use a special number to text questions to him during his presentation. Our questions were projected on a screen behind him and he answered them on the fly. Neat idea I think - prompted better interaction. Perhaps mobile phones have a place in the classroom after all.... What do you think?