Could Texting Be Good for Students?

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As a classroom high school teacher, I know that texting is here to stay. Schools can't realistically ban cell phones from classrooms (most kids can text without looking, and cell phones fit into pockets). Nor should we.
Schools must teach kids to operate effectively in the coming world. Employers can't enforce no-texting policies most of the time either. We adults are pounded daily with multiple attacks on our attention span -- phone calls, emails, messages, texts, visual media. The bombardment is here to stay. The effective human in the 21st century must LEARN to focus when it's necessary (class time), communicate efficiently, and respect one another as communication technologies make it harder to have a private space.
FWIW: My school does not ban cell phones or texting. I ask students to limit texts to "very important" and to avoid disturbing me or other students with texting. Violators lose their phone (to me) for the period; a student foolish enough to rudely disregard my policy will lose his/her phone for a week.
On the upside, I find it incredibly convenient to answer students' HW questions via text and to communicate quickly when necessary ("Hey, tell ur classmates that English class is meeting in the auditorium today. Thnx!")

Lori R of SC 2:02PM August 21, 2010

I think students should be able to text after they finish their work, as long as the phones are on silent and they keep it really low key.

Silver Fang of MI 10:46PM May 27, 2010

ummm really you cant waiy until they can turn in there homework by uising there cellphones??? that some lazy teacher...your that lazy to grade pepers???

heather martin of CA 2:05AM May 10, 2010

School would be so much better if we were aloud to text in class as long as its not a distraction to the rest of the class i mean school already suckss why make it worse ? most kids "text" for a living they text every minute of the day ? if our work is done let us text but its got to be done and it cant be a distraction

josh pack of OH 9:44AM May 04, 2010

I allow my students to text in class for learning purposes, specifically through twitter. We also use Pool Everywhere to take opinion polls on certain topics. I can't wait until my students can do their homework using their cell phones!

Lindsey of IL 8:27PM April 09, 2010

there should be aloud to be texting in school however i dont think during class when kids need to concentrate and not be distracted but during breaks and when the teacher is done teaching for the day. i think if they aloud this kids would be happier in school and be less likly to text in class like they do now anyway

kara of OH 8:14AM March 05, 2010

i wish we could txt in school it would be so much fun but now schoool suckss

olivia of IL 10:15AM March 04, 2010

maybe you should not get texting if ur parents say no!

olivia of IL 10:14AM March 04, 2010

i what to get texting but mom says u can just call us but no one calls they only text plz help me get texting...... I loveto txt on other peoples phone but its not my own phone....

dana of IL 10:13AM March 04, 2010

hey how can i get my mom to get texting? i know all the bad things but how can i try to get my mom to get texting i tried evey thing all i get is you can call us????????? I neeeeedddddd sssooommmeeoonnee tttooo hheeellpp????

olivia of IL 10:10AM March 04, 2010