France bans smartphone use in schools • Hacker News Board

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#31

Post by chpmrc » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:24 PM UTC

EliRivers wrote: post #17

chpmrc wrote: post #9

Typical prohibitionist mindset. Lots of people use X, we don't like X, we ban X instead of understanding how to properly and moderately integrate X into our lives. Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. If we keep blaming the ineptitude of teachers on devices the quality of education will never progress. EDIT: part of the education process is to teach kids how to use and not abuse these devices and when…

Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. My experience is certainly the opposite. I do all my best learning without smartphones and without tablets.

You prefer other devices, not everyone does. Most people nowadays own a smartphone but not a laptop. And books are arguably less engaging than apps for a generation that grew up not reading them (hard to swallow, since I'm an avid reader, but it's true).

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#32

Post by chpmrc » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:27 PM UTC

MaxBarraclough wrote: post #21

chpmrc wrote: post #9

Typical prohibitionist mindset. Lots of people use X, we don't like X, we ban X instead of understanding how to properly and moderately integrate X into our lives. Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. If we keep blaming the ineptitude of teachers on devices the quality of education will never progress. EDIT: part of the education process is to teach kids how to use and not abuse these devices and when…

> Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. {{Citation needed}} I believe studies have shown that gadgets do more harm than good in school environments. > If we keep blaming the ineptitude of teachers on devices the quality of education will never progress. Even if smartphones really are a hindrance?

Tools are never a hindrance. Their misuse is. And I don't need a citation since those are just tools for consuming content and the "learning" part depends on the content, not on the tool. Try playing Math workout and tell me if you're not learning arithmetic a lot faster than with any other traditional "exercise".

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#33

Post by chpmrc » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:28 PM UTC

mercwear wrote: post #23

chpmrc wrote: post #9

Typical prohibitionist mindset. Lots of people use X, we don't like X, we ban X instead of understanding how to properly and moderately integrate X into our lives. Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. If we keep blaming the ineptitude of teachers on devices the quality of education will never progress. EDIT: part of the education process is to teach kids how to use and not abuse these devices and when…

You seem to be looking at this through the lens of best case scenario. These are kids, many if all of them are probably mid puberty. The phones are not being used to take notes. They are playing fortnight, doing whatever replaced texting at this point, and generally just ignoring the lesson.

That's because kids are not educated on how to properly use them. It's like saying that YouTube is not being used to learn stuff. You can watch crappy videos or you can learn how to multiply like Japanese kids. It's all about content, not devices.

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#34

Post by WorkLifeBalance » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:29 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #29

There's more to life than homework, even when you're in school. If I have my work done and want to read Slashdot or Ars Technica, or if I'm between classes and want to check the news, that's really not something that should be banned at the national level.

You don't need to read the news every day, let alone every hour of the day.

It's an addiction to the way news is currently produced.

It's entirely reasonable to spend an evening a week reading up on tech news. It's not reasonable to have a compulsion to check the news whenever you have a down minute.

I'm guilty of that myself, I'm currently writing this while a program compiles but I wouldn't wish this on a developing mind.

Besides, there are other places where news and the internet is available, why shouldn't places legislate away having that 24/7 on smartphones during school.

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#35

Post by modells » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:30 PM UTC

tl;dr psa for everyone: configure your phone for grayscale, least animation, vibrate-only and turn off most notifications.

Smartphones are mental cocaine. Look around a city almost anywhere and most people are hunched over, staring at glowing glass and oblivious to almost everything... so much so the Dutch are putting crosswalk lights on the ground to keep people from walking into traffic while they’re getting their fix. It’s clearly unhealthy as focus, socialization and personal safety suffer.

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#36

Post by baud147258 » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:34 PM UTC

chpmrc wrote: post #32

MaxBarraclough wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. {{Citation needed}} I believe studies have shown that gadgets do more harm than good in school environments. > If we keep blaming the ineptitude of teachers on devices the quality of education will never progress. Even if smartphones really are a hindrance?

Tools are never a hindrance. Their misuse is. And I don't need a citation since those are just tools for consuming content and the "learning" part depends on the content, not on the tool. Try playing Math workout and tell me if you're not learning arithmetic a lot faster than with any other traditional "exercise".

Except if you leave a teen with a smartphone, he won't play Math Workout, but rather browse Instagram. Not all classes can be "gamefied" like this too. And I don't think our current education board has the knowledge to use the tool, so I think it's a better solution.

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#37

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:35 PM UTC

pmichalina wrote: post #14

Typical statist mindset.

[deleted]

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#38

Post by bytematic » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:38 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #22

lbeziaud wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ban only concerns "students under the age of 15", who typically take notes on paper. The teacher can also make an exception for pedagogical purpose. > There are exceptions in place for students with disabilities and for the educational use of devices in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities

Sure but they also use Google and Wikipedia etc.

Under 15? Not really, can use purely offline sources for that generic material. Good skill as well. Still should have a basic computing class though, perhaps wrapped into a library class.

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#39

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:39 PM UTC

chpmrc wrote: post #31

EliRivers wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smartphones and tablets are GREAT learning devices. My experience is certainly the opposite. I do all my best learning without smartphones and without tablets.

You prefer other devices, not everyone does. Most people nowadays own a smartphone but not a laptop. And books are arguably less engaging than apps for a generation that grew up not reading them (hard to swallow, since I'm an avid reader, but it's true).

[deleted]

Re: France bans smartphone use in schools

#40

Post by bytematic » Thu, Aug 02, 2018, 2:39 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #29

There's more to life than homework, even when you're in school. If I have my work done and want to read Slashdot or Ars Technica, or if I'm between classes and want to check the news, that's really not something that should be banned at the national level.

Under the age of 15?