Former Assistant Secretary of Education, Chester E. Finn, commented on the use of cell phones in class: “If the kids are allowed to use them in school, there will be no learning at all there — at least not learning anything in the curriculum.” Students should keep cell phone usage out of the classroom to improve their grades, lower distractions and receive points.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently discovered some alarming statistics about cell phone distractions in the classroom after surveying a large population of their students. They found the average student checks their phone 11 times a day in class, and 80% said their cell phones cause a distraction. Even more alarming is that a fourth of those who admit to using their phones during class say their grades suffer because of the distraction.
Our smartphones provide an infinite number of distractions. We college students live in a world of constant interaction; our entire network is one push of a button away at any moment of the day. With the use of smartphones, we have access to the world’s knowledge all in the palm of our hand.
Two college students from Chico State University listened to the statistics of cell phone distractions and decided to make a change. They invented an app called Pocket Points. Pocket Points is simple; once students are connected to their university’s Wi-Fi, they open the app and lock their phone, then they begin to accumulate points. The longer a phone is locked, the more points awarded. The application awards averagely one point per 20 minutes, however, the more students using the app, the faster the points are earned. The points can then be used to redeem “gifts.” Such gifts can be perks or discounts at local and national businesses. A few gifts locally include free beverages from Potbelly’s, discounts on Great Lakes Clothing Co., and free cookies from Insomnia Cookies.
With the introduction of St. Thomas’ new branding, we can see how Pocket Points’ goal to lessen distractions in the classroom parallels our university’s mission statement. The University of St. Thomas, while inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good. By using Pocket Points, students will be able to carry out the core values in the mission statement without the distraction of their cell phones and the internet world.
Students of St. Thomas have the ability to rise up and take accountability for their cell phone limitations. Without cell phones in class, students will see their grades improve, a decrease in distractions and be able to receive points. If it is too hard to keep a phone out of their hands, maybe a promise to a cookie can do the trick. So go ahead, download the application, let’s make sure that we are learning the curriculum not what our crush of the week did this past weekend.