Remember when note passing was the communication method of choice for distracted students? Does anyone even know what a “cheat sheet” looks like anymore? Text messaging has not only changed our personal lives, but it’s also found its way into the classroom and has all but replaced older forms of silent communication. As the school year approaches, parents and teachers everywhere are looking for new ways to get kids to text responsibly and hopefully learn a thing or two this year.
Below are a few back to school texting tips for parents to help their kid’s text responsibly, courtesy of Predicto Mobile (www.predicto.com), the leading online and text message based survey company:
- Check the school’s cell phone policies. Speak with their teachers about what they are doing to limit text use and find ways you can work together to combat the issue if it becomes a serious problem
- Talk to your kids about the dangers of sexting. Find out who they are chatting with and look at the cell phone bill to see what time of day they are texting the most
- Encourage good academic behavior. Find out when their exams are, offer help with studying, etc.
- Make them work for it. If texting during school gets out of control and you see a spike in your bill, ask your child to get a part time job to cover their text message cell phone plan
- Don’t text them when they are in class. Occassionally you may need to get in touch with your child during school hours, find out when your child has breaks in between classes or what time they take lunch and use that time to send texts
- Petition your cell phone provider to limit cell phone text message service during school hours
“Kids have pioneered text usage and it’s become somewhat invasive in a classroom setting,” says Eyal Yechazkell, CEO of Predicto Mobile. “Many schools have already banned cell phones, and we’ve all heard horror stories about kids sexting in school or using the service as a way to cheat. Parents need to take a tougher stance and talk with their kids about texting in the classroom to make sure it doesn’t interfere with the learning process.”
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Great tips.
?Make them work for it. If texting during school gets out of control and you see a spike in your bill, ask your child to get a part time job to cover their text message cell phone plan.
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I am not sure about a shared plan but texting and taking pics and sending pics along with long distance phone calls only cost an extra $10/month for a Cricket/Revol.(unlimited). I don’t want choas and I found it easier “to each their own. I have never tried it but think I know in advance that a shared plan would not work for my family. If we were all on the same plan I would have a daily job calling to check our plan usuage, knowing that someone went over and would have to see the itemized statement on who to blame it on. Too much work to me. Most I know have Sprint as I do. I have never gone over my minutes and they do not roll over(Sprint has to love me like a buffet eatery does, I never get my monies worth that I pay for). LOL.
I don’t agree with cell phone/texting in class. My kids do have a cell phone so I can reach them. I may not know what time they are in what class but I may want to stay connected to my child(ren) at some point. It is up to my child(ren) to find a appropriate time to contact me back. In a emergency I want a swift call back though. Too many things are happening in schools/colleges/universites. Two years ago I had two daughters at the same University(living in a city not in our zip code) and school had just started for the year. I was watching my local news and at the University my daughers were at there was a woman who was raped. The news did not say the age or color of the young woman. I just called each of my daughers cell numbers and was so upset and pulling my hair out and biting my nails with fear. I could not get a call back from my daughters until later that day. They were not able to call back at the time I called. Now the University has a text and email elert for “all things that happen”. A death, A person missing or Swine Flu. I hope parents can get some peace of mind through others sadness, that it took someones child to be raped or died that schools/colleges know that we all have to be informed. I know that this post was about cell phone etiquette, cell phones can keep us connected or make some use it for simply being rude and talking loud in a grocery store. I only hope my kids(they are adults) use texting, email and sending anything in a good beneficial way to converse with others than in a nude sharing way with the world wide web.