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Matthew Carrascoso

2/18/15
Period 8

Going With The Phone


Its a pocket-sized rectangle capable of calls, texts, games, Internet, and any
kind of desire. Meet humanitys new basic need: the cellphone. Media has grown to
accept these devices, but the schools of our country have little tolerance, promising
punishments for any phone that gets taken out in class. Little does the Board know that
phones are anything but a nuisance. The average Iphone can support the lives of students
in class by providing safety and responsibility1. The teachers have a lot to learn about this
new generation of technology.

In an emergency situation, a phone can be as useful as a fire extinguisher or


blanket2. One of the most common situations is school shootings, which have been
recorded by dozens throughout the years. Two notable ones, recorded by Dr. Max
Wachtel of PsychLaw Journal happen in the same year. In one, a former student killed
three students and injured six in a high school in Ohio, and in another, 27 people,
including the shooter, were killed in an elementary school in Newtown Connecticut.
These are just two of the many shootings that occur in schools across the United States.
Also according to Dr. Wachtel, the chances of a school shooting taking place are one in
21,000. These odds make schools very dangerous. If a school shooting were to happen,
wouldnt it make sense to call for help IMMEDIATELY3? If students brought their
1 Thesis
2 Transition/Topic
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Pathos

cellphones to class, they would be able to call authorities and get to safety much faster.
Plus, most phones have speed dial on them, making the call much more rapid than a
normal school phone. The chances that a phone will be necessary are very high. There, a
shooter may barge in and pull a Rambo on the classroom. That very shooter might be
peeking through the window right now, waiting for the right moment to-BANG4!

When parents decide when their children are ready for a car, they often look
at the responsibility factor5. If a child can prove that they can be trusted with big
expensive things, they will most likely receive their vehicle6. So, if the students can
bring their phones to school and take care of them, it shows huge responsibility, and
ensures that theyll get a car as soon as age 16. An article on National Geographic News
reports that only half of all teenagers are trusted on the road by their parents. Because of
this, the number of teens with drivers licenses has dropped by ten percent in the past 30
years (Lavelle). The parents feel certain that their little drivers will go all John
Candy (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, 1987) on the open road because there isnt
enough trust between them. A strong sense of accountability between parents and
children leads to a car, dog, house, or any kind of desire. It all starts with bringing a
phone to school.7

4Pathos
52 Transition/Topic
65 Logos
75 Logos

While some may say that phones are a waste of time, its actually the
opposite8.. The cellphone can assist students in the everyday chores and bores of the
classroom. Say theres a problem on a math test that requires a calculator. Theres an app
for that. Or maybe the teacher has been scribbling things on the chalkboard that he
expects to be taken down as notes. Theres an app for that. Or, theres a very confusing
word in todays chapter that needs a definition. Theres an app for that9. The cellphone
has always been a useful tool due to its countless calculator, notebook, Internet, and
reference apps (Apple)10. Phones can also solve homework problems with students. Why
might students not turn homework in? A probable reason is that its because they dont
write down their assignments. Students might leave work at home, or they dont have the
resources to complete it(Thompson). These problems can all be abided by apps such
as the Schedule/Reminder app to record homework and then remember to bring it
to school, and the Safari app to aid those in need of references and research. The
phone is anything but a major class distraction.

All that ringing and buzzing and xylophone noise may be irritating to some, but we
need to turn all the noise down and face the truth: phones have done nothing bad to the
schools of this country. These little bricks, tablets and cells can and will improve the
lives of school goers by getting them out of dangerous situations and evaluating their
responsibility. Theres no time to waste. Help lift the phone bans by going to, no,
calling the Board of Education, and telling them they can either let students have their

82 Transition/Topic
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phones on, or, they can back off11.

116 Call to Action

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