When cell phones ring in my class, I simply stop class and wait for the person to answer their phone and complete their phone call. When they finish their phone call I ask them to please turn off their phone. This is usually embarrassing to the person who has received the phone call and communicates to the entire class that our class time is important and our class requires the full participation and involvement of *everyone* in the class. I usually take the same approach to students who pass notes (didn't students stop doing that in high school?) and talk to each other during class. This approach has worked well for me and I rarely have cell phones ringing or students gossiping while we are in class. In the rare event that this approach has not worked, I've just talked to the students after class and that seems to have fixed the problem.
______________________________________________ Roderick D. Hetzel, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology LeTourneau University President-Elect, Division 51 American Psychological Association Department of Psychology LeTourneau University Post Office Box 7001 2100 South Mobberly Avenue Longview, Texas 75607-7001 Office: Heath-Hardwick Hall 115 Phone: 903-233-3312 Fax: 903-233-3246 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage: http://www.letu.edu/people/rodhetzel > -----Original Message----- > From: Harry Avis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 1:14 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > Subject: RE: Hats and caps in class:cell phones & pagers > > > I am not sure why but this is a frequent problem in our > classes. I have > found that telling students to put the damn thing on buzz or > to leave the > class to answer calls leads to yet another abuse. In my 34 years of > teaching, my bladder has gotten weaker, but I don't think the > same is true > of the current crop of students. I assume that someone > leaving my class is > (a) in dire need of the restroom or (b) deeply offended. In the past > students leaving class occured only very occasionally. > Recently I have two > or three students a class getting up and walking outside to > answer their > damn cellphones. I expect that many of them simply decided to > take a break > and many just plain leave the building. Cell phones are an > abomination!. I > tell my students that they are not to answer cell phones in > my class unless > they are being paged to be a heart donor. > > > >From: Paul Brandon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" > ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: RE: Hats and caps in class:cell phones & pagers > >Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 10:27:47 -0600 > > > >At 3:47 PM -0800 1/29/02, Joann Jelly wrote: > > >Not for the first time, a student answered a cell phone in class. > > >Her > >reply > > >on my "Don't do that!" was, "I have children and will answer the > > >phone whenever I want." Each time I have directed the > student to go > > >outside > >with > > >their cell phone business. So I am considering putting > up a sign such > >as, > > >"If the cell phone stored in your pocket vibrates a > signal, answer it > > >outside the classroom," or something equally droll. Does anyone > > >else > >have > > >a policy/procedure (i.e., caution in the syllabus or sign in the > >classroom) > > >to handle this situation. > > > >I've only had it happen once so far, but I'm considering a > statement in > >my syllabus that use of a cell phone in class constitutes a > disruptive > >activity, and will be treated as such according to University policy > >(which means calling Security if necessary). > > > >* PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] * > >* Psychology Dept Minnesota State University, Mankato * > >* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 * > >* http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html * > > > > > > > >--- > >You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To > >unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > Harry Avis PhD > Sierra College > Rocklin, CA 95677 > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Life is opinion - Marcus Aurelius > There is nothing that is good or bad, but that thinking makes > it so - > Shakespeare > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
