One potentially easy fix for this problem - for select instructors - is to teach in a basement room; at least in the building in which I teach, cell phones don't work below main floor level. On the other hand, last semester I was horrified when during a class period in which students were working in groups, a student (on the 3rd floor) actually made a phone call to a friend! I stood right by her until she got my message (I think - it was one of the last classes of that semester).
Elizabeth Mazur, Ph.D. Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI 48502-1950 (810) 237-6620; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: Rod Hetzel [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 2:33 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > Subject: RE: Hats and caps in class:cell phones & pagers > > > 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] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
