In response to ‘Cellphone controversy’

As a student, I find myself not very sympathetic to Ms. Michael”s position on the issue of cellphone use in class, as mentioned in a story titled “Cellphone controversy” included in the last issue of The Argonaut Oct. 20.

It is not at all unusual when someone enters a public gathering indoors to be asked to turn off their cellphone. It seems to me to be reasonable to expect that people will act like adults and turn off their cellphones. Why is a classroom any different?

I pay money to be here, too. What I don”t pay for is the privilege of hearing Ms. Michael”s cellphone ring in the middle of class, or her chatting away when I want to hear what the instructor has to say. Cellphones are, for me, an unwelcome distraction in the classroom.

I think instructors need to make clear what their expectations are in reference to cellphone usage in the classroom in their opening remarks at the beginning of a semester and in their class syllabus.

I think that the penalty for using cellphones in class by anyone other than on-call medical workers and first responders needs to be tied directly to class performance. Perhaps 5 percent deducted from their final semester score for the first offense, plus a written apology to his or her classmates for causing the distraction, an additional 10 percent deducted for the second offense and failing the course for misbehavior for the third offense, or something of that ilk.

If the instructor makes it known from the get-go what will happen and Ms. Michael makes the adult decision to flaunt the rules, it”s her responsibility to live with the consequences.

John Pool is a University of Idaho alumnus and is currently taking classes.

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