Writing Standards: Writing Arguments and Counterclaims (CCSS.W.7.1) Practice Test

Schools should allow students to use cell phones in class under clear guidelines. When used intentionally, phones are versatile learning tools: students can photograph lab results, time experiments, translate unfamiliar words, and access primary sources quickly. Critics worry that phones distract from instruction, and that concern is valid. However, structure reduces off-task use. Teachers can require silent mode, desk caddies during direct instruction, and approved app lists, while classroom-management software locks screens to assigned tasks. During debates or research mini-lessons, phones let students verify claims instantly and compare sources, building media literacy. They also improve safety and communication during emergencies, when rapid contact and alerts matter. Instead of banning useful technology, we should teach responsible use and monitor it. With firm rules and purpose-driven activities, phones become tools for thinking, not toys, and they help students participate more actively in class.

Schools should allow students to use cell phones in class under clear guidelines. When used intentionally, phones are versatile learning tools: students can photograph lab results, time experiments, translate unfamiliar words, and access primary sources quickly. Critics worry that phones distract from instruction, and that concern is valid. However, structure reduces off-task use. Teachers can require silent mode, desk caddies during direct instruction, and approved app lists, while classroom-management software locks screens to assigned tasks. During debates or research mini-lessons, phones let students verify claims instantly and compare sources, building media literacy. They also improve safety and communication during emergencies, when rapid contact and alerts matter. Instead of banning useful technology, we should teach responsible use and monitor it. With firm rules and purpose-driven activities, phones become tools for thinking, not toys, and they help students participate more actively in class.