You asked for a "hook" for your essay, and later mentioned that the piece should be negative (against cell phones in the classroom).
A good hook would be the following title: "Your cell phone can be stealing you blind!"
The essay should then explain how a cell phone distracts in the classroom and deprives you of the education you need. Use the topics and examples in the excellent earlier posts.
Continue by explaining that the intrusive and distracting aspects of the cell phone produce widespread damage elsewhere, from ruining an evening out at a fine restaurant, to precipitating a major automobile accident.
You could consider the destructive effects of text bullying in schools, and the possible fatal consequences of this (sadly there are several examples of this you could cite). Immediate access to social networking through phones has served to further compound this problem.
The "hook" or motivator of an essay is a thought-provoking quotation, question, or remark that is part of the introduction to an essay. For instance, you could create a scenerio in which the teacher calls attendance and the student is absent, but his/her friend says, "Will his/her cell phone count? It is on record and has the answers to the homework in a text message that I can forward?"
This exemplifies the advancement of technology over that of the human who places him/herself as secondary to the technical device. It is a dependency that threatens the independent thought of students.
There is some research out there now that indicates that cell phone use, and particularly texting, is addictive. You can find one of the studies at this link, or at another here. Since your teacher is looking for negative aspects of cell phone use, the potential for addiction might be a good hook - surely no school would want to promote addictive behaviors!
Our district has recently cited cell phones as not just acceptable, but necessary in the classroom. While many teachers are frustrated with cell phone use, I have found it essential for several reasons.
In an AP English classroom, already this year I have asked students to:
- use the internet on a cell phone to find 10 fast facts about an author and the historical period of a book.
- calculate the AP formula for coming up with a 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 on an exam after students have taken the pieces of a practice exam.
- text an absent friend to express the importance of a lesson. My administrators are pleased with my attendence, even if a student arrives late.
- verify (through text) that a certain...
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- book or paper is at home on a computer. Once mom verified a paper was at home, it was immediately attached to an email and delivered.
- call a mother or father directly when I needed to speak with them about their student's behavior in the classroom.
Although technology can make many loopholes for students, it is the world we live in and it should be used to create convenience, efficiency, and communication. If we fail in the education industry to use the powers of the cell phone, we are missing out and may ultimately lose our students. When students can be more efficient and convenient on their own, they will eventually go to online schools anyway.
The first post had some great examples of the positive and negative aspects of cell phone use in schools. My biggest complaint is that though most schools do not allow them to be turned on in class, many students do not comply. The addictive nature of the cell phone is just too much for students to disregard them for a whole class period, and many students can't resist the temptation to use them in some manner. I think they're great for emergencies, and I see nothing wrong with students using them between classes. The cheating aspect is a real problem, since many cells have Internet access. I have seen students using Wikipedia from their cells in college classes, looking up info for in-class assignments that allow no notes or text--or Internet. If students would only use them responsibly, and within the boundaries of school guidelines, few teachers would complain.
There are any number of different topics you could write about. Just off the top of my head:
Cell phones used for cheating (looking up answers)
Safety issues on stairs (students not paying attention)
Is emergency communication for every individual student necessary
Attention problems in class (texting or browsing instead of listening)
Ringing phones disrupting or interrupting presentations, speakers, and meetings
Same policy for studants and teachers, or just students
Leeway for medical issues (insulin shots, asthma, seizures)
Any one of these would make a great essay. Just remember to state your thesis clearly and then argue your points with facts instead of opinion.