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Seeking to dial up a new phone policy By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com
Courtesy Uniondale Free School District
Cell Phone Task Force co-chairs Alison Chaplar, left, and Reece Rene spoke at the group’s first meeting on March 12 about the importance of moderating smartphone use.
in one of the activities at the meeting, attendees checked their phones’ daily screen time record and tracked the distracting apps they used during the day.
introductory, exploring our usage with cell phones,” Chaplar said. “Yes, it is a tool and it has its purpose, but it can also be a trap.”
Students, teachers and parents began discussing the implementation of new smartphone policies in Uniondale schools at The problem with smartphones the first Cell Phone Task Force in class Smartphones are a common meeting at Uniondale High source of distraction — texting, School on March 12. social media, and Alison Chaplar, mobile games often the district’s technoldraw students’ attenogy specialist, works tion away from leswith elementary sons. Social media teachers and stualso opens the door dents throughout the to cyberbullying. district to incorpo“We noticed that rate electronics into there were not only a education. She is a lot of distractions co-chair of the task when it came to the force, and says she students being on wants to make sure REEcE RENE their cellphones,” technology adds to Co-chair, Cell Phone Lawrence Road Midthe school experi- Task Force dle School Principal ence, not takes away Mark McCaw said. from it. “The importance of being in “Sometimes you see a lack of school is the education — that’s focus, trading inappropriate what we’re there for,” Chaplar things. Whether it be messages or other images that might be said. New York State United Teach- inappropriate, you’ll see instancers, a statewide teacher’s union, es of bullying.” On the flipside, phones also initially met March 5 to discuss students’ use of smartphones provide a vital lifeline for studuring school hours. A number dents and parents to communiof panels of educators discussed cate when they need to. “I can also speak as a parent,” p ro bl e m s a s s o c i at e d w i t h phones. ConTinued on PAge 11 “Our first meeting was really
W
e want to make sure that this is a community effort.