OT: Question for the teachers

[temery]

You can block certain apps though.

Geo blocking only works with cooperation of the app owner/developer. Personally, I only care that a phone/device is off and away in class.

 

[Chin Diesel]

It works in every district, just not in every situation.

If your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails.

If you don't have a hammer, none of your problems look like nails.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I heard this conversation on the radio recently and one of the solutions was the teacher had the kids using their cell phones to look up information on different sites. Teacher figured if they're going to use the phones then the teacher might as well make sure it's being done for something productive.

I didn't think that would work for several reasons. first off multi-tasking. Kids can use the phone to research but also text, IM, etc. Secondly, unless there is wi-fi available it's probably illegal to force a student to use their data plan to supplement classroom teaching.

And let's not pretend this attention focusing is limited to high school or college students. Go to any conference or meeting and within 10 minutes someone is off to the cyber race checking on stuff.

 

[temery]

If your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails.

If you don't have a hammer, none of your problems look like nails.

Few districts have only a hammer. Those who do have only a hammer, have little control of their district.

 

[August_West]

Actively blocking cell access is illegal, as in you cannot set up RF jammers or other such equipment. It is a violation of FCC rules. This is because you cannot control the dispersal pattern of the offending signal. Now passive blocking is perfectly legal, but rather expensive. There is RF blocking paint (and it has uses outside of the cranky, "the EMF is making me sick" crowd) as well as the ability to shield RF with metal screens (Faraday cage). Think of your microwave and that glass window, there's a Faraday cage there to protect you when you look inside to see the milk boiling over. Our Co-op which was built many years ago, has numerous apartments that are de facto Faraday cages; the plaster walls were put up with screens. Many people complain that their WiFi has unusually limited range, and that they cannot receive cell signals. As for the idea that there's a firewall solution; it's true until one kid figures out how to VPN tunnel out, then all of them do.

You must be in IT too.

 

[August_West]

You can block certain apps though.

You can blanket block apps through wifi. Not through cellular data.