Removing cell phones from New Zealand’s classrooms: Four good practices – Poster

ERO looked at practices that support implementation of the ‘Phones Away for the Day’ policy. This A3 poster summarises the four practices that make a big difference, which are set out in more detail in the good practice guide. 

This means…

1) Keeping rules consistent across all times and places

• Keep your cell phone rules clear and straightforward, with minimal variation.
• Keep rules in place for all times of the day and all locations.

2) Confiscating phones and notifying parents and whānau

• Confiscate phones immediately without warnings.
• Notify parents and whānau when the rules are broken.

This means…

1) Communicating the purpose and benefit of the rules to teachers

• Share evidence and data with staff about how these rules lead to positive outcomes.

2) Monitoring and enforcing consistency of how the rule is applied

• Develop tools to support staff to implement your policy consistently, such as micro-scripts or class contracts.
• Investigate how your policy is working by looking at confiscation data, and student and staff surveys.

This means…

1) Helping students to understand how the rules benefit them

• Share evidence and data with students about how the rules lead to better learning.

2) Finding practical ways to make following the rules easy

• Develop easy ways for students to put their phones away.
• Develop alternative social activities for break times.

This means…

1) Communicating the purpose and benefits of the rules to parents and whānau

• Share evidence and data with parents and whānau about how these rules lead to positive outcomes.

2) Providing alternative ways for parents and whānau to communicate with their children

• Develop a reliable system of communication for parents and whānau to get messages to their child.
• Ensure parents and whānau understand and are familiar with the system.