Carousel of Life!

Sometimes I laugh when I think about the carousel that makes life what it is.







I graduated high school in 1968. Kids seem so amazed when you tell them that jeans would never be worn to school, athletic shoes were only worn during gym class, girls always wore skirts and boys wore casual pants with button-down shirts (tails, of course, inside their waist band).







The most amazing thing I remember when it came to "rebellious" behavior occurred when the boy across the street (he was a senior and I was a junior), was suspended for a week when he shaved his head. The ruling was that his appearance was a distraction. I guess that gives meaning to the saying, "the difference between a bad hair cut and a good hair cut is three days."







Today, those in charge (us old people) always feel they can dictate rules and the rules will be obediently followed by the younger generation. But, we forget that younger people move to the beat of a different drummer and that drummer is part of THEIR generation.







I preface this entry with that introduction because, as a former teacher, I have watched for 35 years as educators made the rules and students obeyed those rules....or didn't.







The "or didn't" phrase is the one I want to concentrate on. Unlike some educators, I believe the younger generation is basically good. In my 35 years in the classroom there were seldom many problems. Kids have always wanted to please, and I do believe that students today are much more aware of their plight in relationship to education and future than my generation was.







But, sometimes rules begin to pop up that just CAN'T be followed as they are written. I make that statement in relationship to cell phones. Recently I read where New York City and Cleveland were working on banning cell phones.







Locally, the school system has already legislated the non-use of cell phones during the day. Does that legislation work? I don't think so!







I once heard a teacher say something to the effect, "If a parent wants to get in touch with their child, they can call the office." Well, I have news for you...those days are over. Remember, it was the parent that purchased the cell phone and while the student might think that it was purchased solely for their pleasure, Mom and Dad are thinking about the safety of their child as well as the convenience of instant contact.











Sure, we all know that cell phones can be a real problem in education. Modern phones have cameras that could take pictures of examinations. And then there is the issue of text messaging. I watched a young lady the other day send a text message faster than I can dial a phone. And there are those that can text inside a pocket without ever seeing the key board.







Are cell phones a problem? Potentially they are a big problem. But can the older generation ban them from the classroom? I seriously doubt it. I remember when Napster was being shut down because of copyright infringement and I heard one peer-to-peer music site operator claim he wasn't worried because, "technology always stays ahead of the law."







Case in Point. Cell phones have gotten less and less detectable if a person wants to conceal their presence. They are smaller, thinner, quieter(if necessary) and more user friendly then they were 20 years ago. They have become a primary form of communication to the point that many people are removing their regular home telephones and surviving quite comfortably with the cellular device.







And school systems, I don't care whether they are local or as distant as Cleveland or New York City (obviously the west coast is even further away) will not ultimately win the battle of the cell phone and students will continue to carry them, use them and drive administrators crazy.