BSEL Library: Healthy Relationships with Tech Part 1 - "Cell Phoney"

This is such a hot debate in education right now: should students be allowed to have their cell phones at school? This post doesn't attempt to answer that question, but we can all agree that healthy cell phone usage is necessary in school AND at home.

Whether you're a parent or a teacher, Cell Phoney by Julia Cook gives great guidelines for children getting their first phones.

Even as an elementary teacher in grades K-5, almost all of my students already had cell phones. As students with challenging behaviors, they were at an increased risk of unhealthy use of technology. I wish I'd had this book back then to read with them or recommend to parents, and that's why I need to share it with you! Here's some things I love about the book, some things to be aware of, and a few ideas of how to use it with your children or students.

What I love:
- The book provides an example of how to present expectations to a child when they are first given a cell phone. Joanie's mother sits her down, creates a contract, reviews the rules, then explains the consequences if the rules are not followed. It's a great model for parents.
- Joanie frequently uses her phone to ignore things happening in her real life - a very real-time issue for children with devices! She walks into a tree, ignores her father, and can't answer a question in class. She even starts turning into a phone herself! These events allow for reflection on all the different ways your phone can impact your life if you become too absorbed.
- There are poignant examples of decision making for what to take pictures of, what to text, and what to post on the internet. This includes kid-friendly names like the "Grandma Test." These guidelines serve as great lessons for what is and is not okay when using your phone to interact with others.
- The book includes important points on how a phone can be used to hurt others. Examples of mild cyber-bullying are included, that could be appropriate for young children as is or expanded on for older students.

Some things to be aware of:

• At no point in the book is Joanie in an environment where she is not allowed to have her phone. This is a distinction that might be made, particularly regarding cell phone policies at school or other places. 
• There's a bit of a "twist ending" at the end that I won't give away, but essentially, Joanie learns these lessons on her own and puts her phone away independently. This might not be realistic for students (especially those with disabilities who struggle with self-control) who might need more support to break the addictive nature of today's social media and cell phone usage.

How I would use this with kids:
Read it aloud to a group as an introduction to cell phone usage. It's a great story with many messages that could be simply read to kids to get them thinking.
Break it down into two parts when presenting a cell phone to a child for the first time. First, read the half that includes the rules for phone usage. Then, read the second half that shows the potential consequences of breaking those rules.

Do you review responsible cell phone use with your students or children? Cell Phoney is a great addition to add to your conversations around this all important topic. We'd love to hear how it goes!