A Claremore MP is introducing a bill to encourage phone-free classrooms. The bill would create a three-year pilot program to see how different schools across the state implement distraction-free zones.
“Those of us who were lucky enough to go to school before social media exploded remember those moments of playing in the schoolyard, just talking to friends, and building relationships.Students I think that’s what they want,” said Sen. Aly Seyfried. (R-Claremore).
Sen. Seyfried introduced a bill that would direct the state Department of Education to launch a pilot program to encourage phone-free learning spaces for students. Seyfried said the program aims to limit the negative impact of cell phone use on students’ mental health and well-being, as well as remove distractions for students to improve educational outcomes. said.
“I want to give my students the gift of learning without distractions. Seven hours a day, they are there to learn, listen, make friends, and socialize. Don’t put your head down to your cell phone,” said Sen. Seifried. .
The program will provide grants to up to nine schools to implement phone-free learning. The senators want to allow each district that receives the grant money to use it differently and compare and contrast at the end of the pilot program.
“So some schools may choose lockers, others may choose pouches, and there may be options that I don’t know about yet. That’s for the school to decide,” Sen. Seyfried said. .
Seyfried said students may feel a little anxious at first, but he hopes they will get used to the distraction-free learning environment.
“Then it’s liberating in a way. They can focus on learning. They can focus on school,” Sen. Seyfried said.
Sen. Seyfried said that as he traveled around the state and met with various school leaders, one of the top concerns repeatedly was academic performance and behavioral issues. She hopes that eliminating the use of phones in the classroom will improve both aspects.
She explains how results change when students aren’t thinking about who they’re texting, liking social media posts, or other relevant distractions. We hope to be able to demonstrate this in a pilot.
A junior high school in Seyfried’s hometown of Claremore tried it out this year and saw academic performance improve by about 7 percent.
“Since then, the growth rate for low-achieving students has doubled. The data is there,” Sen. Seyfried said.
One of the senators’ biggest concerns when crafting the bill language was the safety of teachers and students.
“In fact, this bill includes language that states that schools participating in this pilot program must have an emergency response plan in place,” Sen. Seyfried said.
After a significant year for education on Capitol Hill, Sen. Seyfried hopes his colleagues will join him in this year’s efforts to improve education in Oklahoma.
“We want to improve academic performance, and we hope this is one way to do that,” said Sen. Seyfried.
The bill is expected to be introduced at the start of next month’s session.