[Damask and Dark]

Those of you who are currently in high school or are recent graduates: what is the policy in your school regarding use of iPods during school hours?

Like most other schools, my high school has had cell phone usage during school banned for several years now. I'm a freshman in college, and I heard from some of my Facebook friends still in high school that the powers that be decided this year that iPods/MP3 players are also a hinderance to education and banned them.

I'm not normally one to criticize rules for the sake of criticizing. I understand the cell phone rule, as cell phones can go off during class and disrupt people, or people texting each other during class won't be able to pay attention. iPods were already banned during tests, which also makes sense because people can store notes on them and cheat. But to ban them during students' downtime, like lunch, study hall periods, between classes, etc.? To me that seems to serve no beneficial purpose whatsoever. My school doesn't have Wi-Fi, so it's not as if people can even be using them for Facebook or whatever. Anyway, I used to listen to my iPod in school all the time during free periods; music actually helps some people concentrate better.

Anyway, apparently this morning one of the seniors decided that to protest the new iPod ban, he was going to come to school wearing his iPod earbuds. Not connected to an iPod or anything, just the earbuds. He was promptly suspended.

Judging from Facebook activity, the school seems to have rallied quite impressively. There is already a Facebook group for it, and now a bunch of students are apparently planning to wear their earbuds on Monday too. Several people have made T-shirt designs, including one that compares the rules to the Harry Potter "Educational Decree Number 24."

Anyway, I was just wondering how common anti-iPod policies like these actually are and what people think about them. Thoughts?

[Nudelkopf]

I think my high school just had a 'no earphones in class' thing. Dunno what it's like now.

But iPods are so antisocial.. I hate them in public!

[RED15]

My high school had all that kind of stuff banned from in class but a friend of mine petitioned and by the end of the year we were allowed to use them in study halls and lunches, it think that's pretty fair.

[Beagle On Stage]

I realize that music helps some people concentrate, but unfortunately, no matter what you're talking about, there will always be people who abuse it. From the school's standpoint, a "no toys allowed" rule is more realistic than hovering over everyone and making sure ipods are only being used at appropriate times. It's a drag, but I can see why it had to be done.

As for the senior who got suspended... a seventeen-year-old who thinks he has something to protest is almost always putting himself in a babes-in-the-wood situation. I think that before long, those who are walking around in protest t-shirts are going to realize that they got caught up in the moment and it's not that big of a deal.

I think the question comes down to, do you need to be listening to your ipod at school? And I think the answer is no, not really.

[shakalakababy]

[Yakko]

Oh god....I would've never survived High School without my ipod!

[wtfchuck]

We weren't allowed iPods during the parts of class when the teacher was directly teaching. If we were off researching, or wiriting an essay, or doing in self directed work in Art then, depending on the teacher, we were allowed to listen to iPods.

Most teachers preferred you to only use on earphone.

[Xxmcfly85xX]

At my school we're not allowed to use them in class, especially while a teacher is talking or the class is having discussion or whatever. It's usually ok though to use them if your revising or studying in a class, as long as the teacher is asked. (Some, invariably, say no and say that music won't help you study. I always claim I'm listening to Mozart and Bach... that gets them.)

Technically, we're not allowed to have phones. But in reality, we all do. Teachers are generally fine with it, as long as its on silent and you don't check it in class.

These are the rules for year 12 students though, I guess theres a bit of trust. I tihnk it might be stricter for younger kids.

[Mademoiselle Lanoire]

I went to one school that banned CD players (I've been out of high school for quite some time now) outright. Then I transfered to a school in which they were "strongly discouraged," which meant that most everyone, myself included, was listening in the halls, cafeteria, library ...

[random_person]

My school did, but my college doesn't give a damn unless you're using them during a class lecture. If you're just writing stuff out, then they're completely lax.

[hyperactress23]

My high school doesn't allow us to have any electronics with us. Cell phones must be checked into the office, cameras are allowed only for yearbook staff and only if they're taking actual yearbook-related pictures, iPods or any kind of music devices are not allowed.

Personally, I just leave my phone and iPod in the car. I don't want to check it in and then have to remember to check it back out, and I don't really see the point in bringing them in anyway since I can't get cell phone reception downstairs and I don't have time to listen to music throughout the day.

Laptops are allowed as long as you have permission from the teacher. I usually bring mine and leave it in my backpack, because I need it for college afterwards and like having it if I happen to have time to work on a paper or something.

As for my college, it's really up to the professor. Some of them don't care if you're texting as long as your phone is on silent. Others throw a fit and threaten to have you removed from the class.

[random_person]

[STRWBRRY]

iPods aren't forbidden at my school, some teachers don't want you to use your iPod in their class, but most of the teachers are okay with it. One teacher forbids iPods because he thinks it isn't good for the groop spirit.
He puts a cd on during class, unless anyone has a problem with it. (He has a good taste of music, so I'm okay with it)

Cellphones are officially forbidden, but everyone (even teachers) take their cellphones to school. It's okay as long as it doesn't goes off during class.

[NoOneMournsTheWicked]

[And All That Jazz]

From my school handbook:

"Unless authorized by staff for a specific school activity, students' personal electronic/communication devices such as radios, record/players, CD/DVD players, iPods, MP3 players, laser points, pagers, and cellular telephones are to remain off and concealed inside school buildings and during the students' instructional time."

My teachers are fine if you use iPods during independent work. I listen to mine at school for at least an hour a day. I don't see many people with them at lunch because they're all talking to friends.

[bare24601!]

My teachers at my highschool let us use iPods during independent classwork and tests, just not when they were lecturing. but I went to a little hippie private school so we didn't have much rules to begin with. They were more strict about cellphones though.

[WickedToo]

My high school says no iPod use during school hours. If a teacher sees you using it or even sees it out, they are supposed to take it and give it to the principal. The student has to go to the prinicipal to get it back. It's the same way for cell phones.

[Gwen]

It was the end of the day- people were leaving and getting on buses, and since I lived close to the school I couldn't take a bus home. (We had a two mile radius rule.) I decided to call home to tell them when rehearsal was done or something like that and I couldn't find my cell phone in my bag. (The one at the front desk wasn't out.) I took my stuff out of my bag for a few minutes to find it- my stuff including my cd player. It was on the table with the rest of my stuff as I looked for my phone. The assistant principal walks by.

NO CD PLAYERS IN SCHOOL!! NO CD PLAYERS!! HEY!! YOU!! *shakes head and points finger* NO CD PLAYERS IN SCHOOL!!"

I was allowed an open hour where I could study so I often brought my cd player along- and the instructor for that hour allowed them as long as they didn't disturb other people.[/i]

[sylvesterm11]

We're allowed to have iPods in the halls, and some classes if we're working by ourselves or have free time we can use them. But in some classes (my chorus classes for instance), if you even have the earbuds around your neck when you walk into the room, the teacher takes it from you.

Not that strict for the most part.

[Luc]

At my school, cellphones must be off and away starting at the 1st bell, until lunch. Then once lunch is over, they must be off and away, until the end of the day.

iPods are not allowed while teachers are teaching, but during individual work we are allowed.

[jackissensational]

We must be pretty hardcore about this stuff. At my high school, your phone should be off and away before you enter the building, until the time the last bell rings. If a teacher sees you with an iPod after you walk in the building, they're supposed to confiscate, but not every teacher enforces everything. I mean, it's easy to be texting or listening to your iPod in the back of a big class and conceal it before the teacher walks buy.

[V0CA1]

In my school we don't have a ban per say but the rule is that you must use them during class time. I'm not sure if it applies to study hall since I haven't had one, but I know that for phones you must at least have them on vibrate. The teachers even have their cellphones out and they ring during class time . But if they catch you texting or using it for other stuff then every teacher has their own policy. But it will ultimatly be taken to the office or until the end of the period.

[Mademoiselle Lanoire]

[Felix Felicis]