ational resources, and safety features. With access to information, children can learn and explore various subjects. Moreover, communication through phones fosters social skills and family connections. However, excessive screen time and inappropriate content pose risks. Parents should set limits, monitor usage, and educate children about online safety. Ultimately, whether mobile phones are good for children depends on how they are utilized within a balanced framework of supervision and guidance.

8 Opponents of cell phone use in schools believe that cell phones are a distraction to many students. They argue that if students have access to personal calls and texts, they will not focus on their classwork. However, it is possible that cell phones can be advantageous for both teachers and students. Educational applications and internet access on smartphones are useful tools. In history classes, for example, cell phones can be used to explore primary sources on the internet or to find facts about current events that are not yet in textbooks. Cell phones can also be used to increase student collaboration, critical thinking, and personalized feedback from teachers (Biancarosa & Griffiths, 2012). Cell phones are already enhancing some classroom experiences. According to a Pew Research Center study, 73 percent of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers claim that their students use cell phones to complete assignments in their classrooms (Higgins, 2013). Read this claim from paragraph 8 of the passage: Cell phones are already enhancing some classroom experiences. Which type of evidence does the author use to support this claim? a. Anecdotal evidence b. No evidence c. Facts and statistics d. Expert opinion

Read this claim from paragraph 3 of the passage. This proliferation of cell phone use among teens can work to their benefit. It can help keep them safe. Which evidence would be the most credible to support the claim? a. According to a Department of Education survey, 70% of students who faced emergency situations reported using their cell phones to call their parents. b. Students can use cell phones to call their parents and to call 911 in emergencies. c. Across the country, many students use cell phones to call their parents and other adults when they need help. d. Based on student interviews, cell phones were used to call parents and arrange safe rides home during a 2011 blackout in a California school.

Do you think social media is harmful or helpful to children under 13?  Please type up a script supporting your opinion.  You should be speaking for 1 to 2 minutes based on your script.

Another student wrote the following:It's almost impossible for a teacher to stop a student from bringing a cell phone to class, but teachers can help them use devices responsibly. First, teachers can give students the facts about research on multitasking with a cell phone while doing classroom assignments. They can also model effective use of cell phones with interactive activities like Kahoot or Poll Everywhere. Then, during activities when students need to concentrate, teachers can ask students to put their phones face down on their desks or put them away. When teachers take the time to explain the "why" behind their rules on cell phones, students are much more likely to not only follow the rules but also have more effective study habits outside of class.Are these sentences effective or ineffective? Choose the best response below.Group of answer choicesYes, they are effective. They need no revision.No, there are too many hedges. This needs to be revised so that the hedges are removed or replaced with boosters.No, there are too many boosters. These sentences need to be revised so that the boosters are removed or replaced with hedges.

First read the passage below. Then answer the questions.“Do Cell Phones Belong in the Classroom?”By Robert Earl[W]hatever a school's approach to technology, cell phones seem to be nearly ubiquitous.  An April 2010 study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the University of Michigan found that in schools that permitted students to have cell phones, 71 percent of students sent or received text messages on their cell phones in class.  In the majority of schools -- those that allow students to have phones in school but not use them in the classroom - the percentage was almost as high: 65%.  Even in schools that ban cell phones entirely, the percentage was still a shocking 58%.            Many teachers have given in and allowed their students to listen to music through their earbuds while they're doing individual class work (reading or writing or conducting research).  "I concentrate better on my schoolwork when I'm listening to music," is the rationalization from many students.  Many teachers seem to accept this reasoning, little knowing about the data on multitasking and its deleterious effects on concentration and the ability to think clearly.  Two years ago, for example, Peter Bregman wrote in the Harvard Business Review Blog Network that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%, increase stress and cause a 10-point fall in IQ. Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/05/do-cell-phones-belong-in-the-classroom/257325/Links to an external site. After reading the excerpt above, a student wrote the sentences below.  High school students always use cell phones in class.  Their teachers let them do this because they don't know that multitasking totally destroys students' ability to think.Are these sentences effective or ineffective? Choose the best response below.Group of answer choicesYes, they are effective. They need no revisions.No, there are too many boosters like "always" and "totally destroys." These should be replaced with more specific information or hedges like "sometimes" or "may do this because..."No, there are too many hedges. These should be replaced with more boosters like "absolutely" or "certainly."