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Facebook post highlights classroom distractions caused by cellphones

The Hillborough County School District reposted the photo showing 268 disruptions in a half-hour caused by phones.

TAMPA, Fla. — Are cell phones a distraction in class? The short answer: yes.

The Hillsborough County School District posted a photo from a math teacher that tallied every time her students got a notification in class and marked it down. They got a whopping 268 notifications in just a half hour. 

The teacher then asked parents to please find a way to block students access to these disruptions during the school day. 

Are cell phones a distraction in class? To prove a point, a math teacher asked her class to put their phones on the corner of their desks, and every time they received a text or a notification - to...

Hillsborough County School District spokesperson Tanya Arja said the teacher is not from the state of Florida. 

But who is responsible for cell phone distractions in classrooms – parents or teachers?

Arja said the school district posted the photo to its Facebook page because they thought it was interesting but said the school district did not take a stance on it. 

According to the Hillsborough County School District’s cell phone policy, students may use cell phones during school hours and on the bus, but only under the supervision of direct staff and for educational purposes only.

“I have a 14-, 13-, 9- and 6-year-old,” mother and Tampa Mama blogger Marisa Langford said. “For us as a family, we’ve made the choice that our 14- and 13-year-old do not have a phone yet. I want them to be students while they’re in school, not distracted. If I need to get a hold of them, I’ll call the school and have the school pass along a message.”

Comments on the Facebook post came in fast and furious. One teacher wrote, “have you ever been cursed out because you tried to take a cell phone from a student. I have. Parents have to deal with this problem.”

 Another person wrote, “how many of those tally marks in the picture are from parents?”

RELATED: School cellphone bans improve student test scores

If you are a parent who lets your kid use phones in the classroom, there are a few apps you can use to help limit their usage during school hours. One of them is called “Screen Time” and it allows you to set schedules on which apps can be used. It also allows you to see other websites they visit and for how long.

Langford acknowledges every family is different and her no cell phone policy won’t work for every family, but teaching your kids boundaries with technology is important regardless. 

“If my child has a phone in class it would be my responsibility to inform my child of their behavior, I think it’s great to connect and be connected all the time, but it’s a double-edged sword,” she said.

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