More area school districts introduce ‘digital pouches’ to discourage cell phone use during the school day
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KBSI) – Area districts are discouraging the use of cell phones in class after schools nationwide have seen issues with cyber bullying, students’ mental health, and lack of focus.
Experts say children and teens increased use of digital devices play a key role in all of these issues.
Aaron Cornman is the Superintendent of Poplar Bluff Schools. He says they will soon be implementing ‘yonder pouches’, magnetic pouches that students will put their electronic devices in. The pouch will stay locked while school is in session and then students can unlock the pouch using a magnetic device at the end of the day.
Cornman says these are being implemented to help improve overall student success.
“There was major uptick as you all know back in September of students making threats online, on electronic devices that caused just a nationwide issue throughout the entire month of September” says Cornman. “Our school board was very proactive to figure out what we can do as a district to improve the learning environment.”
Cornman says the district then decided to implement the use of metal detectors for students’ physical safety and the use of yonder pouches for students’ mental safety. Much like Cape Public Schools, who says they’ve seen great student success after introducing the yonder pouches.
Cornman says they asked students from Cape Public Schools what they thought about using the yonder pouches.
“We went to students and said what was the biggest thing for you?” “They said it was an easy transition for us, I don’t have to worry about what’s being said, I don’t have to worry about inappropriate conduct, cyber bullying, I don’t have to worry about any of that” says Cornman.
Parents have voiced concerns over the use of the yonder pouches resulting in their child not being able to reach them in the event of an emergency.
Cornman shares that students can have access to their phones in emergency situations.
“They’re not going to be held accountable in an emergency situation if they need to get into their phone. But again, it will be in extenuating circumstance, not something every day, I have an emergency because I forgot my shoes at home” says Cornman. “That is not an emergency, the district with decide what constitutes as an emergency.”
For non-emergency situations Cornman says students can use the school office phone or class phone to contact parents.
He says the overall goal of both the weapons detection system and the yonder pouches are to improve student success, safety, and mental health.
They have not yet started using yonder pouches but they say it will be implemented soon, and students have already watched videos on how to properly use the pouches.
In the event a student forgets to unlock their pouch at the end of the day there will be a magnetic device on the outside of the building to unlock the pouch during after-hours.
