Love them or hate them, smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives. But should they be left outside the classroom?

Nick Gibb, Minister for School Standards in England, believes schools should ban their pupils from bringing in smartphones.

Astrid Natley, a secondary school math teacher, incorporates phones into her classroom. "My school doesn't have money for tablets," she says. "When students use their phones for research, they learn they have a powerful tool in their hands. If we stop children using phones, we're rejecting something they care about."

Meanwhile, Helen Lockhart, a registered nurse working for community education, supports a complete ban. "I'm banned from mobile use at work, and my phone must be handed in. If I'm caught with it in my pocket, I will be subject to disciplinary procedure, which will impact on my career. We need to teach children how to behave like the professionals they are striving to become."

Richard Stone, an English teacher, thinks there should be a clear separation between school and home. "Students should do things differently in the two environments. Children are getting more than enough screen time in their lives without the need to bring their phone into the classroom. The internet is too easy and too unreliable a research tool, so let's leave phones and laptops at home, and show them a different world in their lessons—one of books and pens," he says.
 

Q16: What do we learn about Astrid Natley, a secondary school math teacher?
Q17: Why does Helen Lockhart, a registered nurse support a complete ban on smartphone use in the classroom?
Q18: What should students do in the classroom, according to Richard Stone, an English teacher?