Position Paper

Boneo, Anthony

Gallego, Daniella Mina

Mendoza, Joseph

Orden, Tranquilino

Pacuan, Camille Joyce

Reyes, Emmanuel

Ruina, Shemiah

Saquido, Jhazzmin

Tabajonda, Mark Jay

Tan, James Christian

Velasco, Errol

STEM 7

March 2018
Problem Number 1: Lost Cellphone

According to Tindell, et. al. (2012), 95% of students bring their mobile phones to
school every day. This proves that nowadays; mobile phones became an integral part in
the life of 21st century learners. As technology transcends, mobile phones’ functionality
does not end in just providing us quick delivery of our messages to other people but
rather, it also helped us to improve our way of living by informing us, aiding us in
organizing our activities, and making some task easy to handle. However, sometimes
students tend to be disoriented and negligent to their surroundings. Because of that, they
tend to lose valuable items such as cell phones. Because of that and other reasons, some
movements discourage the presence of cellular phones to our education system.

In a classroom, students tend to feel secure around their classmates giving them
complacency in the things that occur around them. Because of that complacency,
students tend to trust wrong people who could steal their valuables like cell phones.
Based on the data presented by thestar.com, there have been 30,000 recorded stolen
phones in Toronto, Canada from 2004 to 2013. Additionally, having busy lifestyle, stress
and weariness contributes to the forgetfulness of students. According to an article written
by Worthington (n.d.), misplacing things is a sign of doing things more than what your
brain can handle. Aside from its disruptive effects to the students and the use of cell
phones as cheating instrument in classes, this two are some of the reasons why so people
wanted to ban cell phones to schools.

Consequently, cell phones play a huge role in the learning experience of students.
As 21st century learners, students need to be technologically adept. Because of the easy
access in cell phones, students can exercise their technological skills and converting it
into something worthwhile, especially in academe. For example, because of cell phones,
conducting a quick research is possible. Because of its portability, students are able to
create researches over the internet on the spot. There are also applications that help
students in acquiring knowledge such as mobile dictionaries and educational games. Cell
phones also help students in storing information through applications such as Google
Keeps, for note keeping, YouTube, for videos, and various word processing applications
such as Microsoft and WPS. Because of these applications, students’ life is much easier
giving them opportunity to focus on more difficult tasks ahead of them.

Additionally, banning of cellphones in schools/universities should not be

implemented because there might be an emergency that can happen anytime. Cellphone
do not always distract the students rather, it also helps the students learning in many
ways. For an instance, a student struggles to know the meaning of an unfamiliar word; in
this case, cellphone provides the information for the children. Today, most of the students
often use their phone as a tool for learning. So, we can say that cellphones today play a
crucial role in the students’ ability to learn.
 According to Talhan, although cellphone can be distracting to the students, it can
also enhance the learning capabilities of the students through various apps that are made
specifically for learning. Also, if cellphones are banned from schools, students will feel
suppressed thereby making them to hide their mobile phones making it more distractive.
If cellphones are not banned in schools, the teachers can also teach the students on how
to use their mobile phones in a more responsible way and it can also make learning more
fun. Because of these, the banning of cell phones is not ideal in the modern classroom
setting. Aside from making tasks in the academe easier, it also encourages students to
think of critical ways of using technology.

Concisely, the safety and essentiality of cellphones is a matter that should be given
with great attention especially in populated space where theft is prevalent. Indeed,
cellphones provide convenience in our daily lives because of its own features and
portability. However, the safety of such gadget can’t be rest assured. Fortunately, anti-
theft measures can be practice to prevent the public from being preys of thieves.

As mentioned by Dalizon (2017), the Philippine National Police or PNP designed

a useful list of preventive measures that promotes anti-theft measures for students. The
list consists of the Dos and Don’ts in effectively keeping the safety of gadgets. Some of
the Dos include recording of cellphones’ serial number, purchasing from an authorized
dealer, keeping cellphones and gadgets in pockets or bags where it is not visible and
taking a route where you feel secured whenever you are outside with your gadgets in
hand. Necessarily, the Don’ts include lending of strangers who might approach you for
emergency calls, leaving cellphones lying in tables, chairs etc., and displaying your
cellphone unnecessarily when in public places.

Problem Number 2: A Dropout Caused by Computer Games

Computers and other technological devices serve a huge purpose to humanity. It

certainly makes every individual’s life easier because it makes work lighter for them. It
gives people the satisfaction and entertainment that they want. In just a few clicks,
everything would be spoon fed and ready for people to use as they desire. We now live
in a world which revolves around computer and these technological devices. People
became so dependent on it that we started using these gadgets without limiting ourselves.
Because of this, other people became so immersed into using these, that they start
creating a new world of themselves and slowly ignoring the reality that is right in front of
them. Computer games are the most popular entertainment in modern societies and they
target a variety of people in different ages. The addiction to the rivalry and excitements of
the games make them the most common recreational programs for today's teenagers,
they immerse themselves in the game so much that they completely separate themselves
from their surroundings. By playing computer games, the minds of the players are
affected because they have fantasies about what they play.

Addiction of computer games has caused a student of Technological University of

the Philippines, specifically from STEM 5, to dropout. Computer games have affected the
life of that student mentally. As an effect, he was unable to attend classes.

Contrary to the traditional belief that gaming is merely an addictive source of

entertainment and diversion, recent research has proved that gaming has numerous
benefits and key among them, is the development of cognitive skills in both children and
adults. Just as physical exercise helps in improving and strengthening your muscles,
cognitive games help to indulge one's brain in constant stimulation.

Playing computer improves coordination. When an adult or child is playing a video

game, he or she is not only staring at the computer inactively. The activities and actions
on the screen provide a lot of mental stimulation. For one to play, he or she will need to
coordinate their visual, audial and physical movement. It also improves problem-solving
skills. Computer games involve certain rules. This means that the player must think
carefully before making any move to ensure that they stay within the required rules of that
game. The player needs to make split- second decisions that will determine whether he
or she will advance to the next level. Playing computer games enhances one's memory.
Playing your favorite computer or video game may require both visual and audial memory.
The player is required to read or listen to the instructions which might only be provided at
the beginning of the game, thus the need to remember them throughout the entire game.
Mastery of the keys on your keyboard helps you easily move your characters in the game.
This helps improve your memory, whether short- term or long-term.

Addiction in computer can also improve attention and concentration of the person
who plays it. Computer games, especially action games, have proven to be able to
capture the player's attention for the entire period of the game. Playing computer games
is a great source of learning for you will learn a lot of things when you play. Gaming is not
only beneficial to adults and teenagers, but to children as well. This helps children improve
their academic skills by providing video games that are specifically aimed at enhancing
their cognitive and creative skills. It enhances multitasking skills of an individual. An action
game, for example, may require you to be very alert. This ensures that the player can
observe and react accordingly to all requirements of that game.

Online gaming enables many players to engage in a game simultaneously. As

such, there is constant communication between the players which in turn results in the
development of meaningful as well as casual relationships among them. This helps
players meet new friends while also strengthening bonds with their old friends. Though
computer games might be beneficial, there is need to play them in moderation. It is also
important to pick the right game as not all of them provide the same cognitive benefits.

“One in every 25 teens reported an “irresistible urge” to be on the Internet, tension

when they weren’t online, or said they had tried to quit or cut down on internet time.”
(Reuters, 2011) Teens that have “irresistible urge” were most likely to be depressed or
take drugs. Computer occupies time and it becomes a significant part to the addicted
student.

The student is one of the victims of computer addiction. The student became
dependent in playing computer games and had a hard time coping with the lessons. He
also relied on computer games as a stress reliever but has abused technology. Playing
computer games is also his way of escaping reality. When he plays computer games, he
can temporarily avoid his problems. Excessive use of computers must be stop for
computer addiction to be avoided.

Although playing computer games will improve the awareness of a student, he

should know the limits and boundaries of playing computer games. Limiting the time in
playing computer games must be heeded. Playing for 2-3 hours is sufficient enough to
relieve stress. Priorities should be known and should be prioritize. Studies will help a
student boost his knowledge in facing reality, so it should be a priority.

Computer games can enhance the awareness of the individual and can also
relieve stress to the individual. However, if abused, playing computer games may lead to
the downfall of the user. Thus, playing computer games must be limited and studies
should be prioritized.

Problem Number 3: Division in the Classroom

According to Mattie Stepanek, a famous poet from USA, unity is strength. When
there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. Unity in every
classroom is considered as one of the foundations of each class. Unity is when all of the
students are working together, and each student has strong relationship with each other.
Ever since, unity has been a problem inside the class room. Lack of unity has negative
effects to each class and the personal relationship of students in the classroom.

The diversity of the students in the classroom has different factors according to an
article entitled "The Diversity in the Classroom" by Eric Flanigan. It states that there are
4 types of diversity, namely: 1) Student Background; 2) Cognitive Aptitude; 3) Level of
Motivation; and 4) Diversity of Opinion. All these factors can affect the whole class, it is
either one or two of the 4 types or more. Each student has their own way of thinking in
which some of them are the same in some ways, but some are totally different. These
variations can cause emphasis of differences that would lead to arguments where the two
parties exchange things or words that each of them could not agree of. Eventually that
will lead to misunderstanding for both parties.

"Differentiated instruction, which used to be accomplished by grouping students

into different classes based on their achievement levels, is often now accomplished by
giving individualized work to the highest and lowest achievers in a mixed group"
(Flanigan, E.) This statement that is under the cognitive aptitude shows that every student
has their cognitive level that can affect the whole class especially to the grade conscious
students which leads to isolation of themselves from the other students. The competition
inside the classroom which degrade some students whose unable to compete with others
because of their level can be concluded as the primary source of these variations.

Every student inside the classroom are from different race, areas, religion, and has
different beliefs or traditions. No matter what people say, there is always one of the many
reasons that every classroom has a problem that cannot be easily resolved for the class
to be better.

Unity makes a group of people to become whole as working individuals in a

community or in this case, in school but there are some instances that a student does not
get along with his or her classmate because of the attitude or how that student
communicates with others. But as the time goes by, you must try to get along to your
classmates and see how it can turn into a positive way and you will eventually learn that
it is a good thing to get along with all your classmates and that to be in a room that you
don’t get along with all your classmates feels not right at all.

Each person in a community has a unique individuality that tends to highlight the
differences among them when they are together. It is impossible to be eradicated or to
passively see it as a normal thing because in rough situations, these differences will give
rise to more conflict and arguments. Thus, this leads us to the most efficient solution,
unity. Unity can bring people together and make them forget about this differences by
turning them into something that will contribute for the common good. As the famous
quotation goes, "No man is an island." Indeed, no man is an island, so people should
learn that these differences are just something that build up identity, not walls that isolate,
not kingdoms that distance each person to everyone.
References:

Dalizon, A. (2017). More PNP anti-theft measures for students, public. Retrieved from:
http://www.journal.com.ph/news/nation/more-pnp-anti-theft-measures-for-
students-public

Reuters, 2011. “How many teens have "Internet addiction?". Retrieved from:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-teens-internet-addiction/how-many-teens-
have-internet-addiction-idUSTRE74I6OA20110520

Tindell, et. al. (2012). The Use and Abuse of Cell Phones and Text Messaging in the
Classroom: A Survey of College Students. Retrieve from:
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ951966

Worthington, J. (n.d.). Why do we Misplace things? Retrieved from:

https://www.thefusionmodel.com/why-do-we-misplace-things/

Winsa, P. (2014ruj). Cellphone thefts soar over past records. Retrieved from:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/17/cellphone_thefts_soar_over_past_
decade.html