Almost every student has gotten in trouble at school for having their phone out, weather for texting or checking the time. But have you ever got in trouble for using your cell phone for research?

Whether it’s “Cha-Cha” or the internet, you’re using it for class, not as a social or gaming device. Most teachers are completely against cell phones, but what if, instead of using it for those bad reasons, we use it to learn more.

Most students who have cell phones do text in class, I can‘t deny that, but what if students actually did their research when on their phone in class?
            “I think it would be nice because a lot of phones have internet now; we could use it to help us with our school work,” said sophomore Karlee Sprowl, who is a happy iPhone owner.

With most phones you have the internet in the palm of your hand; a push of a button and you’re there, accessing all kinds of information. It could help with research in almost every class; looking up facts for history or a term for science, the internet has unlimited information that can help us learn.
            What if your class doesn’t have access to the internet on a computer and you need more information on a project? Internet on a cell phone can give you all the information you need in merely seconds, giving you a fast resource.
            “I believe the cell phone is a great use of information, because while books have information, the phone has limitless information,” said junior Barrett Steinle.

Books only have so much written in them, but when on the internet, all you have to do is type in what you’re looking for and you can get endless information on that subject.
            If teachers do give this privilege, then students do need to respect it and not take advantage of the freedom. That means if a teacher allows you to look something up, you must use it to look whatever it is up, not take the time to text your friends back or check your Facebook or Myspace.
            “I think it’s good, yet bad,” stated junior Kelly Mallery. “I mean, it’s good in the way that it is a lot easier to get information, but it’s also bad because most kids would just use it as an excuse to text in class.”

You can’t take advantage of the little things that some teachers do to help you. They don’t have to say yes to you asking, they could deny you and you could be out of luck and not have access to more information.
            Cell phones can be used for more than just talking with friends and checking social networking sites. Students can use it to do research for homework, or even classwork if their teachers would let them. I’m not encouraging you to take your phones out in class; ask your teacher about it, you never know what their answer might be.