You let them use cell phones?

Most schools find that children start bringing new technology gadgets to school by the time they reach fourth or fifth grade. Parents give kids cell phones so they can make arrangements for afterschool meetings and keep tabs on where they are. Children use computers at home and become proficient in finding sites their teachers never heard about. But many teachers and school librarians worry about letting these technologies creep into the school. Finally an educator has spoken out in favor of allowing most of the new technologies into classrooms and hallways. "From Mad Magazine to Facebook" makes the point that schools have for generations discouraged children from using new media. But we know that in the real world those technologies are going to play an important role in any modern American life. Perhaps children should be encouraged to become proficient in using them while at the same time learning how they can be effective and what behaviors should be avoided online.