Quote:
Originally Posted by remulasce
Having apparently come from the last generation of FIRSTers that didn't have smartphones in high school (am I old now?), I can tell you for a fact that students don't need smartphones in order to unproductively entertain themselves in a robotics lab.
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Having come from a generation where I remember the first time I saw color TV, and half a decade later a tiny red LED, I confess that I can unproductively entertain myself with nothing but a blank stare for quite a few minutes. With a steady supply of license plate numbers to factor or a pad of paper and a pen to take up my latest mathematical obsession, I can go on for hours.
Still, that's no reason to ignore the primary ways students have to waste time, and try to reduce them. I described our policy earlier (no earbuds; phones encouraged but not required to go in your goggle pocket; phones to be used only for task, family, and "emergency" purposes during build times - techhelpbb's concerns would definitely have fallen within this last group). For our longer (Saturday) sessions, we do not attempt to limit phone usage during breaks (including meal breaks). Very few of our members actually put their cell phones in the goggle pockets; mostly those who need this as a way to resist the temptation to be called away from the build by their phones.
And, as a flip side to techelpbb, I have NEVER been allowed to take a cell phone into my (US NAVY) office space. Until about two years ago, I had to leave it in my car (could not bring it in the BUILDING at all - no way, no how). About two years ago, my office got some lock boxes for cell phones, but they require that they be turned off if in the boxes; I have opted to leave my cell phone ON in my car rather than OFF in cell phone jail. I'm giving this info as a "calibration" of how cell phone use is proscribed in certain jobs at least.....