Educators are tasked with many responsibilities today that their predecessors didn't have to deal with. Technology has forced changes in the classroom too.

One that is most noticeable is the use of cell phones. Today, almost every high school student has a cell phone and even elementary age students do too.

Outside of school, it seems many kids, as well as adults, are gazing at their cell phones constantly. Inside the classroom, cell phones can be a major distraction if allowed to go unchecked.

As a result, most schools have cell phone policies and some have gone as far as banning them altogether.

However, some teachers and administrators see cell phones as tools for learning in their classes and say there are life lessons related to cell phones too.

Democratic State Representative Anthony DeLuca of Allegheny County has proposed banning cell phone use by students statewide.

The middle school in the Penn Hills School District in Allegheny County banned cell phone this year. Superintendent Dr. Nancy Hines joins us on Wednesday's Smart Talk with her observations.

Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.