Cellphones out, spike ball in: How an Orange County school got students to connect without devices
WKMG | By Emily McLeod | May 22, 2024
Students seem more attentive, discipline is down, principal says
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After Orange County Public Schools approved a new cellphone policy preventing students from using their phones during the school day, Timber Creek High School came up with ways to keep students engaged without their phones.
Rather than playing on their phones, two days a week Timber Creek students can come out to their courtyard, listen to music, be the one to DJ or they can test their skills out on the pickleball court or with a game of spike ball.
TCHS Principal Marc Wasko said these activities help kids connect with each other.
“You have a lot of kids that really might not be able to connect with somebody who doesn’t know that somebody has an interest that they do,” Wasko said.
While OCPS does not yet have statistical data to show the impacts of the cellphone policy across all schools within the district, Wasko said he thinks there’s a correlation between the new policy and changes in student behavior at Timber Creek.
“We’ve seen in the classroom, they’re more attentive,” Wasko said. “The teachers said that they’re actually able to have classroom conversations. Also, discipline has gone down because you don’t have those kids on social media seeing if someone is saying (something) about them or someone got the newest, greatest thing and is making fun of somebody else that might not have it.”
Luis Luque is the senior class president at Timber Creek High School. He said he has noticed changes in his own life since the cellphone policy has been in place.
“I can definitely see an increase in my grades, like not actually being on my phone for sure and just seeing I feel like an overall benefit to it,” Luque said.
Student Body President Lauren Davidson said she’s seen positive impacts as well.
“Almost every day when we put out the pickleball, the spike ball, we always see kids playing and even if we don’t put it out they come in and they’re like ‘Oh are (you) playing spike ball today?’ They love it,” Davidson said.
Both Davidson and Luque said while they have personally seen some benefits, they do think there is room for improvement, too.
“Maybe during lunch, it could be revised,” Luque said. “Maybe we could be on it during lunch or during passing period.”
Davidson expressed the challenge of not having her phone during fun events while at school.
“It’s hard when we have so many activities, you do want to take a picture of your friend or when we have like our homecoming week or spirit days, we do want to take pictures,” Davidson said.
