Education+example+of+argument+of+fact

With the obsession with being connected at all times of the day with as many people as possible, schools have experienced a dramatic increase in the numbers of students with cell phones. Some estimates indicate that at least 75% of students are in possession of a mobile phone, while others seem to indicate that as many as 9 out of 10 children carry one with them. But how exactly has this impacted on schools?
 * Mobile phones in schools. Is it time for more regulation? **

Of course there are many people who support this trend, not least of all parents, who claim they need to be able to contact their children to arrange school activities. Over the past four decades schools in the United States, for example, have increased their expenditure by 200- 300%, a significant amount of which is being spent on educating the ‘whole child’, through extra activities. This of course can be a nightmare in terms of organization for parents. Surprisingly, teachers are sometimes another great supporter of mobile phones in school. A prominent writer in the field of technology and education, Robert Kvavik, claims that most students in prominent educational institutions prefer a moderate to extensive use of IT in their courses. Devices like smart phones are popular because of their mobility as well as their connectivity.

But is connectivity always a good thing? It comes as no surprise to many that it is also one of the most common complaints when it comes to the presence of mobiles in schools. Figures put forward recently by some academic institutions suggest that 33% of teens send as many as 100 texts per day. This is an extraordinary statistic, given how busy teenagers are nowadays. More troubling is that it appears 31% of teens in possession of a cell use it during class to send texts.

This is hardly surprising since 80% of them report that their cell is turned on during school hours. While some may claim this connectivity is a positive thing, again statistics prove the opposite. The Pew Organization published data showing that a significant amount of mobile phone use involved some type of negative experience. 54% of students report receiving spam or unwanted texts, 52% reported using their phones while driving, and a worrying 26%, that’s one out of every 4 teens reported being bullied or harassed through their phones. That’s not counting the 15% who reported receiving sext.

It may be that mobiles are useful for parents and teachers to contact students in schools, however, it appears the drawbacks of the constant presence of mobile phones in schools can prove to be a major issue and can impact negatively on grades. Perhaps controlling the use of mobiles in schools through stricter regulation may be one way to minimize the negative impact of mobiles on students.





Arguments based on facts (logos)
===Interpreting statistical evidence ===

Using the above link see how many possible reasons you can come up with for the statistical evidence given. Write them down and then put the in order from most plausible to least plausible.

What does this imply in relation to the use of statistics to support arguments?