“ … an overwhelming 97 percent of students, but just over half of teachers, say they think cell phones should be allowed in school for emergencies and for connecting with parents.”

So says Eschool News in an article where they quote the 4th Annual “Speak Up” survey.

The survey, “ … released at a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., on March 21, collected ideas and views from more than 270,000 K-12 students and 21,000 teachers from all 50 states. For the first time, the survey also included parents, and some 15,000 parents took part. Participants were asked about their views on such topics as technology, math and science instruction, 21st century skills, global collaboration, communication and self-expression, and schools of the future.”

Here’s a surprise:

“According to the survey, students cited communication as their No. 1 use of technology.”

The article is chock full of interesting findings like:

“When asked how well they think their school is preparing students for working in the 21st century, 48 percent of parents and 47 percent of teachers said well. More than 50 percent of parents said not well.”

– I’m not going quote them all here – go see the article yourself or the Speak Up survey itself.