In The News | Locking Up Phones, Logging Into AI: Classrooms Navigate New Tech Amid Public Debate – Source: securityboulevard.com

This article was originally published in Unite.AI on 05/14/25.

School policies around phone use are changing—and fast.

In Ontario, Canada students are already being asked to keep their phones out of sight during class. Several European countries have taken steps in that direction, and now discussion is building in the U.S. as well. Lawmakers are pushing similar restrictions, with two senators introducing a bill that would fund phone bans nationwide. 

The debate isn’t black and white, but the goal is clear: reduce distractions, improve student focus, and mitigate the effects it can have on student mental health. Many teachers have long said smartphones pull attention away from learning. With nearly half of educators reporting that student engagement has dropped since 2019, schools are under growing pressure to do something. And for many districts, that something starts with locking up the phones.

“We are adamant that we want to make certain things automated to make it more efficient and streamlined for school districts and the users and the productivity. But at the end of the day, you still need to have human interaction and human decision to do what is ethically right”

David Waugh, CRO, ManagedMethods

But banning phones doesn’t mean removing screens. Classrooms today have replaced notebooks with laptops and pens with tablets. It’s how students do research, turn in assignments, and follow along with lessons.

These tools are helpful, but they’re also another kind of distraction. Open tabs and easy access to the internet still make it tough to keep students on track. Teachers are left juggling technology’s benefits with its potential to derail an entire lesson.

And for many educators, especially newer ones, the problem isn’t just about student use, it’s about confidence. Over half of first-year teachers say they don’t feel properly trained to manage or integrate classroom tech in ways that are truly effective.

Enter the Next Generation of Tools

Now with the rise of AI, an increasing number of teachers are turning to the technology to assist with everything from organizing lessons to providing feedback. As many as 62% of U.S. teachers and 60% of U.K. teachers confirmed in a 2025 survey that they are integrating AI into their workflow. Not just leveraging the most recognized tools like ChatGPT to create answers for a test, but AI tools that give back educators control in schools in different ways.

And the most promising AI tools are the ones being built alongside educators, not just handed to them.

David Waugh of ManagedMethods tells Unite.AI that the features they’ve recently integrated in their Classroom Manager tool, was designed based on input they received from education leaders. The result is a real-time tool that gives access to how tech is being used by students during school hours, letting them monitor activity, flag unsafe behavior, and even pause digital access when needed. Think of it like parental controls, but built for teachers and scaled for the classroom. visibility into students’ browser activity and a range of easy-to-use customizable features.

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The post In The News | Locking Up Phones, Logging Into AI: Classrooms Navigate New Tech Amid Public Debate appeared first on ManagedMethods Cybersecurity, Safety & Compliance for K-12.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from ManagedMethods Cybersecurity, Safety & Compliance for K-12 authored by Katie Fritchen. Read the original post at: https://managedmethods.com/blog/in-the-news-uniteai-logging-into-ai/