Ed-Tech Policy

Calling the Young

By Andrew Trotter — September 24, 2004 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Today’s students use cellphones, have TVs in their bedrooms, and own all sorts of electronic toys and other devices that are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. So it is logical that the telecommunications regulator would want them to know more about its workings.

This month, the Washington agency plunged into that educational mission with a colorful addition to its Web site, www.fcc.gov, called “The FCC Kidszone.”

See Also

The zone attempts to update young people on the ongoing changes in the way society uses the electromagnetic spectrum-and rules on everything from telemarketing calls to “wireless local number portability,” which allows customers to keep their cellphone number when they change carriers.

A glossary explains to children-and likely to some grateful adults-the definition of “amplitude modulation” (the technology behind AM radio) and laws such as the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, among about 60 topics.

Historical snippets underscore roles the airwaves have played in important national events, such as the nation’s first coast-to-coast live television broadcast in 1951, which President Truman used to address the Japanese peace treaty conference in San Francisco.

On every page, the visitor is met by Broadband, a fat orange cat, who now and again blurts out, “Gee, I didn’t know that,” or “So that’s what the fcc is all about.”

The site has subzones for students of different grade levels, featuring commonly asked questions, as well as parents’ and teachers’ guides.

Yet even while it addresses children, the fcc is unable to ignore the fact that it is an arbiter in high-stakes disputes, involving multibillion-dollar corporations.

An online poll, for example, asks visitors, “Do you think there is too much violence on TV?”

But right below the poll is the disclaimer: “This feature is for educational purposes only. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the fcc. The results of the survey will not be used in any fcc proceeding without notice.”

Such caveats give the zone the aura of a slightly out-of-touch grandparent.

Events

Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.
Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Ed-Tech Policy Cellphone Ban Adopters Share How They Did It—and How It's Changed Students
School administrators detail how they got staff, students, and parents to believe in new, stricter cellphone policies.
6 min read
A phone holder hangs in a classroom at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each of the school's 30 or so classrooms has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
A phone holder hangs in a classroom at Delta High School, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, like in schools across the country, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class.
Rick Bowmer/AP
Ed-Tech Policy Download Four Ways to Supercharge Your School's Cellphone Policy (Downloadable)
The first step is creating a cellphone policy. But it takes these four ingredients to make the policy work.
2 min read
Cell phones sit in a cell phone locker at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland in Baltimore on Oct. 24, 2024.
Cell phones sit in a cell phone locker at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland in Baltimore on Oct. 24, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy Opinion If You're Going to Ban Cellphones, Do It Right
An educator offers school and district leaders a cooperative, restorative approach to restricting cellphone use in schools.
Nicholas Bradford
5 min read
School cellphone ban policies to restrict cell phones in schools to reduce distractions and help avoid social media addiction resulting in academic problems and mental health issues in a classrooom.
Wildpixel/iStock
Ed-Tech Policy More States Are Moving to Ban Cellphones at School. Should They?
While cellphone bans are popular with many educators, some researchers say there's not much evidence yet that these policies work.
A student uses their cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy on Aug. 16, 2024, in San Mateo, Calif.
A student uses a cellphone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2024.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP