International High School of New Orleans First School in New Orleans to Use New Cell Phone Pouches to Keep Students Engaged in Learning

Finally some good news for teachers tired of competing with students’ cellphones for their attention during class. Students can no longer text, answer calls or browse social media during the school day at International High School of New Orleans (IHSNO) with the advent of new technology in the form of a security pouch for cellphones.
 
IHSNO has just launched the new cellphone pouches for the 2018-2019 school year. The security-proof pouches manufactrured by Yondr ensure students don’t have access to their cellphones during school hours. The initiative is the first of its kind in New Orleans to create a cell-free school campus and lessen distractions in the classroom.

To start the school day, IHSNO students are now required to put their cellphones inside a Yondr pouch where it is locked during school hours. Students maintain possession of their phones inside the pouch and the pouch is unlocked at the conclusion of the school day. The school has three check-in and checkout stations that take no more than 10 minutes to get all phones locked or unlocked. There are currently 350-400 pouches in use at IHSNO daily.
 
“Distractions from cellphones are a big problem for educators and school systems in today’s tech-savvy world,” said IHSNO Head of School Sean Wilson. “Our school’s focus with this new technology from Yondr is to ensure our teachers and students have less time spent on cellphone and more time spent on education and/or talking to each other.”
 
To date, Yondr pouches are used in more than 600 schools across the U.S. The technology has also been used around the world at music concerts, in courtrooms and during comedic performances.
 
“I think the Yondr pouches are a great idea because it helps us students to be more social, engaged and talking to each other – it also helps us to pay attention to teachers better,” said IHSNO junior Rishi Mistry. “I do miss using my phone to translate words in Spanish class, now we have to use the dictionary.”
 
“You can see students more engaged in class discussions but also simply connecting with their peers on another level,” said IHSNO Civics teacher Cody Bourque. “They’re actually looking forward to those moments where they can socialize with one another and breaking the habit of scrolling on their Instagram feed.”
 
For more information about cell phone security pouches click here.

About International High School of New Orleans
The International High School of New Orleans (IHSNO) is a public, college preparatory charter school located in the Central Business District open to all Louisiana residents. IHSNO is the only high school in New Orleans offering students the opportunity to participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). The IBDP is recognized and respected by the world’s leading universities for its ability to encourage students to think broadly, beyond the boundaries of their communities, and to develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a global economy. Students in the IBDP are more likely to get university acceptance, qualify for scholarships, and succeed in their post-secondary educational endeavors. Through the IBDP, IHSNO students gain excellent breadth and depth of knowledge, excel in their academic subjects, and thrive intellectually, emotionally and ethically.

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