For the 2026-2027 school year, the district hired a counselor intended to direct the new  real-world learning goals for students. However, as the school year begins, the new state mandated phone ban has created restrictions around real-world learning opportunities for students at NW. 

Real-world learning is the act of guiding students through high school in a way that will prepare them for future jobs. The district does this by creating curriculums based on work environment needs. While the district attempts to enforce this, the state banned the use of phones, a primary tool in real-world work environments.  

The marching band previously used apps on their phone, such as Ultimate Drill Book,  to learn drills for their marching. Students use their phones as a map to get to their spots. 

Without this, they have to rely on the 40 minutes they have before school and Monday night rehearsals. This is not enough time to learn all four parts of their show and have it ready for football games and marching competitions. Because of the lack of phones, they now have to rely solely on memory. Students in the band have said that they feel like they are going slower this year than any other year prior. 

Often, student sports teams use their devices to communicate about practices and scheduling that may have been altered according to the weather, or conflicts. Teachers and coaches can no longer message their students through GroupMe. They now have to learn to navigate a new app BAND. GroupMe uses their app to send messages like a text, while BAND uses students’ emails and notifications directly to their macbooks. BAND often does not send timely notifications. Not getting notifications can mean missing practice.

Programs such as STUCO, Spirit Club and student run clubs use their phones to promote school events on social media. These messages are harder to get out when students can’t use their phones . Communication is key in any real world job setting. Not receiving notifications can lead to a habit of poor communication.

For the journalism programs, announcing breaking news during the school day is near impossible when posting on social media isn’t an option.Because of this, the proximity aspect of news is gone. 

The reality is that phones are everywhere now and relied upon in a work environment.

The state should have exceptions to the phone ban to assure that they follow the real-world learning initiatives they have introduced to high school students. These exceptions could be specific to each extracurricular such as letting students use their devices during marching band hour, or allowing journalism students use their phone to record interviews. 

Regardless of the ban, students continue to bring their phone in their backpack. It would be simple to allow them to access their devices in the classes that work towards real world learning initiatives, and regulate the use of phones in classes they don’t need them for. 

The way people communicate has changed drastically throughout the last 20 years. The world’s screentime has increased drastically with modern dependency on it. 

For the past decade, students have been issued their own ipad or laptop for school work along with being told to download apps to communicate through their phones. Technology has been introduced as an easier way to do everyday things including communicating and learning. 

If the state wants to ban phones, they should make the reliable apps that students use for real world learning easier to get approved on their student device app store. This would assure that students are confidently receiving notifications and not missing important messages and learning to the maximums of the real world learning curriculums.