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Electronics were the hot topic of discussion during Monday’s Albert Lea school board work session. The verdict: Cell phones are OK, but only in certain situations.

Chris Dibble, principal at Albert Lea High School, presented to board members the cell phone responsible use protocol, which he described as “our biggest change of the year.”

The protocol includes a zoned system throughout the high school with red and green zones, similar to a stoplight system. There will also be timed zones.

“Certain times you can use a device, locations you can and can’t use devices,” he said.

There is also a stoplight system in classrooms, with every classroom having a home base screen with red, yellow and green. 

Red zones will include bathrooms/locker rooms, hallways during classes, whenever a red/yellow stop light is in a classroom and whenever a staff member requests a device be put away. 

Green zones will include before and after school, passing time, the commons and when a teacher implements a green light.

“What this is is defining areas where use is going to be OK and defining areas where use is not OK,” he said.

Dibble believed it was inevitable someone would break the policy at some point, so the school is also implementing a tiered system of intervention: Classroom intervention, administrative intervention and familial intervention.

Tier one will start with verbal reminders. Should students fail to comply, they will be asked to turn the device over to the teacher, which would be returned at the end of the class period. Any refusal to turn over a device will result in an automatic referral to administration.

In tiered two interventions, students will turn over the device to the office, where they can retrieve it at the end of the day. It will also include a contact home.

Tier three interventions include a student turning over a device to administration, which would be returned to a parent/guardian at the end of the day. Students may be asked to put their device in a lock box, which they could pick up at the end of the day. An administrative meeting with a student and parent/guardian would also be scheduled to determine a plan.

Responsible cell phone use included following guidelines in red and green zones, following staff directions, ensuring volume is off or headphones are used in green zones, leaving others’ devices alone, using a phone appropriately, consideration before posting on social media and not taking pictures or videos without prior permission.

Staff will be expected to implement the stoplight system in their classroom and documenting calls home using the Synergy Contact Log.

Teachers will be trained in the policy.

Posters will also be left around the building and in every classroom.

“Everyone’s got them so we need to learn how to teach students to be responsible,” he said.

In an end-of-year survey to staff, 88% of respondents labeled cell phone as having a huge or large impact in the school, with 58% of respondents describing cell phone use as the greatest issue harming the culture of the building with students not paying attention in class, weren’t engaged in the classroom and weren’t engaged with each other.

“There’s a lot of research out there that tells us that cell phones are not good for the adolescent brain,” he said.

Initial implementation of the cell phone responsible use protocol will begin when school starts, with full implementation slated to be in effect by quarter two.

“We know we are going to have some pushback as we try to change behaviors that have been in place for some of these kids for a decade or more,” he said. 

Dibble defined a device as cell phones, AirPods/EarBuds/Headphones, laptops and Chromebooks, portable gaming systems, music players and any “personal device deemed to be a distraction from learning.”

Cell phones weren’t the only electronic item on the agenda either, as Burke Egner — a career technical education teacher at the high school — presented about Tigerz Gaming (otherwise known as the high school’s new eSports Club) to board members.

The school will partner with Minnesota Varsity League, which will have 100 schools all over the state.

“Essentially this is a Minnesota-only high school eSports community that is organized and run by Minnesota Varsity League, this company,” he said.

Because the school has a brand-new computer lab, he argued it was a natural fit in revitalizing and revamping the computer space.

According to Egner, 97% of males between 13 and 33 played video games, while 83% of females in the same age demographic played games.

There were 266 National Association of Collegiate eSports that offered post-secondary scholarships and included full ride scholarships. The closest school to provide scholarships was Minnesota State University-Mankato, and it’s Enger’s hope to get their players to visit and work with the program.

“About $16 million was given out in scholarship money for 2021,” he said, adding it was his hope that good, competitive players could earn scholarships.

Currently there are 10 universities that offer eSports degrees, the closest to Albert Lea being the University of North Dakota. 

Besides playing games, eSports included broadcasting games with play-by-play announcers, recording games, coaching and reviewing.

“There’s more to it than just playing the video games,” he said.

The two games the eSports club will offer this fall include League of Legends (which provided the best opportunity for eSports across the country and therefore the best opportunity to provide secondary school opportunities) and Rocket League. 

Providing eSports, he explained, allowed students to do what they enjoyed while developing school pride.

“Really what it’s come down to is we’re wanting to offer more activities to our students in Albert Lea to get more students connected to our school to have a sense of community, a sense of belonging, give kids another opportunity to connect with and be proud [of] Albert Lea to be an Albert Lea Tiger,” he said. “That’s really what it comes down to.”