Yondr - helping to live phone-free
How do you create phone-free learning environments in schools and classrooms? What about concerts, gigs? Areas which demand privacy e.g. courtrooms?
The answer could be Yondr. Founder, Graham Dugoni has created small, gray pouches into which people entering a school, courtroom, concert, etc., are asked to slip their phones when they enter an area. Once the pouches are locked, the phones stay with their owners until they are ready to leave the premises, and then the devices are released from their tiny prisons at an “unlocking base.” The pouches can be rented for a single event or on extended leases. Since Yondr started in 2014, hundreds of thousands of the neoprene pouches have been used across North America, Europe and Australia. They are now used in more than 600 U.S. schools.
The effect on school campuses has been dramatic; increased attention, more socialising, better grades and lower number of discipline issues.
“Students get more done, actually seem happier, and comment that class seems to go by quickly. Yondr is an effective solution to one of the most significant barriers to learning we face today: the lure of social media,” says Matt Acheson, St. Mary’s High School, Oregon.
“Engagement is up, the worry about phone usage during final exams was eliminated, and Yondr has very quickly become part of the daily routine at school.”— John Anzalone, Principal, Sierra Vista High School, Las Vegas, NV
“Yondr has completely changed the culture of our school. We knew there would be positive changes but have been so pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily these changes have taken place. Students are interacting more with each other and with their teachers. In the first marking period alone, the number of students failing classes has dropped drastically. Notre Dame could not be more thrilled and excited to be using Yondr!”— Jaclyn Friel, Assistant Principal, Notre Dame High School, Easton, PA
Watch this 2 min video to see full effect at a school:
And here is a 4 min news item which give you an insight into the technology:
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Geoff Knott, 13/02/2018