Digital Smarts - Should Schools Reconsider Cellphone Bans?

The policy debate over smartphone use in school is one that has been ongoing. The Edutopia Mobile Learning blog recently posted an excellent summary of how teachers are using smartphones to engage students and promote learning.

New York City schools are following the lead of other large, urban districts, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, and ending the ban on cellphones in school. The district's current policy, considered one of the strictest in the country, forbids students from having cellphones at school even if they are turned off...

Is the term smartphone outdated and clunky? With WiFi calling, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype, and other alternative conversational technologies available, what does it even mean to have a "phone call" these days?...