Mode of Conduct

Kansas is the latest state to ban cell phones in school "from bell to bell," which means from the first bell of the day to the last. Governor Laura Kelly signed the law, which is a lot like one Missouri passed the year before. School districts have until September to start the ban, and many are still working out how to make it work.

Parents are split. Some hope it will cut down on distractions and help students' mental health. Others worry most about one thing, which is whether their child can reach them in an emergency. A local therapist said the ban could really help, as long as schools do it the right way.

Your Task: Imagine you are a phone designer at Motorola, the phone company owned by Lenovo. Your team is building a "school mode" that schools could choose instead of a ban. Teachers decide which apps their class can use. Your job is to decide how school mode works, so the phone helps with learning instead of pulling your attention away.

1. The Pull
Think about what makes a phone hard to ignore in class, like buzzing notifications, the urge to check for updates, or one more quick scroll. Pick the one your school mode most needs to beat. (2 sentences.)

2. Your School Mode
Name three to five features that help your school mode beat that pull. For each one, write one or two sentences saying what it is and how it works. Features could be about when school mode turns on, how teachers share apps, or what happens in an emergency. (6 to 8 sentences.)

Want to win up to $5,000? Check out the current KnoPro Challenge: Second Life, Smarter Tech. It runs from Nov. 2nd through Nov. 6th.