NuGerm’s transparent, magnetic locking plastic phone cases will be the newest addition to Putnam County Classrooms this year as part of the new cell phone policy.
NuGerm Vice President Michael Bordack said they created the “NuCase” because phones create too many distractions in the classroom. Bordack said the cases were created as a cheaper, more durable alternative to locking phone pouches. They are locked by a strong magnetic bar that can only be opened by a special unlocking station magnet.
“There’s more engagement with students,” Bordack said. “They interact with one another instead of being on the phones. They have more social interactions, but more importantly, they actually are able to pay attention in class, which is the primary reason we created the NuCase.”
Bordack said the strong magnets leave student phone access up to administrators.
“[The magnets] are basically designed to be very hard to acquire,” Bordack said. “In our case, the magnets are almost impossible to get, so students do not have access to these magnets easily. It’s not something you can buy on Amazon.”
Bordack said the NuCase being clear has been a key selling point for some districts.
“With pouches and things of that nature, there’s been a tendency to have fake phones put in there, or they;re able to sneak in vapes as well,” Bordack said. “With it being clear, they’re able to see exactly what is inside the case, and they are able to verify the phone is still inside the case during the school day as well.”
Bordack said safety was at the forefront of the concerns, but he thinks a lack of phone access helps students better follow instructions to stay safe during an emergency. In addition, if a phone is out and turned on, any noise could alert an attacker of a student’s location.
