Well...I went to my Anthropology class last week: Magic, Witchcraft and Religion. Very interesting so far, but a girl on the row in front of me had her laptop on. Now that in itself isn't so unusual, since we're a wireless campus and students are allowed laptops for note-taking. What bothered me was her constant surfing the internet, checking and responding to email, even playing with her screen saver! I thought about leaning over and asking her to turn it off since she wasn't using it for note-taking, but I decided against that, for personal reasons. Thought she might label me the "bitchy Mom." I know I shouldn't care, but I guess I'm not the only one in my family who shys away from conflict. Anyway...I was still bothered by it the next day so I sent an email to my professor. Now for the fun part...He protected my identity, then forwarded my email to the class. Wow! Should have heard the comments both pros and cons for laptops in the classroom! I suggested they leave their computers at home, not so that the honest note-takers really would, but so the others would think twice before playing in class. I was just SOOO offended that students would spend class time like they did, oblivious to the rest of us. We're on the honor system here, but obviously, not everyone acts honorably. I mean, would you bust out your computer during a concert? or a music recital? or at a movie theater? Why, then, would someone think it's ok to do that to a professor? Granted, he didn't know about it, but others did. I thought it was highly disrespectful of others and of the professor's education.
Today, fewer people brought their laptops to class, and the ones who did sat on the back row at the teacher's direction. Then, my friend Kirsten (Clayton's friend who became a family friend and who's a student here now) spoke up and reminded everyone to make sure they were using their laptops for notes and not net surfing. Yeah! I felt satisfied, and no one except Kirsten knew who'd stirred the pot in the first place!
July's Random Pics
9 years ago
1 comment:
That's an interesting situation. I finished college just as it was getting more common for students to use laptops in the classroom, so I've never faced this situation, nor have I given much thought to it.
I'm the type of person who needs to doodle or do other things in order to pay attention. It would probably be very easy for me to surf the web during class. But the fact that I need to keep my hands occupied to pay attention doesn't give me the right to distract the people around me. So in that case, it is rude to the other students. Plus, why on earth would I want everyone else to read my private emails?
I think it would be difficult and silly to forbid laptop use in the class. Modern developments require adaptation. For some people, taking notes on their laptop is the only way they can pay attention to the teacher. Putting laptop users in the back is a pretty good idea, except for those with learning disabilities. I guess each situation should be accounted for when needed.
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