Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Laptop Ban moving forward?
Without rehashing previous posts or comments, it looks like there are some serious faculty discussions regarding the banning of laptops in classrooms. This would be either teacher-by-teacher, or across the board (presumably after student consultation). I personally think it is silly, but may happen.
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9 comments:
No chance of a school-wide policy. There's definitely a risk of individual profs banning them next year. Apparently there was a faculty meeting this week to discuss the issue. Some of the laptop-supporting profs told the others to stop bitching and make their classes more interesting....
I have had (and currently have, actually) classes where the professor moved so damn fast that I didn't have *time* to process what he was saying while I was in class. Transcribing parts of lectures in my notes has let me go back and get an idea of what the hell was going on. Sometimes P Lo, for example, moves like bandit! (For the record, though, I heart P Lo.)
Oh, but do I check my e-mail and do other stuff I shouldn't during class, I must admit. But isn't the option to check e-mail one of the things that keeps the off-topic question askers from being killed?
If you don't want to pay attention in class you're not going to pay attention with or without laptops. I usually take notes with pen and paper. You should see the doodles.
I agree moop, without the ability to get lost in cnnsi.com wehn a center square takes the class off on a personal tangent, I would be ready to maim.
I realize it's a slippery slope, but the one thing I think would do a world of good is shutting down video feeds. As more and more video becomes available on the web, it's going to be quite distracting when, for example, people watch the final four on their laptops during class.
And yes, I did witness this.
basically, the problem is that SP caught a favorite student playing poker in negotiation, and a laptop ban has been serious business ever since. and you know when the second-most-tech-savvy prof goes luddite on everyone's ass, there must be some serious rumblings among the professoriat.
that said, i think the market will control on this one. students will begin avoiding the pen-and-ink classes ... and too many young profs will see their tenure dreams dwindle. so, methinks the ban's already a risk only among the senior faculty.
LI, I didn't hear about that. Was it this semester or was that last year? Did he call the student out in front of everyone?
Wow...
SP was memorably disappointed with someone for doing the exact same thing in Contracts last fall... If a student is stupid enough to not at least bring his/her notes to the front of the screen when the professor is doing the wander-around-the-room bit, what can you say?
Davidson in Property has started wandering up the slopes, too. Simple rule: if your professor is behind you, be sure what's on your screen is the material being discussed!
On the other hand, on Star Trek: The Next Generation, poker was often used as a metaphor for negotiation... perhaps the student was on track and practicing the subject matter.
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