After taking a look at my classmate's blog posts I found one that forced me to respond! Lauren made a post about laptops in the classroom and asked for her classmates stance on the topic...
As technology becomes more and more prominent we begin to see, hear and learn many ways in which it can benefit us and make life easier! One way, which students have discovered or whose teachers have recommended, is the use of laptops in the classroom as a way to enhance learning and take organized notes that are easily accessible...instead of carrying 5 subject notebooks, you have all of your subject folders in one place! The purpose for encouraging students to work in this way is quite understandable, but the purpose has been taken advantage of! As Lauren mentioned, students are surfing the web leisurely choosing sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, but she makes a great point when she acknowledges that these students or their parents are the ones paying for an education and if that's the way they wish to treat the situation then...GOOD LUCK in the REAL WORLD! or should I say, good luck getting a job over the scholarly student that actually took notes and used their time wisely while studying for thousands of dollars a semester. Another important note to make is that using computers saves paper, but on a more global level it pushes society towards going GREEN and saving the environment in which we live, which seems to be one of the main reasons classrooms are encouraging the use of Internet for relaying information. With all of this in mind, my stance is that teachers should not encourage the use of laptops in the classroom...students still have access to computers, but this way they are not interfering with learning and teaching. Hopefully with the integration of other technologies available in the classroom ( smart boards, clickers, teacher computers, powerpoints, etc) students will have no problem enhancing their knowledge.
Wow, I've read all three posts now on using laptops or not in class and all are different but have valid points. As I've commented on the others, I'm still unsure where I come down on this but think my own post on this is in order because I think I see which direction I'm leaning. I'd highly recommend others reading this to chime in with your take or write a post of your own on this!
ReplyDeleteI posted a follow up here: Laptops in College Classes
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments! I took a look at your follow up post and think you mention an interesting point when saying that many students weren't taught to use technology, specifically cellphones, appropriately...what is the appropriate way? Also, before cellphones became so extravagant there really wasn't much to teach ...they were what the name suggested...a device in which one could communicate with others through(maybe it should have stayed this way)...NOW, they have added options such as CAMERAS,GAMES, MUSIC,text, WEB (but those who have phones with the web pay a lot more and it shows up on a small screen which doesn't get the best reception, so one positive application is turned negative because of reasons such as those)The web on a cell phone doesn't offer the same info of that on the computer either..I think it is much more appropriate to surf the web on the computer and leave the phone for making phone calls and texting..BUT NOT WHEN DRIVING! I also understand what you are saying when you mention that taking certain technologies away from students is treating them as infants, BUT there is a reason why certain teachers are taking these things away and that is because it is WAY TOO often that they are catching their student surfing inappropriate materials and it is becoming more of a distraction than anything else...I suppose it needs to be monitored(say laptops away unless instructed to open them) because unless someone is walking around the room monitoring, students are going to get off task for as childish as it may be...It's the students who are making the administration treat them this way...if we handled the privileges given to us appropriately we wouldn't be faced with this issue! Same thing for work places that are blocking certain cites...It is sad to say this, but it is true..don't get me wrong though.. if it could be implemented in a way that works for everyone I would be for it, but until then I don't blame those who are taking action on the issue.
ReplyDelete