Interesting - our college is in (in my opinion) a technology crisis - so much to manage, so time consuming, and so little compatibility. Faculty have been encouraged to go to all laptops. How are other institutions handling this? I was assigned a "smart classroom" in another building and surprised that the set up did NOT include a computer. Eventually I was issued a laptop to use for the semester but it took a number of hours to install software and bypass barriers to make it usable with the setup.
Susan St. John, Assoc. Professor of Sociology Corning Community College 1 Academic Drive Corning, NY 14830 (607) 962-9526 or secretary 962-9239 ----- Original Message ----- From: Teresa Ciabattari <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 7:06 pm Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: Laptops in the classroom > > Andi and others, > > I have just instituted a new policy this semester: no laptops. It > was > taking too much energy to monitor, remind, cajole, and plead with > students to not surf the web. So I now have a technology policy > in my > syllabus that disallows the use of any and all computer devices > during > class, except for students with a documented learning disability > that is > accommodated by taking notes on a computer. I understand and > appreciate > the efficiency in typing, rather than writing, class notes, but it > proved to be far too heavy a distraction (for everyone). > > Teresa > > Andi Stepnick wrote: > > >Hi All, > > > >How do you all deal with laptop use in class? I ask > >students to put up PDAs/cells, but it seems a few > >use laptops for something other than note taking. > >This seems to happen at the start of class when we > >talk about the daily news or our sociological > >observations or when students are talking. Many > >colleagues report similar findings...students who > >think they can listen in while doing email, etc. > > > > Obviously it’s disrespectful to those who are > >speaking but it also appears to distract the laptop > >user’s neighbors. > > > >Luckily, it’s not much of a problem for me, but I’d > >like to nip it in the bud and get a handle on it > >before next semester. I *think* I’d like to handle > >it in as “light” of a way as possible (e.g., an > >email in passing to the class about respectful > >laptop use?). > > > >What do you say to your students? Do you have > >“policies” for laptop use? How do you monitor > >laptop use, if at all? > > > > > >Thanks. > >Andi > > > > > > > > -- > tctctctctctctctctctctctctctctctctc > > Teresa Ciabattari, Ph.D. > Assistant Professor > Department of Sociology > Sonoma State University > Stevenson Hall 2084N > 1801 East Cotati Avenue > Rohnert Park, CA 94928 > Phone: (707) 664-2703 > Fax: (707) 664-3920 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
