Last night I attended a talk at SUNY-Binghamton given by a world-renown author.  The talk lasted about 50 minutes (with a Q&A afterwards).  In the row in front of me -- and in direct eye-shot of the speaker -- was a student who spent about a third of the lecture scrolling through facebook pictures on her iphone, and texting her friends.  The old norm was "hope that a lecture is fascinating, engaging, and full of stimulating media, but if it isn't, then try to find interest and meaning in it anyway, and if you can't, at least try to avoid behavior that overtly communicates your lack of engagement, disappointment, and wish to be doing something else."
 
What is the new norm, and what is the role of new technology (e.g., cell phones) in creating and maintaining it? 
 
Steve.  
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Steven J. Gilbert, Ph.D.
   Professor of Psychology
      State University of New York, College at Oneonta
      Phone: 607-436-2557     Office: FITZ 416    
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From: Teaching Breakfast List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Greenberg, James ([log in to unmask])
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 8:34 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Next TB and Agenda?

TBers,

Just a reminder that our next Teaching Breakfast meeting will be Nov. 4, Thursday in Starbucks at 8am.  The topic (unless someone wants to talk about something more burning) is “Lifting the Ban on Cell Technology in the Classroom”.   I’d like to talk about your reasons for allowing or not allowing students to use cell phones during class.   There is a growing voice in Higher Ed. advocating lifting this ban and I’d like to hear what you think.


Mr. James B. Greenberg
Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center
Milne Library
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, New York 13820

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