This is good stuff and right on point. I realized the other day that I was wondering what a couple of students were doing with their laptops in class and distracting myself. It isn’t just students, it potentially distracts us as well.

I have to say I am still torn about how to handle this. I am curious how colleagues handle laptops and tablets in class.

Bill

On Sep 24, 2014, at 6:17 AM, Greenberg, Jim <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

TBers,

I saw this on Metafilter this morning and thought some might be interested.  The comments are worth a skim as well.

Screens generate distraction - biologically impossible to resist - in a manner akin to second-hand smoke.Allowing laptop use in class is like allowing boombox use in class  -  it lets each person choose whether to degrade the experience of those around them.<https://medium.com/@cshirky/why-i-just-asked-my-students-to-put-their-laptops-away-7f5f7c50f368> [CITATION PROVIDED]<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131512002254?np=y> I've stopped thinking of students as people who simply make choices about whether to pay attention, and started thinking of them as people trying to pay attention but having to compete with various influences, the largest of which is their own propensity towards involuntary and emotional reaction.
posted by paleyellowwithorange<http://www.metafilter.com/user/80984> at 3:32 PM - 78 comments<http://www.metafilter.com/143006/Why-I-Just-Asked-My-Students-To-Put-Their-Laptops-Away->


Jim G.
607-436-2701
Director TLTC
SUNY Oneonta