Laptops in the Classroom?

[Senoska]

This is getting stupid. I checked my class syllabus for the upcoming semester, and I have a JOURNALISM class that doesn't allow any computers in class.

I feel like laptop use at the teacher's discretion is a serious issue here. I learn much better when I type on my pc. My notes are spectacular and I always make a few mistakes which are easy to correct and readable after edits, etc.

I have attended nearly every major school in Michigan, yet, this seems to be an issue on every college campus, at least here in the murder mitten.

What can I do to change this? I really rather not have to parse a book of scribbled notes when I own a fucking laptop and bring it with me to class anyhow.

This is from the syllabus:

Electronic devices in class. This should go without saying: No electronic devices can be used during class time. Laptops may only be used with professor approval. No texting under any circumstances. Any student who uses electronic devices without permission will be asked to leave the class for the day. Repetition of this issue constitutes reason to be asked to drop the course.

Whats my recourse here, BG? She says she gives her approval but I've talked to several people on her and apparently the only way you get "approved" is if you're doing a class event and she isnt lecturing which isn't working for me.

I paid this professor to teach me. My taxes pay for the school. How can they tell me I can't learn this way? If someone else is distracted, thats their issue. If I'm typing loud like an asshole and making noises and shit, fine, I understand, but thats not the case.

[solanis]

it's probably because she feels disrespected by people using laptops in class. you use the laptop to take notes and find it an effective learning tool, but most people use it to check facebook. if you go to her and explain, she'll probably approve your laptop use, especially if you use a small laptop like an eee or something like that.

personally the only electronic I bring out during class is my ipad, it's discrete and not too distracting for either me or the people sitting near me.

[aduidarnenye]

I would say just suck it up and write your notes.

Not that you'd partake, but when I was in university laptops were just starting to be seen in classes and it was bloody annoying to be sitting behind someone who was doing nothing but playing games or watching videos. Laptops just offer way too much in the way of possible distraction that I understand why the professor wouldn't want students to use them.

[Senoska]

I'll occasionally check facebook or stickam when I'm in class but thats my business and if someone else is looking at my screen thats their issue. I dont really care that she feels disrespected. She is paid to stand there and say shit and do nothing more. I'm really frustrated at all of this. Every semester I go through the run around of just letting me use my goddamn laptop in class.

[Senoska]

I would say just suck it up and write your notes.

Not that you'd partake, but when I was in university laptops were just starting to be seen in classes and it was bloody annoying to be sitting behind someone who was doing nothing but playing games or watching videos. Laptops just offer way too much in the way of possible distraction that I understand why the professor wouldn't want students to use them.

Right but thats your issue if you were more interested in the game or video than your class. Its not her spot to dictate this. If you really have a problem, ask them to turn off their video because its distracting you, I'm sure they will.

[aduidarnenye]

Right but thats your issue if you were more interested in the game or video than your class. Its not her spot to dictate this. If you really have a problem, ask them to turn off their video because its distracting you, I'm sure they will.

I had a Greek history class where the professor liked to show a lot of slides so the room would be somewhat darkened for this. Having someone in front of me, or in front of me at an angle, with their laptop screen on was very distracting without even trying to look at their screen.

It's rather like noticing someone texting in a movie theatre. The screen of their phone is glowing and distracting without looking directly at them.

EDIT: I'm not saying you're a terrible person for distracting other students (you probably don't personally distract others), I'm trying to say that I understand why the professor would ban electronic devices.

[rog]

This should go without saying:

That's sad

Seriously, these kinds of rules make sense for high school, but not for college. They do make learning much easier, and presumably you're there because you want to learn (unlike HS, where more often than not, people go because they have no choice, and as such would be much more likely to spend the entire class on facebook/texting/etc and not listen to a single word a teacher says). You're an adult, if you want to check your facebook while you (probably) should be paying attention to the class, then that's your choice, even if the professor thinks it's a stupid one. As long as you're not significantly distracting anyone, it really shouldn't be any of their business. However, if you are distracting people, then obviously that's not cool, because the other people in the class are paying to be there too, and that's unfair to them.

[Kaylia]

It's distracting for the owner, and it's distracting for other people around. If the class is semi boring, you will end up with 15 students watching your screen and none listening.

No one is going to tell you to stop, but laptop aren't exactly creating a proper environment to study, or at least, not in my experience.

[Kaylia]

It's distracting for the owner, and it's distracting for other people around. If the class is semi boring, you will end up with 15 students watching your screen and none listening.

No one is going to tell you to stop, but laptop aren't exactly creating a proper environment to study, or at least, not in my experience.

[shaddix]

drop out and wait a few more years

[Xfaustx]

Just out of curiosity what school are you attending? I'm from Michigan too, just starting Architecture, (switched over from culinary arts at Schoolcraft) thought it was a good idea to purchase a laptop for class notes since my hand writing isn''t legible. lol My concern here is when I transfer to UoM, if I'll be allowed to use it for autodesk and CAD shit.....

[Kaylia]

Who takes note anyway?


If it can't be found in a book already, it's probably not worthwhile.

[dejet]

Funny thing, I use to try and use my HP laptop to take notes. About half the teachers allowed me. The following term I fixed up my fathers old macbook(well its not really a macbook lol titanium book or whatever) both times I showed them the laptop ~_~ not one said a thing about the mac lol.

But for real, I am fully with you on this. I am not fast a written text one bit. So when I can type 40~60 WPM its much faster and just plain easy for me to keep up. If they wont let you there is almost nothing you can do really. Just do your best to explain to them, it should work most of the time if you are nice about it. "My written notes are not so great, I am a fast typer and it would really help out my learning experience if I could use a laptop for my notes" show them your notes from prior classes if you must.

[Senoska]

Just out of curiosity what school are you attending? I'm from Michigan too, just starting Architecture, (switched over from culinary arts at Schoolcraft) thought it was a good idea to purchase a laptop for class notes since my hand writing isn''t legible. lol My concern here is when I transfer to UoM, if I'll be allowed to use it for autodesk and CAD shit.....

I'm at OU right now. I've switched from OCC, Temple, EMU, MSU, Wayne, and now OU. Chances are good that I'll try for UofM this next year. City wide weed legalization was the only requirement I needed to be interested.

UofM is a bigger school, keep in mind. Chances are good the majority of your classes will be a lecture hall type class. Which, by the way, are always better for me. I never understood this 'personalized' class crap. Personalized classes = required attendance and a ton of homework. While I could see why this would be important for major type classes, I don't think I need a 'small personal class' for journalism 101 or public speaking 101.

I think the school system, at least here in dah murder mitten, needs to change pretty drastically. There's so much shit that just makes me go "WHY?!" I feel like college is an extension of highschool, like I'm taking myself to day-care or something. Christ.

Hopefully post-grad wont be nearly as bad.

Spoiler: show

day-care or something. Christ.

http://i56.tinypic.com/16ifo6s.jpg

[Senoska]

edit: double post

[Kaylia]

Funny thing, I use to try and use my HP laptop to take notes. About half the teachers allowed me. The following term I fixed up my fathers old macbook(well its not really a macbook lol titanium book or whatever) both times I showed them the laptop ~_~ not one said a thing about the mac lol.

But for real, I am fully with you on this. I am not fast a written text one bit. So when I can type 40~60 WPM its much faster and just plain easy for me to keep up. If they wont let you there is almost nothing you can do really. Just do your best to explain to them, it should work most of the time if you are nice about it. "My written notes are not so great, I am a fast typer and it would really help out my learning experience if I could use a laptop for my notes" show them your notes from prior classes if you must.

They know you can't possibly play a game on a Mac, so its okay.

[Yabby]

City wide weed legalization was the only requirement I needed to be interested.

No. Only time you can smoke here is during hashbash without getting in trouble. And even then you always have freshmen thinking they are gods and walk right up to cops smoking like they own the place. Always good fun watching the cops take them down.

[Senoska]

No. Only time you can smoke here is during hashbash without getting in trouble. And even then you always have freshmen thinking they are gods and walk right up to cops smoking like they own the place. Always good fun watching the cops take them down.

No. Marijuana possession in Ann Arbor is decriminalized to civil infraction.. a $25 dollar fine. The only place you're legally "not allowed" (Ie: Go to jail) to have Marijuana is on campus, which goes by federal law, not city laws.

Spoiler: show

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabi...rbor,_Michigan
Tightening the Marijuana law in 1990

During the 1980s, pressure grew from Ann Arbor Republicans to eliminate the city's lenient marijuana city-charter section. In a 1983 referendum, Ann Arbor voters rejected a proposed repeal of the section, with 61.7 percent of voters opposing the proposed tightening of marijuana codes.[15] By the late 1980s, however, moderate GOP mayor Gerald D. Jernigan was calling the marijuana code an "embarrassment" to the city.[16] In January 1990, the city council approved holding a referendum on increased penalties for possession, use, or sale of marijuana.[15] In the resulting referendum, held in April 1990, 53 percent of voters agreed to amend Section 16.2 of the city charter with heightened penalties, raising the fine from $5 to $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense, and $100 or more for further offenses. The offense, however, remained a civil infraction rather than a misdemeanor or felony.[17]
In the same election, using a tactic modeled on the city's original $5 marijuana law, voters approved a charter amendment intended to protect access to abortion in Ann Arbor if it ever became illegal in the state of Michigan. Voters mandated that, should abortion ever become illegal, a city ordinance would come into force under which abortion would be punishable in Ann Arbor solely by a $5 fine. Local judges would thus have the ability to assess the $5 fine rather than any more punitive state penalties. Crafted as the state legislature debated increased restrictions on abortion in Michigan, including the adoption of a parental-consent bill, the measure declared the city a "zone of reproductive freedom."[18] The legality of the charter amendment remains unclear, since it has never been tested.
One local activist expressed disappointment with the voters' marijuana decision, telling USA Today: "The people were clearly pro-choice on abortion, and I expected them to be pro-choice on marijuana as well."[19] However, even with the new fine, possession of small amounts of the drug remained largely decriminalized in Ann Arbor, since the penalty continued to consist only of a civil-infraction ticket similar to a traffic fine.

hence why hash-bash is an issue with people going on campus.

This is totally getting off topic, though.

[Diamicles]

I'll occasionally check facebook or stickam when I'm in class but thats my business and if someone else is looking at my screen thats their issue. I dont really care that she feels disrespected. She is paid to stand there and say shit and do nothing more. I'm really frustrated at all of this. Every semester I go through the run around of just letting me use my goddamn laptop in class.

you can either get pissed about it like you have about inconsequential shit before, or realize that you're paying money to be there in the first place, so don't fuck it up.

[Senoska]

you can either get pissed about it like you have about inconsequential shit before, or realize that you're paying money to be there in the first place, so don't fuck it up.

Yeah, so I'm paying money to be told I can't learn the way I like to.