Laptops in the Classroom?

[rog]

nah son

becoming reliant on computers to do work makes you another mindless drone in the workforce, good luck keeping a job not being able to think without a computer in front of you

Unless you always have one in front of you, and the computer can think faster than you can, then it doesn't matter if you're capable of doing a task without one, because you'll never actually need to.

[Cephius]

becoming reliant on computers to do work makes you another mindless drone in the workforce, good luck keeping a job not being able to think without a computer in front of you

You're joking right? This has to be a joke. Please tell me you aren't this dumb.

[Silenka]

Posting from my sci-fi class lolz. Laptops allowed all classes at Ohio State, suck it, Michigan bitches

I just used it to look up an ethnic term the prof used that I didn't know. Laptops are tools more than distractions (despite posting in class, I am paying attention).

[jinkazama]

Posting from my macro class right now on mine! I feel your pain, my manuscript fucking blows so I use my laptop to take notes with so I can read them later...

But yes I've been in those classes too where they frown upon laptops in the classroom, thats my second biggest pet peeve, right after getting marked off for attendance.

you bitches are getting your money anyhow, why do you care who shows up or not.

[Diamicles]

You're joking right? This has to be a joke. Please tell me you aren't this dumb.

if every time someone asked you for something, you went to a computer to find your notes or an answer, you're being inefficient, learn the shit yourself and be a real help or asset to your company

my point is, yeah it's there as a tool, but if you can teach yourself how to learn/retain information without it, you'll be better off that way in the real world. if I can get a degree in physics without using anything but Mathematica and a simple scientific calculator, surely people aren't serious when they say a laptop is needed for shit like journalism?

[Kurp]

if every time someone asked you for something, you went to a computer to find your notes or an answer, you're being inefficient, learn the shit yourself and be a real help or asset to your company

my point is, yeah it's there as a tool, but if you can teach yourself how to learn/retain information without it, you'll be better off that way in the real world. if I can get a degree in physics without using anything but Mathematica and a simple scientific calculator, surely people aren't serious when they say a laptop is needed for shit like journalism?

What field are you coming from?

[rog]

if every time someone asked you for something, you went to a computer to find your notes or an answer, you're being inefficient, learn the shit yourself and be a real help or asset to your company

my point is, yeah it's there as a tool, but if you can teach yourself how to learn/retain information without it, you'll be better off that way in the real world. if I can get a degree in physics without using anything but Mathematica and a simple scientific calculator, surely people aren't serious when they say a laptop is needed for shit like journalism?

Well obviously the idea is to just remember everything you need to remember. However if someone is going to take notes, a laptop is clearly better than handwriting them in a notebook. Unless your problem is actually with taking notes, and not the laptop itself, like this post implies, unlike all of your previous posts.

[Cephius]

Are you really arguing that it's more efficient to not use a computer? And that even extends into the real world? Holy cow.

if every time someone asked you for something, you went to a computer to find your notes or an answer, you're being inefficient

No, you're not. This is like saying "If you use google instead of going to the library you're being inefficient"

learn the shit yourself and be a real help or asset to your company

So the only way to learn and to be an asset to your company is to use the same technology the ancient Egyptians used to record information, got it. No one can possibly learn anything if notes are recorded in digital format or by referencing the internet.

my point is, yeah it's there as a tool

An incredibly important tool, and if you combine it with the internet, quite possibly the most important tool invented in the last 100 years. According to NPR, 84% of all jobs in America require the ability to use a computer.

but if you can teach yourself how to learn/retain information without it, you'll be better off that way in the real world. if I can get a degree in physics without using anything but Mathematica and a simple scientific calculator, surely people aren't serious when they say a laptop is needed for shit like journalism?

What possible evidence do you have to back that up? Also how do the requirements to get a degree equate to real world examples? Just because you may not need a computer in college means you can get a job that doesn't use them either? I'd like to see you in an interview trying to tell your employer that yeah, computers are a nice tool, but you'd rather just work with a pencil and a calculator.

Funny you used journalism as an example too, considering that print is quite obviously dying. A lot of journalists these days are completely digital, from the recording devices they use, to the method they use to write their articles or columns, to the way they submit it, and even the medium they publish to.

[rog]

No, you're not. This is like saying "If you use google instead of going to the library you're being inefficient"

I think he's saying you should just know everything you would ever possibly need to know, and never forget anything. To be fair, he's right about that. Already knowing something requires zero time to find the answer. The problem of course is that everyone forgets things.

[Jaybar]

I'm so glad I'm an architecture major where using a computer to do your work is actually detrimental to your learning objectives. To the person using the laptop to look up words that you don't know - how much of the lecture did you just miss by doing that (well, if your professor is slow as shit I guess it doesn't matter)? Did you know you can flag words you don't know and look them up later? Holy Cow!

[synistar]

I think the general consensus is this:

Post-grad: gtfo. Most of those courses are discussions that require a lot of teacher/student interaction to begin with.
Laboratory sciences: Unless it is a mass of info that doesnt require lots of drawing like behavior bio or evolution bio, gtfo
Math: lol-graphing calculator. Most of those are banned anyways or require you to show work.
Liberal arts: It's a snooze fest, 50/50 but you're probably facebooking/gaming at that point. Most people in poly sci and econ were on laptops not even paying attention to the lecturer.
Engineering: Not necessary but it's probably a tool. They will give it to you if it is intergral to the course.

And if you don't know something or need clarification that the professor blazed through, raise your hand. Especially if it is an important point that the lecturer emphasizes.

[Cephius]

I think he's saying you should just know everything you would ever possibly need to know, and never forget anything. To be fair, he's right about that. Already knowing something requires zero time to find the answer. The problem of course is that everyone forgets things.

That makes no sense if that's his point. If you should just learn everything and never need to look anything up, then having a computer (or not) is irrelevant. If you do occasionally forget things, and have to look something up, I don't see how anyone can argue that using a computer is an inefficient method of doing so.

[rog]

That makes no sense if that's his point. If you should just learn everything and never need to look anything up, then having a computer (or not) is irrelevant. If you do occasionally forget things, and have to look something up, I don't see how anyone can argue that using a computer is an inefficient method of doing so.

Yeah, i'm confused as well. He's not making much sense.

[Silenka]

I'm so glad I'm an architecture major where using a computer to do your work is actually detrimental to your learning objectives. To the person using the laptop to look up words that you don't know - how much of the lecture did you just miss by doing that (well, if your professor is slow as shit I guess it doesn't matter)? Did you know you can flag words you don't know and look them up later? Holy Cow!

None of it, I can listen and read at the same time. Women have a naturally better ability to multitask than men - but people who have trouble paying attention to one thing at a time will of course be hard pressed or even unable to do two things at once without fucking one or both up. Fortunately, I am able to pay attention to two things at once provided they are both things I am generally comfortable with, I know a lot of people can't do that though. Even so, for this class in particular, the lecture is not very important; it's a GEC class which basically means the intelligence level doesn't rise above high school mindset.

Also thanks to computers (we are required to use the class website as a forum to share ideas about the reading) I know that half the English majors in that class can't spell worth a damn and even the prof makes mistakes from time to time in spelling and usage which makes me sad for the future of the English language.

I guess my point is that shit is situational. There are classes I won't pull out my netbook for, and other classes where I rely on it for note taking and other things. The responsible student's job is knowing when it is appropriate and when it is not, but judging by the responses in the thread so far, mileage on 'appropriate' may vary.

[Woozie]

Edit: Nevermind

[Clerix]

Can also get a monitor with built in speakers. It really doesn't require much space.

There are advantages, but they're mostly pretty minor.

Don't forget the wireless keyboard/mouses. So really, all you have is the 2 monitor cables and 2 tower cables. All the rest is wireless (:

You can also 1up that and get a Lenovo Q series (I'm sure there are other types of PCs as well) - which can mount on the back of a monitor and are only about the size of 2 DVD cases stacked on eachother.

[Norellicus]

The amount of dumb in here (from the people who think laptops are a waste of time and should be globally banned) is astounding.

[Jaybar]

The amount of dumb in here (from people thinking we all want laptops banned globally) is astounding.

[rog]

You can also 1up that and get a Lenovo Q series (I'm sure there are other types of PCs as well) - which can mount on the back of a monitor and are only about the size of 2 DVD cases stacked on eachother.

While that's quite awesome, for those prices, you'd be better off with a laptop.

[synistar]

I'm just speaking from experience. Some instances it can be helpful, others completely detrimental. I have just seen more of the detrimental effects more frequently.

Another thought crossed my mind. Is calligraphy or basic handwriting becoming marginalized because people type so much? I know that my work values writing clearly and legibly. Does that mean a laptop is required to organize your thoughts or quick makeshift charts to your peers if you rely on it so much in college? I'm not against technology, just against the complete reliance on making it your second brain.