"Once in the classroom, you will silence your cell phone or PDA, and keep it packed inside your purse or backpack. Same goes with iPods, etc. During class lecture, you may not use your computer at all unless we are doing an in-class exercise or search. Do not surf the Web or check e-mail; if you do so, I will ask you to leave the class, and the dismissal will count as an unexcused absence."
It thought that was pretty intense especially because I take notes on my laptop. Last semester there was a guy in one of my classes who listened to his ipod during class, I thought that was odd.
I'm hoping to be a professor someday and I wondered what my policy might be in my future classes. I think when it comes to these things I take a bit of an Amsterdam attitude. That is, do what you want as long as it's not bothering others. I've been distracted a few times by people in class who are surfing the net on their laptops, most notably when they are playing games. However, it's usually a problem but I almost always sit in the front. I'm sorry if I've ever distracted you, as I'll admit, sometimes I get sidetracked in class and look something up. Usually it's related to the course but I'm not perfect. That's my general feeling about this. What do you think? Dr. Coyne?
Since you named me in your post, I better comment right?
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily like it when people surf the net, text under the desk, etc. but it's not really up to me to do anything about it. It's only harming their ability to listen and to interact with the class material. Hence, the no mention in the syllabus. When it gets distracting to others is when I have a problem with it and do something more formal. But I've not seen this yet....
Though I must admit, I checked your time post to make sure you didn't write this DURING today's class!! Luckily, it was an hour before!
And by the way, come talk to me about wanting to be a professor. I'm really thrilled that you are going down this route!
I agree! I get so distracted when others are doing things on their computer other than taking notes. I actually love that the basement of the JFSB doesn't get cell phone reception or internet access because of this very issue!
ReplyDeleteHere's my thing.. yes I definitely agree that it is disrespectful to surf the Internet during class (Facebook, gmail, blog reading... etc.) but I feel like we are all guilty one way or another. I do think it is funny when people accuse other people of being distracting, but yet they themselves can be the same way..
ReplyDeleteI do love how Dr. Coyne's class is so interactive though because I feel like it is more difficult to get distracted and participate in other activities. It helps that there are class discussions, as well as lectures. I feel like even though I don't always comment, the lectures are engaging and I am interested in what other people have to say.
i want to be a professor, too!
ReplyDeletethis is a hilarious story. there is a professor i met who teaches up at utah state or weber state (can't remember... sorry dr. coyne!) who really wanted to make an impression on his students about cell phones. so on the first day of class, he had a t.a. sit in the front row, texting and what not on his cell. the professor called out this student publicly, taking his cell phone away from him and throwing the phone up against the wall!
can you imagine being a student sitting in that lecture the first day?!?!?!
naturally, this was an old phone and (i hope) the students were debriefed on this... as it could be somewhat traumatizing. but this professor definitely got his point across.
there are so many different rules in my classes respective syllabi; taking 5 or 6 classes a semester, it is impossible to remember who allows eating, who doesn't, texting, computer, etc. etc. etc.
I had a professor tell us all to close our notebooks because he thought we were surfing. However when he started talking about important stuff again, everyone opened them back up and started typing. It seemed ironic that most everyone was actually taking notes on their computer.
ReplyDeleteI've also had experiences where I'm sitting behind people who are "working" on the computer. Their working consists of Sudoku, Spider Solitaire, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I can't handle the distraction. I'm sure I've been distracting sometime, but it was never with Facebook, Twitter, or GAMES! I guess you are paying $2,000+ to go to school, so you can do whatever you want. However, I don't want to waist $2000+ on playing games that I can do at home. What a waist of money.
These are great comments. You really don't think too much about being a distraction, especially because people don't usually point it out. I will definitely be more conscious of this in the future.
ReplyDelete