Wk 3 Response to Rita Martinez

Rita wrote:
Week 3 Free Post - Instruments of Mass Distraction?

I was reading one of the daily newsletters I get from ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ) about different happenings in education throughout the US and followed a story that took me to an NPR (National Public Radio) story about professors who are upset about their students’ use of laptops in their classrooms.  The complaint is that students are using the laptops to surf the internet, shop, pay bills, chat, etc. during class.  (You can listen to or read the story here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126241853)

I am sure you have already figured out what the professors and the schools are doing about this.  They are figuring out how to use these tools to create engaging, dynamic lessons that are transforming the way lessons are being taught and students are interacting, right?  WRONG!  They are trying to figure out (or already have something in place) that allows professors to select different levels of access that students can have to the internet.  Seriously. 

In the case of Bentley College in Massachusetts, the school was one of the first to make it a requirement for all students to have a laptop and shortly after all students were showing up at class with the laptops, professors started complaining about what students were using them for in class.   I honestly couldn’t believe what I was reading.  Instead of being proactive and figuring out how to use the laptops to improve the teaching and learning taking place in the room, the professors would prefer to remain in a reactive position and try to control the students. 

All I could think about was how I wish my students showed up with laptops everyday.  I would  love the challenge of figuring out how to use them to transform what I have been doing.  Please send unwanted laptops my way.

Sources:

Smith, T. (April, 24, 2010).  Put away that laptop: Professors pull the plug.  NPR.  Retrieved April 24, 2010 from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126241853.

I replied:

Yes I am with you on this one.  Most teachers don't really understand what a disruptive force a laptop is.  For the first time, students can access more information than just what the teacher provides.  This changes the dynamics of the classroom like it has not been changed in 150 years.  I have written extensively on my real blog Education Stormfront about this and have come across many articles and stories describing exactly the same thing you talk about. The biggest problem is, there is no reason for the teachers to reevaluate how they teach.  I mean it's not like the students can go somewhere else right?  At least they can't for now.