Comments on: Anonymous Thoughts On Laptops In the Classroom

By: Toby Lason

Toby Lason — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:55:10 +0000

@KellyH, To each his own, I suppose. Given all the great recording technology and my own ability to type faster than I can write, I can’t imagine going through class without the new generation’s version of the pen and notebook.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:35:53 +0000

I am going to revisit two themes I have seen here and elsewhere: 1) How can a school require you to have a laptop and simultaneously keep you from using it and 2)Since when is law school the law subject matter equivalent to kindergarten?

I think the first one speaks for itself. Law schools shouldn’t require you to purchase one and then give the professors “latitude” to ban them. They MADE you buy them for the friggin classes!

My biggest problem is with the second issue. More and more in school and at work, I am getting tired of being treated like a 6 year old. Ignore the fact that I am a “non-traditional” student and therefore somewhat “older” than the average law student. Realistically, you will have to be at least age 20 to get into law school. By then, if you haven’t realized that the whole purpose of being in class is to learn something, maybe you should be allowed to surf the internet and fail. Or, if you only attend classes because your college insists on an attendance policy, but you feel like you can get away with not paying attention… who cares? Do I care? As long as what the other student is doing is not distracting to me or the rest of the class. Does the professor care? Why would he, he’s getting paid the same if you soak up his every word like honey or sit in class with earplugs in. Does the school care? Really, seriously, are there any pretentions that your law school cares? They may care about the overall pass/fail rate on the bar, but I think that if someone can make it through law school while surfing, texting and blogging in class, they could probably pass the bar reasonably easily…

Bottom line is, yes I know that some snooty old judges will not allow me to use my laptop in court. But some of them will. And, oh by the way, at that point I will be all on my own, and have to worry about paying the bills vis a vis representing my client. How is any of this related to how I take notes in class, or if I choose to do so at all. When are adults going to start being treated like adults again? This is just another example of how our nations “institutions” feel the need to hold our hand, monitor our every behavior and control every activity in which we engage. It is a mindset, it is extremely pervasive and to me at least, it is extremely unnerving, not to mention aggravating. Let me do it my way, and if I fall on my face, well then at least I have learned…. LEARNED!!

By: Agosti

Agosti — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:03:56 +0000

@Toby Lason, I love my laptop, don't get me wrong. I think that the article makes good points about teachers needing to be more engaging in the classroom. However, I find the ability to think about the debate in class when I don't bring it with me. I don't have any problem in the classroom without a laptop. If I am on my computer, I am typing everything without even thinking if what I am writing is important or not. My friend is constantly on his laptop and doesn't even take notes. I can see if someone was a great multi-tasker and could browse facebook and take notes, some people in my class can do that and as long as their screen doesn't distract me, I commend them! However, I couldn't and thankfully I know not to bring my laptop into class. I think it just makes me nervous, for those with potential, who will never make it because they were too consumed in mindless websites to pass the time….

By: KellyH

KellyH — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:41:41 +0000

@Toby Lason, I love my laptop, don’t get me wrong. I think that the article makes good points about teachers needing to be more engaging in the classroom. However, I find the ability to think about the debate in class when I don’t bring it with me. I don’t have any problem in the classroom without a laptop. If I am on my computer, I am typing everything without even thinking if what I am writing is important or not. My friend is constantly on his laptop and doesn’t even take notes. I can see if someone was a great multi-tasker and could browse facebook and take notes, some people in my class can do that and as long as their screen doesn’t distract me, I commend them! However, I couldn’t and thankfully I know not to bring my laptop into class. I think it just makes me nervous, for those with potential, who will never make it because they were too consumed in mindless websites to pass the time.

By: ouij

ouij — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:45:03 +0000

@Toby Lason, Really? I’m doing just fine.

By: Toby Lason

Toby Lason — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:36:49 +0000

Surviving law school without a laptop in the classroom is next to impossible these days.

By: diana

diana — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:26:32 +0000

I graduated in 2004, before Blackberrys and smartphones were a must-have. I’d say less than half of my class used laptops on a regular basis. I remember a few of the professors walking around the room during lecture and students quickly minimizing their web browsers! Today though, for those who want to surf the net or email during class, smartphones enable them to do it much more discreetly.

By: ouij

ouij — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:26:23 +0000

@Scottie, Any reasonable and prudent person would avoid a course taught primarily by means of PowerPoint, which is white possibly the worst system of information-delivery yet devised.

Just how bad is Powerpoint at delivering complex technical information? Fatally so. Don’t believe me? Consider the amount of information not conveyed in the Powerpoint slides on the damage to the Space Shuttle Columbia:

http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001yB&topic_id=1

A number of thoughtful people have commented on PowerPoint’s uncanny ability to prevent real information transmission and its tragic consequences on the battlefield. See, e.g.

http://armsandinfluence.typepad.com/armsandinfluence/2006/08/death_by_powerp.html

on Powerpoint’s role in the planning for the occupation of Iraq. Note particularly the example slide, a monument of meaninglessness: http://armsandinfluence.typepad.com/photos/arms_and_influence_refere/ppt1s.jpg

By: ouij

ouij — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:07:05 +0000

@Joshua Auriemma, let us not forget the world of hurt (and tort liability) should one of those pens go astray and poke someone’s eye out.

By: ouij

ouij — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:05:52 +0000

@Joshua Auriemma, A worrying number of law students, I find, have a profound lack of intellectual curiosity. All they want to do is memorize “facts” that they can vomit onto their SecurExam files at 150 wpm.

I used to think that the law, as a profession, was more than just a bunch of hacks and fakers. After three years of observing my contemporaries in law school, I’m not so sure anymore.

I don’t necessarily blame the laptop for this. Laptops don’t really create habits of mind in and of themselves, but they do amplify whatever habits of mind the user had before.