Classroom technology

Students arrive for class with laptops and tablets, with the readings and their class notes documents open. It all feels quite normal, now. I do remember when laptops first started appearing the classroom, brought in by the random, slightly more resourced and more techie students. These students tended to slouch down, almost hiding behind the fully upright screen. Their gaze was never at me, always at the screen. That hasn't changed much over the years.  But, I have. I used to feel exasperated, wanting nothing between me and the student. I was at a loss for what to say. Now I say, politely but pointedly, "look at me" when I want their engaged attention.

As tools for organizing thoughts, keeping printing and textbook costs down, and being prepared for class, laptops and tablets now make a lot of sense. In addition, so many textbooks are electronic, with no hard copies, which makes computers a student necessity. I have learned to incorporate their computers into some discussions. Sometimes when I mention something slightly historical, like President Johnson or the start of day care centers, their quizzical look tells me that they have no clear sense of the historical reference. I can use that as a learning moment because the entire campus has wifi so internet access is easy. I'll pause and say "look it up."  Students readily slip into a subtle competition for the best google find.

In contrast, the phone remains mostly an annoying distraction. Partly, because of the wifi availability. At best, the phone is silenced and tucked away until break or the end of class. At worst, it makes noises and the bright white of the small screen feeds the addiction with trivial updates that somehow have deep meaning to the reader. Well, okay, networking can be fun, but not during a lecture or a discussion that is intended to broaden the horizons for the student.

Faculty have come to accept that technology we use and that our students use is still evolving. That constant change contributes to the slight burdensomeness of modifying assignments and interactions, but also the challenge of keeping our teaching fresh and alive with the vast resources now literally at our fingertips.