Laptops in the Classroom: Neither Educational Heroes nor Villains

The article written by Timothy D. Snyder in 2010 titled, “Why Laptops in Class Are Distracting America’s Future Workforce” is a persuasive article. His purpose in writing this article was to persuade professors to ban laptops in the classroom because he feels they are a distraction. Snyder’s arguments against the use of laptops in classrooms are convincing, but he lacks evidence to support his stance and he uses emotionally charge wording to sway the reader.

In defense of laptops in the classroom” Summary/Analysis/Response (SAR) Paper Summary “In defense of laptops in the classroom” written by Rebecca Schuman, talks about the issue of why computers should be allowed in a college classroom. Schuman explains how people of the new generation use computers in classrooms doing almost everything in college now, rather it be taking notes or accessing course material, and it's more affordable for poorer students. Analysis Schuman attempts to use logos, structuring of her article, and has a good purpose to persuade readers of her agreement. Schuman wrote this article “In defense of laptops in the classroom” in order to persuade professors why computers should be allowed in the classroom and how you can combat them if the student isn’t paying attention, plus they are more affordable for poorer students because they’re covered by financial aid. Schuman focuses on this group of audience primarily because some professors do not like computers in their classroom rather it be because the student isn’t paying attention or is using the computer for non-class related things. Schuman attempts to reason the discussion of why computers should be allowed in the class is that it’s completely up to the student whether they use it for good or not. Schuman makes the point early on that she feels that the computer is not faulty, but rather the student who makes the decision on what use to use the computer for. Schuman exemplifies this problem when she

“In defense of laptops in the classroom” written by Rebecca Schuman, talks about the issue of why computers should be allowed in a college classroom. Schuman explains how people of the new generation use computers in classrooms to do almost everything in college now, rather it be taking notes or accessing course material, and its more affordable for poorer students.

Twenty-first century society is constantly presented with exciting advances in hardware and software technology. Use of technology in CCT 109 classrooms should be allowed to capitalize on these advances and challenge the learning status quo. Technology’s adoption encourages rethinking of how information is acquired and processed, how people learn, how they are empowered, what jobs will be in highest demand, and what the nature of learning and useful information is. With the increasing accessibility, affordability, and popularity of laptops and tablets, it is essential for students, professors, and institutions to welcome these devices in the classroom. Technology’s benefits to the professor, student, and society far outweigh any perceived disadvantages.

The article “In Defence of Laptops in the Classroom” by Rebecca Schuman, a university professor, offers a different perspective to the banning of laptops in academics. She argues that while it might be distracting, it is ultimately the student’s own attitude towards education that dictates the effectiveness of electronics in the classroom. As the title suggests, Schuman argues that laptops have a place in the modern day classroom. She emphasises how the current generation lives in an age that “doesn’t learn to write by hand” (5) and argues that it is impossible to separate technology from learning.

In the article "Can Students Have Too Much Tech?" Susan Pinker explains the pros and cons of technology in the classroom. Her argument is supplemented by Studies from Duke University and Stanford University. She also utilized the history of the One Laptop per child nonprofit, along with her own research and opinions.

She made use of the various studies that had been conducted on students (eg. Cornell, 2003 and Fred, 2006) to meet eye-to-eye in accepting that it has been an ongoing debate to ban laptops. However, she gave examples that make us think and accept that banning laptops is not the only way. Her usage of her own experience as a professor conducting classes using the laptops for “regularly planned activities” (Para 9) showed the positive use of laptops in class. She also described “teaching a 13th-grade classroom” (Para 7) as a college class. It is hard to imagine that college students will still act like children that do not think for themselves.

As the technology advances, more utilities become available to us that make our lives easier. This correlates to the short essay “Why Computers Don't Belong in the Classroom” by Clifford Stoll. Stoll argues that the high usage of technology in schools gives students the incentive have weak thinking skills and not focus in class. I agree with the argument of Clifford Stoll as the usage of technology simply motivates students to procrastinate, rely heavily on online resources and lose interest in class activities. Technology provides a distraction for students as they would rather watch TV or play video games.

Transferring the teaching method from out of the textbook to laptops can be very distracting. Of course all electronic devices come with games or at least some application you can download. The Students will be able to access many apps including; games, email, social media, and instant messaging classmates (Hurst). Even without this change, students are already constantly on their phones texting or playing games during classes. Do we really want to have more distractions?

Laptops today has Microsoft. Or google docs. Most schools would like to use them instead of going to the library to use the computers. But the laptops has some negative effects with it, because it could be a distraction, the money for the laptops would be expensive, and most likely you wouldn’t learn anything.

There are countless potential distractions that can be caused by laptops and tablets. One problem with tablets and laptops is that sometimes only a specialist can fix them when they are broken. This is a large contrast to textbooks which can be fixed with tape or glue. In addition, the article stated that the average battery life is shorter than the school day, which means more electricity used at school and a need for more electrical outlets. Another distraction caused by tablets and laptops is the easy access to online games. Also, having tablets or laptops would make it extremely easy for students to

Carter, Susan Payne, et al. “The Impact of Computer Usage on Academic Performance: Evidence from a Randomized Trial at the United States Military Academy.” School Effectiveness & Inequality initiative, MIT’s Department of Economics and the US National Bureau of Economic Research, May 2016, www.seii.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SEII-Discussion-Paper-2016.02-Payne-Carter-Greenberg-and-Walker-2.pdf.

Students now believe that they can start getting away from using pen and pencil and just go with laptops. “Research shows that laptops and tablets have a tendency to be distracting it’s so easy to click over”(in Put Your Laptops Away). When students are taking notes on a laptop or computer it is so easy for them to just click over on a different tab to get on facebook or twitter. Then they get distracted and are off track and have no clue what’s going on because they are not following along. When students type their notes they try and copy down

Technology in the classroom is vital, and Steve Job (Boomer, 2013) said it best, “If they’d be only one computer in every school, some of the kids would find it, and it would change their lives.” The local school district is a firm believer in this quote by Steve Jobs, however continuing to use an furnish the pupils throughout the school district with an Apple MacBook Air not so much. The continued rising cost of repairs along with rental contracts ending, the school district in now on the hunt for a more affordable one-to-one laptop for the students to use.

During the last decades, laptops have become standard learning tools in university and college classrooms. Since today’s students’ are high-technology demanding and tech savvy, laptops manufacturers and engineers are constantly thinking of unique ways to design their products. With advanced functions and specifications, laptops can do various activities and educational tasks for students. Also, as technology advances, yesterday’s laptops are less expensive compared to today’s and tomorrow’s which allows every student to afford a laptop. However, educational institutions are concern about whether laptops in class hinder or facilitate students’ learning. Overtime, new technology and devices have been noticed to weaken student performance in