8 thoughts on “I’m Still Alive and Writing/Teaching/Grading Like a Fiend”
So sadly true. So here\’s something you can answer. Do college students these days spend the duration of a class with open laptops? How does that work exactly? I know writing classes are more interactive than your typical lecture hall kinds of classes, but still. There is no WAY I could have paid a shred of attention in class with a laptop around. Here in corporate culture, it\’s just accepted that everyone is working/reading/chatting on open laptops while meeting leaders drone on.
So sadly true. So here\’s something you can answer. Do college students these days spend the duration of a class with open laptops? How does that work exactly? I know writing classes are more interactive than your typical lecture hall kinds of classes, but still. There is no WAY I could have paid a shred of attention in class with a laptop around. Here in corporate culture, it\’s just accepted that everyone is working/reading/chatting on open laptops while meeting leaders drone on.
I\’m so glad you asked that. The only thing that enrages me more than an open and clicking laptop while I\’m talking is a roomfull of cellphone texting students.Since my writing classes are never larger than 22 students or so, it\’s manageable. Most students are uncomfortable with passing around their laptops on writing workshop or peer review days, so it\’s easy to require a printed draft. Laptops stay in the bags unless there\’s a research need. Creative writing classes are full of the most anti-tech folk on earth. It\’s a sea of Moleskines in there.Those profs who lecture with 50 to 100 students in front of them are usually talking to a wall of open laptops, all clicking on Facebook and email and such while taking notes. Yikes.During our plentiful university meetings, it\’s rare to see someone clicking away during the droning – usually the sign of a \”Baby Doc\” who hasn\’t yet learned to transistion from student to instructor.
I\’m so glad you asked that. The only thing that enrages me more than an open and clicking laptop while I\’m talking is a roomfull of cellphone texting students.Since my writing classes are never larger than 22 students or so, it\’s manageable. Most students are uncomfortable with passing around their laptops on writing workshop or peer review days, so it\’s easy to require a printed draft. Laptops stay in the bags unless there\’s a research need. Creative writing classes are full of the most anti-tech folk on earth. It\’s a sea of Moleskines in there.Those profs who lecture with 50 to 100 students in front of them are usually talking to a wall of open laptops, all clicking on Facebook and email and such while taking notes. Yikes.During our plentiful university meetings, it\’s rare to see someone clicking away during the droning – usually the sign of a \”Baby Doc\” who hasn\’t yet learned to transistion from student to instructor.
At UNLV, I never see laptops. They are so rare that persons that actually do bring them in stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. I only did it once, and the sound of my cooling fan seemed so loud I was embarrassed into not bringing it again. Oh, and that XKCD comic cracked me up when I saw it too. I am also having a hard time breaking all of my bad computer habits. Ctrl-I, Ctrl-A and Ctrl-T do not seem to work on a Remington for some reason…
At UNLV, I never see laptops. They are so rare that persons that actually do bring them in stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. I only did it once, and the sound of my cooling fan seemed so loud I was embarrassed into not bringing it again. Oh, and that XKCD comic cracked me up when I saw it too. I am also having a hard time breaking all of my bad computer habits. Ctrl-I, Ctrl-A and Ctrl-T do not seem to work on a Remington for some reason…
What would happen with a real travel typer, I wonder? Hrmmmm…Actually, I can\’t imagine trying to lecture over someone typing, much less a room full of typists. At least the AlphaSmarts are tres quiet, and Moleskines quieter still.
What would happen with a real travel typer, I wonder? Hrmmmm…Actually, I can\’t imagine trying to lecture over someone typing, much less a room full of typists. At least the AlphaSmarts are tres quiet, and Moleskines quieter still.
No Telling 
So sadly true. So here\’s something you can answer. Do college students these days spend the duration of a class with open laptops? How does that work exactly? I know writing classes are more interactive than your typical lecture hall kinds of classes, but still. There is no WAY I could have paid a shred of attention in class with a laptop around. Here in corporate culture, it\’s just accepted that everyone is working/reading/chatting on open laptops while meeting leaders drone on.
So sadly true. So here\’s something you can answer. Do college students these days spend the duration of a class with open laptops? How does that work exactly? I know writing classes are more interactive than your typical lecture hall kinds of classes, but still. There is no WAY I could have paid a shred of attention in class with a laptop around. Here in corporate culture, it\’s just accepted that everyone is working/reading/chatting on open laptops while meeting leaders drone on.
I\’m so glad you asked that. The only thing that enrages me more than an open and clicking laptop while I\’m talking is a roomfull of cellphone texting students.Since my writing classes are never larger than 22 students or so, it\’s manageable. Most students are uncomfortable with passing around their laptops on writing workshop or peer review days, so it\’s easy to require a printed draft. Laptops stay in the bags unless there\’s a research need. Creative writing classes are full of the most anti-tech folk on earth. It\’s a sea of Moleskines in there.Those profs who lecture with 50 to 100 students in front of them are usually talking to a wall of open laptops, all clicking on Facebook and email and such while taking notes. Yikes.During our plentiful university meetings, it\’s rare to see someone clicking away during the droning – usually the sign of a \”Baby Doc\” who hasn\’t yet learned to transistion from student to instructor.
I\’m so glad you asked that. The only thing that enrages me more than an open and clicking laptop while I\’m talking is a roomfull of cellphone texting students.Since my writing classes are never larger than 22 students or so, it\’s manageable. Most students are uncomfortable with passing around their laptops on writing workshop or peer review days, so it\’s easy to require a printed draft. Laptops stay in the bags unless there\’s a research need. Creative writing classes are full of the most anti-tech folk on earth. It\’s a sea of Moleskines in there.Those profs who lecture with 50 to 100 students in front of them are usually talking to a wall of open laptops, all clicking on Facebook and email and such while taking notes. Yikes.During our plentiful university meetings, it\’s rare to see someone clicking away during the droning – usually the sign of a \”Baby Doc\” who hasn\’t yet learned to transistion from student to instructor.
At UNLV, I never see laptops. They are so rare that persons that actually do bring them in stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. I only did it once, and the sound of my cooling fan seemed so loud I was embarrassed into not bringing it again. Oh, and that XKCD comic cracked me up when I saw it too. I am also having a hard time breaking all of my bad computer habits. Ctrl-I, Ctrl-A and Ctrl-T do not seem to work on a Remington for some reason…
At UNLV, I never see laptops. They are so rare that persons that actually do bring them in stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. I only did it once, and the sound of my cooling fan seemed so loud I was embarrassed into not bringing it again. Oh, and that XKCD comic cracked me up when I saw it too. I am also having a hard time breaking all of my bad computer habits. Ctrl-I, Ctrl-A and Ctrl-T do not seem to work on a Remington for some reason…
What would happen with a real travel typer, I wonder? Hrmmmm…Actually, I can\’t imagine trying to lecture over someone typing, much less a room full of typists. At least the AlphaSmarts are tres quiet, and Moleskines quieter still.
What would happen with a real travel typer, I wonder? Hrmmmm…Actually, I can\’t imagine trying to lecture over someone typing, much less a room full of typists. At least the AlphaSmarts are tres quiet, and Moleskines quieter still.