Here is Reason No. 3 for why I do not let students use technology in the classroom (and, students, I HOPE you are reading this!):
Because, as Anne Frank once said, “paper has more patience.”
Simply put, I would rather that students spend their note-taking time quickly capturing key points of my lectures rather than negotiating with a software application. And remember this: I spent 25+ years in high technology and am, perhaps more than any of your instructors, readily familiar with that time when we did NOT have software to help us take notes.
I watched the development of software for personal computers, technology which held the promise of freeing us from the many arduous, manual, and error-ridden processes of our day. I was even a “beta tester” of products like Microsoft Word and Power Point. Excel was especially game-changing for accountants, like me, in their work both on the job and at home. I consider myself a “power user” of these products.
But not once did I stop taking notes by hand.
Why? Because paper has more patience than software. Miss one important stroke or input and all your work is lost. Not so with paper.
A battery goes dead and your ability to take notes goes with it. Not so with paper.
Software is finicky. Paper has far more patience.
Fiddling with software will distract you and you WILL MISS important points in a lecture, many of which will be on a test someday, or more importantly, which could come in handy in your professional practice as an educator.
So, I don’t let students use technology in my classroom. I want them to quickly jot down an important point and to return to active listening.
