I came across this very interesting OP-ED in the NYTIMES today.
The best line from it is where his Dad says, "I thought you were a liberal." This perfectly captures my view on the issue. It is interesting to watch professors give up their long-held views when it comes to THEIR classroom. It is interesting how easily hypocrisy seeps in. Maybe I am being tough on professors by saying so, but they should not take the mindset of classroom dictators. Yes, they have information that we need to learn from them. They govern how they teach, but we govern how we learn. Who's to say that because they know what needs to be taught that they know how I should learn?
As a non-net surfer in law school, this reminds me of the time that I got bumped down from my final grade in Family Law because of lack of attendance. That just seems the dumbest thing ever to me. Maybe it's because you are such a good teacher that I was able to learn what I needed to know to do well, in a shorter period of time. Or, in the alternative- maybe you shouldn't give take-home examinations to students whose one, absolutely solid skill, is research. I'm just saying . . .
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Interesting you would post this now... not looking at the internet during class is like being told you can't use the internet at work unless it's work related - when you have no work to do!
For me surfing the internet and gchatting where how I got through law school. First semester, first year I didn't bring my laptop and so instead of surfing the internet I fell asleep.
Professors need to get over themselves. Most of law school is boring. When your class isn't boring your students are engaged and don't want to play on the internet. In my experience, that happened in about three classes over three years!
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