Resisting the Technology Temptation in Class

Today while I was sitting in my very comfortable spot in the back row of class, I counted roughly seven out of 10 students on the Internet and chatting with friends on their laptops, instead of paying attention in class. Although I am a very avid technology fan (and would probably melt away at the thought of going without the Internet for a whole day), I am appalled at the passive learning that is done within our classrooms due to the introduction of technology.

Since starting nursing school, I have not had a single teacher give a lecture without using a PowerPoint presentation. This means that the majority of the students will either sit and read off of a PowerPoint or occupy their time on the internet pretending to pay attention. This is not to stay that I have never once checked my e-mail during class or had the temptation to check the news or otherwise distract myself from a boring lecture. It is way too tempting for us technology junkies. But how do we solve this problem? How do we get back to the basics of learning?

One thing that I think all schools should look into is blocking certain Web sites and programs. Most classes need to have access to the Internet for research and for accessing the school’s Web site and class sites, so it is not realistic to have the Internet completely blocked in the classroom, but blocking the major social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, as well as MSN Messenger would probably greatly improve students’ attention.

Another thing that I think all students must do is to take their education into their own hands. One thing that I have had to do to prevent temptation is to simply close my laptop. Although I write much more slowly than I type, I have discovered that my grades have increased and my studying has gone much more smoothly with handwritten notes. It is such a powerful moment to make eye contact with a teacher and actually comprehend the words that are coming out of his/her mouth, instead of being buried behind a computer screen.

I would also suggest to all of the teachers out there to greatly cut back on the amount of PowerPoint presentations you give in your class. It increases passivity in the classroom and cuts back on good old fashioned learning.

So let’s all try to do our part and use technology when it is needed and use our brains for the rest.