Week 5: Digital Distractions in a Wireless Classroom

• Admittedly, while classroom access to the Internet has constituted an outstanding teaching tool, it can also be a barrier to learning. In this sense, it's like a double-edged sword. We have come to realize that modern technology has created too many rude technology users. More than frequently, we frown at someone's endless chat on a phone in public or one’s cell going off in the middle of a presentation or lecture. Last semester one of our instructors seriously declared that our laptops must be turned off during lecture period.
• With IT being integrated into the classroom, more and more instructors complain about students’ websurfing, text-messaging or gaming during class. Just how to combat technology distractions? From my perspective, it's far from a good solution to shut off the wireless however tempting it is. To reclaim the classroom of etiquette education sounds better. Students should learn to be sensitive to classroom etiquette. Once ground rules are established and everyone is aware of the importance of staying on task, we’ll no longer suffer. Instructors don’t have to be frightened by technology distractions.
• It’s comforting to see that regardless of how effective a role modern technology plays in instruction, there is still a need for a well-trained expert to be in front of the class and discuss the substantive areas of their field. Modern technology has put more pressure and made our teachers' job even more challenging because our lectures should be more appealing to our students than whatever the modern technoloy provides. Hence, all that is worth trying for teachers is to be an expert in our field but not to be distracted by those distractions.