Aaron D. Neufeld

Aaron D. Neufeld- BLOG #27- ‘Look Up Here Gang, It’s Humanoid Hour’

“Look up here gang, it’s humanoid hour!” This is a quote I’ve heard more than a few times in Professor Baldwin’s class. When he says it, he is trying to get the attention of his class, whose attention is often diverted by laptops, cell phones, and other digital devices. He wants his class to be focused on him and what he is saying, rather than texting or e-mail. But I thought about Professor Baldwin’s catchphrase for a while and determined it carries a lot of weight with it.

This cute quip actually brings out the issue of technology in the classroom. While many schools, both public and private, early childhood through college, are “advancing” with the addition of smart boards and integrating technology in the classroom, is that really a good thing? The more technology added to the classroom, the more opportunity for deviant behavior, as students are likely to engage themselves in other activities aside from paying attention to the class and the topic at hand. While technology allows for certain benefits in the classroom, it can also be detrimental and cause disruption.

Instead of person to person contact, students are more focused on communication through electronic and digital means. It may not seem like a big deal, but their focus is everywhere but where it belongs. Texting and laptop usage are still relatively new in classrooms these days, so it will be interesting to see how it influences class teaching as time moves on.