Laptop Luxury?

I need to vent. I find it a little ridiculous that in my last semester of university, some professors have decided to ban laptops in the classroom. In a Media, Information and Technoculture program? Am I hearing this right?

Maybe I’m just one of those people that always need to be connected. Or maybe, I just like taking really good notes. After taking notes on a computer for the past 3.5 years, I have become accustomed to typing notes, instead of hand writing them. Typing notes allows me to take down information quickly and accurately, and I’m not left asking my neighbour if he/she caught the last bit of the professor’s sentence. Now my professors want to remove a tool for my success? That’s like taking away candy from a child.

Some professors claim that they “regret” doing this, but laptops are “distractive.” Of course they are. Facebook, MSN, and Perez Hilton are just a few of the ways to pass time for some students. We are paying for our education, and what we do, or don’t do on our computers, is our business. However, the reason I purchased my laptop in first year, was for academic purposes. It is still used for that, and I feel that if most professors deem laptop use acceptable, then banning them in certain classes is obstructing students from lecture information.

If you have a doctor’s note regarding laptop use, then you may use one. I do not disagree with this whatsoever, except this singles out those who may have a medical or learning disability, which is unacceptable.

I feel that until the University of Western Ontario decides to ban laptops in all classes, then it should not be done at the free will of the professor. Laptops have never been considered a luxury until now. There has never been any rules regarding the use of them, and deciding to remove them from the classroom hurts the students more than the teachers.