It’s only fair that I start this column off by saying this: I am extremely challenged when it comes to technology. No really, it’s amazing that I can manage to run my iPhone and laptop as well as I do. Many times I find technology extremely frustrating, as it doesn’t do what I want it to, or it chooses to stop functioning right around the time I need it most. 

My excuse? I repel technology. Ask anyone else and they might mention that it has a little something more to do with the operator of the technology than the technology itself. I will leave that conclusion up to you. 

However, my point is, in this day and age, technology is extremely important. Without access to it, we might be completely disconnected and lost. Take classes for example. Each class here at SDSU is required to use D2L, at the very least to post their contact information and syllabus. In my experience, most classes use D2L and technology in general for more than this. Quizzes, tests, discussion posts, dropbox assignments, and class handouts are just a few of the ways teachers reach their students and assess their learning. 

Every year, our websites and technology are changed and improved (I suppose this also depends on who you ask) so we can better connect and ultimately move forward. 

What I find most interesting about this is that there are still classes with instructors who do not allow the use of computers in class. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the ultimate concern is that students are using their technology for things other than class material and therefore are distracted from learning. But at this point, with as much emphasis as we place on technology and its required use in courses, one would think having a laptop open in class would be accepted. 

It only makes sense to be allowed to access the handouts posted on D2L (so paper isn’t wasted) yet we as students are required to either print them off ourselves or remember the information instead of simply pulling up the document on our computer. 

Furthermore, as students who have grown up in the age of technology, many of us are faster using technology than we are doing things by hand, such as taking notes or searching for an answer to a question. With the use of technology we have access to vast amounts of information at our fingertips, which could quite possibly enhance a discussion in class, or help us to learn more about the courses content in general. 

Ultimately I feel that if the student chooses to spend class time on Facebook and Twitter instead of following the lecture, taking notes, or contributing to class, in the end it will show in their grade. If a student misses the announcement about the quiz next class, or the assignment that was added to the syllabus, because they aren’t paying attention, well that is their issue. 

College is all about responsibility, accountability and preparation for the “real world”. In the “real world” we are going to have to use technology, and we will have access to it at almost any time. It only makes sense to allow the use of it in class. 

 

Madison Anderson is the Opinion Editor at The Collegian. She can be reached at [email protected]