Should I email the kid?

[kaysixteen]

So I have a kid in class who i have let take notes on his laptop.  He does turn in his written assignments typed, and his in class quiz handwriting is poor, but he has no written disability accommodations giving him the actual right to do so.  In class Thursday he started to laugh after I had said something that wasn't meant to be humorous.  I asked him what was funny whereupon he commented on the funny movie review of The Joker he was reading then online, and asked me if I'd seen the picture.  I mumbled something about not having done so, that Cesar Romero was always going to be the Joker for me, and moved on.  Later I was thinking that I probably should email him telling him thanks for his honesty but if I find him online in class again I will take away laptop notetaking privilege and maker him use pen and paper, but I am hesitating because even I can think of several potential downsides to doing that...thoughts?

[Hegemony]

If he has no formal accommodations allowing him to use a computer during class, I would shut it down right away.  My own approach would just to stop him as he's opening up his laptop as class starts: "Jason, no more computers.  Yeah, well, you know, Joker reviews are not what we're studying in this class.  So, let's get started...."  And then just continue.  I don't see any reason to pussyfoot around about it, and I think you lose control of the class if you take a timid approach.  The second he started laughing and said he was reading a review, I would have said, "No more of that.  Put the computer away now," and just stood there smiling cheerfully until he had put it away. 

Even though they don't plan it out exactly this way, they're testing you to see what they can get away with, and this kid now is smugly confident that he can get away with quite a lot.  Laughing out loud and revealing that he was reading irrelevant stuff suggests that he was pretty sure he could get away with it, and you confirmed it by shrugging at his disrespect.  The other kids are likely bothered by it too.  So I think your best bet is to retake control: no more computer for him, or for anyone without formal accommodations. 

I never let the students get on their computers in my classes.  I once audited a class at my own university, and the prof had completely ceded control of things, so that I could see that the students all around me were surfing eBay, watching TV programs, emailing their friends, watching porn...  It was so bad, and everyone was so disengaged, and the class was so demoralized, that I gave up and surfed the web during class myself.  That's how tempting it is.  Best for everyone not to give them the opportunity.  Another issue is why this one kid is allowed to be on his laptop, while I presume others are not, or don't know they are. Just because he asked or pressured you?  That's not fair to the others and not helping him particularly.  Take the control back and put a stop to it.

[polly_mer]

If he has no formal accommodations allowing him to use a computer during class, I would shut it down right away.  My own approach would just to stop him as he's opening up his laptop as class starts: "Jason, no more computers.  Yeah, well, you know, Joker reviews are not what we're studying in this class.  So, let's get started...."  And then just continue.  I don't see any reason to pussyfoot around about it, and I think you lose control of the class if you take a timid approach.  The second he started laughing and said he was reading a review, I would have said, "No more of that.  Put the computer away now," and just stood there smiling cheerfully until he had put it away. 

I agree with Hegemony.  The student is being disruptive to the class instead of being an adult who is using a tool to help him learn.

How did people end up in this remedial class in the first place?  A substantial contributor is likely to be not enough firm guidance on how to learn, or at least pretend to be toeing the line, in the first place.

[kaysixteen]

I did email that kid and took away his computer privileges.  He emailed back telling me no problem, that'he had no problems with that'.  I sent him a thank you reply.  Then today, no computer... Just headphones.  Today i confess I all but lost my patience with the phones, directly telling them that, and that they had to cut it out.  I almost broke down and wailed about disrespect, etc., but thankfully kept my composure.  Still, within mere moments, phones back out for several repeat offenders, others clearly doing other things, with one young woman with head on desk (admittedly she is probably the most disengaged student).  I drove home really depressed... Then I noticed when working my retail job that craploads of customers, mostly but not all under 35 or so, are on their phones in the store all the time, even when the cashier is trying to interact with them.  This got me to thinking I am thankful these phones weren't around when i was in college and grad school.... But I still want to at least try to do something about it.

[Hegemony]

Whenever you try to make people change something they're used to, even if it really needs to change, there's an "extinction burst" — a burst of testing of the boundaries — to see if they can wear you out or make you relent.  Harriet Lerner calls it a "Change back!" response.  This was merely the "Change back!"  Hold the line and they will get with the program.