Do you actually use your laptop to take notes, or just goof off?

a little of both, for me

In the classroom or at a conference/meeting/seminar, I only use it for notes. I’m paying for the education, so I should be paying attention.

I take notes when I know I’ll need them, and goof off when I don’t need any notes. One of my profs called me out the other day (the class has like 20)

I hate taking my laptop to school (I walk) so when I do take it I make sure I put it to good use. However, towards the end of the year when I’m just sick of school I find myself distracted by a little game of solitaire here and there… I can’t do much else than that though cause there are always people sitting behind me and immediately next to me and I wouldn’t want them reading say one of my posts on Fluther or something.

In class, my laptop is never used for goofing off. Most of the professors I’ve had won’t let me use a laptop at all, though, because they’re convinced that no student is capable of exhibiting the self-control required to avoid goofing off. It’s quite frustrating, because I’m pretty much entirely incapable of taking notes by hand. My handwriting is legible, but way too slow. Also, my methods require the liquidity of non-paper notes.

I’ve explained all of this to professors in the past, but never to any avail. When they won’t budge, I make it clear that their policy will prevent me from being able to take notes. They never care, since they don’t think I would be taking notes anyway.

I don’t mean to blanket-vilify my professors, but this just happens to be a matter of particular frustration for me.

(addendum: This is most frustrating in those cases where professors grade the students’ notes at the end of the semester.)

@aidje If you really do think that your taking notes with a laptop helps measurably, talk to the ombuds office at your school. If you can cite examples of classes where having access to technology improved your learning, they should be willing to act as an advocate for you to the difficult faculty members. If you’ve tried that, you can call me out for being naïve.

I’m usually working on something else during meetings if I take my laptop; email, trouble tickets, documentation, “professional development” (lots of important topics are discussed on web sites). It is very disrespectful. Almost as disrespectful as wasting everyone’s time by having a meeting on a topic that doesn’t require everyone’s full attention.

If I’m taking my laptop to class, I’m taking notes on it. Of course if I’m taking a laptop to class, I’m usually taking a craptop that isn’t good for much more than notes so the Internet isn’t really even a threat.

I’m in my Classic Literature class as I type this….and I’m not taking notes ;)

I am at a Math training at my district’s office—and I am on Fluther. When it is mandatory (like ridiculous trainings taught by morons), I usually goof around. It’s my way of sticking it to the man, whatever that really means.