Interesting conversation last week: laptops in the classroom. Concerning laptop use by secondary ed. students, Tony was quick to note that students in his math class on the laptops were off-task. UGA Prof. Dr Holschuh, as an experiment, took a full load of undergraduate classes and noted that 50 % of the students in her intro economics that were on the laptop were off-task. After the first exam, laptop use dropped significantly. Towards the end of the semester, every student still on a laptop was off-task. In our graduate level technology class, the laptop that I can view (1) is off-task 100% of the time. Also, if the classroom discussion is covering mid-term review comments, the lecture discussion is PowerPoint and "clicker" systems and your on e-portfolios, your off-task as well. So, the idea there isn't a common thread that ties secondary ed. students with undergraduates with grad. students concerning off-task behavior and laptop use isn't based upon a firm foundation. I also wonder if we are focusing on the wrong group of students. What about the surrounding students being distracted by the laptop even if the person using it is on task? Clearly, one person in our class made the comment that laptop use bothered them; however, I didn't see anyone putting their laptop away...not for a second.