I Hate Hand Cramps

What should we do?  We should let personal technologies be permitted in classrooms on campus!  Why?  Because it helps students to meet their academic goals and increases productivity and effectiveness.  My claim is policy or procedure claim because it argues that there is something that should be done: a universal change in university policy.  To be able to convince my entire audience (students, professors, personnel, etc.)  I will first make an appeal supporting the student-teacher relationship and the importance of the classroom experience.  I shall use a friendly tone and a delicate voice to catch my prey… the professors!  There are still some archaic notions dwelling on this campus.  For example, that if students are given the opportunity to waste classroom time, they will.  Also, that if something electronic is put in their hands, they will be distracted.  It is true that there is a minority of students here at BYU that will abuse if given the privilege.  Thus, I must be tactful in my approach. 

My evidence will mostly revolve around the fact that if given the liberty, students will use the technology for good!  I will share personal experiences that we can all relate to.  For example, how often does your professor use a big word that you just can’t understand and you have the temptation to get on your dictionary application to look it up, but you hesitate, worriedly putting your phone away for fear that your professor will accuse you of texting in class.  The righteous should not live by fear!  How many of us type faster than we write by hand?  Personally, I get sick of the hand cramps and the smeared ink.  I prefer using a good word processing application to help me to organize and neatly keep my lecture notes.  But there are some classes at BYU where this is not allowed!

The argument must be that BYU students are good people and that the great majority will not abuse this privilege.  I have already mentioned that there will be a minority that will abuse personal technologies if given the liberty to use them in class.  But this is the same minority that is going to doodle, sleep, pick their nose and stare at the pretty/handsome girl/guy in class instead of pay attention to what the lecturer has to say at that given moment in time.  Why should the rest of us be punished?  The stakes are too high.  The advantages are too great.  We should change.