Technology Policy

tl;dr: Technology is amazing! It is also distracting. Please be mindful of your technology use, stay present in the class, and refrain from using your laptop or tablet for any non-class-related activities while in class.

longer version: We now have the attention spans of goldfish. I believe that laptops, cell phones, and other electronic devices largely serve as an irritant and a distraction from classroom discussion. A significant body of research also supports the conclusion that handwritten notetaking is correlated with better performance in class.

Please be mindful of your technology use in class and thoughtful about whether what you are doing on your laptop or phone might be distracting for your classmates.

• If you are participating in person, I encourage you to use full screen mode to display your text or notes, or tile your text and notes side-by-side in the full screen, to avoid having multiple windows open at once.
• If you are participating in class remotely, I encourage you to have Zoom in full screen mode or side-by-side with your notes and/or text.

Due to the occasional need for two-factor authentication, you should bring your cell phone to class. However, I ask that you silence it during the session. I will ask students who are texting or using a phone during class to leave.

Zoom Policies

• Some of you will be participating in class via Zoom every class and some of you will need to participate via Zoom at various points this semester in order to comply with the University’s and the law school’s pandemic-related policies.
• In addition, for the same reasons, there may be times during the semester when I need to hold class on Zoom. If this happens, I will give you at least 24 hours notice to inform you of the change.
• If you normally attend class in person but plan to attend via Zoom on a given day, you do not need to tell me in advance or provide any explanation. You will be counted as “present” whether you attend remotely or in person, as long as you are in class synchronously and on time. If you are attending via Zoom, and an internet disruption or other technical interruption makes it impossible for you to attend class, please let me know via email. Zoom sessions will be recorded and posted on Canvas.
• It is easy to get distracted when learning online. To the extent possible and reasonable, please try to find a quiet place to participate in class that facilitates a positive learning environment for you. You might also want to consider disabling “self view” in order to simulate a classroom experience.
• If you are joining by Zoom, I prefer, but do not require, that you turn your camera on. I recognize that you may be joining us from a childhood bedroom, a spare closet, or a backyard (if you’re lucky). No judgment here! Likewise, if your child, partner, or pet wanders into the Zoom frame, don’t worry about it. Life happens.
• Please keep your microphone muted unless you are speaking. Please use the “raise hand” function to participate in class. If you have technical difficulties or need me to speak up, please use the “raise hand” function or the chat function. Please do not otherwise use the chat function unless absolutely necessary, as I find it distracting.