-
Essay / A Rhetorical Analysis of Susan Dynarski's Advocacy to Ban Laptops in Classrooms
Technology is permeating every aspect of our lives. From the simple smartphone that no one will leave the house without to the extremely advanced autonomous driving software evolving in the automotive industry, technology plays a dominant role in everyday interactions and tasks. On the surface, it seems that technology acts as a tool to make things faster, easier and more efficient. However, according to professor Susan Dynarski, this seems to have the opposite effect in the classroom. In “Laptops are awesome. But not during a conference or meeting. Dynarski discusses the negative effects of using laptops in school. Dynarski lists experiments to support his reasoning and encourages other teachers to follow his example in banning electronics. Dynarski says using laptops in class distracts students and teachers should ban them from their classrooms. While advocating for laptop-free classrooms, Dynarski successfully uses specific word choices and rhetorical elements to present his reasoning and evidence to readers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay in “Laptops Are Awesome.” But not during a lecture or meeting,” Susan Dynarski, a professor at the University of Michigan, shares her thoughts in a November 2017 New York Times publication. Dynarski says her class is an exception to the many electronic lectures, even if There may be an advantage for the devices. Dynarski says there's plenty of evidence showing that laptops hurt students' performance more than they help them. Additionally, Dynarski defines “selection bias” and refers to six different experiments conducted regarding the use of laptops in classrooms. Experiments are used as evidence to refute counterarguments and see the most negative effects of laptops. Dynarski concludes his article by suggesting that more research be done on laptops in college. Dynarski reiterates his opinion, this time with one exception: students with disabilities. Dynarski knowingly states that this can represent a loss of privacy for these students, but emphasizes the pros versus the cons. Dynarski ends by suggesting that teachers at all levels should follow his example in the classroom. Dynarski is no stranger to writing these compelling articles. Since earning a bachelor's degree in social studies and a master's degree in public policy, both from Harvard, as well as a doctorate in economics from MIT, Dynarski's writing has focused on influencing readers to they're improving student financial aid, debating the effectiveness of charter schools, and challenging readers. to discuss the effects of tuition on private school attendance. Generally keeping these educational topics in mind, Dynarski targets students, teachers, and academia influencers. Dynarski now works as a professor of economics, education and public policy at the University of Michigan. In her classes, Dynarski saw first-hand the effects of using a laptop. Dynarski deliberately writes to show his audience the negative effects of electronics and persuade readers to stop using laptops in the classroom. Due to its publication in the New YorkTimes, “Laptops are awesome. But not during a conference or meeting. is more likely to be received by an older generation who are readers of the newspaper and who are potentially part of a more liberal demographic than readers of other newspapers. Nevertheless, Dynarski's article remains credible due to the newspaper's good reputation and history. Aside from some aspects of Dynarski's audience, the newspaper's readers might not be as tech savvy, and those readers are more likely to agree with Dynarski's stance against laptops. The opposite effect may occur for progressive readers of the newspaper who advocate technological advances in social environments such as the classroom. As Dynarski writes to convince readers to stop using electronics in the classroom, one part of his target audience that might be missing is students. Today's younger generation of students is much less likely to read and receive information in a newspaper, especially since they have access to a wide variety of information and sources on the Internet. Fortunately, the rest of Dynarski's desired audience of teachers and professors are more likely to read articles in the New York Times, giving Dynarski an ideal platform to convince members of the academic community that laptops should be banned from classrooms. In the article, Dynarski's choice of words plays an important role in convincing his audience. She uses specific words to draw attention to a point or to emphasize part of her argument. When Dynarski refers to laptops as a form of visual pollution, she creates a negative association in the readers' minds. These striking images contribute to the development of Dynarski's argument that laptops are unsuitable for the classroom. Dynarski also conjures up an image in readers' minds when he references the many bright, open laptops that viewers will see used by a sea of students upon entering a classroom. When Dynarski writes like this, it evokes emotion in the reader. This visualization makes the class feel detached and impersonal through the use of laptops. With these distinctive word choices, Dynarski's position and the information is presented effectively because it creates a negative feeling from the reader towards laptops, which will help Dynarski's argument against them move forward. Along with word choice, Dynarski uses numerous facts to present his argument to the readers. In the article, Dynarski's main proposition is that using laptops in the classroom is distracting and that teachers should ban them from their classrooms. Dynarski cites experiments from York University and McMaster University illustrating that not only students with laptops, but also their surrounding classmates were distracted by electronics. Dynarski explains this negative externality by visual pollution. The screen attracts viewers' attention and distracts them from focusing on the class. Dynarski references this experience to convince readers that laptops really are distracting. The use of facts in Dynarski's article helps convince the audience of his arguments and gives readers the feeling that the claims are indisputable. In addition to using facts in his argument, Dynarski also references several reputable universities to support his ideas..