How to handle teacher who doesn't let me use my phone?

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Inspired by another question where a user asks how to handle students with a phone, my question is from the opposite perspective: what is the correct response when a teacher asks one to put away the phone?



This actually recently happened to me (a few months ago), and for obvious reasons (not wanting to interrupt the flow of the lecture, not wanting to have a falling out with the professor, etc), I just put my phone down.



But to be honest, I don't think that's the correct response, or at least I feel this is not the way it should be, because I find such demands inappropiate for a number of reasons, and so I shouldn't be giving in to them, should I?




My reasonings:



First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.



Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.



Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.










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  • 10




    I am always amazed that people always claim "I only use it to look up relevant info for the class", I have walked past students so engrossed in the game they are playing during my class that they don't even notice I walked by (6'3" and 110kg...) - So I concentrate on the students making a real effort...
    – Solar Mike
    5 hours ago










  • It sounds like you are very angry at this hypothetical professor. Try to think rationally about this...
    – user2357
    4 hours ago






  • 7




    The correct response is to put away your phone, and then (following your own advice) approach the professor after lecture or during break if you have a problem.
    – JeffE
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    If your instructor asked you to put it away it means he/she/it saw it and probably was disturbed by it...Also you'd be surprised how often students use their phone, and then, couple minutes later they ask us to repeat something we just missed.... Even if you use it for "10 seconds" (which probably is much longer than 10 second) to check something the teacher just covered, in that time you'll probably miss some information...
    – Nick S
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    "I find it highly disrespectful ..." That is exactly what the professor feels. We put a lot of time and effort into our courses, and it can be very distracting to see someone who is not paying attention, even in the back of the class. Paying attention is a matter of respect. You absolutely WILL miss something important by looking at your phone, even for 10 seconds.
    – DRShort
    3 hours ago














up vote
3
down vote

favorite
1












Inspired by another question where a user asks how to handle students with a phone, my question is from the opposite perspective: what is the correct response when a teacher asks one to put away the phone?



This actually recently happened to me (a few months ago), and for obvious reasons (not wanting to interrupt the flow of the lecture, not wanting to have a falling out with the professor, etc), I just put my phone down.



But to be honest, I don't think that's the correct response, or at least I feel this is not the way it should be, because I find such demands inappropiate for a number of reasons, and so I shouldn't be giving in to them, should I?




My reasonings:



First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.



Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.



Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.










share|improve this question







New contributor




SAK is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 10




    I am always amazed that people always claim "I only use it to look up relevant info for the class", I have walked past students so engrossed in the game they are playing during my class that they don't even notice I walked by (6'3" and 110kg...) - So I concentrate on the students making a real effort...
    – Solar Mike
    5 hours ago










  • It sounds like you are very angry at this hypothetical professor. Try to think rationally about this...
    – user2357
    4 hours ago






  • 7




    The correct response is to put away your phone, and then (following your own advice) approach the professor after lecture or during break if you have a problem.
    – JeffE
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    If your instructor asked you to put it away it means he/she/it saw it and probably was disturbed by it...Also you'd be surprised how often students use their phone, and then, couple minutes later they ask us to repeat something we just missed.... Even if you use it for "10 seconds" (which probably is much longer than 10 second) to check something the teacher just covered, in that time you'll probably miss some information...
    – Nick S
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    "I find it highly disrespectful ..." That is exactly what the professor feels. We put a lot of time and effort into our courses, and it can be very distracting to see someone who is not paying attention, even in the back of the class. Paying attention is a matter of respect. You absolutely WILL miss something important by looking at your phone, even for 10 seconds.
    – DRShort
    3 hours ago












up vote
3
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
3
down vote

favorite
1






1





Inspired by another question where a user asks how to handle students with a phone, my question is from the opposite perspective: what is the correct response when a teacher asks one to put away the phone?



This actually recently happened to me (a few months ago), and for obvious reasons (not wanting to interrupt the flow of the lecture, not wanting to have a falling out with the professor, etc), I just put my phone down.



But to be honest, I don't think that's the correct response, or at least I feel this is not the way it should be, because I find such demands inappropiate for a number of reasons, and so I shouldn't be giving in to them, should I?




My reasonings:



First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.



Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.



Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.










share|improve this question







New contributor




SAK is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Inspired by another question where a user asks how to handle students with a phone, my question is from the opposite perspective: what is the correct response when a teacher asks one to put away the phone?



This actually recently happened to me (a few months ago), and for obvious reasons (not wanting to interrupt the flow of the lecture, not wanting to have a falling out with the professor, etc), I just put my phone down.



But to be honest, I don't think that's the correct response, or at least I feel this is not the way it should be, because I find such demands inappropiate for a number of reasons, and so I shouldn't be giving in to them, should I?




My reasonings:



First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.



Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.



Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.







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Check out our Code of Conduct.







  • 10




    I am always amazed that people always claim "I only use it to look up relevant info for the class", I have walked past students so engrossed in the game they are playing during my class that they don't even notice I walked by (6'3" and 110kg...) - So I concentrate on the students making a real effort...
    – Solar Mike
    5 hours ago










  • It sounds like you are very angry at this hypothetical professor. Try to think rationally about this...
    – user2357
    4 hours ago






  • 7




    The correct response is to put away your phone, and then (following your own advice) approach the professor after lecture or during break if you have a problem.
    – JeffE
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    If your instructor asked you to put it away it means he/she/it saw it and probably was disturbed by it...Also you'd be surprised how often students use their phone, and then, couple minutes later they ask us to repeat something we just missed.... Even if you use it for "10 seconds" (which probably is much longer than 10 second) to check something the teacher just covered, in that time you'll probably miss some information...
    – Nick S
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    "I find it highly disrespectful ..." That is exactly what the professor feels. We put a lot of time and effort into our courses, and it can be very distracting to see someone who is not paying attention, even in the back of the class. Paying attention is a matter of respect. You absolutely WILL miss something important by looking at your phone, even for 10 seconds.
    – DRShort
    3 hours ago












  • 10




    I am always amazed that people always claim "I only use it to look up relevant info for the class", I have walked past students so engrossed in the game they are playing during my class that they don't even notice I walked by (6'3" and 110kg...) - So I concentrate on the students making a real effort...
    – Solar Mike
    5 hours ago










  • It sounds like you are very angry at this hypothetical professor. Try to think rationally about this...
    – user2357
    4 hours ago






  • 7




    The correct response is to put away your phone, and then (following your own advice) approach the professor after lecture or during break if you have a problem.
    – JeffE
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    If your instructor asked you to put it away it means he/she/it saw it and probably was disturbed by it...Also you'd be surprised how often students use their phone, and then, couple minutes later they ask us to repeat something we just missed.... Even if you use it for "10 seconds" (which probably is much longer than 10 second) to check something the teacher just covered, in that time you'll probably miss some information...
    – Nick S
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    "I find it highly disrespectful ..." That is exactly what the professor feels. We put a lot of time and effort into our courses, and it can be very distracting to see someone who is not paying attention, even in the back of the class. Paying attention is a matter of respect. You absolutely WILL miss something important by looking at your phone, even for 10 seconds.
    – DRShort
    3 hours ago







10




10




I am always amazed that people always claim "I only use it to look up relevant info for the class", I have walked past students so engrossed in the game they are playing during my class that they don't even notice I walked by (6'3" and 110kg...) - So I concentrate on the students making a real effort...
– Solar Mike
5 hours ago




I am always amazed that people always claim "I only use it to look up relevant info for the class", I have walked past students so engrossed in the game they are playing during my class that they don't even notice I walked by (6'3" and 110kg...) - So I concentrate on the students making a real effort...
– Solar Mike
5 hours ago












It sounds like you are very angry at this hypothetical professor. Try to think rationally about this...
– user2357
4 hours ago




It sounds like you are very angry at this hypothetical professor. Try to think rationally about this...
– user2357
4 hours ago




7




7




The correct response is to put away your phone, and then (following your own advice) approach the professor after lecture or during break if you have a problem.
– JeffE
4 hours ago




The correct response is to put away your phone, and then (following your own advice) approach the professor after lecture or during break if you have a problem.
– JeffE
4 hours ago




2




2




If your instructor asked you to put it away it means he/she/it saw it and probably was disturbed by it...Also you'd be surprised how often students use their phone, and then, couple minutes later they ask us to repeat something we just missed.... Even if you use it for "10 seconds" (which probably is much longer than 10 second) to check something the teacher just covered, in that time you'll probably miss some information...
– Nick S
4 hours ago




If your instructor asked you to put it away it means he/she/it saw it and probably was disturbed by it...Also you'd be surprised how often students use their phone, and then, couple minutes later they ask us to repeat something we just missed.... Even if you use it for "10 seconds" (which probably is much longer than 10 second) to check something the teacher just covered, in that time you'll probably miss some information...
– Nick S
4 hours ago




2




2




"I find it highly disrespectful ..." That is exactly what the professor feels. We put a lot of time and effort into our courses, and it can be very distracting to see someone who is not paying attention, even in the back of the class. Paying attention is a matter of respect. You absolutely WILL miss something important by looking at your phone, even for 10 seconds.
– DRShort
3 hours ago




"I find it highly disrespectful ..." That is exactly what the professor feels. We put a lot of time and effort into our courses, and it can be very distracting to see someone who is not paying attention, even in the back of the class. Paying attention is a matter of respect. You absolutely WILL miss something important by looking at your phone, even for 10 seconds.
– DRShort
3 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

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up vote
5
down vote













There is a dimension that you aren't considering. While it might be benign if one person does something, it might be less fine if everyone does it. Others might not be so good about turning off ringers, etc. Others might just decide to play games or chat with friends. It is hard to let this happen and also assure that it isn't disruptive.



The reason for the policy, I suspect, is that the instructor wants you to focus on what is going on in the class - exclusively. Even ten seconds away can cause you to miss something important.



But, I also suggest not getting into a fight with your professor ("handling teacher"). It isn't a fight worth having if you are so likely to lose it. Generally such rules, which may seem unreasonable to you, are put in place for valid educational reasons. There are tradeoffs, of course, but they usually favor paying attention.



There are other ways to be an effective learner that don't require electronics. They have been used for millennia.



I have written about effective classroom learning strategies that require only index cards and a pen/pencil at CS Educators as well as in other answers on this site.






share|improve this answer






















  • The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
    – O. R. Mapper
    5 hours ago






  • 3




    @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
    – Buffy
    5 hours ago










  • I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
    – O. R. Mapper
    5 hours ago






  • 1




    @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
    – Buffy
    4 hours ago










  • Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
    – O. R. Mapper
    4 hours ago


















up vote
0
down vote













Put your phone away (or leave the classroom), and speak to the professor afterwards if you're still unhappy.



Let's examine your reasons for thinking it's inappropriate:




First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.




Let's assume you are indeed right about all this and that you're not breaking any rules. In that case you have a right to pay attention to your phone instead of the professor. But that doesn't make it a wise thing to do. It's rude to not pay attention when someone is talking to you, and if you're looking at your phone you must expect your professor to notice. You'll regret what you did if someday you need a reference from him, you're looking for research supervision, or maybe even if you need a PhD/postdoc position. Academia is a small world, with a very long memory.



That's not all - teachers talk to one another, and another teacher's impression of you could be negatively impacted even before you start the class. This is especially the case if you end up in a formal dispute over whether it's your right to use your phone in class.




Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.




However by using Google or looking at Wikipedia you don't actually pause the lecture. The professor will move on and you won't actually get up to speed, you'll be 10 seconds behind. Why not just raise your hand and ask the lecturer directly?




Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.




So speak to the professor in private after class and sort it out like adults. The parallels between the two of you are close. In both cases, one party has done something that the other party disapprove of. It's just the methods you use to solve the dispute are different. You don't approve of the professor's methods, so use your own method and talk to him in private.






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    up vote
    0
    down vote













    If you want to use your phone, briefly state your purpose to the lecturer when asked and be prepared to put away the phone.



    Once, in grad school I had a professor tell me to not use my phone in class. I'm hard of hearing and typically record the lectures on a voice recorder or my phone. If I recall correctly I had to interrupt or start the recording on my phone in the middle of the class when the professor spoke to me. I never use my phone in class otherwise, and typically prefer the voice recorder as its purpose is more obvious.



    I said something like "Sorry, I'm hard of hearing and I had to turn on my audio recorder." The professor was gracious and might have been a bit embarrassed. There was no problem from that point forward. In fact I've recommended the class and professor to many people since.



    If your purpose isn't so obviously valid then I'd just put the phone away. In this case the purpose of using the phone was to better understand the lecturer and minimize disruptions to the class from me asking to repeat things I did not hear well enough, not distract myself.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
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      down vote













      It is true: it is your business what you do with your phone. Up to this point: I had actually students talking into the phone while in class. Now it became the business of the other students. And thus, my business. After I had made it my business, you can be assured that talking on the phone in my class stopped for good.



      Ok, you say you do not make noise while in class. Fair enough. Now, there is this proportion of students who play around silently with the phone and then, suddenly, they start asking questions about tests, exams, and other important issues which for which the detailed explanation has just been given. Clearly, their subconscious picked up the words of the lecturers, but not the detail for which conscious attention is required. That was absorbed by whatever they were doing on the phone. So, for the benefit of the students that prioritised their phone activity, and to the detriment and loss of time of the students who didn't, the lecturer has to explain the same things once more.



      Note, the lecturer cannot just say: "pay attention instead of playing on the phone", because perhaps on that particular occasion, it would turn out that the accusation might be totally unfair to the student: in fact, something else might have absorbed the students' attention - their sick mother, having to move flats, or how not to get fired from their night-shift job. But, frankly, whenever a student asks about something that was explained just a minute ago (to be clear, not clarifications of a difficult concept, but the repetition of simple details) my first suspicion what caused this question for repetition would fall on their little "devil's prayerbook" that they consulted just under a minute ago.



      I am not always convinced that, under the current zeitgeist, students, despite being lawfully adults, are fully mature. However, it is my view that if you treat people as adults, they usually will begin to behave like adults and, indeed, phone use seems to decline over the course of my classes. But not everyone has this patience: Therefore, I do not really blame other profs for wanting to stamp out this bad habit from the outset.



      Because, all decent profs will have exactly one interest in class: to educate you as well as they can and know. And, if they believe that the phone disrupts your learning (and possibly that of your colleagues), the right response to that is to accept that they have the best intentions, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are asking for: and put the "devil's prayerbook" aside - there will be more than enough time for dark masses worshipping the interbeast after class.






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        4 Answers
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        4 Answers
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        active

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        up vote
        5
        down vote













        There is a dimension that you aren't considering. While it might be benign if one person does something, it might be less fine if everyone does it. Others might not be so good about turning off ringers, etc. Others might just decide to play games or chat with friends. It is hard to let this happen and also assure that it isn't disruptive.



        The reason for the policy, I suspect, is that the instructor wants you to focus on what is going on in the class - exclusively. Even ten seconds away can cause you to miss something important.



        But, I also suggest not getting into a fight with your professor ("handling teacher"). It isn't a fight worth having if you are so likely to lose it. Generally such rules, which may seem unreasonable to you, are put in place for valid educational reasons. There are tradeoffs, of course, but they usually favor paying attention.



        There are other ways to be an effective learner that don't require electronics. They have been used for millennia.



        I have written about effective classroom learning strategies that require only index cards and a pen/pencil at CS Educators as well as in other answers on this site.






        share|improve this answer






















        • The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 3




          @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
          – Buffy
          5 hours ago










        • I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 1




          @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
          – Buffy
          4 hours ago










        • Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
          – O. R. Mapper
          4 hours ago















        up vote
        5
        down vote













        There is a dimension that you aren't considering. While it might be benign if one person does something, it might be less fine if everyone does it. Others might not be so good about turning off ringers, etc. Others might just decide to play games or chat with friends. It is hard to let this happen and also assure that it isn't disruptive.



        The reason for the policy, I suspect, is that the instructor wants you to focus on what is going on in the class - exclusively. Even ten seconds away can cause you to miss something important.



        But, I also suggest not getting into a fight with your professor ("handling teacher"). It isn't a fight worth having if you are so likely to lose it. Generally such rules, which may seem unreasonable to you, are put in place for valid educational reasons. There are tradeoffs, of course, but they usually favor paying attention.



        There are other ways to be an effective learner that don't require electronics. They have been used for millennia.



        I have written about effective classroom learning strategies that require only index cards and a pen/pencil at CS Educators as well as in other answers on this site.






        share|improve this answer






















        • The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 3




          @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
          – Buffy
          5 hours ago










        • I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 1




          @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
          – Buffy
          4 hours ago










        • Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
          – O. R. Mapper
          4 hours ago













        up vote
        5
        down vote










        up vote
        5
        down vote









        There is a dimension that you aren't considering. While it might be benign if one person does something, it might be less fine if everyone does it. Others might not be so good about turning off ringers, etc. Others might just decide to play games or chat with friends. It is hard to let this happen and also assure that it isn't disruptive.



        The reason for the policy, I suspect, is that the instructor wants you to focus on what is going on in the class - exclusively. Even ten seconds away can cause you to miss something important.



        But, I also suggest not getting into a fight with your professor ("handling teacher"). It isn't a fight worth having if you are so likely to lose it. Generally such rules, which may seem unreasonable to you, are put in place for valid educational reasons. There are tradeoffs, of course, but they usually favor paying attention.



        There are other ways to be an effective learner that don't require electronics. They have been used for millennia.



        I have written about effective classroom learning strategies that require only index cards and a pen/pencil at CS Educators as well as in other answers on this site.






        share|improve this answer














        There is a dimension that you aren't considering. While it might be benign if one person does something, it might be less fine if everyone does it. Others might not be so good about turning off ringers, etc. Others might just decide to play games or chat with friends. It is hard to let this happen and also assure that it isn't disruptive.



        The reason for the policy, I suspect, is that the instructor wants you to focus on what is going on in the class - exclusively. Even ten seconds away can cause you to miss something important.



        But, I also suggest not getting into a fight with your professor ("handling teacher"). It isn't a fight worth having if you are so likely to lose it. Generally such rules, which may seem unreasonable to you, are put in place for valid educational reasons. There are tradeoffs, of course, but they usually favor paying attention.



        There are other ways to be an effective learner that don't require electronics. They have been used for millennia.



        I have written about effective classroom learning strategies that require only index cards and a pen/pencil at CS Educators as well as in other answers on this site.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 4 hours ago

























        answered 5 hours ago









        Buffy

        26k683140




        26k683140











        • The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 3




          @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
          – Buffy
          5 hours ago










        • I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 1




          @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
          – Buffy
          4 hours ago










        • Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
          – O. R. Mapper
          4 hours ago

















        • The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 3




          @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
          – Buffy
          5 hours ago










        • I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
          – O. R. Mapper
          5 hours ago






        • 1




          @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
          – Buffy
          4 hours ago










        • Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
          – O. R. Mapper
          4 hours ago
















        The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
        – O. R. Mapper
        5 hours ago




        The logical consequence can only be that any kind of reading or writing in class must also be forbidden. Because others might not be so good about doing that quietly, or reading/writing only nondescript monochrome text pages without large graphics that might call the attention of those sitting around them.
        – O. R. Mapper
        5 hours ago




        3




        3




        @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
        – Buffy
        5 hours ago




        @O.R.Mapper, hardly the same and foolish to conflate them.
        – Buffy
        5 hours ago












        I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
        – O. R. Mapper
        5 hours ago




        I'm not sure what difference you are alluding to. Can you elaborate, please?
        – O. R. Mapper
        5 hours ago




        1




        1




        @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
        – Buffy
        4 hours ago




        @O.R.Mapper, well, for starters, I'm pretty sure that the prof would also ask a person being disruptive in other ways to please stop (and pay attention). Even if it is "loud handwriting".
        – Buffy
        4 hours ago












        Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
        – O. R. Mapper
        4 hours ago





        Sounds good to me. Whoever is disruptive with what they're doing will be asked to change their behaviour. Neither a blanket ban on paper-based notes nor on mobile devices seem reasonable to me.
        – O. R. Mapper
        4 hours ago











        up vote
        0
        down vote













        Put your phone away (or leave the classroom), and speak to the professor afterwards if you're still unhappy.



        Let's examine your reasons for thinking it's inappropriate:




        First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.




        Let's assume you are indeed right about all this and that you're not breaking any rules. In that case you have a right to pay attention to your phone instead of the professor. But that doesn't make it a wise thing to do. It's rude to not pay attention when someone is talking to you, and if you're looking at your phone you must expect your professor to notice. You'll regret what you did if someday you need a reference from him, you're looking for research supervision, or maybe even if you need a PhD/postdoc position. Academia is a small world, with a very long memory.



        That's not all - teachers talk to one another, and another teacher's impression of you could be negatively impacted even before you start the class. This is especially the case if you end up in a formal dispute over whether it's your right to use your phone in class.




        Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.




        However by using Google or looking at Wikipedia you don't actually pause the lecture. The professor will move on and you won't actually get up to speed, you'll be 10 seconds behind. Why not just raise your hand and ask the lecturer directly?




        Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.




        So speak to the professor in private after class and sort it out like adults. The parallels between the two of you are close. In both cases, one party has done something that the other party disapprove of. It's just the methods you use to solve the dispute are different. You don't approve of the professor's methods, so use your own method and talk to him in private.






        share|improve this answer
























          up vote
          0
          down vote













          Put your phone away (or leave the classroom), and speak to the professor afterwards if you're still unhappy.



          Let's examine your reasons for thinking it's inappropriate:




          First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.




          Let's assume you are indeed right about all this and that you're not breaking any rules. In that case you have a right to pay attention to your phone instead of the professor. But that doesn't make it a wise thing to do. It's rude to not pay attention when someone is talking to you, and if you're looking at your phone you must expect your professor to notice. You'll regret what you did if someday you need a reference from him, you're looking for research supervision, or maybe even if you need a PhD/postdoc position. Academia is a small world, with a very long memory.



          That's not all - teachers talk to one another, and another teacher's impression of you could be negatively impacted even before you start the class. This is especially the case if you end up in a formal dispute over whether it's your right to use your phone in class.




          Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.




          However by using Google or looking at Wikipedia you don't actually pause the lecture. The professor will move on and you won't actually get up to speed, you'll be 10 seconds behind. Why not just raise your hand and ask the lecturer directly?




          Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.




          So speak to the professor in private after class and sort it out like adults. The parallels between the two of you are close. In both cases, one party has done something that the other party disapprove of. It's just the methods you use to solve the dispute are different. You don't approve of the professor's methods, so use your own method and talk to him in private.






          share|improve this answer






















            up vote
            0
            down vote










            up vote
            0
            down vote









            Put your phone away (or leave the classroom), and speak to the professor afterwards if you're still unhappy.



            Let's examine your reasons for thinking it's inappropriate:




            First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.




            Let's assume you are indeed right about all this and that you're not breaking any rules. In that case you have a right to pay attention to your phone instead of the professor. But that doesn't make it a wise thing to do. It's rude to not pay attention when someone is talking to you, and if you're looking at your phone you must expect your professor to notice. You'll regret what you did if someday you need a reference from him, you're looking for research supervision, or maybe even if you need a PhD/postdoc position. Academia is a small world, with a very long memory.



            That's not all - teachers talk to one another, and another teacher's impression of you could be negatively impacted even before you start the class. This is especially the case if you end up in a formal dispute over whether it's your right to use your phone in class.




            Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.




            However by using Google or looking at Wikipedia you don't actually pause the lecture. The professor will move on and you won't actually get up to speed, you'll be 10 seconds behind. Why not just raise your hand and ask the lecturer directly?




            Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.




            So speak to the professor in private after class and sort it out like adults. The parallels between the two of you are close. In both cases, one party has done something that the other party disapprove of. It's just the methods you use to solve the dispute are different. You don't approve of the professor's methods, so use your own method and talk to him in private.






            share|improve this answer












            Put your phone away (or leave the classroom), and speak to the professor afterwards if you're still unhappy.



            Let's examine your reasons for thinking it's inappropriate:




            First of all, and this may sound immature, but what I do with my phone is none of the teacher's business. As long as I am not disturbing anybody (audio is always off, I am never typing loudly because it's a touch-screen, and nobody is distracted by the screen because I make sure to sit in the back), it shouldn't be a problem.




            Let's assume you are indeed right about all this and that you're not breaking any rules. In that case you have a right to pay attention to your phone instead of the professor. But that doesn't make it a wise thing to do. It's rude to not pay attention when someone is talking to you, and if you're looking at your phone you must expect your professor to notice. You'll regret what you did if someday you need a reference from him, you're looking for research supervision, or maybe even if you need a PhD/postdoc position. Academia is a small world, with a very long memory.



            That's not all - teachers talk to one another, and another teacher's impression of you could be negatively impacted even before you start the class. This is especially the case if you end up in a formal dispute over whether it's your right to use your phone in class.




            Secondly, I find that such demands can impede my learning. I often use the phone to look up information related to what the teacher is actually talking about. If a topic is mentioned that I don't quite recall, a quick google search or a 10-second glance at the topic's Wikipedia page brings me up to speed. Or perhaps the textbook for the course is on my cloud server and I need to the phone to actually access the book, if I didn't bring (or even buy) the physical copy.




            However by using Google or looking at Wikipedia you don't actually pause the lecture. The professor will move on and you won't actually get up to speed, you'll be 10 seconds behind. Why not just raise your hand and ask the lecturer directly?




            Finally, I find it highly disrespectful to call a student out for being on a phone in the middle of a lecture in front of all others. Such conversations, if they need to be had, should be had in private. Approach me after the lecture or during the break if you have a problem. Don't call me out in front of the entire class.




            So speak to the professor in private after class and sort it out like adults. The parallels between the two of you are close. In both cases, one party has done something that the other party disapprove of. It's just the methods you use to solve the dispute are different. You don't approve of the professor's methods, so use your own method and talk to him in private.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 2 hours ago









            Allure

            21k1369114




            21k1369114




















                up vote
                0
                down vote













                If you want to use your phone, briefly state your purpose to the lecturer when asked and be prepared to put away the phone.



                Once, in grad school I had a professor tell me to not use my phone in class. I'm hard of hearing and typically record the lectures on a voice recorder or my phone. If I recall correctly I had to interrupt or start the recording on my phone in the middle of the class when the professor spoke to me. I never use my phone in class otherwise, and typically prefer the voice recorder as its purpose is more obvious.



                I said something like "Sorry, I'm hard of hearing and I had to turn on my audio recorder." The professor was gracious and might have been a bit embarrassed. There was no problem from that point forward. In fact I've recommended the class and professor to many people since.



                If your purpose isn't so obviously valid then I'd just put the phone away. In this case the purpose of using the phone was to better understand the lecturer and minimize disruptions to the class from me asking to repeat things I did not hear well enough, not distract myself.






                share|improve this answer
























                  up vote
                  0
                  down vote













                  If you want to use your phone, briefly state your purpose to the lecturer when asked and be prepared to put away the phone.



                  Once, in grad school I had a professor tell me to not use my phone in class. I'm hard of hearing and typically record the lectures on a voice recorder or my phone. If I recall correctly I had to interrupt or start the recording on my phone in the middle of the class when the professor spoke to me. I never use my phone in class otherwise, and typically prefer the voice recorder as its purpose is more obvious.



                  I said something like "Sorry, I'm hard of hearing and I had to turn on my audio recorder." The professor was gracious and might have been a bit embarrassed. There was no problem from that point forward. In fact I've recommended the class and professor to many people since.



                  If your purpose isn't so obviously valid then I'd just put the phone away. In this case the purpose of using the phone was to better understand the lecturer and minimize disruptions to the class from me asking to repeat things I did not hear well enough, not distract myself.






                  share|improve this answer






















                    up vote
                    0
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    0
                    down vote









                    If you want to use your phone, briefly state your purpose to the lecturer when asked and be prepared to put away the phone.



                    Once, in grad school I had a professor tell me to not use my phone in class. I'm hard of hearing and typically record the lectures on a voice recorder or my phone. If I recall correctly I had to interrupt or start the recording on my phone in the middle of the class when the professor spoke to me. I never use my phone in class otherwise, and typically prefer the voice recorder as its purpose is more obvious.



                    I said something like "Sorry, I'm hard of hearing and I had to turn on my audio recorder." The professor was gracious and might have been a bit embarrassed. There was no problem from that point forward. In fact I've recommended the class and professor to many people since.



                    If your purpose isn't so obviously valid then I'd just put the phone away. In this case the purpose of using the phone was to better understand the lecturer and minimize disruptions to the class from me asking to repeat things I did not hear well enough, not distract myself.






                    share|improve this answer












                    If you want to use your phone, briefly state your purpose to the lecturer when asked and be prepared to put away the phone.



                    Once, in grad school I had a professor tell me to not use my phone in class. I'm hard of hearing and typically record the lectures on a voice recorder or my phone. If I recall correctly I had to interrupt or start the recording on my phone in the middle of the class when the professor spoke to me. I never use my phone in class otherwise, and typically prefer the voice recorder as its purpose is more obvious.



                    I said something like "Sorry, I'm hard of hearing and I had to turn on my audio recorder." The professor was gracious and might have been a bit embarrassed. There was no problem from that point forward. In fact I've recommended the class and professor to many people since.



                    If your purpose isn't so obviously valid then I'd just put the phone away. In this case the purpose of using the phone was to better understand the lecturer and minimize disruptions to the class from me asking to repeat things I did not hear well enough, not distract myself.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 2 hours ago









                    Ben Trettel

                    721311




                    721311




















                        up vote
                        0
                        down vote













                        It is true: it is your business what you do with your phone. Up to this point: I had actually students talking into the phone while in class. Now it became the business of the other students. And thus, my business. After I had made it my business, you can be assured that talking on the phone in my class stopped for good.



                        Ok, you say you do not make noise while in class. Fair enough. Now, there is this proportion of students who play around silently with the phone and then, suddenly, they start asking questions about tests, exams, and other important issues which for which the detailed explanation has just been given. Clearly, their subconscious picked up the words of the lecturers, but not the detail for which conscious attention is required. That was absorbed by whatever they were doing on the phone. So, for the benefit of the students that prioritised their phone activity, and to the detriment and loss of time of the students who didn't, the lecturer has to explain the same things once more.



                        Note, the lecturer cannot just say: "pay attention instead of playing on the phone", because perhaps on that particular occasion, it would turn out that the accusation might be totally unfair to the student: in fact, something else might have absorbed the students' attention - their sick mother, having to move flats, or how not to get fired from their night-shift job. But, frankly, whenever a student asks about something that was explained just a minute ago (to be clear, not clarifications of a difficult concept, but the repetition of simple details) my first suspicion what caused this question for repetition would fall on their little "devil's prayerbook" that they consulted just under a minute ago.



                        I am not always convinced that, under the current zeitgeist, students, despite being lawfully adults, are fully mature. However, it is my view that if you treat people as adults, they usually will begin to behave like adults and, indeed, phone use seems to decline over the course of my classes. But not everyone has this patience: Therefore, I do not really blame other profs for wanting to stamp out this bad habit from the outset.



                        Because, all decent profs will have exactly one interest in class: to educate you as well as they can and know. And, if they believe that the phone disrupts your learning (and possibly that of your colleagues), the right response to that is to accept that they have the best intentions, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are asking for: and put the "devil's prayerbook" aside - there will be more than enough time for dark masses worshipping the interbeast after class.






                        share|improve this answer
























                          up vote
                          0
                          down vote













                          It is true: it is your business what you do with your phone. Up to this point: I had actually students talking into the phone while in class. Now it became the business of the other students. And thus, my business. After I had made it my business, you can be assured that talking on the phone in my class stopped for good.



                          Ok, you say you do not make noise while in class. Fair enough. Now, there is this proportion of students who play around silently with the phone and then, suddenly, they start asking questions about tests, exams, and other important issues which for which the detailed explanation has just been given. Clearly, their subconscious picked up the words of the lecturers, but not the detail for which conscious attention is required. That was absorbed by whatever they were doing on the phone. So, for the benefit of the students that prioritised their phone activity, and to the detriment and loss of time of the students who didn't, the lecturer has to explain the same things once more.



                          Note, the lecturer cannot just say: "pay attention instead of playing on the phone", because perhaps on that particular occasion, it would turn out that the accusation might be totally unfair to the student: in fact, something else might have absorbed the students' attention - their sick mother, having to move flats, or how not to get fired from their night-shift job. But, frankly, whenever a student asks about something that was explained just a minute ago (to be clear, not clarifications of a difficult concept, but the repetition of simple details) my first suspicion what caused this question for repetition would fall on their little "devil's prayerbook" that they consulted just under a minute ago.



                          I am not always convinced that, under the current zeitgeist, students, despite being lawfully adults, are fully mature. However, it is my view that if you treat people as adults, they usually will begin to behave like adults and, indeed, phone use seems to decline over the course of my classes. But not everyone has this patience: Therefore, I do not really blame other profs for wanting to stamp out this bad habit from the outset.



                          Because, all decent profs will have exactly one interest in class: to educate you as well as they can and know. And, if they believe that the phone disrupts your learning (and possibly that of your colleagues), the right response to that is to accept that they have the best intentions, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are asking for: and put the "devil's prayerbook" aside - there will be more than enough time for dark masses worshipping the interbeast after class.






                          share|improve this answer






















                            up vote
                            0
                            down vote










                            up vote
                            0
                            down vote









                            It is true: it is your business what you do with your phone. Up to this point: I had actually students talking into the phone while in class. Now it became the business of the other students. And thus, my business. After I had made it my business, you can be assured that talking on the phone in my class stopped for good.



                            Ok, you say you do not make noise while in class. Fair enough. Now, there is this proportion of students who play around silently with the phone and then, suddenly, they start asking questions about tests, exams, and other important issues which for which the detailed explanation has just been given. Clearly, their subconscious picked up the words of the lecturers, but not the detail for which conscious attention is required. That was absorbed by whatever they were doing on the phone. So, for the benefit of the students that prioritised their phone activity, and to the detriment and loss of time of the students who didn't, the lecturer has to explain the same things once more.



                            Note, the lecturer cannot just say: "pay attention instead of playing on the phone", because perhaps on that particular occasion, it would turn out that the accusation might be totally unfair to the student: in fact, something else might have absorbed the students' attention - their sick mother, having to move flats, or how not to get fired from their night-shift job. But, frankly, whenever a student asks about something that was explained just a minute ago (to be clear, not clarifications of a difficult concept, but the repetition of simple details) my first suspicion what caused this question for repetition would fall on their little "devil's prayerbook" that they consulted just under a minute ago.



                            I am not always convinced that, under the current zeitgeist, students, despite being lawfully adults, are fully mature. However, it is my view that if you treat people as adults, they usually will begin to behave like adults and, indeed, phone use seems to decline over the course of my classes. But not everyone has this patience: Therefore, I do not really blame other profs for wanting to stamp out this bad habit from the outset.



                            Because, all decent profs will have exactly one interest in class: to educate you as well as they can and know. And, if they believe that the phone disrupts your learning (and possibly that of your colleagues), the right response to that is to accept that they have the best intentions, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are asking for: and put the "devil's prayerbook" aside - there will be more than enough time for dark masses worshipping the interbeast after class.






                            share|improve this answer












                            It is true: it is your business what you do with your phone. Up to this point: I had actually students talking into the phone while in class. Now it became the business of the other students. And thus, my business. After I had made it my business, you can be assured that talking on the phone in my class stopped for good.



                            Ok, you say you do not make noise while in class. Fair enough. Now, there is this proportion of students who play around silently with the phone and then, suddenly, they start asking questions about tests, exams, and other important issues which for which the detailed explanation has just been given. Clearly, their subconscious picked up the words of the lecturers, but not the detail for which conscious attention is required. That was absorbed by whatever they were doing on the phone. So, for the benefit of the students that prioritised their phone activity, and to the detriment and loss of time of the students who didn't, the lecturer has to explain the same things once more.



                            Note, the lecturer cannot just say: "pay attention instead of playing on the phone", because perhaps on that particular occasion, it would turn out that the accusation might be totally unfair to the student: in fact, something else might have absorbed the students' attention - their sick mother, having to move flats, or how not to get fired from their night-shift job. But, frankly, whenever a student asks about something that was explained just a minute ago (to be clear, not clarifications of a difficult concept, but the repetition of simple details) my first suspicion what caused this question for repetition would fall on their little "devil's prayerbook" that they consulted just under a minute ago.



                            I am not always convinced that, under the current zeitgeist, students, despite being lawfully adults, are fully mature. However, it is my view that if you treat people as adults, they usually will begin to behave like adults and, indeed, phone use seems to decline over the course of my classes. But not everyone has this patience: Therefore, I do not really blame other profs for wanting to stamp out this bad habit from the outset.



                            Because, all decent profs will have exactly one interest in class: to educate you as well as they can and know. And, if they believe that the phone disrupts your learning (and possibly that of your colleagues), the right response to that is to accept that they have the best intentions, and give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are asking for: and put the "devil's prayerbook" aside - there will be more than enough time for dark masses worshipping the interbeast after class.







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                            answered 24 mins ago









                            Captain Emacs

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