NARRATOR：

Now listen to two students discussing the letter.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Did you see this letter in the paper?

MALE STUDENT：

Yeah. But I don't think it's a good idea.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Why not?

MALE STUDENT：

'Cause I think students would pay even less attention to the professor, not more. I think they'd be too much of a distraction.

FEMALE STUDENT：

How so?

MALE STUDENT：

Well, maybe some students would actually use laptops to take notes-

FEMALE STUDENT：

I would.

MALE STUDENT：

OK, you would... But a lot of people... most people... would be too busy playing around with them instead.

You know, surfing the Internet, e-mailing friends, playing computer games, that kind of stuff.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Huh. So you really think they'd pay less attention?

MALE STUDENT：

Yeah, really, I think that's what'd happen.

FEMALE STUDENT：

Alright, but what about her second point?

Don't you think if students had 'em in class, professors would be able to use the Internet as a teaching tool?

MALE STUDENT：

The problem with that is not everyone has a laptop computer-only some people have one.

FEMALE STUDENT：

True...

MALE STUDENT：

So you see, not everyone would be able to follow along.

It wouldn't be useful as a teaching tool if only some students could follow along but not others.

FEMALE STUDENT：

I see what you mean.