Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Light On Light Through


You'll hear a little of this and lot of that on Light On Light Through - my reviews of great television series and movies, my interviews with authors and creative media people and their interviews of me, my media theory and political commentary, thoughts about my favorite cars and food and space travel, discussions of my music, and a few of my readings from my science fiction stories. In the first years, starting in 2006, I put up a new episode at least once a month.  More recently, it became more or less often than once a month, usually less often.  But in the Summer of 2020, I began getting more in the mood to podcast, and on 17 October 2023, I began publishing a new episode of the podcast every Tuesday at 12:01 pm -- a minute after Noon (New York time).  - Paul Levinson 

24 October 2021: Interview about Light On Light Through podcast

26 December 2023: Chuck Todd interviews Paul Levinson about Alternate Realities on The Chuck Toddcast  

iPhones In My Classroom

Sep 5, 2007


Fall 2007 classes begin today at Fordham University, where I teach.  I have a big Intro to Mass Media course, which I teach every term, and I’m looking forward to igniting at 1:30pm...

I have a policy - which I’m pretty relaxed about, as I am about most rules - about cell phones and laptops in my classroom.  In general, I discourage students from talking or texting on their cell phones during class.  Talking, of course, can distract the rare student who wants to hear my lecture.  But even texting has its problems - let's say I ask a question, and someone texts a student from last term for the answer?

But laptops are ok.  Yeah, I know students IM on them, but the laptops at least provide the possibility of looking something up - an encyclopedia or library on the go - and that’s fine with me, even during one of my lectures.

But ... what should I do about iPhones?  I have no idea how many students will have them today, but it’s a sure bet that more and more students will have iPhones in the future.  The iPhone, obviously, is a cell phone and web browser (and an iPod).

I’m going to err on the side of open systems.  I already encourage my students to read blogs, listen to podcasts, watch videos on YouTube - it's written into the Intro to Media curriculum.  If my students want to use their iPhones as cell phones, and have conversations with friends during the class, so be it.  But on the chance that they’ll be using the iPhone to locate some bit of fascinating, pertinent knowledge on the Web - hey, that’s all to the good.

Of course, I will draw the line during our open book exams…