Homework of the Future

In the futureee, this blog post will be transmitted to your brain via cyborg...

Does that even make sci-fi sense? Probably not.

But for now, I am doing my math homework in the WAY OF THE FUTURE (and listening to Heads Will Roll, by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which is kind of Music of the Future-y). So let futuristic me tell prehistoric you that math homework of the future has some serious disadvantages.

All of my math homework for Mathematical Ideas in Contemporary Society is to be completed through an online program called CourseCompass. It basically turns math homework into a computer game, which is kind of cool. You can try any problem as many times as you want, it has a calculator built into the page, you can click a button and the relevant textbook pages pop out into a new window, etc.

However, the drawback to all of this computer-y business is that the math prof has a Patriot Act level of access to everyone's homework records, including time started, time completed, time spent, attempts made, etc.

As a committed procrastinator with skills fine-tuned through years of junior high and high school practice, having my professor know when I start assignments is NOT GOOD. Especially when she is Extremely Concerned about procrastination in her class.

"Look lady!" I want to tell her, "I will complete those stupid problems about dividing chocolate cake. But it's Sunday! I have until Wednesday! Check back in at 11:45pm Wednesday night, and there I'll be, furiously punching calculator buttons. But until then, pleease stop checking when everyone has started their homework and sending out Extremely Concerned e-mails!"

I have seen the future. And it's not pretty.