We meet every day in a wi-fi connected classroom where you may bring your laptop and fire it up to check our homework page, and maybe even open a Maple worksheet to do something inspired by what bob is doing with his through the ceiling projector.
You might want to check email when you enter class, though most of us already do that too much on our smart phones. I understand. But there is a great temptation to abuse this opportunity and continue well into the class period, moving on to surfing or computer games or other distractions.
Class time is for discussion of homework problems you were assigned to be done by class, for predigesting new material, and for interaction. Needless distraction for you or your neighbors is a bad choice. If excessive laptop distraction becomes a problem at any time (this hardly ever happens these days), I will regrettably call attention to it and hope you redirect your attention. Let me know if anyone is interfering with your concentration in this way.
With your own laptops in front of you, please be reasonable about how you use it. If you come to class, please come to participate, not waste our time.
And while we are here: smart phones. We all forget to mute them when it would be a good idea, and I am so forgetful I just leave it on in class because I would forget to unmute it. [I mute for meetings!] Just silence it as quickly as possible and we can all move on.