Freedom, digital distraction and control Annie Murphy Paul has an excellent article in Slate and this publication this week about the issue of digital distraction while learning. A recently published study by psychologist Larry Rosen found that in a short 15-minute period of observation, teenagers spent only 65 percent of their time studying. Their attention drifted after an average of 2 minutes from reading and writing their assignments to activities like Facebook, texting and instant messaging–and all this was while they knew they were being watched. Digital distraction or multitasking is a modern scourge, not just for young people. The question is what to do about it. Control by authority means putting the teacher and school in charge of students’ access to technology: banning cellphones in school, instituting “screens down” policies, and enlisting teachers to police students’ behavior from moment to moment. Control through technology means designing tools to nudge students in the direction of desired use.
Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books Back to Michael L. Printz Award homepage Winner: In Darkness by Nick Lake Honor Books: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz; Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein; Dodger by Terry Pratchett; The White Bicycle by Beverley Brenna Winner: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley Honor Books: Why We Broke Up, written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman; The Returning, written by Christine Hinwood; Jasper Jones, written by Craig Silvey; The Scorpio Races, written by Maggie Stiefvater Winner: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi Honor Books: Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. 2010 Winner: Going Bovine by Libba Bray Honor Books: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah HeiligmanThe Monstrumologist by Rick YanceyPunkzilla by Adam RappTales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes 2009 Winner: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta 2008Winner:The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean Winner:
Why Teaching Mindfulness Benefits Students’ Learning Teaching Strategies Flickr:Sudhamshu The following is an excerpt from Learning to BREATHE: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance By Patricia C. What do children and adolescents need to be successful in life? There is little doubt that in addition to academic success, we also want our youth to be happy and well. These goals are far from being disconnected: we now realize the fundamental role that social and emotional well-being play in the attainment of academic outcomes. Although the emphasis on academic achievement often captures most of the attention in debates on school reform, important inroads are being made by those who take a more holistic approach to education. Many prominent voices have joined together to call for inclusion of social and emotional learning within K–12 school curricula. [RELATED: The Importance of Teaching Mindfuless] When feelings are not well managed, thinking can be impaired. Moving to Practice 1. 2.
Millennials will benefit and suffer due to their hyperconnected lives Overview of responses In a survey about the future of the internet, technology experts and stakeholders were fairly evenly split as to whether the younger generation’s always-on connection to people and information will turn out to be a net positive or a net negative by 2020. They said many of the young people growing up hyperconnected to each other and the mobile Web and counting on the internet as their external brain will be nimble, quick-acting multitaskers who will do well in key respects. At the same time, these experts predicted that the impact of networked living on today’s young will drive them to thirst for instant gratification, settle for quick choices, and lack patience. These findings come from an opt-in, online survey of a diverse but non-random sample of 1,021 technology stakeholders and critics. The survey question about younger users was inspired by speculation over the past several years about the potential impact of technology on them.
The new marshmallow test: Resisting the temptations of the web By Annie Murphy Paul This story also appeared at: Living rooms, dens, kitchens, even bedrooms: Investigators followed students into the spaces where homework gets done. Pens poised over their “study observation forms,” the observers watched intently as the students—in middle school, high school, and college, 263 in all—opened their books and turned on their computers. For a quarter of an hour, the investigators from the lab of Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, marked down once a minute what the students were doing as they studied. A checklist on the form included: reading a book, writing on paper, typing on the computer—and also using email, looking at Facebook, engaging in instant messaging, texting, talking on the phone, watching television, listening to music, surfing the web. Photo by Erin Scott “We were amazed at how frequently they multitasked, even though they knew someone was watching,” Rosen says. Another study, carried out at St.
What Is Gelato Mmmm. On a hot day, there’s nothing quite like the cold delicious treat we all know as ice cream. But have you ever WONDERed about if ice cream exists in other places around the world? Frozen treats are common all around the world, but they’re not always exactly the same. Gelato is actually the Italian word for ice cream. There are three main ways in which gelato differs from American ice cream. Less fat doesn’t mean less taste, though. Finally, gelato is denser than ice cream. Does it surprise you that ice cream contains so much air? If you find yourself in Italy and are hungry for a cool treat, definitely seek out some homemade gelato.
News: Frequent Cell Phone Use Linked to Anxiety, Lower Grades and Reduced Happiness in Students, Kent State Research Shows Today, smartphones are central to college students’ lives, keeping them constantly connected with friends, family and the Internet. Students’ cell phones are rarely out of reach whether the setting is a college classroom, library, recreational center, cafeteria or dorm room. As cell phone use continues to increase, it is worth considering whether use of the device is related to measurable outcomes important for student success, such as academic performance, anxiety and happiness. Kent State University researchers Andrew Lepp, Ph.D., Jacob Barkley, Ph.D., and Aryn Karpinski, Ph.D., all faculty members in the university’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, surveyed more than 500 university students. Daily cell phone use was recorded along with a clinical measure of anxiety and each student’s level of satisfaction with their own life, or in other words happiness. For more information about Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, visit www.kent.edu/ehhs.
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: Terrific Mini Guide to Help Students Think Critically December 26, 2014 Questioning is the key to critical thinking and through questions students get to explore the deep layers of meanings that would otherwise go unnoticed. Of course not all questions have this analytical ability. For instance, closed questions tend to limit the thinking choices available for students. The same with questions that promote factual recalling. Questions that emphasize the mechanical on the analytical are out of the list. In today's post, I am sharing with you this mini guide created by Foundation of Critical Thinking which you can use with your students to help them better comprehend and apply critical thinking in their learning. I learned about this great resource from a post shared by Education to Save The World. Image credit: Foundation of Critical Thinking
Kids' Self-Control Is Crucial for Their Future Success Self-control—the ability to regulate our attention, emotions and behaviors—emerges in childhood and grows throughout life, but the skill varies widely among individuals. Past studies have reported that self-control is partially inherited and partially learned and that those with less self-control are more likely to be unemployed, engage in unhealthy behaviors such as overeating, and live a shorter life. A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA tying childhood self-control to health and well-being in adulthood suggests that everyone, not just those most lacking the skill, would benefit from a self-control boost. Psychologist Terrie E. Moffitt of Duke University and her team focused on the self-control of a group of 1,037 children born in 1972 and 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The investigators observed the children and took reports from parents and teachers every two years from the ages of three to 11.
Language and Power in The Handmaid’s Tale and the World ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you. More Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals. More Teacher Resources by Grade Your students can save their work with Student Interactives. More Home › Classroom Resources › Lesson Plans Lesson Plan Overview Featured Resources From Theory to Practice In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, the narrator, Offred, regularly interrupts the narrative flow of the text to contemplate the meaning of certain words and phrases. Although the activities and resources in this lesson refer directly to The Handmaid's Tale, the approach can be applied to a number of Other Books that Focus on Language and Power. back to top Copies of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Further Reading
The Myth Of Multitasking Up next, we'll be focusing on you and your true love - your smartphone. Think about it. Are you lost without it? Inconsolable if the two of you are separated? Willing to walk into a lamppost rather than look up while texting? Is it the object of your desire? And your romance is about to be taken to a new level. Now the two of you need never be separated for even one moment. My next guest says our technology-addicted lifestyle and our nonstop multitasking may be affecting our ability to concentrate, manage our emotions, even think creatively. DR. FLATOW: Excuse me for my cough. NASS: I'm fearful and optimistic. FLATOW: How distracted are we today? NASS: Remarkably so. FLATOW: I'm Ira Flatow. But people used to say, oh, television. NASS: Well, it's true that radio and television do distract us. We also have a number of new devices. FLATOW: Yeah. FLATOW: Yeah, but there are people who say, you know, I'm great at multitasking. FLATOW: And it's quite noticeable on tests. NASS: Yeah.
From Visible Thinking Routines to 5 Modern Learning Routines I have been a fan of Visible Thinking Routines which were developed by Project Zero from Harvard, for a while now. I have used these routines with students, as blogging routines and in professional development workshops. The Visible Thinking Routines website explains that: Routines exist in all classrooms; they are the patterns by which we operate and go about the job of learning and working together in a classroom environment. As I am trying to make 21st century, modern, contemporary or “now” learning visible, it seemed a natural step to point out “Modern” or “Now” Learning Routines. Here are my 5 routines that promote modern learning: 1. Read as much as you can on your subject. Write about what you read, write about connections you are making between the content you have read, write about things you wonder about and write your reflection of your thoughts. Comment or annotate on the things you read. 2. Share your learning and your reflection with others. 3. 4. Teach it to others. 5.
Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction By all rights, Vishal, a bright 17-year-old, should already have finished the book, ’s “Cat’s Cradle,” his summer reading assignment. But he has managed 43 pages in two months. He typically favors , and making digital videos. On YouTube, “you can get a whole story in six minutes,” he explains. Students have always faced distractions and time-wasters. Researchers say the lure of these technologies, while it affects adults too, is particularly powerful for young people. “Their brains are rewarded not for staying on task but for jumping to the next thing,” said Michael Rich, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and executive director of the Center on Media and Child Health in Boston. But even as some parents and educators express unease about students’ digital diets, they are intensifying efforts to use technology in the classroom, seeing it as a way to connect with students and give them essential skills. But he also plays video games 10 hours a week. Growing Up With Gadgets
Books, Authors and Series for Middle Elementary Boys (or Girls) Since today is "Read Across America Day", my son and I thought we'd share a few of his favorite books and series. He just turned 9, is in 3rd grade, and he's a pretty strong reader. Before this past year, my son was primarily interested in non-fiction books. (NOTE: While the books on this list are ones that have appealed to my son, my 10-year old daughter has read and enjoyed many of them as well) Here are the books we recommend ... So, what was that first series that he found and he loved? I think it was the back cover's description that peaked his curiosity. My son LOVED the series. The next book is not part of a series, but it had a similar "dark" theme that my son really loved. Holes by Louis Sachar won the Newbery Medal in 1999 and is a really neat story with lots of twists, turns, coincidences and connections between generations. This next author is my son's absolute favorite. I love when an author writes several books with the same topic or theme.