After watching the full video of "Digital Nation", it is apparent there is no question about it...humans are unable to multi-task(even with few distractions) and retain the same degree of concentration as they would if they weren't multi-tasking. Dr. Nass's tests show a significant correlation between distraction and lower performance on a single task, despite the pleas of "cronic multi-taskers" that say otherwise. While the public school system (as far as I know), doesn't allow the same freedoms to their students to distract themselves with digital devices as colleges do, the underlying theme here is that kids are spending an ENORMOUS amount of time with them, and it is effecting their school performance and even their personalities. Their estimated average of "50 hours per week" spent with digital media could cause developmental imparities and, as one interviewe put it, "create people who, 'generally speaking', aren't able to think clearly". The MIT professor at one point mentions that kids "new" shortened attention spans, are causing a shift in the ways teachers have to teach. "Now kids need to be constantly stimulated with media tools like Powerpoint in order to accomodate their constant thirst for distraction" And as one student put it " we now need to be overwhelmed by our teachers in order to distract us from our distractions".
I'm not sure what the laws are like in universities, but, I'm sure in the public school system, good policy could prevent what was happening at MIT. Although this might become complicated as more and more students bring laptops to class, as we see in the documentary, there are ways of regulating this too. Even though kids nowadays are possibly dangerously overstimulated, they still need to be accommodated with the learning environment that most appropriately stimulates them. And this means nourishing their needs with the technology they love. There is no going back now, we have entered the Matrix and Keanu cannot save us. So, it seems like finding the best, most effective technology is the answer, not turning the clock back to the "good ole days" of lecture that we too found incredibly boring.
You're right, we've decided to take the red pill and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Since we've chosen the path of technology, it is really important that teachers keep up with it and properly stimulate the students' minds. However, I don't feel that this is a new phenomenon, where teachers are struggling to find newer ways to interest their students. At one point the blackboard was innovative and the teacher that was still drawing with sticks in the dirt would have been boring to students. It's a simple matter of progress, although I will admit that the exponential rate in which we are progressing might be difficult (not impossible) for teachers to keep up with.
ReplyDeleteWell if Keanau can't save us we must be screwed!
ReplyDeleteAnd word up! I totally agree (right before I started writing this post I had to turn down the NPR so I could focus). In working with kids in the flexible youth center environment I get to observe them in their natural environment and yowza! If they have a cell phone or an ipod touch they are almost always living a distracted and fractured life. Sometimes they can text and talk or play games while listening but in general if you want them to communicate clearly, wash a dish or even respond to a karate chop they can't use the phone at the same time. And these are kids who have been raised with this technology. Yet I am still hopeful (at times). When kids get excited and engaged in the real world, if its gardening, board games or building snow forts they can be focused and determined and moderately sociable.
In regards to technology in the classroom... of course I'm with ya. We gotta keep up with and utilize these technologies as best we can BUT! I have to wonder, wouldn't most of us benefit greatly from being in a classroom environment where we are forced to focus on our common humanity, on talking and doing. I want to believe that education should be the act of facilitating the process of becoming more alive, more compassionate human beings. Maybe if I teach a humanities elective I will banish all screen and keyboards from the class and make people be human with each other!