Over the past decade, academic research has increasingly examined issues of multitasking and distraction as people try to squeeze more activities into their busy lives. Prior to the Internet age, some cognition science research focused on how behavior might be better understood, improved and made more efficient in business, hospital or other high-pressure settings. But as digital technology has become ubiquitous in many people’s daily routines — and as multitasking has become a “lifestyle” of sorts for many younger people — researchers have tried to assess how humans are coping in this highly connected environment and how “chronic multitasking” may diminish our capacity to function effectively.
…a year ago we called for better methods for evaluating educational apps to help states, districts and schools have more transparency into what technology was really making a difference for teaching and learning. The need to make good decisions based on evidence, as opposed to relying on marketing hype or the buzz among a small…
In a panel at last week’s SXSWedu, moderated by The Teacher’s Guild Director Molly McMahon, a trio of two Texas K-12 administrators and a district teacher of the year from Georgia discussed the benefits of letting teachers drive innovation. Spring Branch Independent School District Associate Superintendent Elliott Witney, El Paso Independent School District Superintendent Juan Cabrera,…
As educators, we often seek out not only one ecosystem but also one app to solve all of our problems and meet all of our needs. For example, over the past several months, I have engaged in a number of conversations about technology with educators that began with an either/or question: Should I use Google…
Walking into her office in early December in her tiny very very “high poverty” rural elementary school, sinking into her chair, principal Alison Dwier-Selden sighed and said, “I have learned that looking forward to Christmas is middle class privilege.” Truth. There are undeniable facts about poverty in America, and Alison’s quote is one. Hunger is…
First off, there’s pretty firm evidence to suggest that some forms of gaming are correlated with high scores in conventional IQ tests. For example, researchers at the University of York found that adults who play online strategy games (particularly those involving team cooperation) score highly on standard intelligence tests. Source: Science Says Gamers Are Smarter Than Non-Gamers – Armchair Arcade…
What I have discovered is we sometimes need to take inventory of some distractions and bad habits that keep us from being our most productive. I always been a big believer in asking myself: What do I need to start doing, keep doing, and stop doing? Source: Why You Need a Don’t-Do List | Kelly…
