I was informed by a very wise person that our attention spans can be measured by adding 4 to your age and that is how long, in minutes, your optimal attention span is. For example, I am 23. So my attention span is 27 minutes (23+4=27) (I may or may not have had to count that on my fingers...)
My point:
With such a limited amount of time we have in the classroom, and even more limited student's attention spans, it is important to ask ourselves if the information we are presenting is the best, or if it just okay. Technology is great at grabbing student's attention, as it does mine quite well, but do we let it run the show for us? Are students paying more attention to the graphics on the PowerPoint, or are they actually learning? (That sounds like the making of a great potential experiment) I believe there is still a need for student-teacher relationships and that effective teaching does not substitute technology for a teacher. Technology can never express love or support for a student, or a desire for the student's success.
The difference between an effective and ineffective media is whether it is helping or hindering the nurturing pedagogy that is crucial for the student to learn.
Interactive Classroom Learning!
14 years ago
i love all your thoughts. i think it is critical that we ask that question as teachers. what are we contributing to students learning. is it really getting through to them?
ReplyDeleteI love this post, it caused me to think about the kind of teacher I want to be! Technology can be fun and teach important lessons simultaneously but I believe that nothing replaces the human factor.
ReplyDelete