When many kids in our generation hear the word multitasking, they don't feel intimidated or think it's a big deal. To these kids, multitasking has become second nature. Most of us have been writing a paper while texting our friends and listening to our ipods. However, while we think that we're being productive and effective because we are doing many things as once, it seems as though we are doing a poor job on the many things that we're accomplishing. After watching Professor McCauley's podcast about multitasking, as well as the Frontline's Digital Nation video titled "Distracted by Everything", I have come to realize that multitasking has been negatively affecting most aspects of our lives, including teaching, learning and thinking.
In the aspect of teaching, I believe it has become much more difficult for teachers to teach to multitasking students. These students are easily distracted and do not seem to absorb knowledge from teachers unless it is presented in a technologically advanced way. Teachers cannot simply stand in the front of the room and command the attention of the students. As far as learning, people are not fully immersing themselves into the content they are learning. Therefore, they are not fully learning the subject completely. This isn't good; while students feel they can learn many things at one time, it isn't the same as just learning one topic to the best of their ability and then moving on. In the aspect of thinking, people become distracted more easily than ever before. They cannot concentrate on one thing because their brains are so used to doing multiple things at once. In all aspects of learning, thinking, and teaching, people are not learning the material to the best of their ability, and multitasking is harming all of these areas. I'm sad to think after watching these videos that even though I feel I am doing so much and being so productive when I am multitasking, I am actually harming my learning. I think I'll stick to doing one thing at a time from now on!
I completely agree with you on this. I tend to be texting or listening to music while doing my homework, and while i may think I'm doing a good job at multitasking, I realize that I just made my homework take longer. But you are completely right that in this generation it has just become the norm.
ReplyDeleteMultitasking has become second nature for most, as time progresses and technology gets more advanced how many tasks students can do at once will probably become greater. I didn't think about the negative effects it has on students learning, you make a good point about how it can make learning harder because of all of the distractions. Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhen I have a long day of homework, I usually lock myself in my office and turn on some music as I start on my homework. However when a song comes on in my playlist that I really like I often find myself concentrating on the song rather than my school work. This usually causes me to have to re-read entire pages because I did not gather anything from it due to my mind drifting. So I can defiantly agree that multitasking does not provide me the opportunity to do my best work on an individual task.
ReplyDeleteI agree that students become a lot more distracted. I often in class will think I am paying attention when I really am focussing on something else. It really stinks that we don't learn as much as we actually think because multitasking divides our attention so much.
ReplyDeleteA lot of students already multitask and think they are good at it but we really are not. It is very easy to get distracted and multitasking makes it even easier.
ReplyDeleteI had been told several times from people around me that it is a good thing, the ability to multitask, there is even a myth that women are supposed to be better multitaskers than men! And it is true that WE CAN actually multitask when it comes to trivial things... (ex. walk and chew gum at the same time, maybe reading a grocery list too) but when it comes to cognitively demanding tasks we fail to perform simply because our brain can only withhold and process a certain, even small amount of information at a time. It is a great decision to keep to one task at a time and I believe that most people would be benefited by doing so.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, i think students have been way more distracted then they used to be. Great ideas!!
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