Hello everyone! My name is Ashley Watts and I will be
leading our weekly discussion. This week we will be reading chapters three and
four from the book, The Art of Changing
the Brain. These chapters discuss brain connections and motivation of the
learner. Along with reading these chapters, you will also need to read the
article on possible effects of the Internet on the adolescent brain. This article,
along with a review of the article, can be found on Moodle. Below are some
topics for discussion. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone!
1. Before reading the article, what were your thoughts on
how the Internet impacted adolescents in the classroom?
2. Did your thoughts change after reading the article? If
so, in what way(s)?
3. In chapter 8 of Zadina’s book, she discusses how
technology is rewiring the adolescent brain. Some ways positive, some negative.
It is stated that learning games can be motivating, but multitasking can impair
learning. How would you create an equal balance among your students?
4. In chapter four of The Art of Changing the Brain, Zull
discusses motivation. He states that extrinsic motivation is usually aimed at
the wrong target and intrinsic motivation leads to learning being the reward.
Do you think the use of the Internet in learning motivates the students
extrinsically or intrinsically? Have you seen examples of these types of
motivation in your own classroom?
This seems interesting. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/internet-brain_n_1441393.html
This video was SOO interesting! There is SOO much to discuss! I think this is something we should talk about with Dr. Zadina too. Everyone- chime in! Watch this for sure. Especially think about what it means for our students, at different levels, that are developing and growing up with these technologies.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought comparing the internet info to crack was a bit over the top, but I do think they're on to something. I know that I love checking email throughout the day, despite no one but my bank ever emailing me.
DeleteWhat do you all think about the apple watch and having access to technology literally on your wrist! I feel like I already spend most of my day on my computer or phone, the watch will mean that you don't ever have to put that access down.
That is a scary thought Katy, but so true. The face-to-face communication seems to be steadily declining. With the Apple watch, it will not help communication skills much. Also, sitting in front of technology all of the time may decrease how active we are physically. This makes me think of the article about ways to not shrink your brain. I think I am going to have to draw the line with my smartphone.
DeleteI agree with the cost-benefit argument. If we are spending a lot of time using technology we don't have as much time for sports, games, and other healthy habits.
DeleteAlthough social media can activate dopamine, I think it's a stretch to compare it to an addictive drug. Most people can use social media casually and not have a negative impact on other aspects of life. There are exceptions to this, like with cyber-bullying, but this is the exception not the norm.
The way that this video describes what the Internet is doing to us is what I have feared about the Internet for the past few years. I fear that children are spending too much time looking at screens and taking in new information with out enough time to process. I fear that children's creativity and cognitive processes will be affected in a negative way. What is most frightening about how the Interned affects us is that we really do not know what it is doing to our brains because it is relatively new. It is not old enough for long term studies to have been done on the brain and how the Interned affects it.
DeleteAshley and Maya, I know! There is no way I get nearly enough physical activity. Between staring at my computer for lesson plans and grad school I never get off the couch!
DeleteIt will be so interesting to see the implications of Internet on students' brains 20 years from now. Since information gathering is now SO easy, and since we are constantly bombarded with information online, in the form of ads, cookies tracking, and commercials, I will be interested to see if the important information has made neural networks fire together or if it has all just been noise! As I type this, the TV is on in the living room, another one in the bedroom, and I have the following other tabs open on Google Chrome: Facebook, Kohls.com, NBCNews, and Etsy!
Delete-Jamie Hipp
To be honest I do worry about my student’s screen time. I have a few students (6-7 yrs old) who spend a lot of time in front of a screen and they struggle to stay on task. However, as soon as they have that ipad in front of them we have no issues. My fear is that students who are spending a lot of time on a screen have trouble interacting and coping with other students. The game doesn’t purposely hit them and force that student to use words to solve the problem with a very angry person right in front of them. It does make me nervous that we don’t know what the long-term effects are. I find that we don’t use technology in 1st grade to multitask (so my students don’t have multiple conversations in multiple browsers at the same time) since they are on one learning game at a time.
ReplyDeleteMy 1st graders don’t really use the internet in my classroom, so I can’t comment on the motivation piece. However, I try not to use the ipads as a reward because I want them to see the book bin and other learning opportunities as equally rewarding as the learning on the ipads.
I think it is great that your students have one goal when working on computers in your classroom. I like the idea that they are focusing on one task. Maybe firing information that they will need to keep for long periods of time:) Also, allowing students other opportunities, such as having them spend time at the book bin, gives them opportunities to develop and work on other skills. This may be vital to certain students because they may not have access to books at home.
DeleteKaty, I love that you use the book bin as an award too! My nephew is in 2nd grade and his school has ipads as well, and they use them for projects and learning games. Surprisingly his favorite thing in class is not the ipad, it is to read in the reading fort. I love that teachers encourage reading and make reading so fun for kids!
DeleteThe increased use of screen time in children scares me. Parents tend to give their kids the screen because it is easy and it satisfies a child's need to explore. Like you said Katy, "as soon as I put the iPad in front of them we have no issues" and I'm sure that is how parents feel as well. They use the iPad as a way to appease a fussing child or a wiggly child, but I fear that this is going to have negative repercussions for these kids' thinking and focusing abilities in the future.
DeleteShelli, I was having dinner today with a family friend with a toddler. As soon as she got fussy they put a game on in front of her. I know in the moment they didn't mean to b bad parents, but I am SO scared of the long term consequences of appeasing children with tech... I think it sends the implicit message that unless you're being entertained you dont have to behave. I remember my Dad marching me out of a restaurant as a child because i wouldnt behave. I worry about the constant entertainment
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteALSO, all, here is an AMAZING podcast episode about whether computers are changing our character. The first half of the episode interviews a man who helped invent google glasses and has worn his google glasses for years. His glasses actually help him remember previous conversations with others with prompts and remember details about people's lives. He argues that it improves his relationships with others. SO interesting!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/
I listened to this podcast a while back. It made me think that, as a society, we are beginning to consider these advanced types of technology an integral part of daily life, and not just an occasional asset.
DeleteAs I'm sure you all do, during testing, we cover everything in our classrooms. So students cannot access any resources to help them answer questions. I wonder if this will change someday in response to current technologies.
That is a great point Maya. It makes me wonder if there will ever be a line drawn where there is too much dependency on technology and others.
DeleteMaya, I think you made a really interesting point about testing policy. I have also wondered if students will someday be allowed to use the Internet as a resource when testing. It seems like it would be really difficult to decide what Internet resources students could and could not use while testing, as well as if students could use the Internet in all subject areas. I feel like if policy allowed students to use the Internet as a resource while testing, the types of questions asked would have to be drastically changed to reflect the fact that the students had all kinds of information at their fingertips.
DeleteI thought the huffington post video was so interesting. I totally agree in my personal life I tend to check my phone for email, texts, facebook, etc. I go through phases where I keep my phone in my car all day, or delete apps off my phone just so I don't feel the need to check it because it does cause me to be distracted. As for how this relates to students in class learning, I think it effects students if they are allowed to have their phones in class. I do not think they will be completely attentive, even if they think they are. I find this huge technology push in schools so interesting because I think technology is SO great and not going anywhere, but I think the technology push in schools should be about incorporating quality technology versus quantity. Imagine if there was a technology in schools that had students constantly refreshing and checking their phones or computers as often as they check their Instagram and Facebook.
ReplyDeleteThe Huffington post video was extremely interesting! I, too, am guilty of constantly checking my phone. I find myself swiping my phone open to check my email/Facebook/Instagram/text messages without even thinking about it, it's kind of scary in a way! It's like one moment my phone is sitting beside me and the next moment I have checked all of my social media apps without even making the conscious decision to do so. In the video, Nicholas Carr discusses the fact that if your brain is constantly distracted, it can never hold any existing piece of information in your working memory long enough to make sense of it. We are overloading our working memory by being so constantly attached to the internet. During my high school student teaching experience, the students always had their phones in hand. School policy stated that if a teacher allowed the students to occasionally listen to music, this was fine. However, the students were not supposed to text/snapchat/instagram etc. while at school without being penalized. The teachers realized that they were fighting a losing battle; students were literally putting up both a verbal and physical fight when teachers tried to enforce the cell phone policy. These students felt so lost without their cell phone, even if the phone was just sitting on their desk. It really was scary how engaged these students were with their phones; I kept imagining how awesome it would be if they were as engaged with the material as they were with their phones. As Meredith mentioned above, imagine if content related technology grabbed their attention as much as checking their social media.
ReplyDeleteI think that the internet is a wonderful resource. We have any piece of information we could possibly want at our fingertips. Whenever, wherever we want it. I think that we need to find ways to teach students how to use the internet as more than a social media outlet. The internet is hear to stay, and only becoming and increasingly common part of our daily lives. Students need to become familiar with using the internet to find trustworthy resources and to build on their existing knowledge. I love that near the end of the video, Cara Santa Maria poses the question about critical thinking. At first it seemed a bit dramatic, but the more I thought about it the more I realized how big of an issue it is. If students are getting to the point where they can't distinguish between important and trivial information, then how will this impact their ability to think critically. Being able to sort through information and determine what is relevant and what isn't is a key aspect of thinking critically.
I also agree that the Internet is a wonderful resource. As you stated, it is imperative that students learn how to determine if site is trustworthy when completing research. As educators, we must embrace the Internet and other means of technology. We need to have these tools available to our students, but we want to make sure the technology being used in relevant to what they are learning about in the classroom. My question is will we ever get students as excited or engaged with technological research as they are with their own personal social media?
DeleteAmy, none of the schools that I have student taught at allowed cell phone use and I am so glad. Over the Christmas break I substituted at high schools that allowed cell phone use and it was horrible. I could not and still cannot get past how addicted people are to their phones. After my substituting experience with schools that have BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) I have begun to brainstorm ways that I will keep cell phone usage under control in my future classroom if necessary.
DeleteAshley, I absolutely agree that we need to find ways to connect the use of technology to the content that our students are learning in the classroom. I'm not sure if students will ever be as excited about (in my case) math content as they are about getting a new text; however, I think that if I could find ways to make connections between social media and math this could help with student engagement. For example, I could set up an instagram account for each section of a math course and ask students to post pictures of things related to the content. I could also allow the students to post pictures of questions they have trouble with on homework assignments etc. This would be a way of using social media (which gets the students really engaged) in math-related way.
DeleteShelli, It was kind of scary how connected my students were to their phones. I wanted to enforce the school policy... I didn't want the students to be on their phones unless I asked them to be. But since many of the teachers chose not to "fight that battle," it was really difficult to make the students follow the rules. It pointed out to me how important it was for all of the teachers to be on the same page regarding rules and technology usage.
Amy, I love the idea of having an Instagram account for math purposes. I believe it shows the students that you respect what interests them. The students would be able to also make real-life connections with the math examples they come across. I see this a great motivator. It also makes the students become better critical thinkers, which in turn makes them very active learners.
DeleteAmy,
DeleteI agree that we must teach strategies for internet use. Educators absolutely must shift from a focus of teaching information gathering to HOW TO DEAL WITH the information once it is gathered. How do students discern good reliable source information from information that may not be credible? How can students take the information they learn from the Internet and make it their own/apply it to a variety of situations? Teachers absolutely must adapt to this new type of learner, or we are being unjust (as Zull states).
-Jamie Hipp
Like most educators, I am unsure if Internet usage affects the brain and learning. Since the Internet is relatively new, little research supports or contradicts adolescent usage. In my experience, however, many students look forward to any opportunity to use technology, and, typically, if students are given a choice, they will choose to work with technology. As per COMPASS, all educators should be incorporating technology into their lessons. Zadina spent an entire chapter outlining the importance of motivation pathway and technology definitely motivates my students, so I enjoy including it!
ReplyDeleteThis article’s title says it all: Evidence Remains Scarce. I truly did not learn anything new and exciting by reading this resource, but hopefully this will serve as a call to researchers to pursue research in this vein. I am, of course, happy that students spending much time on the Internet are not giving up time devoted to real-world activities, as I feel that extracurricular activities help develop the whole, well-rounded child.
Based on Zull’s Chapter 3, a balance of student centered/teacher centered lessons is as important as balance of prefrontal and temporal integrative cortex knowledge. Since I have the privilege of teaching the arts, I am constantly designing lessons with a mixture of teacher-centered presentation of new information and student-centered experiential learning through the arts. I also believe that this week’s readings have implications for all teachers to integrate the arts, as the arts are experience and experiential learning is crucial for transformation of experience.
The Internet can be used as a teaching tool to initiate and support learning. This notion falls within the realm of intrinsic motivation. So often, though, teachers allow students access to the Internet as an extrinsic reward. My three schools use the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). Teacher give out Bee-bucks (behavior bucks) for everything from good behavior to above-average classroom discussion, to turning in homework at the beginning of the year. Bee-bucks can then be utilized by students to shop in the “Bee store” in every classroom for items such as candy, pencils, stickers, Dollar Store games, etc. The administrators urge teachers to not pass out as many Bee-bucks as the school year goes on, as good behaviors should increase and become the norm. There are two problems, however. 1. Teachers do not outline that Bee-bucks are for BEHAVIOR and 2. Students come to expect Bee-bucks whenever they are doing what they are supposed to be doing anyway.
I agree with Zull that positive reinforcement and extrinsic motivators for students should not be taken away completely. Thinking back to age 6, I learned all of my times-tables VERY quickly to fill up the sticker chart that showed my progress towards a rip to Walt Disney World when I could come up with multiplication answers in rapid fire fashion. I believe both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation starts with parents at home but, unfortunately, our society is gravitating towards one where everyone wins something. Many schools no longer keep score in P.E. games and give all children a trophy, even if they are on the losing extracurricular sports team. I believe this shift has huge implications towards students expecting extrinsic rewards and relying less on their intrinsic motivation.
-Jamie Hipp
Jamie, I do see this with some of my students. We also have a PBIS system, and scaffold it down as the year goes. In theory I think it does work, but I find myself giving points on a student-by-student basis. Some students are rewarded for things other students are not (mostly because they are normally not on task and I want to reward small steps in the right direction) but then some students end up with more points despite having 1-2 massive outbursts over the course of the day... how does your school attempt to norm it student by student, teacher by teacher?
DeleteJamie, I also agree with Zull in the fact that extrinsic motivators should not be taken out altogether. I also agree with you that it is being overly used by both educators and parents. Our society seems always seems take the easy way, which is not always best for our youth. Students need to be aware that they must work for rewards in life, and sometimes you do not always get a tangible prize for doing what is expected of you. I think this is a constant work in progress. We as educators, have to stand firm in doing what is best for our students and many times it will not include an extrinsic reward.
DeleteKaty,
DeleteUnfortunately, there are no attempts to norm the PBIS system on a per-student basis. Because of this flaw, I find that students who demonstrate consistently good behavior receive little to no extrinsic rewards while the students exhibiting the worst discipline receiving oodles of rewards. Yikes!
-Jamie Hipp
Before reading the article I honestly never thought about how the Internet impacts adolescents in the classroom. I guess that’s because I think of the computer and other technological devices as a whole. I never separated activities on the computer that didn’t involve the Internet verses those that do. After reading the article I thought more on how it impacts my students now and their ability to hold a conversation. Then I thought about my younger cousins and the way they use the Internet. In a way I think it has a major benefit to students being able to access information faster but from what I’ve observed when I’m with my cousins they seem to take information at face value. I rarely see or hear them discuss finding alternate sources to support what they have read. Its very hard sometime for students to determine what is usable information in the classroom. I also think that adolescents these days have lost the etiquette of engaging in a proper face-to-face conversation because they are so use to communicating on the Internet with each other. Find it difficult to have a conversation with my younger teenage cousins when they have their phones in their hands because they are usually on Facebook or Twitter or some other social media site.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to multitasking that involves the Internet I try to multitask less with the students I am teaching now. More so because it is to demanding to ask them to go back and forth and they will zone out to escape or become very frustrated which stresses them out. I try to do more alternating. If I’m teaching a lesson from the smart board that utilizes the Internet I don’t ask them to take notes or ask questions during even though they are allowed to. I like to give them as much time as possible for them to be able to wire it then fire it. Sometimes the process of wiring it may take longer then a typical lesson. I usually incorporate as many sources that are in the physical classroom or school environmental as well as higher order thinking activities. I think seeing it is one thing but actually making that physical connection is was makes it stick.
The topic of motivation is hard for me to talk about because what might me motivating to one person is not for another. I don’t think I can make a true data based educated statement on how or if the Internet is motivating to a student because I just don’t know. My opinion would be that the Internet is not necessarily more motivating but more stimulating. If I could get the exact same information on a topic I’m just not that interested in for a school project and my choices are a book or a video of someone discussing the book I would probably choose the video. I’m not motivated to do either but the video is more stimulating so I choose the video. I think motivation comes from your educational history as a student. If you have a positive history with education then learning in general may show to be more intrinsic in nature. I think that as teachers we have to try and create that atmosphere. That should include some type of extrinsic motivation in order to hopefully promote learning as being intrinsically motivating in the future.
-Morgan W.