Distracted?
There is an irony here that I won’t pretend to ignore.
My colleague and I have engaged in multiple discussions about classroom distractions that come from laptops or smartphones, and anything in between. We have both witnessed it first hand.
I came across an interesting video put out by Epipheo that looks into the very idea of this kind of distraction. The video is called “What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains,” and the irony I mentioned earlier, is that I came across it while engaging in my daily ritual of flipping through Failblog (trying to ignore another commercial about cheese). Regardless, I find the content to be of value, something worth listening to and thinking about. Whether you agree with the creator of the video or Nicholas Carr, the author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains,” is up to you, but I think in a world that is so engrossed in the internet, it is certainly worth considering.
Some of the ideas brought up are ones that I personally have pondered. I see how things have changed in the relatively short time since I was a student. They are conversations (and friendly arguments) that we have in the office.
I encourage you to watch the video, and consider what you think of the claims it is making. Do you agree? If so, why? If not, why not?
As for me, I plan on putting Nicholas Carr’s book on my summer reading list.
And if you want to talk to someone about these ideas come on down to the EdTech office. We would love to hear what you think about these kinds of issues!