Tag: technology

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How Distractions Distract from Learning

In my last two posts, I discussed some common problems teachers are seeing in their classrooms. Based on a poll conducted, many teachers say that their students struggle with lack of motivation, distractions, and access to technology, among others. Today I’m going to jump into the problem of distractions.

Distractions have been around since the beginning of time. It’s not a new problem. I do, however, believe that it has become a bigger problem in recent years. Many students have so much going on in their lives that focusing on school is becoming more and more difficult. I also think that technology is playing a role in this increase in lack of attention and focus. Kids become so used to having instant gratification from their screens that focusing on anything for too long becomes difficult. 

There also seems to be a recent increase in the number of kids who struggle with ADD or ADHD. By themselves, these attention disorders make it difficult for students who struggle with them to stay focused and not get distracted. Couple these disorders with any other amount of input from screens or other sensory involved activities, and it seems like the perfect recipe for distractions a plenty! 

Not only does technology play a role in distracting students, but so does every day life. If there are hardships at home, trouble with friends, sports, other academic pursuits, challenges, or deadlines looming, medical concerns, or other extra curricular activities going on, those things can be a cause for distraction. There are a myriad of things that can be the reason behind why a student is distracted. 

A third grade teacher commented, “Many of my students have a hard time maintaining, focus and get distracted by a variety of activities, toys, other students, daydreaming etc.”

Lack of attention and focus can become a big problem for teachers. It’s hard enough to get an entire room of students on task and listening. Add in any outside distractions, and that task becomes even more difficult. Teachers have limited time with their students, and any amount of time spent redirecting and refocusing their students takes away from precious instruction and learning time. Obviously, all teachers plan for some amount of redirection and repeating of instructions, but when it starts to take away from what needs to be happening in a classroom, it becomes a bigger issue. 

One second grade teacher said, “I have noticed a HUGE increase in the amount of redirection I am having to give throughout my day. I truly think most of my time is spent on management and trying to get their attention where I need it. I think this stems from their inability to pay attention (distractions) mixed with a lack of motivation.” 

I won’t sugar coat it and say that you will have 100% of your class focused and on task 100% of the time, because the reality of it is, is that you won’t. There will likely be at least one or two students who will be distracted at any given moment (even if they look like they are paying attention). I think it’s just human nature to get distracted— for some, it doesn’t happen often, and for others, it’s a constant battle. 

What then, are teachers doing to help combat this problem in their classrooms? Redirection is a good strategy to help students get back on track. Some teachers use reward systems such as classroom dollars, table points, reward jars, and so on. 

A grade 7-9 teacher said she tries to make her lessons and assignments as relevant as possible so that students are more likely to stay focused and interested in what they are learning. 

A third grade teacher said, “In our school we’ve been doing mindfulness minutes during our day. We’ve also added in a yoga and mindfulness specialty. We have a wellness center where students can take breaks. In my classroom, I have a take 5 chair for smaller regulation needs.” These small breaks could be useful in helping students re-focus and stay attentive during class. 

Distractions aren’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. They really are just part of life. It’s how we learn to deal with them and re-focus ourselves that matters most. Teachers who experience this problem in their classrooms with their students know just how challenging it can be. But as we try new methods and lean on others for suggestions, we’re bound to find something that will help our students have the best possible chance of learning!

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Students and the Challenges They Face

It isn’t a secret that today’s students face many challenges. Many of these challenges are unique to this generation, while others are the same kinds of challenges that students have faced for years. Regardless the challenge, students need support and guidance on how to navigate these problems. I polled eleven teachers over a variety of grade levels to get an idea of what they are seeing in their classrooms, and how they are helping their students face these trying issues. Over the next few posts, I’m going to dive into the results of that poll and share what current teachers are doing in their classrooms to combat these challenges. 

First, a little background on the poll, questions asked, and the basic results.

In my poll, I gave teachers a list of challenges kids today might face, and asked them to check the box next to anything on that list that they see in their classrooms. That list included time management, family hardships, mental health, access to technology (too much or too little), financial strain, inadequate resources, test anxiety, distractions, lack of motivation, procrastination, lack of support at home or school, and inadequate physical care (food insecurity, lack of medical care, poor hygiene, etc.). Teachers were also given space to write any challenges they have seen that were not on my list. 

Then, from the boxes that they checked, I asked teachers to list the top three challenges they see in their classrooms, and explain what specifically they see happening. I then asked teachers to explain what is being done in general (by state, district, school, etc.) to combat these problems, and what they are specifically doing with their own students to alleviate these challenges. 

It was interesting to see the results of the poll. Problems I assumed would be more common turned out to not really even be a concern to most teachers, and problems I assumed wouldn’t be a big deal turned out to be bigger problems than I thought. I learned that certain issues aren’t confined to one particular age demographic, and that students of all grades and ages are experiencing many of the same challenges. 

So what did the teachers say? 

Of the teachers polled, an astounding 100% of them listed lack of motivation as one of the top challenges students today face! Coming in tied for second place, was 81% of teachers indicating that their students struggled with distractions and access to technology. 

Come along as I explore these results a little deeper and figure out what can be done to help today’s kids rise above and face these challenges!

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The Power of Music in the Classroom

My son, who is in third grade, just sat down to do his homework: completing a multiplication chart. I was headed downstairs to get my computer when I suddenly heard him burst into song. He was counting by two in the tune of “Yankee Doodle,” then proceeded to count by six to the tune of “London Bridge is Falling Down.” He continued this process, with a different little song for each row of his multiplication chart. He had it completed rather quickly, thanks to the help of these little songs. 

As he worked, I started thinking about how important and helpful music can be in the classroom. Music has this super neat ability to make information stick. It’s really pretty cool. I remember my 10th grade Biology teacher having us write our own songs to go along with the process of photosynthesis. Come test day, I flew through the questions as I sang my song in my head. I could even hear my classmates quietly muttering out their own songs as they worked their way through their tests. 

I recall a time when I was teaching junior high. I happened to be out in the hall during my prep period and could hear Mr. Hodges’ ninth grade Biology class walking down the hall chanting/singing a song he had made up about amino acids. It was catchy. No doubt those students remembered those amino acids for a long time to come.

For those of us old enough to remember “School House Rock,” I’m sure you are able to recall all sorts of facts about our government and such because of those songs. These seemingly silly songs helped kids remember important information. 

Today’s kids will likely never know the experience of having your teacher wheel the TV to the front of the room, put the VHS tape into the VCR, then push play. But they still have their own version of “School House Rock”-esque songs. You Tube has a plethora of songs designed to teach and help students retain information. Unlike older generations, kids today can watch it at school, then come home and be able to watch it again and again with the click of a button. 

Not only can infusing music with information be helpful, but simply playing music during work time can be helpful. My junior high English students practically lived for the days that I would allow them to bring their headphones to class so that they could listen to music of their choice while they completed assignments. I found this especially helpful on days when we were in the drafting and writing stages of essay or story writing. Students who were normally squirmy and disruptive were suddenly quiet, focused, and still. For students who didn’t have their own music-producing device, I would plug my phone in and turn on a quiet mix of songs that played through my classroom speaker system. Never did I have students work harder and quieter than I did during music days. It was magical!

Music is transformative. It has the power to do so many things for the human brain. It can calm, heal, bring peace, help release anger or frustration, and, as noted here, can have the power to bring things to memory. That’s pretty cool if you ask me. Music brings so much color to the classroom!

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Current World Happenings: A chance to enrich the curriculum

Over time, the way we take in information has changed. We’ve gone from verbal and written communications that took days or even weeks to reach people to information being available instantly. I remember reading various Scholastic publications that my teachers would receive every week or month, and that was, for the most part, how I learned about current events. Today’s kids have access to information literally at their fingertips, and can access it almost immediately after an event happens— or even as it happens. 

Because of this easy access, teachers have a great advantage. They can teach current events in real time, using articles, posts, videos, and livestreams to inform their students what is happening in our world. It gives teachers the opportunity to enrich their curriculum.

Science teachers can use current weather events like hurricanes or tornadoes to teach students how events like this happen. They can use interesting news about space to enrich their instruction on the cosmos. If there is a breakthrough in medical research, it provides an opportunity to study health and medicine. 

History teachers can use various political happenings, wars, social injustices, and so on to create meaningful curriculum that can link to the past and allow students to make connections between the past and present.

Geography teachers can integrate information about the places where big events are happening. A class might learn about the physical lay of the land where a war is taking place, and learn how the landscape can impact how the war is fought. 

Art teachers can have students create pieces based on the emotions they feel when they learn about current events. Art is a great way to process feelings and emotions. 

Math classes can use current events to produce graphs, charts, and equations of varying forms. One class might choose to conduct research to see who has experienced different kinds of weather, then create a bar graph based on what they have learned. Another class might calculate the cost of providing needed items to war torn or weather ravaged places and peoples. 

English teachers can use all kinds of events to have students produce pieces of writing. An election would provide students with a good opportunity to write an opinion piece. A catastrophic weather event would give students a chance to research and write about that particular kind of weather. Students could also use current positive world events to write a piece highlighting the good there is in the world. 

Whatever the content area may be, using current events is a surefire way to enrich curriculum, let students learn about current happenings in new and exciting ways, and allow them to draw deeper connections to what is happening in the world around them. 

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Why The Arts in STEAM?

Have you seen our post on summer STEAM activities for kids? Which ones have you tried so far? 

While we’re talking about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), you may wonder… Why the arts? 

The STEM acronym is built around these similar areas, science, technology, engineering, and math. So why throw in something as different and opposite as… Art? 

Short answer- why not? 

Long answer-

Naturally woven into arts are elements of science, technology, engineering, and math. The arts truly are more complicated than anyone gives them credit for! Just by simply participating in art concepts, the exposure to STEM concepts is already there. And the best way for kids to learn? Through play! You can hand out a worksheet on angles. Or you could work on some tape resist art using straight lines and evaluate and work with angles that way. 

Adding in arts also makes the activities naturally more collaborative and promotes teamwork and communication. It’s a simple way to practice being flexible and adaptable because art is naturally something more “go with the flow.” 

There’s also the concept of using both sides of your brain during STEAM activities. Putting arts and STEM together activates the right and left sides of the brain at the same time making the activity more educational and well-rounded. 

Do you practice STEAM concepts in your school? How do you add arts to STEM? 

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Summer STEAM Activites For Kids

Summer is my favorite season for STEAM kid’s activities (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) because it’s easier to clean up! Yes, I know. That’s maybe not the best reasoning. But it’s a very valid reason. STEAM activities can get messy, but taking them outside helps the cleanup process become faster and easier. Here are some of our favorite STEAM activities, along with a few cleaning up tips! 

Sunscreen Painting: I found this gem activity on Pinterest, but we’ve been doing it on repeat at our house! Take a dark sheet of construction paper (black, blue, deep reds, etc) and paint with sunscreen! Leave it out in the sun for a few hours to dry, then come back and see the work you’ve created. It was such a great conversation about sunscreen and how it can help our skin while we’re out playing in the sunshine. 

Oobleck: Such a classic, messy sensory activity. The non-newtonian substance is addicting for kids and adults to play with! I love playing with this in a plastic bin or bowl outside because cleanup is just a simple hose down of everything. Because it’s made of cornstarch and water, it’s safe to hose down into the grass or down the gutter. Please use your best judgment with this and verify if it’s safe for you to do so in your own area or not. 

Diet Coke + Mentos: We all know this activity is also for adult enjoyment, as well as kid entertainment and education. The science behind Diet Coke and Mentos is really fascinating. And if you’re still scratching your head about why it’s a physical reaction instead of a chemical reaction, we’ve got you covered! Check out our article on Chemical vs. Physical Changes.  

Egg Drop: A perfect excuse to use up all of that recycling that’s taking up a corner of your garage (I’m not the only one, right?) Find different ways to protect your egg at different heights of dropping them. The garden hose is also the MVP when it comes to clean up.  

S’mores with Tin Foil: Setting up a little stove with tin foil to make a s’more is not only a great STEM activity, but also a great snack!  

Ice Painting: Have you ever tried painting on ice? The effect is incredible! There are a few ways you can do this. Freeze your own ice cubes or pull cubes out of your ice maker and dump them into a plastic bin or bowl to paint. Freeze a block of water in a big container and paint on the ice chunk. Or buy a bag of ice from a gas station and dump it into a bowl or bin for painting.  

Sink or Float: It may feel boring and overused to you, but I’m willing to bet your child hasn’t done the experiment dozens of times as you have. Find random toys and items, place them in a bucket of water, and see what sinks and what floats.  

Make Your Own Bubble Solution and Wands: We typically make bubble wands out of pipe cleaners, but there are so many materials you can use to create bubble wands. Leaving out different materials and letting the kids come up with their own creations is exactly what STEAM is all about! There are dozens of bubble recipes online, but this one is our favorite: 

½ C. Dish Soap
1 ½ C. Water
2 tsp Sugar

Bubble Foam: Have you tried this yet? It’s a fun outdoor STEAM activity for your kids. I use Busy Toddler’s recipe and instructions. 

Stack Pool Noodles with Shaving Cream: Slice up a pool noodle into smaller discs and build towers by using shaving cream as the “glue.” This is one that is an “outside only” activity for me. Messy play is important, but I have limits too! 

What STEAM activities are you trying out this summer? What cleaning up tips do you have for messy outside play? 

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The Addition of Video Games To Our Household

When my oldest was born five years ago, I noticed a shift in how parents view screen time. Maybe it somewhat had to do with the fact that I had just entered the parenthood world, but since I had spent the previous four years very immersed in the school system as well as nannying for a local family, I felt like I somewhat had an idea of the screentime trends. 

I think what I was observing was 5-10 years ago parents started realizing the long-term effects of screens, smart devices, and video games were having on kids. I kept seeing movement after movement of, “screen-free summer!” and “let’s spend 10,000 hours outside instead of on our devices!” 

Which are not bad things to do! Spending time outside is a great investment. But where I find the fault is that we are blaming screens. 

I grew up in the 90s and we spent plenty of time playing video games and watching tv shows. We also spent plenty of time running the streets of our neighborhood until the street lights came on. That actually wasn’t a rule for us, but it felt very similar to how I grew up and fitting for the given situation. 

Looking back, maybe parents of the 90s would beg to differ, but I think we had a perfect balance back then. We were pirates and explorers by day, and Mario Kart racers by night when it was too dark or cold to be outside. The screens were not the problem! 

However, over time the use of screens changed and adapted and been used (and abused) more and more. So when my oldest was born, I felt such shame for using any amount of screens in her life. So much to the point that when we were visiting a restaurant one evening, their menu boards were big TVs, and as an 18-month-old she wouldn’t stop staring at them. I felt like a horrible mom for allowing her to do this. She wasn’t supposed to have any screen time! 

Looking back, I realize how ridiculous my thinking was. But with all of the propaganda out on social media (ironic, isn’t it??), I was sure any time spent in front of any screen for my child was certainly melting her brain. 

Over the years we tried many different approaches to screen time. My favorite was physically putting the remote in my child’s hand. I think the biggest downfall with this, though, was that there wasn’t a countdown or physical timer she could see that would indicate how much screen time she had left for the day, so she wasn’t able to properly time manage her TV access, which led to frustration. However, giving myself a break and allowing screen time in our home was a good thing overall for us. 

Around the time my oldest turned 5, the idea of video games popped up. My initial thoughts were, “No. Absolutely not. We don’t need those in our house.” But then I was introduced to an Instagram account that changed my thinking. 

@TheGamerEducator is changing the way we think and look at screen time and video games. She has shown facts and research on why video games are good for kids! She also promotes scheduled screen time and points out why kids are asking for screen time in places like Disneyland or the zoo, and why we don’t need to be upset about it. 

It gave me the right push to add simple video games into our home. And believe it or not, it did not cause instant tantrums or overstimulation. In fact, it caused A LOT of problem-solving skills to be utilized. It caused great fine-motor development. It gave my kids the opportunity to use their brains to move a joystick to control an object on the TV, something they’ve never had to do before, but something that takes a good amount of brain power in the beginning to use. 

And in the end, my kids are still spending the majority of their days outside running the streets and inside playing board games and toy trains. But they also have some fun, scheduled screen time as well, and it’s been amazing for our household. 

The amount of education kids can pick up from video games is incredible. However, please be wary and not buy into “this is an educational game.” If you want more information on what makes something an educational game or show, I would strongly suggest diving deep into @TheGamerEducators resources she has available because she can give you more information on it than I ever could! 

So let’s stop giving screens and video games a bad wrap. They’re doing so much more for us and our children than we even realize!

Are you a video game family? What does screen time look like for you?