Learn, Think, Write

After watching Frontline’s Digital Nation, I felt such ambivalence. The discussion about laptops in the classroom seemed negative and unbalanced.  Henry Jenkins’ response made sense to me, and it helped validate much of what I believe about how  the way we teach and learn needs to change.

However, I felt no ambivalence about the reports on multitasking. I am absolutely certain I do not concentrate as well when I am doing several things at one time.

I thought for years that I was doing it. Certain I was handling all the information that was coming at me, I frequently checked my email while researching something online for class, while I tweeted and retweeted links to my PLN.

It wasn’t until last year when research surfaced, I began to realize how much I was missing.

Just this week, I:

• misread the directions for a writing contest and had to tell two students that I would have to choose between them instead of sending in both entries (based on class enrollment NOT school enrollment)
• skipped an important section in an email and had to throw together a response quickly
• didn’t write a date on my calendar and will now need to get a substitute
• frustrated my husband who was trying to talk to me while I was reading an article online
• got a teasing comment from a friend when I checked my iPhone during dinner (I swore I would never do that)

Sigh. I need to slow down.