Digital Nation - Part I

So after looking over my blog as well as my notes for this class, I realize that I have yet to write up a post on the Digital Nation video. So better late than never...

During the first segment of the feature, Distracted by Everything , several points were made that I found not only true but insightful as well. I am in totally agreement that students do need to be stimulated in ways that they haven’t been stimulated before in terms of how we as teachers teach. We need to come up with creative and new ways to grab and hold their attention and using technology within our classrooms is one of the sure fire ways to do that.

Besides the video stating that “geeks are normal now” (which I always knew to be true!), I also found the discussion revolving around multitasking to be particularly interesting. I like to think of myself as a multi-tasker when it comes to balancing my social life with my academic one however, according to the research that that was done in the second segment, What’s It Doing to Their Brains? , I am questioning whether or not I should continue to practice this philosophy. I honestly had no idea that according to classic psychology, multitasking just is not possible. The study conducted by NASA proved that you are significantly slower when doing more than one task than if you were to do just one task continuously. However, I was not surprise to hear that the students in the study still believed in the success of multitasking since I am of the same opinion.

Maybe this has something to do with feeling over connected with the world as well as feeling the pressure to stay on top of everything constantly in your life? I mean, think about it, I personally feel like I have accomplished something and have had a more successful day if I managed to work on and maybe complete as many assignments as possible. On the days, that I don’t managed to work on anything except one particular subject or assignment, I feel restless, disconnected and worried that I will not get everything in by the due date. It’s like I am juggling way more bouncy balls than I have time to handle. However, I feel the urgent need to focus on each one for a moment just to see where it is in the air but if I keep that focus too long I jeopardize the whole routine so to speak.

The same can be said for technology, at least for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy being connected with my friends, family and society through a variety of technology tools however, that is a juggling act that is still quite new to me and occasionally I forget the steps. I am starting to see how our much our world is connected and that, as it was demonstrated via Skype in class on Tuesday, can be of great use and value in the classroom but from time to time I think I do enjoy, as the video says, ‘pressing the pause button’ temporary just to make sure that my multitasking juggling act has not bounced too far out of control.

Stay tuned for Part II :)!