Cultivating Attention in the Classroom
Description:
In this workshop, participants will unpack what attention means in today’s classroom and explore ways to help students avoid distraction and improve focus. Inspired by James Lang’s “Distracted” (Lang, 2020), this workshop will engage participants in signature attention activities. We will also provide an opportunity to reexamine classroom device policies and explore the role of technology in cultivating attention during class sessions.
Learning Goals:
After successfully completing this workshop you will be able to:
- Identify opportunities to generate curious attention
- Nurture a community of attention in their classrooms
- Plan and deploy activities that cultivate attention
- Identify key distractions & recognize the challenge of cultivating attention
Workshop Resources:
Materials:
In the Library:
Lang, James (2020). Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus & What You Can Do About It. Basic Books.
Lang, James (2016). Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning. Jossey-Bass.
[Kaneb Center LB 1063 .L36 2016]Bain, Ken (2011). What the Best College Teachers Do. Harvard University Press.
Online Resources:
Articles
- Lang, James (2021) “ Attention Is an Achievement: How to help students to stay present and focused in class” AACU Liberal Education, Sumer 2021 Issue. From: https://www.aacu.org/article/attention-is-an-achievement
- Tesch, F., Coelho, D., & Drozdenko, R. (2011). We have met the enemy and he is us: Relative potencies of classroom distractions. Business Education Innovation Journal, 3(2)
Videos/Podcasts
- “Peer Instruction for Active Learning – Eric Mazur” [13:56] from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9orbxoRofI
- Lecture Breaker Podcast Series. https://barbihoneycutt.com/blogs/podcast
- ABL Connect Website https://ablconnect.harvard.edu/documents
Certificates:
Can apply toward these graduate student/postdoc certificates: