3/17/2023 0 Comments Mindup mindfulness jar![]() Dispelling the myth of multitasking may prove to be a simple yet effective way to guide students towards a different attitude towards their devices and a more present life. In order to break our emerging cycle in the classroom setting, we have a few options. Texting, taking pictures, and not engaging in meaningful conversations or even just being present in the now moment simply because of what was normalized during childhood. ![]() If we continue on this path, we are likely to see tables of people sharing a meal through their devices. When engaging with a screen considered an acceptable replacement for face-to-face conversation, especially at the dinner table and in classrooms, we are robbing children of the opportunity to learn, grow, and connect to the real world around them. Learning about solitude and being alone is the bedrock of early development, and you don’t want your kids to miss out on that because you’re pacifying them with a device.” Children are learning about the world through everything they do. With themselves, and learn how to be alone,” said Sherry Turkle, a professor of science, technology and society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Conversations with each other are the way children learn to have conversations This prevents them from learning how to interact with others in a healthy way. These are all essential functions to facilitating real learning, and by putting a little bit of effort into a bunch of things as opposed to our whole effort into one task at a time, we are less likely to build up these areas of the brain.Īnother rising problem is the use of technology as a pacifier for children. This region controls executive function, such as working memory, reasoning, planning and execution,” (NBC, 2014). Those who admitted to multitasking with a variety of electronic devices at once had less dense gray matter in their anterior cingulate cortexes (ACC). “Researchers at the University of Sussex scanned 75 adults using an fMRI to examine their gray matter. Multitasking is actually linked to lower levels of grey matter in the brain. The proof of these effects can be measured. “The key to transferring new information from the brain's short-term to long-term memory is a process called "encoding." Without deep concentration, encoding is unlikely to occur, “ (NBC, 2013) We’re all just one click away from a two-hour cute cat picture binge, and that can be seriously detrimental to the brain’s learning process. Digital distractions are easily accessible while working on a laptop or tablet. From personal experience, I know how true this can be. “Several studies have shown that information learned while partially distracted is often quickly forgotten, so the learning is tragically shallow,” (NBC, 2013). Task switching wears out the brain and makes learners more tired and less competent. Assignments inevitably take longer when learners According to a study by Larry Rosen of California State University, the average student only stays “on task” for two minutes when they sit down to study (NBC, 2013). Multitasking may seem more efficient at first, but it actually leads to lower quality of work. How often do you find yourself scrolling on your phone while watching TV? Some shows even encourage a “two screen experience” with interactive apps while you watch their shows. In a world of devices constantly vying for our attention, digital distractions lead people to multitask. ![]() With the growing prevalence of technology, it is paramount that we teach students, beginning at the elementary level, how to become mindful and focus on a single task at a time. However, we do know the brain is highly sensitive to stimuli, like smartphones and tablets, and if children grow up interacting with screens instead of people that could hinder the development of certain communication skills, (NY Times). We do not know the full implications technology will have on the generations who grow up with them, as it is unfolding in real time. Parents don’t want to deal with unruly children because of their own busy lives, so they flip on cartoons or pacify their child with a tablet or other electronic device. (Rideout, 2010) The youngest generation is never going to know a world without these devices. According to a recent study, the average American between the ages of 8 and 18 spends more than 7.5 hours per day using a phone, computer, television, or other electronic device. Phones, televisions, and tablets-our lives are full of gadgets that buzz, beep, light up and prevent us from staying on task. Incorporating Mindfulness in Elementary Education
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