Students Distracted by Technology in School

[teachercd]

 

Oh my god...

 

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

 

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

 

 

 

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

 

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

 

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

 

There is nothing wrong with using your system...but like your said your kids are young.

I know you think its lazy...I got that part. That is the problem.

 

I have had parents who had kids that got caught cheating ask me, no joke now..."Did you tell them that they couldn't cheat?"

 

Trying to make everything fun/games and super interesting is very nice in theory...it is not practical and you know that.

[teachercd]

 

Oh my god...

 

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

 

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

 

 

 

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

 

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

 

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

[BigRedBuster]

 

Oh my god...

 

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

 

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

 

 

 

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

 

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

 

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

 

First of all. This all starts with your kids who are 18 months old. Right from that moment, you need to be teaching them how to learn. Give them educational type toys and not just plop them down in front of a TV, game boy or play station. Books, books, books. I am a firm believer that the more you read to your kids at that age, then it is easier for them to learn to read as they get a little older. Heck, our kids almost learned how to read on their own by the time they started kindergarten simply because we read to them so much. We still have boxes after boxes after boxes of kids books so they never got bored with the same books.

 

Now, it is upon the teachers to make their classes at least interesting. I can honestly say the best teachers I had all the way through college were teachers who took what could be an extremely boring subject and made it interesting. That doesn't mean make it a game. It means show the students why it is interesting.

 

I remember the first day of school my Sophomore year in HS simply because of Chemistry class. We were bopping all around acting like the typical stupid HS students. We walked in, talking...not paying attention. The teacher (who was new at the time) simply walked to the back of the room, turned on the faucet, threw something in (none of us saw him doing this because we were too busy talking)...all of a sudden KKKKAAABBOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!. We turn around and there is a hole in the ceiling panel above the sink. The teacher by then is sitting on his desk in the front of his room and he has our attention.

 

What he did was threw potassium in the sink which explodes when it gets wet. No harm done. He paid $5 to replace the ceiling tile and we went on with class. His talk that first day was about that cool thing that just happened was caused by chemistry. In his class, we will learn why that happened and what other cool things can come from chemistry.

 

I LOVED his class.

 

Too many parents do nothing but protect their kids from harm and baby them. Too many teachers are there doing nothing but biding their time.

 

Back to the 18 month olds???? I made a point of teaching my kids to respect everyone. However, I didn't shy away from pointing out examples of people who didn't get a good education and where they are in life compared to people who did. It is up to THEM to get an education. Nobody else can do it for them.

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

Oh my god...

 

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

 

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

 

 

 

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

 

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

 

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

I wish more people understood this.

 

When I go to hire someone. If they are coming out of school, I look at their grades. Do I really give a crap if they know what cytoplasm is? I don't. However, if they can learn that, then they can learn what I need them to learn on this job.

 

If they can't pick up the simple concept of what cytoplasm is, do you really think they could learn to do the job I need them to do?

[NUinID]

 

 

Oh my god...

 

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

 

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

 

 

 

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

 

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

 

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

Wow, that's exactly what I told my students. It's not about learning Earth Science its about learning to prepare and do the things necessary to be successful in life.

[STL Husker]

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

 

 

I disagree. Yes, part of school is learning how to learn, but you really don't expect your students to retain any of the actual material you teach them? I'm not going to be happy if my kids' teachers tell me it's not important what I teach them as long as they learn to learn. What I did learn about learning is that I retain information when I enjoy the learning experience.

 

And it's funny that you mention cytoplasm of all things. I got eliminated in my district spelling bee in 5th grade on that word. I have hated it ever since. I still think it should be spelled "sitoplasm".

 

 

First of all. This all starts with your kids who are 18 months old. Right from that moment, you need to be teaching them how to learn. Give them educational type toys and not just plop them down in front of a TV, game boy or play station. Books, books, books. I am a firm believer that the more you read to your kids at that age, then it is easier for them to learn to read as they get a little older. Heck, our kids almost learned how to read on their own by the time they started kindergarten simply because we read to them so much. We still have boxes after boxes after boxes of kids books so they never got bored with the same books.

 

 

Now, it is upon the teachers to make their classes at least interesting. I can honestly say the best teachers I had all the way through college were teachers who took what could be an extremely boring subject and made it interesting. That doesn't mean make it a game. It means show the students why it is interesting.

 

I remember the first day of school my Sophomore year in HS simply because of Chemistry class. We were bopping all around acting like the typical stupid HS students. We walked in, talking...not paying attention. The teacher (who was new at the time) simply walked to the back of the room, turned on the faucet, threw something in (none of us saw him doing this because we were too busy talking)...all of a sudden KKKKAAABBOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!. We turn around and there is a hole in the ceiling panel above the sink. The teacher by then is sitting on his desk in the front of his room and he has our attention.

 

What he did was threw potassium in the sink which explodes when it gets wet. No harm done. He paid $5 to replace the ceiling tile and we went on with class. His talk that first day was about that cool thing that just happened was caused by chemistry. In his class, we will learn why that happened and what other cool things can come from chemistry.

 

I LOVED his class.

 

Too many parents do nothing but protect their kids from harm and baby them. Too many teachers are there doing nothing but biding their time.

 

Back to the 18 month olds???? I made a point of teaching my kids to respect everyone. However, I didn't shy away from pointing out examples of people who didn't get a good education and where they are in life compared to people who did. It is up to THEM to get an education. Nobody else can do it for them.

 

I completely agree with you, but I also don't have a problem with putting them in front of a tv or playing playstation. There are things they can learn on tv that I can't teach them, and I do think you video games can be beneficial. What I have to teach them is priorities and the right balance of reading, playing outside, tv, video games, etc.

Edited September 11, 2014 by STL Husker

[SandhillshuskerW]

Unfortunately for us in education, things have changed a lot in terms of how we teach things. There is so much emphasis put on testing that it really feels like we have to teach to the state test more than just teaching the kids concepts. I am one teacher that hasn't really bought in to that all that much. I still teach the concepts and try to relate them to real world applications as much as I possibly can. I try to make my class as interesting as possible, but I'm not an entertainer in a circus or an actor on a TV show that can always keep them on the edge of their seat. The main problem that I have with technology is that it ultimately becomes a huge distraction from actual learning. It can be there to supplement lessons and help students to research things, but it should never replace classroom work on good old paper and using a pencil.

[teachercd]

 

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

 

 

I disagree. Yes, part of school is learning how to learn, but you really don't expect your students to retain any of the actual material you teach them? I'm not going to be happy if my kids' teachers tell me it's not important what I teach them as long as they learn to learn. What I did learn about learning is that I retain information when I enjoy the learning experience.

 

And it's funny that you mention cytoplasm of all things. I got eliminated in my district spelling bee in 5th grade on that word. I have hated it ever since. I still think it should be spelled "sitoplasm".

 

 

First of all. This all starts with your kids who are 18 months old. Right from that moment, you need to be teaching them how to learn. Give them educational type toys and not just plop them down in front of a TV, game boy or play station. Books, books, books. I am a firm believer that the more you read to your kids at that age, then it is easier for them to learn to read as they get a little older. Heck, our kids almost learned how to read on their own by the time they started kindergarten simply because we read to them so much. We still have boxes after boxes after boxes of kids books so they never got bored with the same books.

 

 

Now, it is upon the teachers to make their classes at least interesting. I can honestly say the best teachers I had all the way through college were teachers who took what could be an extremely boring subject and made it interesting. That doesn't mean make it a game. It means show the students why it is interesting.

 

I remember the first day of school my Sophomore year in HS simply because of Chemistry class. We were bopping all around acting like the typical stupid HS students. We walked in, talking...not paying attention. The teacher (who was new at the time) simply walked to the back of the room, turned on the faucet, threw something in (none of us saw him doing this because we were too busy talking)...all of a sudden KKKKAAABBOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!. We turn around and there is a hole in the ceiling panel above the sink. The teacher by then is sitting on his desk in the front of his room and he has our attention.

 

What he did was threw potassium in the sink which explodes when it gets wet. No harm done. He paid $5 to replace the ceiling tile and we went on with class. His talk that first day was about that cool thing that just happened was caused by chemistry. In his class, we will learn why that happened and what other cool things can come from chemistry.

 

I LOVED his class.

 

Too many parents do nothing but protect their kids from harm and baby them. Too many teachers are there doing nothing but biding their time.

 

Back to the 18 month olds???? I made a point of teaching my kids to respect everyone. However, I didn't shy away from pointing out examples of people who didn't get a good education and where they are in life compared to people who did. It is up to THEM to get an education. Nobody else can do it for them.

 

I completely agree with you, but I also don't have a problem with putting them in front of a tv or playing playstation. There are things they can learn on tv that I can't teach them, and I do think you video games can be beneficial. What I have to teach them is priorities and the right balance of reading, playing outside, tv, video games, etc.

 

Yeah, thats what I said...that I don't expect them to retain any of the information I teach them.

Come on man...I am guessing you did not learn sarcasm and hyperbole in school? Ha

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

 

 

I disagree. Yes, part of school is learning how to learn, but you really don't expect your students to retain any of the actual material you teach them? I'm not going to be happy if my kids' teachers tell me it's not important what I teach them as long as they learn to learn. What I did learn about learning is that I retain information when I enjoy the learning experience.

 

And it's funny that you mention cytoplasm of all things. I got eliminated in my district spelling bee in 5th grade on that word. I have hated it ever since. I still think it should be spelled "sitoplasm".

 

It is more than teaching them to learn. They have to PROVE they know how to learn.

[teachercd]

I think there are 3 jobs in America that everyone thinks they can do better...

 

Politician

Coaching

Teaching

 

I have 2/3 of those jobs! ha

 

I am lucky...I love teaching and I love coaching. I am lucky that I am really good at both of them.

But I am getting a bit tired of coaching and teaching and will be moving into administration soon...where I can sit around all day haha

[teachercd]

 

 

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

 

 

I disagree. Yes, part of school is learning how to learn, but you really don't expect your students to retain any of the actual material you teach them? I'm not going to be happy if my kids' teachers tell me it's not important what I teach them as long as they learn to learn. What I did learn about learning is that I retain information when I enjoy the learning experience.

 

And it's funny that you mention cytoplasm of all things. I got eliminated in my district spelling bee in 5th grade on that word. I have hated it ever since. I still think it should be spelled "sitoplasm".

 

It is more than teaching them to learn. They have to PROVE they know how to learn.

 

Yeppers

[STL Husker]

 

 

 

Oh my god...

 

If you have kids at home...and you tell them to clean their freaking room...do you make it a "fun game" for them? Do you tell them that each article of clothing is a piece of of a magic potion, do you tell them that each plate and cup they bring down to the kitchen is really a magical golden nugget?

 

When you make your kid mow the lawn...do you first convince them that each blade of grass is really en evil being from Lord of the Rings and that they are destroying the bad guys?

 

 

 

Parents says it...kid does it

Teacher says it...student does it

Coach says it...player does it

 

Its not "kids these days" it never has been, it never will be. It is "parents these days" and it always has been and it always will be. When I was in school, not that long ago, and I went home and told my mom or dad "Uggg, its boring, that class is boring" they said "So what, learn it, get a decent grade and move on, not everything in life is going to be super exciting, its your job to do well in class"

So because school has always been boring, we can't try to do anything to make it more enjoyable. The things you remember most from school are things that you were interested and engaged in. You can do enough to pass a test, but how long does that information stick with you if you aren't engaged? How much do you still remember from your high school classes? The stuff I still remember are things I found interesting or were presented in an interesting way. I got As and Bs in school, but I couldn't pass many of those tests if I took them again today. Why not try to make things more interesting so they can do more than just pass a test?

 

I have 18 month old twins, so I can't ask them to do much, but we have gotten them to do some things by turning them into games. They pick up their own toys, put their shoes away, put their clothes in the hamper, and throw their own trash away by making them fun. We have started to notice that they sometimes start picking up their things before bedtime without having to tell them. There are times they don't want to do it, but they do face some kind of puinishment if they don't do what we tell them. So what's wrong with telling them that something is a "magical golden nugget" if it gets them to do it? The difficult thing is finding what that golden nugget is as kids get older. They become less interested in the basic games you tried to play with them when they were younger. I think it's pretty lazy on the teacher's part to do it their own way and expect students to pick up on it.

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

I wish more people understood this.

 

When I go to hire someone. If they are coming out of school, I look at their grades. Do I really give a crap if they know what cytoplasm is? I don't. However, if they can learn that, then they can learn what I need them to learn on this job.

 

If they can't pick up the simple concept of what cytoplasm is, do you really think they could learn to do the job I need them to do?

 

 

I don't know what field you are in, but isn't it beneficial that they have some background knowledge what they are going to do. You aren't going to get a job strictly off your ability to learn. You have to have some background in the industry you want to work in. Especially in higher paying jobs. I would love to work in IT field, but I didn't realize that until after I graduated and I can't just go into an interview and tell someone that I don't know anything about it, but I'm a quick learner. I think this is the case with most high paying jobs.

[STL Husker]

 

Yeah, thats what I said...that I don't expect them to retain any of the information I teach them.

 

Come on man...I am guessing you did not learn sarcasm and hyperbole in school? Ha

 

 

Yeah, I wasn't very engaged in my sarcasm class, so I'm not very good at it.

[NUinID]

 

 

I hate to break it to you...its not about the things you remember in most of your classes...its about learning to learn. Its about learning to study and prepare. About learning to achieve...its not about remember anything about cytoplasm because you may never use that info again in your field.

 

 

 

I disagree. Yes, part of school is learning how to learn, but you really don't expect your students to retain any of the actual material you teach them? I'm not going to be happy if my kids' teachers tell me it's not important what I teach them as long as they learn to learn. What I did learn about learning is that I retain information when I enjoy the learning experience.

 

And it's funny that you mention cytoplasm of all things. I got eliminated in my district spelling bee in 5th grade on that word. I have hated it ever since. I still think it should be spelled "sitoplasm".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Cyte" Latin or Greek I am not sure for cell. Cytoplasm the slimy stuff inside of cell.

[teachercd]

 

 

Yeah, thats what I said...that I don't expect them to retain any of the information I teach them.

 

Come on man...I am guessing you did not learn sarcasm and hyperbole in school? Ha

 

 

Yeah, I wasn't very engaged in my sarcasm class, so I'm not very good at it.

 

You would have been really engaged in my sarcasm class...I am great at it!

Sarc: To cut