Teaching and Learning in the Age of Distraction

Description

Teaching and Learning in the Age of Distraction
3 Graduate Level or Inservice Professional Development Units/ 45 hours Instructor: Valerie Hanley July 1-30, September 1-29, January 3-30, March 1-30, May 1-30

University of the Pacific PEDC 9157

Many authors, researchers, and educators have described the times we live in as “The Age of Distraction.” In fact, numerous studies have focused on finding ways to minimize distractions for people to increase attention spans, productivity, and overall happiness. Educators around the country often struggle with capturing and holding students’ attention in the classroom. This course was developed to explore the topic of distraction in the classroom and its effects on learning. Participants in this course will engage in a variety of learning experiences designed to help identify causes of distraction for students at school and at home; examine classroom environments and resources to gauge their effect on students’ distraction; analyze teaching methods and lesson delivery to determine ways to reduce distraction and increase focus; and collaborate with other course participants, colleagues, classroom students, and parents to develop a detailed program of content and classroom policies that maximize student learning and minimize distractions.