Keeping students focused
If you are in the classroom with students and laptops facing you, we normally assume that they are note taking. Can someone suggest a way not to invasive, to be sure they are paying attention and not surfing while you are lecturing?
What if class rearrangement is not an option?
I do the same thing Ron. By doing that I feel it keeps the student attention on me and the subject matter.
I have students (8-16) in a class with computers; I constantly scan the room and watch for eyes looking at their computer, or them moving the mouse around. I caught three people yesterday (1-doing facebook; 1-playing solitare, and 1-playing on-line risk). I informed then again that it was disrespectful to me and their fellow students by not be paying attention.
I informed them that if they are caught, they will hand-write a 1-page report stating why they should pay attention in class and not be disruptive by doing non-class related activities.
Hope this helps.
Hi Jon,
I would give the students a quiz on the information during my lecture at intervales. I would also walk around as I lecture and monitor the students while taking notes on their laptops.
I would probably suggest more classroom participation and more questions directed towards the student to make sure they are paying attention and staying on task
Hi Marie,
It is good to be clear about course policies. Yours for computers leaves not misunderstandings about consequences. This is true in my classes in relation to cell phones.
Gary
Have you discussed this in your first day of class? I set forth guidelines for implications if I catch students doing other things on the computers except classwork or surfing the net.
My suggestion would be to request to see the notes which should have been taking prior to the lecture for reference that the students were paying attention.
I use this approach all the time. When they are being watched and asked questions they pay attention for fear of mistakes. No one wants to be embarrassed.
Hi Jennifer,
You are right about how the process can become greater than the content. The students need to be guided and coached as to what they should write down and what they should digest during the lecture time.
Gary
I agree, but an even bigger problem for my students comes from taking notes TOO diligently. I often find my students getting so caught up in note taking that they are no longer processing the information. Sometimes I make them close their notebooks while we have a few minutes of conversation and overview on the topic being covered.
Hi Vallene,
Good suggestion. This reduces all kinds of problems and it keeps the students focused on the class topic.
Gary
I find I may not circulate as much as I would like to. I will have to find pause points and use that for questioning or as a class dicussion moment while wandering.
Thanks Ron.
Great idea Vallene. Thanks.
Tell them to close up their laptops- trust me, they may be taking a few notes but mostly chatting, googling & surfing! Provide a handout with a simple outline of the day's objectives and have them take notes on that sheet. Typing the notes later into their computer will reinforce all that was covered in class and a powerful retention tool.
I wander through the class while I am talking and I ask questions. For example, I might ask the class for a real life example for the concept we are discussing.
