Adding technology to the classroom lecture keeps my students engaged in learning. I teach in a program that is very technology advanced so it is easy to bring that into the classroom. I have also found that during some of my longer classes, I break up lecture with hands on material. The more interaction the students have in our classroom, the less likely they will get bored in class.
They expect me do it for them. With 20 students, there just isn't time. And they complain that the course covers too much material, when in reality, it's light compared to what they'll be expected to do when they get out in the industry.
Ronald,
I would agree that the attitude & presentation of the instructor is the most important. We can definitely look for ways to incorporate technology & use this to engage as well.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As a boomer I tend to stay away from technology in the classroom. I feel that being there and animated helps to pull the interest out of my students, but because I don't understand or feel comfortable with the gadgets of generation Y, I find that I may be losing some of the students till we start doing the hands-on type stuff. I also find that I am reteaching the lessons more during the lab portion. They may be able to find information faster but without the gadgets they are lost.
Thier sucess with edcation would be enhanced with technology due to their comfort zone.
you can spot Y learners by the way they present themselves to the public they are so dominant in their surroundings and they want all the answers RIGHT NOW like they are the only ones there. very interesting generation they round out my student population and challenge me ALWAYS love it.
Daniel ,
yes, this does seem to be a concern, too much focus on the end result rather than the process. We need to emphasize the process too, as that is where the critical thinking skills are truly built.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree. The attention span is very short. When given tasks to complete they often are looking for the end result rather than understanding how they got there.Constant change and refocussing is forever ongoing with most.
Hi Rick,
I am not sure that ADHD is on the rise. I believe that we report it much more than in the past. I have three brothers that have ADHD and they were never diagnosed when in school. I am convinced however that they were ADHD based on all the research that I have done because of my son and grandchild. Also dyslexia is much more reported and that has become an issue even with adult learners. We teach in interesting times and have to work harder to reach all our students.
I truly believe that the overload of technology and the web have created a generation that unless it comes from an I Pod or computer screen it does not seem to be relevant to them. I find it increasingly difficult to get anyone to focus. Unless there is constant activity they seem to drift off.
I believe that as we understand the connectivity and technology based Gen Y, instructors of other generations need to "move with the times." It is difficult to understand that the Gen Y generation is multitask orientated in their learning process and that when we force them to put away the phone or the laptop, we lose them a little.
I know my students are on Facebook, email and IM while I am lecturing...I used to get very uptight about it. I found when I backed off and didn't make a huge issue out of it, learning and retention went up in the classroom.
It is hard to comrehend when we were taught distrations keep you from learning. These kids almost need the distrations to focus.
Ryan,
it can be frustrating but I think all of the techniques you described here are great ones to really help keep the attention.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have the same issues with my classes. The average student seems to have virtually no attention span. If there isn't something going constantly, they zone out, start talking, get the cell phones out, etc. I find that it helps keep them on task during lectures if I am walking around the room while talking. At key points during the lecture I will stop and ask questions about what I just said to be sure they understand (or were at least hearing what I was talking about). I also try to watch the overall level attention of the whole class. If it seems that they've hit their limit, I'll change topics. I may start telling them career related stories to get them focused on me again, or if possible take the class to the lab to show them the things we were discussing in class. It seems to be a never-ending battle though on keeping their attention. Just when I get a system worked out that keeps them intested long enough, the attention spans seems to get shorter and I have to come up with something new.
Christopher,
I agree that we need to find ways to keep the attention. Often it's by interjecting a video or clip & then shifting to discussion & then briefly to lecture. This tends to help with attention.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
There is need to facilitate the use of computer labs and tangible examples of material that can be understood by Somatic learning
Teachertainer is a great term to use. This generation needs to be entertained in the classroom while learning via activities and examples. I've found that you need to do a lot to keep them engaged.
I also agree! The students are so looking to be entertained in the classroom. In my class we have windows oh my word the distraction they sometimes cause. ADHD students or who claim they are (Not My Call) I approach with some caution to try and figure how much they actually know and I'm not sure why but hold back, As not to sound to smart is that right
I try to engage Gen Y by using as much technology as I can. whether it be a youtube video, assignments on the computer, let them use there laptop, ipad, or mobile device to take notes. Also I notice that this generation seems to have a short attention span, so I try to change the subject matter and change the way I teach.
Same here! I am also a Gen X'er and I find it sometime exhausting just to keep them focused or just silent for that matter! They cannot listen long enough to be able to follow directives.
Who's to blame?
I love the energy of the Gen Y students because they keep me hopping but also feel like it is a "fast food" classroom where everyone wants it done "their way". One of my biggest challenges is time: getting students to arrive on time and return from breaks on time, and do assignments within a certain time frame like you might have to do in a work situation.
