Journal # 1

Journal #1

The article was written by Eleanor Yang Su of the Union Tribune and was titled; “Professors adjust their methods to reach technology-savvy generation”. This article is very interesting because I am one to multitask. To tell you the truth, I was eating dinner while reading the article and it is so true. Teachers are having a hard time keeping the attention of their students. When the students bring their laptop, cell phones and PDA’s into the classroom, the teachers are now competing with the laptop or any other device that the student would be using to communicate or entertain themselves.

1) What are some ways that teachers can regain the interest of their students?
The teachers who incorporate technology into their classrooms, seem to have a higher interest level. Some teachers are using “clickers” which are remote answer devices. These clickers allow the students to become more interactive with the class discussion with having to speak out in front of the class. The teachers can also create web conferences so students who have questions are able to ask classmates while working in their homework. Teachers can also post their lecture notes and slides so students can refer to them when needed.

2) Can students effectively multitask?
Researchers say that students can multitask well, but not as quickly. Students also tend to make more errors. This is where the “Quantity over Quality” statement comes into play. Most college students would rather be doing something else, but if they have to do it, then they will also do something the enjoy at the same time.