One skill that digital natives may have is called multitasking. It's a learning skill that I would like to know more about it. My Neatoday magazine came, the March/April 2009 edition, and it had an article entitled "You Say Multitasking Like It's a Good Thing". It was authored by Charles J. Abate. In this article he brings out new research about multitasking.
Most people think that multitasking is an enviable skill that young people are good at using. Multitasking is the ability to juggle many tasks simultaneously. This article tries to refute the idea that multitasking is both practical and productive. What do you think?
According to this article, research draws the conclusion that the brain is a linear device. Yes, we can walk, chew gum, and listen to our Ipod but when it comes to conceptual learning- the type of learning that takes place in the classroom- we can only focus on one conceptual learning task at a time. In other words our brain does not learn very well when there is constant interruptions like that of multitasking. How about you? Do you pick up things very quickly when you are watching TV, writing a paper, and texting friends?
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In my experience, I agree that I learn better when I can focus on one thing. With that said, I do have a limited attention span (like most people) and if I allow myself to have a mild distraction on occasion, I end up ahead in the end. For example, I like to have music playing quietly in the background when I am reading or studying. Without the music, my thoughts will wander when my attention span is stretched, and it will take several minute, up to hours, to get back on track depending on where my thoughts take me. If music is playing, then every so often I take a break from the task at hand to sing along with my favorite musicians, and when the song ends, I can return to my task. This way I never have a “break” that is longer than a song – usually 3 minutes or less.
ReplyDeleteI definitely can learn better if I'm just focusing on one thing. However, with such a busy schedule, multitasking is the only way to go! If I'm really focusing on homework or preparing lessons for the classroom, I'm primarily just focused on the task at hand. If I don't focus, then I know I haven't done the best job I could have done. But for more relaxed things, I have many things going on at once. For example, as I'm blogging, I'm watching CNN on the television, emailing friends, and talking with people online via facebook. I know that I don't have to put my whole heart into it all, so I can multi-task.
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