Distraction or Inspiration?

I had a discussion with one of my friends recently about whether or not students using their devices in class caused more distraction than helped with their learning. She sent me this article in support of her argument: Students can't resist distraction for two minutes ... and neither can you

Although the research is interesting, from a personal standpoint I can certainly resist distraction for more than two minutes! It just depends on how engaged I am in the task at hand.

Some days, I have gone all day without checking my phone. Seriously, all day! Okay, I might check it in the morning (around 7:30am) but then I've been too involved in my work, life, whatever to give it another thought. It helps that I've got a habit of putting it on silent, because then it doesn't even bing to remind me it's there.

There is a certain expectation that I'll be available and connected though, and my habits have gotten me into trouble with my family when they've been trying to get in touch!

So, why can I resist temptation when it would seem that so many others can't? Engagement. I'm fully engaged in whatever it is I'm doing. So much so, that I don't give a thought to texts or emails, let alone Facebook. It is only when I am not fully engaged that those things become an option to me.

Devices are just the latest way that students have to disengage from their learning. In the past, they may have passed notes or day-dreamed about life outside of the classroom. The challenge to educators is to ensure that students are so enthralled in what they are learning, that they don't even consider doing something else.