850 - No Laptops on in Class; Shooting Basketballs; Supporting Faculty Design

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - October 7, 2014.
#850 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,703 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2014 - Oct 26-29 - Orlando. 1,524 Registered Already.

1. Turn Off Laptops & Phones in Class? A Controversy!
2. Shooting Basketballs - Muscle Memory & Focus.
3. Faculty & Learning: A Briefing for Collaborators.

1. Turn Off Laptops & Phones in Class? A Controversy! A colleague of mine, Clay Shirky, a leading media journalist and professor, has triggered a great conversation about the use of laptops and cellphones by students while in a classroom. Understand that Clay is one of the strongest analysts about the transformational nature of technology on society and education; yet, he just wrote an article about why he has banned the use of laptops and smartphones in his classes.  Here is a small sample of Clay Shirky’s blog on this topic:

“I came late and reluctantly to this decision — I have been teaching classes about the Internet since 1998, and I’ve generally had a laissez-faire attitude toward technology use in the classroom. This was partly because the subject of my classes made technology use feel organic, and when device use went well, it was great. Then there was the competitive aspect — it’s my job to be more interesting than the possible distractions, so a ban felt like cheating. And finally, there’s not wanting to infantilize my students, who are adults, even if young ones — time management is their job, not mine.”

“Despite these rationales, the practical effects of my decision to allow technology use in class grew worse over time. The level of distraction in my classes seemed to grow, even though it was the same professor and largely the same set of topics, taught to a group of students selected using roughly the same criteria every year. The change seemed to correlate more with the rising ubiquity and utility of the devices themselves, rather than any change in me, the students or the rest of the classroom encounter.”

“Over the years, I’ve noticed that when I do have a specific reason to ask everyone to set aside their devices (“lids down,” in the parlance of my department), it’s as if someone has let fresh air into the room. The conversation brightens, and more recently, there is a sense of relief from many of the students. Multi-tasking is cognitively exhausting — when we do it by choice, being asked to stop can come as a welcome change.”

“So this year, I moved from recommending setting aside laptops and phones to requiring it, adding this to the class rules: “Stay focused. (No devices in class, unless the assignment requires it).” Here’s why I finally switched from “allowed unless by request” to “banned unless required.”

From Elliott: I find myself in strange agreement. While I love to be connected, for the small amount of time that I am in a classroom, I want to be engaged. And, as a teacher, I really want learners to be engaged. One of my friends asked if a massage - while reading email - would be the same. We must address the Ups and Downs of multi-tasking and learning.

Read Clay’s article in full at: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2014/09/why-clay-shirky-banned-laptops-tablets-and-phones-from-his-classroom/

So, I would love to hear your comments. Send me a note to emasie@masie.com  At Learning 2014, I will ask 1,600 people in our opening session to discuss this topic. Stay tuned.

2. Shooting Basketballs - Muscle Memory & Focus: How does a basketball shot relate to our world of learning? Practice, practice, focus and muscle memory! We are bringing Dave Hopla, the leading basketball shooting coach in the world, to Learning 2014 for hands-on practice.

Dave Hopla will teach non-basketball players how to shoot a ball and get it in the net almost all the time. It is an amazing process with implications for how we all approach learning design.

Read more about Dave Hopla at http://www.learning2014.com/index.php/item/foul-shots-for-learning.html

3. Faculty and Learning - A Briefing for Collaborators: I enjoy taking Learning TRENDS readers behind the scenes of our Learning 2014 design and structure experience. So, how do you help nurture great facilitation of 175 sessions at a large event? I made an 11 minute video briefing that articulates our design and “facilitation” hopes/expectations for our almost 200 session leaders. If you want to see our approach, it is online at: http://www.learning2014.com/index.php/faculty-welcome-video.html

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM
Curator & Host, Learning 2014

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2014 - October 2014 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie