Students can’t resist distraction for two minutes … and neither can you! May 23, 2013

Link to article: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/22288684/students-cant-resist-distraction-for-two-minutes-and-neither-can-you

NBC – Are gadgets making us dumber? Two new studies suggest they might be. One found that people who are interrupted by technology score 20 percent lower on a standard cognition test. A second demonstrated that some students, even when on their best behavior, can’t concentrate on homework for more than two minutes without distracting themselves by using social media or writing an email.

Interruptions are the scourge of modern life. Our days and nights are full of gadgets that ping, buzz and beep their way into our attention, taking us away from whatever we are doing.

We’ve known for a while that distractions hurt productivity at work. Depressing research by Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine, says that typical office workers only get 11 continuous minutes to work on a task before interruption. With smartphones reaching near ubiquity, the problem of tech-driven multitasking — juggling daily tasks with email, text messages, social media etc — is coming to a head.

Multitasking has been the subject of popular debate, but among neuroscientists, there is very little of that. Brain researchers say that what many people call multitasking should really be called “rapid toggling” between tasks, as the brain focuses quickly on one topic, then switches to another, and another. As all economics students know, switching is not free. It involves “switching costs” — in this case, the time it takes to re-immerse your mind in one topic or another.

Researchers say only the simplest of tasks are candidates for multitasking, and all but one of those tasks must involve automaticity. If you are good at folding laundry, you can probably fold laundry and watch TV at the same time, for example.

Overestimated abilities
Despite this concern among brain scientists, many people overestimate their ability to multitask, such as the college student who thinks he can text and listen to a lecture simultaneously. He cannot, says brain expert Annie Murphy Paul, who writes “The Brilliant Blog.”

“Multitasking while doing academic work — which is very, very common among young people — leads to spottier, shallower, less flexible learning,” Paul warned in a recent column.

The two studies mentioned above underscore this point.

In the first, Alessandro Acquisti and Eyal Peer at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human Computer Interaction lab recruited 136 college students to take a standard test of cognitive abilities, and invented a controlled method of distraction. Test-takers were interrupted via instant message, which they were told contained important additional instructions, during the exam.

(The research was conducted in concert with research for The Plateau Effect, a book I recently co-authored with Hugh Thompson.)

The interrupted group answered correctly 20 percent less often than members of a control group.

The Carnegie Mellon test might seem a bit contrived, however, because the control group was pretty unrealistic. It’s hard to find a group of college students who could take a test without being interrupted by gadgets.

Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, published a study in the May issue of Computers in Human Behavior that attempted to quantify how often students of all ages are distracted by technology while studying. Even under ideal circumstances, the results were dismal.

Rosen’s observers followed 263 students into their normal study environments — bedroom, library, den — and told them to work on an important school assignment for 15 minutes. Even knowing they were being watched, the students couldn’t resist texting or using social media. So-called “on-task” behavior started declining at about the two minute mark, and overall, only 65 percent of the time was used on schoolwork.

“We really assumed we set up a situation where people would try to impress us,” said Rosen, an expert in the psychology of technology. “Frankly, I was appalled at how quickly they became distracted.”

‘Problem built into the brain’
The two studies, published closely together, generated strong reaction, particularly from students.

“Yes, we text in class, but if my grade in that class is and A or a B I don’t see why it’s a problem,” wrote one student to Paul.

It’s a big problem for both students and adults, Paul counters, for plenty of reasons. Assignments inevitably take longer when learners split their time between tasks, she says. All that task-switching wears out the brain and makes learners more tired and less competent. Most important, several studies have shown that information learned while partially distracted is often quickly forgotten, so the learning is tragically shallow.

The key to transferring new information from the brain’s short-term to long-term memory is a process called “encoding.” Without deep concentration, encoding is unlikely to occur, explained Nicholas Carr in his book “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.”

So Paul is among a group of researchers who worry that the digital divide is not about the gadget haves and have nots, but rather about those who can resist the constant distracting tug of technology and those who cannot. She compares it to the famous marshmallow test, which shows that children who can delay eating one marshmallow for 10 or 15 minutes on the promise of gaining a second one are the most likely to succeed later in life. In a new “marshmallow” test, educators or employers might test to see how long people can resist “a blinking inbox or a buzzing phone.”

“There are those people who think that multitasking is simply the way life is now and we should be focusing on getting better at it … that we are a bunch of old fogies who don’t understand,” Paul said. “But scientifically, there is no evidence for that. There are fundamental biological limits to what the brain can pay attention to. This is a problem built into the brain.”

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Top 10 Reasons to Build Student’s Moral IQ August 16, 2012

by Michele Borba, Ed.D.

Author of Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing

Moral Intelligence is what helps youth act right with or without our guidance, and the best news is that this critical intelligence can be taught. Here are 10 reasons why we must build our students’ Moral IQ.

1. Nurtures Good Character. The foundation to good character–or “moral intelligence”–consists of seven core virtues: empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness. These ultimately form our children’s character and are the principles they’ll use to direct the course of their lives long after we are gone. Building Moral IQ is our best hope that kids will have the foundation to good, solid character.

2. Teaches How Think and Act Right. In these troubling times, parents need to know ways to help their kids learn to not only think morally but also act morally. After all, the true measure of character rests in our actions–not in mere thoughts. Moral Intelligence teaches the specific moral habits that will get our kids on the right course so that they do act as well as think right.

3. Moral IQ Is Not Guaranteed. Moral IQ is learned, though developing it is far from guaranteed. To ensure kids acquire it, we must intentionally model, nurture, reinforce, and teach it. If we don’t the result is tragic: an increase in insensitivity, dishonesty, aggression, incivility, cruelty, hatred, and injustice. We must be deliberate.

4. Protects Against Toxicity. The truth is toxic influences are so entrenched in our culture that shielding kids from them is almost impossible. That’s why it’s crucial to build Moral IQ. It will serve as their moral compass so they have deep-seated convictions to stand by their choices and counter any pressures from inside or outside that go against the principles of good character.

5. Teaches Critical Life Skills. Moral IQ is comprised of the skills needed to protect kids’ moral lives such as resolving conflicts, empathizing, knowing right from wrong, asserting themselves, controlling anger, learning tolerance, negotiating fairly, communicating respectfully, cooperating, using self control, sharing, and knowing right from wrong. These skills are needed in all life arenas, and especially in today’s troubled world.

6. Creates Good Citizens. It’s important to remember that the most important measure of a nation is not its gross national product, its technological genius, or its military might. It is the character of its people. Moral intelligence consists of seven timeless virtues that are the bedrock of good citizenship and responsible living.

7. Counters Temptations. Moral Intelligence gives kids the power to counter outside and inside vices so that they do what’s right. It’s what helps them navigate through the ethical challenges and pressures they will inevitably face throughout life and choose the right moral choices so they do act right with or without adult guidance.

8. Prevents Violence and Cruelty. Of the 26 wealthiest countries, our youth are the most violent. And peer cruelty is rising. Yet we continue to erect metal detectors and hire guards to “protect” students from themselves. The best protection is fortifying them with Moral IQ and to teach three core virtues that lay the foundation for nonviolence: empathy, conscience, and self-control. Without them, kids become time bombs just waiting for explode. We can’t afford not to build their Moral Intelligence: it’s our best hope.

9. Inspires Good Behavior. Moral IQ is comprised of the essential moral virtues needed to help our kids become decent, caring, and respectful. These seven virtues become a template for creating our kids’ character, guiding their actions, and ultimately defining their reputations as caring, good human beings.

10. Shapes Moral Destinies. Moral growth is an ongoing process that will span the course of our children’s lifetimes. But the habits and beliefs of Moral Intelligence we instill in our kids now will become their ethical foundation they’ll use forever. It is what will greatly decide our children’s moral destinies and will be our greatest legacy.

Here are some of Michele’s books!
No More Misbehavin’
Don’t Give Me That Attitude!
Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me

Dr. Michele Borba is an internationally-recognized educational psychologist who has presented workshops to well over a million parents and teachers. She is an honorary board member for Parents and frequent guest on TV and NPR talk shows including Today, The Early Show, The View and Fox & Friends. Author of 20 books, this article is adapted from Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing, selected by Publishers’ Weekly list of “among the most noteworthy of 2001.” Her latest book is 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids. To find out more about her work check out: http://www.moralintelligence.com.

© 2006 by Michele Borba www.moralintelligence.com. Permission to reprint if left intact.

Character Always Wins! August 7, 2012

By Barbara Gruener

Olympic fever has been so contagious at our place that I couldn’t wait to get back to school to create a games-inspired bulletin board.  Here’s what I came up with:

The character kids who’ve won gold medals on this board represent our school’s six values (www.charactercounts.org); the inquires that make the visual display interactive include:

• I am a trustworthy friend. What do you think I did to show trustworthiness and earn my gold medal?
• I am respectful. What do you suppose that I did to show respect and win the gold?
• I am a responsible student. I wonder if you can figure out what I did to show responsibility and win.
• I always try to be fair. Do you know how hard that is sometimes? What did I do to get the gold?
• I am a caring child. Did you know that even little kids can do big things? Can you guess how I earned gold?
• I am a good citizen. Can you name some of the things I probably did to become a gold medalist?

This bulletin board hangs in our cafeteria so it’ll act as a conversation starter for our own kids with character as they wait in line for their breakfast and lunch.

The Olympic games, and sporting events in general, are the perfect springboard for a character chat. Talk about diligence, determination, and dedication, passion, perseverance, and purpose. Show that commercial where the athletes say things like, “You know that best selling novel that everyone’s talking about? I haven’t read it.” Find out what your students think about the rigorous road that Olympic athletes journey in preparation for these competitive games. Share Pistorius’ story, the South African athlete who’s also a double amputee. What must it take to overcome such overpowering obstacles? And what must that experience be like? Reflect on teenaged-gymnast Makayla Maroney failing to stick her dismount and, for the first time ever on that particular vault, falling down on the landing. What did the media mean by “settling for the silver?”  Is bringing home a silver medal from the Olympics really considered losing?

What other examples will you use? There’s so much gourmet food for thought in these seventeen days of athletes around the world, center stage, doing what they do best and giving it their all. And when they pursue the gold with integrity and honor, they’ve earned a spot not only on the character platform, but also in our hearts.

Barbara Gruener is the school counselor and character coach at Westwood Elementary in Friendswood, Texas, a National School of Character.  Barb is a seasoned presenter, offering dynamic sessions on how to improve your school’s character climate.  Find her here, at ncyi.org, and contact us to engage her for your next counselor training event!

For more character-infused activity ideas, book reviews, and reflections, visit Barbara’s blog at www.corneroncharacter.blogspot.com

School Productivity: Happiness Matters April 6, 2011

By Barbara Gruener

If I were to ask where happy cows come from, would you answer “California” like my teenaged son and my husband both did? When I inquired about how they know that, their reply was, “from the commercial.” If you watch television at all, you’ve probably seen that advertisement. It’s rather engaging, actually, because the cows are conversing and truly seem content. Since I was raised on a dairy farm in America’s Dairyland, I wonder if California has data to back up that claim. I think that our Wisconsin cows are happy, too. My brother, who still lives on the family farm, actually hired a cow psychologist some years back to advise him on ways to make the cows more comfortable. Happier cows, they figured, would produce more milk. I laughed, really, to think that such a job even existed and again, I have to ask for data. How can someone really support the claim that cows prefer to lie down on a slightly-elevated incline anyway?

I found the data I was looking for last August in an in-flight magazine aboard a Southwest Airlines flight. Not about the sleeping conditions that cows may or may not prefer, but research out of Newcastle University in the U.K. claims that cows who have names like Bessie or Elsie produce 68 more gallons of milk than their numbered, nameless sisters. Researchers studied the working relationship between farmers and dairy cows and found that farmers who gave their animals extra care saw an increased yield in milk production over a 10-month period. Those cows with names responded to the extra attention because, scientists believe, it improved their comfort levels as it lessened their fear of human contact. Turns out that happy cows are more productive cows. Maybe happy cows don’t just come from Calif., but from farms where the farmer purposefully connects with his cattle.

It’s not utterly out of the question, then, to conclude that happy students come from schools where faculty and staff members engage and connect with them, a place where we as educators create a climate in which students feel happy and are, therefore, more productive. Just like the cows reacted positively to being called by name, so our students feel a sense of belonging when we know them personally and understand who they are and what motivates them. Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and you’ll remember that belonging is a student’s basic need, the one upon which everything else is built. In the classroom, it’s all about giving students the personal attention that they need to feel safe and ultimately be successful at learning. At Westwood Elementary, it starts every morning with greeting students at the door with a hug or a handshake to welcome them to their classroom and get a read on their emotional barometer. It’s a powerful way to start the day.

Another way to create that climate of caring is to hold class meetings. Whether you follow a scripted meeting like the Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting or simply conduct a sensitivity circle, when students have a chance to connect with one another and share their stories before starting into their academics for the day, it provides as critical a part of their morning as breakfast does for their launch into the day. Students need to be heard; that can happen appropriately in a class meeting or inappropriately in behaviors that aren’t conducive to classroom management. Giving students a platform for sharing their thoughts and feelings empowers them and prepares them for tasks that they’ll take on as the day progresses.

A third and vital key to creating a climate that’s conducive to productivity is giving students voice and choice. This can be done through inquiry learning, project-based learning, and service learning. Find out from students what they’re curious about, what they want to research, what problems they want to solve and weave those interests into curricular areas like reading, writing, and social studies. In the book Kids Make It Better, author Suzy Becker encourages students to take a look at problems in their world and come up with viable solutions. Some of the questions are serious: What would you do to help all of the people who don’t have homes? Others are self-reflective: Are you ever shy? When and Why? Some of the questions are speculative: What would you do for a bad economy? And others simply prompt sharing: What is your good news? But what they all have in common is a sample solution, followed by a lined page for scripting and a blank page for sketching the students’ solution. In the back, there’s an observation log as well as some action plan pages, allowing students to become solution-focused citizens in a creative, open minded, and curious way. When a teacher intentionally steps out of the traditional role and becomes a coach or facilitator, possibilities become realities and productivity skyrockets. What could you change today that would give students an authentic voice and choice in their learning?

Infusing meaningful movement into a student’s day is another great way to connect and increase productivity. Professor and author John Medina wrote all about it in his book Brain Rules. Physical activity, he claims, is cognitive candy. Because exercise boosts brainpower, students simply have to move to maximize their cognition. After reading about how exercise can actually trigger the tiny proteins known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and act like Miracle-Gro for the brain, I started walking the track with the students who requested counseling sessions. Exercise actually aids in executive functioning like concentration, impulse control, foresight, and problem solving. How might more movement impact and motivate your students?

Another way to raise productivity is to allow time for and help foster self-reflection. Teachers can promote critical thinking by asking students questions that do not have one correct answer. Ask them what amazed them about their experience or what they would do differently if they could change one thing. Encourage them to talk about their strengths and areas for growth as they relate to projects they’ve completed. Students will naturally begin to weigh the pros and cons of their answers and develop a greater understanding for why their answer makes sense. They love “thinking” questions. Ask them for their predictions and presumptions, speculations and suspicions, inferences and implications. Take them beyond Bloom and stretch them to reflect on how they can influence, impact, change and grow.

Do happy students come from my school, Westwood Elementary? We think so and we have some data to back up our claim. Our attendance rate consistently hovers at 97.2% and our discipline referrals have decreased by 65% over a five-year period. Teacher retention is high and survey data suggests that Westwood is a warm and welcoming place. 98.6% of our students surveyed agree that their teachers care about them and treat them with respect. Volunteers clock a collective 46.5 hours per day. Test scores on TAKS, our state-mandated assessment, remain Exemplary, the highest rating schools can earn. Do happy students come from your school? Intentionally create a culture of caring, mooooove over and let students take the lead, collaborate to personalize it and make it yours, then watch productivity soar.

Resources:
Brain Rules by John Medina
Kids Make It Better by Suzy Becker
Responsive Classroom www.responsiveclassroom.org
Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, August 2010

Barbara Gruener is the school counselor and character coach at Westwood Elementary in Friendswood, Texas, a National School of Character.  Barb is a seasoned presenter, offering dynamic sessions on how to improve your school’s character climate.  Find her here, at ncyi.org, and contact us to engage her for your next counselor training event!

A Good Fit (regarding friendship) February 15, 2011

by Barbara Gruener

Shoes come in all shapes and sizes, but for a pair to be a good fit, it has to be the right shape and size for your feet, right? That’s why it’s best to try on a pair of shoes before you buy it.

And that’s kind of how it works with friends, too. Friends should have the qualities, interests, and values that connect with you if they’re going to be a good fit. What do your students look for in a friend? Brainstorm a list and find out. For example, is it important that your friends be nice? Pretty? Truthful? Kind? Respectful? Wealthy? Responsible? Athletic? Smart? Ambitious? Generous? Thin? Musical? What other things can you think of that might (or might NOT) make a good fit for your students? Give them time to explain their answers; you may be fascinated at your findings.

And just like friends, there are shoes that are tricky-fit shoes. You know the ones, they seem to fit you in the store, but when you try them on the next morning, they hurt your feet and don’t fit at all. You may even give them a try, but you quickly find they leave blisters on your feet. What kinds of things do tricky-fit friends do that cause blisters in the friendship? Lie? Cheat? Steal? Break promises? Spread rumors? Gossip? Hit? Use mean words? Ask students what they do with tricky-fit shoes, then find out what they would do with a tricky-fit friend. List their answers and help them practice some healthy strategies for taking care of themselves.

One that I like to suggest is taking a friendship time-out.  We actually use our hands to make a T, signaling that we need a break, that something about the relationship isn’t working well right now, that we need a time-out. The T is a very empowering tool for a student who’s stuck in a yo-yo or tricky-fit relationship. What other gestures can students think of that might work? What other options do they have with tricky-fit friends? Finally, there are shoes that just don’t fit at all anymore. Teach your children that when friends go in a different direction and just don’t fit anymore, it’s okay to say good-bye and walk away. Role play how to do this with dignity and respect. These discussions are crucial to have and these skills important to practice as our littlest leaders learn to navigate socially through life and find good-fit friendships.

Need a good read about good-fit friendships? Check out these books:

Best Friends by Steven Kellogg

Being Friends by Karen Beaumont

Big Wolf and Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme

Don’t Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi

Duck & Goose by Tad Hill

Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed

Fox Makes Friends by Adam Rolf

Milo Armadillo by Jan Fearnley

Miranda Peabody and the Magnificent Friendship March by Susan Debell

Nacho and Lolita by Pam Munoz Ryan

Nuggest and Darling by Barbara Joose

Our Friendship Rules by Peggy Moss and Dee Dee Tardif

The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania

That’s What Friends Are For by Florence Parry Heide and Sylvia Van Clief

You Can Be A Friend by Tony Dungy

Buddy, Bystander, or Broadleaf? (A Story About Bullies) October 14, 2010

by Barbara Gruener

It’s been three, no four years since we had this conversation, but I can still see him sitting in the office and hear his little voice in my head:

Me: And are you being a flower or a weed today?

Student: A weed.

Me: And what do weeds do?

Student: They choke out the flowers.

Me: And what happens to weeds?

Student: They get sent to the Principal’s office.

And so it went with my sweet student as the Assistant Principal and I tried to teach him how best to bloom and grow in his first-grade classroom. Now imagine another conversation, this time with a much different specimen:

Me: Are you being a flower or a weed today?

Broadleaf: Both, actually.

Me: What do you mean by that?

Broadleaf: It’s complicated.

Me: Try me.

Broadleaf: I’m actually a weed disguised as a flower.

Me: So, which are you, a flower or a weed?

Broadleaf: Just think of me as a flowering weed.

I’d rather have a conversation with students like the former than the latter, because the latter confuse me. The broadleaf weed that hurricane Ike blew in two years ago blends in to the grass that you hardly even notice it, until it makes these pretty little white flowers, at which point it has spread like wildfire through the grass.

And so it is with students who bully. Their bullying behaviors spread like weeds. But it’s tricky, because sometimes the students who bully often present as pretty good kids or flowers to adults. It’s behind the scenes, covertly, that they’re causing so much damage.

So how do we combat broadleaf, I mean bullying? First, we have to identify it. Because of the gravity of the issue, we use R-I-P to define it. Aggressive, mean acts are called bullying behaviors when they’re:

R Repeated over time

I Intentional, on purpose

P Power imbalance created

Once bullying has been identified, we work with the bully to help shape and change the behavior. We also work with the victim to undo any damage that the aggressive behavior has caused and help him or her feel safe. We have to pull the broadleaf so the grass can be healthy and grow!

But there’s another group that we’ve been working with, just as diligently, and that’s the bystander. Data suggests that kids know that they should do something about bullying, they just aren’t sure what. So in our K-3 classes, we’re teaching our kids to be upstanders instead of bystanders. The powerful new book by Debbie Fox and Allan L. Beane, “Good Bye Bully Machine” calls them “allies.” If students see or hear bullying behaviors, allies go over in a group of three or four and scoop the victim out of the situation to a safer place. If the aggressor follows them, they head toward an adult for some assistance. We’ve been practicing this in guidance this week to equip and empower our littlest leaders to help combat bullying in our school.

And the broadleaf? Well, we’re scooping that out of our yard, too, one flower at a time.

Barbara Gruener is the guidance counselor at Westwood Elementary in Friendswood, TX, a 2009 National School of Character. Barbara speaks across the country, sharing practical strategies to infuse character integrally into the fabric of a school.

The ABCs of Parenting July 14, 2010

by Barb Gruener

A. Affirm and appreciate your children.

B. Be firm, fair, and consistent.

C. Choose logical and natural consequences – positive or negative.

D. Decide together on your family’s values and mission statement.

E. Encourage your children to follow their dreams.

F. Forgive mistakes.

G. Give your children a secure environment.

H. Handle conflict with love – “care” front your children.

I. Initiate “I” messages: I feel ______ when you ______. I need _______.

J. Join (and enJOY) one another around the dinner table.

K. Keep your promises.

L. Love unconditionally.

M. Model good character.

N. Negotiate when you can to empower your children.

O. Open your mind to consider all of your options.

P. Pick your battles!

Q. Quit yelling and lecturing.

R. Read with your children.

S. Say you’re sorry when you mess up.

T. Treat your children with respect.

U. Understand that kids are a work in progress.

V. Voice your opinion, then listen to theirs.

W. Wait for your children to respond before repeating what you said.

X. Xplore eXtra-curriculars, but be careful not to over -eXtend them.

Y. Yearn to learn something new with your children, every day.

Z. Zone in on the needs of each child individually and the group collectively.

Promising Practices Award March 5, 2010

We want to pass along to all of you this opportunity to be involved in a character eduction award and honor from Character Education Partnership.

Here is there info: Read more

Can Good Character Be Contagious? February 18, 2010

by Barbara Gruener

I saw the popular poster that reads – Your Attitude Is Contagious; Is Yours Worth Catching? – the other day at my son’s intermediate school and it got me to thinking about character. Could I swap the word character with attitude, I wondered?   Read more

30 Ways Mayors & Local Government Can Promote Good Character February 3, 2010

by Tom Lickona, Director; Center for the 4th and 5th R’s

1. Join an organization that promotes character, e.g., Character Counts Coalition (310-306-1868) or Character Education Partnership (800-988-8081).

2. Issue a Mayor’s/City Council Proclamation endorsing the target character traits and encouraging all employees and citizens to model and promote these traits.

Read more