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" September 3, 2015/0 Comments/in Ed Tech Trends, Online Higher Education /by Rochelle Diogenes With the increase in digital distractions, interest in how we pay attention has grown. Although researchers continue to delineate definitions, most agree with the early psychologist, William James: Everyone knows what attention is. It is taking possession of the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seems several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration of consciousness are of its essence. It implies a withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others. Attention is really selective attention.  We consciously or automatically choose which things to ignore and which to focus on. You are more likely to pay attention to something that affects you, interests you, or has deep meaning. What we pay attention to is contextual and subjective. At a play, we think it's important to focus on what's happening on the stage without distraction. If an 8-year-old points out that there's a man behaving oddly in the next row, he will probably get shushed. But these days, if he makes the same observation as his mother rushes him to catch a train or plane, Mom will probably pay attention and report it to security personnel. Attention is the gateway to learning, to remembering and processing information. Instructors competing for student attention isn't new. Remember when we thought all students were taking notes, but many were doodling, or writing love letters, or passing notes to other students? Remember when daydreaming was a common class distraction? Cell phones may just be a more efficient way of channeling wandering attention. Researchers have shown that students texting/posting on their cell phones while watching a video lecture tested more than a grade level below their phoneless counterparts. They suggested that instructors discuss cell phone use policies with their students. That's a start, but

"Did Warren Buffett Really Asked You To Forward His Email? 5 Ways To Know. 2/13/2017 6:00:00 AM By Lisa Nielsen Share40 Fake news isn't a new thing and it isn't an internet thing. Many of us had our first experience with fake news when we were told about Santa Claus coming to town. That was followed by old wives tales. Stories that were generally told to discourage some type of behavior. Of course there was never proof. This is where, "Because I told you so" comes into play. Then there was the chain letter. If you broke the chain surely you would receive bad luck. There's also scare mail. You know that email that warns you of dangers like poisonous perfume samples or the fright mail that says if you dodn't send money somewhere something bad would happen.   The internet and social media make the spread of fake information more simple, but it has always been there. Let's take a look at a story that has been making the rounds in social media (Twitter. Facebook.) Have you seen this one? Warren Buffett is asking everyone to forward this email to a minimum of 20 people, and to ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in the United States will have the message. This is an idea that should be passed around.   The BUFFETT Rule (The email goes on with a bunch of "facts" and proposes a Congressional Reform Act.) So, should this be passed on? Numerous people, like those below, thought it was worth a try.   But, was it really worth a try? No.  Here's why: If you are going to reach out to others and try to convince them to think or do something, it is your responsibility to determine if what you are asking is true, valid, and feasible. 5 Ways to Know What's True   1)  Send this to everyone you know! If the communication is urging you to forward this message to all your friends, it is generally a hoax. There are exceptions of course, but this is your first red flag. 2)   Would this person really send a chain mail/communi

Just like it sounds, shadowing a student is the process of following a student to gain empathy and insight into their experience. Start by downloading our toolkit and e-mail templates to help guide you through the process.

"How Google Impacts The Way Students Think"

"The growing access to knowledge, information, people, and tools that our students are getting demands a shift in how we think about the work they do in school."

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"A Learner's Paradise by Richard Wells explains how New Zealand is reimagining education for the 21st century. Student driven education with individuals negotiating their own assessment."

"Plickers is a powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices"

"Media Literacy Resources Looking for free resources on fighting fake news and developing your students' media literacy skills? Here are some highlights from our activities, lessons, case studies and guest blog posts."

"Over 120,000 students from 170 countries have joined PenPal Schools to learn and share perspectives while building social, emotional, language and technology skills. PenPal Schools has won multiple international awards and was recognized by President Obama as one of the world's leading social enterprises."