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This new, expanded definition of literacy includes the development of a set of interrelated skills that include reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and questioning; all leading to the ability to critically assess and use information. We inhabit a world in which information is coming at us in ways that impact all of our senses. Today's teachers understand that giving their students the skills to interpret information, however it's packaged, is also an important part of educating learners who are prepared to succeed in this century's competitive global workplace. Teachers are teaching their students how to evaluate all types of information sources. Whether it's hard text, electronic informational sources, MTV, or a documentary film, teachers are helping students learn to think critically about the information they encounter. So, how does this instruction look in the content area classroom?

Last year at MIT, researchers identified a neural circuit that helps the brain to create long-lasting memories, and the circuit was found to work more effectively when the brain is actively paying attention to what it's looking at. Numerous studies have also found that when students multitask while doing schoolwork, they understand and retain less of the information.

The bottom line? If you lose the bigger story, you're likely lose the smaller details, too.

So-called "senior moments" are becoming increasingly common among younger people, recent data has found, and it's thought to be due, at least in part, to excessive reliance on technology. A 2013 Trending Machine national poll found that millennials (aged 18-34) are more likely than those over the age of 55 to forget what day it is (15 percent vs. 7 percent) and where they put their keys (14 percent vs. 8 percent). Gen-Yers even forget to take a shower (6 percent) more frequently than seniors. Rising stress levels (which may also have something to do with constant connectivity) could be a factor as well.