Here’s what we’re asking of kids (and really students of any age) when they do remote learning via Zoom:

- Sit your body still in front of a computer screen for an extended period of time
- Pay attention to a talking head (at best 80% engaging)

Paying full 100% attention is barely achievable in a live, in person, back and forth, one-on-one conversation.
So if it is practically impossible to pay 100% attention to the teacher on the screen, what happens to the other 20-50% of the viewer’s attention during a Zoom lecture?

Naturally, it goes into another browser window, or some other app. If we are proctoring, we see this behavior and we shut it down, scolding the student for “not paying attention.”

We need to recognize why this behavior manifests and think about ways we can redirect attention.

What are some productive strategies and recommendations to help students maintain focus in a draining, taxing, and difficult learning environment?
- Origami
- Humming/whistling
- Finger-tapping, drumming
- Doodling
- Knitting
- Fidget-spinner
- Pen spinning
- Note-taking

Some of the above (like a Rubik’s cube) are like attentional heat-sinks, redirecting energy into something harmless or non-disruptive, some are actually productive and germane to learning, like note-taking, but occupy the learner’s body so their mind can focus on the main event.

This thread and discussion were inspired by a thread started by Zach Smirin at UChicago on @telepath in the #Education network.