I will not be writing a paper as I am taking the class for only 2 credits, I am writing this week and shall choose a topic to write about instead. I chose to look at what we discussed last week, underlife.
Underlife is vastly important in today's society as we are more and more easily accessible in the world. Phones and computers allow our students to always be connected to each other and the world. This can only distract him or her if he or she lets them. For many students it is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of giving in to underlife and not pay attention in class. But, I want to believe that there is some way we can use this to our advantage? I want to believe that there is some way.
Though we have a tendency to believe that every student has an interest in our class, the truth is some students will never find a class interesting if they don't want to. This is where I think discussing underlife can become important. If a student understand that we are currently looking into this idea they may be less likely to do it. I think bringing it up could bring it into the student's minds perhaps guiltily reminding them that they are not paying attention to class.
Sometimes things happen while we are in class and the students will be more interested in that than what we are teaching. Being fluid to the way things are changing outside of the classroom should help us to talk about our class within the context of the real world. When things such as the debates, sports events and religious events occur the students should be able to discuss in in class and we should attempt to bring that in to class. In this way, students would be more likely to participate in class if we discuss what could in fact be the underlife that is distracting them.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or thoughts on this topic. What are some ways to integrate it into a lesson? What are some ways that we could attempt to persuade students to avoid underlife? Would it be against the law to ask students to turn around their computer or show the class what they are doing?
Good conversation! How does underlife affect you as a student/ DI? I know for me, the events of Paris this last Friday has affected my output this weekend in terms of classwork, but positive underlife can be very beneficial. What have you noticed from your own experience?
ReplyDeleteI think it's very true that students have a choice whether or not to find a class interesting. There is always knowledge to be gained, education to be had, if a student is committed. How can we use underlife (positive or negative, as Clint put it) to engage out students? Can this ever be detrimental? I have my students journal about what's going on in their lives at the beginning of class and feel like this is a bit of an exercise in exorcising underlife. But is that even possible? As a teacher who feels pretty "old-school" in that I won't allow phones or laptops in my classroom, I wonder about how learning can be derailed if it tries to be to "hip" and how this relates to underlife.
ReplyDeleteDo teachers need to change the way they think "participation" and attention in class work? Can we embrace chaos in the classroom? Bring in the world around us?
ReplyDelete