1. ATTENTION MATTERS! BY TONY FARINA WITH MATERIALS ADAPTED BY DR. MICHELLE MILLER NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

2. DO THE TEST

3. A QUESTION TRUE OR FALSE. TRUE OR FALSE. IF SOMETHING IS IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES, YOU’LL NOTICE IT. IF SOMETHING IS IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES, YOU’LL NOTICE IT.

4. FALSE! THE INATTENTIONAL BLINDNESS EFFECT AS DEMONSTRATED IN THE MOONWALKING BEAR VIDEO, SHOWS THAT WHEN WE ARE HIGHLY FOCUSED ON DOING A PARTICULAR THING, WE CAN COMPLETELY MISS OUT ON INFORMATION THAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. THE INATTENTIONAL BLINDNESS EFFECT AS DEMONSTRATED IN THE MOONWALKING BEAR VIDEO, SHOWS THAT WHEN WE ARE HIGHLY FOCUSED ON DOING A PARTICULAR THING, WE CAN COMPLETELY MISS OUT ON INFORMATION THAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. THE "COCKTAIL PARTY EFFECT" SHOWS THAT WE DO MONITOR A LOT OF INFORMATION WE AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO. BUT THIS UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSING DOESN'T MOVE THINGS TO MEMORY - MOST OF IT DISAPPEARS FOREVER THE "COCKTAIL PARTY EFFECT" SHOWS THAT WE DO MONITOR A LOT OF INFORMATION WE AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO. BUT THIS UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSING DOESN'T MOVE THINGS TO MEMORY - MOST OF IT DISAPPEARS FOREVER THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR STUDENTS. AT HOME TAKING AN ONLINE COURSE. IN A CLASS WITH A CELLPHONE OR WITH A CLASSMATE’S LAPTOP OPEN IN HIS OR HER LINE OF SIGHT. AT HOME, TRYING TO STUDY. IF THE FOCUS IS ON ONE THING, SOMETHING ELSE IS MISSED COMPLETELY. THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR STUDENTS. AT HOME TAKING AN ONLINE COURSE. IN A CLASS WITH A CELLPHONE OR WITH A CLASSMATE’S LAPTOP OPEN IN HIS OR HER LINE OF SIGHT. AT HOME, TRYING TO STUDY. IF THE FOCUS IS ON ONE THING, SOMETHING ELSE IS MISSED COMPLETELY.

5. ANOTHER QUESTION TRUE OR FALSE: TRUE OR FALSE: ATTENTION IS NECESSARY FOR MEMORY ATTENTION IS NECESSARY FOR MEMORY

6. TRUE! UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO SOMETHING TO REMEMBER IT. UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO SOMETHING TO REMEMBER IT. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE ANSWER THE SAME QUESTIONS? OFTEN TIMES, THE MATERIAL WAS PRESENTED TO AN INATTENTIVE AUDIENCE. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES THE INFORMATION WAS NOT PRESENTED IN A WAY TO GET ANYONE’S ATTENTION. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE ANSWER THE SAME QUESTIONS? OFTEN TIMES, THE MATERIAL WAS PRESENTED TO AN INATTENTIVE AUDIENCE. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES THE INFORMATION WAS NOT PRESENTED IN A WAY TO GET ANYONE’S ATTENTION.

7. ANOTHER QUESTION TRUE OR FALSE: TRUE OR FALSE: HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND FOCUSED PEOPLE NATURALLY TAKE IN MORE INFORMATION THAN OTHERS. HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND FOCUSED PEOPLE NATURALLY TAKE IN MORE INFORMATION THAN OTHERS.

8. FALSE PEOPLE CAN'T BE DIVIDED INTO "FOCUSED" AND "UNFOCUSED" TYPES - EVERYONE CAN BE DISTRACTED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. PEOPLE CAN'T BE DIVIDED INTO "FOCUSED" AND "UNFOCUSED" TYPES - EVERYONE CAN BE DISTRACTED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

9. BATMAN VS SUPERMAN WHILE I WAS GETTING THE MOONWALKING BEAR VIDEO, THE FRONT PAGE OF YOU TUBE HAD THE NEW TRAILER FOR BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN. I DROPPED EVERYTHING AND WATCHED. WHILE I WAS GETTING THE MOONWALKING BEAR VIDEO, THE FRONT PAGE OF YOU TUBE HAD THE NEW TRAILER FOR BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN. I DROPPED EVERYTHING AND WATCHED. THEN I WATCHED IT AGAIN. THEN I WATCHED IT AGAIN. THEN, I CALLED MY WIFE AT WORK, WHO IS NOT PLANNING ON GOING TO THE MOVIE BECAUSE SHE DID NOT LIKE MAN OF STEEL VERY MUCH AND SHE IS NOT SUPER THRILLED ABOUT BEN AFFLECK AS BATMAN. SHE IS NOT A FAN OF HIS. THEN, I CALLED MY WIFE AT WORK, WHO IS NOT PLANNING ON GOING TO THE MOVIE BECAUSE SHE DID NOT LIKE MAN OF STEEL VERY MUCH AND SHE IS NOT SUPER THRILLED ABOUT BEN AFFLECK AS BATMAN. SHE IS NOT A FAN OF HIS. HOWEVER, IN THE LAST 15 SECONDS OF THE NEW TRAILER: HOWEVER, IN THE LAST 15 SECONDS OF THE NEW TRAILER: WONDER WOMAN!!!! SHE LOVES WONDER WOMAN. SHE IS RECONSIDERING THE MOVIE. WONDER WOMAN!!!! SHE LOVES WONDER WOMAN. SHE IS RECONSIDERING THE MOVIE. THEN MY KIDS GOT HOME FROM SCHOOL, AND I SHOWED THEM. THEN MY KIDS GOT HOME FROM SCHOOL, AND I SHOWED THEM.

10. BATMAN AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THE SAME ROOM AT THE SAME TIME. I’M JUST SAYING.

11. WAIT. WHAT WERE WE TALKING ABOUT? RIGHT. MOTIVATION AND FOCUS. I WAS MOTIVATED. I WAS FOCUSED ON THAT MOONWALKING BEAR VIDEO. THEN, BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN HAPPENED. RIGHT. MOTIVATION AND FOCUS. I WAS MOTIVATED. I WAS FOCUSED ON THAT MOONWALKING BEAR VIDEO. THEN, BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN HAPPENED. THIS MEANS THAT STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT EVERYONE CAN BE DISTRACTED. IT TAKES WILL POWER. IT TAKES DETERMINATION. THIS MEANS THAT STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT EVERYONE CAN BE DISTRACTED. IT TAKES WILL POWER. IT TAKES DETERMINATION. MUCH LIKE GREEN LANTERN. YOU SEE WHEN A GREEN LANTERN FOCUSES HIS OR HER WILL… MUCH LIKE GREEN LANTERN. YOU SEE WHEN A GREEN LANTERN FOCUSES HIS OR HER WILL… SORRY. SORRY. MOVING ON. MOVING ON.

12. LAST QUESTION TRUE OR FALSE TRUE OR FALSE WE CAN BE DISTRACTED EVEN BY THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR OWN MINDS WE CAN BE DISTRACTED EVEN BY THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR OWN MINDS

13. TRUE! EVEN SOMETHING GOING ON MENTALLY CAN BE A FORM OF MULTITASKING. EVEN SOMETHING GOING ON MENTALLY CAN BE A FORM OF MULTITASKING. THINKING ABOUT BILLS, OR LUNCH, OR BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, CAN LEAD US DOWN A ROAD THAT IS FULL OF MENTAL POTHOLES. THINKING ABOUT BILLS, OR LUNCH, OR BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, CAN LEAD US DOWN A ROAD THAT IS FULL OF MENTAL POTHOLES. ONE CAN NOT LEARN BY OSMOSIS. SIMPLY BEING THERE, ISN’T ENOUGH. ONE CAN NOT LEARN BY OSMOSIS. SIMPLY BEING THERE, ISN’T ENOUGH. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PASSIVE LEARNING. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PASSIVE LEARNING.

14. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? THIS IS REALLY THE BIG QUESTION. THIS IS REALLY THE BIG QUESTION. ACCORDING TO SHERRY TURKLE, IN HER NEW BOOK, RECLAIMING CONVERSATION, STUDENTS CAN ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO A LECTURE FOR SIX MINUTES. TWENTY YEARS AGO, THAT FIGURE WAS 20 MINUTES. ACCORDING TO SHERRY TURKLE, IN HER NEW BOOK, RECLAIMING CONVERSATION, STUDENTS CAN ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO A LECTURE FOR SIX MINUTES. TWENTY YEARS AGO, THAT FIGURE WAS 20 MINUTES. WHEN I WAS AT THE TEACHING PROFESSOR TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, I KEPT HEARING PRESENTERS SAY, 3 MINUTE LECTURES. WHEN I WAS AT THE TEACHING PROFESSOR TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, I KEPT HEARING PRESENTERS SAY, 3 MINUTE LECTURES. THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS.

15. WHAT DO WE DO? ACCORDING TO DR. MILLER, THERE ARE A FEW STRATEGIES TO USE. ACCORDING TO DR. MILLER, THERE ARE A FEW STRATEGIES TO USE. 1. ASK STUDENTS TO RESPOND. 1. ASK STUDENTS TO RESPOND. THE MORE ENGAGED THEY ARE, THE MORE THEY HAVE TO FOCUS THE MORE ENGAGED THEY ARE, THE MORE THEY HAVE TO FOCUS 2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATICITY 2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AUTOMATICITY THIS MEANS THAT ONCE A STUDENT KNOWS A BASE SKILL, START TO ADD HIGHER ORDER OF THOUGHT. DO NOT JUST KEEP BEATING THE SAME INFORMATION INTO THEM. THEY WILL GET BORED AND ZONE OUT. THIS MEANS THAT ONCE A STUDENT KNOWS A BASE SKILL, START TO ADD HIGHER ORDER OF THOUGHT. DO NOT JUST KEEP BEATING THE SAME INFORMATION INTO THEM. THEY WILL GET BORED AND ZONE OUT.

16. STRATEGIES CONTINUED. 3. ASSESS COGNITIVE LOAD 3. ASSESS COGNITIVE LOAD HOW MUCH WORK IS TOO MUCH WORK? HOW MUCH WORK IS TOO MUCH WORK? 4. DISCOURAGE DIVIDED ATTENTION 4. DISCOURAGE DIVIDED ATTENTION THIS IS EASY IN THEORY, BUT DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE. THIS IS EASY IN THEORY, BUT DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE.

17. FINAL THOUGHTS HAVE THE CONVERSATION. HAVE THE CONVERSATION. DO THE RESEARCH. DO THE RESEARCH. YOU SHOULD ALL GET A COPY OF DR. MILLER’S AMAZING BOOK, MINDS ONLINE. SHE IS KIND OF A GENIUS. YOU SHOULD ALL GET A COPY OF DR. MILLER’S AMAZING BOOK, MINDS ONLINE. SHE IS KIND OF A GENIUS. THANK YOU