I agree with a lot of what Ken Robinson says about the need to put more emphasis on nurturing children's innate creativity. The part that struck me particularly was when he spoke of the choreographer from Cats, which has always been one of my favorite musicals. It is interesting to think that had she been a little girl today, she would have been put on Ritalin and told to sit still, just as Robinson said. Her story reminds me a lot of a student I have in one of my 6th grade classes named Dakota. He is always moving around, has a really hard time focusing on what he's supposed to be doing, and disregards the idea that there is a time and a place for everything. I'm fairly sure that if he was taken to a doctor, he would be diagnosed with ADHD. I have often wondered if medication would help him calm down a little, but I worry that there is a better way to deal with his behavior that would still keep him hyped up about life. It's very conflicting, especially after listening to Robinson's talk. This boy, who has so much trouble concentrating that he's doing poorly in school, needs some outlet for his energy, but I don't know how to find one.
In Robinson's lecture, he talked about how kids are being over stimulated by all of the things coming at them: music, television, video games, commercials, and even the Internet and computer games. Then he later talks about how students feel that the traditional way of teaching traditional things is boring students, so it's no wonder they don't pay attention. I agree with both of these points separately, but when placed side by side, I feel conflicted by them. If students are being over stimulated by computers and technology, should we use them in the classroom? At the same time, though, if we want to keep kids interested in class, we have to use new ways to teach them. But will the use of technology cure their boredom or make their supposed ADHD worse?
In my classroom, I plan on using technology such as PowerPoint to help make my lessons more effective and will have my student do technology-based projects such as videos, wikis, and podcasts. These will be a helpful departure from the typical book report.
I also have a student who is high-energy and low-focus. We regularly talk about him taking his medications, but we never brainstorm how we (as teachers) can channel the energy into excitement for math. We never consider how we can get him engaged and focused on the lesson. I liked that Robinson called us out on that, but I agree that I don't know how to advance further.
ReplyDeleteI have also wrestled with the idea of over-stimulation and distraction. Personally, I struggle most with classroom management. I feel that when my classroom is managed well, the students' distractions will fall away. When I am able to get them engaged, I don't foresee over-stimulation being an issue. Now if only I could master classroom management...