A Fork in the Road…Choosing the Right Path for Optimal Success in the Classroom!

       In Annie Murphy Paul’s article “Freedom, digital distraction and control” she writes about three approaches to “conquering distraction” in the classroom. While reading her article I was thinking about my current professional development trainings and which of these three approaches best describes my classroom atmosphere. I then began to reflect back on my days in the classroom and realized that if that were still my job I would probably be doing things differently for my students than I do for my peers.

       When I am working with my peers I incorporate what Paul refers to as the “self-control” approach. I do not force my attendees to follow my lead or participate. My thought process is that they are in my PD session because they had a desire to learn about the topic; therefore, they are “self-motivated, self-aware and … intelligent enough to impose their own … solutions to digital distraction.” I see my job as to make the PD interesting enough for them to self-impose the “self-control” approach.

       It has been over five years since I was in the classroom. When I was working with high schools students I definitely “controlled by authority.” I felt it my responsibility to establish classroom rules as they related to acceptable behavior with the technology. At that time I did not allow cellphone in my classroom. As a matter of fact, if they brought their cellphone into my classroom and I saw (or heard) it, I would confiscate it and the student had to pick it up from the discipline principal. My, my – “the times they are a changing.” If I were to go back into the classroom today I would probably be inclined to use Paul’s “control through technology” approach at the start of the course. I still feel that I would need to establish rules and utilize the tools that are available in today’s technological world to “nudge students in the direction of desired use” at that time. However, I would make it my goal that students would learn to “self-control” after gaining understanding of my classroom atmosphere. I do believe it is possible to reach the “self-control” level; however, I do not think this can be done from day one. It is a process and as I said early, it would be my goal that by the end of the course my students could utilize the “self-control” atmosphere effectively. After all, it is what we all do in our respective careers, isn't it?