MMVC17: Dealing with Digital Distractions

5th  August

Dealing with  Digital Distractions -  Webinar by  Dr. Doris Molero

I could be online on 5th Agust and I was favourably impressed by Dr. Molero who presented an important issue which is often debated  : digital opportunities can be powerful but  they can be distracting.  How can we manage in the ELF classroom? 
In my classes almost everybody has a smarphone and I am often forced to tell my students to switch them off...... they seem to be busy online almost every hour and it is forbidden to use them in class.. unless we have decided we should work with them. 
The webinar began with some questions and we were asked to interact about our ideas and about the use of technology.

We all interacted and discussed the issue in the chat. We also saw a video dealing with Internet and the Brain. Our mind and our  brain are under attack in some way..... but we can do something.

 An important aspect of the discussion was focussed on the  importance of  empowering the students about how to work with and use technlogy: we are required to  prepare the learners about how  to live in  the new  digitalized world and the tools which they are using.
I know that I must do it because  some skills  are to be taught and learnt.

 

Educators need to know  about the importance of social media  literacies which are part of the digital skills which our students need to be able to recognize and be aware of.

 Educators  have to cope with the students' attention and way of working as  DIGITAL LITERACIES are crucial in the XXI century  

I was engaged and took part in the discussion as I feel that educators are the first ones who work with students . The content was relevant to me as smartphones are now used in some classes and although they are forbidden for private use in some schools in Italy we have decided to use them. English language lessons can become more interesting and students can also have fun.   

The presentation was good and engaging and I thought more teachers should become familiar with digital skills as our  students were born with them. Hopefully , I am aware of the problem and therefore I am trying to learn more  and  about  the best ways for dealing with the issue of using  digital tools in class.  They are so empowering that we cannot be afraid of them.

The challanges and the next steps are about my professional development in relationship with this problem: we will have to learn together as teachers and work on us to become good educators.  
              

The future is now so I expect myself to be involved in providing  reflective tasks with my learners.

One final question for the  speaker : how do you imagine school and education in ten years?



Here is the video with the webinar :