Attention, Attention, Read all about it! Conetta’s Blog’s about to explain all about it!

High school is challenging for teenagers with so much going on through academics and their social connections.  The mind is constantly trying to organize everything it’s processing.  But how does one categorize and learn along the way?  This week’s readings on cognitive views of learning help to understand different approaches, but one that was most relatable was the concept of Attention.

Memory is not exact, it is constructed based on how it is introduced, and ways information is processed is determined by how the individual categorizes it.   Ormrod suggests that cognitive processes consider how people perceive, interpret, and remember (pg 141).  While this is very important, what I found central to this concept is the perception piece.  How people perceive concepts is directly related to how it is introduced both physically (visuals), verbally (discussion).  The role of Attention is essential to how students are introduced to new material.  Ormrod notes certain kinds of stimuli that tend to draw attention including Novelty, Social cues, Emotion, Personal Significance, among others (pg. 164). When reading the text as well as the discussion posts by my peers, I couldn't help think of the ways in which I use “Attention”.

It’s quite a challenge to get the average teenager to get excited about historical topics, especially when they’re constantly immersed in other things.  However, as a teacher, it’s my responsibility to support their learning through any means possible. An example can be illustrated through a look at my elective, Sociology. About a month ago, I began class with a very brief simulation to initiate my unit on social norms.  I posted three large poster-boards on the wall labeled: “urinal one, two, and three”.  The students were flabbergasted; they had no idea why I brought a fake bathroom into class; 25 seniors were stumped.  I knew the initial reactions (giggles, sarcastic jabs, jokes thrown my way) but I achieved my first goal by grabbing attention through comedy (novelty).  I then asked them to mimic the board by drawing on scrap paper, and mark the urinal which they would “hypothetically” use after I read various scenarios. Students immediately looked to their peers each time I asked for a show of hands to determine the choice scenario urinal (social cues); then, when asked for justification for reasons after each scenario, students immediately went to their personal reasons (personal significance) as to why they chose each one.  From there, we discussed how your actions are determined by societal elements that have been developed over time; the rest of my lesson began.  

The simulation still is referenced when discussion the sociological perspective.  I never really focused on why this intro activity was so effective other than the fact that it was funny and a good “hook”, but reading this week’s theory helped to understand that by making learning meaningful, relevant, personal, and unique, learning can be transferred from short-term memory to long term through the role of attention.  Ormrod is correct in that “People’s ability to attend to the stimuli around them is limited” (pg 167) and therefore it is up to the educator to do their very best to get their ATTENTION when InTrOdUcInG new MATERIAL.