Is multitasking as efficient as we think?

Study, talk on the phone, work, text, listen to music, take a bite on your food, chat with a friend, check Facebook, work more, sip some water, look up for recipes online, read blogs, back to studying, google, text again, answer the phone, take another bite, more googling, answer an e-mail, check on a crying baby, phone rings…

 \o_ Raise your hand if you have never multitasked before. (I don't see any hands…) Everybody multitasks! Multitasking is the act of doing two or more tasks at the same time by one person. In the society we live today, it is almost impossible not to be required to do more than one thing at the same time. We talk as we drive, we text as we shop, we google as we write papers, we check e-mails as we watch lectures, we watch TV as we eat, we chat with friends as we play with our kids... We are constantly doing other things while switching back and forth to check our calendars, text a friend, reply an e-mailing, update our to-do-list, talk on the phone, etc. Some people even multitask brushing their teeth! When Sophia was a baby, we used to multitask a lot!

Is it, however, as productive as we think it is? Are we gaining time and accomplishing our goals efficiently when we multitask?

Studies show that it is actually not as productive and effective as we think it is. When multitasking, we are constantly switching our focus from one activity to another. Our brains can not really do two things simultaneously. As we switch from one thing to another, the attention we give to each activity is consequently more superficial than it would be if we were focused on only one thing for a longer period of time.

Let's do a simple activity to illustrate how less productive we become when we multitask. Take a piece of paper and draw a line. Like this:

_______________________________________________________________________

On the upper part, I want you to write the following sentence: "Is multitasking as efficient as we think?". Hey, not yet! Read the rest of the instructions first. On the bottom part, you will write down numbers by 2's. For instance: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc…
However, you will do both at the same time. Actually, switching back and forth. For each letter you write on the upper part, you add a number on the bottom part, then you write one more letter on the upper, and one more number on the bottom. Like this:

I   S      M  U   L   T   I  …                                                                                                                    
2  4      6   8  10  12  14...

Do it as fast as you can. Time yourself. How long did it take? Write down the seconds/minutes it took. Then, do it again by focusing on only one thing at a time (first the sentence and then only the numbers).

You will notice the difference. Check your work and compare the numbers. Was there any difference? By doing it separately, you will probably finish it a lot faster. When you multitask, you might get letters mixed up, you might skip a number, it will be more stressful, your handwriting is not as beautiful, and you will definitely take longer.

Here's a fun game (shared by a classmate from Virginia Tech last week) that illustrates how our performance is affected when we multitask. Have fun! Share your scores!
 Click here to play!!

Dr. Nass, from Stanford University in California, decided to do some experimental research with some students (link to watch video) and found that the same students were not as productive when they were multitasking in comparison to when they were asked to do the same tasks separately. Interestingly, they all believed that they were equally effective!
The researcher found that, when multitasking, students:
- were slower
- got distracted constantly
- had a very disorganized memory
- showed poor analytical reasoning
- committed more mistakes
- presented increased stress level


Overall, the habit of multitasking creates people unable to think well and clearly. Multitasking makes people think less about the big picture and focus only on snaps and bits. It produces superficial thoughts. Also, it takes more time, more energy, and can be more stressful. In the end, the product of the work is not as depth and of a high quality as it could be; and the ability to organize the memory or the content learned is not as efficient either.

Since we live in the world of multitasking and we can't really change our reality, let's learn how we can better deal with it. Here are some tips.

Adults (that's you!) - Be aware of how often and in what way you multitask. Have self-control. Try not multitasking and compare the results. Focus on one thing at a time. Make wise choices. When studying or working on something important, turn off your cellphone or step away from the computer. If necessary, pick a place and a moment of your day where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Plan your day wisely. Have a routine. Make to-do-lists. Don't try to do two or more things at the same time. It is not effective. Train yourself to concentrate and make more complex analytical thinking. Even simple tasks as writing the grocery list can contain mistakes if we do it as we chat on the phone or watch a movie. Don't use cell phones while driving.

Teenagers (your students or your kids) - This is challenging! Teenagers WILL multitask! We can't help it. They were born immersed in a technological world with constant stimulation. My advice is to meet them where they are. Don't fight against them, but offer them new ideas of productive things to do with the tools they enjoy. For instance, instead of having them play computer games all day, ask them to Google something for you (pick a topic); suggest them to create a Blog about sports or other things that interest them; motivate them to find interesting videos on uTube about … (pick a topic) or watch documentaries on Netflix. Have them take responsibility for their choice. Make them pay part of their phone bill and teach them to control the time spent on the phone. Give them tasks that will keep them away from the computer or the phone for a while. Take them hiking or camping. Invite friends over. Educate them about the risks of texting and driving. (By the way, texting while driving can increase up to 23 times the chance of having a car accident.)
If you are a teacher, check out this uTube video about Flipped Classroom. If possible, use it with your students. By flipping  the classroom, you are having them watch the lectures at home from their iPhones, computers, or iPads. Then, you can use the time in the classroom to engage them in their homework, activities, discussions, experiments, projects, etc. This way, you are making their time at home and at school more productive. There are many other ideas out there. Google and be creative!

Children (your little ones) - While you still can, teach them to focus on one thing at a time. Don't allow them to watch TV as they eat, for instance. Actually, if they are under 15 months, they should not be watching TV at all. Don't give them too many toys to play with. Don't overwhelm your child. If it's reading time, let's read (holding one toy is enough). Read one book and a time and put them away before moving on to the next book. If it's mealtime, let's eat - no TV and no toys at the table. There's no need to provoke distraction. There's no need for our children to be multitasking yet. Avoid stress. Teach them to be organized. Do structured play. Select one set of toys at a time. Clean-up after playing. Don't overwhelm your child's bed with too many stuffed animals or their room with too much stuff. They don't need too much stimulation. Take them outside (avoid bringing too many toys along) and focus on the nature, on running, on climbing, on picking up rocks, on singing songs... Focus on the simple things in life.

Hope you learned something from this posting today!
Good luck on finding your balance between multitasking and mono-tasking.

Now, I'll turn off my computer and focus on my readings.

Talk to you soon,
Beatriz Lima

Intrinsically motivating our students

I just recently posted a blog about how we, as parents, can promote a better relationship of our kids with their homework, assignments, and other tasks. Now, speaking from a teacher's perspective, I would like to share some thoughts about how we, instructors and educators, can help students become intrinsically motivated and deeply engaged in the learning process. We want to help students stay constantly thirsty for knowledge, become critical thinkers, and be creative individuals.

In an ideal world, the first thing I would do, as a classroom instructor, would be to eliminate the grading system. (I know... That will never happen! But I can still dream, right?) I believe that grades (like punishment) can ruin the whole purpose behind the assignment. Students tend to unconsciously (and even consciously!) deal with the assignment as a way of achieving a certain grade and meeting the teacher's expectations, rather then actually learning and growing from the activity itself.  The students' analytical thinking becomes narrowed down into following the rules of the assignment and rigidly sticking into the expectation (and perspective) of the teacher - rather then allowing creativity and critical thinking to take place. Alfie Kohn shares some interesting points about how "grades tend to diminish students' interest" in learning; how it can "create a preference for the easiest possible task"; and even "reduce the quality of students' thinking".

Grades, punishment, and rewards can be great incentives in a few cases. But not all. Overall, I believe that they take away the intrinsic motivation of wanting to learn and grow (as a person, as a student, as a professional...), and replace it with the extrinsic motivation of having to meet the requirements and get good grades (or avoid punishment). By limiting our students to focus on grades (small rewards/punishments) we are asking them to stay inside the box and forget about the big picture - rather then motivating them to look around and explore possibilities. Also, we are labeling our students into an assigned letter (or number) that qualifies who they are and how they performed - rather then showing them that they are unique individuals with unlimited and awesome ideas (but also space for growth). In addition, grades can provoke unnecessary anxiety, low self-esteem, and block their creativity.

I can't change the system. But as a future professor (and as a parent), I choose to help my students (and my children) to look beyond the grades (before and after the assignment). First of all, I want them to understand the purpose of studying, learning, and working hard on their homework. I want them to understand that grades are secondary - they are numbers used as part of a measuring system, assessment required from our society - they are not really the ultimate goal of going to school. The main goal of studying is to learn, think, and grow. Secondly, when receiving the grade, I want them to be able to look beyond that feedback. Numbers and letters can never define who they are, what they are capable of doing, and how well they can perform. Yes, grades can help indicate areas where they can improve, but they are not determinant of their potential. Sometimes, grades are even unfair. We need to teach students to be self-criticals and evaluators of themselves in a balanced and healthy way. If possible, as a teacher, we need to sit down and take sometime to provide qualitative feedback to each student, allowing them to acknowledge their strengths and recognize the areas they need to work on more.

I challenge all the teachers, professors, instructors, and educators to think outside the grades. When assigning an activity or preparing an exam, try to provide a space for your students to show their knowledge, to be creative, to make critical analysis, to raise questions, to share their thoughts, to disagree, to think of solutions, to provide a different perspective on the subject… When evaluating the assignment, provide useful feedback that can help them grow. We need to help students become future professionals that can think outside the box and bring solutions for a better world. Let's start by modeling it ourselves!

You, as a parent, can also do the same!

See this link about motivating students: strategies, ideas, and recommendations.


Thank you,
Beatriz Lima

Homework is not a punishment

Sometimes, when parents are mad or frustrated about something their child did, it's easy for them to punish their child by saying: "I'm not happy with that. That was wrong! (etc…) Go to your room and do your homework!" Or when siblings are fighting, parents may interrupt the playtime and say: "Ok, enough fighting! Go clean your room now!" or "Go calm down and do your homework!". I've seen teenagers share that they've been grounded for doing something wrong - and their punishment was to stay home and do their homework(!).

Parents don't realize this, but without being aware of it, they are associating homework or house chores with punishment, bad behaviors, and unpleasant feelings. Homework is not a punishment! Homework is not something bad. Doing homework, cleaning the room, and helping with the dishes are normal routine activities that are part of our children's life. Children don't do homework (or house chores) because they did something wrong or because they misbehaved; they do it because they have to (no matter what). It's their responsibility. These are important activities with great benefits. It's actually a privilege to go to school, learn, and do homework. Being part of a family and helping out at home are also wonderful privileges. They may be boring and tiring activities sometimes, but they have a special purpose and they can be fun. We need to teach our children to feel good and happy about helping at home and being responsible students; rather then associating responsibility and tasks with punishment or unpleasant feelings.

I don't think that any parent would ever want to intentionally associate homework with punishment. We may do it without noticing. So, here's a tip of advice to help us become more aware of our words and tone of voice when we try to educate our children. If we need to punish them for a bad behavior, we can ask them to go to their room and stay quiet for a few minutes (time out); or we can give them an extra task in the house (not the ones that are already part of their responsibility); or take out a privilege (no TV for a week, for instance), etc. This way, we can preserve homework time for normal and peaceful part of their routine. We want them to actually enjoy doing homework or at least have a peaceful relationship with their homework and duties.

With Sophia, my 20-month-old daughter, I also try to be very aware of this. I don't want to punish her from being a healthy toddler and doing a mess. I don't want to associate "clean-up time" with "mad mommy" or "bad Sophia". But I do want to teach her to be responsible, obedient, and follow the house rules. So, when I notice the playroom is way too messy (even if I'm tired and frustrated with the mess), I just say it in a peaceful and playful way: "What a mess! Now, let's play the clean-up game! Let's put the toys away. We need to keep our house clean and beautiful." And she does it with a nice big smile. Cleaning up became a game for Sophia, a normal part of her routine - and she loves doing it!
I just hope my daughter will grow into having the same attitude towards homework one day! If I need to punish her, I'll make sure the word 'homework' is not mentioned!

Ok, now I need to go and focus on my own homework! :) It was nice sharing this posting with you all! See you later!!

Beatriz

P.S.: If possible, please share some tips and advice of how to "punish" a child from about 2 to 4 years old. I haven't figured out what method I'll be using yet. Thanks!

Setting boundaries

Last weekend, on a beautiful Saturday morning, Sophia asked to watch Elmo on my iPad. It wasn't the time for that. We were finishing getting ready to head out the door and play outside. I had to say "no". Sophia heard the two-letter word as if I had said the most horrible thing ever. She immediately bended her head down (as if receiving a very very sad news) and then expressed the most frustrated face, followed by a winning scream of "Aaaaaawww!!!! Nhanahan... Elmo!!!!". If she could talk, she would have said: "I want Elmo!!".

Sophia is only 20 months old and she was not pretending to be disappointed. She was, in fact, very sad and frustrated with the news she got. I had said "no" to one of the things she loves the most. Real tears were coming down on her beautiful face and she was begging me for Elmo's video on the iPad. Not only is sad to see her frustrated, but it is also painful to my ears to hear her screams and shouts. Above all, it was heart broken to see my baby so frustrated...

For the first few seconds, the thought of saying "yes" immediately crossed my mind. With a simple Elmo video, I could make Sophia happy and all the screaming and crying would stop immediately. My precious baby would be peaceful and smiley again. I love her and I want her to be always happy. Because I love her so much, I should never have to allow her to feel frustrated or sad, right? … Wrong!!

In fact, those 2 minutes of sadness and frustration of not seeing Elmo were extremely important for Sophia's emotional development and maturational growth. She learned that the world does not revolve around her, she learned that things will not always be the way she wants them to be, she learned that there are different moments for different things, she learned about schedule, she learned that people can disagree from her and that's ok, she learned that people she loves may say "no" to her, she learned that she needs to cope with sad feelings, she learned that she can switch her goals to other things when her initial plan doesn't work out, she learned that life is not perfect, she learned that she does not need "Elmo" (or whatever) to be entertained (there are other options), she learned how to overcome frustration, etc, etc, etc.

Of course, Sophia is only 20 months old. She's not cognitively or emotionally mature enough to be aware of any of that or even understand what was going on. She was sad and frustrated. She wanted Elmo and she did not understand why she couldn't watch the video. She needed her mommy to help her cope with her feelings. She needed some love. What she did not need, was me to undo what I had said. In life, we don't have magic wands to magically fix things or make things undo. Sophia needed help coping with the frustration and moving on. So I hugged her and said: "I know, Sophia. You want Elmo. But now is not time for Elmo. It's beautiful outside and we are going to play outside. It will be fun! We can watch Elmo before bedtime at night." She kept crying... She's not in the same cognitive level as I am, so I can't expect her to understand everything. But also, we shouldn't under-estimate our children. We should talk to them and explain things clearly. I then continued by distracting her with something else. "Let's pick out a jacket for you to wear. Look! What a beautiful jacket you have! Will you go down the slide at the park today? Do you want to bring your bunny with you?" Soon, Sophia was smiling and was very excited about going to the park. She completely forgot about Elmo.

Children are children. They don't need much. Frustration comes and causes great impact on them (very normal), but soon they move on. With patience, we can distract them with something else and they will forget about the "Elmo" or toy they wanted two minutes ago. But we need to be patient and calm - yet firm. Don't change the rules just because they cried. Don't give up. Don't let them be the boss. Don't allow them to manipulate you. Don't protect them from important life lessons. Don't keep them from having the opportunity of learning how to cope with frustration, sadness, or other feelings. In order to help them grow into a healthy, happy, stable, well-centered, and mature personality, children need boundaries.

Next time Sophia hears a "no", she may still cry; but with time, she will slowly learn that receiving "no" is not the end of the world. Other times, Sophia may have a worse reaction and I may need to gently and firmly send her to "time-out". That's ok. When it happens, I confess that it may initially break my heart, but I will know I'm doing the right thing. By setting boundaries and being firm, we are teaching our little ones a precious lesson in life. Rules are made to be obeyed. Every action comes with a consequence. After the frustration of time out, life moves on and they will be happy again. And, hopefully, a little more mature.

At last, I must end this posting saying that children feel love through the boundaries they receive. Because the world is so big, unknown, and unpredictable to them (they are so small and fragile); when they know that someone is in charge and making decisions for them, they unconsciously feel safe, protected, and loved. The source of children anxiety many times is related to the lack of routine, boundaries, and rules. Play with your child, laugh with them, be flexible sometimes, be silly on a Sunday morning, tickle them, but also be gently firm with the rules and routine of the house. Don't be afraid to say "no", don't be afraid to frustrate them. Show them you are in charge of them - that you are protecting them and taking care of them. Show them you love them.

Have a wonderful week!!!

Post your comments or questions about setting boundaries, saying "no", following rules, using "time-out", etc.

Beatriz