3-Read Friday #86

Attention, definitions, and the decline in reading

Before we begin, you may want to check out my brand-new 16-part book series, The Tips for Teachers guide to… here.

Here are three blog posts that I found interesting this week.

1. Beyond Getting Their Attention by Shaun Allison

Many schools I visit use things like narrated countdowns to focus students’ attention. This is all well and good, but how do we then maintain that attention? In this post, Shaun suggests several practical steps teachers can take.

2. Definitions contain limited information by Matthew Evans

I have considered definitions a tad overrated for a while now. Sure, students can parrot back the definition of a polygon or a quadratic equation, but do they understand what it actually means? In this post, Matthew shares some tests of conceptual understanding that go beyond recall of a definition.

3. The dawn of the post-literate society by James Marriott

I wouldn’t describe this as the most optimistic of posts, but it is certainly a powerful one. James cites evidence about the decline in reading in general, the changing nature of the books we do read, and the implications for humanity. Spoiler alert: they are not good.

Have a great weekend.

Craig