Monday morning, 11:10 am: I’m logged into zoom, my mic is muted, my camera is turned off. On my left is my professor – he is delivering a lecture via Zoom. On my right is my KitchenAid mixer – I'm whipping up some brownies.
By making brownies during class, I’ve created what may be called a “distraction.” But, I like to think of baking as an activity, which allows me to more effectively concentrate during class.
Some of my other distractions include doing push-ups, folding my laundry, or petting my dog. All of these actions expend needless energy or relinquish anxiety during class. And, they’re all possible thanks to online learning.
In most traditional classrooms, actual distractions consist of texting, online shopping, and scrolling through social media. Such amusements diminish students’ abilities to absorb the material. But, when students create their own energy-consuming tricks at home – not under the eyes of their professors – they are able to elect beneficial energy-expenders. Then, “distractions” become positive tools for students to efficiently consume knowledge.
So, despite the hiccups of online learning, newfound distractions are a thing to be celebrated.
Comments