Author: mcmike93

Mindfulness in the Classroom: Fighting Back Against the “Just Do It” Attitude

As part of my teaching assistantship at VT,  I teach a small Food Microbiology lab class . The students are very bright, but have an issue that I see quite often. They tend to panic when there are no strict guidelines for an assignment. One student contacted me regarding the upcoming presentations for class. She asked me if the content she planned on covering was enough, and that the rubric “seems like it wants everything covered in excruciating detail”. I looked at the same rubric, and it said simply to “describe the methods used”. Confused as to what her concern was, I wrote back and told her to cover and explain what she believed was the appropriate amount, that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to explaining your reasoning.

Scenarios like this are all too common in schools and universities. If students aren’t given precise guidelines for how to complete a task, a panic sets in. They feel that if the assignment isn’t completed in the exact way, their grade will suffer. I believe this feeling stems from K-12 education, where critical thinking and mindfulness aren’t prioritized,  but given a backseat to memorization of facts and figures. Granted, some subjects have little room for anything but mindless memorization (e.g. basic arithmetic), but as the student advances through school, it becomes more and more important for students to approach challenges with an open mind and flexibility. After finding out that I study food science, people will more often than not ask me what shouldn’t they be eating. Human health and proper nutrition are such broad fields with high levels of variance from person-to-person; it’s nearly impossible to label something as 100% “bad for you”.Genetics, food processing, current health status, and interplay with other foods can all have an influence on just one food product. Grapes have tons of antioxidants which are great for individuals predisposed to heart disease, but are loaded with sugars, a not so ideal situation for diabetics.

There are little situations in life that can be definitively answered with a definitive yes or no answer. When we teach our students “this is the only way to do this” or “it can only be solved this way”, we limit the creativity of the student, the ability for them to think outside the box, and prevent them from becoming innovative. If we used a mindless approach when preparing potatoes, believing that the only way to prepare them is by baking, we wouldn’t have potato chips or french fries, two staples of the western food culture. We must encourage students to be mindful, to look at all aspects of the present issue. Don’t say “these foods are the healthiest and should be eaten”, say these foods have been shown to improve this in the body, how can this be applied in a new food or supplement”. Langer provides a number of examples of how we can take a mindful approach to teaching as opposed to force-feeding students information with the same rigid restrictions our grandparents used. Give it a look and let me know what you think!

To Ban or Not to Ban: Digital Learning in 2019

These days, I’m quite into weightlifting and bodybuilding culture as a hobby. Often, people see me and ask if I play sports or want to sign up for a team, to which I immediately respond no. Not out of disinterest, but for the fact that I’m not athletic. Not in the sense where I can’t perform a physical activity, but in the sense that I’m very uncoordinated. I can’t dribble a ball, make a catch, or swing a bat really. But people look at my physique and how often I workout and assume otherwise. Unlike some people who regularly workout for sports training or competitions, I just sort of fell into it. I began hearing about it in classes and started to do independent research. I didn’t have any coaches or trainers, but what I did have was internet access. The fitness industry has boomed with the invention of content creators and social media. So many different avenues are available for the public to use and learn and customize their workout experience. Through the use of demonstrative videos, infographics, ebooks, and online calculators, I was able to learn the ins and outs of bodybuilding techniques, appropriate dieting tactics, equipment and supplement recommendations, and more. Despite not being inherently athletic, I was able to use educational tools I was more familiar with to improve my knowledge on an unfamiliar topic.

 

Technology in the classroom is becoming more commonplace as the years go on. Even when I first started at Virginia Tech a little over a year ago, I was stunned by the amount of note-taking being done on laptops and tablets. I felt ancient sitting there with my pen and paper! More and more universities are capitalizing on the increasing presence of tech in the classroom by using devices as supplements to a lecture rather than eliminating them from classrooms altogether. Yes, technology can be distracting and detrimental to student learning, but if you’ve ever sat in a 90 minute lecture on any topic, you know that your mind will wander regardless of how engaging the topic is. Phones and other devices just provide an outlet for that attention. In this article, the author speaks on the various approaches taken when it comes to technology in the classroom. One idea spoke to me: the “Google jockey” approach. A director of teaching at Vanderbilt Univ. was quoted saying “if you give students something productive and on-topic to do with their devices, it reduces idle browsing.” The students are still engaged with their course content while satisfying the urge to pick up their phones.

 

Students will always be distracted, if not by technology, then by anxiety, lack of interest, or just general sleepiness. Sitting in a chair listening to someone speak on any topic for over an hour will naturally cause a students’ mind to wander. It is our responsibility as educators to keep their attention as as well as possible. Blaming technology will only get you so far. We should utilize other routes of learning and properly engage students who simply learn differently.

 

What do you think: is increasing technology in the classroom a terrible decision? Or do you think it can be used as a tool?

 

 

 

 

The Scientific Community and Networked Learning

In the world of science, there are few instances where a breakthrough or novel discovery are accomplished solely by individuals; some could argue that there aren’t any in history! The identification of DNA, though credited primarily to Francis Crick and James Watson, was an accumulation of the ideas, theories and experiments of many accomplished researchers. Jean Brachet, Rosalyn Franklin, and Martha Chase all held a hand in our understanding of DNA today. Researchers in science and technology fields have always understood the value of collaborative learning; by using information already gathered from others, new ideas are generated, allowing bigger and better advances in the scientific community. Today, more research-intensive institutions of higher earning are adopting a similar approach. Guided by principles of “networked learning”, nations are adapting a global collaborative approach to research. An article by Yojana Sharma(posted here on the University World News)  discusses the rise of global science system. The story states that the number of manuscripts with international coauthors have risen from “16% to 22%” between 2003 and 2016. The number of citations from international sources have also risen. The expansion of science beyond national borders is extremely important for its growth. By adapting others’ viewpoints and motivations, we can solve problems using means far from the standard used in one’s own country. We can tap into resources never once thought of to advance our own understanding of the world around us. The networked learning approach in the scientific community also generates a sort of healthy competition. In order to access the breadth of knowledge provided by the global science system, nations must bring some of their own research to the table. Doing so encourages researchers to provide quality information in exchange for access to global innovations, creating a feedback loop.

As with most movements, there are some obstacles in the world of globalization of education. Political leaders have begun incorporating nativism and nationalism into their ideologies. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with believing in and supporting your country, when you begin to shut out any and all ideas that aren’t generated within your borders, you miss out on new ideas and techniques previously unknown. Restricting free exchange of information in today’s interconnected society is a grave mistake and can potentially lead to more oppressive regulations in a nation.

Collaborative learning is an absolute must for growth and development, particularly in the sciences. If we are to truly to improve the human condition, make advances in technology, and evolve beyond our current selves, we cannot isolate ourselves behind imaginary borders, but reach out to each other and progress as the human race. As always, these are my thoughts and I’d love to hear yours. Give the article a read and drop some comments and let me know what you think.