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generational myth

(2015-08-20 10:14:21) 下一個

So dumb so Infographic: generational myth

已有 20 次閱讀 2015-8-20 08:55 |個人分類:Thought Leader|係統分類:教學心得    推薦到群組

I've been puzzled with such claim of Western culture as in China educated to stay focused and determined, one thing at a time. Reading this got me realize that's over-rated.

 

It's possible only for a few talents; however, for average Joe and Jane, don't do it. In my teaching, I ban cell phones. Some students brought in their lap top taking notes; but they went surfing. I'd test by quizzing them from time to time, taught them a lesson in multi-tasking makes you dumb!

 

******************** Reference **********************

 

Multitasking Is Making You Dumb [Infographic]

Modern people multitask constantly, from checking email while having a conversation to watching TV while writing a paper.

Unfortunately we're no good at it.

Nicholas Carr observed this in his 2008 essay "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?" which noted how hard it was for people to immerse themselves in a book. While our "hyperactive, data-stoked minds" may someday learn to process so much information, they aren't there yet.

More in an infographic from Online College:

Multitasking Infographic

[via Retailomania]

*******************

Why Multitasking Doesn't Work

http://www.forbes.com/sites/douglasmerrill/2012/08/17/why-multitasking-doesnt-work/

 

 

 

I write about innovation and culture and how the two coincide

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I've had a varied career, starting as a professor before becoming a researcher at RAND. I spent some time at Price Waterhouse and as an executive in various roles at Charles Schwab. I was CIO and VP of Engineering at Google, where I oversaw all aspects of internal engineering, including Google’s 2004 IPO (yes, it was as fun as it sounds)! I also spent a short period in the music industry as president of EMI Music’s digital unit before founding my current company, ZestCash. I’m the author of Getting Organized in the Google Era, a book on personal and workplace organization. Here, you can read my take on innovation and culture, and how the two coincide. Follow me on Twitter @DouglasMerrill

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Right now, you might be reading this blog while cooking dinner, watching the news on TV, and riding a stationary bicycle. You’re trying to save time by doing multiple things at once.

Truth is, you’re actually wasting time. Yes, the dinner will get cooked and you’ll elevate your heart rate. But I doubt you’ll remember much of anything from either this blog or the TV news.

Multitasking is something everyone does these days. It’s hard not to multitask, given all the things we have to do and all the streams of information coming at us non-stop.

I know, you think you’re good at multitasking. And to some degree, you are. You can walk and chew gum at the same time. Folding laundry while talking on the phone? Not a problem. A clown can ride a unicycle while juggling brightly colored balls. This form of multitasking works because these are rote tasks that don’t require much brainpower.

Isn’t it madness
he can’t be mine?
–Chess

Unfortunately, our brains just aren’t equipped for multitasking tasks that do require brainpower. Our short-term memories can only store between five and nine things at once.

 

When you’re trying to accomplish two dissimilar tasks, each one requiring some level of consideration and attention, multitasking falls apart. Your brain just can’t take in and process two simultaneous, separate streams of information and encode them fully into short-term memory.

When information doesn’t make it into short-term memory, it can’t be transferred into long-term memory for recall later.

If you can’t recall it, you can’t use it.  And, presumably, you are trying to learn something from whatever you are doing, right?  Instead of actually helping you, multitasking works against you. It’s making you less efficient, not more.

When I was at Google, I attended lots of meetings in which others had their laptops open. It wasn’t that these people didn’t care about what was being said. It’s just that they had lots of other things to do, and juggling several tasks at once seemed like a good idea.

It wasn’t.

Soon it became clear that many people were missing important stuff in meetings. They weren’t paying attention to what was going on around them because their brains were otherwise occupied. So the information shared in meetings never had a chance to break into their short-term memory banks.

Fairly soon, it became clear that having laptops open in meetings was lowering productivity instead of raising it. So we declared some meetings no-laptop zones.

// Side note: Of course, this created an unintended consequence. When people thought they had something more important to deal with, they simply left the meeting. While this was distracting for the others in the meeting, at least it was a more effective use of the escapees’ attention. //

My whole existence is flawed
–Nine Inch Nails, “Closer”

Multitasking can be expensive, too—and dangerous. I learned that lesson a few years ago. I was writing a text message on my phone as I pulled up to a stoplight. Sadly, I misjudged the distance between my car and the one in front because I wasn’t fully paying attention. I hit the other car, though no one was hurt. Still, it was the most expensive text I’ve ever sent. And I learned my lesson.

I’m often asked if this is a generational phenomenon. Specifically, “everyone knows kids are better at multitasking.”  The problem? “Everyone” is wrong. Their brains, especially the limits imposed by short term memory, are the same as those of adults. Even though your kid boasts she can watch TV and study simultaneously, don’t believe her. If nothing else, learning to concentrate is a skill that will serve her not only with geography exam but also with life.

So instead of reading this blog while watching the news, cooking dinner, and exercising, try something different. Go for a run or a swim. Do yoga. Give your brain a break. Everything else can wait.

 

Linda Lewis-McKee3 years ago

 

What is most effective for me is what I call serial tasking. Prioritize what needs to be done and do one thing at a time, giving that one thing all of your attention. Do I sometimes perform two or more rote tasks at the same time? Sure, but for most things, serial tasking works better for me.

 

 

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    • Dmitrii

      Dmitrii 3 years ago

       

      interestingly

       

       

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    • Anne AIME

      Anne AIME 3 years ago

       

      Thank you Douglas for this article! Multitasking sounds to me a lot of noise and low efficiency, most of the time. Your article makes the subject very clear, especially about laptops in meetings, and kills the generational myth. Good thing done!

       

       

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    • Arun Sharma

      Arun Sharma 3 years ago

       

      Hi , There is a word called “Conditioning” and i think more you multitask the more you get conditioned . And technically in the example quoted the clown is using more of brain then what you need to listen to the news . Right ? Clown need to use brain to balance , paddle , see the balls , use hands , move arms and give silly expressios as well :) . And for news we just need to listen .

      Regards

       

       

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    Douglas Merrill
    Author

    Douglas Merrill3 years ago

     

    Interesting point Arun. People usually use the word “conditioning” in relation to skill based learning like the clown example, and less in relation to higher-order thinking. Since you can’t change the size of your short-term memory and there aren’t a lot of ways to improve encoding into long-term memory, conditioning doesn’t help much with your email (and comment reading) ;)

     

     

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    Note:  "社會公德和規矩後麵,有個核心的、看得見摸得著的東西,這就是別人的利益。教會學生正確對待別人的利益,是中國教育所缺乏的,而這恰恰是美國教育的一個重要內容,也是美國名校的期望。美國的教育,從家庭到學校,對孩子感受並尊重別人利益的能力,非常重視,而這就是人品的基礎,也是評價一個孩子時,說他nice(好)”和“fair(公平)”的實質內涵。學生不僅成績要好,有激情有特長,還要具備能在社會上成功的心理素質和人格魅力;在一個成熟穩定的社會,年輕人要出頭,人品是不能差的,要懂得顧忌別人的利益。資本主義的美國,名校錄取學生時,對學生的人品看得這麽重;也就不奇怪了,申請名校,還要附加作文、推薦信、麵試、現在還要查Facebook等社交留言記錄,涉及方方麵麵很多人、環環相扣;有時這個過程之微妙,隻有圈內人才能意會。最頂尖名校的招生官從這些東西裏麵,飛速解讀和預測一個個申請學生的各個方麵,包括性情人品。對那些成績特好,自我感覺也特好,別人好像都欠他的學生,對不起,格殺勿論;最頂尖名校最喜歡炫耀的,就是屠宰(slaughter)了多少SAT考滿分者。

     

    承認個人的利益,是社會發展的動力;尊重別人的利益,是社會穩定的基礎。

    老的說法將這歸因於為人,性格決定命運;時尚的解釋叫情商。為人也好,情商也好,其實後麵都是同一個核心的東西:即感知並尊重別人利益的能力,其它的很多東西,都是虛的玄的。我們常說要尊重別人,但到底什麽是尊重?

    “己所不欲,勿施於人”,實質就是換位思考、尊重別人的利益。"(by 徐罡博士)

    *** Reference: I'd credit the original source of my inspiration to write this post by citing the entire article above, only for academic/teaching purpose, but not for commercial purpose - making and promoting any products. I use both URL (URL is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator and is a reference (an address) to a resource on the Internet. A URL has two main components: Protocol identifier: For the URL http://example.com , the protocol identifier is http . Resource name: For the URL http://example.com , the resource name is example.com .) and the entire article for my electronic library as URL is drifted with time, so it's hard to find the original citation. Let me know if you're objected to my citation of your article - I'd act accordingly. Thanks so much for your attention.
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