Read this interesting article about a middle school teacher who put his eighth graders to the test: Test of middle-school students shows learning, iPods don't mix.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Homework or Facebook? Maybe a little of both.
How many of you study or do homework with Facebook open on another tab? Chat? Maybe the iPod is on shuffle, or the TV is on. Are these distracting or helping your focus? Many of you try to convince me, at one time or another, that music "helps me concentrate." Look, I will openly admit if my computer is on, Facebook is open on one tab in my browser 90% of the time. I also usually have about 15 games of Scrabble going at once, and when my iPhone gives me the familiar notification, my attention is directed to my next move. Question: Does multi-tasking with technology help or hurt?
Read this interesting article about a middle school teacher who put his eighth graders to the test: Test of middle-school students shows learning, iPods don't mix.
Read this interesting article about a middle school teacher who put his eighth graders to the test: Test of middle-school students shows learning, iPods don't mix.
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Mrs. Powers
ReplyDeleteI personally think that with anything on while im doing my work distracts me, but. i still always have facebok on listening to music or watching t.v. while doing my work. because like they say in the article in todays days everyone is fully equiped with gadgets. Michael G period 2
Period 6 Ryan G
ReplyDeleteI have heard the "It helps me concentrate" as well but I don't think that is true. You simply cannot multitask and do work effectively. Work requires 100 percent of your attention and that is the way it should be.
Pd.4 Rodolfo H.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably the only eighth grader that doesn't have a Facebook, but sometimes I have the urge to text or talk to someone after an hour and you just say to yourself, "I AM SO BORED!"
I like to listen to music while doing my homework, and I am a total fanatic of Skype and Gmail Chat (checking every minute or so for any updates), so really I'm practically like everyone else, even though these strategies don't really help studying. And if there's a Miami Heat or a Miami Dolphins game on if I still have homework, there's always next morning to do homework.
It's a question about if you want to give up sleep or not. If you want to have some enjoyment doing homework, then you're going to stay until about 12 at night, but if you're just going to go "plain", then homework could be done easily in the first hour or so.
Allison Blake
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Hi Mrs. Powers! I find that article very interesting. For me, if I hear something, it automatically distracts me. I personally don't have a face book, but I know a lot of people who do. I also know that most people listen to their iPods while doing homework. I don't know how I would be able to concentrate that way.
Music never helps me concentrate but I still listen to it while I do homework. Music, Facebook, and texting definitely distracts me and checking facebook and listening to my favorite songs definitely makes homework take a lot longer than it should, but with all these distractions its hard to take an hour long break just to do homework.
ReplyDeleteAndrea K
period 4
Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteI honestly agree with this article 99%. I am not able to concentrate at ALL when the TV is turned on or facebook is on the other tab. Oh especially if my parents are in the other room (I have to eavesdrop it's against my nature to not be nosy) However, I can multitask when it comes to music. That's it, I don't listen carefully to the words. It seems it can be a certain handful of people that have this ability.
Period 4 Adrianna C
Evan Harber
ReplyDeleteperiod 5
Many kids do their homework or study for a test while having some sort of distraction on. I conpletely agree that is would lower grades and scores. The only reason that kids do this is to make the homework more exiting. How would you feel about studing for a test or listing to music? This is probaly because most homework does not require the whole brain, just a part. The only way for kids not to focus on to things at once it to make it more exiting, like wating a video or making a game. If they were made to cover the same information then kids would learn the same and most would get better grades because we would want to focus on only one thing.
Yuval S.
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Hi Mrs. Powers,
I am one of those students that has the TV on while I do homework. I don't think it distracts me at home, but I am sure that if I were taking a test, it would completely distracts me. Basically, I think it's okay to use something electronic while doing work, unless it gets to the point where it distracts you so much you can't ignore it.
Hi Mrs. Powers! I agree completely with the article , considering it happens in my life all the time. In sixth grade, I used to do homework without any distractions and used to usually get all the answers right, until in the middle of the year, I started occasionally talking to my friends and listening to music as I did my homework, and started getting math problems wrong. A year later, I was always chatting on the computer with my friends or listening to music while I did my homework and my grades weren't as good as before. I thought listening to music blocks out sound and is supposed to block distractions, but I realized it doesn't when I stopped listening to music while doing my homework this year. After reading this article, it seems I'm not the only one who is distracted by music or the computer. If I could only find a way to make my sisters be quieter (the noise they make was usually the reason I listened to music), then I would definitely be able to do my homework in complete peace and silence.
ReplyDeleteMarianne A.- Period 5
Period 3, Courtney E.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. powers! :)
I know that for me, personally, any background noise or distractions completely prevent me from concentrating. If I know that I need to do that will require concentration, i purposely turn off my cell phone and stay away from the computer. However, after about two hours, I know that it is time for a break from my studies. After a while, I lose interest, and I would probably go on facebook or do something else to clear my mind. I guess it just all depends on theperson, and what helps them.
I have to admit, facebook is almost always open on another tab, but I agree its distracting. I always knew that having electronic distractions made me work slower, but I am now starting realize that its a serious issue.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes stay up until 12 doing homework that should have taken an hour but took 3 or four hours. I think that you should have a certain time for homework and then have free time for facebook, listening to music, or watching television.
Period 5
Haydee F.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"I have heard the "It helps me concentrate" as well but I don't think that is true. You simply cannot multitask and do work effectively. Work requires 100 percent of your attention and that is the way it should be."-ryang p6. I'm afraid I disagree. It actually is possible that you can multitask. Many people have done, including me. I do not have the TV on while im doing my homework, but I do however play calm music that was made to help concentrate. Daniel G Period 5
ReplyDeleteMulti-tasking with technology is a challenge. Any distraction will obviously affect the scores of a student. I know that when I do my homework, I like to listen to music or go on facebook, but that is highly distracting. I have spent many nights staying up late doing homework that should have only taken me a few hours, but instead took the whole night. I realize that facebook, tv, music, and other distractions should not be used while doing homework.
ReplyDeleteMeredith Sheldon
Period 3
For me, having the TV on, music on, or the computer on distracts me from the work I am doing. I can't be a hypocrite and say that students should NEVER be on facebook while doing homework, because I get distracted on facebook and with my phone easily all the time. Sometimes I'll get stuck on a math question and take a break from thinking by going on Facebook. It's a really bad habit! I know that my homework would take a lot less time without all of these distractions.
ReplyDelete~Jen Schonberger period 3
This article most likely applies to most American kids. I often use my ipod when I do homework or study, but I don't find it distracting. However, I sometimes delay my work until the morning to play Xbox or watch sports. Overall, electronics are distracting when completing homework.
ReplyDeleteNicki Capella Period 5
Hey Mrs. Powers, the way I see it, doing homework with distractions isn't terrible. A lot of the time I have espn.com in another tab catching up on games. I never get too distracted because my main focus is on the homework that i'm doing. But if you don't prioritize your work it is quite easy to get distracted.
ReplyDeleteKevin Scott Period 5
I often tell my parents that I can multitask while studying or doing homework but I really can't. If I have to write something while I listen to music I end up writing down the lyrics to the song. So even though I have these things on and running it doesn't help my school work and doesn't let me focus.
ReplyDeleteMorgan K.
P. 2
Samantha G. Period 5
ReplyDeleteI am one of those students who always has a distraction while doing my homework (iPod,tv,texting). I don't see this as terrible, because the additional distraction makes an otherwise boring assignment seem somewhat "fun". Yeah, it's gonna take longer, but I personally can't sit at home staring at an assignment without something to keep me entertained.
I sometimes listen to music or watch T.V. when I'm doing my homework. It takes slightly longer to do it if I am distracted. However, when I am doing something important, I can usually tune out most of the music or the T.V. Sometimes I just mute the T.V. for a while to concentrate, and then turn it back on later.
ReplyDeleteLawrence Xu-Period 3
In my opinion, multi-tasking with technology hurts you. The distractions while completing assignments can hurt students time wise. In previous experiences, when I had a homework assignment that could take me thirty minutes, it ended up taking around an hour. I understand when others say that technology keeps them entertained while completing a task, but does it help at all with your overall performance on an assignment?
ReplyDeleteMeredith K
Period 2
I have to say that it HURTS. I cant concentrate with music, or facebook open- I just get too distracted. I either do homework, or I play on facebook. I can not do both. If I have chat,music or any distraction, I will focus on that rather than pay attention, to lets say the Tell-Tale Heart or Geometry postulates. I can not multitask when it comes to interaction and education at the same time, but I have no problem when it comes to anything else. For example, I can watch TV, babysit, and cook all at the same time, but I cant listen to music and read. Personally, I think that technology is a nuisance to concentration, and hurts how much someone learns.
ReplyDeleteCamilo Bacca
Period 3
Wow, this article is life. As I checked my email, in three other tabs, i had facebook on while listening to itunes AND trying to finish my science vocabulary. This assignment would usually take me 30 to 45 mins. max but ended up taking a little more than an hour. Even though I know facebook is distracting and I shouldn't be on it while doing homework, it's like an addiction to me. I can't NOT be on facebook. Sad, i know. So obviously, I totally agree that facebook,music, and other things while doing homework is a huge distraction.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Baram P.4
Hi Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting. Honestly, I believe that in the long run, distractions while studying or doing homework doesn't benefit students. It will take longer and immensely damage your concentration.
Taylor Ward~Period 5
Generally, you all agree that the music, TV, Facebook, chat... all are distractions. It makes you concentrate less on the task, and the tasks take longer, and the accuracy of the assignment is most likely suffering, too. Question: Why NOT turn it all off?
ReplyDeleteMrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteI think that this article is completely true and when I am studying I am usually texting someone or am on Facebook. Also, I definitely agree that music, texting, and Facebook would make students grades drop on a test.
-Adam Gold- P.6
Mrs.Powers,
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting because I recently opened a facebook account and I admit, it is a HUGE distraction. Not only does it stop you from doing homework, but it can also lower your grade and I've learned that the hard way. All in all, I do agree that facebook and listening to music is a distraction that will affect your grades later on in life.
Ana Corina Gallegos
Period 2
I think this article is true! Whenever I do homework facebook is always on. This distracts me, but I am on facebook anyway. I think this lowers grades because students are not focusing only on their homework. I do not think that this benefits students in any way.
ReplyDeleteLindsey Jacobs
Period 6
Okay... I admit it... I'm guilty. Whenever I do homework on the computer, I usually have a Facebook tab open as well... But thankfully, I'm not alone! After reading all the comments above me, I realized that many kids who DO have a Facebook or iPod are pretty much saying the same thing. "Oh, Facebook is a big distraction, and I try not to go on when I'm doing homework..." But, what happens when, say, you're typing up a report on the computer, and after half an hour, you are bored out of your mind. You can't go outside or somewhere else to take a break, otherwise your work would never get done. So, what do you do? Aha! Facebook!!! You promise yourself, "Only 5 minutes, then back to work." But, like many Facebookers know... the site is addicting! Whether you're playing a game or chatting with friends, time seems to fly by. Next thing you know, it's been an hour, and now it's dinnertime! Oh great, another night where I'm up until midnight... But to all of you like that, I don't blame you at all! This has happened to me plenty of times, so I'm not completely innocent, either...
ReplyDeleteWhat I personally believe is that if students are able to concentrate on homework while doing listening to music or going on Facebook, then go for it! It's great to be able to take a break every now and then, and even better to be able to say to yourself, "You know what? I should probably get back to work now..." and log out of Facebook. But if you're the type of person who, at every little "Ping!" that indicates a new message on chat, just HAS to check it... then WATCH OUT! It's easy to get distracted over little things.
Additionally, people must also think of one very important detail: sleep. As funny as it may seem, it's true! When you get distracted on homework, you end up sleeping later. Then, in the morning, you get tired, irritable, and are less likely to pay attention to your first and second period classes. That is extremely bad, because you could be missing vital information that just might show up on a pop quiz.
In conclusion, I think that as a whole, students should not go on Facebook or listen to music when they do homework, because it's too distracting. Despite that, there are a few people who are able to go on, and still get their homework done so kudos to them and to the rest of us... that's what weekends are for. :)
~Mira Merchant, period 3
I think multi-tasking helps some people concentrate, while others like peace and quiet better. I, for example, think it's boring and too quiet when one's just doing homework silently. Also, on facebook, if you don't get a question, you can chat your friends and ask them to explain how to do the problem. So, yeah there are benefiets to doing things when your doing your homework, other than doing your homework. However studying is another matter.
ReplyDeleteMaggie Meng
Period 6
Katie A. Period 3
ReplyDeleteI personally think that listening to music while doing my work is helpful, I makes me tune out of everything else and focus on the task at hand. I almost get into a rhythm, I do my work faster and more accurately. Facebook is a complete and total other story, though. There are games and friends there to distract me, I tend to just put on music if I have to be on the computer, THEN go on the social stuff. I'll admit to procrastinating, but for the most part, I'm pretty good at staying on task.
I've heard many of my friends say that they have to listen to music while doing homework, or even that they even NEED to have music playing. I honestly CANNOT have any sounds around me while doing homework... I simply can't. Although that's true, I always have my phone by me, and am usually logged on to my Facebook. I usually use the technology around me to check if I missed any assignments or forgot about any due dates.
ReplyDeleteAgain, that's just me.
- Isabel Hofmann
Period4
Hi, Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting because I can relate to it. Whenever I'm doing homework I know that I can't also be logged on facebook. In my opinion, facebook is a distraction. Students should find a time for facebook and a time for homework. To sum it all up, facebook and homework don't mix.
Yumi Rivas
Period 2
Aina Rivas la 2
ReplyDeletewhenever I do my homework I tend to go on facebook and try to listen to music but it really doesn't help. Really, its only a distraction. Many people have told me that listening to music helps them concentrate, but I don't think it dose. Whenever I have a lot of homework the fist thing i tell myself is "don't go on facebook."
I definitely agree with the article: electronic gadgets and the Internet are a huge distraction when someone is doing homework. If I'm listening to my iPod while I'm doing homework (which seldom happens) I really can't concentrate on what I am reading or writing. On the other hand, whenever I have my computer on I always end upon Facebook one way or the other, and I often waste time on it. Why not turn off the iPod, or get off Facebook? My reason is that sometimes I want a break from the homework I'm doing, but I usually take more than a break. From now on, I will try to reduce the amount of time I spend on Facebook, so that I can manage my time better.
ReplyDeleteAndrea De Abreu
P.5
I usually do the whole facebook one tab and youtube the other and listin to music and watch t.v while texting my friends and sometimes doing my homeworkk (: i usually have facebook open and just my phone and homework when im watching prison break my favorite show but sadly its over now...worst ending EVER!!! well if you read this you should try watching prison break its AMAZINGGGGGGGGGg. also idk why im just wierd but sometimes i try to text my friend while listining to music and sining it while texting....its pretty difficult but i can do it..the only reason i think i can is cause you memorize the lyrics to the song so you justing sing it while type but sometimes my lyrics end up going in my texts(:
ReplyDeletealso i think that multi tasking is better than it being all quiet while working i definitely dont get my homework done so fast while doing all those things or i just forget i have hoimework buit you do get more dont by just doing homework.
Lexi DiEmmanuele
P1 (\__/)
(=".=)
(")_(") Bunny!! xD
Hi Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that while I am doing homework, I have a Facebook tab open, or music playing in the background. I felt that it helps me stay on track, and helps me to not get bored when I am doing my assignments. Now, I realize it is a huge distraction, and I am never going to do it anymore. I have tried to do homework with and without music, and I got my homework done faster without music playing, but the music just helps me not get bored.....I know pretty lame right? Now normally, a person should only study for an hour or so for a test, because it is a review, and not the chance to LEARN it. For past tests, I have studied for three hours to four hours the night before the test, not because I dont know the material, but because I am confused on some topics or concepts. Maybe if I had done my previous homeworks with no mucis, I would have understood it more. I am never going to listen to music or have a facebook tab open again while doing homework. This article greatly influenced me to change.
Taylor Fellman
Period 3
I'm gonna say this plain and simple, none can afflictively multitask. Unless somehow you can think of two things at once you cant Tweet while studying or whatever you are trying to accomplish. People just cant split their attention to two different things at once. For example, I can't watch TV and do my math homework at the same time. It's just impossible to kill two birds with one stone if the birds are a mile away.
ReplyDeleteTyler Levinson Period6
This article was extremely true. I have heard that music "help's you concentrate" but I do not believe this. It is very hard to multitask. But, I still do homework with music playing and Facebook is usually always on another tab. I do not believe this benefits me because without Facebook on, my homework would probably take half the time it takes right now. I should really stop doing this.
ReplyDeleteNoa Saint-Marc
Period 5
I do agree with this even though I do it all the time. Regardless of all the statistics and results of how bad it affects the results of assignments, I still think I'm going to continue doing it. I'm not gonna lie and say I'm atleast gonna try because I know that is definitely not going to happen. As i right this, I am listening to my Itunes and I have the first tab logged on to my Facebook.
ReplyDeleteAndrea N. P.1
Tatlor B Period 4
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this article that having Facebook on the next tab on the computer and listening to my Ipod is a distraction from homework and studying. All students know that there are a few students who sit in class hiding the fact that they have an ear phone in their ear and are probably not paying any attention. These students are then, going to be those students who email you asking for extra credit the night before the grades close for the end of the quarter. These students are probably just passing.
When I complete my work, I make sure that my room is completely quiet. i am a little bit of a perfectionist at sometimes so when I am working on my homework, my desk has to be in neat piles and everything is put away in its own spot. Also, unless I am working on something online, my computer is closed on my bed away from my desk and any temptations I have of going on it and opening up facebook to chat with my friends. I know that this sounds over the top but it helps so much.
Every student says, "Oh I will take a break and go on facebook or listen to my IPod or text just for a minute or two and then I will go right back and I will not look at it again." HAHA! Like that has ever happened. Face it. We have been born into the age of technology where everything is so addicting. No matter what it is, we always seem to get caught up in whatever it is that we are doing other than what we are SUPPOSED to be doing.
I cannot say that I am innocent 100% of the time but I definitely try my best to be.
Nicolette Sam P.5
ReplyDeleteDoing your homework while watching tv, listening to music, or even texting is a tough thing to do. I understood when the article stated,"A kid spent three hours on an assignment when it should have been done in 10 minutes." I always do something while doing my math homework. I even spent an hour on just doing one problem because I was also listening to music. I know it's hard to multi task during homework, but I'll probably still do it anyway.
same here i mean every time i put music on i get super distracted cause i have to keep changing the song i always have to just sit there without doing anything else but my work
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
daniel tillero
Romina R. P.1
ReplyDeleteI admit that having facebook on the next tab or listening to music while doing homework is distracting. I believe that there is a time and place for everything and while doing homework people should just concentrate and worry about homework not what somebody’s facebook status is., and while everybody has a different reaction to multitasking, I believe that people’s performance is better if they just concentrate on one activity at a time.
Romina R. P.1
ReplyDeleteI admit that having facebook on the next tab or listening to music while doing homework is distracting. I believe that there is a time and place for everything and while doing homework people should just concentrate and worry about homework not what somebody’s facebook status is., and while everybody has a different reaction to multitasking, I believe that people’s performance is better if they just concentrate on one activity at a time.
I will honestly say I'm one of the kids who have gmail up on one tab, facebook on one, and youtube on another. And most of the time the T.V. is on also. Facebook is a big distraction, but I've figured out how to do both. I personally believe the Ipod is only a problem when you don't know a song. When I'm focusing on something, I play a song i could sing in my sleep backwards. That way, I won't be focusing too much on "What word did she just sing?" Music relaxes me and helps me focus, but only if I know it well enough. All of these are huge distractions, but I think teenagers have learned to multi-task and do all of these things at once. People usually perform better when concentrating on something, but not if it gets too boring. The teenagers are likely to stray away from homework and go onto facebook or listen to music out of boredom. I belive it all has to do with personal taste.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Schwartz Period 6
I will be honest; I don't have a facebook profile, I have an Ipod I don't usually use, and a phone that I don't want that my parents force me to use (ironic?). The only thing that distracts me is myself. An example: I would be doing homework, and like my parent's credit card, I have a low-interest rate, and start to let my mind wander. One minute I could be thinking about the video games I could be playing, and the next minute I can be trying to remember what I ate this morning. I could get into such a deep trance that I could waste twenty minutes in a flash.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, sometimes I have youtube on a seperate tab on my computer. Pouring gasoline into the fire? Maybe.
-Alex Israel
Per. 6
Hi Mrs. Powers! I commented on this blog over the weekend, but I went on just now to view other comments and i found that my comment isn't there so I'm posting again :). For me, I HAVE to work at my desk in my room while completing homework and other various projects because I get distracted extremely easily. I've tried a few times to listen to music while completing assignments, but I find myself singing along and It's just impossible to concentrate. O.K., I'm not completely innocent. I usually have my facebook tab open like many classmates have said. What I do to myself is kind of like a reward system. I work hard on an assignment for the amount of time I think it should take me and then I give myself a reasonable amount of time for a "break" or the "reward". This article was very interesting. I enjoyed it very much and it made me think again about how I can concentrate better and how being distracted will affect me.
ReplyDeleteLauren White
Period 5
I think that people mix up two very different things:
ReplyDeleteResponsibilities and fun, people don't seem to understand the difference, one is obviously no fun (responsibilities) but it is something we have to do if we want to be successful because only learning will take us far.
Juan Jose Morin
Period 1
Oh my god. *GAG* I just read a comment with some of the most horrendous grammar ever.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there are some clear signs that people can be HUGE HYPOCRITICAL SUCK-UPS when they are writing things that they want their teachers to like. No teenager who acts like a teenager is going to change his or her homework and/or study habits just because he or she read an article that says they should do so. Most likely, they will think something along the lines of, "This doesn't apply to me, cuz' I'm God's gift to the planet," and throw the article away.
(NOTE: Rodolfo you are NOT the only eight-grader without a Facebook. Meet Exhibit B. We are indeed freaks of nature, buddy.)
I also love how everyone says that they keep Facebook or music on while they do homework and that it distracts them, yet they do NOTHING to close the tab. If grades are really so important to these people then they will close their internet browser, and keep their minds on their work.
"But I need my music to get through my homework!!! US History is so boring!" (No offense, Mr. Bryant.)
Well, so is your social life, and yet you still update something about it on Facebook every three seconds. Trust me, no one wants to hear, "_______ is awesome!!!! bffls 4ever gurlfriend!!!!! <3 <3 <3!!!!" It gets repetitive after a kajillion times.
I've also noticed that these are the same people that complain about how tired they are every morning? Why are they tired? They went to sleep at one o'clock last night because they spent SIX hours on homework. Hmmmmmm, well, I'm no genius, but maybe if you had stopped chatting with your "bffl gurlfriend" and focused on your homework you wouldn't have this problem. Just saying.
I mean, technology's great and all (I really am a big fan of it), but sometimes enough is enough, people. That gurlfriend of yours probably wants to log off and go to sleep.
~Caterina G.
Period 2
PS- I just realized that this is just a humongo rant on people. Sorry. Blog posts really are great for venting and getting rid of stress.
PPS- To whoever is reading this: I'm sorry if I offended you; I don't take back what I said (wrote).
Many middle school student have this mind setting of, "I can't imagine life without technology." I always try to have a separate time for homework and fun. Usually while I am doing my homework I try not to turn the TV on. If I do, I never really pay attention to it. Sometimes I don't even know what show is actually coming on! I believe that students should prioritize and complete his/her responisibilities first and then can enjoy without having the stress of finishing homework.
ReplyDeleteNeha A.
Period 1