ATTENTION VERSUS INVOLVEMENT ATTENTION / CONCENTRATION

 
ATTENTION VERSUS INVOLVEMENT ATTENTION / CONCENTRATION


Attention is part of focus, concentration, a component of intelligence attention, focus of attention can only last a few seconds (some tests suggested up to 90 but 30 seconds is regarded as maximum for focusing attention) – attention is the act or process of focusing on one or more particulars in the content of one‘s consciousness to give special clearance to essentials by restricting one‘s sensory input from the environment‘s unwanted aspects – attention is never entire
. It digresses but can be re-focused at will.

Requisites for attention:
 Try to anticipate the main ideas of the coming lecture: Look over your notes of the previous lecture and read the course material. If you have questions about material from the previous class or text, ask the instructor before class about them Prepare a few questions you expect to be answered on new material if possible.
 Resist distractions by sitting in front of the room away from disruptive classmates and by focusing on the instructor through active listening and note taking
 Put yourself in the "mood" with attentive expression and posture; do not sprawl
 Shift position in your seat every so often Don't sit frozen in one position Shifting on occasion will help keep the blood circulating, send more oxygen to your brain, and help you remain alert.
 When appropriate: ask a question, ask for more clarity, or engage an instructor and the class in dialogue.
 Train yourself not to give in to distractions you can learn that. When someone enters the room, or when a door slams, do not allow yourself to participate. Rather, keep your concentration on what's in front of you. Form a tunnel, between you and the lecturer
 Practice letting people move or cough without having to look at them - just let them "be out there" as you focus on what is being taught.
 When talking with someone, keep your attention on that person, look at his face, and note what is being said. Let the rest of the world just be "out there."
 Use the "Be here now" technique to help you regain concentration when you do become distracted momentarily.

Three Levels of Attention / Concentration
Light Concentration: Occurs when you first sit down. This level continues for about the first 5 minutes.
You are just getting settled into your reading, listening, or studying. You are easily distracted.
Moderate Concentration: Occurs during the next 5 minutes or so.
This is when you begin to pay attention. You are not as easily distracted, although you may lose your Concentration if someone talks directly to you.
Deep Concentration: You aren‘t thinking about anything except what you are hearing or reading.
You may not notice if someone comes into the room or the ticking of the clock. You typically are not easily distracted by external or internal stimuli. You are working most effectively.

The Ideal Atmosphere for Attention & Concentration
 The noise level should be appropriate
 The table and chair are in comfortable size.
 The work surface and surrounding walls are uncluttered.
 Two or more sources of lighting are present.
 Necessary supplies are readily available.

Setting the Mental Stage
 Use Relaxation techniques to calm your mind.
 Arrange your goals and priorities for the study block.
 Visualize yourself capable of full concentration.
 Remember the Emotional E-words related to success: effort, enthusiasm, energy and eagerness.
 Use positive Self-talk to set a positive attitude.
Identifying External and Internal Distracters
 Make a to do list before you start studying or as the responsibilities pop up in your mind while you are studying. Deal with these things only after you are done studying.
 Visualize a mental storage box. Identify all your concerns, worries, or emotions; and then visualize putting them into this box. Then, visualize putting this box out of sight in a safe place.
 Place a big red bow outside your door when you are studying as a sign to others that you are not to be disturbed and you need them to be quiet.
 Don‘t fight the conditions around you (e.g., noisy people, room temperature): take charge. Move to a different location; unplug the phone, clean off your desk of unnecessary clutter, etc.
 If you hear things around you, tell yourself there‘s no need to know what is going on right now. When you hear something, just tell yourself, "No need," and get back to the task at hand.
 Keep a scorecard. Every time you notice yourself being distracted, give yourself a checkmark. With every study session, your goal is to have fewer checkmarks than during your last study session.
 If you are distracted by the amount of material you have to study, chunk the information into smaller, manageable units.
 Be aware of physical issues/problems. If you are hungry, eat something. A diet higher in protein will often improve concentration. Substances such as prescription and nonprescription medications, alcohol, illegal drugs, and caffeine can lower your ability to concentrate and shorten your attention span. Get a check-up; problems with concentration can be compounded if you aren‘t feeling well or if you are struggling with chronic pain.
 Be an active learner:
2. Take notes as you study (have a pen in your hand)
3. Talk out loud to yourself as you study.
4. Experiment with different study techniques to find what works best for you.
5. Walk around as you read or recite.
Active Listening Strategies during Lectures
 Eliminate Distractions so that you can concentrate effectively. Use the "take charge" approach described above.
 Pay Attention to the development of ideas. Think about where the lecturer started, how the ideas are connected, and where s/he might go next.
 Stay Tuned in even when information is difficult, unfamiliar, or uninteresting.
 Monitor your Emotions. Use the "no need" technique described above.
 Create an Interest in the topic being discussed.
 Ask questions at the appropriate times; e.g., at the end of a section or lecture. Write down your questions as you think of them so you can refer back to them later.
 Be Nonjudgmental about the speaker's appearance.

INVOLVEMENT
There is more passive kind of student involvement. In which there are a number of activities that involves students in the class in a substantial and active way. We can make the involvement as a teaching strategy on the following grounds.

AREA OF INVOLVEMENT
 Small group discussions
 Case Studies
 Role playing or Skill practice
 Simulations or structured exercises
 In-Class writing
 Cooperative Learning
 Debates
 Drama

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION:
One excellent tool to build student involvement in a class to have them discusses a topic or question with a partner or a few other students. The teacher can then ask small groups to report their finding to the class.
We always monitor the group carefully to make sure they must spend time on their tasks. Walk around the room and ask each group about their progress.

CASE STUDIES:
This method often used in psychology, and education curses relies on describing, in some details, real-life situation. Student must consider the context of the problem in order to make decision on how to solve it.
We should tell the student that you do not have single right answer in mind, although there are better or worse answer to the dilemma. Remind them that good answer will acknowledge all the complexities of the case, including the values and emotions of those involved as well as the consequences of different solutions.

ROLE PLAYING OR SKILL PRACTICE:
When student need to learn a skill, have the a practice, have them practice it through role playing, either in front of the class or in small group.
You should be model for your student how to role-play. Let them see you participate in one of the groups, but remind them you don‘t have ―right‖ or ―wrong‖ scenario in the mind. To ensure that all students participate during role-playing, have students who are not performing. Don‘t Critique the performance of those, who are not performing as well, Tell them to state their criteria for evolution.

SIMULATIONS OR STRUCTURED EXERCISES:
Specially designed game, helps students understands particular theoretical concepts.
We make sure that we carefully think through the mechanics of games you chose. Consider how long the exercise will last, what problem might arise how we ensure that student is participating, etc. Practice the game with friends or colleagues to work out the kinks before you use it in your classroom.

IN-CLASS WRITING:
Most higher learning institution now encourages writing in all disciplines. Writing during class is important because it can challenge students to use higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evolution. Some possible in-class writing assignment includes brainstorming, journal writing, summarizing the main points of discussion, responding to a particular issue and writing mock essay exam answers.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING:
In cooperative learning activity, this can span from any where from one class period to an entire semester, student work in small group to solve a clearly defined task. Each student in-group performs a clearly specified role, which is
essential for completing the entire project. When project are presented to their classmates student will realize the value of pooling individual talents for the benefits of entire groups. Since jobs must require employees to work together to complete task, the skills students use during cooperative learning activities in an academic setting transfer to real-life situations.
When we assign cooperative learning task, be sure to give both oral and written direction and to reiterate them frequently. In addition, check on the students ‘progress as often as possible. We either may allow students to elect the group leaders, recorders, researchers, etc. or we may determine their roles for them, depending upon how much autonomy we wish to allow them .if group members do not seem to be communicating effectively, we may wish to suggest possible role changes.

DEBATES:
Depending upon such factors such as class size, student maturity level, available time, and subject matter, teacher might use either formal debates where students presents opposing sides and rebuttals or informal or conversational debates, where student can interrupt with questions. Debates can be useful in helping students recognize and overcome the basis they bring to certain topics and in affording them opportunities to hone public speaking skills. In large class rooms teachers can require students to prepare portion of the debate for homework and form larger debates team.
To guarantee all that all students participate, you can require students in the audience to critique debates and to vote both before and after them. If your student will be debating controversial issues that may spark emotional relations, discuss appropriate classroom behavior well before the debate begins. Remind your student to challenge ideas, rather than the personal integrity or character of their peers.

DRAMA:
Teacher can utilize plays to communicate much of the information that lectures typically cove. Groups of students might enjoy performing pay scripts their teacher have written for them or writing their own scripts. Most likely, student will more opt to remember concepts that re coupled wit visual and auditory images than word delivered solely by their teacher.
Asking the student to write and perform to play that teaches a certain concepts allow them to see how challenging teaching can be. Be sure to have the students evaluate their own and other‘s performances. Discuss why certain section of the play was more effective than others and create an environment of learning, peace and prosperity.