I am an elementary art teacher. Last year we focused on handwork and the practice of attention. I am in the process of planning out our upcoming school year art show theme and I am thinking of using what im learning from this. Our art show is huge and heavily involved with community, families, and administrators. I look forward to the next readings! Thank you for using your words to teach the importance of attention.
Andrew, again you help to engage the thinking that we need to reflect on as we look to establish a better relationship with our tech.
Recently we visited my wife’s family. Our nieces are have been shepherding their children through the challenges of modern life. They grew up much like Max - perhaps with even more autonomy and imagination as the iPhone didn’t enter their world until they were out of school and in university. But, it’s their children that give me the big hope. The oldest will be going into grade 7 and has just received his ‘phone’ … I know his parents have some angst about this for sure. However, he and his sibling and cousins took great pride in showing us all the movie they made (and the sequel too). They created the script on paper, they rehearsed and then filmed it on the iPhone. He used IMovie for some simple editing and titling. They screened the movie for all adults and took great pains to elaborate things we watched and how they would change things or perhaps what the next installment would have.
They were playing and the digital tool was just a way for us to watch. They still go downstairs and get into all sorts of shenanigans - it can get loud and there are arguments, but they sort it out.
They have a solid foundation of imagination. They are good readers and love books and stories. They are solid students. None of this is by accident - their parents, rooted in their childhood of imagination and play simply built the environment that it can occur in. They know that the phone and the Chromebook in their lives needs to be managed and watched and talked about carefully.
It can still be done. It must be done for our future to be able to think creatively and independently- we have some big problems that they will need to wrestle with. They will need sustained attention to do it.
Wonderful to hear, Tom. Thanks for sharing. There are so many parents making an effort to raise their children with the best possible conditions in mind. Schools need to not only get on board, but position themselves to amplify those parents’ hard work.
As always, Andrew, you give such excellent insight to help us understand clearly the importance of understanding what attentional literacy is and how it’s developed. I think I’m going to use your examples of Max and Oliver, when I speak with Elementary and High School Teachers in September for professional development.
Thank you for writing this excellent series, this part resonated with me more as a parent than a teacher and I will certainly take the insights with me. As teachers I understand that we are part of the village it takes and I also think our primary goal should still be educating our students and teaching our subjects. I am a bit wary of using schools as a vessel to bring solutions to societal problems- our work is important and big enough as it is. Let parents do some of this fun stuff as well! That said, I am looking forward to the next part!
I am an elementary art teacher. Last year we focused on handwork and the practice of attention. I am in the process of planning out our upcoming school year art show theme and I am thinking of using what im learning from this. Our art show is huge and heavily involved with community, families, and administrators. I look forward to the next readings! Thank you for using your words to teach the importance of attention.
That’s amazing! So happy to hear this is happening in the world
That’s awesome, Lauren! I’d love to hear how it goes. Keep us posted.
Andrew, again you help to engage the thinking that we need to reflect on as we look to establish a better relationship with our tech.
Recently we visited my wife’s family. Our nieces are have been shepherding their children through the challenges of modern life. They grew up much like Max - perhaps with even more autonomy and imagination as the iPhone didn’t enter their world until they were out of school and in university. But, it’s their children that give me the big hope. The oldest will be going into grade 7 and has just received his ‘phone’ … I know his parents have some angst about this for sure. However, he and his sibling and cousins took great pride in showing us all the movie they made (and the sequel too). They created the script on paper, they rehearsed and then filmed it on the iPhone. He used IMovie for some simple editing and titling. They screened the movie for all adults and took great pains to elaborate things we watched and how they would change things or perhaps what the next installment would have.
They were playing and the digital tool was just a way for us to watch. They still go downstairs and get into all sorts of shenanigans - it can get loud and there are arguments, but they sort it out.
They have a solid foundation of imagination. They are good readers and love books and stories. They are solid students. None of this is by accident - their parents, rooted in their childhood of imagination and play simply built the environment that it can occur in. They know that the phone and the Chromebook in their lives needs to be managed and watched and talked about carefully.
It can still be done. It must be done for our future to be able to think creatively and independently- we have some big problems that they will need to wrestle with. They will need sustained attention to do it.
Wonderful to hear, Tom. Thanks for sharing. There are so many parents making an effort to raise their children with the best possible conditions in mind. Schools need to not only get on board, but position themselves to amplify those parents’ hard work.
As always, Andrew, you give such excellent insight to help us understand clearly the importance of understanding what attentional literacy is and how it’s developed. I think I’m going to use your examples of Max and Oliver, when I speak with Elementary and High School Teachers in September for professional development.
I can't wait to hear how that goes, Trish! Keep me posted :)
Thank you for writing this excellent series, this part resonated with me more as a parent than a teacher and I will certainly take the insights with me. As teachers I understand that we are part of the village it takes and I also think our primary goal should still be educating our students and teaching our subjects. I am a bit wary of using schools as a vessel to bring solutions to societal problems- our work is important and big enough as it is. Let parents do some of this fun stuff as well! That said, I am looking forward to the next part!