Doing Homework in a World of Facebook Distraction

I am a 10th grade chemistry teacher and one of my biggest challenges is getting my students to concentrate on their homework while they constantly go back and forth between the assignment and Facebook. What can I do to help my students develop good study habits when they're doing this? And should this be the school's responsibility?

This educator has identified one of the most common and important struggles any teacher experiences. In a world of constant distractions, how does a child develop good study habits? And when a student's work is compromised by these distractions, how does the teacher hold them accountable in a way that encourages the student instead of discouraging them?

While Facebook and other social networking sites increase the temptation and ease with which students are pulled away from their work, teachers have always had to teach students to balance their work with competing distractions. The neighborhood pick up game, watching TV, or even staring at the ceiling have all been distractions. It's just that now the access is so much easier and faster that the student has the illusion that they are multitasking and are not as distracted as they in fact are. (William Powers, Hamlet's Blackberry. Page 142 Harper Collins 2010)

In answer to the teacher's last question, is this the school's responsibility or the parents? The simple answer, of course, is that it's both. Each one complements each other for the common goal of teaching children to take responsibility for their own education in a world where it is increasingly difficult to create a personal environment where creative focused concentration is possible.

What follows is a basic strategy and script for a teacher to use with their students.

First, understand the motivation:

Overall, students fear logging out will leave them out of the information loop. As an adult, it can be easy to dismiss this need as being superficially social. Students often feel compelled to respond instantaneously because they fear that if they don't, the information about them will get out of their control.

Why?

A student or their friends could be in a conflict with someone.
The general awareness that conflict can occur so easily can compel a student to feel that they have to stay on top of what people are saying at all times.
The student has a friend who demands constant response or they will write something that is cruel, embarrassing, betrays a confidence, or is in some way unwanted.

 

What doesn't work:

Telling the student they should just focus on their homework because they go to school to learn not to socialize.
Telling the student that they should have better friends.
Asking the student about how much they go on Facebook while they study. This conversation is irrelevant because the student has no ability to accurately gauge their time spent on Facebook collectively or how often they interrupt their work to go on Facebook.

 

The Teacher's script:

You: "Thanks for meeting with me. I want to talk to you about your homework because I'm seeing X problem or you're telling me that you're really struggling to get the concepts. You've said that you use Facebook while you work. I'm not going to ask you how often or how long you're on Facebook. You're in X grade so it's really your decision about how you spend your time and how you choose to study. What I am going to do is show you where I can see a lack of concentration or full understanding and then you need to choose what strategy is best to address the situation."

Show student no more than 2 or 3 examples. Enough that they get the point but not too much so they are ashamed and disengage.

 

Typical responses from students:

"But then I won't know what's going on!"

"What if my friends can't reach me?

"You don't understand. She's going to hate me!"

 

Your response:

"Before you begin studying, you may want to write on your wall, 'Working on my chem. homework. I'll check back when I'm done.' Don't wait for her to respond. Write the message and start working."

 

Questions teacher can ask in response to: "But then I won't know what's going on!"

What happened when you didn't know what was going on?
What did it feel like?
What did you do when you realized that had happened?
Did trying to get figure out what was going on impact other areas of your life?

Questions teacher can ask in response to: "You don't understand. She's going to hate me!"

If your friend gets mad at you or ridicules your request, what you are getting in this friendship?
What you are sacrificing?
Is it worth it to you?"

 

Pick and choose a few questions from the ones written above. Otherwise, you could overwhelm the student and they will shut down.

You: "To say it another way; if you have a friend who punishes you for concentrating on homework instead of getting back to them right away you have to ask yourself if this person is acting in a way that fits what you need in a friendship. Is having a friend who requires that you sacrifice your right to learn and succeed worth it to you? Are you consciously making that choice? If you are and you decide it's worth it, then at least we both understand the situation clearly. There won't be any misunderstandings about your performance in the class.

"I also have an idea I'd like you to consider. Tonight, when you do your first homework assignment don't check Facebook, or anything else, as you work. The next assignment check Facebook as usual. Then I want you to take a few minutes to compare how you worked and the quality of the work.

"I really respect that this is a hard situation but I think you could do well in this class and be proud of the work you accomplish. I am more than happy to help you with that in whatever way you need. Why don't you think about it and I'll check back in with you after class tomorrow?"

 

Thanks for reading,

-RPW