RESEARCH into recall powers shows the doodlers of the world have had a bum rap: they are paying attention after all, British scientists have found..
A study in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology published today shows that people who doodle while listening to a dull phone conversation have a better chance of recalling what was said than someone who appears to hang off every word.
Professor Jackie Andrade, from Britain’s University of Plymouth, said the doodlers were able to recall more details of the conversation, suggesting that doodling has the power to prevent us from daydreaming.
A simple task, like doodling, may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task, she said.
TOKYO (AFP) — Mobile phones are taking centre stage in the lives of Japanese teenagers, who often send or receive dozens of emails a day while eating, attending school or even taking a bath, according to a survey. Full story here.
I found the above article through a friend (thanks again Shane M.). It’s kind of interesting and made me think. I must admit, everyone has a cell phone here in Japan. Everyone. They have models with big buttons for the elderly, cute Hello Kitty ones for girls and hundreds of others for every other sub-genre (as well as decorative plates and accessories to match and enhance too). You will often find a large electronics store dedicating a very large area strictly to cell phone sales.
Several elementary students at my school also have them which at times puzzles me. I mean, even grade 1 students. They are quite powerful with internet, photo, video, mp3 and voice recording options available. Are teachers using them in the classroom or are they banning them at your school?
Some students at my school last year created mini-documentaries using only their cell phones in their English class. It was interesting. The YouTube generation don’t really mind poor quality. Other grades this year used them on their field studies as a photo camera, video camera and of course for emailing. They set up a Posterous blog where they then emailed all their findings to this one site.
If you have done anything interesting at your school with this, or have a banned policy, I’d like to hear from you.
…is an ambitious, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species—that provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. The entry-point for each site is a species page suitable for the general public, but with several linked pages aimed at more specialized users. The sites sparkle with text and images that are enticing to everyone, as well as providing deep links to specific data.
ARKive is a unique collection of thousands of videos, images and fact-files illustrating the world’s species.
You can explore and search ARKive’s continually expanding multi-media collection via the navigation bar at the top of every page. It also has educational resources.
Here’s a right-brained way to explain the current credit crisis. It’s well designed, presented and informative. From the site:
The goal of giving form to a complex situation like the credit crisis is to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. This project was completed as part of my thesis work in the Media Design Program, a graduate studio at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. For more on my broader thesis work exploring the use of new media to make sense of a increasingly complex world, visit my website here. or email me at: jonathan.jarvis@gmail.com
Social websites harm children’s brains: Chilling warning to parents from top neuroscientist (from Daily Mail)
Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientist has warned.
Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centred.
The claims from neuroscientist Susan Greenfield will make disturbing reading for the millions whose social lives depend on logging on to their favourite websites each day. Full story here.
The value of teaching 21st-century skills (from The Boston Globe)
THINK strategically. Use technology wisely. Work collaboratively. Communicate effectively. Recognize how the world around you connects to everything you do. Employees are expected to be steeped in these and other skills their first day on the job. In today’s weak economy, the resumes of those who don’t speak the language of the 21st century are quickly passed over. Full story here.
Students tap into technology (from Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Since 2003, Penzera has invested a great deal into technological advances for her classroom, including “smart” whiteboards to remote-control quizzes and videoconferencing.
English teacher Diane Penzera rarely uses books these days.
Instead, her students at Greater Latrobe High School use their laptops to read “Don Quixote” and Dante’s “Divine Comedy” on the Internet, then organize their notes with a computer program. Full story here.
Grade 3s at my school will be creating sound effects and background music for a mime project they are currently undergoing. They will be using GarageBand ’08 but…
GarageBand allows you to create music, podcasts etc. I also have a basic video and PDF tutorial on how to record voice/interviews under the Tutorials For Mac tab (located above) for the ’08 version. You may also watch the video here via YouTube.
Earth Album is a simpler, slicker Flickr mash-up that allows you to explore some of the most stunning photos in the world courtesy of Google maps and Flickr. To begin your journey, just click somewhere on the map, e.g. “India”. Note– since the top Flickr images are used, the images change every few weeks; bookmark this site and check back for a different experience in a month!
Students have been handed another excuse to skip class from an unusual quarter. New psychological research suggests that university students who download a podcast lecture achieve substantially higher exam results than those who attend the lecture in person.
Podcasted lectures offer students the chance to replay difficult parts of a lecture and therefore take better notes, says Dani McKinney, a psychologist at the State University of New York in Fredonia, who led the study.
Being creative or artistic doesn’t mean you know how to draw or play an instrument. Being creative is a way of thinking, a way of viewing the world.
Creative people use the RIGHT side of their brains more than the LEFT. Take the test and find out if your brain is RIGHT for a creative career. Try the test here from the Art Institute of Vancouver.
Just like I thought, I am more right-brained. I shall make Daniel Pink proud. My results below.
