Student Disengagement- The Teacher's Challenge | Erik Svensson | TEDxYouth@SMCMBH

Summary

The script addresses the challenge of capturing and maintaining students' attention in an era of shortened attention spans, largely influenced by social media. It highlights the issue of student disengagement in classrooms and its negative impact on academic achievement and future prospects. The speaker proposes solutions, including creating more engaging classes and ensuring teachers are passionate about their subjects to inspire students. The goal is to improve grades, self-esteem, and overall enjoyment of education.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The average attention span has decreased significantly since 2000, now comparable to the 'eight-second window' of social media.
• 📉 A 2015 study indicates that 20% of Australian students are disengaged during class, a number that is on the rise.
• 📚 Engagement is crucial for academic achievement, and disengagement can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety, and future employment complications.
• 🤔 The speaker suggests that traditional teaching methods may not be as effective in the current digital age, where students' attention is easily diverted.
• 🚫 Limiting or removing social media is not a viable solution to the problem of student engagement.
• 🎨 The solution proposed is to create more engaging classes that capture students' interest and attention.
• 👨‍🏫 Effective educators use energy, body language, humor, and passion to engage students fully in the learning process.
• 💡 The speaker emphasizes the importance of having teachers who are passionate about their subjects to inspire students.
• 🔄 The speaker suggests that teachers should not be made to teach subjects they are not interested in, as this lack of passion can affect student engagement.
• 📈 By implementing these changes, the speaker hopes to see an increase in students' grades, self-esteem, and overall enjoyment of school.
• 🌟 The speech aims to contribute ideas that may help improve the educational system and benefit future students.

Q & A

What is the average attention span decrease since the year 2000?

The average attention span has decreased by 33% since the year 2000.

How does the rise of social media impact the attention span of today's youth?

The rise of social media contributes to a culture of instant gratification, making it harder for young people to maintain focus on tasks that require extended attention.

What is the statistic regarding student disengagement in Australia?

A 2015 study by Kirsten Hancock and Stephen Zubrick indicated that 20% of all Australian students are disengaged during class.

How does disengagement affect learning outcomes?

Disengagement from the educational process can lead to lower academic achievement, decreased motivation, and increased likelihood of dropping out.

Outlines

00:00

📉 The Challenge of Student Engagement

The paragraph discusses the struggle to capture and maintain students' attention in an era dominated by social media and instant gratification. It highlights the decreasing attention span and the impact of this on educational engagement. The speaker emphasizes the importance of engagement for academic achievement and the negative consequences of disengagement, such as self-esteem issues and future employment challenges. The paragraph also touches on the difficulty of maintaining interest in subjects like history, English, and math, and suggests that the traditional teaching methods may no longer be effective for today's students.

05:01

👩‍🏫 Solutions for Enhancing Classroom Engagement

This paragraph proposes solutions to the engagement problem in education. The first solution is to limit social media use, which the speaker acknowledges is impractical. The second, more feasible solution, is to create more engaging classes by making the content interesting to students. The speaker suggests that passionate educators who can captivate students' attention are key to improving engagement. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for hiring teachers who are passionate about their subjects to inspire students and enhance their overall school experience.

Keywords

💡Attention Span

The attention span refers to the length of time a person can concentrate on a task without becoming distracted. In the video, it is mentioned that the average attention span has decreased, which is a significant challenge for educators trying to engage students in the digital age. The script highlights the need to adapt teaching methods to capture and maintain students' attention within an increasingly short window of focus.

💡Instant Gratification

Instant gratification is the desire to experience the pleasure of a reward immediately rather than waiting for it. The video script discusses how the culture of instant gratification, fueled by social media and easy access to information, has contributed to the shortening of attention spans. This cultural shift impacts students' ability to engage with educational content that requires sustained focus.

💡Disengagement

Disengagement in the context of the video refers to students' lack of interest or participation in class activities. The script cites a study indicating that a significant percentage of Australian students are disengaged during class, which can negatively impact their academic achievement and personal development. The speaker argues that addressing this disengagement is crucial for improving educational outcomes.

💡Academic Achievement

Academic achievement is the measure of a student's success in learning and educational activities. The video emphasizes that engagement is closely linked to academic achievement, suggesting that students who actively participate in their education are more likely to succeed. The speaker proposes solutions to increase engagement and, consequently, improve academic performance.

💡Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is an individual's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. In the video, it is mentioned that disengagement in class can lead to self-esteem issues among students. The speaker suggests that improving engagement and academic performance can help boost students' self-esteem, which is essential for their overall well-being and success in life.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to online platforms that enable users to create, share, or exchange information, ideas, pictures, and videos. The script discusses the role of social media in shaping the attention span and engagement levels of students. It suggests that the constant stream of new content on social media platforms contributes to the challenge of maintaining students' focus during traditional classroom activities.

💡Engaging Classes

Engaging classes are those that captivate students' interest and encourage active participation. The video proposes that creating more engaging classes can help students pay better attention and learn more effectively. The speaker suggests that this can be achieved by making the content interesting and by employing educators who are passionate and skilled at engaging students.

💡Educators

Educators are professionals who teach and instruct students. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having educators who are not only knowledgeable but also able to inspire and engage students. The speaker argues that passionate educators can significantly impact students' focus and learning experience.

💡Teaching Methods

Teaching methods refer to the strategies and techniques used by educators to facilitate learning. The video script suggests that traditional teaching methods may not be effective in the current digital age and that there is a need to innovate and adapt these methods to better engage students and improve their learning outcomes.

💡Passion for Teaching

Passion for teaching is the enthusiasm and commitment an educator has for their profession and the subject they teach. The video argues that educators who are passionate about their subject matter can inspire students and make learning more engaging. The speaker suggests that matching teachers with subjects they are passionate about can lead to more effective and enjoyable learning experiences.

Highlights

The average attention span has decreased by 33% since the year 2000.

We live in a time of instant gratification and a culture of constant new content.

Educational engagement is a critical factor for today's teens.

A 2015 study showed that 20% of Australian students are disengaged during class.

Disengagement can lead to academic underachievement, self-esteem issues, and future employment complications.

The speaker has managed to capture the audience's attention within the critical 8-second window.

The traditional teaching methods may not be effective in the current digital age.

Students often struggle to maintain focus during long, undisturbed lectures.

The speaker suggests limiting or removing social media to restore attention spans.

Creating more engaging classes is proposed as a solution to student disengagement.

The importance of having passionate educators who can captivate students' attention is emphasized.

The speaker advocates for teachers to teach subjects they are passionate about.

The speaker's ideas aim to improve student grades, self-esteem, and overall enjoyment of school.

The speaker acknowledges that implementing these solutions will be complex.

The speech is intended to inspire change and help future students.

Transcripts

i have exactly eight seconds to get your

attention

so

i know this because i googled it

six pull the rise of social media i

would have had 12

5

the average detention span has decreased

by 33 since the year 2000

we live in a time of instant

gratification and strong culture

if something doesn't immediately catch

your eye there are a million other

options merely a thumb flip away

two

such a small window to catch your

audience

one by now i either have your attention

or you've already stopped listening

when it comes to education this

engagement is one of the biggest factors

between teens today

educators are constantly fighting this

eight-second window to get their

students attention before they're lost

or switched off and disengaged

social medias are constantly evolving

keys with access to new content by the

millions of hourly

the 2015 study by kirsten hancock and

stephen zubrick saying that

statistically 20

of all australian students are

disengaged during class and that this

number is rising

this engagement is known to cause or

academic achievement

it makes sense it's far easier to

maintain knowledge when you actively

participate in an activity

these four grades often leave students

developing self-esteem issues and

anxiety

or even arbitrates and also create

complications and become employed later

on in life

this puts those who don't engage in

class at a distinct disadvantage

those who are unable to overcome this

disadvantage later on become better and

wish they worked harder during their

schooling

now i've made it clear why this is such

a serious issue before we can discuss

how to fix it we first need to know why

it's caused

i as well as many others find subjects

such as history english and maths

the lack of a better word

or

let's use this dress for example

history is a subject that requires

listening researching and reading

undistracted for long periods of time to

do well

teachers will often go

teachers will often talk 45 minutes on

mondays on mundane subjects

it's during these lessons where this

engagement levels peak

instead of focusing on class work

students are focusing on anything they

can to keep themselves entertained

i want to make it very clear that this

is not for teachers

if we go back in one generation when my

parents were in school

this type of teaching worked

it's completely understandable that a

system that has worked for generations

haven't had time to change and adapt

but the point still stands that this is

a serious issue that needs fixing

ic2 solutions

our first is to limit or completely

reuse remove social media and try to

raise the attentions man to what it once

was

anyone who has teenage children who

works with teenagers is more than aware

that this will not work

trying to take technology from a

teenager is like stepping into a mine

field it doesn't work it doesn't go well

this needs my second solution

it's simple but effective

create more engaging classes

pretty straightforward right

if students are interested in what they

are being taught they will pay more

attention and thus learn more

the only problem now is how to do this

to help explain i want you to think of

me for a moment i'm

pretty sure you've experienced something

like this

you're in high school and you've had to

talk classes that maybe you don't want

to understand

an exam or a long lecture that you

really just wouldn't

like to do

suddenly someone walks in that you don't

quite recognize it may be a guest

speaker substitute teacher or anything

in between

they begin speaking and within a few

minutes they have the entire room to

translate safe

everyone lingers on their words waiting

to continue speaking

and you realize that you're in a state

and rarely experience

you are fully engaged

it's only when you stop speaking that

you realize an hour has passed on like

these are the kinds of educators we need

educators who use energy body language

humor and passion for what they're

talking about

to get the full undistracted attention

of the generation that's described so

easily

you probably know someone like this

they're likely remembered as one or if

not your favorite teachers of all time

now the only question left is how do we

make sure that these are the kinds of

people teaching

it's

again quite simple

stop making teachers teach subjects they

don't care about

if someone hates english while they're

in high school why on earth would they

make a good english teacher

you don't care about what you're saying

there is no way you want to make someone

else care about what they're saying for

you

this is my solution

get people who love what they do give

them the tools they need to teach and

one of school's biggest problems is

solved

students grades will increase

self-esteem rise and overall enjoyment

of school will skyrocket

now i know it won't be that simple

people have to be far more complex than

i made it out to be

but i hope that my ideas will in some

way help in this process

and that my little speech will sometimes

someday somehow

help students of the future