Students Are Distracted. What Can Educators Do About It?

Students these days are distracted. Devices and social-media notifications constantly beckon, and in this time of COVID-19 and widespread remote instruction, the distractions have multiplied.

So what are educators to do?

That question is the topic of a new book out this month by James Lang, called “Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It.” It’s a surprisingly optimistic take on the topic—it goes out of its way not to blame students or urge blanket tech bans. But Lang admits that holding students’ attention is now harder than it’s been in the past, and he offers some practical suggestions on how to respond..……..………………………………………………………