BOOK STUDY: Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It
In today's classrooms, student attention is more fragmented than ever, and traditional teaching strategies often struggle to compete with digital distractions. How do we regain students' attention and foster effective communities in the new cell phone free classroom? In this engaging book study, we will explore Distracted by James M. Lang, a practical guide for understanding why students struggle to focus and what educators can do to reclaim their attention.
Participants will:
Examine the cognitive and environmental factors contributing to student distraction.
Learn strategies to design lessons and classroom experiences that actively engage student attention.
Explore research-backed techniques to foster deep learning in an age of constant interruptions.
Collaborate with peers to share challenges, solutions, and actionable strategies that can be implemented immediately.
This course is ideal for educators who want to transform their classrooms into spaces where students are present, attentive, and fully engaged in meaningful learning. Walk away with practical tools, a deeper understanding of student attention, and a renewed sense of classroom effectiveness.
NOTE: Participants will need to obtain a copy of the book.
FORMAT: Synchronous and asynchronous online learning
DATES/TIME: Synchronous online: Mondays, 2/23/26, 3/30/26, 4/20/26, 4PM-5PM; Asynchronous online period: 3/2/26 -4/6/26
FACILITATOR: Jennifer Hazzard [jhazzard@gesdk12.org]
GCRTC CONTACT: James St. Denis, GCRTC Teacher Leadership Coach for Science [james@teachers-center.org]
FEE: None. Registration is required.
CTLE HOURS: 15
REGISTRATION: https://tinyurl.com/ym3b4jb7