Paying Attention
October 16, 2008 by claguna
I read a lecture today that had these words at the end.
“Attention IS our scarcest and most valuable resource. What we do with our attention defines us.”
The speaker said that our attention is valuable. Every day we make decisions about who and what we will spend our attention on. But are we paying attention to the important things like connecting with people, improving our world, and enriching our lives? Paying attention is a choice we make, a gift we give, a way of life.
As a teacher, I really appreciate the students who choose to give their attention to their educations and I try to make the things we do in class worthy of their attention. Like group 5 in period 1 Science today. Their full attention was on their lab experiment and as a result they came up with very creative ideas. It made me realize how much more we get out of an experience when we focus our attention on what we are doing.
Do you agree with the statement that what we do with our attention defines us, or makes us who we are?
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
I completely agree with the statement that what we do with our attention defines us, or makes us who we are. When you don’t pay attention, you fall behind while your class continues and it is hard to get focused again. But if you do pay attention and remain focused, you can accomplish a world of new discoveries and get ahead of everyone.
Jessica,
You are right about the benefits of remaining focused but how do we do that with all the distractions around us. I love to use my computer, watch TV, and have a magazine open at the same time! Do you also multi-task?
That question is simple… eliminate the distractions, if possible. For example, if you are working, turn off the tv or go in another room.
I always multi-task. I usaully do my homework while listening to music and talking to my friends. I work well multi-tasking. But while this is good for me and some other people, it may not be good for others. If you get disracted easily your should try not to multi-task too much.
I never really focused on attention but (or the less confusing way of saying “I did not give my attention to attention.) I agree that our attention defines us. When people in general (like group 5 in period 1) pay attention, we tend to have more success.