I have wondered that same thing with ADHD students. If a student paying attention is essential for them to learn, then how will students with ADHD learn anything? It does present a challenge for these students and I think this is why it is important for teachers to be creative in how they approach topics and attempt to get their attention. I did go look for that video you discussed, but couldn’t find it. I did find a similar one and had my husband do it, since I already knew what to look for. He did not catch it either. That is just fascinating to me that you could focus so hard on something that everything around you is not acknowledged. I think this is how I am as a driver sometimes. I focus so hard on the road that I do not notice anything around me. Needless to say, you are better off not being on the road when I am.
Your example of priming with your church music was intriguing. I would never have thought that it would make a difference, but clearly it does. I am impressed with whoever thought to use this tactic.
I have noticed that a lot of our class discussions and what we both put in our journal relate the information we read to past experiences. I think putting it into a context that is familiar to us helps us understand and retain the information better. I felt the examples in the book were worthy of taking note of. I especially like the idea of having students put things into their own words. When I was working with a second grader, I asked if he could paraphrase (after I explained to him what that meant) the story and he couldn’t. Looking back on it, it is possible that he just didn’t understand the story. I wish I knew then what I know now and I could have found different ways to help him comprehend the story. It never occurred to me that this was why he couldn’t paraphrase the story.
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