Are smartphones teaching us to think different..or is it differently?

This blog comes to you thanks to "How I Met Your Mother."  In a recent episode, one effect of the smartphone is that friends don't sit around anymore discussing, arguing, and/or figuring out elusive questions to answers such as "What is the most popular food in the U.S.?"  Instead, when someone asks a question to which no one knows the answer (or claims to), people whip out their phones and start googling away.  Just the existence of "google" as a verb indicates how prevalent this is.  After a quick laugh that was interrupted by the realization that there was more than a kernel  of truth in this joke -- or was it a joke after all? -- I started thinking about what that meant for students and the teachers who are trying to teach them how to think.  In a way, it all comes down to Fermi questions, right?

Fermi questions emphasize estimation, numerical reasoning, communicating in mathematics, and questioning skills. Students often believe that "word problems" have one exact answer and that the answer is derived in a unique manner. Fermi questions encourage multiple approaches, emphasize process rather than "the answer", and promote non-traditional problem solving strategies.  So before smartphones, people might take a straw poll in the moment or over a couple of days, find someone more knowledgeable on the subject, or try to reason it out.  Instant access to Google may have just short-circuited this process.

The classic Fermi question is "How many piano tuners are there in New York City?"  The best way to figure this out is a series of estimations.  Here it is, from on the website Mathforum.org, hosted by Drexel University.

HOW MANY PIANO TUNERS ARE IN NEW YORK CITY?

How might one figure out such a thing?? Surely the number of piano tuners in some way depends on the number of pianos. The number of pianos must connect in some way to the number of people in the area.

Approximately how many people are in New York City?   10,000,000

Does every individual own a piano?   No

Would it be reasonable to assert that "individuals don't tend to own pianos; families do?   Yes.


About how many families are there in a city of 10 million people?   Perhaps there are 2,000,000 families in NYC.

Does every family own a piano?   No, perhaps one out of every five does. That would mean there are about 400,000 pianos in NYC.

How many piano tuners are needed for 400,000 pianos?  Some people never get around to tuning their piano; some people tune their piano every month. If we assume that "on the average" every piano gets tuned once a year, then there are 400,000 "piano tunings" every year.

How many piano tunings can one piano tuner do?  Let's assume that the average piano tuner can tune four pianos a day. Also assume that there are 200 working days per year. That means that every tuner can tune about 800 pianos per year.

How many piano tuners are needed in NYC?  The number of tuners is approximately 400,000/800 or 500 piano tuners.

What a great exercise!  In order to think something like this through with people, you need to think creatively, communicate with others, and estimate reasonably.

I raised this topic with a friend of mine who teaches high school mathematics, and I quickly saw that I touched a chord.  S/he said that many of her students don't want to try to reason out problems.  Rather, when they run into trouble as they begin working on a problem, they simply turn to someone who knows (including the teacher) and ask for the answer.  According to this teacher, not enough students are interested in working on their thinking skills, but are more focused on getting the answer quickly and efficiently.  Is this the "google effect" at work in the classroom?

I believe that the issue here is close to the heart of the future success of education in the United States, and ultimately, The United States itself.  While students, and many of us in a busy, stressful, day-to-day existence, don't think twice about using Google or the internet in general to answer a question, I believe that it can become a crutch.  You may wonder: what is the point of figuring out something that someone else already has figured out?  My answer: it trains your brain to solve or resolve problems and issues.  The United States had tremendous success in the 20th century due to its willingness to tackle difficult problems, such as putting a man on the moon, advancing medical science, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to (the continued evolution of) individual rights in this country.  None of these things were easy, and they were messy and met with continued failure.  Many things in this country, and the world, have had nonlinear progressions towards improvement and resolution.

That's the point.  When students leave high school and college, they will be met with difficulties and problems, personally and professionally.  The answer won't be found via Google.   What kind of car should you buy, or should you even buy one?  Should you buy a house in this current real estate market?  Where should you invest your money?  Should you look for a job at a new company or seek to move up where you are right now?  Who should you vote for in the next election?  Where is the next best opportunity, either in your job or your personal life?  All of these questions -- and more -- are things that we encounter in the post-collegiate world, and none of them have simple answers.  The best we can do is examine the choices, pros and cons, and their possible outcomes, and make the best choice possible.  You just might end up doing some math!  Until Google can do THAT for you, you will just have to think for yourself.

Education: WHAT now?

Education is change.  A change of a student's knowledge of information and a subject, knowledge of one's self as a person and a learner, and a change of how one sees oneself in the world.

The old saying "the only constant is change" seems to be at odds with the idea that people fear change, that people don't like change.  It was pointed out to me this summer at a leadership institute that people love change.  They are always looking to make changes to their lives, whether it be in their homes (the couch is looking a little worn, should we put in a new kitchen floor), in the workplace (when is the next raise, increase in responsibilities, promotion), and leisure (new books, the next big game, progress in a hobby).  It's change that is forced on people, either through someone else's choices (i.e., undesired change at work, a landlord decides to raise the rent) or other forces, like someone falling ill or becoming the victim of an accident, that is disliked and feared.

Education is change.  Teachers are agents of change.  Teachers prepare students for the coming years, for college and beyond, so that they can navigate the world around them.

Students may resist change (i.e., learning), either because they don't understand why it is necessary, they're already going through a lot of change (puberty and adolescence, social change among friends, turmoil at home), or because the change is too hard for them. In some cases, students have developed negative associations with learning and need to break that association, to unlearn that education isn't worthwhile.

There are two main active strategies an educator can pursue.  One, you can force change on them, focusing on THE WHAT.  Examples of this are "You need to know this for the SAT," "You will need this information/class/skill to gain admission into college," and the classic "You'll use this in the 'Real World.'" Some of that (SAT, ACT, high school transcripts) is a real part of the educational system.  THE WHAT is so ingrained into people that we sometimes joke about it.  Who hasn't heard the half-joking response "[I'm making you do this because] it builds character"?  THE WHAT is a straightforward strategy, doesn't take much time, and often shuts down further questions.  Sometimes a student, asking why they have to learn something, will hear the response "Trust me."  Sometimes this is well-meant, from a teacher that has built up credibility with a class.  It's important that the teacher follow up afterwards to make the connection clear, so that the student-teacher trust is maintained.

The second strategy: get them to buy into the change: THE WHY.  Student ask for this all the time: The want to know WHY!  Examples of THE WHY are: "This will help you better understand the world you're growing up into," "I believe you could really succeed at this (nothing breeds interest like success!)," "You will need these skills for this field you are interesting in going into," and the truly intrinsic "Look at this, isn't it interesting for its own sake?"  THE WHY takes more time.  It may need frequent scheduled discussion and reinforcement.  THE WHY may need a personal conversation.  THE WHY may require that a teacher to put in significant effort to work with a student with whom they wouldn't naturally develop a connection.

The WHY is longer lasting.  THE WHY may pique curiosity.  THE WHY may help students become more optimistic about the future.  If students are more tuned into the WHY, they will make better choices about studying habits, which courses to take in the future, which colleges to apply to, and even which field to go into as a profession.  Students who concentrate on THE WHAT may find themselves at a college, or worse, in a job, and asking "WHAT now?"  Now THAT would be a true failure of education.

A Curious Life

Today on the radio, Bill T. Jones, renowned modern dance choreographer, was asked about what it was like to create dance for a Broadway show, instead of his usual venue for his dance company.  He replied that the difference for him was creating something for people who tended to look to popular entertainment for their cultural input, rather than a smaller group of people who would regularly attend a performance by his dance company.  He mentioned that there is a portion of the theatergoing public who only want to see what they know, as in a revival of an older show, or even a recreation of a movie.

Curiosity.  This is part of what Mr. Jones is talking about.  I believe it is our job to impart and encourage curiosity, and make students aware of the wonder of discovering something they didn't already know about.  This instinctive curiosity is rampant in the younger grades, but fades as students get older, have more opportunities for self-distraction, and stare the stress monster of college applications in the face.  If curiosity survives college, how long does it last after someone has entered the workforce full time?  Have a family?  Many things take a back seat or go on hiatus when someone's life requirements exceed the energy and time that someone has to give to them.  What I hope for my students is that their curiosity doesn't completely disappear as they get older (and, often, it seems, more cynical).  Rather, helping to instill a lifelong curiosity in my students is what I see as a key part of my teaching goals, and one that will help them on the road to lifelong learning and optimism.

The Importance of Quality Teachers

In a recent NYT article on character development in education ("What If The Secret To Success Is Failure?"), the recent work of Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor, figured prominently.  Duckworth has identified seven character traits that are remarkably predictive of high life satisfaction and outstanding achievement.  These traits are zest, grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and curiosity.  Even though the US Military Academy at West Point developed its own evaluation to judge incoming candidates, Duckworth’s 12-item questionnaire turned out to be a more accurate predictor of success at West Point.

            While new and valuable research on improving student learning and lifelong success is always of interest to me, after a few days of thinking about this I realized that these teachable and cultivatable traits indicate more than a fresh way of thinking about education.  They also point out the importance of quality teachers.  While everyone is born with varying degrees of these skills, thoughtful and sensitive adults can help develop grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, and optimism (especially at younger ages).  The remaining two, zest and curiosity, can be encouraged or piqued by caring adults who get to know children well and help them bridge the gap that can exist between their ability or potential and possible venues where they can achieve success.

            While we all know students or people who would be just fine if they were left to their own devices in a room full of books and an internet connection, most of us need some guidance at some point in our early lives in order to help us realize that we have greater potential than we originally thought.  This is something that can’t come from books…every child needs and deserves caring and insightful teachers!

Dynamic Education

When I started teaching, I had a smaller view of my role in the school.  I taught my subject and was so busy getting my pedagogical house in order that I didn't have a lot of space in my brain to hear about the other things that my students were doing.

Near the end of my first year, my perspective on what I could offer students was beginning to broaden.  For example, one time I expressed frustration about how some of my younger students were doing.  Someone suggested to me that I think about how the students felt about their own difficulties.  My friend was right.  If I, who was used to operating at a higher level, was frustrated with their initial difficulties, the students, who were thrilled at the opportunity to play music were probably just as frustrated (if not more!) that the sound they were producing weren't as musical as they would like.  We were both equally frustrated, but for very different reasons!

A few years later, Dorothy DeLay, a renowned violin teacher  at Juilliard, passed away.  In articles about her career and success as a teacher, it was mention that she would remind people who said "I teach music." that no, they taught people how to play music.  Keeping the student in mind as a person, rather than "teaching Beethoven" or "teaching Stravinsky," changed how I saw my process and overall success.  Truly, a math teacher doesn't teach "long division" or "integration," but s/he teaches students how the process works and how they can replicate it on their own.  A history teacher doesn't teach "The Civil War," s/he teaches students the causes, impact, and long term effects of fundamental conflicts within U.S. society in the 19th century.

There's a saying that students won't care what you know until they think that you care.  There's truth in this, but the deeper truth is more along the lines that they won't care what you know (and are trying to share with them) until they know that you care about them and their future.

Thinking about these ideas helped me to verbalize what had been brewing in my brain for a few years: that teachers work with students to help them develop their skills to navigate the world.  Very few teachers at levels other than college work with students who will begin a vocation in their subject.  While having a student decide they share your passion and pursue a career in that field is rewarding, it is more important to remember that we also need to connect with students who aren't going to major in our field.  If we aren't going to create a classroom full of scientists, historians, mathematicians, musicians, artists, etc., then why are we teaching?  I'm not suggesting at all that we should be teaching down to people, or "dumbing down" what we know in order to reach students, rather we should meet students where they are and help them improve their understanding of the material and their own world in a number of ways, including in a linear, broad, aesthetic, and/or conceptual fashion.

The interactions that teachers have with each other and students are not unidirectional, and they shouldn't be in this country.  Other countries have a more direct delivery model, and they envy the dynamism and creative potential that the educational system in the United States offers.  We should remember, whether we are in a classroom or not, that we are all people, interdependent, and are at our best when we work together (even in the smallest of interactions!) to accomplish things (from basic to complex) in our daily lives.  This philosophy of daily living can put us on the path to great success!