S:1 E:15: Motivation for students in an online environment

Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker, UCF Faculty members, share their thoughts on how to motivate students on and offline. They share their thoughts on ways to get students engaged aligned with choice and voice.  They discuss the importance of having fun while ensuring connections with learners in online and offline environments. 

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spk_1:   0:04
welcome to practical access. I am Lisa Dieker,

spk_0:   0:07
and I'm Rebecca Hines. This next topic,  is one that I think you'll enjoy the question. Was how do we help kids handle anxiety and and how is this impacting their learning? You know, there's a lot of anxiety, obviously, right now among all of us, what does that mean in school?

spk_1:   0:30
Yeah. I was looking for some help with that topping myself, so yeah, no, not to make light of it, because it truly is a time for kids. I think you know what you find is again. We're not medical doctors who we don't claim any legal. But what I think we both do know is under arousal and over arousal is dangerous. You know, if a kid is too excited about everything and they're running around your house, that's a level of anxiety. Just  if I'm not doing a thing. And I think what we know is what people are less anxious is when everything's in moderation. So I know your thoughts. That's kind of one of my beginning thoughts.

spk_0:   1:12
Like, really? You kick that over to me Oh, might open. Thanks, Lisa. you know, I guess the first thing that pops in my mind when I think about this, this idea of anxiety and the interplay with schools, it's not limited to the stay in time. You know, certainly there are more people with anxiety right now likely than usual with kids who feel anxious in our classrooms, face to face all the time. And you just you just you don't always see it. You can't necessarily see it. And the there's a quote from, I believe it's from a book called Begin With the Brain and It's So Many. Many years ago. Now they resonated with me and that it was Emotions are the gatekeeper to the intellect, and when you think about it and you think about in any person who's gone through a traumatic event, divorce, a death in the family, something we literally can't even think about. We can't even use that higher order thinking. The blood's not even slowing to that Part of the brain were still in that fight or flight and self preservation mode. So I don't know that they're you know, it's a very real for some kids, right now, the fact that they really, literally, physiologically may be unable to fully deeply process learning notwithstanding all of the online piece of it. So I think first and foremost, we all need to understand the impact that anxiety is going to be playing on kids actual performance right now. I think that's a huge concern.

spk_1:   2:53
Yeah, and I think we have to remind ourselves I mean, I think if you ever have a pet, it's one that I try to remember when I'm working with kids were, you know, with my own son, even even as a family unit is, if you're really stressed about something, your pets since is it very quickly. And I think that when we're at home and we're stressed out and the phone's ringing and the online teacher wants to talk to us and the pot is boiling over because you're now that takeout, carry out, cook all everything in your house, you become stressed, and then that could go over to the child. And and so I think, as teachers, we have to remember that our job is to be less stressed when we approach in online environment. I'm really big when somebody comes online and you know, we've had camel on the hyper side. But when something like click the button, move the mouse, it's okay. I think the tone of voice that we use with kids can de escalate some of that. And yet I think if they're under aroused and they're like sitting of the level of, you know, try something that's funny, gets some left or get something that will kind of grab their attention to arouse them a little bit or if they're over excited, really kind of approach that I think that's where I was talking about this. Moderation is making sure we get kids in that sweet spot of not too anxious but lack of any anxiety, because then I don't feel the need, as you said, Be motivated to do anything. And the the other thing I keep thinking about about changes anxious Children is they tend to overestimate the situation. You know, my dog's gonna get this. My cat's gonna get this my you know, and again it is scary. And yet their ability to cope with that they often underestimate. So having a lot of conversations like, Well, what could we do? we know of that. We know a friend having that could have dialogue with you because normally when they think aloud, the scenario in their head is often worse, then what it really might be or they don't have any Cokie struck coping strategies. And I think it's a blend of those two that really can help lower anxiety.

spk_0:   5:00
You said the exact term that I was just thinking thinking about and that is Think aloud, Yeah, actually thinking about that from the teacher standpoint, it's a good time for every every teacher right now to Google, you know, how do I you know how How do I manage stress, you know, And how do you interpret just so that you can literally we eating online with your students use think aloud strategies to say, Wow, I I'm feeling anxious about being on this computer so much, but I just keep reminding myself, you know, X y Z or but I feel like this sometimes I like to sit down and take five. So that idea of using think allows to help kids learn to manage their stress. But, of course, only works. If the kids were talking actually to teachers. Something's you think maybe they could do Lisa if they're not having these synchronous discussions with teachers. How do we help kids deal with anxiety if they don't have direct contact with the teacher?

spk_1:   6:05
Yeah, you know, I think so. Really simple things like giving them assignments like cosmic yoga and go do a little bit of deep breathing. I mean, I think we all need to do that right now. I love Goldie Hawn has kind of committed yourself to something called Mind Up, where the kids can go and learn about their brain and what causes stress. So again, if a kid is of the right age and they can understand that, But I take a walk, you know, assigning a walk again. If kids can't walk far because there's not a park, it's not safe for them. They're right, you know, by themselves. But think about that. How can I get them out of nature? And then my favorite people on the planet are the art teacher's Candia signs and things about your fears or drawing, or the guidance counsellor having open lunches. And I think it's that type of world that we need now more than ever, but I think we need it even when we're back in a brick and mortar

spk_0:   6:56
building definitely needed both places. One other thing that I always used when I was working with kids with severe emotional behavioral disorders, most of whom have anxiety. And a lot of times your behaviors were just a manifestation of those anxieties. So one of the things that I taught my students very early on were general principles of biofeedback, and this might be a good chance to do that with it or a teacher. I taught my students to monitor their own heart rate in the old fashioned way, where they literally just count the beats per minute. Then I would have them do jumping jacks and monitor the be permitted, and I have been drink soda. Then I would have them do different things and turn it so they become aware of what impacted their their heart rate. So once I got them really understanding that, then I could teach them. Hey, did you know you can also make it go down, but shy ways to make. Let's see what it feels like If we play music, let's see what it feels like if we bang on the drum, is it going up or down? But getting kids literally to start learnings from techniques to manage their own stress Because the end of the day, they're not gonna be in school forever. We need to know how to manage our own stresses adults. So I did use basic biofeedback. One of my very favorite things to do, and you could try it.

spk_1:   8:29
It's good about your app, right? Cause I was like, you

spk_0:   8:33
could I'm not I'm not only about my apps but I'm going to tell them about a marshmallow on your poem with a toothpick in it, and it's very still. And if your heart is beating enough, you can literally count the number of times the toothpick quit wiggles. So that's my low tech version. Got now, of course I have APS. Yes. things like heart rate. And of course I have an app. It's called a bigger scale, and they would just tell me what my mood is because I do teach kids every chance I get to monitor their own mood to monitor their own well being so that they can start to take control of that.

spk_1:   9:17
Yeah, And so your mood app, let's just put it into retro fashion for some of our listeners that are not at friendly would be what we were when we were in school and thought we were cool moon ring right and would change to black when your temperature was high and your boyfriend broke up with you or it turned blue and calm. So the APP does something similar to that which I know you're really famous to him that to kids when they're anxious and angry and see if they can change their app, which I think is a great idea,

spk_0:   9:46
Absolutely. Because it's not even about whether or not it's validly measuring that they're angry. The whole point of it is it will afterwards say, Hey, you look like you're happy. So even if I wasn't, maybe, yeah, I feel pretty happy, or if it says, Hey, it looks like you're a little stressed, why don't you try this? And it does give you a few little tips about how you might be able to relax?

spk_1:   10:14
Yeah, and you know, I like just really trying to be positive. I tend to be on the overly positive side Must the time I do get worried, but you know, asking like so what? We're well today. I mean, that was always my approach when you know this is wrong and that's wrong. And I'm like, Okay, but what would well, today and I think that's a good question. We should be asking ourselves. Yeah, I'm tired of, you know, cooking food in my house, and I'm tired of being shot driving my car. But you know what? What went well today is my capsized to me again. Whatever it might be having our Children, who might be anxious talk about that. And then there are a lot of really great anxiety books, so you might just do a Google search. Maybe that's something that you might want to do. And then I would recommend there's There's the's workbooks for teens and these relaxation workbooks that you could do. No teenager is going to read them, but maybe you want to read them and suggest, Hey, I'm going though, go out in nature and close my eyes and just sit in the grass for five minutes and drink about all the positive things that happened today again. That, I think, is what we should be doing for adult as adults, whether that be as a parent. Maybe we don't have the capability to do that right now because we have so much going on, we might be being a caregiver. But could teachers do that? Could we make that a part of our standard routine? And I've been using this model in my online world of 40 20 ,40 minutes online, 20 minutes symptom away to do something, those would be the great send away. Go to mind up and come back and tell me something you learned about your brain. Go do cosmic yoga and do five minutes of deep breathing. Then let me tell me what made you feel better if you find kids are

spk_0:   11:45
anxious since since I did mention a little bit of technology, they just told us to get away from it for 20 minutes. I did look, at least mentioned to other two other apps that I've used when one is called calm talk, and I believe that that focuses more on kids on the autism spectrum. I haven't looked at it honestly in the last year, So I cannot say whether it's still free,  whether it's still functioning. But the last time I used it, I found it to be I found it to be helpful and actually pretty interesting. And then the other one is simply a tiny piano. It's literally a little piano you can play on your phone. And when I was finishing my doctoral degree, I'm literally rented a big piano and put it in my house. It wasn't a big deal. I should say that because now it sounds like I had a lot of money. It was a crappy little piano, but it helps to be in my little house. And I would just say I'm back on the keys and just to try toe, you know, take my mind off of what I was studying because I just needed that that brain break in a completely different way. And, um and it felt great. Help me reduce my anxiety and get back to work.

spk_1:   13:02
Yeah, I think my last thought I'm gonna go no tech, which is not typical. But I'm gonna go low, low tech. And, you know, maybe the conversation is to really help your kids think about which internal Signal is really struggling? Is it physical like I need to get out and move again? There are many kids that that's anxiety producing. How do we move in a tiny little apartment and in a small space? Uh, the 2nd 1 is an emotional. Are they missing their friends? You know. So again it goes back to what you're saying. Should we talk to our kids or can we communicate through the communication device if it's limited? But I think the one that we often forget about that S o causes anxiety. Our thoughts and those air harder though no emotional and physical, normally present themselves in some way. But the kid is sitting there silently. So again it goes back. You said not only thinking, allowing, but could you know, Penny for your thoughts. It's an old saying, but could you share two things you're thinking right now? Well, I'm thinking that that I don't like being in this house anymore. And I don't like my teachers, whatever it is. And then having those discussions,  can really lower that anxiety. And I think those three buckets or ones we should remember as teachers and parents.

spk_0:   14:10
It's not always easy, but I 100% agree.

spk_1:   14:14
All right, well, thank you for joining us for this, uh, session of practical access. If you have questions, please send them to Twitter @accesspractical.