Episodes
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Weâve all been through high school and middle school. Sitting for hours on end, often staring at a blank wall, through the window, or at a blank ceiling to pass the time while a teacher drones off about a topic that you think youâll probably never need in real life. Except you do, itâs just not being introduced properly.
In this episode of the Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen podcast, our host Jeff Coleman talks to Alexander Deeb. Alex is the co-Founder and CEO of ClassHook, a tool which uses popular culture and media such as movies to introduce and explain real-world topics such as Physics, Math, and even poetry. Alex also talks about the problems that teachers and students alike go through in the public school system, and how the benefits of ClassHook often go outside the classroom as well.
HIGHLIGHTS
Using popular media to introduce educational topicsEngagement in the classroom is key to learningTeaching Physics through The Simpsons and Speed (1994)The public school system need a lot of tweakingMovies can even be used to teach literary devices and poetryFocus does not come naturallyTips for using ClassHook more effectivelyQUOTES
Alex on the added benefits of using movies and other popular media to teach topics: "It goes into topics like media literacy and being critical about what media they're consuming. There's a whole host of other tangential benefits and more explicit benefits that they can get from understanding the truth or being more critical about the media they consume."
Alex on the difficulties of also catering to high school students: "They have other things distracting them. They have more of a social life and that's when engagement tends to drop off. Because students sometimes become disillusioned with the public education system, unfortunately. Because they've went to the motions enough times to know, okay this is the formula: 'I just got to study or cram for the test and just get an A.'"
Alex's take on how to grab and sustain attention from the teacher: "The goal of ClassHook is to get the students' attention, and then help the teachers create connections between their personal lives and interests, which are movies, tv shows and such to the curriculum. And through that process of having a discussion based on the videos, that's kind of where the focus and engagement is more continual versus temporary."
Connect with Alex and his work at Classhook with the links below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderdeeb/Website: https://www.classhook.com/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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Attention issues can be particularly difficult to notice among children, since they are just balls of pure energy. Most kids are energetic and love to explore the world, as children do. However, attention issues often become more apparent when children enter school for the first time, where they are expected to sit still for long periods for the first time.
In this episode of the Attention Ladies and Gentlemen podcast, our host Jeff Coleman talks to Debbie McNulty, a pediatric occupational therapist about addressing attention issues among school children. Debbie shares some strategies to help educators and parents make it easier for kids to pay attention, rooted from her experience in working with kids both in home and school-based settings.
HIGHLIGHTS
How Debbie got into occupational therapyA kid's attention issues may not be noticeable before preschoolHow Occupational Therapists can help kids deal with their attention issuesWhy special treatment might not be the answerStrategies to help attention-challenged kids gain focusKids need a way to say when they're having trouble focusingQUOTES
Debbie on why a lot of attention problems are not apparent before school age: "If we're looking at a preschool situation, those kids at that age they're required just to be able to sit in a circle time situation where there's usually about 10 or 12 kids. For some of these kids it's the very first time having to sit for up to 10, 15 minutes and maybe having other kids right next to them. This is usually the first time that teachers or parents might even notice [that] 'hey my kid has an attention problem' because it may have never manifested itself before they're actually in that situation."
How Occupational Therapists can help kids deal with their attention issues: "It could be something as simple as fidget toys to a little cushion where the child can move around a little bit. Anything, [even] just educating the teacher and staff to provide movement breaks and that sort of thing."
Connect with Debbie on the links below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-mcnulty-618082116/Website: https://www.steppingstonesot.net/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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Episodes manquant?
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Attention is a major concern for educators, especially those who really care and understand the uniqueness of individual students. In this episode of the Attention ladies & Gentlemen podcast, our host Jeff Coleman talks to academic tutor Dr. Joan Blanusa Ed.D. about her unique approach to addressing attention issues inside and outside the classroom. Dr. Joan digs deeper than most people, accounting for the individualâs emotional states, as well as the sociocultural contexts that contribute to attention issues. This way, she is better able to tailor her approach to the individual instead of imposing cookie-cutter methods that have been proven ineffective.
HIGHLIGHTS
Dr. Joan's journey in the education sector How Dr. Joan addresses attention problems in her studentsGood teachers pay attention to students that aren't paying attentionHow caring about her students improved their engagementAdolescents are often unmotivated, not lazyThe culture of the school and community mattersQUOTES
Dr. Joan defines attention: "Attention for me is almost synonymous with engagement. It's just part and parcel of how I teach and what I do. It's something I'm on the lookout for all the time. It's how I kept the student engaged in what we we're doing. That's true when I taught in a classroom of 25 students, or in a graduate school seminar of 12, to 1 on 1 right now."
Dr. Joan's approach to working with kids struggling to pay attention: "I have a strong background in educational psychology and human development, so I do a lot to try and ascertain if there are any psychological or socio-emotional issues going on behind attention. 99.99% of the time that's a huge factor."
Dr. Joan on tailoring her approach to the individual, not her personal beliefs: "You have to be very careful not to impose your own values and what you want that kid to be. That's why you really have to get to know the person like you knew the student who loved ants and the other person whose daughter loved horses."
Connect with Dr. Joan on the links below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-blanusa/Website: https://www.joanblanusa.com/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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SHOW SUMMARY
In this solo episode of the Attention Ladies & Gentlemen podcast, our host Jeff talks about meditation and how it has helped him reframe his mindset to become more present in the moment and focus on whatâs really important. Jeff zeroes in on our innate confirmation bias and how we can redirect our attention into more positive things, thus making it easier for us to see beyond ourselves and our limitations.
HIGHLIGHTS
Be present in the moment to focus on what's importantReframing your mindset can save you from undue stressThe benefits of redirecting your confirmation bias Sometimes it's best to let go of things that don't matterBeing right is not always the best choiceQUOTES
Jeff on being mindful of where you put your focus on: "What you think and what you focus on -- where your place your attention really impacts how you feel even when the situation doesn't change."
Jeff on redirecting your confirmation bias: "If you are constantly thinking, 'my child can't do this right. My child makes a mess. My child doesn't listen,' we notice all the times they make a mess. All of the times they don't listen, all of the times they make bad choices. If you start to focus on what your child does right, you'll be amazed at how many things they actually do the way you would like them to."
Jeff on the clarity achieved by being present in the moment: "If we can practice being present right now then we have an opportunity to really see not just what people are saying, but what they mean. How our children and our students are, what's really going on with them. We can be present, we can ask them 'how are you?' and actually want to hear the answer. Not what we expect, now what we want from them, but the real answer. And that can make a world of a difference for a child."
To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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In this episode of the Attention Ladies & Gentlemen podcast, our host Jeff talks to Business Owner and Operator of Education & Services Unlimited, Dr. Carolyn Lankford.
As an educator of 28 years, Dr. Carolyn Lankford has developed a special skill: dealing with kids that other teachers have given up on. As a child who sometimes found it difficult to catch up with the rest of her classmates, Dr. Carolyn was herself one of the kids who needed just a little bit of attention to succeed. So when she became a teacher herself, she sought to be the teacher that she would have wanted to have when she was a kid.
HIGHLIGHTS
Why Dr. Carolyn wanted to become an educator Dr. Carolyn's tools and strategies for keeping kids in line Positive reinforcement is the best way Focusing on raising kids' self-esteem The critical role that teachers have in children's livesQUOTES
Dr. Carolyn on why she pursued a master's degree in special education: "I got a special education masters because I just found that I really had a knack for getting these kids to be successful. Because they're the kids that the teacher throws up her hands and says, âSomebody help, please!â And I became that teacher."
Dr. Carolyn on the most basic premise of her strategies: "Kids aim to please. You'd be surprised, juniors and seniors in high school, they still want you to be happy with them. And so, they'll work to get there."
Dr. Carolyn on the importance of raising kids' self-esteem: "All the girls in our Girl Power group have some little kind of challenge that meets them every day when they wake up in the morning. And you might not think that this lowers a child's self-esteem, but it does. They know that they are not the first to be picked on anything. By the time you get in the 6th grade, you know where you are in the pecking order. And so what I do is raise the self-esteem of those girls."
How Dr. Carolyn feels about her profession: "You have the tools in your hand to change a life. How does that stuff make you feel? I can't see why you would be upset about going to work when you have the ability to affect that kind of change."
Connect with Dr. Carolyn on the link below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-lankford-ed-s-maed-3bb9076b/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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In this episode of the Attention Ladies & Gentlemen Podcast, Jeff talks to Clarifi founder Bryan Dinner, who is currently working in Clarifi, an evidence-based homework tool built in the form of a desktop application with the goal of helping students get more homework completed independently. We hear about the story of how he got diagnosed with ADHD, the strategies and coping mechanisms he employed to achieve his goals, and his vision for the company that he founded.
HIGHLIGHTS
A story about a bathtub and high school math lessonBryan's strategies for coping with attention issuesBryan's goals and vision for ClarifiQUOTES
Bryan on the need to have a strong internal drive to overcome attention issues: "You're never gonna be able to overcome this if you don't want to overcome this. You're never gonna deal with these challenges unless you have the baked-in motivation that's there. You have to want this."
Bryan's goals for Clarifi: "In the short term, our goal is just helping reach more families that are struggling with homework, focus, and independence. Giving students more focus and independence in terms of what we want to do. We do want to continue providing support to students once they go to college, once they go to their jobs."
Bryan on the potential of students with ADHD: "The greatest thing about students with ADHD is that they see the world differently. You see so many founders with it. They just need optimal time, a little help focusing; finding a way to focus and achieve those different missions."
Connect with Bryan and his work on the link below:
Website: https://www.tryclarifi.com/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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HIGHLIGHTS
Early symptoms and interventions for Joey's attention issuesExercise helps children regulate attention and emotionsThe harmful effects of removing recess time as a punishmentChewing gum, fidget spinners, and a heavy backpackHow playing the games on Attention Arcade helped JoeyQUOTES
Joey on how Attention Arcade helped him in school: "I noticed that I was getting less antsy for recess than I usually am. Whenever I had PE, I would always be so excited that I couldn't eat much before PE. And that got me really down with the dumps after school."
JoAnn on the positive effects of Attention Arcade on Joey: "For him, it was subtle. He didn't notice anything when he played. It was just, he did it. And then later on, we were just kind of like, oh I haven't had to remind him 10 times to brush his teeth. I went in one day and I'd be like, Joey, did you brush your teeth? [And he'd say] oh I already did."
To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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The brain is a lot like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the better it works than if it doesnât receive any stimulation at all. In this episode of the Attention Ladies & Gentlemen podcast, Jeff talks to Clinical Neuropsychologist and Cognitive Neuroscientist Dr. Jeanne Townsend. Dr. Jeanne, who is also the Director for Research on Autism and Development Lab at the University of California - San Diego, talks about her research and how she got into working in games that develop attention skills in children.
HIGHLIGHTS
Attention is a critical prerequisite to rememberingWhat is attention, really?The link between attention problems and autismWhat happens in the brain of a child with autismWhy Dr. Townsend got into developing games that train attentionQUOTES
Jeanne: "Attention is that filter that tells you what you need to focus on, helps you to decide very very quickly what needs to be your focus. And at the same time, you have to be able to shift attention quickly if something changes in your environment that you need to pay attention to."
Jeanne: "A group of children moves very fast. Kids don't stay still, they're running around, they're moving, they're laughing. All sorts of things are going on and if you can't change your attention quickly to keep up with what's going on in the group, that affects your social behaviors."
Jeanne: "The interest in games came along simply because that's something children will do without being forced. We wanted the games to be fun enough that the kids would play them on their own and want to do it. A lot of the therapy that might be helpful to kids is not a lot of fun and they don't engage in it all that willingly."
ABOUT DR. JEANNE TOWNSEND
Dr. Jeanne Townsend is the Director for Research on Autism and Development Lab at the University of California - San Diego. She has been studying the brain and attention for more than 30 years.
Connect with Jeanne and learn more about her work in the links below.
Jeanneâs profile - https://neurosciences.ucsd.edu/research/labs/autism-development/people/townsend.htmlEmail - [email protected]To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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What better way would it be to learn about the mysteries of âAttentionâ than taking hearing it from a scientist who actually studies and researches about it. In this first-ever guest interview of Attention Ladies & Gentlemen, Jeff talks to Dr. Leanne Chukoskie, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at BrainLeap Technologies, and an associate professor at Northeastern University. Tune in as Jeff and Leanne unpack the Science of Attention!
HIGHLIGHTS
About Leanne's research on AttentionThe definition of AttentionThe components of attentionTips for the parentsExercise actually helpsHow meditation helpsQUOTES
Leanne: "Attention is this collection of things and the interaction between them.â
Leanne: "What we don't do well as humans, is switch. Switch between things. And that's what these teens are doing. And they're learning to do it in a way that feels better for themselves.â
Leanne: "You'd be far more effective, far less error-prone if you actually focused on one task at a time and not distracted with your favorite music, your, you know, stream of your favorite game.â
Leanne: "Exercise has great effects on attention. And that sort of the broader thing that sort of sits above it, we can call executive function for kids as well as adults.
Leanne: "Meditation actually can be a really a powerful skill to provide to child, adolescents so that they can learn to manage their own attention.â
Connect with Leanne and learn more about his work in the link below.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannechukoskie/Connect with Jeff and learn more about his work in the link below.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcoleman21/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
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In this inaugural episode of the Attention Ladies and Gentlemen podcast, guest host Chris Decker talks to BrainLeap Technologies Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Coleman, who will be hosting the show moving forward.
Jeff talks about his plans for the show, the types of people that he wants to have as guests, and why he started his company in the first place. Jeffâs purpose stems from a personal place, and he wants you all to be in on it. So please pay attention, ladies and gentlemen, and get ready for a great show.
HIGHLIGHTS
Why Jeff wants to help kids develop attention skills The technology behind BrainLeapHow specialized games can help train kids' attention skills Jeff's plans for the podcast What Jeff hopes to achieve with the showQUOTES
Jeff: "The games that were created in the lab and we have since commercialized are all about training attention skills. You use an eye tracker to play the games. You actually don't use the mouse or keyboard. You only use your eyes to control the game and this means that kids really learn what focus is. They really get to practice it."
Jeff: "We want everyone to know that attention is trainable. And nearly everyone can improve their attention skills. It's not something you're born with, it's not something that's fixed. You can definitely learn these skills and have much stronger attention skills."
Jeff: "There are medications out there that help with attention, and it's great that those exist for those who really need it. But that doesn't make a child feel successful. It doesn't make them feel like they can do it themselves. That's a really key component of what we want to help convey."
ABOUT JEFF COLEMAN
Jeff Coleman is the Co-Founder and CEO of BrainLeap Technologies and host of the Attention Ladies and Gentlemen podcast. His lifeâs work is to help improve attention skills in students to help them succeed in life.
Connect with Jeff and learn more about his work in the link below.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcoleman21/To find out more about BrainLeap Technologies, visit https://brainleaptech.com/ and follow them on social media using the links below:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brainleap/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainleap-technologies/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brainleapTwitter - https://twitter.com/brain_leapPlease rate, review and subscribe. Every feedback counts!
