Feedback Focus!

Hello World!!

This post is about staying focused and not getting side tracked in order to provide reliable and constructive feedback to your classmates and others in general. There were many tips provided for this. Here are a few

1) Reading Out Loud:
 This first technique guides us to read out loud in order to not get distracted while reading this. In my experience I found that this allowed for me to stay focused and really pay attention to what I was reading! I also found my speech to be more clear when reading out loud which was a nice surprise. I also thought that this worked better when I was reading to someone, because if I knew that someone was listening to me I felt more responsible to stay on track.

2) Copy and Delete: 
For this technique you are required to post the article that you are going to be reading and delete each paragraph that you complete and in its place add a your comments about the said paragraph. I did not like this technique at all. For longer articles I could see myself easily getting confused. Especially since I like to refer back to the beginning of the article sometimes to help me really understand what the article is saying. This is especially important to me if I am reading a long argument. Also, I prefer annotating to with sticky notes and colorful pens!  

3) Use a Timer:  
For this last and final technique you set a timer for 10 minutes and read until the time is up. Once the given time has ended you will need to jot down some notes from your reading. I thought this was a fun technique, but I found that I was more concerned about how much time I had left rather than about what I was actually reading. This made it very difficult to concentrate. I don't recommend this if you don't work well under pressure. 

An Animation Emphasizing Focus, Source: socialanxietyinstitute.org

After trying out all three of these techniques, I think it would be best if you simply chose to read something that interested you. This way you will be more likely to stay focused. I think that this would allow for you to be able to give better feedback as well! My favorite technique was reading out loud though! I just like reading out loud to be honest. I hope that you try out these techniques for yourself, and let me know whether you enjoy them or not! Have fun!