Finding Focus: Reclaiming Your Writing in an Age of Distractions presented by James Lang

In an age of infinite distractions, and in the face of endless demands on our time, how can we reclaim or discover the time and energy for our research and writing? In this interactive session, Lang will invite participants to consider three features of the writing process that can support or hinder our writing: the emotions that writing inspires in us, the habits that we build around our writing, and the social supports that we need for productive writing. Drawing on the work of Helen Sword and other writing researchers, Lang will make the case that generic prescriptions for writing behaviors—such as writing for a certain amount of hours every day or writing at certain times or in certain places—are less important than deliberate thinking about how to create the unique conditions in which your writing will flourish.

Forming part of the basis for this workshop, Lang’s newest book Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It, draws deeply from the from research in education and the science of attention, as well as from classroom observations and the works of poets and philosophers alike, to shift our thinking about the problem of distraction in the classroom. Attendees will automatically be entered into a raffle for a copy of this book.

The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence is pleased to co-sponsor this event with The Office of Research, The College of Arts and Sciences, and the Humanities Center.

Open to faculty/staff/administrators who want to address their distractions and focus on making meaningful, individually authentic professional progress.

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