tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21152738.post7640981610232169039..comments2024-03-27T07:37:25.421-04:00Comments on Excelsior: Reassessing disengagement--or, how to manufacture eureka momentsBevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05412883073330413390noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21152738.post-65876096093575669722015-07-23T06:28:05.330-04:002015-07-23T06:28:05.330-04:00Yes, and it's not just the students. At our ac...Yes, and it's not just the students. At our academic writing boot camp this summer, I encouraged participants to get unplugged from everything for at least 30 minutes per day, and for some, that seemed like an impossible demand. Bevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05412883073330413390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21152738.post-7584593890758155332015-07-22T19:40:52.953-04:002015-07-22T19:40:52.953-04:00The real trick, I fear, is going to be getting the...The real trick, I fear, is going to be getting them to go for a walk -- or do anything else that would leave room for the mind to wander -- without taking along a source of distraction (cell phone, music player, etc.). I suspect some people can still let their minds wander with music on, but I'm pretty sure few can do so while monitoring texts, twitter, snapchat, et al. Maybe if they had something else to occupy their hands -- e.g. a basketball or bike handlebars? <br /><br />I certainly got my best ideas for papers in college when I worked for a while, then went out (alone, without distracting devices) for ice cream. And there's pretty good research indicating that walking is good for creativity (and that many people who make a living out of being creative -- e.g. successful writers -- spend a lot more of the day walking or engaged in physical labor than most people's vision of a hard-working, productive person would include. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.com