DISCUSSION 1 When I think about a time I was attempting to multitask and it did not end well, I think about a time when I had just started school again. I was trying to turn in a paper or attach something to a discussion board post. Rather than attach the assignments, I attached a tax return form with all my private information. I managed to make this mistake due to my attempt to watch the children while turning in my assignment.

When looking at why my multitasking did not work out in a positive way, I think about the idea of spreading activation. I looked at how I selected the attachment to the discussion board, and I picked the one based on dates. I did not stop to really look at what I was attaching. I associated the date with the correct attachment, which was not correct. (Reisberg, 2022)

When looking at the expected utility theory and how it looks into why people take risks and make choices when they do not know the outcome. (Reisberg, 2022) Knowing that I use my computer for personal, professional, and work-related things, I knew that there were other documents on my computer. I, however, did not slow down and take my time before attaching the attachment. An evidence-based practice would have been for me to slow down and double-check my work. This has been proven historically to prevent minor mistakes, such as attaching something incorrectly. How could someone prevent making document attachment mistakes when they have multiple tasks to completeat once?

Reisberg, D. (2022).Cognition: Exploring the science of the mind(8th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company

DISCUSSION 2 I work as an intervention at a K-8 school. I mainly help students in grades 5th-8th. At the beginning of the year, I attempted to teach a small group while filling out a worksheet for some absent students. I would give a vocabulary word with the definition. I filled out a teacher guide so the absent students could catch up when they returned to school. Switching between tasks reduces accuracy and speed (Discover Magazine, 2021). I started confusing myself and the students and realized I needed to perform my best or teach the students to the best of my ability. I put down the worksheet I was working on and decided to reteach the lesson we were working on to ensure everything was noticed. We fell a little behind in our lesson plans, which caused us to have to move a little quicker the next day to catch up.

One reason my end result was less than optimal due to my multitasking is when multiple things are competing for your attention; your task performance will usually be reduced because your attention is not fully on one thing; it is jumping around (Reisberg, 2022). My concentration was on too many things, which caused me to miss details and jump over instructions. When tasks interfere with each other, their combined resource demand exceeds the available resources (Reisberg, 2022, p. 177).

When a task is new, habits haven't been formed with it yet; because of this, executive control is needed all the time until habits are formed with the task (Reisberg, 2022). One strategy a person could use would be to practice the new task until a habit is formed. This would decrease the interference between the tasks because you stay within your cognitive ability by creating automaticity with that task (Reisberg, 2022). The more I practice teaching the lessons out of the new curriculum, the less cognitive load or "cost" I'll have, making it a little easier for me to fill out the worksheet while still teaching the lesson (Reisberg, 2022).

Why are some people able to multitask easier than others?

I am a multitasker, and I have a hard time only doing one thing at a time when many things need to get done. My husband needs help multitasking. The term automaticity describes tasks that are well practiced and involve little control (Reisberg, 2022). When a task is well practiced, it almost becomes an unconscious thought, like driving a car, riding a bike, or doing dishes (Reisberg, 2022).

Reference

Discover Magazine. (2021, May 10). Why multitasking does more harm than goodLinks to an external site.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University.

Reisberg, D. (2022). Cognition: Exploring the science of the mind (8th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

Respondtoat least two of your colleagues' posts in both of the following ways:

• Respond to the questions your colleagues asked, drawing on information from your Learning Resources to substantiate your responses.

And

• Suggest a different evidence-based multitasking strategy or provide an additional insight or question to your colleague that promotes continued discussion on the topic.

PLEASE RESPOND TO EACH DISCUSSION SEPARATELY AND LABEL.

USE IN TEXT CITATIONS