Welcome back! This is the time of year when we reopen our minds to the new possibilities that come with a new academic year, along with new school supplies and maybe even a new outfit. It’s also the time of year when many of us feel overwhelmed with getting back in to the hustle and bustle of fall classes and projects.

In addition to our daily tasks that keep us busy, we have additional distractions to worry about – waiting for a new email or text message, running between meetings, chasing deadlines… A new movement called “Slow Tech” is emerging to help us and our students to slow down and recapture our creativity and reflectiveness that can get lost in a too-full calendar.

Joe Kraus addresses the culture of distraction and ideas for reconnecting in his blog post titled “We’re Creating a Culture of Distraction.” A video clip of a short talk he presented on the subject is also available on his site. I dare you to put away your smartphone and turn off your e-mail for 15 minutes to watch the video or read the transcript of the talk!