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Dean discusses attention deficits

Mark Goor puts attention deficit disorder in perspective in his faculty lecture.

Mark Goor, dean of the LaFetra College of Education tackled “Attention and Learning: What Teachers and Students Should Know” Monday in the President’s Dining Room. Goor’s lecture addressed how teachers can recognize and understand attention deficit disorder. The event was sponsored by the Faculty Research Committee and the La Verne Academy. / photo by Stephanie Arellanes
Mark Goor, dean of the LaFetra College of Education tackled “Attention and Learning: What Teachers and Students Should Know” Monday in the President’s Dining Room. Goor’s lecture addressed how teachers can recognize and understand attention deficit disorder. The event was sponsored by the Faculty Research Committee and the La Verne Academy. / photo by Stephanie Arellanes

Michael Escañuelas
Staff Writer

Mark Goor, dean of the LaFetra College of Education, put the University of La Verne to the test with his faculty lecture series talk Monday.

Goor’s lecture, “Attention and Learning: What Teachers and Students Should Know,” was held in the President’s Dining Room before a crowd of both students and faculty members that filled out the room and left no empty seats.

“I find it rewarding to talk to people who teach,” Goor said. “Hopefully, what I have to share will make a big difference.”

Goor, who has written three books on the subject of special education, has been hailed as a leader in his profession.

With more than 35 years of teaching experience, Goor joined the ULV administration in February 2008 after serving at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., where he worked as a professor of special education, coordinator of the university’s special education program and as assistant and associate dean for academic and student affairs for 13 years.

“I took it to heart,” said Al Clark, associate vice president for academic affairs and host of the lecture series. “I teach three hour courses and it’s very difficult to keep the attention of the students.”

His lecture centered on some issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children with special needs in classrooms and the relation they have with attention and learning.

The purpose of the lecture was to help encourage and advise future or current teachers in order to modify their methods when dealing with children or even adults with special needs.

Goor’s lecture explored many difficulties that teachers deal with when handling special students’ needs.

He went through certain components of attention and explained the difference in scale between the two ideas of impulsive and reflexive.

Using examples, Goor made it clear to the audience as to what some of the positive and negative attributes are for the two characteristics.

Goor had his audience laughing during his lecture as a method of showing how humor can keep a student interested.

This, along with other elements such as relevance and clarity, were among the essential traits throughout Goor’s lecture.

Goor stressed that a teacher needs to get through to students.

Midway through his lecture, Goor even had his audience stand in order to regain their concentration. Attention is the pre-requisite of learning, Goor said in his lecture.

Throughout his talk, Goor made many references to his research on the topic of attention and learning.

He told stories and used examples from his past work in outside countries and throughout his long teaching career.

In addition to his research, Goor gave the audience a clear perspective on the governing behind school regulations.

By breaking down the individual systems, Goor showed the audience the difference behind Federal and state regulations and how they affect the school board’s regulations.

Although the lecture focused mainly on the needs of special education, Goor touched on the issue of medication in school children.

During questioning he mentioned that drugs like Ritalin have no effect on kids who do not have any disorders and that sometimes children are placed in a system that does not match their learning needs.

“It was a good presentation,” said David Werner, associate professor of English. “He raised good questions.”

Michael Escañuelas can be reached at michael.escanuelas@laverne.edu.

Michael Escañuelas, Editorial Cartoonist
Michael Escañuelas
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