Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking Hosts Conference on “Attention and Distraction in the Classroom” on April 24
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Bard College’s Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT) will host its annual April Conference and welcomes educators of all disciplines on Friday, April 24 from 9:30 am to 4 pm. This year’s IWT conference will focus on “Attention and Distraction in the Classroom.” The 2026 conference will be hybrid, and participants can join online or in person at Bard’s Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, campus.As demands on attention multiply, this conference considers how teachers can create vibrant communities of attention in the classroom and how writing-based practices can invite students to slow down and more thoughtfully engage with their learning and lived experiences. The keynote speaker, D. Graham Burnett, is a historian, writer, and professor whose work invites people into collaborative experiments in attention. He is the co-founder of the Strother School of Radical Attention, and Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University.
Tuition fees are $635, with Early Bird registration (prior to March 27) and Group discounts available. To apply for a scholarship, please submit an application here by March 27. Participants will earn 5.5 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education credit hours. Learn more about the conference and register at iwt.bard.edu/april/.
Participants will meet in small, interactive workshop groups to read, write, and explore a range of pedagogical practices, and will take up the intertwined themes of attention and distraction in the classroom, asking how we can create spaces where students rediscover the joy of deep engagement with ideas, texts, and each other. Each participant will also receive an anthology of texts and a copy of Burnett’s newly released book, Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement (January 2026).
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About IWT
Founded in 1982, the Institute for Writing and Thinking’s (IWT) philosophy and practice center on the principle that writing is not merely a record of completed thought, but also an exploratory process that deepens learning across disciplines. IWT brings together middle school, high school, and college teachers for innovative, intellectually stimulating, and practical workshops that emphasize hands-on instruction in a collaborative learning environment. Teachers hone skills that help students discover and interpret meaning, engage in productive dialogue, and learn critical thinking skills that support academic writing and learning. Learn more at iwt.bard.edu.
Founded in 1982, the Institute for Writing and Thinking’s (IWT) philosophy and practice center on the principle that writing is not merely a record of completed thought, but also an exploratory process that deepens learning across disciplines. IWT brings together middle school, high school, and college teachers for innovative, intellectually stimulating, and practical workshops that emphasize hands-on instruction in a collaborative learning environment. Teachers hone skills that help students discover and interpret meaning, engage in productive dialogue, and learn critical thinking skills that support academic writing and learning. Learn more at iwt.bard.edu.
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About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 13 graduate programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 13 graduate programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 165-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.
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This event was last updated on 03-06-2026
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