Teaching Empathy: Cultivating Communities of Kindness in the Digital Age. The next sessions I’m attending is “Teaching Empathy: Culivating Communities of Kindness in the Digital Age” with Andrea Hernandez of the Martin J. Gottleib Day School in Jacksonville, Florida, Vinnie Vrotny, the Director of Academic Technology at Quest Academy in Palatine, Illinois, Devorah Heitner an educational consult, and Mike Kirchberg, a parent at the Sacred Heart Schools of Chicago. Courtesy of WIkimedia Commons One of the key elements with the digital world is taking advantage of teaching opportunities – students will make mistakes and it’s important to use them as a chance to redirect and guide them appropriately. For example, commenting on other student blogs requires thought and productivity. Students write their own commenting policy for their blog, e.g. “do not use text talk,” “be kind not rude.” These types of lessons can help them when they go out and comment on other peoples’ blogs.
It’s important to teach children to be kind online as well as in person. Like this:
Peace Talks - Teaching for Triumph: Reflections of a 21st-Century ELL Teacher. When my wife and I began teaching 4th grade at P.S. 192 in West Harlem, we realized that something was missing from our behavior management systems. We had the table points, the color chart, the letters home and the positive incentives. We had the class meetings, the goal-setting, the teambuilding, even a student-developed charter of class rights and responsibilities.
Despite these elaborate systems, the kids still had conflicts all day long. Some of their conflicts, of course, happened in class--Raul snickered at Daisy's drawing of a pig, or Gustavo kept hogging his group's place value blocks. Most of their skirmishes happened out of our classrooms and out of our sight, during lunch and recess. The boys' conflicts tended to be refreshingly straightforward--Juan punched Bobby in the stomach, so Bobby kicked him in the head. The girls' conflicts could be downright diabolical, an intricate web of alliances and betrayals. My responses always felt inadequate. 1. We didn't listen in. Research: How SEL Classroom Management Techniques Build Academic Achievement. Respect, responsibility, and a community-based learning atmosphere promote success at Mount Desert Elementary School, a K-8 public school in Northeast Harbor, Maine.
An important aspect of the culture at Mount Desert is allowing students and teachers autonomy to determine what works best in their classrooms for promoting students' learning. Credit: Alyssa Fedele Mount Desert Elementary School is a small, K-8 public school in Northeast Harbor, Maine, that has successfully created a strong learning community that is the basis of the school's academic success. Since 2006, this elementary school has consistently outperformed the state of Maine in the percentage of students at "Proficient with Distinction" or above on state tests, and has been awarded National Blue Ribbon Schools Program status for academic excellence in 2008. Responsive Classroom An Approach That Helps Build Positive Relationships Using Discipline Challenges as Learning Opportunities Credit: Rebeccas Heniser Making Math Relevant.
Social and Emotional Techniques That Help Students Focus on Academic Progress. SchoolMount Desert Elementary School LocationNortheast Harbor, Maine School TypeRural, public Target AudienceGrades K-8 Note: Demographic data below is from the 2011-12 academic year. School Enrollment: 170 Student Demographics:95% Caucasian/white<4% African American/black<4% Hispanic<4% Asian/Pacific Islander0% American Indian/Native Alaskan20% free or reduced-price meals15% special services1% English as a second language Note: Expenditures below are from the 2011-12 academic year.
Per-Pupil Operating Expenditures: School/District: $15,756State (Maine): $9,121Student Achievement: Since 2006, Mount Desert Elementary School has consistently outperformed the state of Maine in the percentage of students proficient or above on state tests, and was awarded National Blue Ribbon Schools Program status for academic excellence in 2008. Research: How SEL Classroom Management Techniques Build Academic Success By Vanessa Vega and Youki Terada Continue and learn more...
Teaching Your Students How to Have a Conversation. I was recently in a third grade classroom and was struck by the presence of rules that were posted for how to have a conversation. The poster said, "Each person must contribute to the discussion but take turns talking. Ask each other, 'Would you like to add to my idea?
' or 'Can you tell us what you are thinking? ' Ask questions so that you understand each other's ideas. Say, 'Can you tell me more about that? ' Having visited many middle and high schools, I think these same rules could -- and probably should -- be posted there as well. Maybe you have also observed how common it is nowadays for students to not know how to have a conversation. 8 Tips for Speaking and Listening While it is impossible to know all of the reasons, there is no doubt that learning to listen and talk is an extremely important way to broaden knowledge, enhance understanding and build community. 1.
"Really? "" If these students don't or won't share easily at first, don't give up. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Mindful Moments: Teaching Students Self-Awareness. Published Online: November 5, 2013 By Brett Bohstedt Teachers know stress. And if we don't know how to manage that stress in a systematic way, we can become ineffective at what we do best (not to mention feel miserable). Many of our students live with stress as well, and not just at school. I've used mindfulness practices—paying close attention to thoughts, feelings, and body sensations—for nearly 10 years. In addition to cultivating awareness of my mind and body, the practices have changed the way I relate to stress.
Research as a Backbone My personal testimony and a handful of anecdotes were not going to be enough to educate my coworkers, or the students and their parents, about the value of the program. Previous Piece By Brett Bohstedt: I tailored the definition to make sense for students and teachers by compiling evidence that supported how mindfulness practices reduce stress, increase attention, and create self-regulation and self-awareness. Breath Focus Body Scan A Kind Line Web Only. Aggression and the Brain. Although previous studies implicated the brain chemical serotonin in all types of aggression, research suggests that it may only be involved in escalated aggression and violence. Studies also question whether changes in the serotonin system are the cause or effect of escalated aggression. Research now suggests that unchecked aggressive behavior can eventually change the brain in ways that alter serotonin levels and, perhaps, increase violent behavior.
Researchers modeled pathological aggression in wild mice and rats by permitting them to physically dominate other rodents repeatedly. With such positive reinforcement, a relatively small proportion of the animals’ initially normal aggressiveness gradually became transformed into a more violent form — similar to the kind seen in violent people. Genetic studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have identified other brain compounds important in aggression. Miczek KA, de Almeida RM, Kravitz EA, Rissman EF, de Boer, SF, et al. Ralph Fletcher on boy writers and his new book. August 7th, 2012 As the father of four sons and the author of countless nonfiction and fiction books, Ralph Fletcher has a natural interest in boys and writing.
He has spent the last several years working with boy writers and their teachers, as well as interviewing other male authors about writing for boys. Ralph shared his insights on the subject in Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices and in his video, Dude, Listen to This. Now he has written a book for students (fourth grade and up) called Guy-Write: What Every Guy Writer Needs to Know, published by Henry Holt and Co.
Ralph talked about the new book and about engaging boy writers in a recent conversation with Stenhouse General Manager Dan Tobin. Leave a comment or ask a question — we will pick a random winner to receive a signed copy of Boy Writers and Guy-Write. Let’s start with the new book. Teachers are the audience for Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices. I write for myself. There are some developmental issues at play here. Ha! MythBuster Adam Savage's Colossal Failures. Bio Adam Savage Adam Savage has spent his life gathering skills that allow him to take what's in his brain and make it real.
He's built everything from ancient Buddhas to futuristic weapons, from spaceships to dancing vegetables, from fine art sculptures to animated chocolate and just about anything else you can think of. The son of a filmmaker/painter and psychotherapist, Savage has been making his own toys since he was allowed to hold scissors. Having held positions as a projectionist, animator, graphic designer, carpenter, interior and stage designer, toy designer, welder, and scenic painter, he's worked with every material and process he could get his hands on - metal, paper, glass, plastic, rubber, foam, plaster, pneumatics, hydraulics, animatronics, neon, glassblowing, mold making and injection molding, to name just a few.
Click on any word within the transcript to jump to that point in the program. next previous cancel To download this program become a Front Row member. What life lesson do older people feel young people most need to know? Checklist: 8 things to do every day that will make you much happier. 8 things to do every day that will make you happier. Teachers As "Givers, Takers & Matchers": An Interview With Adam Grant - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo. UserID: iCustID: IsLogged: false IsSiteLicense: false UserType: anonymous DisplayName: TrialsLeft: 0 Trials: Tier Preview Log: Exception pages ( /teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2013/07/teachers_as_givers_takers_matchers_an_interview_with_adam_grant.html ) = NO Internal request ( 198.27.80.164 ) = NO Open House ( 2014-04-22 12:00:12 ) = NO Site Licence : ( 198.27.80.164 ) = NO ACL Free A vs U ( 2100 vs 0 ) = NO Token Free (NO TOKEN FOUND) = NO Blog authoring preview = NO Search Robot ( Firefox ) = NO Purchased ( 0 ) = NO Monthly ( 0684cda2-117e-57c9-1e86-c1cb1127b32c : 3 / 3 ) = NO 0: /teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2012/09/the_new_digital_divide_1.html 1: /tm/articles/2008/09/10/01tln_jolly.h20.html 2: /ew/articles/2012/02/24/22resources_ep.h31.html.
How Habits Work - Charles Duhigg. From the appendix to The Power of Habit: The difficult thing about studying the science of habits is that most people, when they hear about this field of research, want to know the secret formula for quickly changing any habit. If scientists have discovered how these patterns work, then it stands to reason that they must have also found a recipe for rapid change, right? If only it were that easy. It’s not that formulas don’t exist. The problem is that there isn’t one formula for changing habits. Individuals and habits are all different, and so the specifics of diagnosing and changing the patterns in our lives differ from person to person and behavior to behavior.
As a result, this book doesn’t contain one prescription. But that doesn’t mean it can’t occur. Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. Identify the routine Experiment with rewards Isolate the cue Have a plan To understand your own habits, you need to identify the components of your loops. And what’s the reward? Location. The upside of teens playing video games for hours. If your teenagers are too immersed in video games to take out the garbage or finish homework, it might not be all bad. They may be learning how to be better future citizens. Kathy Sanford, an education professor at the University of Victoria, has heard all the downsides of kids hooked on video game play.
But through a five-year research project, following a group of kids who were aged 13-17 at the start, she’s now convinced there is an upside – youth can, and do, adapt their screen-life strategies to useful skills in the outside world. Dr. Sanford sat down with The Globe and Mail on Tuesday, shortly before presenting her findings at a UVic conference of humanities and social sciences with some 7,000 delegates from across the country. There is a disturbing trend with voters under the age of 35, who are the least likely to participate in elections. Is our education system adapting to teach this generation of “digital learners” we’re seeing? The ultimate goal in gaming is to win.
Developing Character, Courage & College Readiness - Vander Ark on Innovation. UserID: iCustID: IsLogged: false IsSiteLicense: false UserType: anonymous DisplayName: TrialsLeft: 0 Trials: Tier Preview Log: Exception pages ( /edweek/on_innovation/2013/06/developing_character_courage_college_readiness.html ) = NO Internal request ( 192.99.46.101 ) = NO Open House ( 2014-04-21 19:02:43 ) = NO Site Licence : ( 192.99.46.101 ) = NO ACL Free A vs U ( 2100 vs 0 ) = NO Token Free (NO TOKEN FOUND) = NO Blog authoring preview = NO Search Robot ( Firefox ) = NO Purchased ( 0 ) = NO Monthly ( 87b7ed34-5293-6013-5700-a00fe1b269e8 : 3 / 3 ) = NO 0: /teachers/worldteachersday/2012/10/How_the_world_recruits_teachers.html 1: /tm/articles/2012/06/27/tln_merz.html Access denied ( -1 ) = NO Internal request ( 66.151.111.54 ) = NO.
Five-Minute Film Festival: Nine Videos on Kindness, Empathy, and Connection. I'd like to offer up a video playlist to remind all of us about the power of empathy, kindness, and human connections. It's always a good time to practice gratitude for the relationships that sustain us all -- for the people who have taught us in a school setting and beyond, and for the young ones we are able to nurture and inspire. I was also thinking about how many of us are living out the paradox of being ever more plugged in, and ever more aware of what's happening in our community via social media platforms, while at the same time, face-to-face interactions are less frequent than ever before. We are in constant touch, but barely touching. Watching these videos made me remember the importance of re-connecting, treating people with kindness and respect, and being generous and compassionate to both loved ones and strangers. If each of us pledged to do more of that, we'd make a better world for all of us to learn and grow in.
Video Playlist: Kindness, Empathy, and Connection. Building Hope in Our Children. By Susana C. Marques & Shane J. Lopez I usually had bad grades in English, and I didn´t feel interest for this subject. Sometimes I didn't do the homework. This year, I have a new English teacher, and she is always paying attention to me and if I do my English homework. I started to feel that I have to do it, because every day I have English class, my teacher wants to know if I am working and for sure I am one of the students that have to answer one of the homework questions.
I like her because she helps students to study and like English. This 12-year-old girl's story is an example of how “caring coaches” (Snyder, 1994) in the schools contribute greatly in helping schools become hopeful places for children. Showing up. Hope and 20 Years of Research Over the last 20 years, researchers have gained a clearer understanding of the relationships between hope and important aspects of students' lives.
Enhancing Hope in Students Help students set goals. Encourage goals that excite students. Teaching with Poverty in Mind, by: Eric Jensen | Social Emotional Needs, Part II. Choice Literacy - Articles & Videos - Full Article. Inscribed upon my wrist: Emphasizing effort to empower learning SmartBlogs. What Kind of Success Does 'Character' Predict? Jfta_feb_2010. Celebrating National Character Counts Week. Chess: The Best Move for Students. 5 Minutes to a Calmer Classroom... How to teach … behaviour management. 11 Facts About Homeless Youth. The Problem With Punishing Emotions.