Homeschoolers can learn from Swedish preschools There's a big push in the United States to introduce formal academics earlier and earlier for young children, and that has been spilling into the homeschooling community. While many homeschoolers of the 90's chose to homeschool because of issues like schools transitioning to full-day kindergarten and the "too much, too soon" academic pressures that were being pushed on children, many of today's new homeschoolers are mimicking modern public schools even in the preschool years and before. However, much of the world is catching on to the idea that early academics do not do children any favors, and in fact, they lead to lower academic scores and educational burnout just a few years later. Teachers TV, a group that produces educational programs to benefit teachers, highlighted Swedish preschools in their video series "How Do They Do It?" for their Early Years series. They say: Sweden's attitude to teaching one to six year olds appears incredibly relaxed. As the narrator says, NBC says:
edutopia When looking at how engaged students are in playing games, it makes sense to capture some of the ideas that game designers use to engage the player. This idea of applying gaming mechanics to non-game situations is known as gamification. What defines a game is having a goal or objective. Providing a Playful Context In addition to adding to the fun of the activity, having a story can provide context for student learning. To get started, try including a paragraph with each assignment that tells a little story. Expand this idea to creating a theme or story for an entire unit. In a PE class, adapt the story from popular video games to give your students tasks that they must complete. Reimagining the Objective Get students involved in the story. Many math games are really just playsheets where the content is the same as what would be found on a worksheet, but fun graphics and a story take place around the math problem. The Role-Playing Student
Competency-Based Learning or Personalized Learning Transitioning away from seat time, in favor of a structure that creates flexibility, allows students to progress as they demonstrate mastery of academic content, regardless of time, place, or pace of learning. Competency-based strategies provide flexibility in the way that credit can be earned or awarded, and provide students with personalized learning opportunities. These strategies include online and blended learning, dual enrollment and early college high schools, project-based and community-based learning, and credit recovery, among others. By enabling students to master skills at their own pace, competency-based learning systems help to save both time and money. The links on this page are provided for users convenience and are not an endorsement. State efforts District efforts Alternative/credit recovery schools and programs Additional resources: < Back to the Improving Student Achievement index < Back to the Increasing Educational Productivity index
New Zealand Weather Maps & Rain Radar | ONE News Now Weather Analysis Sat Oct 03 08:15:00 NZDT 2015 The 'Isobar' or 'Synoptic' map is updated at 6am, midday and 6pm, everyday. It illustrates the weather systems currently in play around New Zealand and the East Coast of Australia at sea level. Weather Satellite edutopia As a teacher, you put a lot of thought into how to make your class and the material as accessible and engaging as possible. You think about what you know, and how you first learned it. You think about what your students already know, and how to use that knowledge as the foundation for what you're about to teach. And, as if that's not enough, you think about how to make your content so engaging that no matter what else is happening (lunch next period, upcoming prom, or the latest social media scandal among the sophomores), your lesson will hold your students' attention. All that thought goes into a lesson, and still there are students spacing out during class or seeming to fall behind. Working so hard and still not reaching every student can be frustrating. Thinking About Learning In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences reviewed everything we know about learning in a paper called How Students Learn. That's exactly what Eric Mazur decided to do. Shifting the Responsibility
10 Tools to Help Students Keep Track of Tasks This Year This is the time of year when many of us make resolutions. If one of your students' resolutions is to do a better job of keeping track of tasks and assignments, have them take a look at one of the following options. If your school is using Google Apps for Education or your students have personal Gmail accounts, they already have some great tools at their disposal. In Gmail students can simply select "tasks" under the "Mail" drop-down menu in Gmail. That will open a small pop-up window in which they can enter their lists of tasks. Todoist is a task management service that impresses me with its clean design and intuitive user interface. Fetchnotes is a neat service for creating and keeping notes online. Wunderlist is a free task management service that syncs across all of the devices that you use. Flask is a simple tool for making to-do lists and sharing them with others. DropTask is a task management service that has a neat user interface.
Suzie's Home Education Ideas: 10 Ways to Support an Interest in Engineering When our son was just sixteen months old, we brought him a little train set. With some help, our son would design and build the train route as he showed a natural curiosity in all things engineering. From the early days of playing with trains and blocks, to now building bridges (from paddle pop sticks) and wiring electrical circuits, our son's love of engineering science is evident. Now that our daughters are starting to show an interest in engineering too, I have been reflecting on how my husband and I have supported our son's learning and how we can do the same for daughters. A Designated Work Area Every learner needs to have a work space where they can make their ideas come alive. Quality Equipment When our son was four years old, we got him a tool kit with real tools. A Journal One of the best ways to encourage engineering is to have loads of paper available to draw on. A Range of Resources There are plenty of manufactured resources that can support the budding engineer. Literature
edutopia For decades, my grandmother boycotted Mother's Day. "Mothers should be appreciated every day!" she'd argue. I'm all for teachers being appreciated, don't get me wrong, but Teacher Appreciation Day (May 5) ruffles my feathers. As a teacher, I never felt particularly appreciated by my principal, colleagues, students, or parents. Of course, those administrators, colleagues, students, and parents are not an exception in our society, and they themselves rarely feel appreciated. In the Classroom When I taught, I worked diligently to build a classroom community where kids appreciated each other. Imagine, please, what this was like for our class -- the way kids anticipated receiving positive feedback at the end of the day, how this motivated them to be kind members of our community, how they started focusing their attention on what their classmates were doing well, and what it felt like for all of us to hear 24 declarations of appreciation to close the day. Colleagues Appreciating Each Other
Honors Biology Class Handouts - Mr. M.N. Baker Chapter 7 Cell Structure and Function Chapter 10: Cell Growth and Division Chapter 11: Introduction to Genetics Chapter 12: DNA and RNA Chapter 13: Genetic Engineering C13A1: Create A DNA Fingerprint to understand Restriction Enzymes and Gel Electrophoresis Internet Links: Nova: Create A DNA Fingerprint DNA Learning Center: Lecture: Unit 4 Test Review Chapter 14: The Human Genome Turning the tables: questions for school parents - Racheous - Respectful Learning & Parenting Imagine if when you told people you had chosen to send your kids to school, you were met with the kind of assumptions, judgement and questioning that is typical of families who have chosen to homeschool. Imagine that after all your research and thought, you were met with: The assumption that you homeschool and shock when they find out you’re not. Them quizzing your child to check what school is teaching them. Outdated assumptions that don’t apply to modern schooling. “I could never do that! “I knew someone who was schooled and they were freaks” “Oh I don’t know if she would suit school, she’s a bit too spirited for school” And questions.. “Is that legal?” “Are you concerned about negative socialisation? “Aren’t you worried they will end up ‘weird’?” “How much does it cost and how are you going to pay for it?” “Are you going to miss them? “Do you worry about rules being enforced and your child’s lack of autonomy?” “Are you worried about what school will teach them?” Frustrating huh?!
edutopia Problem solving is at the heart of engineering. No wonder, then, that engineering teacher Alexander Pancic leverages his own problem-solving skills to improve his students' learning experiences at Brighton High School in Boston, Massachusetts. "I've been trying to get my students to make the step, when they encounter a problem, of asking, 'What do I need to know to try to solve it?'" Students who are accustomed to doing worksheets, Pancic says, "get used to having everything they need to know included in the problems. Life isn't like that. You encounter real-life problems and have to figure out, what do I need to know? Teachers interested in creating more student-driven learning experiences, especially in the STEM fields, are likely to benefit from Pancic's strategies and the resources he finds useful. Learning from Authentic Challenges Pancic's teaching approach has evolved since he discovered a resource called PBL Projects. Finding the Right Fit Doubling Up on Learning
Brain Breaks: 7 YouTube Channels to Get Kids Moving Whether you’re stuck inside because of the weather, you just need to change up the tone on one of THOSE days at home, or you’re looking for brain break ideas for your class or group, this collection of YouTube channels includes plenty of inspiration to get kids moving, grooving and having fun. They’re just perfect for a re-set, whether you are at home or at school. For those of you wondering, what is a brain break? 7 Youtube Channels To Get Kids Moving & Grooving 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. What are your favourite Youtube channels for kids movement? You may also like: Save Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. Read more of Christie's adventures at