Study suggests giving kids too many toys stifles their creativity (Medical Xpress)—A team of researchers at the University of Toledo in the U.S. has found that children are more creative when they have fewer toys to play with at one time. In their paper published in the journal Infant Behavior and Development, the group describes their observational study of toddlers at play, what they learned and offer some suggestions for parents. Parents have long been subject to the opinions of others, some of which include judgments regarding the number of toys they should provide for their children. In the experiment, parents were asked to bring toddlers to a play area where the little ones were given either four toys or 16 toys to play alone with for 30 minutes. The researchers found that the toddlers playing with four toys engaged in more creative activities than did the toddlers who had 16 toys to choose from. Explore further: Consider eye safety when toy shopping
15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher Recent technological advances have affected many areas of our lives, including the way we communicate, collaborate, learn, and, of course, teach. Those advances necessitate an expansion of our vocabulary, producing definitions such as digital natives, digital immigrants, and the topic of this post—21st-century teacher. As I write this, I’m trying to recall if I ever had heard phrases such as 20th-century teacher or 19th-century teacher. Quick Google searches reassure me that there are no such word combinations. Obviously, teaching in the 21st century is an altogether different phenomenon; never before could learning be happening the way it is now—everywhere, all the time, on any possible topic, supporting any possible learning style or preference. 15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher 1. 2. Sadly, often these papers are simply thrown away once graded. 3. 4. It’s a shame that with all the tools available, we still learn about other cultures, people, and events from the media. 5.
Digging into design thinking: 10 key ideas It’s well documented that the world is moving away from routine, repetitive, low cognitive capacity jobs. The “four C’s” — critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity — are on the rise. Instead of being told what to do, workers will need to do more brainstorming, more creating, more problem solving. What better way to learn that than by making something? That’s what design thinking is all about. Design thinking isn’t a subject, topic or class. I like to think of it as identifying a problem and solving that problem by making something. The book LAUNCH is a blueprint for bringing this kind of thinking into the classroom. And it’s all done in pursuit of standards and your curriculum. (For those that are fascinated by this and want to learn more about design thinking, John Spencer has a great online course called “Design Thinking for Teachers.” Here are some of the key ideas I’ve gained from reading the book and from John’s online course: 1. 2. Which one do you most relate to?
Jessica Lahey’s ‘The Gift of Failure’: A Fear of Risk-Taking Has Destroyed Kids’ Love of Learning I’ve known the mother sitting in front of me at this parent-teacher conference for years, and we have been through a lot together. I have taught three of her children, and I like to think we’ve even become friends during our time together. She’s a conscientious mother who obviously loves her children with all of her heart. I’ve always been honest with her about their strengths and weaknesses, and I think she trusts me to tell her the truth. But when she hits me with the concern that’s been bothering her for a while, all I can do is nod, and stall for time. “Marianna’s grades are fine; I’m not worried about that, but she just doesn’t seem to love learning anymore.” She’s absolutely right. The truth—for this parent and so many others—is this: Her child has sacrificed her natural curiosity and love of learning at the altar of achievement, and it’s our fault. I look at this mother with concern on her face, her eager pencil poised to write down my words of wisdom.
Integrating the 4 Cs into Your Classroom This is a module of trainings designed to show how technology can be used to foster the 21st Century Skills of Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. Although specific technologies are highlighted, there are hundreds more that are just as good that could be used for the same purposes! By the end of this learning module, the learner will be able to: Define the 4 Cs of 21st Century Skills. Google is a trademark of Google.
Seven Questions That Guide the Work of Inspired Teachers - ASCD Inservice By Carol Ann Tomlinson I’m near the ocean where the sky is bright blue and the water is placid, but I can’t help recalling how gray, mute, and turbulent the last 15 months have been. While I spent most of that time wrestling with a book I began four years ago, the process was surprisingly more a gift than a burden. During the long isolation of the pandemic, the book gave me a reason to get out of bed, shake off the mullygrubs, and provoke my brain into gear. Crucially, it gave me a reason to be hopeful for a better future at a time when the world was making me, like many others, skeptical of hoping. The book, So Each May Soar: Principles and Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms, explores what our classrooms might look like if we focused our considerable efforts on what highly effective teaching looks like. While writing, it occurred to me to bring together and compare two resources I’d previously studied. Who are these students? Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr.
What not to do when your kid tells a lie At the ripe old age of 3, my older daughter has begun flirting with falsehoods. So far, the few lies she has told have been comically bad and easy to spot. Her dad and I usually laugh at them with an amused, “Oh, yeah?” But now that I’ve stopped to consider, that strategy seems flawed. While reporting a story on adult lying, I had the pleasure of talking with developmental psychologist Victoria Talwar of McGill University, who studies lying in children. I told her about an episode last week, in which I watched my older daughter swat my younger one. My accusatory question had created conditions ripe for this lie to be spawned. Lying, it turns out, is actually a sign of something good happening in the developing brain. That thought sounds simple, but it’s actually quite profound. For the rest of us parents who can’t maintain an elaborate charade like that, Talwar says the key is to create an environment that fosters truth-telling.
Project-Based Learning Over time, the world of public education has grown increasingly difficult, for both students and teachers. Its focus has drifted from applicable, relevant instruction to test performance and attainment of standards. At times, the prognosis can seem bleak. However, there has been a renewed interest in and revival of John Dewey’s revolutionary 20th-century “learning by doing” theory, in the form of project-based learning (PBL) and the establishment of charter schools. With its focus on demonstration of knowledge and interdisciplinary ideals, project-based learning encourages students to become active participants in their learning. hoonuit, LLC
How to Apply Insights From Neuroscience in the Classroom Understanding, even minimally, how the brain works when it comes to learning can help teachers more effectively educate students. In her recently released book, Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn, Dr. Barbara Oakley and her coauthors provide easy-to-understand explanations of neuroscience concepts and practical tips for how teachers can help students learn more effectively no matter what the content. I recently met with Dr. Understanding Working Memory As explained in Uncommon Sense Teaching, we can think of information as a collection of balls. Special education teachers and learning specialists are well aware of the effect that working memory capacity can have on a student’s ability to learn. “As teachers,” Dr. Declarative Versus Procedural Pathways to Learning Similar to differences in working memory capacity, pathways through which we teach and learn knowledge can vary. Focused Versus Diffuse Modes of Learning Dr.
Study Finds Montessori Schools Level the Playing Field for Disadvantaged Kids Researchers and educators have identified early childhood as one of the most important developmental periods in a person’s life, setting in place patterns that can predict life outcomes. This is not surprising given the fact that the human brain goes through profound changes in the first six years, most of which appear to be permanent. In addition, economic analyses have shown that educational interventions aimed at preschool programs have the highest return on investment. A new longitudinal study from the University of Virginia has been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology comparing the Montessori educational method to regular preschool education. The Montessori method was developed by Dr. Some major differences from regular schooling methods are lack of exams and grades as well as a multi-age classroom in which children can choose whether to work alone or with peers. Academic achievement across preschool by school type.
21st Century Skills Concepts What is meant by "21st Century Skills?" How do they relate to what I should be teaching in my classroom? These are just some of the questions that you might be asking when you hear the term "21st Century Skills." In this series of tutorials, we will present what we mean by the terminology and how it relates to the models, frameworks, and technology standards that have been developed by other organizations. Atomic Learning is a professional development affiliate of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills which supports the integration of 21st century skills into all aspects of teaching and learning. National Educational Technology Standards for Students, Second Edition, © 2007, ISTE ® (International Society for Technology in Education), www.iste.org.
Présentation - Réseau Canopé Depuis 2020, la crise sanitaire a bouleversé nos façons de travailler, d’apprendre et d’enseigner. Combiner présentiel et distanciel est devenu la norme. Cette évolution implique de repenser l’apprentissage de manière globale pour y inclure pleinement les temps passé en dehors de la classe et réfléchir à la meilleure manière d’alterner les moments où les élèves sont en classe entière, en groupes ou en autonomie. Ce dossier vous propose de faire un tour d’horizon – en 4 étapes – des éléments clés et pratiques innovantes concernant ce nouveau mode d’enseignement. Pour prolonger cette présentation, vous trouverez une sélection de webinaires et de sites référents, à découvrir en fonction de vos projets ou de vos besoins.
12 "myths" about education in Finland debunked The success of public schooling in Finland has been a huge topic of discussion in the education community over the past year. I’ve read a few good articles about it, including Why Are Finland’s Schools So Successful?, and was impressed with what I learned. So when the image to the left started circulating on social media, I shared it along with a link to 26 Amazing Facts About Education in Finland. The image and the article weren’t in total agreement about the state of Finnish education, and neither were commenters on Facebook. A Finland native named Nina Smith had recently offered to guest blog for me, and I was thrilled when she was receptive to my request for her to respond to the rumors floating around about Finnish education. Obviously, Nina can’t speak on the experiences of all students and teachers in Finland, but having received her own education there as well as having taught there for several years, I feel she has some important experiences and insights to share with us.