#and also our app is starting to be implemented in classrooms for children AND adults

[aurosoulart]

I feel like I’ve been posting a ton lately (because there’s a lot goin on!!!!) but FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH TWITTER: Figmin XR just published our AWE competition video!!!

❗ PLEASE like/retweet it if you want to help us with our company mission of using AR (augmented reality) to reduce material waste. ❗

we’re an indie team of 4 people competing against large companies, so we’re relying pretty much entirely on word of mouth to spread the word about what we’re doing. we’re also competing against the AI and web3 (crypto) crowd, which are unfortunately still big in the tech industry

we’re competing in multiple award categories at AWE and will be relying on public votes, so literally any and all visibility helps us immensely right now. 🙏

I’ll be posting the video to @figminxr later, so don’t stress if you’re not on twitter. I’ll be sharing more info about the competition in the post as well!

[4myluna]

Question 1

b. What are some of the research-proven strategies for educating students with autism? What are the arguments that some propose against these strategies? How can these arguments be combated?

I have work with several students that are in the autism spectrum.  Reminiscing about the first year of being a special education teacher and how this experience literally change my life.  One of my first students, whom was diagnosed with mild to severe autism, was scary at first.  It turns out he was the most lovable, kind hearted, innocent and sincere person I had the privilege to have meet.  In the beginning I didn’t know what to expect and was super nervous at the experience. However, as the school year progress I couldn’t have asked for a most awesome student.  He taught me to not be scared of people with autism and most revolutionized my whole  perspective. I was truly enlighten and made the time for my children to meet him.  My oldest daughter, a high school student at the time, meet him as well and simply felt so much care for him.  During our school valentines dance I made it a goal for my children to volunteer and dance with my life skills students.  While other made fun, they enjoyed the experience.  The strategies I learned my first year fundamentally work with my other students.  Now, not all students are the same, but to my surprise certain strategies did work. Visual supports is, at least to me, a lifesaving research proven strategy.  Actually, I have visual schedule for all my students regardless of their diagnosis.  According to Heward, Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad, “visual schedules are important for children with autism because they provide structure and routine, promote self-sufficiency, facilitate smooth transitions form one activity to the next, provide structure for down time, help understand what activities are associate with different physical spaced, and have the potential to promote social interactions and communications skills (p.242).  In my experience visual support are essential and to a degree could even be a survival tool for the student.  Not only are visual schedules important in the classroom, but helps with generalization.  During the transition years the student can potentially obtain a job and use visual support to be successful.  If the individual has the capacity to use the phone a visual schedule planner app can be use. Concerning those that are against using visual supports the fact stands that the evidence of the benefits outweigh the potential harms.  Any arguments against the use of visual supports can be annul by scientific research that explain the benefits.                  

Question 2

a. As a first-grade teacher, what process would you follow if you had concerns about one of your student’s speech development? What are some strategies you can implement should a language impairment be diagnosed?

About 6 years ago I was a pre-kindergarten general education teacher.  Although, I was not a first grade teacher there are early signs of delayed speech development.  While in the early years of someone life’s we, as adults, should give our children room for growth.  I find that to many parents are competitive as to their children’s accomplishments. Personally, I find this parental competitive to be ridiculous.  Focusing on the subject of speech development and what process I would follow will be fundamentally start with the parental analyzation.  Particularly I go through the experience of being very concern about two of my pre-kinder students.  I never blurred my concerns to the parents, however I did expressed them to the school director.  However, the director would always respond the legally we are not to make our own conclusions because we are not doctors and that it was the parents responsibility to inform us of any diagnosis.  In other words, I couldn’t state my opinion on the matter.  Now I did work for a private school in which the rule and regulations are very different than public schools.  Now what I was able to do is that during our parent teacher conferences I would print research articles concerning general topics I could not talk about.  I learned that educating the parent is the best process to inform a parent on any subject. This particular child was diagnose two years after he was in my class and it turns out that I was right.  However, never did I mentioned anything to the parent due to that fact that my school director explicitly told me that I did not have any credentials nor expertise on that area.  This child did not use words and would just act on instincts. The times I would try to conversate with this student he would just stare at me with that particular look and message of “I don’t comprehend what you are telling me.”  I would take the time to sit with him one on one and have him repeat the words, echolalia.  Mother would sometimes ask me questions about his speech development and I had to be very careful and just answer that my recommendations would be to ask a doctor. I think that it’s very important for a child that has speech impairment to receive related services from a speech language pathologist even if it’s in the form of indirect services.  Actually, there has been several times that our school speech pathologist has recommended dismissal of services I’m extremely careful to concur.  There has been times in which I’m against dismissing speech services and has been my experience that most likely that student will not be dismissed.  Of course, as a case manager I will give my counter argument if needed.  Usually the ARD committee will come to an agreement and provide indirect services, even if it’s 10 minute a month.  I have a very good relationship with my student’s speech pathologist and I’m not afraid to ask her for council.  Heward, Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad states that “ it is often difficult to distinguish between a student whose learning and communication problems result from a disability and as student whose primary need is systematic, culturally responsive instruction” (p. 274).

Question 3

c. Explain the difference between academic achievement and intelligence as it pertains to a student with a hearing loss.

The difference between academic achievement and intelligence just in general can be vast.  Just because a student with or without disabilities has low academic achievement doesn’t mean it’s due to intelligence.  According to Heward, Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad. “academic performance must not be equated with intelligence” (p.296).  For example, my son was recently diagnosed with Dyslexia.  I always said he was a smart child a higher level thinker, but his struggles at school were very distressing.  His grades did not reflect his intellectual capacity.  I use this example to explain that we as teacher and parent should not judge a child by their grades.  I have another child that is a straight A student and right off the bat she is judge as a smart girl.  I’m not saying she is not, however so is her brother whom has all C.  The unfortunate fact is that most in the academic world define students by a number like a, what is your GPA or grade in a class and not by looking at the whole child.  It might be that the person that has the disability is good with overcoming challenges and has grit, endurance and flexibility in different situations. A person with the disability of hearing impairment or any disability must be considered as someone who has potential regardless of what the “numbers” indicate.  Also, taken into consideration that notion as to whom standards are we defining intelligence and academic achievement.  Conducting accurate intellectual assessments in children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing is fundamental in determining and designing interventions and educational services.  Also, an assessment of the whole child must be evaluated even parental interview of the capacities of the child.    

Reference

Heward, W.L., Alber-Morgan, S.R., & Konrad, M. (2017). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, 11th Edition. Pearson.

[superlinguo]

Linguistics Jobs: Interview with a Learning Scientist

Language lessons with Duolingo and other language learning apps can sometimes go so well that you can forget that there are people who make them happen. One of those people is Cindy Blanco, a Learning Scientist at Duolingo.  You can follow her on Twitter (@YeahThatCindy) or just think fondly of her and the team next time you enjoy a good lesson in Duolingo. Anyone for some Welsh? High Valyrian? Hawaiian? Swahili? How many languages do I have time to start right now? Here’s Cindy with what it means to be a Learning Scientist.

What did you study at university?

I majored in linguistics at UNC-Greensboro, which had a linguistics program at the time. I was already majoring in English and Spanish, with a minor in Russian, but since the language departments were focused on literature, it was a while before I learned what linguistics was. I was obsessed with capital-L Language and with languages, but I was shaping up to be a pretty bad literature student - I would get so consumed with words and usage and differences in language across periods and regions that I couldn't focus on the actual reading! I still remember taking a class called "The Structure of English," which was a covert intro to linguistics, and by the end of the first day I realized, "THIS! This is what I am: a linguist."

I later began a PhD program in Spanish Linguistics at Penn State, and in a moment of panic over a life in academia, I stopped after the MA and took some time off. I taught Spanish full time, worked as an instructional designer, and translated as an administrative assistant for a law clinic in Texas. Even though I was never far from languages and linguistics, I wanted to keep learning about linguistics and language science. I returned to graduate school when the opportunity arose to work in labs focused on child language and psycholinguistics. My dissertation was on speech perception in bilingual children and adults, and I graduated with my PhD in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016. After the PhD, I conducted research as a postdoc in cognitive psychology at Northwestern University.

What is your job?

At Duolingo, I work as a learning scientist. It's taken me a while to grow into this title, because in academia I identified as a language scientist - but part of transitioning to industry has involved learning to talk about my skill set in an applied setting. None of my degrees say "learning" so it didn't feel right to call myself a learning scientist... but 8 years of experimental research on language learning definitely do make me an expert in my favorite kind of learning!

I think I have the best position at Duolingo: my job is to inform product development in linguistically- and pedagogically-sound ways to improve learning outcomes for language students worldwide. I work very closely with some of my product teams; with others, I'm more of an on-call consultant to answer questions, give feedback, and brainstorm new approaches. I work with teams of engineers, designers, and product managers to find creative, effective technological solutions to the puzzle of language learning. There is no typical day, but in any given week, I will brainstorm prototypes of new products, manage teams of freelance language experts and translators, lead workshops on language acquisition, and develop guidelines for new lesson types. I also conduct user experience interviews (translation: qualitative research) and research on learning outcomes. I'm also really interested in building more direct links between the work I'm doing now and the academic community, so I regularly attend conferences, I co-organize Duolingo's colloquium series, and I am working to build partnerships locally in Pittsburgh.

How does your linguistics training help you in your job?

I use my training every day, in every meeting, and I love that I can still be both researcher and instructor. I've designed research studies, written up reports, and presented my findings to experts and non-experts alike. I'm using the principles that I learned in classes on second language acquisition, speech perception, and psycholinguistics to inform new, better ways to teach languages. Right now I'm even preparing a company-wide workshop on phonetics and L2 phonology! I've honed so many new skills at Duolingo, and that has been really fun and rewarding, but here I'm a linguist through and through. I even hold linguistics office hours, where my colleagues can drop by to ask me linguistics questions, related to our work or otherwise. I've recently chatted with coworkers about grammatical gender, Proto-Indo-European, and the regularization of verb paradigms!

I was recently in a situation where I was helping a team brainstorm new ways to teach grammar. We knew we wanted to improve learning outcomes for a particular topic related to verb conjugations, and so I briefed the team on how the particular grammatical feature works, how it varies cross-linguistically, and some of the main challenges for learning it. I then worked with a designer to look at what our options were for creating new exercises and what the technological challenges would be for implementation. I also worked with a product manager to think about how we could scale different solutions across a huge number of language courses and language types, and what kind of guidance we would have to give to the language experts who create content for all those different languages (that's not me!). In these contexts, I have to think like a linguist, and when I do my job well I'm also teaching others about linguistics, and hopefully creating a new way for learners to engage with their new language.

Do you have any advice do you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university?

I wish I had been encouraged to think broadly and creatively! Languages and linguistics show up in more places than college classrooms, and the skills I built as a graduate student, researcher, and instructor do translate outside of academia. Really, they do!

I was a Duolingo learner for years before I realized it was a place I could make a contribution. It was just an app I used for fun, and it seemed so far from what my PhD research was about that I didn't consider myself a good fit. And it's true, I no longer plead with bilingual preschoolers to categorize my carefully-created allophones in timed tasks, but my whole job is thinking about how to capitalize on a learner's language background to help them learn a new language given limited time and resources. THAT is a problem I was trained to think through. My research and interests have moved in a new direction for sure, but what tenure-track professor's research interests don't also evolve over time? I'm learning and thinking through new problems, and applying familiar concepts to new domains, and that's what drew me to linguistics to begin with.

The best piece of advice I ever got was from another grad student who, reflecting on her own struggles in academic job markets, told me to get a summer internship before I finished the PhD. Internships are easier to get when you're a student, and having one on your CV (or resume) shows a potential employer that you know how to be successful in industry. I'm good at being a linguist, but I'm much newer to collaborating with people from very different fields (and not different like linguistics and psychology are different - I mean different different). I interned at a small start-up for two summers, and that's where I began learning that how you talk about your trade and your ideas to non-expert colleagues is at least as important as what your ideas are in the first place.

Any other thoughts or comments?

I kept returning to the academic path even after time away (and the occasional existential crisis) because I was really worried that I wouldn't feel challenged, engaged, or fulfilled in industry. Even when grad school and research was hard, I loved learning, and I had a good deal of autonomy in what I studied and how. I thought I'd have to give all that up.

That hasn't been my experience at all! And as a learning scientist I'm making a contribution to language learning on a scale I had never before imagined. I get to work on lots of projects, I have a lot of agency in the work I do, and I work with smart, talented people who know about things I'd never thought about. They are my collaborators now, and I have so much to learn from them. They are curious and capable, and they push me to think more, and think better, every day. They're helping me become a new kind of linguist.

Recently:

Interview with an Internet Linguist

Interview with a Lexicographer

Interview with a School Linguist

Interview with a Journalist

Interview with a PR Consultant

Check out the Linguist Jobs Master List and the Linguist Jobs tag for even more interviews  

[juniperpublishers-imst]

Exploring Innovative Teaching Techniques in Higher Institutions in Cameroon – A Case Study of the Catholic University Institute of Buea, The Growth Entrepreneurial Mindset University

Abstract

Innovative or creative teaching is known to nurtures students’ creative potential and this requires four competencies namely learning, social, educational, and technological which involves the preparedness and readiness to learn, communicate with others from different backgrounds, passion and knowledgeability, and finally the use of technology to further student understanding. While there are clearly significant benefits to innovative teaching methods, there is a need for caution too in our fast-paced digital world where students have an extensive amount of visual information to hand throughout the day and night. Selflessness is also a factor when trying to innovate and innovation is not carrying a single idea to a predetermined destination and at some point, innovation must be inclusive. The Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB) as a professional university has taken the bold step to be the premier game changer and leader in entrepreneurial education in Cameroon and one thing is certain, that entrepreneurialism does not mean a compromise of traditional academic values. On the contrary, it not only fosters it but elevates it since it requires higher order thinking skills such as problem solving; creativity, critical thinking, and thinking for understanding and transfer. CUIB do not only teach students the tasks and practices of business (Heart of Business) but also help them to develop a moral compass (soul of Business) that will enable them to find the right solutions even when in uncharted territory with a growth mind-set.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Innovative teaching,Teaching

Introduction

Traditional lectures is known to have ruled auditoriums for decades however there are new styles of teaching that have been discovered and are being discovered and these newer and more innovative teaching methods are moving away from the traditional model of lecturing and passive learning towards a greater focus on active learning, whereby students flexibly interact with others as they do participate in the lectures. Studies proposed that the collaborative way of learning in primary schools, where children sit around a table to work out a problem together, holds significant benefits for active learners but can become lost as the student progresses through their education. Paradoxically, as students develop superior thinking skills and problem-solving skills, the existing teaching methods becomes more and more passive with time thus leading to disengagement and frustration. The traditional lectures limit the opportunities for student interaction, but recent attempts to provide greater student interactions in lectures have resulted in much higher satisfaction, higher thinking skills and enhanced motivation.

According to the president of the Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB), Rev. Dr. George Nkeze Njingwa, most traditional universities are too “content” based and do not allow for the transfer of knowledge, new ideas and technology from university to the industry or community. This is what is popularly known as the Triple Helix Concept, namely the University as the Knowledge base, working with the Industry and Society. It is for this reason that CUIB runs a four-year entrepreneurial programme which is mandatory for all students and the purpose of this programme is to foster innovation, creativity, new ideas and new businesses. Students belong to entrepreneurial base groups and are expected to start their own businesses and run them.

Background of Study

The Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB) South West Region, Cameroon, was approved as a non-profit making university in two separate letters. The authorization to create CUIB on 09/01/0194 of 11 June 2009 and the authorization to start was signed by the Honourable Minister of Higher Education Prof Jacque Fame Ndongo by decision no 10/02173/N/ MINSUP/DDES/ESUP/SAC/NJE/ebm dated 26th of May 2010. Its primary purpose is to train professional servant leaders with moral and spiritual values so that they may be responsible to their communities. The proprietor/chancellor of the Catholic University of Buea is the Bishop of the Diocese of Buea. In June 2011, another arm of the University, the Business and Research Park was created as a legal entity of its own by the Cameroon laws no RC BUC.2031-B023 with the name CUIB-Centre for entrepreneurship research and innovation [1]. The Catholic University Institute of Buea Sport Academic (CUSA), Went operational in December 2014 with authorization no 1106/ G37/C84/VOL II/SAAJP with the main aim of assisting young, talented and excellent skilled Cameroonians in the various field of sport like football, volleyball, basketball, handball etc.

Literature Review

Innovative teaching is the process of leading to creative learning, by implementing new methods, tools and contents that can benefit learners and their creative potential. Instructors, trainers and teaching assistants’ relapse to educating students in the way they were educated and thus implementing the teaching practices that were effective in helping them learn furthermore how students learn best has change as time too has change [2]. Sternberg & Lubart [3] proposed that divergent thinking and embracing alternate solutions to problem solving while demonstrating a sensitivity to problems could help educators achieve these goals. Additionally, it has also been recommended that providing opportunities for active learning and stimulating learning interests could also help nurture innovative practices in the learning environment. Project-based learning is a good example of innovative learning, but it is possibly not the way you would expect as learning through projects is indeed innovative compared to teacher-led and textbook-sourced instruction.

Innovative teaching is good, whether technology is used; as a bad teacher does not suddenly become a good teacher just because technology is not included into the mix nor does a good teacher need to always use technology to maintain their effectiveness. Innovative teaching therefore focuses on creating conducive environments within which good learning can occur and the innovative teachers are excellent at supporting students and are also expert at creating engaging content and new experiences and they measures progress without causing any stress to the learner.  

Research Methodology

For this research work, the researchers used both primary and secondary data that is information collected from fieldwork through direct observation and through books and the website of the University respectively. This research also uses quantitative or qualitative method of data collection and according to Jary & Jary [4], qualitative techniques rely on the skills of the researcher as an interviewer or observer in gathering data whereas quantitative methods place reliance upon research instruments employed to gather data and analyze it for example questionnaires.

Findings and Analysis

According to Rev. Dr. George Nkeze cited in the 2018/2019 bulletin annual publication of the Catholic University Institute of Buea, the dynamics of a constantly changing world is complicated: the education landscape is constantly changing, the old ways of learning- going to school and writing a test is no longer tenable and therefore it will essential to train students and adults about how to learn efficiently (skills oriented) and not what to learn (knowledge oriented). The Catholic University Institute of Buea – CUIB ubiquitous satellite campus: study anywhere, anytime campus is an initiate to take advantage of the technology advances that permit the blend of e-learning with the university’s traditional learning methods and models. This model involves a hybrid form of on-site and ubiquitous learning where students, professionals as well as non-professionals alike can benefit from the university state of-the-art and many amenities it provides. The university authorities believe that gone are those days where learning is confined to a physical classroom or restricted to hours of the day as this method contributes to the university’s goal to train individuals that can flourish in a rapidly changing world.

According to Kasey Bell [5] google classroom is designed to help teachers and students communicate and collaborate, manage assignments paperless, and stay organized and borrowing from the Google classroom which is part of the Google Apps for education suite, the authorities of the Catholic University Institute of Buea in an effort to continue to foster its policy of on-site and ubiquitous learning. It should be noted that students, professionals as well as non-professionals learn from the comfort of their environment without necessarily meeting in a physical environment and working with the guidance and support of the lecturer. The entrepreneurship training and practice program and activities which provide the scope and tradition necessary to implement the learning processes inherent in building an entrepreneurial mind-set [6].

The Catholic University Institute of Buea – centre for entrepreneurship and innovation academic fair (CUIB-CEI). It is an annual flagship event organised within the first two quarters of the month, it is under the theme ‘Economy of Communion’. There are also other innovative teaching methods namely: colloquium guest speaker, academic boot camps and start-ups, business plan challenge contest, one eagle one talent initiative and student incubator program [7].

Conclusion

As the educational environment is constantly changing in this complicated landscape especially with regards to the changing technology, for educational institutions to remain competitive, authorities must move from a fixed mind-set to a growth mind-set [8-11]. This means that they should be able to embrace challenge, be an opportunity to grow and be persistent in the marketplace, learn and identify areas to inform gained more skills from hard work and always accept continuous improvement.

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[thewillingnessproject]

The Values-Driven Education Model Pt. I

Education has stagnated while what children need to learn has changed dramatically.

Our education system has roots in ancient China, when the same leaning opportunities awarded the elite became offered publicly. Science, Math, History, and Music were pillars in this model. We ditched Poetry and Dance by the time we hit the 21st century.

So consider that our model for teaching youth is hundreds of years old. Doesn't that sound outdated to you?

In hopes of keeping up with the times, schools continuously support proposals for Chromebooks, Smart Boards, and Google Classroom. Adding technology, while helping young learners in some ways, also contributes to the problems that form the roots over over-diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and the godfather of over-diagnosis: Attention-Deficit/Hyper-Activity Disorder.

If you keep reading you'll learn quickly that I'm quite vocal about my distaste for our education system. I want to be clear that I'm in support of teachers. Many, many friends and colleagues are teachers. All of them want to help young people learn skills and gain confidence as learners. My critique works best when seen systemically- no individual is at fault, although many stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, legislators, special educators, students) are playing the wrong game. Showing up to a ballpark with a soccer ball keeps you in the realm of sports, but you're not going to win.

You'll also quickly learn that I'm supra-diagnositc. I loathe the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the current bible of mental health disorders. Once we crack open what people are doing we'll see that we're working with adaptive and learned responses to contexts. The DSM talks about human problems like aliens have landed and injected people with poisons. Once a child is labeled "ADHD" they've been charted a course towards inferiority, frustration, learned helplessness, and increased suffering. Outliers discredit my critique, but having worked in youth development for over a decade, I see this happen more often than not. We need to move away from these labels.

Thirdly, you'll learn that I have many reservations about capitalism, and see it as a major sore in the side of the education system. Theoretically, capitalism should work, but we're training kids to be victimized by it, not to use it effectively.

When I say "education system" I'm most often referring to the public school system of the United States. In that way, the education system is an organism responding to its environment. A broken leg, without proper care, will heal- but it might heal at strange angles or force other bones to shift. A broken education system continues to find ways to heal, but without proper alignment, it's askew. It's currently limping along.

Three areas seem to be most problematic: School inadvertently reinforces isolation; school sends mixed messages about being an individual; school inadvertently reinforces emotional avoidance.

1. School inadvertently teaches isolation

The number one "mental health disorder" plaguing the U.S. is anxiety. Each year, increasing numbers of high-anxiety accounts in our children are published. The second fist is Depression. Looking at what anxiety and depression do is a behavioral set of responses to uncontrollable and unknown situations. Someone who fears being abandoned can develop anxiety behaviors (seeking constant reassurance, perfectionism) and depression behaviors (self-hatred, staying in bed). In other words, anxiety and depression are different means of controlling the same problems.

Teens spend an average of eight hours in front of a screen every day. Social media is now part of the social territory, and teenagers are, developmentally speaking, hyper-focused on fitting in, being different, and looking cool. Hormones jump start sexual maturity, so most teens are constantly thinking about bodies, body language, and sex. These are related to social status (the football quarterback gets more girls, for instance).

Social media becomes yet another platform for status and competition, with the added component of editing; instead of talking to others in person and fumbling over your words, you can edit your post and include emojis, expressing an emotion you may or may not be actually feeling.

Filters allow feature touch-ups, while ugly photos can be avoided all together. The web-based identity is constructed, rather than representing the genuine self.

Again, there are outliers, but even the most grounded teen becomes very aware of every wrinkle, mole, and hair on their bodies. It's okay. It's developmentally appropriate. But there's danger in access to augmentation; kids no longer need to practice accepting their faults, nor do they have to do the hard work of changing something (like committing to the gym in order to bulk up and look good with your shirt off). Social influence can be very anxiety-provoking in teens. Now they're connected to people from all over the world. Influencers of all kinds consume teenager's time online. The gap between reality and possibility stretches farther and farther apart with more apps.

The other silent threat is video games. Games are now designed to allot for downloadable upgrades, and multi-player games integrate real money- you can buy "skins" for your characters. In essence, more social comparisons and trying to keep up with the most popular. There's always something to be getting that you don't currently have.

Too many adults dismiss the concern that kids aren't together in person enough, and that they spend too much time in front of a screen. Even adults that believe this is a problem don't actually facilitate changes in kids: "He's on that thing all day," I often hear, without a parent taking the device away. We've been hearing this blame for decades, and there's truth to it. I can say this because I work directly with parents and teenagers in a mental health setting: it's a consistent issue.

Kids are craving connection- real connection. They love spending time together. But our culture popularized screen time and kids are using "social" media, with all of their friends, so they're very confused about why they feel lonely.

Schools have been working diligently to provide students with personal computers for school. Much of the workload has been moved online (no more Trapper Keepers, like from my school days). I've sat in libraries and seen all students with headphones on, heads almost buried in their computers as they plug away at school work. Lunch rooms have kids both talking and scrolling on their phones. Bus stops, backseats of parents' cars, and in their rooms: checking email, texting about a group project. In a way, this allows ongoing communication that could aid schoolwork, but the issue is that free time is now screen time too.

If kids had weekends filled with time together, playful and sporty, then screen time at school wouldn't be too much, but kids are now starting school lacking in social skills. Social skills include things like: how to write a letter, how to address an envelope, how to provide compliments, how to provide criticisms, how to show you respect someone, how to ask for help, and empathy.

I'll offer this again, because it's a huge reason the V-DEM is needed:

Kids have undernourished skills in communicating feeling, disappointment, and interest. Many teens I work with as a therapist lack a wide vocabulary to describe how they feel. "Good." "Bad." They don't know words like "provoked," "gregarious," or, "entranced." A wide vocabulary helps us name our experiences, which we can then understand better.

The issue is not that schools actively promote isolation; it's that they haven't added in social connection as a core course for children. Certainly, classrooms offer circle times, group projects, discussions, and so on. I'm focused on implementing a framework that helps kids learn about their value to their school community, as well as the value of their schoolmates. This would help balance the growing isolation brought on by social media, screens, and just the general cultural shift towards more indoor time. Helping kids communicate can reduce bullying, sexual harassment, depression, anxiety, and can disrupt dysfunctional gender norms.

More to come in part two...

[sciforce]

AI at the Classroom: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In recent decades we have seen technology changing our world in any sense: what was considered to be Sci-Fi ten years ago is around us now. But when you ask people which sphere remains outdated, you can hear a lot of complaints about the classroom. Despite new whiteboards and projectors, the schoolrooms of today are strikingly similar to those of 50 years ago. Students sit in a room together, listen to the same explanation and complete the same lessons with little variations no matter their learning styles or mastery. Some students are left behind, while others are bored and unmotivated.

AI is believed to be exactly the remedy to change this. The explosion in cheap computing power, development in algorithms, and the increase of available data are making possible new, sophisticated tools to teach children in a more personalized way. Yet, the school resists. In this post, we’ll try to explore the benefits and the risks of introducing AI in the classroom

AI: The Good

1. Personalized and Customized Learning: It is probably the most famous argument for Artificial Intelligence, since AI can let children choose everything: the learning pace, the curriculum, the form of education, and the educator. By using predictive computing, AI can learn students’ habits and propose the most efficient study schedule for them. On the other hand, AI can give teachers a better understanding of how their students learn and allows them to collect insights about every student they teach, develop an individualized approach, and handle even the toughest kids easier.

2. Adaptive Group Formation: No class is truly homogeneous: there are always more and less academically inclined kids. By analyzing learner information, AI can generate groups whose motivation or skills are particularly suited to a certain task, or groups that balance one learner’s weaknesses with another learner’s strengths.

3. 24/7 response: Every person has a biorhythm and the brain function of larks and night owls differ. But at a traditional classroom, all students are equal before morning hours. Moreover, they cannot contact teachers whenever we need an answer to a question or suddenly “feel like studying”. AI doesn’t need to take breaks, it doesn’t get annoyed because someone called at 1 am, so everyone can contact a virtual tutor whenever he needs academic assistance. Virtual humans like avatars, digital assistants or chatbots are cost efficient and can work all day round, seven days a week in repetitive and time-consuming tasks no human enjoys doing.

4. Virtual Reality Learning: Speaking about the virtual world, VR-assisted learning allows for educational support in authentic environments and extends the boundaries of the classroom. Students can visit places we’ve never been to, do something we’ve never done and get closer to things they learn about — space and nature, complex projects and concepts.

5. Learning for all: The challenge of education is tough for every child, but it gets even more severe for kids with special needs or children of emigrants. They have to cope with the learning process, the environment they learn in, their community and the lifestyle. AI programs that augment the educational experience for the disabled are already in development by companies like Facebook and are aimed at granting learners with special needs a greater sense of autonomy. At the same time, AI-driven machine translation projects try to bridge the language gap for many second language students that is a possibility to foreign students to understand their teacher in real time.

6. New methods of teaching: If other points concern class management and organization, this concerns real innovations in pedagogy. Game learning with the help of bots, Intelligent Tutoring Systems that challenge and support learners using different algorithms, intelligent moderation and real-time problem solving are just a few examples of new concept of the learning process that can disrupt the traditional classroom.

7.Assistance to teachers. AI can help teachers be more effective and efficient in their work in several ways. For example, they can outsource grading to specialized apps sparing a large portion of their time. Besides, AI can improve the course and the relevant textbooks by analysing patterns in which a large number of students submit wrong answers to the same questions and attracting teachers’ attention to such areas of improvement.

8. Increasing tech experience for students. These days, technology is needed in every professional activity and the importance of acquiring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) skills grows. So, it’s better that children start learning to use it as early as possible. The use of artificial intelligence shows the power of tech and coding and might encourage schoolchildren to proceed with learning STEM.

Source: https://medium.com/ai-revolution/when-will-the-first-machine-become-superintelligent-ae5a6f128503#.g8ydf092h

AI: the Bad

Obviously, all developments come at a certain cost and usually entail falls in other areas. Bringing Artificial Intelligence to classroom may not be always beneficial for schools and learners and their families.

1. Cost: The challenge that schools face immediately is the high cost of the new technology. When combining the cost of installation, maintenance and repair, as well as the cost of power consumed by new robot teachers, it becomes clear that AI is expensive.

2. Lack of personal bond: It may be true that smart machines have more information and this information is more trustful and recent than that of human teachers. However, educators are not just keepers of knowledge, they give children personal guidance, influence their worldview and lead them by example. Substituting personal interaction with machine-based education can lead to educational oversights that hurt learners more than help.

3. Children’s ability to learn from a virtual assistant is still unclear. The biggest open question is whether students will be motivated enough to study when teachers are not there to supervise.The teacher is a central figure during the formative years, and sometimes it’s the wish to impress a teacher that makes a kid eager to master the subject. Sometimes, on the contrary, it is the teacher who embodies the power and makes a reluctant child learn. How will children react to the absence of such a person in their life?

4. The attention span and the ability to multitask reduces. New technology shortens human attention span, as research suggests. We use so much help from machines that our own abilities shrink. By introducing more machines at school, there is a great risk that children will become so used to relying on AI that their abilities to multitask or to focus will get even smaller.

AI: The Ugly

Artificial Intelligence is quite often depicted as an evil power able to ruin the Earth and wipe away mankind. Though it is an artistic exaggeration, AI can lead to societal shifts, including those at the classroom, that are quite harmful and even dangerous.

1. Unemployment: At present, teaching is one of the biggest professional branches. Therefore, if we replace teachers with machines, it will create less of a demand for human educators and, consequently, it will lead to high unemployment and protests. Just remember the times of the industrial revolution when people were replaced by machines with same functions there were strikes and wars.

2. Addiction: We know that our reliance on machines can lead to technology addiction. A school is traditionally a place where children dump their mobile phones and get to open a traditional book. With tech implemented in every classroom, kids can become too used to having their devices always ready for them. As a result, we can end up with a bunch of socially-unadapted technology-addicted adults in several decades.

3. AI-based power: The sad truth is that the power belongs to those who have means to control our minds. Even without thinking of possible biases fed to learners by the officially distributed software, there is always a risk that someone hacks the code and gains the power of spreading violent, inappropriate information and propaganda.

4. Widening of the rich-poor gap: At the early stages of AI conquering the classroom, bots and other AI learning tools will require a student to have a tablet or a laptop. Of course, nowadays not every child has these gadgets, so having AI will become a privilege of the rich. However, it is believed that with the development of new technologies, robots and AI will become more common, while having a human tutor will be a luxury.

5. Mind control: This time, quite literal. Chinese high schools are currently busy introducing technology that either scans students’ faces every 30 seconds or read their brainwaves, looking to see if students are paying attention or losing interest. Besides from being stressful and innervating to the children and probably disrupting their joy of learning, AI-powered tools also run the risk of creating classroom-based, mini-surveillance states.

So what is the future of AI at school?

Despite having great benefits for schools and success in other spheres and industries, AI hasn’t made huge inroads into schools yet. That is partially due to how conservative the field is compared to other areas and due to the limited resources. However, the biggest obstacle might be the concern over the influence AI might have on children.

In this sense, introducing AI at school can be compared with the decades-long debates over the GMO: recent studies might have proved it safe, but the prejudice remains on agenda. Yet, it is a cheaper option, and it is often the price (and laziness) that underlies our choices and pushes us forward. So, once AI outbeats a human teacher in cost-efficiency, we all will welcome robots at our schools — for better or for worse.

[sonyaaaj]

INTERVIEW NOTES: DEBBIE 

WEEK 4

Debbie, teacher

[I became a teacher because] teaching is a job where no two days are ever the same

Generally [my day] it would start very early, like a lot of teachers you arrive at school at about half past seven. And probably don’t leave until about four or five easily. Just very busy and full on, in the classroom and outside of the classroom, with all the things you have to deal with as well as teach. 

Each child in your class is completely different. You’ve got all those differences that you have to take into consideration when you’re planning the day. And you’re dealing with behavior issues and learning difficulties, just so many different things you’re dealing with as well as teaching. 

I particularly enjoy teaching writing and reading

[I like them] probably because those are subjects I enjoy myself. Therefore I also enjoy teaching as it’s an area where you can see the children really making progress. 

I enjoy teaching anything, there isn’t any specific subject content I don’t enjoy teaching. 

[don’t get told what to teach anymore]

You still have the NZC and so long as you meet the requirements you can teach it any how or any way you want.

By a certain year level the children should be at a certain level.

But now, each school is allowed to make the decision for themselves how they implement the curriculum, and each teacher can do the same thing. 

In the school that I’m currently in it is really dependant on the teacher, but then a group of teachers may decide to follow the same program, for example in maths there are four classes that are doing prime maths for their program, and then those four classes are actually also joining together to swap classes for their maths so that the children can be better grouped according to their abilities. But then within the school there will be other teachers that are doing other maths. The juniors are doing another math program that is called numero, which also works really well for older children with special needs as well. WIthin the school there will be groups of teachers using the same program because it just makes it easier for planning and evaluation.

All the classes have Ipads and all the classes have active boards. All the classes have access to those

The school uses school wide SeeSaw (App), all the students work goes on there and the kids can sign in and the parents can sign in. It;s essentially facebook but for school. Newsletters and thongs go on there.

It works fine except for parents that still don’t have internet, then it’s not so great. 

As far as the ipads go, there's different games and things.

We use Spellingshed for spelling, Readingex for reading.

But then there's also fun games on there as well like fruit ninja.

[they use the ipads] everyday. When they do projects they’re able to use garageband and movie maker to present/make their projects.

We have in our class an average of about one between two. But each class has that so if you need a full set you just borrow from the class next to you

Staff have their own laptops but no computers

[least fave] probably maths, judging by their reaction when we tell them there's no maths today

I’m not sure why they don’t like maths, some of them don’t like it because they have to go to another classroom which they feel uncomfortable about doing, some of them don’t like maths because they’re not very good at it or they think they’re not very good at it. Maths is probably a subject that children tend to shy away from

In my class I have the lower year 5 and 6s, so we’re using the Prime maths, a program from SIngapore. It would be sitting down with the class and doing an introductory thing to what we’re going to be doing that day and then a lot of activities and using equipment, because that’s the stage they’re still at

Most recently we’ve been doing subtractions up to 10, which tells you the level of the children we are working with, and then we always end with a game 

That reinforces their learning, or is actually just fun

Counters, ice block sticks, connecting blocks, teddy bears, anything that helps them solve problems that they can manipulate to help them 

Their favorite subject would probably be when they are working on independent projects, especially when they’ve been able choose the topic themselves

[why] generally they’ll choose something that they’re interested in and s therefore they’ve got the motivation to do the project

They’ll be focused and on task and asking lots of good questions and asking good questions of themselves that they’re then able to find the answers to. And not disrupting anyone else

Quite a few children that like working individually, and a few that prefer working with a partner or a group. Just depends on the personality of the child

That just happens from time to time, even as adults were not always engaged in what we’re doing. So it’s just giving them a chance to do something different for a few minutes or go and have a drink or whatever it might be to go and come back and get their focus back again

I'm not actually sure why we don’t have a maths app because we have a reading app and a spelling app and the kids do really enjoy those

A maths app would be really worth while

[kayawagner]

When the I in iPad Stands For Incentive

How I Got What I Wanted By Giving My Kids What They Wanted

Here’s how I got my kids to read books: I gave in and gave them their iPads.

Literally, everything changed overnight. My daughter went from grudgingly reading 3 pages on Tuesday night to reading over 117 pages on Wednesday and 66 pages on Thursday.  And I’m not talking about Kindle books or ebooks, I mean actual hold-in-your-hands books. (Also, just to be clear: she already had the ability to read that many pages, so it’s not a magic “she learned to read” overnight, we’re talking motivation.)

What is this witchcraft of which I speak, you’re asking? Well, let me back up.

When I was little, I loved to read.

Fiction. Nonfiction. Picture books. Novels. Good books (The Borrowers, Harriet the Spy, pretty much anything by Roald Dahl). Not so good books (like 9 million “The Babysitters Club” or “Sweet Valley High” series books). Books that stayed with me decades later (One Hundred Years of Solitude – greatest book ever written). Books that I could not get through and gave up on (Secret Garden, Don Quixote). Books that I have long forgotten having ever read.

I spent hours, days, possibly years of my life reading. I still love to read – and read actual, hold-in-my-hands, page-turning books.

When it comes to reading, my kids could take it or leave it. 

As my kids have gotten older, I’d be lying if I didn’t say it made me slightly sad that they didn’t have the obsessive passion for reading. That’s not to say they don’t read. They think reading is fine. It’s just not the No. 1 thing they want to do.

Now, my 10-year-old has that obsessive passion for all things math, which certainly is fine by me as well. And I’m not saying that just because I have a math video game company that makes awesome games but because in the 21st century, someone with outstanding math skills is going to find herself with a wide number of future options. But reading and math are not mutually exclusive.

My 6-year-old is 6 – and I am not one of those people who believes that her ability to get in to a good university is going to be at all contingent on her academic performance in first grade, but I’d still like her to spend time reading

As for my 3-year-old, obviously, we’re still at the stage of him being read to vs. reading himself (slacker!). My challenge there is not his interest in being read to, but his truly limited range of interest in literature. As in, if I have to read “Elmo’s Search-and-Find” one more time, which I can recite by memory – my brain might just shut off. (But that’s for another day).

Embarking on another school year, I struggled to figure out how to get my girls to appreciate reading. How to get them excited about. They did a negligible amount of reading over the summer, but I gave them a pass because they were at least immersed in another country/language and I didn’t have the time to feel guilty about it. But the time had come to buckle down and bust out the books.

Now, my children – like many children – love watching shows. They could do it for far more hours than I would like. For the past two years, we tried to implement an iPad ban on school nights, but it is admittedly brutal. 

In part, because not letting them watch shows, means that they need to find something else to do – which as far as they are concerned translates into telling me repeatedly how bored they are; trying to sneak away and watch iPad because they conveniently “forgot” they weren’t supposed to be watching it; and/or fighting with their siblings.

Then there’s the inevitable fact that – as much as I try to take a break from work between when they get home and when they go to bed – something 7 Generation Games/Strong Mind Studios related occasionally comes up, and I need 10 or 30 minutes to deal with whatever that is. Leaving me two options as I  try replying to X email or seeing if I can replicate Y error: 1. Having to do it while my children complain about being bored and or/ say to me, “Why are you on a device when you say no devices?; or 2. Giving in and giving them the iPads, while I do whatever need to be done, then having it be a battle to pry them away afterwards.

Which brings us to our first full week back at school. For some reason that I can’t even recall, my 1st grader, who is supposed to be logging her nightly reading, didn’t read a single page. Since I was not going to blatantly lie on her reading log, I made her read a picture book for 15 minutes before we left for school Tuesday morning and jotted that down for Monday night. Tuesday was back-to-school night, meaning we got home late, but that doesn’t mean that homework didn’t have to be done. Determined that we were going to do better than Monday (it was a low bar to clear), I had her read that night before bed – but it was like bathing a cat.

By Wednesday – less than 5 days into our 190+ day school year – it became clear that something had to change. That same day I read, or at the very least saw, for the umpteenth time one of those articles saying how Bill Gates and Steve Jobs never let their kids have devices. “Great for them,” I remember sarcastically thinking. But then, I seriously thought, what if instead of acting like technology is the enemy (because I don’t think it is ), we accepted it and use it to encourage learning?

“I’ll make you a deal,” I told my girls. “Read for 20 minutes, and then you can watch one show. In fact, you can watch shows for as many minutes as you read for.”

Suddenly, instead of whining about reading, they pulled out their books and settled into chairs. Before we knew it, 20 minutes had passed.

“So if I read for more, I get two shows?” my first grader asked.

“Yes,” I said. “In fact, if you read for an hour, you can watch shows for the rest of the night.”

“Really?!” they asked, shocked by this turn of events.

“Yep,” I said. I did the math in my head – they get home around 6:30. By the time they start reading, it’s 7. If they read for an hour, it’s 8. They start getting ready for bed by 9:30 at the latest, meaning that’s maybe 1.5 hours of iPad at most. While not ideal, it’s probably not going to turn their brains to mush.

“I’ll take that deal,” my oldest said.

“Me too,” her sister echoed.

And for the next hour – aside for the occasional “how much more time?” – there was silence. No complaining. No whining. Just reading.

The timer went off.

My sixth grader went off to watch some WWE. My first grader – who I have struggled to motivate – had 2-pages left to finish her book.

“I really want to finish my book so I can get another one tomorrow,” she said.

“You can do that,” I pointed out.

So she did. She read 117-pages of Junie B. Jones in one evening.

Thursday night, they came in the door and pulled out their books.

“Same deal, right? Read for an hour, unlimited shows,” my sixth grader confirmed.

Deal still stood.

She set the timer. Only this time, no one asked me how much time was left. They just read. Then the beep sounded – and they kept reading!

“I just want to finish this chapter,” my sixth grader said. (She’s reading a mother-censored version of “My Fight/Your Fight.”)

“Me too, I have 10 pages left, and then I am done,” my first grader said. This is a girl, who has never willingly read a chapter book cover-to-cover, finishing her second one in a night.

I remember early on when we founded 7 Generation Games, someone asked, “Well, yeah, but are the kids just learning the math part in your products so they can get to the game part? Or are they learning it because they want to be learning it?”

Our answer was, “If they’re learning it, does it really matter why? If they come out of it at the end knowing how to multiply, that’s the important part.”

Would I like my daughters to have a deep love to reading? Of course – and they very well may get to that point. That said, if faced with having them willingly read – even if it’s a means to an end- and having them not read, I’d go with Option 1 every time.

When you look at it in the bigger picture, it makes sense. We want our children to have an innate love of learning – and in the perfect world, they would. But let’s be honest, at the end of the day, whether they’re innately interested or not, they need to learn the material. They need to do math. They need to read.

Think about your daily life. it would be amazing if all of the things that we had to do were so enjoyable that we just wanted to do them without reward. But we – as adults, no matter how much we love our jobs – go to work and expect to be paid. We expect to somehow be compensated for our time and effort with something we appreciate (i.e. money). What if we approached learning with that idea, that understand that it’s “work” in mind?

Because learning is a lot of work. I know because we’ve observed literally thousands of kids in classrooms over the years. Providing kids with incentive to learn is what we have been doing at 7 Generation Games since we founded the company with our design centered around the idea of “solve a problem/master a concept, be rewarded with gameplay.”

I’m not saying that I’m going to start paying my kids for going to school, but if they’re willing to put in an exponential amount more effort so they can watch a couple of shows on Netflix, I’m more than happy to hand them their iPads. 

Speaking of iPads – looking for some cool apps to put on yours? Check out Making Camp Premium! Math. Language Arts. History. Fun. 

The post When the I in iPad Stands For Incentive appeared first on 7 Generation Games.

When the I in iPad Stands For Incentive published first on https://supergalaxyrom.tumblr.com

[whacareer65isrightformet]

As parents, all of us have fought   best shapewear the battle with our kids as they are absorbed into a video game or movie on an iPad, tablet or smartphone. We've had a better chance of getting the attention of Tom Cruise walking the red carpet than our kids.Today, it's common for two-year-olds to be using iPads, elementary schoolers hooked up to video games, and we all suffer (or live with) the challenge of prying your middle-schooler away from the computer long enough to eat a decent meal... Technology is everywhere and its draw on kids is obvious, but is technology helping our kids learn? Technology is becoming more social, adaptive, and customized, and as a result, it can be a fantastic teaching tool. That stated, as parents, we need to establish boundaries. Today, software is connecting kids to online learning communities, tracking kids' progress through lessons and games, and customizing each students' experience. By the time your child is Maternity Shapewear  in elementary school, they will probably well-versed in technology. Learning with Technology at School Schools are investing more and more in technology. Whether your child's class uses an interactive Smartboard, laptops, or another device, here are three ways to make sure that technology is used effectively. Young children love playing with technology, from iPads to digital cameras. What do early childhood practitioners - and parents, too - need to think about before handing kids these gadgets? Let's start at the beginning: what is technology in early childhood? Technology can be as simple as a camera, audio recorder, music player, TV, DVD player, or more recent technology like iPads, tablets, and smartphones used in child care centers, classrooms, or at home. More than once, I've had teachers tell me, "I don't do technology." I ask them if they've ever washer dryer clearance  taken a digital photo of their students, played a record, tape, or DVD, or give kids headphones to listen to a story. Teachers have always used technology. The difference is that now teachers are using really powerful tools like iPads and iPhones in their personal and professional lives. Technology is just a tool. It shouldn't be used in classrooms or child care centers because it's cool, but because teachers can do activities that support the healthy development of children. Teachers are using digital cameras - a less flashy technology than iPads - in really creative appliances houston  ways to engage children in learning. That may be all they need. At the same time, teachers need to be able to integrate technology into the classroom or child care center as a social justice matter. We can't assume that all children have technology at home. A lack of exposure could widen the digital divide - that is, the gap between those with and without access to digital technology - and limit some children's school readiness and early success. Just as all children need to learn how to handle a book in early literacy, they need to be taught how to use technology, including how to open it, how it works, and how to take care of it. Experts worry that technology is bad for children. There are serious concerns about children spending too much time in front of screens, especially given the many screens in children's lives. Today, very car dealerships in houston  young children are sitting in front of TVs, playing on iPads and iPhones, and watching their parents take photos on a digital camera, which has its own screen. There used to be only the TV screen. That was the screen we worried about and researched for 30 years. We as a field know a whole lot about the impact of TV on children's behavior and learning, but we know very little about all the new digital devices. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen time for children under two years old, but the NAEYC/Fred Rogers position statement takes a slightly different stance. It says that technology and media should be limited, but what matters most is how it is used. What is the content? Is it being used in an intentional manner? Is it developmentally appropriate? As parents, we luxury cars houston  need to be aware of the drawbacks of technology and its impact on eyesight, vocabulary and physical development. We also need to be cognizant of our kids overall development, My advice to teachers and parents is to trust your instincts. You know your child and if you think they have been watching the screen too long, turn it off. It's up to us, as parents, to notice that your child's computer time is reducing or limiting interactions and playtime with other kids and nudge them in new directions. To encourage them to be physically active, to get outside and play. It's also up to the adult to understand the child's personality and disposition and to figure out Houston SEO Expert  if a technology is one of the ways the child chooses to interact with the world. At the same time, cut yourself some slack. We all know that there are better things to do with children's time than to plop them in front of a TV, but we also know that child care providers have to make lunch, and parents need time to take a shower. In situations like that, it is the adult's job to make the technology time more valuable and interactive by asking questions and connecting a child's virtual experience on the screen with real-life experiences in her world. Learning with Technology at Home Whether you're giving your child your smart screen phone to entertain them, or it's your used appliances houston  toddlers' preferred playtime is on an iPad or tablet, here are eight ways to make sure your child's experiences with technology are educational and fun. Focus on Active Engagement Any time your child is engaged with a screen, stop a program, or mute the commercials, and ask engaging questions. What was that character thinking? Why did the main character do that? What would you have done in that situation? Allow for Repetition DVDs and YouTube videos add an essential ingredient for young minds which is repetition. Let your young child to watch the same video over and over, and ask him what he noticed after each viewing. Make it Tactile Unlike computers that require a mouse to manipulate objects on the screen, iPads, tablets and smartphones allow kids manipulate "physical" objects with their fingers. Practice Problem Solving An emerging category of games will force your child to solve problems as they play, potentially building concentration and analytical skills in the SEO Company Toronto  process; although the jury is still out on this. There is no clinical data that supports the marketing message of app makers. Encourage Creation Use technology for creation, not just entertainment. Have your child record a story on your iPod, or sing a song into your video game system. Then, create an entirely new sound using the playback options, slow down and speed up their voice and add different backgrounds and beats until they've created something uniquely theirs. Show Him How to Use It Many computer games have different levels and young children may not know how to move up or change levels. If your child is stuck on one level that's become too easy, ask if he knows how to move up and help him if he wants more of a challenge. Ask Why what career is right for me  If your child is using an app or game the "wrong" way, always pressing the incorrect button, for example, ask them why. It may be that they like hearing the noise the game makes when they get the question wrong, or they might be stuck and can't figure out which group of objects match number four. Focus on Play Young kids should be exploring and playing with technology. This should be considered play, and not a focus on drilling skills. Ask For Your Own Log-In Often, school programs come with a parent log-in that will allow you to see your child's progress. If it doesn't, ask to see the reports that a teacher has access to. Then, check his progress every few weeks. It's a great way for you and your child to be on the same page about their progress. Ask About Teacher Training Technology is often implemented in classrooms without appropriate professional development. If your child's classroom is using a whole-class system, such as Clickers or an Interactive Smartboard, ask how it's used business analyst certification  in class and what training the teacher has had. "As a parent, you want to know if teachers feel well trained and they're putting [new technologies] to good use. Find Parent Resources One of the best ways that technology can help your child is by helping you learn more about learning. Computers, smartphones, and tablets aren't going away, but with a few tweaks and consideration, you can make your child's technology-time productive, educational, and fun! Let's be honest. Most children can use a mouse, open and close apps, and even search the internet by the time they are three years old. Once they have the cognitive ability, it's time to talk with your child about internet safety. 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A naturopath will create a bespoke treatment plan that is based on many different natural and complementary medicines to help treat an illness. This type of treatment option is favored by those seeking a natural solution to return to good health in place of conventional medicine. The naturopath has the ability to assist with a wide range of ailments and conditions, including depression, asthma, skin conditions, back pain, allergies, hypertension, migraine, constipation and arthritic conditions. Here are a few benefits of visiting a naturopath: Holistic approach to health A visit to a naturopath can offer a complete holistic approach to improving the health. The holistic practices rely on treating the entire person, which can involve emotional and mental issues, as well as physical ailments. The aim of this treatment is to detect more than the overt symptoms and instead target the root cause to technical schools near me  increase the ability to prevent the illness returning in the future. Natural and safe treatments The treatment plan recommended by a naturopath will be based on natural medicine and based on the principle the body has the ability to heal itself. The treatments are typically bespoke to match the needs of the individual client. A treatment program can include iridology, flower essences, homeopathy, lifestyle and dietary advice, hydrotherapy and herbal medicine. In addition to the actual illness to treat, the treatment plan can also be customized to match the background and age of the client. Get a full picture of your health It is not always necessary to have an existing illness being visiting a naturopath. They are a useful alternative option to give an all-round health assessment. This check may include using modalities like a live blood analysis to see which parts of the health can benefit from supplements or simply to recommend advice. Besides creating a treatment plan, they can also educate the client and give guidance on A+ certification training  adapting to a healthy lifestyle.In the process of accessing the health, a series of laboratory tests and detailed patient history is taken in an attempt to establish a diagnosis. But, once the results are known, they will use the alternative treatment options to relieve the illness.

[chocolate-brownies]

No one wants to hang out with me. I’m a failure at school. All my other friends seem happy. What’s wrong with me?

These kinds of negative thoughts are becoming more common in our homes and schools. Teens are experiencing increased anxiety, and studies indicate that college students in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are becoming more perfectionistic over time, measuring themselves against unrealistic standards.

Why is this happening? We can’t say for sure—but we do know there are steps teens can take to improve their mental health.

A 2018 study of early adolescents suggests that self-concept (your perception of self) plays a central role in emotional well-being. According to the study, a supportive classroom environment and positive social relationships also affect teen well-being—but the impact is indirect. Positive self-concept seems to be the key variable in the well-being equation. If a student feels good about herself, then she may be more likely to connect with others and benefit from the supports provided at school.

So, how can we influence how students think about themselves? This may feel like a very tall order; yet there is a lot of research out there that provides some clues for supporting the teens in your life. Here are five ways to help tweens and teens move toward a more positive self-concept.

1. Get physical

Although you may have heard this before, kids really can benefit from regular exercise (especially when their tendency is to sit in front of a screen). A recent review of 38 international studies indicates that physical activity alone can improve self-esteem and self-concept in children and adolescents.

Apparently, the exercise setting also matters. Students who participated in supervised activities in schools or gymnasiums reported more significant growth in self-esteem than those who exercised at home and in other settings.

Adolescents’ self-concept is most strongly linked to their sense of physical attractiveness and body image, an area where many people struggle. So, encourage more regular exercise programs during and after school, and support team sports, strength training, running, yoga, and swimming—not just for their effects on the body but on the mind, as well. Getting out and engaging in some form of exercise can make us feel stronger, healthier, and more empowered.

2. Focus on self-compassion (not self-esteem)

Because self-esteem is a global evaluation of your overall worth, it has its dangers. What am I achieving? Am I good enough? How do I compare with my peers?

What would happen if we could stop judging ourselves? Researcher Kristen Neff claims that self-compassion—treating yourself with kindness, openness, and acceptance—is a healthy alternative to the incessant striving and performance orientation often tied up with self-esteem.

In her study of adolescents and young adults, she found that participants with higher self-compassion demonstrated greater well-being. Why? They were okay with their flaws, acknowledged that they struggled just like those around them (“Everybody makes mistakes; you are not alone”), and treated themselves with the same kindness they would extend to a friend (“It’s okay; you did your best”).

Participants with higher self-compassion demonstrated greater well-being. Why? They were okay with their flaws, acknowledged that they struggled just like those around them (“Everybody makes mistakes; you are not alone”), and treated themselves with the same kindness they would extend to a friend

If you are interested in specific techniques and strategies for enhancing self-compassion in teens, take a look at the work of psychologist Karen Bluth. She recently developed a program called Making Friends with Yourself. Youth participating in this eight-week program reported greater resilience, less depression, and less stress at the end of it. However, if there isn’t a program near you, consider sharing this self-compassion workbook with the teens in your life.

3. Avoid social comparison

When we focus on self-esteem, we tend to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others. Teens, in particular, often sense an “imaginary audience” (i.e., “Everyone is looking at me!”) and can become highly sensitized to who they are relative to everyone around them.

Instagram and other social media platforms don’t necessarily help. Some research suggests an association between social media and depression, anxiety, loneliness, and FoMO (fear of missing out) among teens. Their posts may not rack up the number of “likes” that their friends’ posts do, or they may feel excluded when they see pictures of classmates happily spending time together without them.

A new app for teen girls called Maverick may be a healthier option than Snapchat or Instagram. On this social media platform, teens can connect with role models (called “Catalysts”) and explore their creativity (such as designing their own superhero or choosing a personal mantra). Of course, there is always the option of taking a break from social media, as well.

Regardless of what teens choose to do online, many of our schools are also structured for social comparison. Grading, labeling, and tracking practices (grouping students based on their academic performance) don’t necessarily honor the stops, starts, and inevitable mistakes that are a natural part of the learning process.

Here are some school-based alternatives designed to reduce social comparison:

Don’t make grades public.

Provide opportunities to revise and redo assignments.

Avoid ability grouping as much as possible.

Focus on individual growth and improvement.

Acknowledge students’ small successes.

4. Capitalize on specific skills

If you keep your eye out for teens’ talents and interests, you can support them in cultivating their strengths. Your son may think he is a terrible athlete, but he lights up when he works on school science projects. Then there’s that quiet, disheveled ninth-grade girl who sits in the back of your class. She may feel socially awkward, but she wows you with her poetry.

Researcher Susan Harter has studied adolescent self-esteem and self-concept for years. She claims that self-concept is domain-specific. Our overall self-esteem or sense of worth tends to be rooted in eight distinct areas: athletic competence, scholastic competence, behavioral conduct, social acceptance, close friendship, romantic appeal, job satisfaction, and physical attractiveness.

Talk to the teens in your life. What are their personal values and priorities? Share surveys with them like the VIA (which identifies character strengths like bravery, honesty, and leadership) or have them take a multiple intelligences quiz. Celebrate their talents and tailor activities and instruction around their abilities as much as possible.

It may not be easy to shift teens’ global sense of self-worth, but we can certainly highlight and encourage areas of interest and particular skill sets so that they feel more confident, capable, and inspired.

5. Help others (especially strangers)

Finally, when teens reach out to others, they are more likely to feel better about themselves. A 2017 study of 681 U.S. adolescents (ages 11-14) examined their kind and helpful behavior over a four-year period. Researchers found that adolescents who were kind and helpful in general had higher self-esteem, but those who directed their generosity toward strangers (not friends and family) tended to grow in self-esteem.

Last Friday, I joined my daughter and her peers during the “action” phase of their “Change the World” project. Their social studies teacher, Tim Owens, tasked the eighth graders with choosing a sustainability issue, researching the problem and possible solutions, planning action, and implementing the action.

These middle schoolers spent a full day canvasing their neighborhoods to advocate for policies that protected people they don’t know, like local refugees and homeless youth—as well as animals used for product testing. I’ve never seen my daughter and her friends more energized, confident, and engaged with their community.

As adults, we can actively support service learning projects in our schools and our teens’ interests in advocacy and civil engagement. Adolescents around the world can also work remotely with non-profit organizations like DoSomething, “a digital platform promoting offline action” in 131 countries. On this site, young people can choose a cause, the amount of time they want to commit to it, and the type of help they would like to provide (e.g., face-to-face, improving a space, making something, sharing something, etc.)

When teens regularly contribute to a larger cause, they learn to think beyond themselves, which may ultimately help them to be more positive, empowered, and purposeful.

As many teens struggle with anxiety and perfectionism, our urge may be to jump in and fix their problems, whatever we perceive them to be. But a better approach, one that will hopefully help reverse these worrying trends, is to cheer them on as they develop the mental habits and strengths that will support them throughout their lives.

This article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, one of Mindful’s partners. View the original article.

Teens Are Better Off When Parents Practice Self-Compassion (Study)

School’s Out for the Summer. Why Aren’t Teens More Chill?

The post Five Ways to Help Teens Build a Sense of Self-Worth appeared first on Mindful.

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First Lady encourages students to “Be Best.” Now schools must do the hard work.

On Monday, First Lady Melania Trump announced the “Be Best” campaign–a new nationwide initiative aimed at boosting child well-being, fighting cyberbullying, and reducing opioid addiction.

As she kicked off her announcement in the White House Rose Garden, Trump called on adults to guide children through an increasingly connected and increasingly dangerous world:

“As a mother and as first lady, it concerns me that in today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world, children can be less prepared to express or manage their emotions and often times turn to forms of destructive or addictive behavior such as bullying, drug addiction, or even suicide. I feel strongly that as adults, we can and should ‘be best’ at educating our children about the importance of a healthy and balanced life.”

In her announcement, the First Lady mentioned no specific legislative proposals or upcoming initiatives to address any of the challenges she outlined. She vowed to visit schools, lead discussions with experts, and raise awareness about the social, emotional, and physical challenges facing kids.

As Education Week reports, Mrs. Trump has already visited several schools throughout the country and met with children who are facing social-emotional challenges and bullying. She highlighted some of those meetings during her announcement speech. In March, Mrs. Trump also held a roundtable discussion on cyberbullying with representatives from major technology companies, such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Snap, and Google.

The Be Best campaign attempts to shine light on serious physical and psychological issues confronting K-12 students throughout the country. But the hard work of finding real solutions to these problems remains the purview of parents, school district staff, and local community officials.

“I believe we should strive to provide kids with the tools they need to cultivate their social and emotional health,” said Mrs. Trump during her speech. “We can and should teach children the importance of social- and self-awareness, positive relationship skills, and responsible decision making.”

Here’s a quick snapshot of how communities across the country are tackling these issues head-on.

Creating a social-emotional learning culture in Nashville

In 2011, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) made a concerted decision to tackle student discipline and stress issues plaguing the district. With a grant from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) the district kicked-off a long-term district transformation, as Edutopia reports.

So far, the effort is working.

For more on facing cyberbullying and other student challenges, sign up for the TrustED newsletter.

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The district reports a 64 percent drop in expulsions and a 24 percent reduction in suspensions since the program began. Since 2012, the district’s graduation rate is up four percent.

District leaders say the key to the program’s early success is developing a clear definition for SEL. According to Nashville’s director of social and emotional learning, Kyla Krengel, “social-emotional learning are the skills that students and adults have in order to be lifelong learners.”

Another key to the program’s success, according to district officials, is that it was implemented in every school in the district, and that teachers also adopted many of the practices students were learning. Instead of an add-on to instruction, SEL is now embedded in the culture of MNPS.

HALTing bullying in Tuscaloosa

When it comes to cyberbullying, Mrs. Trump said, “I do believe that children should be both seen and heard–and it is our responsibility as adults to both educate and remind them that when they’re using their voices–whether verbally or online–they must choose their words wisely, and speak with respect and compassion.”

Tuscaloosa City Schools in Alabama is using a district-wide training and reporting program to address issues of bullying inside and outside its classrooms.

The HALT, or Harassment Awareness Learning Together, program includes training for school staff on the effect of bullying on students–and ways to prevent it. It also includes an awareness campaign to help parents and students understand how to deal with bullying–both physical and electronic.

HALT also features a custom online portal for students, parents, and others to report bullying. Community members have the option to report anonymously. Once submitted, reports are instantly directed to those district officials who can help intervene.

Tackling opioids in Ohio classrooms

During her speech, Mrs. Trump spoke about a meeting she had with doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio. “The panel of doctors briefed me on the devastating effects that opioids are having,” she said, “but also their important research on neonatal abstinence syndrome.”

According to the Washington Post, Ohio has the second-highest opioid death rate in the country–second only to West Virginia. To stem the opioid crisis, state officials and educators have introduced a new anti-drug program into Ohio classrooms, starting as early as kindergarten.

According to the Post, Ohio is the only state in the country that prohibits its state Board of Education from mandating health-education standards. Still, state officials are encouraging schools to adopt the Health and Opioid Prevention Education, or HOPE, program.

HOPE eschews the “scared straight” approach of previous programs, and instead encourages students and teachers to share real-life scenarios and build social-emotional skills that can help students resist drugs.

While the program is still in its infancy, educators and health experts say a commitment to social-emotional interventions represents the best hope yet for solving the nation’s growing opioid crisis. Time will tell whether they’re successful in their approach.

How does your school or district engage your community on important student safety and health issues? In what ways do you think the Be Best campaign can help in this effort? Tell us in the comments.

The post First Lady encourages students to “Be Best.” Now schools must do the hard work. appeared first on Trusted.

First Lady encourages students to “Be Best.” Now schools must do the hard work. published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

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Exploring Innovative Teaching Techniques in Higher Institutions in Cameroon – A Case Study of the Catholic University Institute of Buea, The Growth Entrepreneurial Mindset University - Juniper Publishers

Journal of Insights in Mining Science & Technology

Abstract Innovative or creative teaching is known to nurtures students’ creative potential and this requires four competencies namely learning, social, educational, and technological which involves the preparedness and readiness to learn, communicate with others from different backgrounds, passion and knowledgeability, and finally the use of technology to further student understanding. While there are clearly significant benefits to innovative teaching methods, there is a need for caution too in our fast-paced digital world where students have an extensive amount of visual information to hand throughout the day and night. Selflessness is also a factor when trying to innovate and innovation is not carrying a single idea  to  a  predetermined  destination  and  at  some  point,  innovation  must  be  inclusive.  The  Catholic  University  Institute  of  Buea  (CUIB)  as  a  professional university has taken the bold step to be the premier game changer and leader in entrepreneurial education in Cameroon and one thing is certain, that entrepreneurialism does not mean a compromise of traditional academic values. On the contrary, it not only fosters it but elevates it since it requires higher order thinking skills such as problem solving; creativity, critical thinking, and thinking for understanding and transfer. CUIB do not only teach students the tasks and practices of business (Heart of Business) but also help them to develop a moral compass (soul of Business) that will enable them to find the right solutions even when in uncharted territory with a growth mind-set.

Keywords:Entrepreneurship; Innovative teaching; Teaching

IntroductionTraditional  lectures  is  known  to  have  ruled  auditoriums  for decades however there are new styles of teaching that have been  discovered  and  are  being  discovered  and  these  newer  and  more  innovative  teaching  methods  are  moving  away  from  the traditional model of lecturing and passive learning towards a greater focus on active learning, whereby students flexibly interact with others as they do participate in the lectures. Studies proposed  that  the  collaborative  way  of  learning  in  primary  schools, where children sit around a table to work out a problem together, holds significant benefits for active learners but can become lost as the student progresses through their education. Paradoxically, as students develop superior thinking skills and problem-solving skills, the existing teaching methods becomes more and more passive with time thus leading to disengagement and frustration. The traditional lectures limit the opportunities for  student  interaction,  but  recent  attempts  to  provide  greater  student  interactions  in  lectures  have  resulted  in  much  higher  satisfaction, higher thinking skills and enhanced motivation.According   to   the   president   of   the   Catholic   University   Institute  of  Buea  (CUIB),  Rev.  Dr.  George  Nkeze  Njingwa,  most  traditional universities are too “content” based and do not allow for  the  transfer  of  knowledge,  new  ideas  and  technology  from  university to the industry or community. This is what is popularly known as the Triple Helix Concept, namely the University as the  Knowledge  base,  working  with  the  Industry  and  Society.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  CUIB  runs  a  four-year  entrepreneurial  programme which is mandatory for all students and the purpose of  this  programme  is  to  foster  innovation,  creativity,  new  ideas  and  new  businesses.  Students  belong  to  entrepreneurial  base  groups and are expected to start their own businesses and run them.Background of StudyThe   Catholic   University   Institute   of   Buea   (CUIB)   South   West Region, Cameroon, was approved as a non-profit making university  in  two  separate  letters.  The  authorization  to  create   CUIB  on  09/01/0194  of  11  June  2009  and  the  authorization  to  start was signed by the Honourable Minister of Higher Education Prof   Jacque   Fame   Ndongo   by   decision   no   10/02173/N/MINSUP/DDES/ESUP/SAC/NJE/ebm  dated  26th  of  May  2010.  Its primary purpose is to train professional servant leaders with moral  and  spiritual  values  so  that  they  may  be  responsible  to  their  communities.  The  proprietor/chancellor  of  the  Catholic  University of Buea is the Bishop of the Diocese of Buea. In June 2011, another arm of the University, the Business and Research Park  was  created  as  a  legal  entity  of  its  own  by  the  Cameroon  laws  no  RC  BUC.2031-B023  with  the  name  CUIB-Centre  for  entrepreneurship  research  and  innovation  [1].  The  Catholic  University   Institute   of   Buea   Sport   Academic   (CUSA),   Went   operational  in  December  2014  with  authorization  no  1106/G37/C84/VOL  II/SAAJP  with  the  main  aim  of  assisting  young,  talented and excellent skilled Cameroonians in the various field of sport like football, volleyball, basketball, handball etc.Literature ReviewInnovative  teaching  is  the  process  of  leading  to  creative  learning, by implementing new methods, tools and contents that can benefit learners and their creative potential. Instructors, trainers and teaching assistants’ relapse to educating students in the way they were educated and thus implementing the teaching practices that were effective in helping them learn furthermore how  students  learn  best  has  change  as  time  too  has  change  [2].  Sternberg  &  Lubart  [3]  proposed  that  divergent  thinking  and  embracing  alternate  solutions  to  problem  solving  while  demonstrating  a  sensitivity  to  problems  could  help  educators  achieve these goals. Additionally, it has also been recommended that providing opportunities for active learning and stimulating learning  interests  could  also  help  nurture  innovative  practices  in  the  learning  environment.  Project-based  learning  is  a  good  example of innovative learning, but it is possibly not the way you would expect as learning through projects is indeed innovative compared to teacher-led and textbook-sourced instruction.Innovative  teaching  is  good,  whether  technology  is  used;  as  a  bad  teacher  does  not  suddenly  become  a  good  teacher  just because technology is not included into the mix nor does a good teacher need to always use technology to maintain their effectiveness. Innovative teaching therefore focuses on creating conducive  environments  within  which  good  learning  can  occur  and the innovative teachers are excellent at supporting students and  are  also  expert  at  creating  engaging  content  and  new experiences and they measures progress without causing any stress to the learner.Research MethodologyFor  this  research  work,  the  researchers  used  both  primary  and secondary data that is information collected from fieldwork through direct observation and through books and the website of the University respectively. This research also uses quantitative or   qualitative   method   of   data   collection   and   according   to   Jary  &  Jary  [4],  qualitative  techniques  rely  on  the  skills  of  the  researcher  as  an  interviewer  or  observer  in  gathering  data  whereas  quantitative  methods  place  reliance  upon  research  instruments employed to gather data and analyze it for example questionnaires.

Findings and AnalysisAccording  to  Rev.  Dr.  George  Nkeze  cited  in  the  2018/2019  bulletin  annual  publication  of  the  Catholic  University  Institute  of   Buea,   the   dynamics   of   a   constantly   changing   world   is   complicated:  the  education  landscape  is  constantly  changing,  the old ways of learning- going to school and writing a test is no longer  tenable  and  therefore  it  will  essential  to  train  students  and adults about how to learn efficiently (skills oriented) and not what to learn (knowledge oriented). The Catholic University Institute  of  Buea  –  CUIB  ubiquitous  satellite  campus:  study  anywhere, anytime campus is an initiate to take advantage of the technology advances that permit the blend of e-learning with the university’s traditional learning methods and models. This model involves a hybrid form of on-site and ubiquitous learning where students,  professionals  as  well  as  non-professionals  alike  can  benefit from the university state of-the-art and many amenities it  provides.  The  university  authorities  believe  that  gone  are  those days where learning is confined to a physical classroom or restricted to hours of the day as this method contributes to the university’s goal to train individuals that can flourish in a rapidly changing world.According  to  Kasey  Bell  [5]  google  classroom  is  designed  to  help  teachers  and  students  communicate  and  collaborate,  manage    assignments    paperless,    and    stay    organized    and    borrowing  from  the  Google  classroom  which  is  part  of  the  Google  Apps  for  education  suite,  the  authorities  of  the  Catholic  University Institute of Buea in an effort to continue to foster its policy of on-site and ubiquitous learning. It should be noted that students,  professionals  as  well  as  non-professionals  learn  from  the  comfort  of  their  environment  without  necessarily  meeting  in   a   physical   environment   and   working   with   the   guidance   and   support   of   the   lecturer.   The   entrepreneurship   training   and  practice  program  and  activities  which  provide  the  scope  and  tradition  necessary  to  implement  the  learning  processes  inherent in building an entrepreneurial mind-set [6].The   Catholic   University   Institute   of   Buea   –   centre   for   entrepreneurship and innovation academic fair (CUIB-CEI). It is an annual flagship event organised within the first two quarters of  the  month,  it  is  under  the  theme  ‘Economy  of  Communion’.  There   are   also   other   innovative   teaching   methods   namely:   colloquium  guest  speaker,  academic  boot  camps  and  start-ups,  business  plan  challenge  contest,  one  eagle  one  talent  initiative  and student incubator program [7].

Conclusion

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The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary

A conversation with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery on episode 94 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery share their advice for helping students learn blended vocabulary. We’ll also be giving away of their book Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital tools and Direct Instruction and you can enter by clicking here and following the instructions.

Listen Now

Listen on iTunes

Stream by clicking here.

Download the transcript PDF by clicking here or scroll down to read it on this page

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    In today’s show, Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery discuss best practices for teaching vocabulary:

The best practices that aren’t in the classroom yet

Three components to help teach vocabulary

Some apps and tools for teaching vocabulary

An overview of the framework in the book

How modeling vocabulary acquisition is important

I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery! Today in the show, I recommend taking this quiz to see if Angela Watson’s 40-hour workweek club is right for you. This is a great program for teachers. Learn more.

Want to hear another episode on helping students learn? Listen to Ramona Persaud talk about 5 ways to adjust teaching to how the brain learns.

Selected Links from this Episode

Twitter handle:@tysonkimberly and @drangelapeery

Book: Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson

How to Use Vocabulary Builder on Your Kindle Paperwhite

Shahi

Lingro

VocabularySpellingCity.com

Free Rice Vocabulary Section

FlashCard Stash

Vocabulary as a predictor of success

Blended Vocabulary Book Giveaway Contest

Full Bio As Submitted

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery has been an educator 31 years and has served as a secondary English teacher, secondary administrator, instructional coach, turnaround specialist, curriculum developer, and consultant. Angela has also authored or co-authored 13 books, including Blended Vocabulary for K–12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction (2017) and the bestseller The Data Teams Experience: A Guide to Effective Meetings (2014).

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Kimberly Tyson, or “Dr. Kimberly” as she is known by many, has been an educator and literacy consultant for many years. She has a great deal of experience as a classroom teacher, college administrator and instructor, and literacy consultant in classrooms ranging from preschool to the graduate level. Kimberly currently serves as an Education Specialist at Solution Tree and helps manage and support large-scale PLC implementations.

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Her recently published vocabulary book, co-authored with Dr. Angela Peery, is entitled Blended Vocabulary: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction and focuses on effective vocabulary practices in a blended environment. Written expressly for K-12 teachers, she hopes to empower teachers to provide effective vocabulary instruction along with using digital tools to support word learning. Follow the hashtag #blendedvocab on Twitter to see content from the book.

She regularly contributes literacy insights at Dr. Kimberly’s Literacy Blog and has collaborated in writing classroom curriculum and language arts sections as well as chairing the Elementary Reading National Evaluation Preparation Committee for Pearson Education.

Dr. Kimberly’s approach to literacy is research-based, practical, and is expertly designed to move literacy instruction and achievement forward. She has actively contributed to projects with the Indiana Department of Education, the Central Indiana Education Service Center, and other educational service centers in Indiana and nationally.

If you want to get in Kimberly’s good favor, she’s partial to strong coffee and chocolate (in that order). She volunteers in her community and cheers for the Phillies (a transplant from the east coast). She loves gardening, reading, bike riding, art galleries, live theater, and hanging out with her children.

Transcript for this episode

www.coolcatteacher.com/e94

Download the PDF Transcript

 [Recording starts 0:00:00]

Stay tuned to the end of the show to learn how to figure out if my friend Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club is right for you.

Today, the vocabulary doctors teach us how to teach vocabulary in the classroom. This is Episode 94.

The Ten-minute Teacher podcast with Vicki Davis. Every week day you’ll learn powerful practical ways to be a more remarkable teacher today.

VICKI:              Happy Thought Leader Thursday. Today, we’re talking to the vocabulary doctors; Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery

.                   They have a new book, Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms. http://amzn.to/2t3RjYg So, Kimberly, haven’t we just maxed out on all the ways to teach vocabulary? What’s up with needing some new book and some new method?

KIMBERLY:  That’s a really good point, because we both say that there’s a lot of great books out there that we’ve used for years and years. Angela and I have both worked with teachers K-12 for many years. What we know, and what the research tells us and practical examples tell us, is that despite all that we know about what makes up effective vocabulary instruction, very little of that has really trickled down to classroom practice. So a lot of us do what we did when we were in school. And unfortunately, it’s not the best way to teach vocabulary. So that’s why we wrote out book, which include strategies and digital tools that can support vocabulary learning.

VICKI:          Angela, Kimberly is talking about the things that haven’t trickled down. I mean, what needs to trickle down? What does this model look like?

ANGELA:     What we have tried to do is take the best of all the models that are already out there and synthesize them into three components that we feel every teacher can do and bring his or her own spin to.

[00:02:00]

                    And those three components are being a model of vocabulary at all times, being that great adult learner that shows an interest in words and that tries to nurture that in their students, obviously. The second component is teaching students, through direction instruction, teaching students words that they need to know but also teaching them how to apply word learning strategies such as word analysis, breaking down words into parts. And the third component is also never forgetting that we want to provide for incidental vocabulary learning at all times. And that includes; in the classroom teacher’s world, that includes things like allowing time for independent reading, and allowing students to share words that they found and all sorts of great stuff like that.

What actually differentiates in our model from other models is our digital tools component. So we do, throughout the book, try to share with teachers some of the best applications and websites that they can use that will enhance vocabulary instruction.

VICKI:          But, Kimberly, there are so many ways you can learn vocabulary now. I know. You know what; when I got my first Kindle, and I even use it now, as I read and I can look up vocabulary words and then review those words, (See How to use Vocbulary builder on your Kindle paperwhite – http://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/tablets/kindle/how-to-use-vocabulary-builder-on-your-kindle-paperwhite/ )

I feel like my own vocabulary has exploded. I mean, I know you talk about a lot of Edtech tools, but what are some of your favorites for really learning new vocabulary?

KIMBERLY:  I think as with everything with Edtech is, it always depends on the teacher’s purpose. Depending on whether that teacher is trying to pull in tech tools right while she’s doing direct instruction, or often teachers are using them more for independent word learning and practice. I’ll say that one of my favorite reference tools – I have a lot of favorites.

[00:04:00]

                    But one of them happens to be – and I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing this correctly – Shahi, S-H-A-H-I. I love Shahi. http://blachan.com/shahi/ I like Lingro. http://lingro.com/ I like both of those because I enjoy the ones that really work for students that provide that visual component, so students can see the word, they can hear the word pronounced, and then they can also see a visual or many visuals to reinforce the learning of that word. We love VocabularySpellingCity https://www.spellingcity.com/ , both the free component and the more advanced component. We like Free Rice (Vocabulary Section: http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1380 ), Flashcard Stash. http://flashcardstash.com/  There are so many good ones out there. And we encourage teachers to share. I’ve had teachers email me on my website and through Twitter and say, hey, I found this tool; what do you think about this? So it’s fun getting input from teachers as well as the ones that we enjoy.

VICKI:          So as we finish up, Angela, what do you think the biggest mistake teachers make when they’re trying to teach vocabulary?

ANGELA:     Oh, that’s an interesting question. I think, especially in this past year having worked with a lot of teachers side by side in their classrooms, that a couple of things. I think maybe teachers directly teach a word meaning only one time, maybe twice, and they don’t necessarily explore that word in all the ways it could be used or they don’t keep calling kids’ attention to it, and therefore it doesn’t really stick very well with the students.

I think the other thing – and this is where our digital tools component comes in – I think that perhaps teachers don’t give students enough practice with words that they have been teaching, and also just practicing expanding their vocabularies, like some of what Kimberly was just talking about. Kids need lots of practice and lots of exposures to words in order to put them in their own lexicons. And I think sometimes teachers just run out of ways to do that, and so they rely on the good old “I’ll tell you the meaning again” or “let’s look it up again”.

[00:06:00]

                    And sometimes they don’t go too far beyond that. So we’re hoping our book will change some of that.

VICKI:          Wow. And that’s tough. So, Kimberly, what would you add to that? When you’re helping teachers and they just feel like the kids, they want the teachers just to hand them the definition. Should we let kids struggle, or what should we do at that point?

KIMBERLY:  I believe in productive struggle, but I also believe in – what we know about vocabulary is that to move vocabulary from our listening so that we understand it when you say it and you might use it in context, so that we can move it from our listening to our speaking and our writing vocabulary, really only comes through practice; lots of practice and review. So actually, productive struggle, if they don’t know what it means, isn’t really productive at all. We’ve got to give them many opportunities to use language in class, to have conversations in class, to use word walls, to use technology tools that can enhance their word learning and support it. We’ve got to use all the tools available to us, including print, of course, that can help them move the words from their general understanding, which is more their listening vocabulary, to their speaking and their writing vocabulary. And, again, it’s only going to come through lots of practice, lots of verbal practice, independent reading, writing, to help move that vocabulary, to be able to use it in their everyday life.

VICKI:          So, teachers, check the show notes. Because we’ll also be giving away their book; Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms, by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson. So check the show notes; you’ll see how to do that.

[00:08:00]

                    I think it’s important, because vocabulary – I once read, and I’ll include this in the show notes too, that the greatest indicator of success is actually not your educational level; it is your vocabulary level. https://blog.thelinguist.com/vocabulary-success-word-power  They have found that those exceptional people who don’t go to college and still become amazing entrepreneurs are actually often readers who have a tremendous vocabulary. So vocabulary acquisition is such an important thing that we need to all develop. And we need to develop those tools and understand how to really help our students acquire and use vocabulary. So this is an important topic. And I hope you’ll head over to the blog post and share this show and enter to win their book.

This month, Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club will open up for membership. And she only has two open [indiscernible 0:08:48] a year. Now, I’ve been participating for a year and I have learned so much about classroom efficiency. But, it’s not for everybody. So I’ve got a link for you to a quick quiz that will help you understand if the 40 Hour Workweek Club would be right for you. Just go to www.coolcatteacher.com/quiz and take the quiz to see if the 40 Hour Workweek is right for you.

  Thank you for listening to the Ten-minute Teacher Podcast. You can download the show notes and see the archive at coolcatteacher.com/podcast. Never stop learning.

  [End of Audio 0:09:35]

  [Transcription created by tranzify.com. Some additional editing has been done to add grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Every attempt has been made to correct spelling. For permissions, please email lisa@coolcatteacher.com]

  The post The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/vocabulary-doctors-teach-vocabulary/

[patriciaanderson357-blog]

The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary

A conversation with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery on episode 94 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery share their advice for helping students learn blended vocabulary. We’ll also be giving away of their book Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital tools and Direct Instruction and you can enter by clicking here and following the instructions.

Listen Now

Listen on iTunes

Stream by clicking here.

Download the transcript PDF by clicking here or scroll down to read it on this page

Click the button for iTunes or Stitcher to subscribe to this show

    In today’s show, Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery discuss best practices for teaching vocabulary:

The best practices that aren’t in the classroom yet

Three components to help teach vocabulary

Some apps and tools for teaching vocabulary

An overview of the framework in the book

How modeling vocabulary acquisition is important

I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery! Today in the show, I recommend taking this quiz to see if Angela Watson’s 40-hour workweek club is right for you. This is a great program for teachers. Learn more.

Want to hear another episode on helping students learn? Listen to Ramona Persaud talk about 5 ways to adjust teaching to how the brain learns.

Selected Links from this Episode

Twitter handle:@tysonkimberly and @drangelapeery

Book: Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson

How to Use Vocabulary Builder on Your Kindle Paperwhite

Shahi

Lingro

VocabularySpellingCity.com

Free Rice Vocabulary Section

FlashCard Stash

Vocabulary as a predictor of success

Blended Vocabulary Book Giveaway Contest

Full Bio As Submitted

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery has been an educator 31 years and has served as a secondary English teacher, secondary administrator, instructional coach, turnaround specialist, curriculum developer, and consultant. Angela has also authored or co-authored 13 books, including Blended Vocabulary for K–12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction (2017) and the bestseller The Data Teams Experience: A Guide to Effective Meetings (2014).

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Kimberly Tyson, or “Dr. Kimberly” as she is known by many, has been an educator and literacy consultant for many years. She has a great deal of experience as a classroom teacher, college administrator and instructor, and literacy consultant in classrooms ranging from preschool to the graduate level. Kimberly currently serves as an Education Specialist at Solution Tree and helps manage and support large-scale PLC implementations.

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Her recently published vocabulary book, co-authored with Dr. Angela Peery, is entitled Blended Vocabulary: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction and focuses on effective vocabulary practices in a blended environment. Written expressly for K-12 teachers, she hopes to empower teachers to provide effective vocabulary instruction along with using digital tools to support word learning. Follow the hashtag #blendedvocab on Twitter to see content from the book.

She regularly contributes literacy insights at Dr. Kimberly’s Literacy Blog and has collaborated in writing classroom curriculum and language arts sections as well as chairing the Elementary Reading National Evaluation Preparation Committee for Pearson Education.

Dr. Kimberly’s approach to literacy is research-based, practical, and is expertly designed to move literacy instruction and achievement forward. She has actively contributed to projects with the Indiana Department of Education, the Central Indiana Education Service Center, and other educational service centers in Indiana and nationally.

If you want to get in Kimberly’s good favor, she’s partial to strong coffee and chocolate (in that order). She volunteers in her community and cheers for the Phillies (a transplant from the east coast). She loves gardening, reading, bike riding, art galleries, live theater, and hanging out with her children.

Transcript for this episode

www.coolcatteacher.com/e94

Download the PDF Transcript

 [Recording starts 0:00:00]

Stay tuned to the end of the show to learn how to figure out if my friend Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club is right for you.

Today, the vocabulary doctors teach us how to teach vocabulary in the classroom. This is Episode 94.

The Ten-minute Teacher podcast with Vicki Davis. Every week day you’ll learn powerful practical ways to be a more remarkable teacher today.

VICKI:              Happy Thought Leader Thursday. Today, we’re talking to the vocabulary doctors; Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery

.                   They have a new book, Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms. http://amzn.to/2t3RjYg So, Kimberly, haven’t we just maxed out on all the ways to teach vocabulary? What’s up with needing some new book and some new method?

KIMBERLY:  That’s a really good point, because we both say that there’s a lot of great books out there that we’ve used for years and years. Angela and I have both worked with teachers K-12 for many years. What we know, and what the research tells us and practical examples tell us, is that despite all that we know about what makes up effective vocabulary instruction, very little of that has really trickled down to classroom practice. So a lot of us do what we did when we were in school. And unfortunately, it’s not the best way to teach vocabulary. So that’s why we wrote out book, which include strategies and digital tools that can support vocabulary learning.

VICKI:          Angela, Kimberly is talking about the things that haven’t trickled down. I mean, what needs to trickle down? What does this model look like?

ANGELA:     What we have tried to do is take the best of all the models that are already out there and synthesize them into three components that we feel every teacher can do and bring his or her own spin to.

[00:02:00]

                    And those three components are being a model of vocabulary at all times, being that great adult learner that shows an interest in words and that tries to nurture that in their students, obviously. The second component is teaching students, through direction instruction, teaching students words that they need to know but also teaching them how to apply word learning strategies such as word analysis, breaking down words into parts. And the third component is also never forgetting that we want to provide for incidental vocabulary learning at all times. And that includes; in the classroom teacher’s world, that includes things like allowing time for independent reading, and allowing students to share words that they found and all sorts of great stuff like that.

What actually differentiates in our model from other models is our digital tools component. So we do, throughout the book, try to share with teachers some of the best applications and websites that they can use that will enhance vocabulary instruction.

VICKI:          But, Kimberly, there are so many ways you can learn vocabulary now. I know. You know what; when I got my first Kindle, and I even use it now, as I read and I can look up vocabulary words and then review those words, (See How to use Vocbulary builder on your Kindle paperwhite – http://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/tablets/kindle/how-to-use-vocabulary-builder-on-your-kindle-paperwhite/ )

I feel like my own vocabulary has exploded. I mean, I know you talk about a lot of Edtech tools, but what are some of your favorites for really learning new vocabulary?

KIMBERLY:  I think as with everything with Edtech is, it always depends on the teacher’s purpose. Depending on whether that teacher is trying to pull in tech tools right while she’s doing direct instruction, or often teachers are using them more for independent word learning and practice. I’ll say that one of my favorite reference tools – I have a lot of favorites.

[00:04:00]

                    But one of them happens to be – and I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing this correctly – Shahi, S-H-A-H-I. I love Shahi. http://blachan.com/shahi/ I like Lingro. http://lingro.com/ I like both of those because I enjoy the ones that really work for students that provide that visual component, so students can see the word, they can hear the word pronounced, and then they can also see a visual or many visuals to reinforce the learning of that word. We love VocabularySpellingCity https://www.spellingcity.com/ , both the free component and the more advanced component. We like Free Rice (Vocabulary Section: http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1380 ), Flashcard Stash. http://flashcardstash.com/  There are so many good ones out there. And we encourage teachers to share. I’ve had teachers email me on my website and through Twitter and say, hey, I found this tool; what do you think about this? So it’s fun getting input from teachers as well as the ones that we enjoy.

VICKI:          So as we finish up, Angela, what do you think the biggest mistake teachers make when they’re trying to teach vocabulary?

ANGELA:     Oh, that’s an interesting question. I think, especially in this past year having worked with a lot of teachers side by side in their classrooms, that a couple of things. I think maybe teachers directly teach a word meaning only one time, maybe twice, and they don’t necessarily explore that word in all the ways it could be used or they don’t keep calling kids’ attention to it, and therefore it doesn’t really stick very well with the students.

I think the other thing – and this is where our digital tools component comes in – I think that perhaps teachers don’t give students enough practice with words that they have been teaching, and also just practicing expanding their vocabularies, like some of what Kimberly was just talking about. Kids need lots of practice and lots of exposures to words in order to put them in their own lexicons. And I think sometimes teachers just run out of ways to do that, and so they rely on the good old “I’ll tell you the meaning again” or “let’s look it up again”.

[00:06:00]

                    And sometimes they don’t go too far beyond that. So we’re hoping our book will change some of that.

VICKI:          Wow. And that’s tough. So, Kimberly, what would you add to that? When you’re helping teachers and they just feel like the kids, they want the teachers just to hand them the definition. Should we let kids struggle, or what should we do at that point?

KIMBERLY:  I believe in productive struggle, but I also believe in – what we know about vocabulary is that to move vocabulary from our listening so that we understand it when you say it and you might use it in context, so that we can move it from our listening to our speaking and our writing vocabulary, really only comes through practice; lots of practice and review. So actually, productive struggle, if they don’t know what it means, isn’t really productive at all. We’ve got to give them many opportunities to use language in class, to have conversations in class, to use word walls, to use technology tools that can enhance their word learning and support it. We’ve got to use all the tools available to us, including print, of course, that can help them move the words from their general understanding, which is more their listening vocabulary, to their speaking and their writing vocabulary. And, again, it’s only going to come through lots of practice, lots of verbal practice, independent reading, writing, to help move that vocabulary, to be able to use it in their everyday life.

VICKI:          So, teachers, check the show notes. Because we’ll also be giving away their book; Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms, by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson. So check the show notes; you’ll see how to do that.

[00:08:00]

                    I think it’s important, because vocabulary – I once read, and I’ll include this in the show notes too, that the greatest indicator of success is actually not your educational level; it is your vocabulary level. https://blog.thelinguist.com/vocabulary-success-word-power  They have found that those exceptional people who don’t go to college and still become amazing entrepreneurs are actually often readers who have a tremendous vocabulary. So vocabulary acquisition is such an important thing that we need to all develop. And we need to develop those tools and understand how to really help our students acquire and use vocabulary. So this is an important topic. And I hope you’ll head over to the blog post and share this show and enter to win their book.

This month, Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club will open up for membership. And she only has two open [indiscernible 0:08:48] a year. Now, I’ve been participating for a year and I have learned so much about classroom efficiency. But, it’s not for everybody. So I’ve got a link for you to a quick quiz that will help you understand if the 40 Hour Workweek Club would be right for you. Just go to www.coolcatteacher.com/quiz and take the quiz to see if the 40 Hour Workweek is right for you.

  Thank you for listening to the Ten-minute Teacher Podcast. You can download the show notes and see the archive at coolcatteacher.com/podcast. Never stop learning.

  [End of Audio 0:09:35]

  [Transcription created by tranzify.com. Some additional editing has been done to add grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Every attempt has been made to correct spelling. For permissions, please email lisa@coolcatteacher.com]

  The post The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

[ralph31ortiz]

The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary

A conversation with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery on episode 94 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery share their advice for helping students learn blended vocabulary. We’ll also be giving away of their book Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital tools and Direct Instruction and you can enter by clicking here and following the instructions.

Listen Now

Listen on iTunes

Stream by clicking here.

Download the transcript PDF by clicking here or scroll down to read it on this page

Click the button for iTunes or Stitcher to subscribe to this show

    In today’s show, Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery discuss best practices for teaching vocabulary:

The best practices that aren’t in the classroom yet

Three components to help teach vocabulary

Some apps and tools for teaching vocabulary

An overview of the framework in the book

How modeling vocabulary acquisition is important

I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery! Today in the show, I recommend taking this quiz to see if Angela Watson’s 40-hour workweek club is right for you. This is a great program for teachers. Learn more.

Want to hear another episode on helping students learn? Listen to Ramona Persaud talk about 5 ways to adjust teaching to how the brain learns.

Selected Links from this Episode

Twitter handle:@tysonkimberly and @drangelapeery

Book: Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson

How to Use Vocabulary Builder on Your Kindle Paperwhite

Shahi

Lingro

VocabularySpellingCity.com

Free Rice Vocabulary Section

FlashCard Stash

Vocabulary as a predictor of success

Blended Vocabulary Book Giveaway Contest

Full Bio As Submitted

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery has been an educator 31 years and has served as a secondary English teacher, secondary administrator, instructional coach, turnaround specialist, curriculum developer, and consultant. Angela has also authored or co-authored 13 books, including Blended Vocabulary for K–12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction (2017) and the bestseller The Data Teams Experience: A Guide to Effective Meetings (2014).

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Kimberly Tyson, or “Dr. Kimberly” as she is known by many, has been an educator and literacy consultant for many years. She has a great deal of experience as a classroom teacher, college administrator and instructor, and literacy consultant in classrooms ranging from preschool to the graduate level. Kimberly currently serves as an Education Specialist at Solution Tree and helps manage and support large-scale PLC implementations.

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Her recently published vocabulary book, co-authored with Dr. Angela Peery, is entitled Blended Vocabulary: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction and focuses on effective vocabulary practices in a blended environment. Written expressly for K-12 teachers, she hopes to empower teachers to provide effective vocabulary instruction along with using digital tools to support word learning. Follow the hashtag #blendedvocab on Twitter to see content from the book.

She regularly contributes literacy insights at Dr. Kimberly’s Literacy Blog and has collaborated in writing classroom curriculum and language arts sections as well as chairing the Elementary Reading National Evaluation Preparation Committee for Pearson Education.

Dr. Kimberly’s approach to literacy is research-based, practical, and is expertly designed to move literacy instruction and achievement forward. She has actively contributed to projects with the Indiana Department of Education, the Central Indiana Education Service Center, and other educational service centers in Indiana and nationally.

If you want to get in Kimberly’s good favor, she’s partial to strong coffee and chocolate (in that order). She volunteers in her community and cheers for the Phillies (a transplant from the east coast). She loves gardening, reading, bike riding, art galleries, live theater, and hanging out with her children.

Transcript for this episode

www.coolcatteacher.com/e94

Download the PDF Transcript

 [Recording starts 0:00:00]

Stay tuned to the end of the show to learn how to figure out if my friend Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club is right for you.

Today, the vocabulary doctors teach us how to teach vocabulary in the classroom. This is Episode 94.

The Ten-minute Teacher podcast with Vicki Davis. Every week day you’ll learn powerful practical ways to be a more remarkable teacher today.

VICKI:              Happy Thought Leader Thursday. Today, we’re talking to the vocabulary doctors; Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery

.                   They have a new book, Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms. http://amzn.to/2t3RjYg So, Kimberly, haven’t we just maxed out on all the ways to teach vocabulary? What’s up with needing some new book and some new method?

KIMBERLY:  That’s a really good point, because we both say that there’s a lot of great books out there that we’ve used for years and years. Angela and I have both worked with teachers K-12 for many years. What we know, and what the research tells us and practical examples tell us, is that despite all that we know about what makes up effective vocabulary instruction, very little of that has really trickled down to classroom practice. So a lot of us do what we did when we were in school. And unfortunately, it’s not the best way to teach vocabulary. So that’s why we wrote out book, which include strategies and digital tools that can support vocabulary learning.

VICKI:          Angela, Kimberly is talking about the things that haven’t trickled down. I mean, what needs to trickle down? What does this model look like?

ANGELA:     What we have tried to do is take the best of all the models that are already out there and synthesize them into three components that we feel every teacher can do and bring his or her own spin to.

[00:02:00]

                    And those three components are being a model of vocabulary at all times, being that great adult learner that shows an interest in words and that tries to nurture that in their students, obviously. The second component is teaching students, through direction instruction, teaching students words that they need to know but also teaching them how to apply word learning strategies such as word analysis, breaking down words into parts. And the third component is also never forgetting that we want to provide for incidental vocabulary learning at all times. And that includes; in the classroom teacher’s world, that includes things like allowing time for independent reading, and allowing students to share words that they found and all sorts of great stuff like that.

What actually differentiates in our model from other models is our digital tools component. So we do, throughout the book, try to share with teachers some of the best applications and websites that they can use that will enhance vocabulary instruction.

VICKI:          But, Kimberly, there are so many ways you can learn vocabulary now. I know. You know what; when I got my first Kindle, and I even use it now, as I read and I can look up vocabulary words and then review those words, (See How to use Vocbulary builder on your Kindle paperwhite – http://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/tablets/kindle/how-to-use-vocabulary-builder-on-your-kindle-paperwhite/ )

I feel like my own vocabulary has exploded. I mean, I know you talk about a lot of Edtech tools, but what are some of your favorites for really learning new vocabulary?

KIMBERLY:  I think as with everything with Edtech is, it always depends on the teacher’s purpose. Depending on whether that teacher is trying to pull in tech tools right while she’s doing direct instruction, or often teachers are using them more for independent word learning and practice. I’ll say that one of my favorite reference tools – I have a lot of favorites.

[00:04:00]

                    But one of them happens to be – and I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing this correctly – Shahi, S-H-A-H-I. I love Shahi. http://blachan.com/shahi/ I like Lingro. http://lingro.com/ I like both of those because I enjoy the ones that really work for students that provide that visual component, so students can see the word, they can hear the word pronounced, and then they can also see a visual or many visuals to reinforce the learning of that word. We love VocabularySpellingCity https://www.spellingcity.com/ , both the free component and the more advanced component. We like Free Rice (Vocabulary Section: http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1380 ), Flashcard Stash. http://flashcardstash.com/  There are so many good ones out there. And we encourage teachers to share. I’ve had teachers email me on my website and through Twitter and say, hey, I found this tool; what do you think about this? So it’s fun getting input from teachers as well as the ones that we enjoy.

VICKI:          So as we finish up, Angela, what do you think the biggest mistake teachers make when they’re trying to teach vocabulary?

ANGELA:     Oh, that’s an interesting question. I think, especially in this past year having worked with a lot of teachers side by side in their classrooms, that a couple of things. I think maybe teachers directly teach a word meaning only one time, maybe twice, and they don’t necessarily explore that word in all the ways it could be used or they don’t keep calling kids’ attention to it, and therefore it doesn’t really stick very well with the students.

I think the other thing – and this is where our digital tools component comes in – I think that perhaps teachers don’t give students enough practice with words that they have been teaching, and also just practicing expanding their vocabularies, like some of what Kimberly was just talking about. Kids need lots of practice and lots of exposures to words in order to put them in their own lexicons. And I think sometimes teachers just run out of ways to do that, and so they rely on the good old “I’ll tell you the meaning again” or “let’s look it up again”.

[00:06:00]

                    And sometimes they don’t go too far beyond that. So we’re hoping our book will change some of that.

VICKI:          Wow. And that’s tough. So, Kimberly, what would you add to that? When you’re helping teachers and they just feel like the kids, they want the teachers just to hand them the definition. Should we let kids struggle, or what should we do at that point?

KIMBERLY:  I believe in productive struggle, but I also believe in – what we know about vocabulary is that to move vocabulary from our listening so that we understand it when you say it and you might use it in context, so that we can move it from our listening to our speaking and our writing vocabulary, really only comes through practice; lots of practice and review. So actually, productive struggle, if they don’t know what it means, isn’t really productive at all. We’ve got to give them many opportunities to use language in class, to have conversations in class, to use word walls, to use technology tools that can enhance their word learning and support it. We’ve got to use all the tools available to us, including print, of course, that can help them move the words from their general understanding, which is more their listening vocabulary, to their speaking and their writing vocabulary. And, again, it’s only going to come through lots of practice, lots of verbal practice, independent reading, writing, to help move that vocabulary, to be able to use it in their everyday life.

VICKI:          So, teachers, check the show notes. Because we’ll also be giving away their book; Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms, by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson. So check the show notes; you’ll see how to do that.

[00:08:00]

                    I think it’s important, because vocabulary – I once read, and I’ll include this in the show notes too, that the greatest indicator of success is actually not your educational level; it is your vocabulary level. https://blog.thelinguist.com/vocabulary-success-word-power  They have found that those exceptional people who don’t go to college and still become amazing entrepreneurs are actually often readers who have a tremendous vocabulary. So vocabulary acquisition is such an important thing that we need to all develop. And we need to develop those tools and understand how to really help our students acquire and use vocabulary. So this is an important topic. And I hope you’ll head over to the blog post and share this show and enter to win their book.

This month, Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club will open up for membership. And she only has two open [indiscernible 0:08:48] a year. Now, I’ve been participating for a year and I have learned so much about classroom efficiency. But, it’s not for everybody. So I’ve got a link for you to a quick quiz that will help you understand if the 40 Hour Workweek Club would be right for you. Just go to www.coolcatteacher.com/quiz and take the quiz to see if the 40 Hour Workweek is right for you.

  Thank you for listening to the Ten-minute Teacher Podcast. You can download the show notes and see the archive at coolcatteacher.com/podcast. Never stop learning.

  [End of Audio 0:09:35]

  [Transcription created by tranzify.com. Some additional editing has been done to add grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Every attempt has been made to correct spelling. For permissions, please email lisa@coolcatteacher.com]

  The post The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/vocabulary-doctors-teach-vocabulary/

[athena29stone]

The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary

A conversation with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery on episode 94 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery share their advice for helping students learn blended vocabulary. We’ll also be giving away of their book Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital tools and Direct Instruction and you can enter by clicking here and following the instructions.

Listen Now

Listen on iTunes

Stream by clicking here.

Download the transcript PDF by clicking here or scroll down to read it on this page

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    In today’s show, Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery discuss best practices for teaching vocabulary:

The best practices that aren’t in the classroom yet

Three components to help teach vocabulary

Some apps and tools for teaching vocabulary

An overview of the framework in the book

How modeling vocabulary acquisition is important

I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peery! Today in the show, I recommend taking this quiz to see if Angela Watson’s 40-hour workweek club is right for you. This is a great program for teachers. Learn more.

Want to hear another episode on helping students learn? Listen to Ramona Persaud talk about 5 ways to adjust teaching to how the brain learns.

Selected Links from this Episode

Twitter handle:@tysonkimberly and @drangelapeery

Book: Blended Vocabulary for K12 Classrooms by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson

How to Use Vocabulary Builder on Your Kindle Paperwhite

Shahi

Lingro

VocabularySpellingCity.com

Free Rice Vocabulary Section

FlashCard Stash

Vocabulary as a predictor of success

Blended Vocabulary Book Giveaway Contest

Full Bio As Submitted

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery

Dr. Angela Peery has been an educator 31 years and has served as a secondary English teacher, secondary administrator, instructional coach, turnaround specialist, curriculum developer, and consultant. Angela has also authored or co-authored 13 books, including Blended Vocabulary for K–12 Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction (2017) and the bestseller The Data Teams Experience: A Guide to Effective Meetings (2014).

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Kimberly Tyson, or “Dr. Kimberly” as she is known by many, has been an educator and literacy consultant for many years. She has a great deal of experience as a classroom teacher, college administrator and instructor, and literacy consultant in classrooms ranging from preschool to the graduate level. Kimberly currently serves as an Education Specialist at Solution Tree and helps manage and support large-scale PLC implementations.

Dr. Kimberly Tyson

Her recently published vocabulary book, co-authored with Dr. Angela Peery, is entitled Blended Vocabulary: Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction and focuses on effective vocabulary practices in a blended environment. Written expressly for K-12 teachers, she hopes to empower teachers to provide effective vocabulary instruction along with using digital tools to support word learning. Follow the hashtag #blendedvocab on Twitter to see content from the book.

She regularly contributes literacy insights at Dr. Kimberly’s Literacy Blog and has collaborated in writing classroom curriculum and language arts sections as well as chairing the Elementary Reading National Evaluation Preparation Committee for Pearson Education.

Dr. Kimberly’s approach to literacy is research-based, practical, and is expertly designed to move literacy instruction and achievement forward. She has actively contributed to projects with the Indiana Department of Education, the Central Indiana Education Service Center, and other educational service centers in Indiana and nationally.

If you want to get in Kimberly’s good favor, she’s partial to strong coffee and chocolate (in that order). She volunteers in her community and cheers for the Phillies (a transplant from the east coast). She loves gardening, reading, bike riding, art galleries, live theater, and hanging out with her children.

Transcript for this episode

www.coolcatteacher.com/e94

Download the PDF Transcript

 [Recording starts 0:00:00]

Stay tuned to the end of the show to learn how to figure out if my friend Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club is right for you.

Today, the vocabulary doctors teach us how to teach vocabulary in the classroom. This is Episode 94.

The Ten-minute Teacher podcast with Vicki Davis. Every week day you’ll learn powerful practical ways to be a more remarkable teacher today.

VICKI:              Happy Thought Leader Thursday. Today, we’re talking to the vocabulary doctors; Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly and Dr. Angela Peery @drangelapeery

.                   They have a new book, Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms. http://amzn.to/2t3RjYg So, Kimberly, haven’t we just maxed out on all the ways to teach vocabulary? What’s up with needing some new book and some new method?

KIMBERLY:  That’s a really good point, because we both say that there’s a lot of great books out there that we’ve used for years and years. Angela and I have both worked with teachers K-12 for many years. What we know, and what the research tells us and practical examples tell us, is that despite all that we know about what makes up effective vocabulary instruction, very little of that has really trickled down to classroom practice. So a lot of us do what we did when we were in school. And unfortunately, it’s not the best way to teach vocabulary. So that’s why we wrote out book, which include strategies and digital tools that can support vocabulary learning.

VICKI:          Angela, Kimberly is talking about the things that haven’t trickled down. I mean, what needs to trickle down? What does this model look like?

ANGELA:     What we have tried to do is take the best of all the models that are already out there and synthesize them into three components that we feel every teacher can do and bring his or her own spin to.

[00:02:00]

                    And those three components are being a model of vocabulary at all times, being that great adult learner that shows an interest in words and that tries to nurture that in their students, obviously. The second component is teaching students, through direction instruction, teaching students words that they need to know but also teaching them how to apply word learning strategies such as word analysis, breaking down words into parts. And the third component is also never forgetting that we want to provide for incidental vocabulary learning at all times. And that includes; in the classroom teacher’s world, that includes things like allowing time for independent reading, and allowing students to share words that they found and all sorts of great stuff like that.

What actually differentiates in our model from other models is our digital tools component. So we do, throughout the book, try to share with teachers some of the best applications and websites that they can use that will enhance vocabulary instruction.

VICKI:          But, Kimberly, there are so many ways you can learn vocabulary now. I know. You know what; when I got my first Kindle, and I even use it now, as I read and I can look up vocabulary words and then review those words, (See How to use Vocbulary builder on your Kindle paperwhite – http://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/tablets/kindle/how-to-use-vocabulary-builder-on-your-kindle-paperwhite/ )

I feel like my own vocabulary has exploded. I mean, I know you talk about a lot of Edtech tools, but what are some of your favorites for really learning new vocabulary?

KIMBERLY:  I think as with everything with Edtech is, it always depends on the teacher’s purpose. Depending on whether that teacher is trying to pull in tech tools right while she’s doing direct instruction, or often teachers are using them more for independent word learning and practice. I’ll say that one of my favorite reference tools – I have a lot of favorites.

[00:04:00]

                    But one of them happens to be – and I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing this correctly – Shahi, S-H-A-H-I. I love Shahi. http://blachan.com/shahi/ I like Lingro. http://lingro.com/ I like both of those because I enjoy the ones that really work for students that provide that visual component, so students can see the word, they can hear the word pronounced, and then they can also see a visual or many visuals to reinforce the learning of that word. We love VocabularySpellingCity https://www.spellingcity.com/ , both the free component and the more advanced component. We like Free Rice (Vocabulary Section: http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1380 ), Flashcard Stash. http://flashcardstash.com/  There are so many good ones out there. And we encourage teachers to share. I’ve had teachers email me on my website and through Twitter and say, hey, I found this tool; what do you think about this? So it’s fun getting input from teachers as well as the ones that we enjoy.

VICKI:          So as we finish up, Angela, what do you think the biggest mistake teachers make when they’re trying to teach vocabulary?

ANGELA:     Oh, that’s an interesting question. I think, especially in this past year having worked with a lot of teachers side by side in their classrooms, that a couple of things. I think maybe teachers directly teach a word meaning only one time, maybe twice, and they don’t necessarily explore that word in all the ways it could be used or they don’t keep calling kids’ attention to it, and therefore it doesn’t really stick very well with the students.

I think the other thing – and this is where our digital tools component comes in – I think that perhaps teachers don’t give students enough practice with words that they have been teaching, and also just practicing expanding their vocabularies, like some of what Kimberly was just talking about. Kids need lots of practice and lots of exposures to words in order to put them in their own lexicons. And I think sometimes teachers just run out of ways to do that, and so they rely on the good old “I’ll tell you the meaning again” or “let’s look it up again”.

[00:06:00]

                    And sometimes they don’t go too far beyond that. So we’re hoping our book will change some of that.

VICKI:          Wow. And that’s tough. So, Kimberly, what would you add to that? When you’re helping teachers and they just feel like the kids, they want the teachers just to hand them the definition. Should we let kids struggle, or what should we do at that point?

KIMBERLY:  I believe in productive struggle, but I also believe in – what we know about vocabulary is that to move vocabulary from our listening so that we understand it when you say it and you might use it in context, so that we can move it from our listening to our speaking and our writing vocabulary, really only comes through practice; lots of practice and review. So actually, productive struggle, if they don’t know what it means, isn’t really productive at all. We’ve got to give them many opportunities to use language in class, to have conversations in class, to use word walls, to use technology tools that can enhance their word learning and support it. We’ve got to use all the tools available to us, including print, of course, that can help them move the words from their general understanding, which is more their listening vocabulary, to their speaking and their writing vocabulary. And, again, it’s only going to come through lots of practice, lots of verbal practice, independent reading, writing, to help move that vocabulary, to be able to use it in their everyday life.

VICKI:          So, teachers, check the show notes. Because we’ll also be giving away their book; Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms, by Dr. Angela Peery and Dr. Kimberly Tyson. So check the show notes; you’ll see how to do that.

[00:08:00]

                    I think it’s important, because vocabulary – I once read, and I’ll include this in the show notes too, that the greatest indicator of success is actually not your educational level; it is your vocabulary level. https://blog.thelinguist.com/vocabulary-success-word-power  They have found that those exceptional people who don’t go to college and still become amazing entrepreneurs are actually often readers who have a tremendous vocabulary. So vocabulary acquisition is such an important thing that we need to all develop. And we need to develop those tools and understand how to really help our students acquire and use vocabulary. So this is an important topic. And I hope you’ll head over to the blog post and share this show and enter to win their book.

This month, Angela Watson’s 40 Hour Workweek Club will open up for membership. And she only has two open [indiscernible 0:08:48] a year. Now, I’ve been participating for a year and I have learned so much about classroom efficiency. But, it’s not for everybody. So I’ve got a link for you to a quick quiz that will help you understand if the 40 Hour Workweek Club would be right for you. Just go to www.coolcatteacher.com/quiz and take the quiz to see if the 40 Hour Workweek is right for you.

  Thank you for listening to the Ten-minute Teacher Podcast. You can download the show notes and see the archive at coolcatteacher.com/podcast. Never stop learning.

  [End of Audio 0:09:35]

  [Transcription created by tranzify.com. Some additional editing has been done to add grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Every attempt has been made to correct spelling. For permissions, please email lisa@coolcatteacher.com]

  The post The Vocabulary Doctors: How to Teach Vocabulary appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/vocabulary-doctors-teach-vocabulary/