Archive for the ‘Guest Posts’ Category

4Four Ways To Stay Motivated During Your College Final Exams by Craig Middleton offers sound advice for new and experienced college students. Even though final exams are far away from this date, this is a good time to formulate your game plan for your next set of finals.

Introduction

• College is a period of newfound freedom and independence for young students. For many, it marks their first time away from home and signifies their formal transition into adulthood. While the college years are likely full of fun, lively activities, and meaningful new friendships, school also comes with an abundance of responsibility, papers, and tests. Final exams denote the end of a college semester, and they require a plethora of preparation and tons of studying. If you are a college student worried about staying motivated through your final exams, fret not. Read on to learn some helpful tips on remaining dedicated through finals and wrap up a successful semester.

1. Go Outside 

• While the library is full of information on various topics, it is challenging to remain diligent in the dark, cold environment that a library typically offers. Instead, consider taking your books outside and setting up your study hall on the grass. Most college campuses offer several areas conducive to outdoor seating, be it a quad or a mall. In any event, sunshine and a dose of Vitamin D can improve your mood and make any subject seem more enjoyable to study.

2. Create a Schedule

• The thought of learning and absorbing the hordes of materials necessary to pass your finals can feel overwhelming and downright impossible. An easy way to remedy this staggering feeling is to create a study schedule. Outline a list of items you need to complete by finals, ensuring full preparation come exam time. Consider getting even more detailed, and create a list of things you would like to accomplish daily. Keep in mind they do not all have to be related to studying, school, or finals. Physically check off these items once they are complete. This process of breaking down and checking off tasks will leave you feeling accomplished and productive instead of overwhelmed.

3. Get Extra Help

• Because finals comprise a significant amount of your final grade, professors often make help readily available at the end of the semester during exams. Take advantage of this extra support by attending your professors’ office hours, or seek additional resources like tutors and online prep courses. Remember to reach out to classmates and organize informational sessions together. Preparing for final exams as a group allows you to divide and conquer the class study guide, and it provides an excellent forum for questions and answers. (Doug: Don’t wait until the last few days to start this process. Learning is more efficient if it is spaced out. Cramming is inefficient!)

4. Exercise

• Sometimes you need to know when to put away the books and allow your mind to relax. Exercise is an excellent, healthy way to reset your mind and body, preparing you for your next study session. Research shows that a mere 20 minutes of exercise is enough to release hormones in the brain that promote happiness and optimism. Be sure to schedule a quick workout into your daily schedule to regroup and re-energize. While college is full of freedom, fun, and excitement, final exams can cause an overabundance of stress and anxiety. Hopefully, this list provides you with some ideas that will prepare you to enter your exam week with confidence and motivation. A thrive patch is a good way to keep energy up and help you with your nutrition.

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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Free Online College Education Classes & Resources by Catrin Cooper offers five Internet sites that offer free college courses. They are mostly designed for people who just want to learn something, but some have options to verify that you finished specific courses. You should also check out their Skill Success resource.

Introduction

• With free online college education classes and resources, there’s no need for you to spend thousands of dollars in tuition just to obtain an excellent education from the best schools in the world.
• It’s true that not all online resources will give you a college degree. There’s a lot more to the Internet than going to Wikipedia when you wish to learn something. Whether you study through a video or text, there are a few places online that can give you the full experience.

MIT OpenCourseWare

• MIT OpenCourseWare provides free lectures, examinations, and videos from the classes at MIT. You can also find classes that help you in fulfilling your dream of becoming a news reporter. Since 2002, the MIT faculty has been publishing educational materials from their courses for free. To take advantage of its materials, there’s no registration required.
• The course materials reflect all undergraduate and graduate subjects being taught at this school. However, the OCW isn’t an MIT education and it won’t grant you degrees or certificates.

EdX

• EdX is a partnership between the MIT and Harvard University. It offers MIT and Harvard classes for free online to millions of people around the world. The platform is based on technology designed at MIT to provide online versions of its courses. The online versions include video lessons, real-time feedback, and embedded testing, among others.
• If you wish to complete a course for a job, promotion or college application, you may need to get a verified certificate from EdX. It’s not free, but the fee is minimal. On the other hand, if you don’t want to get verified, the courses you’ve complete won’t let you get a certificate, or they can’t be used for a degree.

Open Yale Courses

• Open Yale Courses offers free access to a wide array of introductory courses taught by teachers at Yale University. The lectures are recorded in the classrooms of the school. You can get them in video, audio, and text.
• To get the free classes and resources, there are no registration requirements. You can just click the links and watch the videos or read the text transcript. But you’ll never get to receive a degree or a certificate for completing the classes.

The Open University

• The Open University is the leading expert in providing flexible higher education. All undergraduate courses don’t require prior qualifications and experience. It supports an open learning system that lets you choose and plan how you study so you can still fulfill your other commitments. You get support from a tutor or an online forum. You can also contact other students within your region.
• The classes, however, won’t give you a certificate. If you wish to continue your studies, you can apply for a government-backed loan. The university also offers other flexible and affordable ways to make your education more affordable.

FreeEdNet

• FreeEdNet offers courses, tutorials, and materials that you can find on the web. It also includes study materials developed by the people at FreeEdNet. All courses are free. Once you find the best course for you, you can begin working on it.
• However, the classes won’t replace formal education from a reputable school. They also won’t give you a degree or certification. Then again, they’re useful in helping you prepare for a job or extend your skills.

Catrin Cooper

• Catrin Cooper is blogger and freelance writer from New York. She’s always ready to cover topics related to personal development, marketing, and education. Feel free to contact Catrin at catrincooper99@gmail.com. Her guest posts are free so don’t miss an opportunity to add some value to your blog.

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From Messy to Manageable: A Step-by-Step Guide to Organizing Your Teaching Life by Emily Graham is chuck full of great advice for beginning and experienced teachers. Be sure to share with teachers you know.

Teaching is more than a profession — it’s a calling. It’s a job that requires passionate individuals who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that their students receive the best possible education. But with ever-increasing responsibilities and workloads, teachers can often find themselves struggling to stay organized. In this article, Dr. Doug Green provides valuable advice and guidance that you can implement to get and stay organized.

Individualized Attention for Student

Each student has their strengths and areas of opportunity. Keeping detailed records of each student’s needs, progress, and goals is an excellent way to track progress and ensure that they’re receiving the individualized attention they require. Have a specific plan for each student, and prioritize your time with them based on their needs. Whether it’s extra help, behavior modification, or academic support, regular check-ins can go a long way in boosting student success.

Utilize Organizational Techniques

One of the most effective ways to stay organized is by implementing organizational strategies that work best for you. Some ideas include using a color-coded filing system, setting reminders on your calendar, and keeping everything in its designated place. Take some time to assess your current organization system, and identify areas where you can improve. Maybe it’s creating a to-do list for each day, week, or month, or utilizing a planner to track assignments and deadlines. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure it’s tailored to your specific needs and allows you to maintain focus and efficiency.

Online PDF Tools

Digitizing paper records is an excellent way to save space and stay organized; however, it can be time-consuming and frustrating to remove unnecessary pages. Using an online PDF page remover tool takes a fraction of the time and makes the process effortless — click for info. With just a few clicks, you can delete pages, merge, and rearrange documents, all within a matter of minutes.

Effective Lesson Plan Tracking

As teachers, we’re always looking for ways to improve and enhance our teaching strategies. Tracking which lesson plans work best is an effective way to pinpoint what strategies are the most effective and what needs improvement. Keep detailed notes on each lesson, including what worked well and what areas need improvement. This information will provide you with valuable feedback that you can use to refine your teaching strategies and help your students achieve their goals.

Make Your Classroom Interesting

A well-designed classroom creates a comfortable and welcoming environment that fosters learning and engagement. Choose colors, decor, posters, and other elements that align with your personality and teaching style. Display student work and educational posters that spark curiosity and interest. Provide students with easy access to necessary supplies such as pencils, paper, and calculators. A thoughtfully designed classroom creates an environment that promotes learning, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Implement Good Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is essential to promoting a positive and productive learning environment. Establish clear behavior expectations and follow through with appropriate consequences when necessary. Monitor student behavior and provide feedback and support to students who are struggling. Encourage open communication, active listening, and positive reinforcement to enhance student behavior and motivation. Effective classroom management sets the foundation for a successful and positive learning environment.

Make Efforts to Achieve Your SMART Goals

Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) is a powerful way to stay organized and focused. Whether it’s personal or professional, set goals that align with your long-term aspirations and use them as a roadmap to success. Create a plan of action with specific details on how you’ll achieve your goals. Be sure to track your progress and adjust your goals as needed. Setting SMART goals will help you stay organized, focused, and motivated.

To achieve success as a teacher, being organized is not an option but a necessity. Implementing strategies such as tracking individual student needs, utilizing online tools to save time, and setting SMART goals can help in maintaining an efficient system. This way, teachers can achieve their objectives, help their students succeed, and enjoy a more fulfilling teaching experience.

Emily Graham
Emily is the creator of MightyMoms.net. She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life. On her site, she offers a wide range of info tailored for busy moms — from how to reduce stress to creative ways to spend time together as a family. You can email her at emilygraham@mightymoms.net. She lives in Arizona.

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From Messy to Manageable: A Step-by-Step Guide to Organizing Your Teaching Life by Emily Graham

Teaching is more than a profession — it’s a calling. It’s a job that requires passionate individuals who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that their students receive the best possible education. But with ever-increasing responsibilities and workloads, teachers can often find themselves struggling to stay organized. In this article, Dr. Doug Green provides valuable advice and guidance from Emily Graham that you can implement to get and stay organized.

Individualized Attention for Student

Each student has their strengths and areas of opportunity. Keeping detailed records of each student’s needs, progress, and goals is an excellent way to track progress and ensure that they’re receiving the individualized attention they require. Have a specific plan for each student, and prioritize your time with them based on their needs. Whether it’s extra help, behavior modification, or academic support, regular check-ins can go a long way in boosting student success.

Use Organizational Techniques

One of the most effective ways to stay organized is by implementing organizational strategies that work best for you. Some ideas include using a color-coded filing system, setting reminders on your calendar, and keeping everything in its designated place. Take some time to assess your current organization system, and identify areas where you can improve. Maybe it’s creating a to-do list for each day, week, or month, or using a planner to track assignments and deadlines. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure it’s tailored to your specific needs and allows you to maintain focus and efficiency.

Online PDF Tools

Digitizing paper records is an excellent way to save space and stay organized; however, it can be time-consuming and frustrating to remove unnecessary pages. Using an online PDF page remover tool takes a fraction of the time and makes the process effortless — click for info. With just a few clicks, you can delete pages, merge, and rearrange documents, all within a matter of minutes.

Effective Lesson Plan Tracking

As teachers, we’re always looking for ways to >improve and enhance our teaching strategies

A well-designed classroom creates a comfortable and welcoming environment that fosters learning and engagement. Choose colors, decor, posters, and other elements that align with your personality and teaching style. Display student work and educational posters that spark curiosity and interest. Provide students with easy access to necessary supplies such as pencils, paper, and calculators. A thoughtfully designed classroom creates an environment that promotes learning, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Implement Good Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is essential to promoting a positive and productive learning environment. Establish clear behavior expectations and follow through with appropriate consequences when necessary. Monitor student behavior and provide feedback and support to students who are struggling. Encourage open communication, active listening, and positive reinforcement to enhance student behavior and motivation. Effective classroom management sets the foundation for a successful and positive learning environment.

Make Efforts to Achieve Your SMART Goals

Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) is a powerful way to stay organized and focused. Whether it’s personal or professional, set goals that align with your long-term aspirations and use them as a roadmap to success. Create a plan of action with specific details on how you’ll achieve your goals. Be sure to track your progress and adjust your goals as needed. Setting SMART goals will help you stay organized, focused, and motivated.

To achieve success as a teacher, being organized is not an option but a necessity. Implementing strategies such as tracking individual student needs, utilizing online tools to save time, and setting SMART goals can help in maintaining an efficient system. This way, teachers can achieve their objectives, help their students succeed, and enjoy a more fulfilling teaching experience.

Emily Graham
Emily is the creator of MightyMoms.net. She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life. On her site, she offers a wide range of info tailored for busy moms — from how to reduce stress to creative ways to spend time together as a family. You can email her at emilygraham@mightymoms.net. She lives in Arizona.

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Fun Exercises To Quickly Improve Creative Thinking by Ashley Lipman others a number of suggestions that you and your students or family can use to get the creative juices flowing. See how many of her tips you already use and consider which ones you might want to add to boost your creativity.

Getting Past Brain Blocks

There’s an old saying: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Many times you’ll set a day aside so you can get something done. Then you get all prepared for the work, and you can’t write a word, or record a note—or whatever creative thing you’ve set yourself to do.

Maddening, isn’t it? How do you reliably, continuously stimulate your imagination productively? How do you overcome constraining mental blocks when they backhand your productive day out of the clear blue? Well, for one thing, you need to separate what you’re doing. If you’re trying to force art, just stop; you can’t do it.

The best you can do is produce an approximation of your talent which has no vision behind it, and so no “soul”. However, if you are creatively involved in certain projects requiring your talent, you don’t have the luxury of awaiting inspiration.

Ideally, you should avoid putting yourself in a position where the artistic output of a qualitative kind aesthetically speaking is demanded of you. Realistically, you can’t always do that. So next I’ll go over a few ways you can creatively unclog your mind and get things done more quickly.

1. Take A Walk, Keep A Voice Recorder With You.

A change of scenery can do a lot to get your imagination going. If you’ve been writing a story at home on your laptop, and your brain just won’t kick into high gear, maybe go to a local coffee shop that you like. If that doesn’t work, take a walk in a park with a voice recorder should any ideas come to you. Also, keep one near your bed in case you wake up with a bright idea.

Sometimes the ideas are too large for a voice recording, but sitting down with a notebook is a bit more inconvenient—still, for some, this is a better option. Certainly, it depends on your particular personality, and the things you’re working on. The point is, sometimes you need to shake things up a bit. When you do that, new ideas develop as a consequence of the change.

2. Role-Playing Games

RPGs, or Role Playing Games, aren’t quite what modern people think of when they see the abbreviation “RPG”. Today, everybody thinks of video games, but RPGs started with things like Dungeons and Dragons back in the seventies and eighties.

You might run a fast little D&D campaign to reap some of the ideas from the experience. These are inexpensive and widely available in many different iterations. D&D mods exist which have fantasy themes, modern themes, and science fiction themes; so you’re not restricted to a “classic” approach.

You don’t have to rely solely on D&D as a means of role-playing, that’s just the most common option. Also, it’s a fun group activity. Similarly, though, you can throw a bunch of words in a hat and pull a few out at random to stimulate your imagination. It’s best if you have people write down words you didn’t think of yourself if you go this route.

3. Meditation, Exercise, And Search Engines

In the morning, you should take the time to meditate. Now that need not necessarily involve an eastern religious practice. You can meditate on traditional scriptures if that suits you. You might meditate on political writings, poems, fiction, or just the outdoors before you. Different meditation motifs exist for different people.

Similarly, working out can clear your mind and give you interesting ideas. If you work out an hour a day, you’ll get ideas. Catch a few of those ideas and use them as fodder later on. The key here is isolating situations in life where the mind naturally wanders and using those instances to your advantage.

Everybody’s mind does this. Those who are the most creative have simply learned to harness the reality. But it’s easier said than done, and if all else fails, don’t be afraid of using search engines for ideas to help stimulate your imagination.

4. Music, Journaling, Doodling, And Stimulating Conversations

Music can put you in a sort of emotional fugue where the ideas flow like wine. Journaling every day can capture old ideas you can refer to later when you reach a blockage. Doodling or freewriting can pop up concepts from your subconscious, making them available to your conscious mind as you go about getting ideas.

Lastly, stimulating conversations with unique individuals gives you the benefit of their mind and their subconscious as a field for idea mining. Keep the eccentric people close, and refer to them when you have no other recourse.

Clearing The Up Creativity Blockages

Take a walk, change the scenery, look into RPGs, meditate, exercise, utilize search engines, listen to the right music, journal, doodle, and have stimulating conversations. All these things can be used to help you think of things, and be imaginative. One thing you shouldn’t do is isolate yourself in the same routine continuously. Good luck. Thanks, Ashley. She can be reached at mark@outreachmama.com.

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Fun Science Experiments for Elementary School Students by Craig Middleton offers two interesting science experiments that kids can do in their home kitchens. If you compare a modern kitchen to a chemistry lab you will see a lot in common. While Craig’s experiments can get you started, the Internet is full of other fun science experiments you can do at home or around your residence. Good luck.

Introduction

• If you are homeschooling or virtually teaching, science can be a difficult subject to teach. Science is best taught with a hands-on approach and students learn better when they are actively watching or participating. This can be challenging when you do not have the resources that science classes do in schools. However, common core science subjects are still possible via a hands-on approach without any typical science class equipment. To teach science outside of a traditional classroom, you just have to be creative.

Matter as Solid, Liquid, And Gas

• One common core lesson is teaching students about matter in its different forms or phases. A simple and fun science experiment to teach students about liquids and solids is to make a supercooled liquid. Before you do this experiment, you need to explain what solid, liquid, and gas states are to your students. Melting point and boiling point are also concepts that students should be aware of before this experiment.
• In this experiment, you need ice equipment, like your freezer, and 1 or 2 bottles of water, soda, or juice. The liquid you choose should be in a liquid state before placing it in the freezer. Have your students look at the liquid and explain what they see. Then, place the bottle in the freezer for about 45 minutes. During this time ask your students what they think is happening to the liquid. Is it turning into a gas or a solid? What will it look like after 45 minutes in the cold freezer? (You make have to experiment with the amount of time you leave it in the freezer.)
• Once 45 minutes have passed you can test to see if the liquid is supercooled. Do this by placing an ice cube in a glass then pouring a little liquid out of the bottle. If the liquid is supercooled it will look similar to a milkshake. If it is still liquid place the lid back on and put the liquid back in the freezer for another 15 minutes. Show your students what happens as you pour the supercooled liquid into the glass. Let them theorize what is happening.
• The science behind what is happening is that some liquids can be brought below freezing, but only for short periods of time and only if there are no ice crystals already formed in the liquid. Once the supercooled liquid touches a piece of ice, it quickly freezes. This might take several tries. If you aren’t successful at first watch this YouTube video to see it happen and for tips.

Chemical Versus Physical Changes

• Another common core science lesson is teaching students the difference between chemical and physical changes. The easiest way to do this is through an experiment. First, be sure to explain the difference between chemical and physical changes. Remember that physical changes can be easily reversed while many chemical changes cannot.
• A simple experiment to show this is making scrambled eggs. Take an egg and break it into a bowl. Add some cheese to the bowl and ask your students if the mixture you created is a chemical or physical change. Since you can still take out the cheese, it was a physical change. Next, add your egg and cheese mixture to a hot pan, making scrambled eggs. Have your students watch the process and record what is happening. Then, ask them if a chemical or physical change occurred. Since heat was applied, a chemical change occurred and the egg cannot be changed back. This YouTube video explains what happens when egg proteins are heated.
• You can also do this same type of experiment by making cookies. Making cookies would also allow you to teach your students how to measure and teach them about mixtures. However, it is important to remember that students come from different socio-economic households and many may not have the ingredients to make cookies at home.
• Doing science outside of school is possible and easy. There are thousands of simple experiments you can do at home or virtually with your students. Many can be found by doing an online search or by looking for educational science videos on YouTube. Just be creative and flexible and remember that science is as fun as you make it. Also, remember that your kitchen is really a chemistry lab.

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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Getting Students Interested in STEM by Amanda Winstead offers teachers and parents ideas for exposing kids to STEM subjects that may get them interested in a career in one of these fields. While a STEM career may not be a good fit for all children, they all should be exposed to STEM in a manner that might capture their interests. Thanks, Amanda.

Introduction

• Getting students interested in STEM has never been more critical for the future. Consider some of the most influential developments in our modern society. The rise of AI, the influence of social media, and the distribution of mRNA vaccines — behind each of these trends are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or all of the above.
• When students gain an appetite for STEM knowledge, the future is in their hands. STEM career opportunities are everywhere. But even for students who don’t end up directly in the field, STEM education can help students improve their problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking skills — all while making them more ethical decision-makers in the future.
• The good news for educators is, STEM concepts can be highly engaging since they can be applied in practically all aspects of life. With these strategies, you can get students excited about the possibilities of STEM with ease.

Incorporate Student Interests in Your Lessons

• Think about the topics that captivate your students’ attention. Do they love playing music? Do they enjoy video games or playing baseball? Chat with your students about their hobbies and explain how STEM concepts apply to them, then encourage them to think about STEM next time they take part.
• When you start to point out day-to-day STEM applications, students can clearly see how much they’ve enjoyed STEM in the past. As an example, if you have an aspiring chef in the classroom, you can explain how baking is like a science, requiring exact measurements and chemical reactions.
• The more hands-on you can make STEM applications, the better. For instance, you can work with tech lovers to break down the parts of an old computer or device (or even build one). Or, you can take your outdoorsy students on a nature walk to search for mathematical concepts on display.

Gamify STEM Education

• Some students perceive STEM (and learning in general) as a bore. As a teacher, you have the chance to turn their perceptions around. Make STEM learning fun by blending technical subjects with academic games and scavenger hunts. As an example, you can hold a class outdoors — perhaps in your school courtyard or football field — and challenge students to find different geometric shapes. Give extra points for the tough ones and offer a prize to teams that earn the most.
• Teachers can also hold optional semester-long challenges that blend STEM and the arts. For instance, students can draw a blueprint for their dream house or write a song about their learnings. You can give extra credit or stars that can be traded in for prizes to students each time they complete a challenge in their free time.
• When you gamify STEM education, students can get instant gratification from learning opportunities. This encourages them to keep actively participating in STEM.

Replace Traditional Homework With Engaging Projects

• Fewer educators and parents than ever are embracing traditional homework like worksheets, take-home quizzes, and essays. But whereas traditional homework can cause fatigue — both physically and emotionally — and cause kids to associate learning with negative feelings, fun hands-on projects can boost student interest while helping them learn.
• Rather than having students memorize STEM definitions for a test or create PowerPoint presentations about STEM processes, consider letting students take home STEM projects. For instance, if you start a project at school, you can challenge them to improve their final product at home. If your students are building a bridge out of marshmallows and toothpicks, you can even turn it into a competition — whoever builds the longest bridge and films it standing for 10 seconds wins a small prize! They can also see which bridge holds the most weight.

Get Parents Involved in STEM Education

• Teachers play an important role in developing interest in STEM, but after school ends, students don’t always have the motivation to continue their exploration into the field. Without continued engagement in STEM activities, students may increasingly view STEM careers as difficult or unattainable. The majority (60%) of freshmen lose interest in STEM by graduation.
• However, encouragement from parents can help teachers sustain long-term interest. Parents who give their kids the tools they need to pursue and grow their interests are key to preparing our future generations for STEM.
• Getting students into STEM can be as simple as providing parents with the right resources. Recommend STEM toys for children and cost-free ways to incorporate STEM into playtime. If you’re teaching middle school or high school, you can also recommend boot camps and make-a-thons for teens — ideally those that offer scholarships to ensure they’re accessible to all families.

Start Getting Students Interested in STEM

• Students are naturally curious about the world around them, but incorrect perceptions about STEM often draw them away from the field. Teachers can get students interested in STEM by making it feel more accessible and fun. Start by understanding what your students are interested in, then make those interests a part of your lessons. You can also boost interest in STEM by prioritizing educational games and engaging projects over dull lessons and homework.
• To put a cherry on top of your STEM engagement efforts, get parents involved in STEM education, too. When they have the right resources, they can work with you to prolong their children and teens’ interest in core STEM subjects, so students can succeed in their future careers.

Amanda Winstead

• Amanda is a freelance writer out of Portland focusing on many topics including educational technology. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

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Helping Students Find Their Passion is a guest post by Stephanie Green (no relation) that agues for the idea of giving up at least part of the structured curriculum so that students can explore their passion. She also encourages teachers to spend more time helping students determine just what they might be passionate about. Modern instructional technology can be a big help here. This approach has been missing in many schools so be sure to check to see what your school is doing along these lines.

Helping Students Find Their Passion

• How many times did you hear the phrase, “If you only put that much effort into school” or something similar while you were growing up? What if that aspect of life could be the key to engaging students to continue their education or take matters in school more seriously? In the world of education, engaging an ADD child could include using their own passions to capture continued curiosity. This isn’t saying that all children are ADD, but if it works for those who have this medical condition, then why wouldn’t it excel with children who are able to better focus their attention?




• As long as the educational value is legitimate, why not incorporate children’s passions in order to help them succeed? Education doesn’t have to be merely from books that are “assigned” by the district. In fact, home schooled students whose parents have found materials on the Internet generally score much higher than those within the brick-and-mortar system. How can we engage the students in traditional schools to at least meet the productivity of those whom are educated at home?

Finding Their Niche

• One of the first things that needs to be done is to help students find a current niche that they are interested in. While some may have an idea as to what drives them, many others don’t know where their interests lie. This is perfectly fine. However, as a teacher, you should be helping the child discover what they like to involve themselves with. If you’re creative enough, you could encompass any passion into an educational experience – including gaming if that’s what drives them.

Dissecting the Niche

• Many students could be interested in a particular niche because of the glory that is on the surface. By helping your students dig deeper through educational practices, you could help shape their opinions by digging deeper into their area of interest. As in the example above, even video games have a deeper solution to them before players can be successful. A great deal of story development, computation, programming, graphic design, science and more can be incorporated to help your student develop a working video game. The same can be said about any topic once the niche is dissected.

Creative Curriculum

• Here is where your own imagination comes into play. Developing a curriculum from the dissected niche may be quite difficult to accomplish on your own. Although you may have some ideas, why not allow the student to help you develop what needs to be accomplished? As a teacher, you are aware of the levels the student needs to be at during their time in your class. If the student is willing to help you determine what his or her next step should be for exploring their niche, then why not allow them to do so? Once a topic is boiled down to its core elements, a customized curriculum can be developed from the pieces. For example, spelling comprehension and writing skill can be demonstrated by the gamer in the form of the script for his or her “perfect” game. You could even encourage the student to use weekly words to develop his or her plot line.

Importance of Engagement

• One of the biggest reasons why students fall asleep in class is because of the boredom that ensues from some teaching methods. Classrooms that engage students are less likely to have those who catch a few “Zs” in the middle of what could be an important lesson. In order to engage the mind of a student, we have to practice methods that the student can relate to. The material needs to be shrouded in a context that the student finds appealing. If a student is truly drawn to their specific niche, any information about that topic could solidify his or her interest in order to learn more. Putting what the student has learned into practical use in the classroom can keep them be more focused on the task at hand.
• While some teachers may be against methods that are non-traditional, I believe the logic of this approach will work for many students. The same information can be shared with the student if it can be wrapped up in a niche that he or she finds more appealing than lessons from a text book. If the end result is the same, then why not encourage a child to embrace his or her interest and build a lesson plan accordingly?

Stephanie Green

• Stephanie has many years of experience as a nanny. She has always loved children and has continuously been involved in childcare activities. Currently she is one of the writers for HoustonNanny.Com”. If you want to get in touch with her, you can email her at stephanie.Houstonnanny@gmail.com.

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House Moves 101: How Do You Do A House Move With Your Kids? by Rhenn Taguiar gives some tips on moving from the point of view of a company that moves people. If you are planning a move be sure to head his advice along with my addendum. This post is brought to you by RoadwayMoving.Com. @roadwaymoving @roadwaynyc

Introduction

• If you decide to move to a new house, then congratulations! Your new house can serve as the best place to open a new chapter in your life – be it that you’re moving to start a new family, moving to get closer to work, or moving to get closer to school. Regardless of the reason, a new house can definitely make way for a wonderful new home life. You can enjoy amazing meals with your kids, delightful walks around your neighborhood, and interacting with new schools and teachers. However, remember, you can only enjoy all of these things if you’ve finally settled down in your move. And unfortunately, such an idea can be stressful, considering you need to worry about other obligations while having to move houses. In fact, you can definitely enjoy moving with your kids, provided you start with a few steps.

Here are some things you need to do.

• Secure your documents and requirements and submit them as soon as possible. Once you’ve decided to start the moving process with your kids, it’s wise to secure your documents and requirements and submit them to the necessary channels as soon as possible. That way, you’ll limit the need for you to visit faraway offices, especially if you’re moving to a faraway location especially to Manhattan. Moreover, you can use this opportunity to tour your kids to your new neighborhood, meet moving companies and other professionals, and even help them be more familiar with their new community. That way, you minimize the risk of unnecessary leaves and absences just to secure these materials.
• Plan and sort your belongings as soon as you can to avoid complications. Before you pack, it helps for you and the kids to sort and create an inventory of what you own – especially if it’s through the cloud via a spreadsheet or an app – so you can keep track of what you want to keep, sell, or even throw away. Moreover, a cloud-based tracking system allows you and your kids to pack their things simultaneously and among their individual rooms without having to keep track of a ledger or a notebook. Make sure your moving timeline doesn’t interrupt your other obligations. While you may only move houses a few times over a few decades, you need to make sure that these moves don’t interrupt your other obligations like your job or your kids’ schooling.

Track Your Time Line and Consider Involving Professionals

• If possible, try to make sure you’re using a calendar app or a scheduling app that synchronizes your moving timeline with the rest of your daily routine. That way, your kids won’t have to risk losing too much school. Try to ensure that your moving needs are positioned on days you can take time off, free days, or even paid leaves and vacation days.
• Pack one room at a time over the course of a week before the moving day. Instead of panicking about packing a few days before moving day, try to pack a room at least a week before moving day. That way, you can slowly focus on ensuring that all things are put in their right places and that you won’t misplace anything. Moreover, packing one room at a time allows you to avoid any unnecessary mishaps, especially regarding missing items. It also allows you to still be able to pull off other things you might have to do such as study and work without having to panic about accidentally packing essential things.
• If possible, have your kids start packing the things they need the least first, and then pack the things they might need more urgently last in order to be able to get access to them should they need to. Get in touch with professionals to handle much of the heavy lifting. If you’re having a bit of trouble with the rest of your moving process, you might want to rely on professionals such as packing and moving services to deal with the heavy-duty moving tasks for you. Thanks to their expertise and specialization in various moving services, these moving teams can help you manage various parts of your move from packing and unpacking, storage, and even transportation. With their help, you might find it much easier to organize your move and still be able to accomplish your other moving needs without many worries.

Make It Work For Your Loved Ones

• With the above tips in mind, it’s important to remember that it’s totally possible for you and your kids to conduct a house move while still having to meet your other obligations. Remember, the success of your house move lies in how you manage your various tasks – which means it’s actually the planning and execution stage that holds all the answers when it comes to successful house moves for your family. As such, remember to keep a close eye on how you communicate with your moving services, how you plan your inventory, and how you manage your entire moving timeline in general.

Dr. Dong’s Comments

• Since Rhenn is not an educator he has left out some important things that you need to consider when moving with children. Depending on their age moving is likely to cause emotional difficulties for kids. They may be moving away from close friends and a school they like. I suggest reaching out to your school counselor for advice on this matter. This person may also be willing to meet with your children to help them. You should also involve them as much as possible in the process of looking for a new home as well as planning and executing the move. Try to make them seem like part of your team as you take on a great adventure.

This post is provided by RoadwayMoving.Com


• Rhenn is a Manila-based content writer with a love for all things health and lifestyle, science and technology, and geek and pop culture. He has a BA Journalism degree and has since then pursued making content about geek culture. Rhenn used to write for a couple of geek and gaming publications and also served as editor-in-chief for Philippines-based What’s A Geek!. He constantly plays video games but also takes the time to try out older activities.
• Top Image Source: https://pixels.com
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How and when to talk to kids about adult content on the Internet by Michelle LaRowe offers advice to parents who are about to let their children use the Internet for education and entertainment. If you haven’t opened a dialog on this topic it’s probably time. Thanks to Michelle we have some advice that will encourage you to get started.

Michelle LaRowe

• With over 20 years of experience in the nanny world as an award-winning nanny, agency director, and parenting author, Michelle LaRowe is considered a leading industry expert. A mom herself, she loves to educate parents and nannies on the importance of quality in-home childcare. Find out more by visiting her @eNannySource on Twitter.

It’s a Jungle Out There

• When it comes to the Internet, the content displayed isn’t always age-appropriate. If your child is a frequent Internet user, there’s no better time than now to educate him or her about appropriate and inappropriate content. Opening the line of communication with regards to adult content will help ensure your child knows how to safely use the Internet and how to handle situations that come up when exposed to more than one bargained for. Here are some tips to start the conversation about adult content on the Internet.

Start the Discussion Early and Often

• Parents are no longer encouraged to have the talk with kids regarding sex. Instead, sex educators have found that having multiple small discussions over the course of months and years not only allows children to process information in manageable portions, but strengthens trust and open communication with their parents. The same is true for discussing adult content on the Internet.

  Starting the discussion on adult content doesn’t have to be overly revealing or scary. In fact, many parents start this discussion well before the subject of sex education is brought up. By simply stating that there is some content that is inappropriate for children when a child accidentally stumbles on an adult site or finds they can’t access search engine results, parents can alert their children that there is adult content on the Internet, priming for a discussion on what constitutes adult content and why it is unsuitable for children. Be sure to discuss adult content on the Internet in age appropriate ways.

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