Archive for the ‘Guest Posts’ Category

How Childcare Providers Can Safely Remain Operating Through COVID-19

by Meredith Downing provides essential information that childcare provides need if they want to stay safe and remain in business. For people who can’t work from home, safe and high-quality childcare is essential for them and the people they serve, which is essentially all of us. Please share with childcare providers you know.

Introduction

• Covid-19 has forced everyone to make a series of challenging decisions about safety, risk, and necessity. For many childcare providers, remaining open has been essential to keep their businesses running and their families afloat financially. While nothing in this pandemic is without risk, there are a number of ways to safely operate amid Covid-19. Here are steps childcare providers are taking to operate safely, without sacrificing the quality of the care and education they provide.

Reducing Class Sizes

• For many, this was mandated by county and state rules. Keeping class sizes small and stable–meaning the same kids with the same teacher(s) every day–reduces the spread of the virus within the community.

Changing Drop-off and Pick-up Protocol

• Programs have reinvented how their days start and end. Parents are no longer entering the home or center to do drop-off and pick-up. Instead, directors and teachers are meeting families outside and doing sign in and health checks outside of the program walls. The adults (and sometimes even the kids 2+) wear masks for this interaction. Contactless sign in or disinfecting their pens between every use is the norm, and hand sanitizer is available in mass quantities.

Enforcing More Stringent Health Rules

• Parents and childcare providers have always had somewhat tense relationships with sick policies. Kids get sick a lot, and it can be hard to make a judgment call about whether or not a child needs to be excluded from care. Covid-19 has necessitated a no exception attitude about it. While it is inconvenient for parents to have their child sent home for a runny nose, a childcare provider has a responsibility to the other families in care to protect everyone. Strong, proactive, and regular communication about the sick policy is the best way to ensure everyone understands.

Spending More Time Outdoors

• The research we have available suggests that viral transmission is dramatically reduced outdoors. While social distancing is difficult to enforce with young children in general, and often impossible to do in a small indoor space, being outdoors can be a really easy fix. Pretty much everything can be done outside– storytime, snack, dramatic play, building, sensory play, pre-literacy, pre-math, language development, etc.

Rigorous Cleaning

• Early childhood educators were no strangers to cleaning and sanitizing pre-COVID. Cleaning morning, noon, and night have quickly become part of the daily routine. Some programs have chosen to alter their hours of operation to accommodate the added time spent on cleaning and sanitizing.

Rotating Materials

• For toys and materials that are harder to clean, providers are rotating what’s available for kids to play with each day. How long the virus can survive on a surface varies depending on the material and environmental factors. By rotating toys in and out and giving them “a break,” you increase the likelihood that any traces of the virus have disappeared.

Virtual Tours

• Keeping the business running with new and future enrollments is still a necessity, especially with drop-offs in enrollment throughout the pandemic. Tours are still an essential part of the enrollment process, both for childcare providers and parents. By employing virtual tours, providers can limit the number of people entering the program on a regular basis. A virtual tour might feel awkward at first but is still a great intro. Many providers and parents still want the opportunity to meet in person before confirming enrollment, and a virtual tour can help weed out families who are not a good fit, protecting everyone, and also saving time.
• There is always going to be risk involved in any situation where groups of people are coming together– whether they’re 2’ tall or 6’ tall. By implementing some new strategies and thinking creatively about how you structure your day, childcare providers can keep everyone in their community a little bit safer. We know that childcare is essential for many parents to go to work every day, so figuring out how to make it as safe as possible, while still being fun, engaging, and appropriate for the kids is critical.

Meredith Downing

• Meredith is the Manager of Learning at Wonderschool. She started her career as a preschool teacher and enjoys designing learning experiences for children and the adults who care for them. She resides in San Francisco, California. Be sure to follow her empolyer @wonderschools.

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How Education Abroad Can Improve Your Career Prospects by Ebin Mathew makes a compelling case for spending sometime in another country as part of one’s formal education. Please share with any students you know. Also check out the writing service that Ebin works for.

The Big Question

• In this demanding culture and era, new tactics and experiences are required in order to raise the one’s prospects and chances of employment in one’s industry of choice. A major demand of this era is not just education, but diverse experiences as well. Many people wish to study abroad, since it is believed that it places an individual in a better position for getting employment and experiences than one can get studying solely from home. So just how does studying abroad improve one’s prospects?

What To Expect

• This question would better be answered by people who have already had this experience. They can tell us exactly what they saw, learned, and experienced that added to their education and experiences at home. More and more people are doing their best to earn a chance to study abroad, although not every person who goes abroad becomes a successful person upon returning. Researches indicate that many people travel abroad annually for higher education. So what should one expect while studying abroad, and how does studying there make you better?

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How Educators Can Support Students’ Mental Health by Amanda Winstead

Though it has rarely gotten the same attention or appreciation as physical health, mental health plays a profound role in our lives. Poor mental health can lead to several substantial health concerns and can bleed into every aspect of life. However, good mental health can enable people to take on bigger and more complex tasks and shine while doing so. Here is how you can support it.

Introduction

• Having conversations about mental health are never easy ones, but they are important to have. This is especially true for young people. Helping young people to understand and manage their mental health can lead them to be more capable and resilient adults who can take the time and space to adequately address their mental health when they need to.
• As an educator, there is a lot you can do to help support this process. Mental health education and awareness can be built into lessons and you can create a safe space for students to explore their mental status. Likewise, you have the power to help them through difficult situations and give them the tools they need to successfully manage mental health.

Know the Signs

• When it comes to student mental health, perhaps the most important thing an educator can be is another person to watch for signs of mental health issues that can be addressed at an early age. Teachers are in a unique position to get to know their students and recognize when something is starting to change for the negative. In conjunction with parents, educators can help students work through what they are struggling with and build a realistic method for coping.
• One of the most important aspects of successfully doing this is recognizing the signs of mental health concerns in students. Identifying mental health concerns in children can be more difficult than in adults, but there are signs to watch out for, such as extreme swings in mood or behavior in the classroom. Additionally, educators may notice difficulty concentrating, changes in academic performance, or a sudden increase in absences.
• Educators may also notice swings in a student’s physical well-being as well. For instance, students may be more tired or have a change in eating habits or a significant weight loss. Some students may also complain about stomach pains which can be a sign of increased stress or anxiety.

Develop Personal Awareness

• Teachers can play an outsized role in helping students to develop strong mental health awareness. They can help students by providing them with tools in the toolbox for getting through difficult times such as working through an anxious attachment. Even if students don’t need these mental health check-ins and coping strategies now, chances are that at some point they will reach back and be thankful for the lessons in the future.
• The first thing educators can do is normalize mental health check-ins. Encourage students to talk about their feelings and teach them the words they may need to help capture how their feelings are impacting them. Numerous activities can reinforce this idea of a mental health check-in, such as having students keep a journal about their day, teaching them to rate their mood, helping them find one positive thing to talk about every day, and acknowledging emotions with empathy. Leading by example can be a great way to begin to set some of these practices in motion.
• As students learn to become more aware of their mental health, educators can also start helping them to manage their emotions and gain more control over their mental health. For instance, many teachers have worked to bring greater levels of mindfulness to the classroom. This can mean a period every day where students practice mindfulness by sitting in silence, breathing, and thinking about how they feel.

Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle

• Educators are also in a unique position to help students develop other types of healthy habits that will impact their mental health over the long term. These can be numerous things from encouraging them to build lasting and deep relationships with their peers to developing greater self-confidence to encouraging a healthier lifestyle. All of these things can add up over time to lead to big, positive changes that can help with a more resilient mental status.
• One example is encouraging students to become involved in sports and other activities that promote physical movement. There are hundreds of studies that point to the mental health benefits of sports activities. Sports are linked to better sleep, a release of positive endorphins, improved memory, increased social connection, and the development of leadership skills. Beyond that, sports can also help students learn to address and cope with losing or not constructively performing their best.
• Teachers can also give critical lessons on how diet and food choices can make an impact on mental health. For instance, students can learn about how junk foods may slow their bodies and brains down while healthy foods can have more positive impacts. Early lessons in food health can prove valuable for students as they begin to make their own food choices later down the road.
• Mental health is a major factor in our lives. Supporting students’ mental health and giving them the tools to manage their mental health are powerful things that educators can do to benefit the lives of their students. Educators can do a great deal to help in this arena.

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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How Teachers Are Keeping the Classroom Safe During Covid by Craig Middleton explains what teachers are doing to make classrooms and learning as safe as possible. After reading this check with your school to see what they are doing to maximize your child’s safety. Thanks, Craig.

Introduction

• Although the COVID-19 pandemic has not gone away, many parents are wanting their children to go back to school so that life can get back to normal to some degree. If you feel it is in the best interest of your child to return to school, but feel conflicted about sending them back while the virus is still going on, it’s important to understand that you are not alone. Learn more about the different ways that teachers are taking back the classroom and keeping students safe while ensuring they get the same quality of learning.

Sanitizing Frequently

• Many teachers are taking the time to clean before and after each class, using a sanitizing spray such as Lysol, and encouraging students to use hand sanitizer as often as necessary. Sanitizing techniques and using best practices when there is no soap and water available isn’t foolproof, but they ensure that students and the surfaces they touch are getting the chance to have access to cleaning materials on a regular basis.

Spacing as Much as Possible

• A distance of 6 feet has been suggested as a safe distance to ensure the virus doesn’t spread through talking or other types of transmission. Using spacing in classrooms can give teachers and students personal space to focus on what they are working on while ensuring that outbreaks are kept to a minimum. In classrooms where this type of spacing is not possible, many teachers are still making a point to create more distance than normal. Although this manner cannot entirely prevent contamination issues, it can help rather than doing nothing at all.

Having Smaller Classrooms

• Smaller classrooms are another way that teachers are helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while focusing on the needs of their students. By having a smaller classroom, it can be easier to teach and help students understand the material than trying to get several different students of various learning levels to understand what is going on. Small classrooms can make it easier to figure out where a case of the virus originated from, and in general, allow for greater control while working with the differing needs of a classroom.

Using Masks For Protection

• Although masks might not be preferred when it comes to seeing people’s faces and learning at the same time, they can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. If someone sneezes, the mask can contain the droplets that would otherwise be spread. The same goes for coughing, speaking, and other ways of accidentally transmitting germs. Masks are helpful at reducing the viral load, so students that wear them can feel safer even if they have to sit in an enclosed classroom and focus on their studies. Teachers who wear masks can set a good example for their students and help them feel as supported as possible. (Doug: Also ask your school what they have done to make sure their ventilation system is highly effective. You should also ask if they keep windows open and run classes outdoors when possible.)

Offering Blended Learning

• Blended learning involves some time in the classroom with a portion of that time being spent learning virtually or remotely at home. Many schools are offering students and parents options, such as a rugged tablet that can withstand a variety of environments. Blended learning can help students get additional time to focus on what they are studying, and it might be useful as a way for parents to remain involved in what their child is learning.

Conclusion

• Although it is understandable to have hesitation when sending your child back to school, many teachers are taking it upon themselves to make the classroom as safe as possible. Using different sanitization methods along with incorporating distance and having smaller classrooms have become common practices at many schools across the country. Many teachers and school districts are requiring masks, and blended learning has become a popular choice for students and their families alike. Although these are not fail-proof methods, they can greatly help in reducing the overall spread of COVID-19 in your community while giving your student the chance to have a normal life again.

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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How Teachers Can Work a Side Gig Throughout the Year by Emily Graham offers advice for teachers looking to expand their income and hone their skills. This can be done at the same time you relieve some stress without short changing your family obligations. As a teacher/administrator my wife and I made money on the side writing for computer magazines. This not only brought in extra income, it also kept us on the leading edge.

Introduction

• Are you a teacher looking to supplement your income with a side gig during your breaks? Side gigs are a great way to make extra money, but there are some steps to take to make sure your gig doesn’t end up just stressing you out. Read through these tips to ensure your moonlighting position doesn’t become a nightmare.

Find Your Perfect Side Gig

• There are tons of gigs, so make sure you find one that works for you. Here are some ways you can bring in extra cash.

Try Tutoring

• If you love teaching, then tutoring is an easy, fulfilling way to make some extra cash. You can offer your services to your own students or look for other kids who need a little extra help with their academic pursuits. If you prefer to work remotely, you can tutor online as well. The Penny Hoarder notes online tutoring opportunities pay fairly well and allow you to teach from home or anywhere with Wi-Fi.

Transcription Services

• Teachers who can type quickly can easily find side gigs offering transcription services. From podcasts to Zoom meetings and more, there are opportunities where you can put your skills to good use. Consider using a job board to post your profile. Ideally, you’ll want to have examples of your work to help drum up a client base.

Get Paid to Watch Pets

• Does your busy teaching schedule keep you from having pets? Then use your time off to make money hanging out with other people’s pets. You can visit homes during the day and take dogs for walks, or watch pets overnight when their owners are out of town. Pet sitting is a fairly flexible gig and spending time with pets has some definite perks. You can even select what size/kind/breeds of animals you prefer to watch. Get paid to snuggle with some furry friends and get some stress relief in the process.

Drive Around Your Town

• Got a comfortable car and a love of driving? Know your way around town? Then think about becoming a driver for a rideshare company like Lyft or Uber. Rideshares are increasing in popularity, making it easier than ever for people to get around. And with added features for driver safety and satisfaction, it’s a great time to get started with your driving gig. Best of all, you can pretty much pick what hours you want to work and where you prefer to drive.

Set Your New Business Up for Success

• Once you’ve found your perfect gig(s), you’ll want to take these steps to make it a success.

Come Up With a Unique Name

• Of course, one of the first steps to starting a business is figuring out what the name should be. You can use your own name, develop an acronym, or even find inspiration from literature or a map. Once you’ve got your business name squared away, you can also come up with a DBA name. This is a separate name you could use to sell your products and services. A DBA is beneficial for various business structures like sole proprietorships and LLCs, because it can protect your identity and/or it could be used to sell products or services that are different from what you sell under your business’s original name.

Keep Yourself Focused and Organized

• Good organization is key to profiting from your new business. One of the simplest ways to keep yourself focused and stay organized is to set up a functional home office. You can create a space that allows you to concentrate and keeps chaos out of your new gig. Select an area in your home that has natural light and is free of distractions such as televisions and other people in your home. As you work, be sure to get up and walk around or use a standing desk because sitting can be bad for your health.

Network With Potential Clients

• Depending on your gig, you may need to work to meet new clients. Networking is a key part of any business venture, so take some time to polish up your self-marketing skills. Talk to friends and family about your business, but don’t be afraid to promote your work to the public as well. From social media to specialized sites to local business boards, there are tons of ways to market your services to potential new clients and build better connections with current ones.

Leave Time to Relieve Stress

• Making some extra cash when you’re on break is a definite plus, especially for underpaid teachers. But time off should also be your time to decompress and get rid of stress. Be sure to keep some flexibility in your side gig schedule for some much-needed relaxation and fun. Use that extra cash to take a vacation or book a massage. You definitely deserve it after all of your hard work.
• (Doug: A side job can put stress on your family, but it doesn’t have to. You should always consider involving other family members and friends like I did.)
• A side gig should be a fun way to earn extra income on a seasonal basis or year-round. Make sure yours doesn’t cause you extra stress by sticking to the tips above. Enjoy your time off and your new side gig!

Be sure to check out the Dr. Doug Green blog for a plethora of professional development resources for administrators, teachers, and parents!

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.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

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How Technology Can Help Students With Special Needs Learn by Amanda Winstead offers excellent advice for special education teachers and the parents of special children. Students with special needs may face a host of challenges in their daily lives, but technology can help to level the playing field in the classroom.

Introduction

• The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on schools and universities worldwide. To protect students, teachers, and families, physical campuses were forced to shutter their doors and take the learning remote. And, in so doing, we have learned a powerful lesson about the extraordinary power of technology in education. However, technology’s role in the classroom did not begin with the pandemic, nor will it end there. For students with special needs, technology can be a particularly important tool for learning. This article examines some of the most significant ways technology is helping students with special needs thrive.

Enhancing Communication

• For children who are nonverbal or who may have difficulty producing or processing spoken language, assistive technologies featuring text-to-speech capabilities can enable students to find a voice in the classroom.
• Similarly, technologies are available which not only offer closed captioning on class videos for students who are deaf or hearing impaired, but which can also caption words spoken in the classroom itself. And for students with visual impairments, screen readers and Braille-to-text technologies enable students to work with class materials and complete assignments with a large degree of independence.
• Through these technologies, students gain the power to communicate more freely with teachers and peers and to participate in the learning process with minimal assistance, an empowering process for children who, in all likelihood, are eager to learn and be “just like” their peers in the inclusive classroom.

Alternative Learning Activities

• Students who are neurodiverse or who may have been diagnosed with behavioral or learning challenges are likely to benefit from learning activities that are highly interactive and deeply engaging. Smartphone apps such as Kahoot, TinyTap, and Quizlet can turn dry content into a fun game, and that can mean all the difference for a student whose attention may easily wander from their textbook readings or a standard lecture.
• Computer-based interactive learning activities are also ideal for motivating students by connecting the learning material to something real, concrete and meaningful to them. For example, a student who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be challenged with language and written text but might be exceptionally gifted in an area of science or technology.
• In such cases, an “authentic work” approach could be used to challenge the student to learn computer-based 3D modeling to create, a replica of the Parthenon or design a new type of aircraft or ship, which could then be printed on a 3D printer. This would enable the student to apply high-level mathematical and technological concepts, even as they master important lessons from history and science, and to do so in a manner that is far more relevant, accessible, and empowering to the student than traditional print-based methods might be.

Remote Learning

• Remote learning isn’t just an inevitable byproduct of the pandemic era. For many special needs students, it can be the healthiest and safest way to “be” in class. Remote learning technologies are increasingly enabling students with significant health concerns to connect in real-time with their classmates, to experience some or all of a typical day of class with their peers, without ever leaving home.
• Indeed, new “telepresence” technologies are emerging to allow students not only to see, hear, and speak in class, but also to “move around” it in the form of a physical robotic avatar the student controls remotely. While this technology is still largely in the developmental phase, it’s showing tremendous promise in simulating a “real” in-class experience, helping to break the boundaries between the home-based student and their peers and teachers on campus.
• However, telepresence is only one of the many capabilities that technology in the K-12 classroom is providing for students, families, and educators alike. In fact, as the influence of the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to increase in the connected classroom, parents, pupils, and teachers are better able than ever before to tailor the learning environment and process to students’ individual needs, while at the same time improving the efficacy of teaching practices. The IoT-infused classroom allows flexibility, enhanced communication, and more effective monitoring of students’ needs and progress, wherever the student may be. And for students with special needs, that can mean all the difference in the world for their academic success!

Improved Monitoring

• One of the most significant benefits of technology for students with special needs is that it enhances the teacher’s ability not only to monitor the student’s progress but also to engage with the student and their parents when needed. For example, software such as the Online Staff Performance Management System creates visual representations of student performance, creating digital charts and graphs that allow teachers to efficiently and accurately assess how students are faring, where they excel, and where they may need additional assistance. These graphics can also be easily shared with parents and administrators, fostering more cohesive, effective, and individualized learning support tailored to the child’s evolving needs.

Using Caution

• As profound as the benefits of technology are for students with special needs, it is critical that parents and educators alike take precautions. Educational computer games are superb for driving student motivation, engagement, and learning, but children must also be taught online safety strategies and should still be closely monitored when online.
• As an added layer of protection, parents and educators should install security software for any educational and recreational purposes, from VPNs to firewalls to anti-spy software that shields children’s data from prying eyes and, above all, insulates them from the bad actors who may be too readily found online.

The Takeaway

• Students with special needs may face a host of challenges in their daily lives, but technology can help to level the playing field in the classroom. From assistive communication to remote learning to interactive gaming, technology is a vital tool to help students with special needs harness the power and the joy of learning.

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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How to Get Treatment at One of The U.S. Top 10 High-Tech Cancer Hospitals by Julianna Mitchell is an amazing resource that you must store somewhere and share with ANYONE you know. If you have cancer, you really want to get into one of these places and the links in this post can help you do so. I just set a record for links in one post, but they can help you get top-notch treatment. Good luck and thanks, Julianna.

Advancements in the medical field are information to all of us: from your standard cold to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the medical field is making strides to treat patients and save lives.

This couldn’t be more true when it comes to cancer. Cancer is something millions of families and loved ones deal with worldwide, and it doesn’t get easier. However, one of the best things you can do post-diagnosis is to research treatment avenues from a reputable cancer hospital.

In this article, we’re giving you information on the top ten cancer hospitals in the United States, along with how you can seek treatment today.

1. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

• Located in Houston, Texas, the MD Anderson Cancer Center is known for improving cancer therapies and prevention methods quickly with the help of scientific research. The cancer center has over 19,00 employees in cancer care. If you want to get treated at MD Anderson, you can fill out a form online or call 1-866-587-0557.

2. Mayo Clinic

• The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is located in Rochester, Minnesota and it treats over 100,000 cancer patients each year. This world-famous hospital spearheaded the use of electronic health records to improve patient care and research and discovered the critical research behind proton beam therapy: which allows radiation oncologists to target and destroy cancer cells while keeping healthy tissue intact. To be treated at Mayo Clinic, request a visit online or call 507-284-2511.

3. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

• The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was established in 1947 by the father of modern chemotherapy, Dr. Sidney Farber, and is based in Boston, Massachusetts as part of a collaboration with the Harvard Medical Center. The Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center was also named the No. 2 pediatric cancer program in the country by the U.S. News & World Report, as it is skilled in treating various different types of cancer. For more information, you can find contact links on their homepage.

4.Johns Hopkins

• Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Johns Hopkins has been researching, treating, and making technological advances in the cancer field for over 50 years. To receive treatment at Johns Hopkins, you can sign up online or call their toll-free number, 1-855-695-4872.

5. Cleveland Clinic

• In Cleveland, Ohio, the Cleveland Clinic combines technological advancements like AI, cloud, and quantum computing capabilities with research methods to create innovative and effective treatments for cancer. If you’d like to be treated at the Cleveland Clinic, you can find their contact information on this page.

6. Massachusetts General Hospital

• Founded in 1811, The Massachusetts General Hospital is one of the oldest and best cancer facilities in the nation. As a teaching hospital for the Harvard Medical School, this is one of the largest hospital-based research programs to date. Additional information for receiving treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital can be found on their contact page.

7. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

• The experts at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California currently treat over 60 different types of cancer. With that being said, it’s no wonder that it is the largest single cancer-care center in California, and the best cancer-care center in California in multiple specialties. To be treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, you can explore options online or call 1-800-223-2771.

8. Northwestern Memorial Hospital

• The Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the best and most high-tech cancer-care centers in the nation. A teaching hospital for Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, this hospital uses some of the newest, cutting-edge, and advanced technology (like Ai) to treat their patients. For more information on being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, you can make an appointment online or call 312-926-2000.

9. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/University of Washington Medical Center

• Based in Seattle, Washington, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (or the University of Washington Medical Center) is one of the best in the nation. Here, oncologists combine new technology with modern medicine to find groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research. If you’re interested in being treated at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, you can find information on making your first appointment online or call 206-606-7222.

10. UCSF Medical Center

• Finally, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in San Francisco, California. Here, the hospital explores the possibilities of artificial intelligence in the realm of cancer research. For more information on the UCSF Medical Center, you can request an appointment online or call 888-689-8273.

Cancer is a tough pill to swallow. Lucky, there are so many amazing places in the United States to seek the treatment you or your loved ones deserve. For more information on cancer treatment–including technologies and a map of the best cancer centers–pore over this infographic from Asbestos.com.

Julianna Mitchell is a writer and content creator based in Los Angeles, California. She has experience writing in the tech, entertainment, and healthcare industries, and is a Content Writing Intern at Siege Media.

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How To Keep Your Children Engaged in Online Learning by Craig Middleton offers important advice for parents dealing with homebound children engaged in remote learning. By following his advice you can make remote learning more effective and enjoyable. Good luck.

Inroduction

• Many schools have had to move to online-only or hybrid instruction as a matter of necessity over the past year. There have been some troubling stories about how this model has affected students, showing that they have suffered because of a lack of socializing with their friends. Some have reported a decrease in motivation.
• On the other hand, some young people thrive in an online learning environment, even preferring it to in-person instruction. This may be based on many different factors, such as the child’s temperament or relationships with peers. However, it does offer hope that online learning can be more successful and less stressful even for those who struggle with it. Researchers have been looking for ways to help keep children engaged in an online classroom. Here are some of the ideas they’ve come up with.

Connect Learning to Something Concrete

• Try to connect what your child is learning to something concrete and relatable whenever possible. For example, if you’re learning about different energy sources, tell your child about the top solar companies in the US and explain how they put what your child is learning to good use. If your child can see that what he or she is learning has practical, real-life applications, it is more likely to keep his or her interest. Children hate the feeling that they are wasting time learning something that is not useful to them.



Keep in Touch With Your Child’s Teachers

• With online learning, you may bear more of the responsibility for your child’s education than when your child receives in-person instruction. However, no matter what learning model you use, your child’s education is always a partnership between you and his or her instructors. When instruction takes place at home, keeping in close contact with your child’s teachers is more important than ever before.

Provide Positive Feedback

• It is always important to acknowledge a child’s academic accomplishments”. It is even more vital to encourage those that happen in a setting in which the child may not be comfortable. Whenever your child completes an assignment through distance learning, provide some positive feedback. This can be something intangible, such as a few words of praise, or something more concrete, such as a sticker. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate or expensive, just something that communicates to your child, “I know this isn’t easy for you, and I appreciate the hard work you’re putting into it.”

Encourage Activity

• Elementary kids get recess several times a day, while older kids get gym class. Your child’s online learning day should include some time for him or her to get up, move around, maybe even go outside if the weather permits it. When you schedule this depends a lot on your child’s learning style and preferences, but many kids settle down to concentrate better after some activity. If you find that a change of position helps your child concentrate better, you should encourage this, within reason. Standing up helps some kids to concentrate better, but you should not allow your child to adopt a habit of poor ergonomics because this could cause problems later in life.



Make Learning Fun

• Schoolwork doesn’t have to be endless drudgery. There are many ways to make learning fun. If you’re having difficulty coming up with ideas on your own, the internet gives you access to thousands of them. Online games from educational sources are designed to teach a wide range of important concepts in an entertaining way. You may be able to take a virtual field trip to many educational places, such as aquariums, botanical gardens, museums, and zoos. Don’t limit yourself to local places; these tours are available from all over the world.

Set Your Own Schedule

• Part of the reason that some children thrive in distance learning is that the schedule can be tailored to fit their needs. If your child is having difficulty understanding, you can slow down the pace. If your child is frustrated, you can take a break. If your child is very engaged, you can skip or postpone a break to keep up the momentum. Above all, be patient with your child and with yourself. Adjusting to distance learning takes time.

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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How to Keep Your Children Safe Online by Craig Middleton offers some specifics that parents can attend to as they try to keep the kids safe while they spend increased time online. Be sure to click on the links in this article for detailed advice.

Keeping your children safe online is more important than ever. With education and entertainment being online, kids use the computer more often than ever before. While using common sense can keep kids out of a lot of trouble, parents still need to monitor their children’s internet usage. Below are some handy tips that can help both kids and parents stay safer online.

Use Multi-factor Authentication

• One way to keep kids safer online is to use multi-factor authentication. So, what is multi-factor authentication? To put it simply, multi-factor authentication is when people need to provide more than one credential (like a password) before they can access their account. Often, codes sent to email accounts or via text serve as the second authentication as do pictures and answers to questions that hackers wouldn’t know.
• How does the use of multi-factor authentication help to protect kids? Kids tend not to pick the most complicated passwords. This makes it easy for hackers to break into their accounts. By using multi-factor authentication, it makes it a lot harder for hackers. Whenever a site allows users to enable multi-factor authentication on their accounts, take them up on their offer. It is usually free and can do a lot to protect your children’s accounts.

Set Up Parental Controls

• If a parent knows that there are certain websites they do not want their children going on (whether the websites are too adult or for some other reason), then parents can set up parental controls on their computer. These controls can block specific computer accounts (like their child’s) from accessing certain websites.
• There are a variety of services that can help parents to set up parental controls. Schools often use these services to prevent students from using social media websites or other distracting or educational sites. Parents can also set up parental controls on their internet browsers.

Warn of Stranger Danger

• Not everyone tells the truth about who they are online. Someone may claim to be the same age as a child, but really be an ill-intentioned adult. For this reason, it is best that parents warn their children of “online” stranger danger. If possible, parents should encourage their children not to talk to anyone online unless they already know them in real life. Talking to school friends on apps is safe, but talking to someone they “met” while playing video games online might not be safe. When in doubt, tell children not to talk to anyone online.
• Luckily, there are some good apps that kids can use to talk to each other. Facebook has created a messenger app specifically for kids. They can use this app to talk to friends and play games online, safely. This app, and others like it, can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or in the Google Play store for free.

Don’t Save Credit Card Information

• Sometimes internet browsers will save credit card information to make purchases faster so you do not need to re-enter information each time you buy something. However, if parents have a child who uses the same internet account, the child would automatically have the credit card information saved. While this is not inherently dangerous to the child, it can negatively impact their parent’s wallets.
• Young kids, especially, may not know that it is not okay to spend their parent’s money without asking. This can be extra confusing for kids when they do not see the money. For example, they may know it is not okay to take money from their mother’s purse, but since they cannot see the money when they use a credit card online, they may not register that they are spending real money. Parents would do well to explain that credit cards do spend real money. In the meantime, not saving credit card, debit card, or PayPal/Venmo information online can help prevent kids from making purchases online.
• If you want to keep your kids safe online, keep these tips in mind. These little things can do a lot to keep your kids from getting hacked, getting into trouble with strangers, and more.

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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