4 Ways You Can Keep Your Kids Busy at Home Amidst COVID 19 General by Jason Phillips - June 16, 2020January 2, 20220 There's no denying of the fact, COVID-19 has given birth to several challenges across the globe for parents who had school going kids. Young age is a time when kids are supposed to be encapsulated in academic institutions for a better future. However, this year it is tough to say if schools and colleges will reopen anytime sooner. This is the main reason, a lot of parents across the globe are worried about their kid’s education and are looking for creative ways to keep their munchkins busy at home. Not to forget, there are several activities that can have a strong impact on young minds while they're at home. Read on to know more: 1. Have Open Conversations The first and easiest way to engage kids at home is to allow them in
Top Ways to Improve Engineering Students’ Technical Drawing Skills General by Jason Phillips - June 20, 2018June 26, 201810 Engineering and architecture students are honed to perfect their skills in drawings and creating architectural blueprints and plans. However, there are ordinary architectural drawings and sketches that every engineering student can create, then there is technical drawing. While most students love drawing perspectives, sketches, and the interesting graphical part of any engineering or architectural drawings, the rational, logical and technical side is probably the most hated. Although technical drawing is not as sexy and appealing as freehand writing, it is 100% as important! What is a Technical Drawing? Sometimes called draughting or drafting, technical drawing is the discipline and act of composing drawings that visually communicate how something is constructed or functions. Technical drawing is important for communicating ideas in the industry and
Homework and study – key practices that will make it easier for both parents and kids General by Jason Phillips - March 14, 20172 When it comes to doing homework, both parents and kids are stressed out. As you may have already noticed, it’s a lot more difficult than you think to persuade kids to study, especially after a long weekend or tiring spring vacation filled with fun activities. The good news is there are practices you can try out to make both your life and the life of you kid a lot easier. Make better house rules First thing’s first. You might want to limit TV time, and make that a house rule. When it’s time for homework, you should close the TV and compel your child to stay focused on the assignment they have to complete. After they’re done, you can allow them
5 Tips For Effective Parent-Teacher Communication General by Tess Pajaron - August 18, 2016August 18, 20162 One of the major downfalls for young teachers is poor parent-teacher communication. Too often we forget that parents can be some of the best allies we have in reaching our students, and that we all have a common goal. Early positive communication is the single most effective way I have found to avoid later conflicts down the road. In today's article, Tess Pajaron tackles the issue of effective parent-teacher communication. While it might be the kids that you see every day, parents are a huge deal when it comes to doing your job effectively. A parent can be an ally behind the scenes, supporting our work and encouraging their children to trust in us and take our lessons seriously. Getting a parent on board requires
Level Up Your Teaching: Engaging Students Through The Power Of Classroom Games General by David Reeves - August 5, 2016August 4, 20162 Learning only happens when students are engaged, but unfortunately, teachers continue to struggle with engagement, especially when children enter middle school. One way to keep kids engaged and improve student retention is through classroom games. Games — in the classroom and outdoors — that incorporate an educational component get kids excited about learning, and are a great tool in the arsenal of teachers of any grade level, but especially when students are nearing or in middle school. Here are some tips to help make your classroom games effective. Take Advice From Game Designers As a teacher, you know that classroom time is valuable. You don't want to fill it with anything that is wasteful, so are games worthwhile? Games are effective at motivating,
Gamification of Education: How to Bring it into Your Classroom General by Kelly Smith - August 4, 2016August 3, 20160 If only students loved attending class as much as they loved playing video games. Sometimes, the issue is that the benefits and achievements of education just aren’t as tangible or immediate as the rewards of leveling up in a video game. Video games are fun, and attending school is compulsory. What if you could restructure your classroom to function like a video game? It’s a novel idea, but a surprising amount of educators have taken this approach – and it’s starting to catch on!  Leveling Up In school, you slowly build your intellectual strength. In a game, you level up. It’s a clear promotion, and the recognition you receive for achieving the next level is extremely rewarding. In most games, higher levels
5 Great Books About The Science Behind Growth Mindset General by Joel Wagner - August 3, 2016August 5, 20163 Rigor Grit The "10,000 Hour Rule" Growth Mindset We hear these buzzwords thrown around a lot in educational circles these days. Why? Because they're catchy! But what do they mean? The concepts are interrelated, and they stem from a series of recent research projects. Today we'll look at a few new books about the science behind growth mindsets. Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool This is the book that initially resparked my interest in this subject. Anders Ericsson was the researcher who studied "deliberate practice" back in the 80s and early 90s. Some of the those studies centered on violin students in a German music conservatory. The analysis concluded that the students who performed the best at the University level, and who would eventually
Things High School Students Can Do Right Now To Go To College Debt-Free General by Rachael Everly - July 30, 2016July 30, 20160 Tuition is a major concern for anyone who has plans to attend university, whether that be for undergraduate study or graduate programs. As teachers, we want to guide our students in ways that will help them have the best chances for success later on in life. Today, Rachael Everly brings us some suggestions that we can offer to the future college students in our lives that will reduce costs and even allow them to attend college debt-free. Heading to college fills you with a liberating feeling and will give you a lot of freedom from all aspects, whether it is about social independence, financial liberty or educational solidarity. This feeling is accompanied by a sense of intimidation and petrification from parents or financial personnel. Student loans
5 Ways To Make Your College Application Stand Out Beyond The Essay General by Vera Marie Reed - July 13, 2016July 14, 20160 As we approach the beginning of the new school year, high school teachers will undoubtedly be approached by seniors for help with college applications. What do you tell them? How can you help? Writing a great essay is a good start, but there are other ways to make any college application stand out, and the best time to begin addressing that is now. In today's article, Vera Reed explores some other ways we can guide our students toward making their college application stand out. Going above and beyond the call to duty is simply one of the things that great teachers do. So while you technically don’t have to help your students with their college applications, going the extra mile to do so will
Curiosity May Kill Cats, But Conformity Kills Creativity General by Joel Wagner - July 9, 2016July 10, 20160 In the recent blog post 10 Habits of People Who Always Have Great Ideas, Ideapod author Lachlan Brown highlights 10 characteristics of creative people. I encourage you to go read the article. As I was reading through the list, I was struck by two thoughts: "Hey, those are all habits I cultivate in my life!" and "Wow, wouldn't it be great to have students like that in my class?" This article explores how I nurture creativity in my life as well as in my students.. How do I cultivate these habits in my life? Daydreaming I am constantly considering new ideas and looking for new sources of inspiration. Sources of inspiration include listening to a podcast (my current favorites are Revisionist History and DCI's Fieldpass), reading a book (I'm
Finding A Teaching Job General by Joel Wagner - July 6, 2016July 10, 20160 Do you ever feel alone in your quest to become a teacher? Well, the truth is that finding a teaching job can be lonely, but it is not a unique experience. Over the next few weeks, I will be curating Resource Posts that will serve as a springboard for digging deeper into specific topics that have been covered on this blog. Since we are at the beginning of July and many teachers are searching for their first job or for greener pastures, the first stop is a collection of resources on finding a teaching job. General Tips Help: Should I Become A Teacher? Help A New Student Teacher Out With Resources 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Explained Before My First Teaching Job Five Ways
10 Teaching Myths Busted [Infographic] General by Joel Wagner - July 5, 2016July 10, 20160 Most teachers came to their first teaching job with some beliefs that we have since learned were not true. This article explores ten of those teaching myths.
How To Stay Up To Date With The Job Market: Tips For Teachers General by Amelia Knott - July 4, 2016July 25, 20160 Stay current on industry changes to maintain job flexibility if and when you need it. As a teacher, the job market can be a tough place. In a field where competition is high and landing your ideal placement takes patience, you won’t want to fall behind on shifts and general goings-on in the job market. If you do fall behind, you may miss out on opportunities or professional development that are critical to your career as an educator. Check out these tips to make sure you stay in the game: Always be learning Teachers do more than teach; they are also lifelong learners. New teaching methods and new curriculum content are just a couple of the items that need to be on teachers’
Weekend Reading 7/3/16 General by Joel Wagner - July 3, 2016July 3, 20160 Well, I hope you're having a nice productive weekend and are ready to get a new week started. I know that we have some international readers, but in the United States, we are celebrating Independence Day this weekend. While you have some time left in the weekend, here are some cool things you can fill it with. A new podcast Malcolm Gladwell has a new podcast out called Revisionist History. From the podcasts's about page: Welcome to Revisionist History, a new podcast from Malcolm Gladwell and Panoply Media. Each week for 10 weeks, Revisionist History will go back and reinterpret something from the past: an event, a person, an idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance. An few older podcasts I actually learned about Malcolm
The Impact of Great Teachers [Infographic] General by Joel Wagner - July 1, 2016June 29, 20160 Great teachers Many people live their lives without impacting more than a few hundred people. Teachers often make that kind of impact over the course of one year. This kind of responsibility can be intimidating, and is one of the main reasons that I continually encourage my readers to strive toward being great teachers. This infographic below looks at some of the qualities of great teachers. Keep aiming higher, my friends. The world needs great teachers like you! Image courtesy of Teacher Certification Degrees