I recently watched an episode of Criminal Minds. Near the conclusion, there is a shot of the airplane taking the team home and a voice-over begins with the words, “William Glasser wrote.” As a senior faculty member of The William Glasser Institute and someone who writes about and teaches choice theory, I was curious to hear how Dr. Glasser’s words would provide closure to the story I had just watched. Here’s what I heard: “William Glasser wrote, ‘What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today.’”

I was dumbfounded. Anyone listening to these words who is not well-acquainted with choice theory and Dr. Glasser’s work would probably think that Glasser believes our past exerts a controlling influence on our present behavior. The quotation utilized on Criminal Minds implies that our present behavior is shaped by past experiences. That certainly is incongruent with what Dr. Glasser has taught.

As soon as I heard these words, I knew it was only the beginning of a larger quotation. It didn’t take me too long to find the rest. In truth, the words used on Criminal Minds are only the beginning of a sentence, one that is immediately followed by the word “but.” As the late Paul Harvey would say, “Here’s the rest of the story.”

On pages 334 and 335 of Choice Theory, Dr. Glasser writes the following: “What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today, but revisiting this painful past can contribute little or nothing to what we need to do now: improve an important, present relationship….The argument that if we don’t know our past, we are doomed to repeat it is incorrect…..We are not doomed to repeat our past unless we choose to do so. … If we believe that we cannot function in the present until we understand our past, then we have chosen to be prisoners of what is over.”

Among other things, choice theory explores the relationship between reality and perception. For all intents and purposes, our perceptions represent our reality. And our perceptions are impacted by the information we have available to us. My guess is that the majority of Criminal Minds viewers are not well acquainted with Dr. Glasser and choice theory. They were given limited information – a partial quote taken out of context that is at odds with what Dr. Glasser expresses in the complete passage. I can’t believe that the researchers who chose to use this partial quotation weren’t aware that they were misrepresenting Dr. Glasser. While the use of these words might have “worked” for the story, it seems unseemly to knowingly misrepresent what someone has expressed.

All of this has me thinking: how often do I create perceptions – my “reality” – based on incomplete or inaccurate information? And how often do I give others inaccurate or incomplete information?

By Bob Sullo. Bob has been an English teacher, school psychologist, school adjustment counselor, and school administrator. Now he is a full time consultant. Bob has written several books about internal control and motivation including, Teach Them To Be Happy, The Inspiring Teacher, Activating the Desire to Learn and The Motivated Student. You can read Bob’s full bio here. Learn more about Bob and his work by visiting his website, www.internalmotivation.net.

I recently attended a project workshop where the purpose was to discuss the high level requirements for the procurement of new Learning Management Systems and to plan the project going forward. At the meeting a stakeholder asked me to explain the difference between a Learning Management System (LMS) and a Learning Content Management System (LCMS). It is true that the lines between these systems are becoming increasingly blurred as an LMCS can add LMS functionalities, and the same can be said of an LMS. In other words they can overlap in their capabilities.

The purpose of this post is to explain and highlight the features of both an LMS and an LCMS. This post is written specifically for individuals researching whether procuring an LMS or LCMS is the right system for their organization or educational institution. I will provide details about both systems, as well as a detailed comparison between the two systems.

What is a Learning Management System?

So what is a LMS? Well, it’s typically a web-based software system designed to manage, track and report on training events. To expand on this definition, an LMS is a server based software system used to manage and deliver various types of learning through a web browser, particularly asynchronous e-learning. The types of learning delivered can be online, in the classroom or a blended solution. In addition, these systems are used to track and manage the different types of learner data, especially learner performance.

LMS have evolved over time and they generally have the following functions and features:

• System – The organisation of learning related functions into a system with efficient access to these functions via layered interface navigation.
• Security –  Including authorization for users, protection of data and administration functions.
• Registration – Learners can find and select courses, or be assigned to a course or curriculum.
• Delivery - Delivery of learning content. This involves the medium in which the content is delivered. For example, classroom or online. Also this refers to the method. For example, instructor-led, self-paced or blended.
• Interaction - Learner interaction with content and communication between learners, instructors and course administrators. This also refers to communicative content.
• Assessment – As well administering assessments, LMS collect, track, and store assessment data. Based on the results of assessment further actions could be taken and possibly in other systems. For example, HR. Many LMS include the ability to create assessments for learners, feedback and survey tools to evaluate training, etc. These tools can help developers build and refine learning programmes over time.
• Tracking - The tracking of learner data, especially information such as learner progress and course usage.
• Reporting and record keeping – The storage and maintenance of learner data as well as the reporting of that data.
• Configurability and personalization – Functions to enable administrators to configure interfaces, functions and features. Learners can also have the capability to customise their user interfaces.
• Integration and interfaces – The exchange of data with external systems. Typically, these systems include HR to facilitate enterprise-wide tracking of learner performance and transfer of user data. They can also include portals, content systems, registration, etc.
• Skills Management – Some LMS include functionality for skills assessment and management capabilities revolve around learners assessing their competency gaps.
• Administrative – A feature set for purpose of managing the LMS and all its functions.
• Adherence to standards – An LMS should attempt to support standards such as SCORM or AICC.

LMS are typically used by organizations that are in regulated industries such as financial services or pharmaceutical.  These types of companies use LMS for compliance training. LMS are also used by educational institutions to enhance and support classroom teaching and offering courses to a larger population of learners.

What is a Learning Content Management System

Now we’ll talk about Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) and the difference between the two systems. Whereas LMS is software that automates the administrative tasks of training and a system that serves as a platform to deliver eLearning to students, an LCMS is primarily focused on managing and delivering the appropriate e-learning content for learners when they need it.

In essence an LCMS provides a system that can be used to rapidly create, modify, manage and reuse content for a wide range of learning. This contrasts with the logistics of managing learners and their learning activities, as well as competency mapping provided by an LMS. The tools within the LCMS are used mainly by course developers, rather than by learners. Typically they offer features such as object repositories for learning objects where they can be searched, reused or adapted.

A learning object is a self-contained chunk of instructional material. It typically includes three components:

• A performance goal (what the learner will understand or be able to accomplish upon completion of the learning)
• The necessary learning content to reach that goal (such as text, video, illustration, bulleted slide, demo, task simulation).
• Some form of evaluation to measure whether or not the goal was achieved.

A learning object also includes metadata, or tags that describe its content and purpose to the LCMS. Therefore, with the focus on creating courses most LCMS include authoring capabilities with which comes the management functionalities. These include the ability to launch and track courses. However, the launch and track features are often limited when compared to some LMS products.

The following features are usually found in a LCMS:

• Based upon learning object model (LOM)
• A content repository with versioning (and archiving) of files and/or content objects. Content is not tightly bound to any specific template and can be re-deployed in a variety of formats
• Authoring application used to create reusable learning objects that are accessible in the repository
• Interoperability with third-party LMS
• System provides workflow tools to manage a multi developer team environment
• Ability to manage diverse and complex object types
• Web interface directly to the content; A dynamic delivery interface to serve up learning object based on learner profiles, pretests and or user queries, etc. Navigational elements are not hard coded at the content/page level
• Administration application; Used to manage and track learners, launch e-learning courses from the catalog which includes the ability to search to enable discovery of content objects and/or files

The table below highlights the key differences between LMS and LCMS

Like LMS, LCMS are used primarily in business and government training communities. It is worth noting that the term LCMS is sometimes used to refer to an LMS that has extended to include an authoring capability. However, this is without meeting the spirit of the functionality described for a true LCMS. The main advantage of LCMS over LMS is that LCMS enable assembly of courses, usually dynamically, from a variety of smaller source content objects. Therefore, if your environment requires output of a variety of materials from a variety of sources, this is probably a good choice of a system.

A LCMS has several additional advantages over LMS, namely:

• They include an integrated authoring tool
• Individual assets and learning objects (including screens) can be managed, not just courses
• Assets can be version controlled
• Master copies of content objects ripple changes through all outputs
• Competencies and objectives can be mapped explicitly to any level of course organization and to learner progress
• Course units and assets can be easily reused

However, LCMS don’t have it all their own way and thus have the following disadvantages compared to LMS:

• The student management functions tend to be less robust, since the system concentrates more on the authoring, assembly, and delivery of content.
• Their capabilities are usually predicated on doing everything within the LCMS system. They may not interoperate well with other systems (for example, an external authoring tool).
• Navigation controls for courses usually are provided by the LCMS, not the content (this is especially true where the content is assembled dynamically)

For organizations to successfully select the right LMS and/or LCMS there needs to be several important factors in place. For example, a learning blueprint that describes the current learning environment and desired future state, as well as buy-in from all the stake holders, particularly IT. To help organizations define the learning blueprint, a vision and planning effort with a number of assessments, including a strategic analysis and IT infrastructure assessment, should be completed.

By Nic Hinder. Nic is a specialist in e-learning and related technologies, and mobile development.  He lives and works in the UK. Nic works with many corporate and public sector clients providing consultancy ranging from technology procurement, e-learning strategy development and learning design. To find out more about his work, please contact him at nic.hinder@yahoo.com.

Let me say at the outset that I voted for Barack Obama. I anticipate he’ll get my vote again. Still, as a lifelong educator I find myself dismayed and confused about where he stands on educational issues. In his May 21 radio address, the president talked about the Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis where he delivered the commencement address last week. “We need to reward the reforms that are driven not by Washington, but by principals and teachers and parents. That’s how we’ll make progress in education — not from the top down, but from the bottom up,” the president said. Sounds reasonable to let principals, teachers, and parents drive reform efforts. (I would have added students, but then again I still believe in principles connected to “no taxation without representation.”)

President Obama went on to tout his Race to the Top initiative, one that requires states to compete with one another to secure the funding that makes reforms possible. What was left unsaid was the fact that states must promise to follow what Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan want in order to get funded. If states don’t commit to doing what the feds want, they are left without funding. Sounds remarkably “top down.”

So what’s the deal, Mr. President? Do you want local principals, teachers, and parents to develop effective educational reforms or do you want to provide funding only to those who promise to advance your agenda?

How long do you plan to play both sides? (I guess as long as there are enough of us who are disappointed but likely to vote for you again, there’s little hope we’ll witness the change we hoped for and were promised.)

By Bob Sullo. Bob has been an English teacher, school psychologist, school adjustment counselor, and school administrator. Now he is a full time consultant. Bob has written several books about internal control and motivation including, Teach Them To Be Happy, The Inspiring Teacher, Activating the Desire to Learn and The Motivated Student. You can read Bob’s full bio here. Learn more about Bob and his work by visiting his website, www.internalmotivation.net.

Contact Bob directly using the below contact form. You can add a comment to this article by completing the comment form below the contact form. [contact-form]

The entire environment of the school system and the administrative structure has changed rapidly in the past few years. Teachers are now being held more accountable and students are required to test more frequently. Many of these changes also happened nine years ago, with the introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

1. How it started

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed on January 8, 2002 by President Bush, according to Education Week. It is, “a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,” which is, “the central federal law in pre-collegiate education.”

2. The act before NCLB

No Child Left Behind is an amended version of a previous act, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This act, “emphasizes equal access to education, establishes high standards and accountability, and requires the inclusion of all students with disabilities in the student achievement system,” according to The Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

3. Changes to Education

With the amended act, many changes arose when new rules on annual testing and academic progress were established.

A few of those changes, according to Education Week, include:

• “By the 2005-06 school year, states must begin testing students in grades 3-8 annually in reading and mathematics”
• “States must bring all students up to the “proficient” level on state tests by the 2013-14 school year”
• “Starting with the 2002-03 school year, states must furnish annual report cards showing a range of information, including student-achievement data broken down by subgroup and information on the performance of school districts. Districts must provide similar report cards showing school-by-school data”
• “By the end of the 2005-06 school year, every teacher in core content areas working in a public school must be “highly qualified” in each subject he or she teaches. Under the law, “highly qualified” generally means that a teacher is certified and demonstrably proficient in his or her subject matter”
• “The act creates a new competitive-grant program called Reading First, funded at $1.02 billion in 2004, to help states and districts set up “scientific, research-based” reading programs for children in grades K-3”
• “Through an alteration in the Title I funding formula, the No Child Left Behind Act is expected to better target resources to school districts with high concentrations of poor children”

4. Weighing the pros and cons

The introduction of No Child Left Behind upset and infuriated some educators, who do not find the new stipulations fair for every student.

“Empirical research does not support the belief that all children can learn the same curriculum, in the same amount of time, and at the same level,” William Bainbridge wrote in his 2002 article, “Leaving Children Behind.” He is a Professor at the University of Dayton.

“The problem with such an unsubstantiated belief is that it may be used to deny differential financial support for those who come to school with environmental disadvantages. Not all children have high-quality nutrition, stimulating homes, and extensive learning opportunities prior to entering school,” he said in the article.

Others support NCLB because of the way it focuses on accountability. In many ways, the law made schools and districts more accountable for the instruction of their students.

“Accountability to parents, taxpayers and students themselves is a major objective of the law,” a news article in the Winfield Daily Courier said.

5. Is it working?

In recent news, there have been a few reports of the progress of NCLB.

“Four of every five Rhode Island public schools met all of the 2010-11 targets set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), according to annual school performance classifications,” GoLocalProv reported on May 6, 2011.

Other news stories don’t leave the reader so convinced. For many years, there have been reports that NCLB has taken away most of the funding for arts in the classroom, due to the fact that money is being put elsewhere—mainly into programs or private tutoring that increases test scores, some educators purport.

“It (NCLB) makes no provision for the arts, which are not part of the reading, math and other proficiency testing. The law is putting the arts on the endangered list nationwide in schools. With budget cutbacks, children aren’t getting exposed to other…art museums,” Louis Duiguid wrote in an April 2011 article for The Kansas City Star.

The next big test will arrive in the school year of 2013-14, when “states must bring all students up to the “proficient” level on state tests,” according to Education Week.

By Kelly McLendon. Kelly is studying Environmental Policy and Journalism. She can be reached at mclendon.kelly@gmail.com.

The concept of Total Behavior teaches us that behavior has four components: acting, thinking, feeling, and physiology. One component doesn’t “cause” the others; they co-exist. Dr. William Glasser, the psychiatrist who developed Choice Theory, has stated on numerous occasions, “I don’t sweat (physiology) because I run (acting). I sweat when I run.” It’s not an “if…then” proposition.

I am frequently asked if there is scientific data that supports the concept of Total Behavior. Recent research unrelated to Total Behavior seems to offer scientific evidence that the components of behavior indeed operate simultaneously rather than sequentially. For the vast majority of us, acting and thinking are the two easiest components to directly control. One exceptional group may soon be offered life-changing relief. Check this out:

Miguel Nicolesis (Beyond Boundaries) is a professor of neuroscience at Duke University. For the past ten years, he and his research team have conducted experiments that focus on two components of behavior: acting and thinking. Dr. Nicolesis has been able to identify, capture, and map the thinking component involved in every Total Behavior. Let me give an example. When I reach for a spoon to stir my coffee, the thought process associated with that action can now be precisely identified, coded, and captured by a computer, thanks to the work of Dr. Nicolesis and his team.

This is much more than an interesting bit of abstract knowledge. Applying this knowledge offers wonderful hope for a whole segment of our population: quadriplegics. When people suffer traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries, there is an interruption in the neural pathways that results in an inability to move even though the thinking component of the total behavior of moving is unimpaired. Here’s the incredibly exciting thing that Dr. Nicolesis and his team are working on: using computers and a whole body robotic vest, when quadriplegics think “stir my coffee,” a computer will “read” the thought and help them carry out the associated motor activity that has been compromised by injury. Dr. Nicolesis is hopeful that the technology will be available for use within the next five years.

Total Behavior. When we think, we act. Victims of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries are unable to act when they think. But the impairment is limited to the acting component of their total behavior. With the use of science and technology, Dr. Nicolesis and his team hope to soon help these otherwise able people once again have their body act when they think. Incredible. And incredibly wonderful.

By Bob Sullo. Bob has been an English teacher, school psychologist, school adjustment counselor, and school administrator. Now he is a full time consultant. Bob has written several books about internal control and motivation including, Teach Them To Be Happy, The Inspiring Teacher, Activating the Desire to Learn and The Motivated Student. You can read Bob’s full bio here. Learn more about Bob and his work by visiting his website, www.internalmotivation.net.

Contact Bob directly using the below contact form. You can add a comment to this article by completing the comment form below the contact form. [contact-form]

Once a young adult hits a certain age, several things kick into action. Not only is puberty raging, the brain is going through some amazing changes, too. The thought that the brain was finished developing in the early years is evolving as new studies are finding the teenage brain goes through one last push to keep the brain in tip-top condition, or lose certain functions forever.

The ever-evolving brain

The teenage years are full of egocentrism, dealing with external pressures, and trying to keep up in school. Everyone was a teenager at one point, so we can all relate in one way or another. But, it still seems that the teenage years are the ones that are still misunderstood and often generalized. For years, it was the understanding that the brain becomes moody during this time due to all those hormones running rampant. The reality is the adolescent brain is working hard to continue developing circuits. Studies determined the prefrontal cortex, which helps make the major decisions, aides in making judgments, and understanding consequences, is still not fully developed during the teenage years, and will not achieve total completeness until the early 20’s.

This does not mean all those hormones do not play a role in some of that out-of control-attitude and behavior that takes place in tweens and teens. Hormones can contribute to tipping the scales when it comes to decision-making and behavior.  Pediatrician and adolescent researcher Richard Dahl finds that at birth the brain has the most neurons, but the number of synapses, or the junctions that connect neurons, reaches its peak by adolescence.  The teenage brain may be at its best in some ways, but with all the other social pressures and internal angst, some teens may make bad decisions, and others may become highly motivated to achieve. Most will eventually outgrow that risky behavior and compulsive decision-making.

The temperamental teen

Not only are teens temperamental, they are developing in ways we cannot see. The brain is making big decisions, and if certain areas are not used during this important time, the teenager may be at risk of losing certain functions if neurons are not fired.  Through MRI studies, it has been determined that teens also process emotion differently than adults. It seems the amygdala is fired first, which is in charge of gut reactions, instead of the frontal lobe. As young adults age, the frontal and temporal lobe take charge, leaving the amygdala to take over during those random gut reaction situations.

Whether dealing with an adolescent in the home or educational setting, there are several things to keep in mind. It may seem it is you against the teen, but with patience and a bit of understanding, everyone can find a middle ground.

Stay strong: Remember that you are the adult. Even if the teen may be frustrated with boundaries, staying strong and sticking to your rules will encourage the teenager to make positive decisions later in life.  Understand there will be times everyone will butt heads, but to also consider how you as the adult are talking and listening to the teen. Keep a positive attitude, never resort to anger, and remember to stand your ground. As an adult, share stories from your teen years, which just might peak the teen’s interest and encourage them to understand where you are coming from.

Get the “big talk” out of the way earlier than later: Talking about what to expect during puberty helps set the groundwork for what is to come. Even though talking about our bodies and how they work may be uncomfortable for teens, it is better to hear the information from someone they respect than their peers, who may have facts incorrect. While having an open discussion about puberty and how our bodies work, it is not a bad idea to spend some time discussing sex. As an adult, if you are unsure how to begin the “big talk,” reach out to your local community of pediatricians, teachers, or a trusted friend for support.

Encourage them to sleep – and eat healthy: During the tween and teen years, changes are taking place both externally and internally. This translates to needing extra sleep and nutrients. Encourage the teenager to get a good night’s sleep and eat healthy, nourishing foods, which will also aide in development. Setting a good example by having good sleeping and eating habits as an adult also helps. Recent studies have even linked lack of sleep in teens to increased eating habits.

Understanding that we all grow out of the teenage years may help everyone feel better at the end of a trying day. All adults were teens at one point, and they survived!

By Sarah Lipoff. Sarah is an art educator and parent. Visit Sarah’s website here.

Oh, and it’s the same old story
Ever since the world began.
Everybody’s got the runs for glory.
Nobody stop and scrutinize the plan.
“Learn How to Sail”
Paul Simon

“Our educational system is in shambles.” I’m not sure if that’s really true, but it has become almost a national mantra, embraced with equal vigor by those on the right and the left. You can be of any political persuasion and blithely suggest our schools are a train wreck and few would dare question the assertion.

Of course, once a problem is identified (even if it’s not really the problem everyone claims it is), solutions must be proposed and decisive action taken. Two popular solutions to the “education crisis” are the proliferation of charter schools and the use of merit pay. Charter schools have a natural appeal, in part because freedom-loving Americans are naturally drawn to “schools of choice.” And merit pay seems so logical that few argue against it. (Teachers unions are the obvious exception but everyone knows that teachers are greedy and almost single-handedly responsible for our financial woes.)

The merit pay movement continues to gain traction and momentum. Ohio recently enacted a law that eliminates “step raises” for its 110,000 teachers in favor of a “pay for performance” model. A less drastic merit pay plan was just adopted in Virginia.

Given the merit pay frenzy that has captured the public and legislative fancy, it makes sense to look at how successful such a practice might be. After examining the results of a pay-for-performance program in more than 200 New York City schools, Harvard economist Roland G. Fryer, Jr. concluded, “I find no evidence that teacher incentives increase student performance, attendance, or graduation, nor do I find any evidence that the incentives change student or teacher behavior. If anything, teacher incentives may decrease student achievement, especially in larger schools.”

What a downer. Merit pay seems like such a good idea. Don’t worry. Despite evidence suggesting it’s a practice with no significant upside (other than the rush we feel when we know we are tackling serious issues with gusto), I am confident more states will follow in the footsteps of Ohio and Virginia.

It’s hard to find anyone who isn’t clamoring for more charter schools. Before I go on, let me say that I have done (and continue to do) work in a number of charter schools. I have nothing against charter schools. In fact, because of their streamlined administrative composition, it’s a joy for me to work with charter schools. They are far less constrained than traditional public schools and swift, decisive action can be taken with relative ease. So don’t identify me as anti charter school. That said, it’s fair to ask how effective charter schools really are. A 2009 study conducted by Stanford University compared charter schools to traditional district schools in the 16 states that educate the majority of our children. They found that one-third of the charter schools were less successful, while one-sixth were more successful, and the rest were substantially equal. (For those of you who struggle with math because you were educated in traditional public schools, the study doesn’t make charter schools look like the panacea they are depicted to be in films like Waiting for Superman.) As an aside, the Stanford study simply replicates the findings of a 2004 study conducted by the Department of Education. Despite widespread support, there is no evidence that charter schools are more effective from traditional public schools.

“We have an education crisis.” It may not be true, but it’s a cry that certainly gets attention and rallies people into action. Merit pay. Charter schools. Decisive steps to address a perceived problem. Get past the euphoria and examine the results, however, and it looks like we’re barking up the wrong tree.

By Bob Sullo. Bob has been an English teacher, school psychologist, school adjustment counselor, and school administrator. Now he is a full time consultant. Bob has written several books about internal control and motivation including, Teach Them To Be Happy, The Inspiring Teacher, Activating the Desire to Learn and The Motivated Student. You can read Bob’s full bio here. Learn more about Bob and his work by visiting his website, www.internalmotivation.net.

Contact Bob directly using the below contact form. You can add a comment to this article by completing the comment form below the contact form. [contact-form]

As a parent, we want to encourage our kids to think for themselves and make smart, positive decisions. But, sometimes, we get stuck on wanting things to be done to our own expectations and a helping hand is offered before the child can think or do something or themselves. And there are those moments where we become “helicopter parents” where more time is spent focusing on directing the child’s behavior instead of nurturing it. The developing brain is an amazing thing, and all these aspects play a role on how it advances.

Self-Reliance

Self-reliant behavior is the concept of encouraging one to feel confident, able to make decisions, and do things for themselves. Ralph Waldo Emerson spent some time contemplating the understanding of self and the importance of trusting one’s self-being. For parents of toddlers, this can be a challenging concept – especially when preparing for preschool. Taking the time to nurture the child’s growing abilities and interests can be overwhelming and exhausting. But, it is an important step for creating self-reliance in toddlers and preparing them for what is to come in preschool

Most preschoolers are expected to accomplish simple tasks throughout the day.  From putting on their own jackets to knowing their numbers and letters, a preschooler is inherently interested and excited with new tasks and concepts. Sometimes the simplest mission an adult might take for granted, such as selecting a spot to sit for lunch, can be a big challenge to a child. As adults, offering children the opportunity to build their self-confidence and self-reliance makes those moments a bit easier for the child, and often with wonderful results.

Helping Your Toddler

Before heading to preschool there are a few simple ways you can help your child build his self-reliance. Understand that this may be a frustrating time for everyone involved, but with some dedication, and a lot of patience, the outcomes speak loud and clear.

-Encourage your child to do simple tasks on his own. As much as you might want to hurry things along and put those shoes on for your toddler, it is a good idea to let him do it himself – and the way he wants to. This means if he gets them on, but those shoes are on the wrong feet, do not correct him. While he is working through the task, offer lots of encouraging words as well as giving him some space. Instead of offering praise such as, “you are doing a good job, “ use direct words such as, “I am pleased you are spending so much time concentrating.”

-Let your child make decisions. This does not mean letting your child be the decision- maker on big things, but encourage him to pick out his own clothes in the morning (even if things do not match) or select dinner one night a week. When your child feels he makes decisions that are respected and taken seriously, he is building his self-confidence encouraging his self-reliance. As the child ages, he will continue making smart decisions, helping to build a well-rounded adult.

-Stand back. When your child is about to take a risk, stand back and watch what happens. Obviously, if your child’s well-being is in danger, step in and redirect his behavior. But, if he is making the decision to try his bike without training wheels, maybe it is time to see if he really can do it. Preschoolers are daredevils and are learning everyday what their bodies can and cannot do. By allowing your child to healthfully explore his abilities without hearing a constant, “NO,” he is learning you trust him and his decisions.

-Give your preschooler responsibilities. Even young kids are capable of doing small tasks. Allow your child to be in charge of doing something he can do regularly, like wiping the table after the family meal. Kids like to feel they are contributing successfully to day-to-day living. His sense of accomplishment is his reward, and the more he understands this, the more smart decisions he will make, along with wanting to take on more responsibilities.

-Be confident and model positive behavior. The first day of preschool is often hard on parent and child. Expect to endure separation anxiety at some point from your child. As an adult, model positive behavior and stay confident, even when feeling overwhelmed. Your child will be encouraged to do the same. Talk through concerns with your child before the first day including time for your child to share his worries, thoughts, and questions. By answering his concerns and talking out all his reservations, he is learning his thoughts are respected and heard, building his own self-confidence and understanding of what the preschool experience will be.

-Trust others. Remember, the preschool teachers are there for help as well as others in your community. Encouraging your child to trust others builds his understanding of community and his role within it. When he sees adults sharing and communicating, he understands he should, too. This will build his ability to make friends, continue making positive decisions, and build relationships he will have for the rest of his life.

As a parent, and a preschool teacher, I have experienced the ups and downs of both sides of this topic. I am no expert, but have had wondrous results encouraging self-reliant skills in my own child, and many others.

By Sarah Lipoff. Sarah is an art educator and parent.  Visit Sarah’s website here.

Standardized testing is the bane of some students’ existence as they go through school. Students start getting nervous in the weeks before, as their teachers are taking class time up with preparation worksheets and tips. Standardized tests have been in America for more than 50 years, according to Time Magazine‘s “A Brief History of Standardized Testing.”

Where did testing start?

Testing for students started in China. “The earliest record of standardized testing comes from China, where hopefuls for government jobs had to fill out examinations testing their knowledge of Confucian philosophy and poetry,” A Brief History of Standardized Testing said.

Today, testing may be done for a different purpose–to aid in efficiency.

“But as the Industrial Revolution (and the progressive movement of the early 1800s that followed) took school-age kids out of the farms and factories and put them behind desks, standardized examinations emerged as an easy way to test large numbers of students quickly,” TIME said. Large-scale testing is a quick way to test students over the same subject material.

How do schools use standardized tests?

Schools and school districts use tests for many different purposes.

“Schools use standardized tests to determine if children are ready for school, track them into instructional groups; diagnose for learning disability and other handicaps; and decide whether to promote, retain in grade, or graduate many students. Schools also use tests to guide and control curriculum content and teaching methods,” FairTest.org said.

Tests impact school statistics

FairTest.org also said that districts use the scores to show school improvement and changes in study habits.

“In many districts, raising test scores has become the single most important indicator of school improvement. As a result, teachers and administrators feel enormous pressure to ensure that test scores go up. Schools narrow and change the curriculum to match the test. Teachers teach only what is covered on the test. Methods of teaching conform to the multiple-choice format of the tests. Teaching more and more resembles testing,” the website said.

Test Taking Tips

1. Get positive about taking tests

2. Clear the brain for learning and testing

3. Prepare for the test “strategically”

4. Become familiar with test-taking techniques

5. Take a practice test-or even better, take several practice tests

From: “How to Do Your Best on Standardized Tests.”

How Teachers Feel About Testing

There  are many aspects of testing that might have teachers worried.  From preparing students to understanding how to administer the test, there are many things an educator might wonder or worry about, such as classroom performance.

For information about teachers’ merit pay from tests, check out this Funderstanding article.

“A student’s performance on a standardized test is influenced by many things: some obvious, some elusive, some over which educators have control, and others over which they do not,” an article on the education website TeacherCreated.com said.

To read more about testing perceptions, view this Funderstanding article by Bob Sullo.

Other testing strategies

TeacherCreated.com recommends a few ways to prepare students for the testing time of year. These include:

● “Begin talking about good habits at the beginning of the year. Talk about getting enough sleep, eating a good breakfast, and exercising before and after school. Consider sending home a letter encouraging parents to start these good routines with their children at home.

● Explain the power of positive thought to your students. Tell them to use their imaginations to visualize themselves doing well. Let them know that they have practiced all year and are ready for what is to come.

● Remember to let students stretch and walk around between tests. Try using “Simon Says” with younger students throughout the year to get them to breathe deeply, stretch, and relax so it won’t be a novel idea during test time,”

More resources for educators

If you’re feeling stressed about testing your students, a few sites are out there to help any last-minute worries:

-Combating Testing Pressures

-Standardized Testing and Its Victims

-The Dilemma of Testing

By Kelly McLendon. Kelly is studying Environmental Policy and Journalism. She can be reaced at mclendon.kelly@gmail.com.

Thousands of trainers right now are thinking about investing in a training platform, or learning management system, to automate, maximize, leverage and get the most ROI out of their training activities as possible. However, before you start spending time reviewing systems and talking to various vendors, you should ask yourself a few questions to identify your current and near future needs.  A small amount of needs analysis, as shown below, will allow you to more easily streamline your research process and quickly identify your system requirements.

SCORM Files

Does the system run SCORM 2004 and/or SCORM 1.2?

SCORM is the most common eLearning standard and most content authors offer SCORM files of their courses.  So ideally, you want a system that can launch/track both versions of SCORM.  This is an essential requirement for a platform.  You need to have the ability to install a wide range of courses on your system . . . otherwise, you’re needlessly limiting yourself.  Beware, many of the ERP and Payroll vendors advertise a LMS or learning platform, but these platforms cannot launch SCORM 2004 or 1.2 courses so their practical value is limited.

AICC Files

Can the system run AICC files?

AICC seems to be in decline as the prevalent eLearning standard so this is no longer a critical requirement. Having said that, Skillsoft is probably the biggest content vendor out there with literally thousands of titles. Skillsoft courses are in an AICC file format, so you need a platform that can run AICC files if you plan on licensing Skillsoft courses.

Classroom Management

Do you currently utilize classroom workshops or instructor led training?  If so, you should be capturing that data so you can better understand and quantify the results of your training efforts.  Therefore, you need to ensure the system can manage classrooms and enroll and notify people, create rosters and schedule rooms, instructors and equipment.  Given the anticipated explosion of eLearning, many vendors who have historically focused on sales and marketing solutions, are now jumping into the LMS marketplace.  While that’s fine, many of the former sales presentation platforms do not manage traditional classroom training.  If you currently conduct instructor led training, or you plan to, you need to have a system that can manage in-person workshops.

Webinar Integration

Historically, there are three delivery methods for training activities:  eLearning, classrooms and webinars.  These days, I would add a fourth delivery method which would be informal file sharing, blog posts, discussion groups, and other forms of social media.  In any event, canvas each department in your organization and determine how many webinars each department is holding and which webinar providers are being utilized.  Webinars are a fast, easy way to conduct training so there’s a good chance that some departments rely on them quite a bit.  If so, the LMS should be able to integrate with your webinar provider, or offer their own solution, so you’re able to login and record all of your training activities and learners’ training records in one web-based system.

Course Tracks and Lesson Plans

Will the system allow you to offer different sets of courses to different groups of people based on pre-selected criteria?  At a more granular level, will the system allow you to develop a lesson plan for a particular job or position, e.g., an analyst 1 takes course A, then course B, then course C, in that order?

Most of us train people based on their identifiers such as job title, department, region, etc.  Accordingly, the system needs to be able to reflect that common training work-flow.

Roles and Permissions

Does the system allow you to de-centralize training responsibility so various managers can view their own employees, assign courses, send notifications and run reports?

In most organizations, training is usually conducted at a department level.  Only a general compliance course such as a harassment or ethics course would be launched throughout the workforce.  Therefore, the training system should reflect that practice and provide a more limited administrative view and functionality to designated “sub-administrators” on the system.

Email Notifications & Syncing to Desktop Calendars

People often ignore “canned” or stock email notifications.  Check to see if the system will allow you to customize a number of messages to store in a Notification Library.  Various administrators should be able to customize their own messages and reminders to go with their training activities.  The ability to attach files to the email and/or copy others on the email is helpful.  For email notifications regarding a scheduled class or webinar, the learner must be able to sync the notification with his/her desktop calendaring system.

Certificates & Certification

Do you manage or need to track certificates such as continuing education credits?  If so, can the system manage, track and generate training certificates?  To drill down, check the system library to see if the library tracks whether a particular course entails a certificate.  Also, review the reporting capabilities to determine if you can run a report that will give you a snapshot of a learner’s certification credits.

Reports

Arguably, the reporting function is the most important function of any training platform.  The greatest benefit of a LMS is to consolidate and track all training efforts to better quantify and objectively evaluate any resulting performance increase or other change in the organization.  The only way to do that effectively is to have a robust and flexible reporting structure that allows you to run a wide range of reports by learner, group, course, completion or incomplete status, etc.  So make sure you’re satisfied with the reporting functionality.

External Learners & Ecommerce

Do you foresee the need to offer training to customers or partners?  If so, does the system support training to external audiences?  In most systems, it should be a simple matter of a few custom data fields to identify and organize the customers.  Additionally, can the system support ecommerce functionality so you can charge for training and allow external customers to pay online?

Web-based Course Authoring Tool & Document Management

Will you or any other trainers take an active role in course production?  If so, how sophisticated do you expect the courses to be?  For example, will the courses include video, audio, flash?  If you plan on creating your own courses, does the system come with an integrated course authoring tool and document management system that can meet your needs?  If so, the built-in tools will potentially save a lot of time and headaches entailed in uploading courses to the system. If you’re creating courses with the vendor’s tool, they should upload rather easily.  Also, ensure the course authoring tool is web-based so geographically dispersed subject experts or content developers can easily collaborate on the courses.  Lastly, a web-based document management system will allow you to store training objects or assets and re-use them in other training courses, allowing you to leverage all of your past training files.

Social Media Functionality

Social media is quite the buzz these days and clearly people are spending more time getting quick information updates in blog posts, discussion groups, videos, etc.  Yet, it’s still a new concept and can potentially eat up huge amounts of employee time and productivity.  With respect to social media, it may be best to decide what you want or feel comfortable with and start with baby steps and expand your strategy as you gather more data about the results.

Some Notes To Think About Regarding Training Vendors

Training systems should be designed for trainers, with an understanding of typical training work-flows and an intelligent user design.  This is important to consider because many companies have recently jumped into this space coming from other markets and catering to other end-users.  For example, there are many platforms designed for sales purposes rather than employee training, and those platforms are being re-purposed to jump into a growing and popular market.  There are also plenty of learning platforms offered by ERP and payroll vendors that merely “house” training data in a table but do not push-out, launch or schedule training courses and learners.  Make sure the vendor has a deep understanding of the training function and common work-flows. There’s no comparable substitute for practical experience.

Also, ask about the vendor’s product roadmap.  You want a vendor who will partner with you and consistently evolve their system to reflect current needs and trends.  Many of these systems have web pages that haven’t been updated in years and rely on outdated technology.  Ask about the number of features a vendor will typically release each year and make sure every customer gets the newest releases without any additional charges.

Lastly, in selecting a LMS vendor, you’re selecting your training partner so it’s best to choose one you trust. Towards that end, it could be helpful to interview the account management team in addition to the sales executive as the account manager is the person you’ll mainly be partnering with and relying on in the future.

By Janine Yancey.  Janine is a trainer and founded emTRAiN in 2000 to provide eLearning courses and a user-friendly web-based learning management system to launch and track all types of training activities.