While we throw money at “educational reform,” we continue to cling to unhelpful beliefs about school and learning. To effect meaningful change, we need to abandon tired practices and beliefs and adopt an entirely different model.
Storytelling teaches your children essential life skills. This interview with Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton explain what goes into a successful storytelling workshop.
Use an iPad to enhance your teaching. The educational potential of this technology is being utilized more and more. It’s a great way to engage your students.
As part of our ongoing series on new problems and ideas in teacher assessments, www.funderstanding.com has reached out to rank-and-file educators for their input. Through both direct sources and a far-reaching social media shout-out, we have spoken to dozens of educators – teachers, specialists and administrators – to gauge their concerns. Not surprisingly, the only obvious consensus is the starting point: a rigorous, fair and valid teacher evaluation system will ultimately result in better student outcomes. Beyond that, any theoretical common ground is laced with divisive practical landmines.
How do you know if you’re good at your job? Whatever you do – butcher, baker, software maker – the standards of success are probably clearly understood by you, your superiors and your clients. Sales figures, mortality rates, Michelin stars and investment returns are easily quantifiable ways to evaluate the performance of those involved. There are, of course, certain intangibles that come into play in work evaluations, too. Even professional athletes, for example, who live and die by the sword of statistics, know that their on-the-job performance reviews include consideration of clubhouse skills like leadership, consistency and calm. Now, how [...]
Definition Whole-brain teaching is an instructional approach derived from neurolinguistic descriptions of the functions of the brain’s left and right hemispheres. Basic Element Neurolinguistic findings about the brain’s language functions show that in the integrated brain, the functions of one hemisphere are immediately available to the other, producing a more balanced use of language. Whole-brain teaching emphasizes active learning, in which the learner makes connections that tap both hemispheres. Another aspect of whole-brain teaching is managing the emotional climate, to reduce the “downshifting”–or primal thinking–that occurs during distress. To relax learners, instructors may offer clear, realistic predictions of barriers (such [...]
Being able to identify and effectively diagnose learning problems in students can benefit both the child and the teacher. As an educator, if you know what modifications you can make in your teaching to ensure the child learns in a way that he or she is able, you will be able to bridge a gap that others may not be able to. Additionally, by tailoring your lesson plan, you might help other children, who don’t display difficulties, learn in new and innovative ways. How Common are Learning Disabilities? “The National Institute of Health of the United States has stated that [...]
Teaching low-achieving students requires understanding and a specific set of skills from an educator. According to McREL, there are six classroom strategies that benefit traditionally low-achieving students. These strategies are: 1. Whole classroom instruction – This is where, “the teacher delivers a lesson to a classroom of students all at one time, using constructivist or behaviorist interventions,” McREL.com says. Constructivism “is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in,” according to this Funderstanding article on the topic. The McREL study also showed that, [...]
Instructional technology in the classroom is an innovative way to use the computer to motivate your students to learn. Using electronic means, you can teach your students how to search and interpret information and how to use computers for various projects. This article outlines the basics for instructional technology and offers you real solutions for creating and finding lesson plans tailored to fit your classroom. Maintaining Online Learning – Only Classrooms: One Disadvantage While you may be using instructional technology part-time or occasionally in your classroom, some classrooms operate by computer learning all the time. There are advantages and drawbacks [...]
Traditional schooling is based on an educational paradigm that has been around since the turn of the century. During the Industrial Revolution, the purpose of education was to prepare people for jobs on assembly lines. And so the organized classroom evolved, where students sat and received their training from a skilled teacher. Passive Learning Such traditional education is rooted in the stimulus-response method of behavioral psychology. The leader, or teacher, presents the stimulus–a fact perhaps–and then assesses the students to see if they have learned the appropriate information. Teacher presenting stimulus: “Whales have blow holes.” Teacher providing guidance: “They get [...]
