Are you a teacher? Trainer? Perhaps a coach, counselor, physician, or presenter? Many more professions could potentially be rattled off on this list, all able to benefit from some quick body language secrets. Really anyone involved in: – conveying concepts/ideas/information – gaining trust and satisfaction from others – influencing outcomes I recommend watching this interview of […]
Bridging the gap between traditional literacy skills and those of the 21st century. This has been the topic of discussion here for the past few weeks. In Part 2 of this series, I concluded by providing a couple of examples of a unit’s end product. As a refresher, here they are again: Example 1: [vooplayer […]
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and __________________ (fill in the blank). Mark Surman, executive director of Mozilla, would fill in this blank with the following: Digital Literacy This, he believes, is the 4th “R” of 21st century learning (video here). Last week I began discussing my experience working through a new curricular unit, attempting to bridge traditional literacy […]
At some point in children’s lives, they learn to view themselves as either smart, dumb, or anywhere in between. As teachers, we see this all the time, right? Undoubtedly, this influences students’ self-esteem, motivation, and any number of learning and social behaviors. As we strive to cultivate a learning environment where students are free to maximize their […]
In a recent art assignment, a middle school student depicted an overburdened child who was being berated for earning an A, rather than an A+, on a calculus exam. In the image, the mother scolds the student with the words, “Shame on you!” The above comes from a New York Times article covering the ethnic divide […]
The American students “worked on it less than 30 seconds on average and then they basically looked at us and said, ‘We haven’t had this,’ ” he says. But the Japanese students worked for the entire hour on the impossible problem. “And finally we had to stop the session because the hour was up. And […]
Over the last few years, thousands of schools around the world have jumped on board with the growth mindset. It seemed to become the low-hanging fruit for schools to easily grab. Going from school to school, posters about effort that focus on “trying harder” and books about the mindset for teachers and students are all […]
Can Grit Save American Education? In education, grit has become a buzzword that has permeated the American education system. But should we even be teaching it? What about the disadvantaged child who believes if he is just “grittier,” he can eventually overcome the socioeconomic obstacles in his path to success? What happens if the success he imagined never […]
As I sit quietly in my living room with my feet crossed on the table, a cup of tea warm and steamy beside me, I’m finally able to exhale and reflect on how these days seem to pass so very quickly. Two years ago, I became a mother to the most beautiful little girl, and […]
“Being optimistic doesn’t mean you don’t get upset when bad things happen—it’s normal to get upset! But the optimist recognizes that most bad things are temporary and looks for opportunities to change circumstances for the better through new efforts or strategies.” The words above come from characterlab.org, a “nonprofit on a mission to develop, disseminate, […]
