The Ed-450 Blog
Thoughts on education. 450 words or less.
Technology in the Classroom
When considering how to incorporate technology in the classroom, a primary criterion is that such a use is authentic; it either creates or improves a learning experience that would not be possible without the tech application. Alternatively, when technology is forced into the classroom, it affords the students no benefit. When it comes to technology in school, it’s all about why we use it and how we use it.
Homework Independence: A Five-Step Path
It would be unreasonable to expect a young child to simply jump from doing homework with adult supervision to being completely autonomous. Like all aspects of development, kids can benefit from a gradual release of responsibility and buildup of independent homework expectations. This post shares a five-step path for parents/guardians to help their child achieve that independence.
Five Tips for Nurturing a Love of History in Your Children
History is all around us. As a discipline, History is uniquely positioned to encourage children to ask questions about the past and think critically about the present. Here are five tips for nurturing a love of history in your children.
Feelings, Emotion and Interoception in Self-Regulation
Students can often rattle off all the right answers when learning self-regulation strategies. In a calm setting, when a student has access to all of their problem-solving skills, identifying challenges and coming up with solutions seems easy. However, these same students, in the heat of the moment, can still display unexpected behaviours like outbursts or aggression. This pattern inspired educators and therapists to start asking questions; what is the missing link between understanding the strategies and actually being able to use them in day-to-day activities?
The Ecology of Online Learning
Ecology studies how living things interact with each other as well as the non-living parts of their space. I’ve always found it to be a useful analogy for how to think about students in school, especially in a time when the definition of school as a space is changing. And far more permanently than people think.
Role of the Teacher
Teaching is complex. From navigating the demands of a variety of stakeholders, to recognizing the realities of many individuals grouped together, to wrapping multiple jobs into one, teaching is no easy task. That said, teachers have a great responsibility to the children in their classrooms - it's important to not lose sight of the bigger picture and precious contribution they make every day.
Executive Functions
The term executive functions is a catchall expression referring to the variety of cognitive abilities that we all need to operate and engage in anything from common everyday tasks to meaningful, creative work. Although sources vary in defining these skills, what is clear and consistent is the need for students to be developing these essential cognitive abilities throughout their education.
Five Reasons Why Handwriting Is Still Important
While technology is becoming invaluable to accessing education, I am here as an occupational therapist to advocate for handwriting. This post will explore the reasons why handwriting is still important in today’s technological classroom.
What is S.T.E.A.M.?
The acronyms STEM and STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics – have become commonplace in educational jargon. While there are different definitions of what exactly STEAM education is, it's generally understood as a new pedagogical direction that can enhance learning for all students.
Flipped Classrooms: Inverting Expectations
The question: is it necessary that the initial learning be done in class and the practice be done at home? If ever you or your children have experienced a flipped classroom, then you know that the answer is a resounding no.
Growth Mindset
The term growth mindset was coined by Carol Dweck, psychologist and researcher at Stanford University. Her work focuses on how we think about learning and intelligence, as well as the differences between productive thought processes that can help us progress and detrimental thinking that can send us awry.
21st Century Skills
The expressions 21st Century Skills and 21st Century Competencies are commonly being used as a catchall referring to the barrage of important capabilities students need to develop to be ready for a fast-paced, ever-changing world.