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Recently we posted a brief research finding from Stanford math professor Jo Boaler: “Timed math tests can discourage students, leading to math anxiety and a long-term fear of the subject.” That terse conclusion, from a 2014 article in Teaching Children Mathematics, provoked a torrent of passionate comments as educators and former students weighed in on the merits of timed testing. The debate split the audience in half. One side argued that timed testing was valuable because there are real deadlines in life and careers—and real consequences to missing them. Others felt that timed testing causes a kind of paralysis in children, throwing a wrench into students’ cognitive machinery and hindering deeper learning. What’s the point of timed testing, the latter group argued, if the results are as much a measure of fear as aptitude? But timed tests aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. Children take as many as 20 standardized tests each year, and timed testing follows students through college entrance exams and into their careers. Some certifications for teachers, electricians, and medical laboratory technicians even require timed tests, our readers noted. “Maybe slowly getting used to timed tests,” mused Brenda Anderjaska, “won’t make the big tests seem so looming.” It adds up to a prickly set of questions for teachers. How do you strike the right balance between preparing students for tests and deadlines, and ensuring that they have the time—and the skills—to solve challenging math problems? And if timed tests are required, as they are in most schools, how do you bring them into your classroom without inducing a debilitating fear of math? Anxiety Starts Early (and Lasts a Long Time)For many, taking math as a child was a dreadful experience. “Timed tests were the horror of my primary schooling,” Rawini Ngaamo recalled. “All I learned from them is that I was stupid and slow. I still hate maths even now because of the way it was taught.” Dozens of people agreed, recalling their own personal experiences or sharing those of their students or children. The effects appear to be long-lasting, haunting some of the commenters for decades: “As a 57-year-old, I can still recall the anxiety of timed tests,” said Debbie Denmead Cassady, before suggesting that teachers “forget them” in the future. And the post brought back vivid, unpleasant memories of elementary school for Adina Thuransky: “In second grade, our teacher timed us on math facts (times tables)... it freaked me out so much I can still remember how much anxiety I felt!” These readers are clearly not alone. Nearly 50 percent of first- and second-grade students experience math anxiety, and forcing young kids to take timed tests when they’re not ready can backfire, as Tonya Blanchette shared: “This happened to my son early on and he became very stressed and anxious at only 6 years old, claiming he hated math. It breaks your heart.” Timed Tests and the FundamentalsDespite all the back-and-forth, almost all teachers acknowledged the need to drive students toward deeper learning. You don’t build safe bridges or send rockets into space with multiplication tables alone. But many teachers also felt that timed tests are an important step on the road to mathematical fluency, improving speed and laying a foundation for complex problem solving. Timed tests don’t undermine mastery, these teachers argued—they support it. “When students get to more complex math problems, they get bogged down by having to actually think to calculate basic math facts,” said Beth Kappauff, summarizing a position taken by dozens of educators in the discussion. “A kid who has to consider the answer to ‘3 × 4’ will struggle in algebra and beyond. They need math facts to free up time and attention for deep thinking about harder concepts.” The upshot is that kids may not like timed math tests, and some adults may carry scars from them—but building speed and fluency matters. To many teachers, not preparing students for that eventuality of timed testing felt too much like “setting the kids up for failure.” As Barb Larochelle put it, “No one likes taking a timed test. The unfortunate reality is that in high school and in university, there are timed tests. And if a student has never encountered this situation before then because it was too ‘discouraging’ or it made them too ‘anxious,’ it’s going to be even harder when the exams are high stakes and there are no options to not be timed.” Be Mindful of Students With DisabilitiesIt’s critical to consider the effect of timed tests on students with learning disabilities—a point raised by several parents and teachers. While 5 percent of students have a learning disability, a staggering 15 percent or more may have unidentified and unaddressed learning and attention issues, leading to a dangerous blind spot for teachers. Far from being bad at math, these students may simply need more time to process math problems. “I have a daughter who was gifted with ADHD and had a learning disability in math that was not identified because she was so bright,” wrote Susie Stough. “She never had her name on the ‘math hall of fame’ on the hallway wall, which listed all the kids in the school who passed the timed test.”
What Can Teachers Do?If timed tests are unavoidable—at least until state and federal authorities roll back testing requirements, which is unlikely—what can educators do to help students cope with timed testing, and reduce math anxiety more generally? Experienced teachers in our audience offered a variety of strategies. Many educators use simple games to liven up practice sessions—recasting timed testing as an engaging race against the clock. If that seems like a fairly obvious approach, an important nuance emerged during the discussion: Most teachers who gamified their timed tests chose not to grade them, or graded them only for accuracy and not completion. And teacher after teacher insisted that kids make better, healthier progress if they focus on consistent, incremental improvements over their own past performance. For younger children especially, this simple approach gives them the space to build skills and confidence before they confront actual timed tests. Focus on moving the individual child forward, in other words, and de-emphasize ranking the performance among peers or against a fixed time limit. “My tactic... was to give a Mad Math Minute page with a lot of problems—and announce that no one could possibly finish this many correctly, and you weren’t expected to,” explained Dot McGee, emphasizing the noncompetitive dynamics. “Our goal was to do at least one more problem than you did the last time. Not competing against anyone but yourself, and keeping your own score.” All of this is a lot to consider—much more than we thought when we originally posted Boaler’s conclusion. Timed testing clearly brings up a range of tough issues. So the next time you give a timed test to your students, think about how some of them—not all, but some—may be feeling extra stress as a result. What can you do to help them out? Academic Planners via Edutopia RSS May 11, 2017 at 07:14AM http://ift.tt/2q9EpYJ
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Free Technology for Teachers
Last night I forgot to silence my phone before bed. Not ten minutes after putting my head on my pillow I heard a Google Drive alert. I looked over at my phone to see that someone had requested access to my file titled Life on Minimum Wage. That is one of the two most frequently requested documents that I have. The other is titled Captains of Industry. Both documents outline hands-on economics lesson for middle school and high school students. I have now uploaded both documents to Box.com and I have embedded them below for viewing and downloading.
The purpose of Life on Minimum Wage is for students to recognize how difficult it is to save money when your only job(s) pay minimum wage without benefits. To win at Life on Minimum Wage the students have to reach five financial goals that they select. To earn money the students have to complete the tasks of their assigned jobs. The students then have to pay required bills before using money for their selected financial goals. As the game progresses students will be issued "surprise" cards which require them to spend money on things like speeding tickets, trips to a health clinic, and increases in rent.
All of the jobs in Life on Minimum Wage are connected so that if one "business" slows production or closes, the workers of another business are also effected. The goal here is to demonstrate the effects of a business closing on a small town's economy. Captains of Industry is an economics simulation activity. The original version of this activity was developed by my colleague Jason Long. What I'm sharing here is the activity as I've modified it for my classroom. My version is about 75% the same as Jason's original. The point of the activity is for students to experience and experiment with the tactics of American businessmen in the second half of the 19th century. Before trying the activity it is best for students to have some familiarity with the business practices of Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Morgan. (Note, before you email me about the Browning rifle goal card in Life on Minimum Wage, please understand that these were goals chosen by my students in a rural community. You're welcome to change that card for use in your own classroom). This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission. Academic Planners via Free Technology for Teachers May 11, 2017 at 05:41AM http://ift.tt/2pC3Kss
Free Technology for Teachers
Vectr is a free vector image design and editing tool that you can use online or download to use on your Mac, Windows, or Linux desktop. Vectr provides some pre-made elements and templates that you can use in designing your own graphics. You don't have to use any pre-made elements as Vectr lets you design completely from scratch. You can also import existing graphics files to edit them. Completed projects can be exported in PNG, JPG, and SVG formats.
For folks like me who might be a bit intimidated by learning how to use a vector design tool, Vectr offers an extensive collection of tutorials in print and video formats. If you're wondering what a vector image is, it's an image format that easily scales so that you don't lose resolution quality when you expand or contract an image for use in a variety of places. For example, the logos for Practical Ed Tech and Free Technology for Teachers were created as vector images so that they could be used online, on business cards, and on coffee mugs without the image quality being affected by where the image was placed. Applications for Education Vectr could be a good tool for students to use to design logos for after school clubs or use to create a logo that represents their academic team. One of my old colleagues used to have his students make logos that represented the groups that they worked in in his classroom. I thought that was a neat way to have students take a little ownership and pride in group work. This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers if you see it elsewhere, it has been used without permission. Academic Planners via Free Technology for Teachers May 11, 2017 at 05:07AM http://ift.tt/2poAlqi
Education Week American Education News Site of Record
Federal Judge Explains Order Allowing Ala. District to Split Despite Racist MotivesBy Kent Faulk, Alabama Media Group (Ala.) Birmingham, Ala. A federal judge said Tuesday that she won't reconsider her order that would allow Gardendale to form its own school system despite her own findings that racist motives were behind the move. While she's not backing down, U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala stated in her 49-page order that she wanted to clarify her reasons for setting up a three-year plan for Gardendale to start its own school system. Haikala stated that she is willing to work with the parties to make practical adjustments to the remedial steps she has ordered for implementation of her plan, "but the Court is not persuaded by the plaintiffs' arguments that outright denial of the Gardendale Board's motion to separate is the appropriate way to resolve this dispute." A status conference is to be held with Haikala and attorneys involved in the case Wednesday afternoon. Gardendale's split and Haikala's order has gained national media attention as an example of predominantly white cities across the country splitting off from larger systems. Haikala presides over the 1965 school desegregation case Stout vs. Jefferson County Board of Education. Since a 1971 order in that case, federal judges have continued oversight - including approval of attendance zones - over county schools to make sure racial balances are maintained and no discrimination occurs. Cities splitting off from the Jefferson County system since the 1971 order have been required to remain under the desegregation order until their system has reached "unitary status" - achieving the goals of becoming a non-discriminatory, desegregated system. Gardendale will have to jump through some hoops before it can officially split with the county system after a review by Haikala at the end of three years, according to her April 24 order. She emphasized in this week's order that none of those conditions have changed. Among them are: • Gardendale will take over the two county elementary schools in its city beginning next school year. • The new school system will have to develop a desegregation plan approved by all parties. • One African American resident to the city's board of education within 60 days. • An interdistrict transfer provision will be placed in the Gardendale desegregation order where parents of students from the predominantly black North Smithfield community outside Gardendale may choose to send their children to a school that the Gardendale Board of Education operates. But they never will be zoned for a school that Gardendale operates. • Elementary school children living in the predominantly white areas of Mount Olive, Brookside, and Graysville shall remain in their current elementary school zones and shall attend Bragg Middle School and Gardendale High School until the court orders otherwise. And the judge ordered that if the city wants to fold Gardendale High School - opened in 2010 at a cost of $55 million - into the new system, it will have to pay Jefferson County for it or let it stay in the county system under a different name and build their own school. Jefferson County has said it will cost an estimated $30 million to build a 7-12 grade school in the area to serve students outside Gardendale city limits displaced in the move. Judge Haikala Clarifies DecisionHaikala wrote that she wanted to clarify her reasons for letting Gardendale split from the Jefferson County school system in light of her findings of racist motives among some city residents: "In weighing the equities of the situation, the court must consider the message that it will send to these parents if the court denies Gardendale's motion to separate outright. After decades of struggle, if the Court were to say no to these parents and give them the choice of having their African-American children attend a public school system that these parents consider deficient or of moving to a municipal system elsewhere in Jefferson County that will give these parents the control that they desire, what has the struggle done for these parents and their children? Should the Court disregard their choices? And isn't it possible that these children and their parents will do more to cure the despicable societal malignancy of racism than an order that drives a wedge in a community and creates new resentments? One of the parents of these children stood before the Court and said that he would do everything in his power to welcome African American students who live outside of the City of Gardendale into schools in a Gardendale system. The Court will hold him to his word and will, by order if necessary, make certain that every parent in Gardendale does the same." Black plaintiffs in the 1965 Jefferson County school desegregation case last week had said they appreciated the judge's finding that there were racist motives behind Gardendale's attempted split. But they asked her to reconsider the part of her order that would allow the city to form its own system under certain circumstances over a three-year period. In her order Tuesday the judge stated she doesn't see her plan as a "victory" for Gardendale. "... And the Court is certain that no one in Gardendale sees it as such, given the fact that Gardendale's separation effort was motivated by a desire to eliminate federal supervision under the 1971 desegregation order." Haikala also issued a warning to Gardendale if it doesn't abide by the desegregation order that will be specifically designed for that city. "The court also will not hesitate to roll back Gardendale's separation if Gardendale does not comply in good faith with the new desegregation order that the Court will enter," she wrote. Haikala also addressed the 52-year history of the case and how in recent decades legal oversight of it has waned. The black plaintiffs in the case argue that decades have come and gone, and the Jefferson County Board still operates schools that are racially identifiable, the judge wrote. "On the record in this case, it appears that all of the parties and the Court bear some responsibility for the state of affairs in Jefferson County. Decades of inactivity by all of the parties and the Court have allowed vestiges of de jure segregation to linger unaddressed. Those days are over," she wrote. Jefferson County futureHaikala also addressed concerns raised by Jefferson County that the split would result in an imbalance of white and black students over all in its system and thereby impeding its ability to reach the goals of the 1971 desegregation order and get out from under federal court supervision. The evidence that the parties presented at December's trial indicates that in the past few years, Jefferson County has made strides toward fulfilling its obligations under the 1971 desegregation order, Haikala wrote. "In a nutshell, under the particular circumstances of this case and on the record that the parties presented to the court, the court concluded that the Gardendale Board of Education committed an independent constitutional violation in which the Jefferson County Board of Education played no role," Haikala writes. Haikala said that her 190-page order tries to "fashion an equitable remedy" that allows Jefferson County to continue its efforts to fully comply with the 1971 desegregation order - and eventually getting out from under federal oversight - while constraining Gardendale and compelling the Gardendale Board of Education to comply with the Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection under the law). Haikala stated that Jefferson County's potential ability to obtain a release from federal supervision of student assignments and facilities in the near future weighed heavily in the Court's decision. "If the Court were simply to deny Gardendale's motion to separate and the schools in the Gardendale zone were to remain under the control of the Jefferson County Board, and if, in the next year or two, the Jefferson County Board were able to prove that it is entitled under the law to a termination of supervision as to student assignments and high school facilities, then the Court would relinquish control over all zoning, racial desegregation transfers, and high school facilities in the Jefferson County system, including the Gardendale zone." "If the Jefferson County Board is entitled under the law to be released from supervision of student assignments and high school facilities, then under equitable principles, the Court cannot withhold that relief and essentially punish the Jefferson County Board and the tens of thousands of families to whom the Jefferson County Board is responsible for a constitutional violation committed by some citizens in Gardendale. Equity will not permit that result," the judge stated. So to accomplish competing obligations, Haikala states she decided to allow the Gardendale Board to separate partially from Jefferson County under a new desegregation order "that is tailored specifically to the Gardendale Board's constitutional violation," she wrote. "The remedy provides to the victims of racially discriminatory conduct and to the non-culpable Jefferson County Board of Education and the 33,000 non-Gardendale students whom the Board serves the greatest level of protection that the Court believes is available under the current state of the law by securing for the Jefferson County Board the tools of desegregation that the Jefferson County Board has successfully implemented and providing to the families in North Smithfield the flexibility to choose the public schools that they believe will best serve their children." Haikala also cites the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as stating "complete return to local control of school systems is the ultimate goal of all judicial supervision because from the very first, federal supervision of local school systems was intended as a temporary measure to remedy past discrimination, and desegregation decrees are not intended to operate in perpetuity." Haikala also stuck with her order that says if Gardendale wants to keep the Gardendale High School campus it would have to give money to Jefferson County to build a new high school facility, "one that logically would serve students from Fultondale, Mount Olive, the City of Graysville, the community of Brookside, and the community of North Smithfield." But if Gardendale doesn't want to pay up, it can build its own high school and the county can continue operating the current high school under a new name, Haikala states. Web Only Academic Planners via Education Week American Education News Site of Record May 11, 2017 at 04:34AM http://ift.tt/2q7esdM
TED Education
View full lesson: http://ift.tt/2pBzLkq More than 300 million people around the world suffer from asthma, and around 250,000 people die from it each year. But why do people get asthma, and how can this disease be deadly? Christopher E. Gaw describes the main symptoms and treatments of asthma. Lesson by Christopher E. Gaw, animation by Zedem Media.
From: TED-Ed
Academic Planners via TED Education May 11, 2017 at 03:03AM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzfLDi-sL3w
Education Week American Education News Site of Record
3 Indiana schools lose bid to enroll more voucher studentsINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Three private schools lost their bids Wednesday to accept additional students who receive vouchers under Indiana's school choice program, the first test of a new state law granting underperforming schools a second chance at avoiding penalties. Indiana has one of the nation's largest programs allowing parents to use public funds to send their children to faith-based or independent schools, with more than 34,000 students in 313 schools currently receiving vouchers, according to the state Department of Education. State officials have a formula that grades voucher-accepting schools, and those that perform poorly can face consequences — including a ban on accepting new voucher students until the school improves. A measure Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law less than two weeks ago allows those schools to appeal their penalties to the state Board of Education. It can grant a one-year waiver to a school that proves the majority of its students "demonstrated academic improvement." Three schools — Fort Wayne's Lutheran South Unity School and Indianapolis' Central Christian Academy and Turning Point — were the first to request such a waiver allowing them to accept new voucher students and state money. Five of eight board members present voted to back the waiver for all three schools, but six votes were needed for approval. Messages left for the three schools were not immediately returned. State statute does not discuss whether schools that were previously denied waivers can resubmit their requests, meaning the schools may be able to return at a later date. School board members who voted yes argued during discussion that not granting the waiver would eliminate school options for parents to choose from, and that the schools had met the legal requirement of demonstrating student academic improvement. The three that made appeals Wednesday had received failing school grades for three years in a row, prior to the 2015-2016 school year, when all three received an A or B. "It's important to realize here: every student that would enroll in this school next year, their parents have to make that choice," said B. J. Watts, who voted in favor of the waiver. Still, others board members voiced hesitation in setting a precedent and wondered whether the board should establish criteria, policy or guidance for schools as to what constituted academic improvement. During legislative debate on the bill, voucher opponents argued that letting private schools appeal their penalties undercuts the primary rationale for school choice — that it gives students in failing public schools a means of escaping. "Why not ask to see improvement when they're taking state money for this?" said Sally Sloan, executive director of Indiana's branch of the American Federation of Teachers. "What's wrong with that?" John Elcesser, executive director of the Indiana Non-Public Education Association, describes the law as being for schools that warrant a second look based on special circumstances, and not a way of escaping accountability. The three schools that pursued the waiver Wednesday "more than merit consideration," he said. "With some time — seeing the questions the state board asked, knowing where they're coming from — hopefully staff can clarify process and procedures," he said. Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Web Only Academic Planners via Education Week American Education News Site of Record May 11, 2017 at 02:19AM http://ift.tt/2pCA5Qx
Education Week American Education News Site of Record
Buffalo high school student sues to form LGBT clubBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A Buffalo high school student claims in a federal lawsuit that his school has thwarted his efforts to form an after-school club for LGBT students. The New York Civil Liberties Union sued Wednesday on 18-year-old Byshop Elliot's behalf. Elliot says McKinley High School administrators have ignored his application to form a Gay Straight Alliance at the school, where he is a junior. The lawsuit claims the treatment violates federal law and the Buffalo school district's policies promising protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. The suit names McKinley's principal and the district, which it contends has not intervened. The district didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Web Only Academic Planners via Education Week American Education News Site of Record May 11, 2017 at 02:19AM http://ift.tt/2pCN5Wd
Education Week American Education News Site of Record
Hearing officer says Ohio online school owes state $60MCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A state hearing officer has ruled against Ohio's largest online charter school in its appeal of the state education department's determination that the school owes $60 million for enrollment that can't be justified. The Columbus Dispatch (http://bit.ly/2r379lQ) reports the officer's recommendation to the Ohio Board of Education says the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow didn't document its full enrollment and was overpaid by $64 million last school year. The officer recommends the board use its power to collect $60 million of overpayment or deduct it from the school's future payments. The board can accept, reject or modify the recommendations. ECOT argues the Ohio Department of Education illegally created a new rule asking for data not required previously. ECOT was closed Wednesday evening. A message seeking comment was left at its offices. ——-- Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Web Only Academic Planners via Education Week American Education News Site of Record May 11, 2017 at 02:19AM http://ift.tt/2q6VsMJ
Education Week American Education News Site of Record
Connecticut school district cuts extracurriculars, sportsPRESTON, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut school board is making significant cuts after budget shortages, completely eliminating all after-school sports and extracurricular activities. The Preston Board of Education also announced they were cutting elementary school Spanish. Jan Clancy, the board's chair tells WVIT-TV (http://bit.ly/2q5AJZI ) that the cuts are the only option because less funding is expected from the state. Still, many parents are upset, with one saying there's nothing for kids to do in the area but get in trouble. Board representatives eliminated nearly $312,000 from the school budget this week. The district is holding a public meeting at the end of the month so residents can voice their opinions. ——-- Information from: WVIT-TV, http://ift.tt/1anFqxi Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Web Only Academic Planners via Education Week American Education News Site of Record May 11, 2017 at 02:19AM http://ift.tt/2q6Nbbi
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Concentration, a continuous flow of mental energy directed by learners at what they’re learning, is crucial in any lesson. Concentration requires practice, separate from core subjects, because of its vital connections to academics, social and emotional learning, and everyday life. Yet we teachers rarely practice this fundamental skill in the classroom. Think about it: How long can you concentrate in a speeding world without getting lost in a distracting thought, feeling, or mental image? How often do you experience an entire class totally tuned in to the same channel you’re on? We talk about kids’ fragmented attention span but do nothing about it. But we can teach children to concentrate by introducing mental and physical exercises to motivate this skill in creative, absurd, fun, challenging ways. In my previous article, “Using ‘Music Writing’ to Trigger Creativity, Awareness, Motivation, and Poetry,” I described how an original music technique improves outer and inner concentration. Outer concentration is looking closely at external reality. Inner concentration also revolves around observation—the target is the world of thoughts, feelings, and experiences, taking students into creativity and intrapersonal communication. From Music Writing I created a practical application called Concentration Workouts, which also expand focusing skills and involve outer and inner concentration. These activities’ long-range goal is to improve students’ ability to concentrate on core subject lessons. As I work on their focus, I also stir their imagination with novel exercises to stimulate the brain. The main objective throughout the workouts is to teach children in grades 2–6 and beyond to keep cool, concentrate, and not lose focus even when distractions arise. Concentration Workouts ProcedureConcentration Workouts all involve a few steps. Students perform a workout while concentrating totally on the given activity, recalling and reflecting on what happened outside and inside. They should describe their experiences in 75 words or more, or as an alternative draw a sketch of what they’re thinking. Finally, they should share their experiences orally, discussing them with their classmates and teacher. When describing their experiences, students should explain what happened on the inside and outside; whether they lost concentration and why; and how they got their concentration back if they lost it. Sample Concentration Workouts• Say your name silently (eyes closed) over and over for two minutes. For the first exercise above, I tell students, “Stay focused only on your name. If you lose focus, gently bring it back to your name. You have 25 minutes to complete the Concentration Workout. Take two minutes of ‘think time’—to recall and reflect—before writing about whatever happened inside. Experiences might include: mind pictures, thoughts, ideas, feelings, memories, dreams, or fantasies. There are no right or wrong answers. Give details of your experiences. Be open and honest in the discussion that follows.” You can adapt these instructions to fit the other Concentration Workouts. The total time for this is 45 minutes: 25 for the workout plus thinking and writing, and 20 for class discussion. Discussing Student Responses to “Say Your Name Silently”There are several common responses to this exercise. Here are a few questions to spark your class discussion. I recognized myself more than before and felt happy. What does the writer mean by “I recognized myself more than before”? Why did she feel happy? What mind pictures might she be observing? Was she concentrating? Why or why not? I couldn’t take it. I got confused, mixed up. I don’t know what happened. Why do you think the writer got confused? Who else had a hard time concentrating on their name? Why? Describe what you experienced. How did you refocus? I saw in my mind that I was alone in school. There was fog in the hallway. I heard my name called. I felt scared. A phantom came towards me and said my name. Name this type of experience. What mind pictures pop out? What feelings are expressed? Where did the student’s focus go? Once again, adapt these questions to suit whichever Concentration Workout you use. Concentration Means Connection and CommunicationConcentrating on concentration is fundamental for learning anything. Let young people realize what concentration is through their own power and empower themselves. A great teacher will get students’ attention, but what happens to their concentration skills when they leave that classroom? Will their concentration be as strong if the next teacher is not as dynamic? Experimenting with this skill teaches children to get into the present moment, which improves self-perception, communication, listening, observation, and motivation. In my experience, Concentration Workouts have positive cumulative effects. In an age of diminished attention spans, these activities will engage and prepare students to be lifelong readers and learners. So why is teaching concentration overlooked in education? Why has an important skill connecting students with outer and inner experiences been left out of the curriculum? Academic Planners via Edutopia RSS May 11, 2017 at 01:12AM http://ift.tt/2r5fG85 |
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