How do I Teach Children with Autism about Empathy?
July 2, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
An important difference between typical students and those with autism is the development of mirror neurons. Mirror neurons enable a person to “mirror” actions, thoughts and feelings. People with autism lack the early development of their mirror neurons.
Mirror neurons allow us to watch others while physically and emotionally “feeling” what we are seeing.
Close […]
How can I Implement the Mastery Learning Model in my Classroom?
June 28, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Mastery Learning is a model where students are expected to master a learning objective or goal, before they can move on to the next goal. This is a model that was first described in the 1960’s and has been proven effective by many researchers.
Process
In a mastery learning classroom, teachers break up their curriculum […]
What are the Signs of Schizophrenia in Children?
June 28, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder marked by delusions and hallucinations and plagued by apathy, withdrawal and lack of motivation.
Childhood schizophrenia is rare, affecting 1 in 40,000 children under the age of 15 and rarely observed at all before the age of five. The schizophrenic psychosis (hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking) develops gradually […]
How can I use Pre-assessment for Gifted Students in the Classroom?
June 26, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Teachers have the option to administer the end of the chapter test before the content has been taught, in order to validates what the learner knows. Unfortunately, this does not offer direction on where the student should be headed. Pre-assessment, which takes many forms other than pre-testing, is a preferred approach.
One of the […]
What are the Benefits of Social Networking for Teachers?
Social networking is a powerful tool for teachers that can be used either for personal or professional means. On a personal front, social networking lets you mix with people from all over the world. It helps maintain relationships easily. Now, instead of having to call someone and force a conversation of a decent […]
What are Performance based Assessments?
June 20, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Performance assessments, more commonly known as authentic assessments, require students to be able to apply what they have learned instead of just recalling information like most multiple-choice assessments.
Performance based assessments allow the student to demonstrate mastery and enable the teacher to better understand student mastery. The reason for this is because the student […]
Why is it Important for Teachers to Understand their own Learning Style?
June 18, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
“Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they look at you with a blank stare, or they respond in terms of subject knowledge, which is the wrong answer.” – Peter Drucker, Business Management Consultant
Educators are not the only people examining styles. According to a Gallup study, 80 […]
How do I Use Book Trailers in the Classroom?
June 13, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
A digital book trailer is usually a short digital video (less than 2 minutes) that combines characteristics of a movie trailer and a book advertisement. It is an interesting and fun alternative to a book report. While many students may not listen to a book report, they would watch a book trailer that […]
What are the Challenges in Implementing Standards Based Instruction?
June 13, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
In recent years, many states have dispatched new versions of curriculum documents and a lot of work has been done to clean up and more clearly articulate standards.
Despite these efforts, some challenges still remain:
Quality can vary between regions.
Unclear or vague standards.
A disciplinary aspect of standards can encourage segregation and/or hierarchy between subject areas.
Too […]
How can I use Progressive Drills to Improve Student Learning?
June 13, 2012 by PLB · Leave a Comment
One of the ways to improve student learning is by progressive drills. Drill is the repetition of a single task. Research shows that repetitive drills build strong pathways and expand the surrounding area of the brain.
Practicing a skill reinforces the mental connections in the brain required to execute it as the brain stays […]
