Understanding and Dealing with Creative Thinkers in the Classroom
A master of adaptation, the mind of creative thinkers often races in many different directions, and it can seem as if this learner forgets how to be a team player. When this learner becomes enthusiastic about tackling highly individualized pursuits, it is important for an educator to practice patience.
Often, these students think so […]
Monitoring the Classroom Computer: Monitoring Software
One of the ways to monitor your classroom computer usage is with the help of a monitoring software. A good monitoring software program will capture all activity on a computer through a variety of means. Prices range from free to over $100 with the more effective ones charging a fee for the program.
Monitoring […]
Setting Learning Goals and Objectives
The key to examining learning goals and objectives is to identify the actions that you want the students to engage in. Rather than saying “the student will write a paper,” try something like what Dubbels (2011) listed for creating learning goals and objectives below.
Adaptive behavioral acts
Skillfully access, read, analyze, evaluate, integrate, and use […]
Anxiety in Children
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses among children and adolescents, and can be so constrictive that a child shrinks from contact with the outside world. There are three type of anxiety in children.
1. Generalized Anxiety
Generalized anxiety in children causes them to worry extremely and unrealistically about everyday life activities, even about […]
Technology in School
I recently came across a news article on companies allowing their workers to use their personal laptops and other technology at work. We as teachers too, have reached an age where we need to start thinking about teaching students to use their personal devices for learning. Almost every student has a cellphone, and many […]
Reading Strategy: Multiple Books
In this reading strategy, the teacher uses a variety of books and resources to address one theme or objective in the following manner.
First, the teacher chooses a topic and learning objective (civil war, a painter, genre of fiction, government, weather, outdoor cooking, etc).
Next, the teacher locates several different books related to this topic. […]
The Truth About IQ Tests
A primary issue about interpreting an IQ score is that errors commonly occur in the analysis of IQ tests. Intelligence tests measure a variety of mental skills, which are lumped together and called “intelligence.” The result is an IQ score. This number is supposed to be a measurement of a child’s general […]
Evaluating a Website
Evaluating a website is a skill that comes in handy, whatever it is you may be doing. It is the ability to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of information from a particular website. It is therefore important for students to learn how to evaluate a website in order to know if the information […]
Understanding the Social Needs of Gifted Learners
Family, school, and peers present external elements which play on the social needs of gifted students.
As with all children, family dynamics are most critical to the healthy development of a gifted child. Environments ripe with permissiveness, neglect or excessive strictness can have a negative impact on a gifted learner.
In a school setting, […]
Developing Strategies to Help Improve Reading Comprehension
Developing strategies to help improve reading comprehension can be tricky. Dr. Al Greefield, who did a lot of work in this area, came up with the following strategy. According to him, in order to develop or enhance a student’s reading skills, all three of the following elements must exist.
1. Meaning
Cues from text and […]
