Dealing with Bullying in School Age Children – Handling a Fight
When you witness hitting in the classroom you have to do something. The first thing, however, is to determine whether the children are having a play fight or a real fight.
If it is a play fight, do not panic. There is no real aggression, and the chance of injury is low. Walk over […]
Understanding & Recognizing Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the Classroom
A child who, beyond all understanding, refuses to cooperate in all likeliness has a condition known as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Some of the symptoms or signs to recognize Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the classroom are as follows.
Negative, hostile, defiant; will not comply with requests made by adults
Persistent arguing with adults; belligerent, obstinate
Intense […]
Formal Learning and Informal Learning
Learning can occur outside of school and even unrelated to school work. Quite often it is this learning type that tends to remain etched in the memory of the child for a long time. It is therefore important to have a perfect blend of formal and informal learning.
Jay Cross, the originator of the […]
Second Life in Education: Using a Virtual World as a Teaching Tool
Second Life is a very large virtual world made up of people of many different beliefs, compositions, forms and expressions.
The Second Life is a shared simulation. It provides a unique and flexible environment for educators interested in distance learning, computer supported cooperative work, simulation, new media studies, and corporate training.
The advantage of using […]
Benefits of Developing Clear Classroom Rules and Expectations
There are a whole host of benefits to intentionally promoting clear and shared classroom rules and expectations. A survey of the research demonstrates some of the obvious benefits, such as:
Students know what to expect and they understand the learning tasks better (Wentzel, 2006).
Things in the class run more smoothly with less confusion (Grusec […]
Using Wikis in the Classroom
A wiki is simply a website that can easily be edited by many people. Users don’t need any specialized computer training and can add content with just a few clicks of a mouse.
Wikis in the classroom context can be used to collect and share resources for presentations and workshops. They can also be […]
Benefits of Formative Assessment in the Classroom
According to Lang, et al (2008), the formative assessment process came from educators working on ways to accelerate student achievement and help predict how students will perform on standards-based statewide tests.
The benefits of formative assessment is obvious in the classroom. The usage of formative assessments in class as a way to guide instruction […]
Using Time as a Strategy for Effective Transitions in the Classroom
There are many elements that help structure transitions in the classroom. The element of time creates a smooth method, if used properly. Let me explain how.
First, give students a time warning shortly before the end of the activity to help prepare themselves mentally for the transition and to make themselves ready for an […]
Creating Positive Classroom Rules
In order to create an environment of learning, it is important to enforce positive classroom rules. These rules would provide students with positive behavior models to follow. The positive classroom rules need to be designed with certain principles in mind.
Be limited in number (eg. 4-5) so that students can remember them with ease. […]
Using Blogs to Improve Parent Involvement in the Classroom
There are many ways to improve parent involvement in the classroom. One creative way is with the help of blogs.
Having a classroom blog would serve many purposes. Apart from encouraging parent involvement, it would motivate the students to write more, as well as, inculcate in them a sense of ownership and loyalty to […]
