How to Rekindle the Love of Learning

• May 22, 2012 by Corey Fitzgerald

When searching for an expert on learning look no further than the crib. The infant brain is innately curious and without assistance, quickly begins to apply strategies for learning that help to make sense of the world around it.  No one worries that a baby will be too lazy, uncooperative or unmotivated to learn; they know nothing of the sort.  We are born with a built-in desire to acquire new information and will do so without fear of making mistakes or failing ^[i].  It’s this type of discovery that stimulates our natural love of learning and allows us to explore life in enriching and meaningful ways. 

Yet with such a strong impetus for learning, research demonstrates that a lack of motivation to study and learn is widespread among youth in the United States, and that love of learning declines steadily from third through ninth grade ^[ii].  A number of views suggest that the structure of school (i.e. required attendance, school-selected topics/curriculum, and constant checking on student’s progress) assumes that children are not natural learners, but must be compelled to learn through the efforts of others.  These structured approaches may in fact inhibit learning because they can avert a child’s natural curiosity, enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation. 

So how can parents and educators help rekindle the love of learning? Incorporating these 5 strategies into your daily activities with students is sure to help.  Not only are they important drivers for effective learning but they help to convey appropriate expectations for both you and the students.

1. Modeling - Show that you’re a learner too. Children need to be exposed to your own learning initiatives.  Talk about professional development, conferences and public events you’re involved with.  Invite students to be part of them and then further seek their input about its value in the classroom.
2. Trust - Make connections to your students’ lives.  Show genuine interest in their well being.  Children know when you’re fake or factual and may not hesitate to call you out.
3. Respect- Listen to your students and value their thinking.  Invite students to explore new topics and provide opportunities to investigate in a variety of ways.  Focus on each student individually; they’re eager to receive attention and will do almost anything to reciprocate your acceptance.
4. Feedback - Reward and celebrate students’ achievements with frequent, positive feedback and encouragement.  Try to avoid extrinsic rewards as they can undermine the students’ motivation and may prompt students only to perform when a reward is given.
5. Novelty - Create motivating learning experiences through passionate instruction.  If you aren’t enjoying the class, neither are they.  Step into character and act out a scene; the value of learning is worth more than the cost of your brief humiliation.

 

 

References:

[i] Alison Gopnik.  “The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind”. William Morrow & Co., 2000

[ii] Deborah Stipek and Kathy Seal.  “Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love Learning”.  New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2001

Related Reading:

The Making of a 21st Century Educator: 5 Ways to be a Better Teacher in Today’s Classroom

Teaching with Poverty in Mind: How to Help At-Risk Students Succeed

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Categories: Education Trends, Reading & Learning

Tags: creativity, effort, emotions in learning, how children learn, learning environment, motivating students, novelty, self-esteem, teacher impact

How to Support Social Development in Young Children

• March 29, 2012 by Corey Fitzgerald

As early as first grade, a child’s social skills are a compelling predictor of his future success both in and out of school.  Like any developing skill, burgeoning social skills require support, practice and repetition.  The desired behaviors are learned and taught through a variety of accumulating experiences stemming from the earliest years of childhood, between birth and age 6, when children grow and develop faster than during any other stage in their lives. 

Children rely heavily on adults and other caregivers to help them acquire social skills and establish pathways for meaningful learning.  To that end, researchers have found that when children are provided with positive and caring experiences in these early years, the connections in the brain for feeling good and learning are strengthened, self-esteem and confidence rise, and children are more equipped to cope with life’s challenges. 

So whether you’re a parent or an educator, the following strategies will help promote social development in young children, while helping them learn to use their own minds:

 Model Appropriate Social Behavior

Take advantage of everyday routines to “show and tell” children what your expectations are for appropriate behavior—for example, how to greet someone new or how to share a toy during play.  By talking about what you’re doing as you’re doing it the child will better understand how to manage the situation and replicate it, even when you’re not there.

Support Self-Esteem

Positive self-esteem is critical to healthy social development.  Make it a point to compliment children on their behavior, how they look, and progress they have made toward goals.  When you acknowledge these attributes, children learn how to perceive and act upon their feelings in a healthy way.

Build Problem Solving Skills

Problem solving is a skill that employs reasoning, creativity, inhibitory control and decision making.  Because children do not have fully mature executive functions, they are prone to making mistakes as their abilities emerge and the frontal lobe develops.  Exploring solutions to problems by asking children “What would you do?” or offering alternative strategies will help them develop effective reasoning skills and mental flexibility.

Encourage Exploration

Infants and young children explore their environment through movement and interaction.  As a child develops confidence and control over her body in motion, she becomes more and more eager to venture into the world around her.  Aid her natural curiosity by organizing activities that promote safe exploration, both at home and while out.  Examples include asking children for help while preparing a meal or tasking them with finding an item at the grocery store.  When you gradually extend opportunities to be involved with more complex activities, children will rise to the occasion.

Play! 

Time spent playing with children can be one of the best investments you make in their educational future.  One of the easiest ways to help children develop socially is by the simple act of playing.  Joining in play builds relationships in a climate of fun and puts you in a great position to teach skills for sharing and cooperation, introducing concepts like winning or losing, and it also gives children a chance to learn about more subtle social cues, like body language and vocal intonations.  So don’t be afraid to turn up the music for a little song and dance, put on a puppet show, or pull out some favorite board games and have fun! 

References:

Bierman, K.L., et al., Promoting academic and social-emotional school readiness:  The Head Start REDI Program.  Child Development, 79(6), 1802-1817, 2008.

Katz, Lilian and Diane McClellan. Young Children’s Social Development: A Checklist. World of Education. March 26, 2012.

Knitzer, Jane and C. Cybele Raver. What Research Tells Policymakers About Strategies to Promote Social and Emotional School Readiness Among Three- and Four-Year-Old Children. National Center for Children in Poverty. July, 2002.

Peters, Zrinka. Support Social and Emotional Development – Through Play! Education.com. March 26, 2012.

Supporting Social Development. Best Beginnings: Alaska's Early Childhood Investment. March 29, 2012.

Related Reading:

Building Your Child’s Self-Confidence

Recognizing Emotions After Brain Injury: Re-Learning a Critical Social Skill

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Categories: Family Focus, Reading & Learning

Tags: behavior, brain development, cognitive skills, decision making, early learning, emotions in learning, executive function, how children learn, learning through play, play, self-esteem, teacher impact

Using Data Effectively in School Districts: Tips for School Administrators

• December 20, 2011 by Corey Fitzgerald

The proliferation of data and data systems in Education has given rise to vast amounts of information; so much so that it can be difficult understanding what to do with it.  I suppose that’s why some districts still rely on “random acts of improvement” (Bernhardt 2006, p.30) to track progress and recognize success, a tattered approach that falls short in justifying outcomes. 

To avoid this gaffe, successful administrators use a practical framework to establish a culture of data-driven practices that wholly and effectively measure the performance of their entire educational system.  Achieving this is not a random act – it takes focus, leadership and plenty of practice to turn data into knowledge.   And with knowledge comes intelligence, like these 8 tips for effective data use in your school district.

1.   Establish a Clear Vision

Know where your district is going.  Ensure the school board, staff and students, along with the community understand the rationale and have a plan on how to get there.

2.  Ensure Buy-in

Give all members the opportunity to participate in creating the goals and objectives.  Getting their input will produce a stronger commitment because participants will ‘own’ the process.

3.   Learn From Others

Explore districts that have developed and implemented effective data-driven decision making processes.  Examine the criteria 15 districts used to create performance targets, deliver professional development and address technology and budgetary issues.

4.  Examine the Infrastructure for Data Collection and Use

Analyze the following to ensure resource availability and compliance:

• Personnel involved (time, cost and application)
• Data you have vs. data you need (analyze growth)
• Reliable storage and access (cloud computing)
• Frequency of data collection and reporting (daily)
• Accountability and reporting (operational requirements)

5.  Foster Professional Development and Growth

In addition to developing skills, people need to create an understanding of their role in the data culture.  Focused, data-supported interactions among staff are paramount to building relationships and ensuring best practices are shared.

6.  Follow Indicators and Lead by Example

Build habits that encourage data use and create momentum for monitoring change.  One approach is to incorporate real-life stories from your staff profiling both the positive and negative outcomes.  When everyone is aware of the impact, they know exactly how change is being supported and what they can do to improve the product of their work.

7.  Change the Way You Lead

Putting data and data-driven leadership to use in every conversation, meeting and interaction sends the message that this approach is valued and expected.  Frequent highlights of success are rewarding and validate the outcomes, while adding integrity to the transformation of your district.

8.  Make Good Use of Your Resources

Making the shift to a data-driven culture often imposes many changes to a district.  Identifying solutions to these challenges should be done through the vast network of talent and skill already in your district, which include not only staff but also business partners and non-profits in your community. 

What you do with this new intelligence is now up to you… share it, embrace it, or erase it. 

References:

Creating a Data-Driven Culture: Leadership Matters. Eight steps to prepare a school district for accessing and integrating data to make informed, proactive decisions. December 19, 2011. http://www.sas.com.

Related Reading:

Data Driven Decisions: A GPS Approach

How Can You Predict Student Reading Growth?

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Categories: Education Trends

Tags: school leader effectiveness, teacher effectiveness, teacher impact, technology in education

10 Big Benefits of Using iPads in Schools

• September 27, 2011 by Corey Fitzgerald

Got an iPad yet?  School leaders say it’s not just a cool toy, but rather a powerful, versatile tool that is virtually changing the face of education.  With more than 15,000 “educational apps” available through Apple’s app store, teachers and students alike are having no trouble finding content and material for all areas of learning. 

From kindergarten through college, iPads offer educators more diverse methods for delivering instruction and engaging students for learning in the 21^st century.  Here are 10 big benefits of using iPads in schools:

1. Tablets fit students’ lifestyles – The appeal of using iPads in school is obvious and students find them easier to use than traditional computers.  This novelty leads to learning and when schools don’t implement what has now become “everyday technology”, we’re doing students a disservice. Besides, who wants to carry a backpack full of books?
2. Classrooms are ready for the iPad – Tablets are fully compatible with online teaching and learning platforms which can be easily integrated into the everyday classroom.  Some of the most innovative instructional software is being developed specifically for tablets, and teachers and students alike are more comfortable using them.
3. Students can run the helpdesk – Not only are kids eager to embrace new technology but many can troubleshoot and resolve computer issues faster than adults.  With many districts experiencing cutbacks in IT staffing, it’s a natural fit for students to handle many of the basic questions to assist in routine triage and problem solving.  And, there’s an app for that.  Check out the SchoolObject:helpdesk by Eduphoria in the App store!
4. Collaborative content creation – Never before has it been easier to create and share content with others.  The touch interface of iPad revolutionizes the way we interact with computers, making it easier to leverage database and social networking technology, like wikis, to promote collaboration and communication for enhanced learning.
5. Mobile data collection – From the science classroom to the gymnasium, students are now recording observations in the lab and on the court.  Today’s teachers can more easily integrate instruction in cross-curricular lessons, for example, when students studying physiology measure their heart and breathing rates during exercise and apply it to their cellular respiration lab.
6. Tablets integrate with IT trends – With tablets and cloud-based computing systems, students can work from anywhere on campus with greater portability and connectivity.  Schools also don’t have to pay for computing power that they no longer need.
7. iPads make mobile computing labs easier (and lighter) – Many schools utilize carts of laptops to bring technology into the classroom.  When you compare the cost, size and mobility factor, tablets win.
8. Paperless innovation - School districts have found creative ways to use iPads to save money.  From homework and tests to digital textbooks, the iPad offers numerous ways to eliminate paper, saving dollars and the environment.
9. No more missing the bus - Even if a child doesn’t ride a bus to school, chances are they’ll take one for a field trip.  When bus drivers are equipped with an iPad they can easily monitor when children enter and leave the bus, noting time and location, and ensuring everyone is safely accounted for.
10. Virtual tour guide – iPads offer students an exciting way to experience field trip destinations.  From the aquarium to the zoo, children receive enrichment through interactive maps and exhibit-specific content.  And don’t forget to order your souvenirs--they’ll be ready for pickup on your way out.

Related Reading: 

Teaching Creativity in the Classroom

Building Unstructured Play into the Structure of Each Day

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Categories: Education Trends, Reading & Learning

Tags: blended learning, creativity, digital natives, elementary school learning, how children learn, learning environment, motivating students, technology in education

Reading in the Real World: Text Difficulty and Workplace Success

• July 26, 2011 by Corey Fitzgerald

Reading is an active and complex task that requires the brain to use a multitude of cognitive skills and mental processes to develop meaning and comprehension from written text.  Being able to read high-level text independently and fluently is essential for high achievement, not only in academia but also in the workplace and through numerous life tasks.  However there is a serious gap between many high school seniors’ reading ability and the reading requirements they face after graduation.  

Consider the chart below. The Lexile Measure for reading level of high school literature and textbooks falls short of the level typical of college, military and workplace material.  And when you take into consideration the reading level of most standardized assessments for high school students, a Lexile range of 1000-1100, the gap becomes even more evident.  Simply put, students are leaving high school with limited exposure to higher-level text and contact with reading standards and assessments that don’t adequately align to meet the real world conditions they’ll be confronted with.

 

^{©International Center for Leadership in Education, Inc.}

 

Research conducted by ACT’s College Readiness Benchmark for Reading indicates that just over half of our nation’s students who are on a college preparatory track are able to meet the demands and rigor of postsecondary and workplace requirements.  And if that isn’t daunting enough, data from the most recent reading assessment conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that only 38% of high school seniors tested at or above proficiency for 12^th grade standards.  This bodes ill for the ability of Americans to meet the demands and challenges of a highly competitive global marketplace and begs the question, “Why aren’t our schools’ reading standards higher?”

Studies show that aligning high school standards to college and workplace expectations is a critical step toward giving students a solid foundation in the academic, social and workplace skills needed for success in a postsecondary education or career.  The American Diploma Project has found that there is a common core of knowledge and skills, particularly in English and math, that students must master to be pre­pared for both postsecondary education and well-paying jobs.  The research shows that there is a strong correlation between scores in high school math and English and wages earned once in the workplace.  Students who are taking below-average or functional/basic classes increase their likelihood of being employed in a low-paid or low-skill job, compared to students in the top quartile who earn significantly more in the decade following high school than their ‘average’ or low performing peers. 

As we seek to curtail the disparity between what’s taught in K-12 classrooms and what’s expected in the real world, it’s important that we coordinate with our local and national education and business leaders, help them to provide a cohesive approach to improve the rigors of academic coursework, promote relevant and innovative learning opportunities for all students, and share information and resources that advance the coordination across the K-12 and postsecondary sectors of our society.  And by all means if you can read this, thank a teacher!

References:

Malbert Smith III, Ph.D. Bridging the Readiness Gap: Demystifying Required Reading Levels for Postsecondary Pursuits. Lexile.com.

Related Reading:

The Essential Nature of Developing Oral Reading Fluency

Adolescence: What’s the Brain Got to Do with It?

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Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!

Categories: Education Trends, Reading & Learning

Tags: academic proficiency, academic success, assessments, below grade level, child reading development, high school learning, improving reading skills, learning to read, literacy, reading comprehension, school leader effectiveness, struggling readers, struggling students,

Endorsing the Common Core State Standards Initiative

• May 26, 2011 by Corey Fitzgerald

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to provide a nationally consistent framework that will ready American students for success in college and in the global workforce. To date, 44 states have adopted the common core standards approach and numerous public and private business partners, including Scientific Learning, have endorsed this vision of consistence and clarity in our nation’s education system. 

What’s important to recognize is that the Common Core State Standards Initiative is NOT a directive from the federal government.  Each state voluntarily adopts the standards based on timelines and context within their state; this is key.  The role of the federal government will be to support states as they begin to implement this approach by providing flexibility in the use of existing federal funds, accountability metrics and revise or align existing federal education laws with the lessons learned from past initiatives.  The outcome will be a more collaborative state- and federal-level relationship that will focus on employing the best practices and highest evidence-based outcomes from educational research across the country.

The goal of the Common Core is to provide educators with an exocentric understanding of what students are expected to learn, allowing them to identify the most effective strategies and modes of instruction that will help them excel in serving their students’ needs.  Leading the effort are the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center).  Comprised of state leaders in conjunction with parents, teachers, school administrators, business partners and experts from across the country, they have developed a shared set of goals and expectations that will help our students succeed.

To ensure this process is collaborative, inclusive and rigorous, several working groups and committees have been formed to develop, write and validate the approach to implementing these common standards across the country.  By aligning our country’s standards with other high achieving educational models and setting realistic goals, we will be better positioned to meet the real world expectations and prepare our nation’s students for college and career-oriented success beyond the K-12 classroom.

The importance of the Common Core State Standards Initiative continues to be viewed from many angles, although there are areas of uncertainty that have given rise to opposition.  Of course, standards alone cannot improve the quality of our nation’s education system, but they do give educators a clearer vision for setting goals and expectations for their students.  The standards will not prevent different levels of achievement among students, but they will help teachers provide more consistent exposure to curriculum and meaningful instruction through opportunity-based learning and classroom experiences. 

Students will no doubt benefit as our country continues to do the right things in calibrating the education system, promoting more frequent, intense and adaptive instruction to improve the way students learn and strengthen our rank among the top-performing nations in the world.

Related Reading:

How Scientific Learning Products Correlate with Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards Initiative: Myths vs. Facts

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Categories: Education Funding, Grants, and Stimulus, Education Trends, Reading & Learning

Tags: academic success, curriculum, elementary school learning, high school learning, how children learn, instructional reform, literacy, middle school learning, motivating students, student growth, teacher effectiveness, teacher impact

Adult and Family literacy in the US; limitations to our Nation’s success

• February 3, 2011 by Corey Fitzgerald

“Some people there are who, being grown; forget the horrible task of learning to read. It is perhaps the greatest single effort that the human undertakes, and he must do it as a child.” –John Steinbeck

But what about those who fail to become literate through traditional schooling?  Low literacy continues to be a persistent problem among adults in the United States.  Results from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), available through the National Center for Education Statistics, found that 30 million adults have “below basic” literacy skills, with more than half of those scoring at this level not having a high school diploma or GED.  This translates to nearly 1 out of every 6 adults, age 25 and older, across the country.  This crisis has resulted in the following:  (findings from the Report of the National Commission on Adult Literacy)

• U.S. Scores Poorly Internationally. The U.S. is the only country among 30 OECD free-market countries where the current generation is less well educated than the previous one.
• High School Dropout Rates Are Staggering. Every year, one in three young adults—more than 1.2 million people—drop out of high school.
• Low Parent Learning Affects Children. One in four U.S. working families is low-income, and one in five children lives in poverty. Parents and caregivers in many of these households lack the education and skills to earn a family-sustaining wage.
• Low Literacy in Burgeoning Prison Population. One in every 100 U.S. adults 16 and older is in prison or jail in America.  About 43 percent do not have a high school diploma or equivalent, and 56 percent have very low literacy skills.
• Large and Growing English Language and Literacy Need. About 2 million immigrants come to the U.S. each year seeking jobs and better lives—the promise of America. About 50 percent of them have low literacy levels and lack high school education and English language skills, severely limiting their access to jobs and job training, college, and citizenship.

Yet despite the challenges, there is an incentive to overcome these obstructions.  A better educated more literate population will improve our standard of living and offer benefits in the following ways:

• Higher rates of employment and better jobs
• Increases in personal income and individual economic well being
• Increases in voter participation, volunteerism and civic engagement
• Better health and more effective healthcare
• A greater fiscal contribution to our economy at all government levels

And at the very heart of this is you, an influential role model and innovator whose evidence-based approach to education will boost our country back into a position of global leadership; because effective education is the best investment we can make!

Related Reading:

The 30 Million Word Gap in Language Experience Puts Kids At Risk

HABLA Program Helps Disadvantaged Early Learners Lay Foundations for Success

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Attend one of our popular webinars with thought leaders in learning. Live and pre-recorded webinars are available. Register today!

Categories: Education Trends, Family Focus

Tags: academic problems, academic proficiency, academic success, at-risk, high school learning, how adults learn, literacy

Data Driven Decisions: A GPS Approach

• November 2, 2010 by Corey Fitzgerald

Technology offers us so many useful tools and strategies; it’s a wonder how we ever got along without them.  Let’s consider the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver and its remarkable ability to pinpoint our location anywhere on earth.  Accurate to within one meter, a long step for most adults, and capable of tracking your route across any terrain, they rely on a continuous feed of real-time data that is accurate and reliable.  As educators, can we apply concepts like these to the classroom to make better, faster and more accurate decisions about the learning landscape?   

It’s a rhetorical question, and the resounding answer is Yes. However, there is room to argue that our current system leaves us falling perpetually short as educators are forced to wait weeks or months for standardized assessment results to flow back into their hands.  The resonating concern is that this periodic data limits the ability to accurately address the underlying causes of failure in-step with the ongoing instruction.  Corrective action must ensue, and initiatives to support a more timely return on the data must be put into place through a process with strategies to track the day to day activities and progress monitoring for all students. 

Thankfully, some of these efforts are already underway, reflected in the nation’s focus to implement state-wide reform, with a priority being placed on Assessment and Standards.  However, a paradigm still exists, in that benchmarking is limited to designated grade levels and the “in between years” are somewhat neglected, leaving variability and non-standardization to chance.  So how does your state stack up?  Visit the USDOE Institute of Education Sciences website, National Center for Education Statistics, and query the collection of data and reports to learn more: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/

Next steps: Plotting a course to data utopia. 

Using cutting edge technology underpinned with neuroscience principles on how the brain learns, Scientific Learning has pioneered software that accelerates the acquisition of language and reading skills, yielding years of gain in a matter of weeks.  Like a GPS, a continuous stream of real-time data provides accurate and reliable measures of student performance daily, plotting an ideal course of learning that eliminates the lag time of data collection and analysis.  Furthermore, educators can weave this information back into the classroom immediately, and focus intently on the specific areas of need.  In keeping sights set high on the destination—achievement for all students—there’s a proven way to deliver success where getting lost is not an option.

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Categories: Education Trends, Progress Tracker

Tags: assessments, decision making, teacher effectiveness, technology in education