What You Need to Know About Project-Based Learning

What You Need to Know About Project-Based Learning Have you heard about project-based learning? Edutopia defines it as a dynamic classroom approach in which students explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge. This innovative methodology encourages students to think on their feet and collaborate to produce projects that present what they learned. Sound intriguing? Here are a few things you should keep in mind: It requires preparation. Project-based learning is student-led, but it requires a lot from you as the teacher. Projects you assign should be open-ended, but you must ensure that the problems or questions you have students work on are tied to content standards and establish clear learning goals. Youll achieve the best results when projects connect to the real world. Pose a complex question or challenge, and then let your students loose. Think of the project as something that might take place in the workplace. Your students must engage in critical thinking and communication and work together to come up with a solution. Its best to get students involved in the creation. Sam Houston State Universitys Center for Project-Based Learning explains that students find projects to be more meaningful if they play a creative role in the construction and planning of them. Take on the role of facilitator. Youll see your students transform. Project-based learning puts students in positions where they apply classroom knowledge to their lives and the problems they will face in the real world. There are many resources out there to learn more, including Edutopia, Buck Institute for Educations PBLWorks, and Sam Houston State Universitys Center for Project-Based Learning, among others. Do your research and get started!

New School Year Ramp Up

New School Year Ramp Up It may feel like summer just started, but next years school year is right around the corner. For kids with ADHD getting back into the swing of things at school can be challenging. A rough start to the school year can be difficult to bounce back from, and for some kids with ADHD it can kick off a downward spiral of low self-confidence and poor academic performance. Use these 5 quick tips in the 30 days leading up to the start of school to help your child with a smooth transition: Get back on a schedule set a routine. Its hard to abruptly transition from the lax routine of summer to early morning wake-ups and routines, especially for kids with ADHD who are prone to having difficulties falling asleep at night and waking up on time in the morning. So, phase in the school-year schedule gradually. Begin by inching back their wake-up time in 15-minute increments in the weeks leading up to the start of school, and make sure youve reached the school wake-up time at least one week before the first day of school. The same goes for bedtime, where later summer bedtimes should be inched back in 15-minute increments until you reach school-appropriate bedtimes at least one week before school begins. Build excitement, not dread. Instead of dreading the end of summer, work on building excitement for the year ahead! Yes, school is stressful for kids with ADHD, but there are many things that kids enjoy about school as well. Engage your child in activities that remind him or her about the fun parts of learning, like museum outings focused on science topics for the upcoming year, or popular and engaging movies about famous inventors or historical time periods. Read bedtime stories that focus on your childs favorite part of school (even if thats recess!). Form strong relationships with the teachers. Strong relationships among parents, teachers, and students are essential when a child has ADHD, and its practically never too early to start laying the foundation for good relationships here. If your school offers an open house, take advantage even if this isnt your childs first year in this school. Meet the teachers, counselors and support staff who will be assisting your child and agree to create a plan together for your childs success. Talk positively to your child about his or her new teacher. Coach your child on how to introduce himself or herself and invite your child to a meeting that both of you attend, when he or she can start to advocate for himself or herself and come up with strategies for getting extra help when needed. If your child has a 504 Plan or an IEP, get a meeting scheduled as early in the school year as possible, and have your child attend the meeting if this is appropriate in your school setting. School supply shopping with organization in mind. You know your child needs notebooks and pens but use school supply shopping as the time to set-up a homework organization plan. Ive written several blogs with recommendations about what your childs homework plan and space should look like and those may be a helpful reference here. The key thing is to get as many pieces of the homework puzzle in place before the first day of school, so your child can start building good homework habits right away. Start building academic skills before the school year begins. Huntington Learning Centers offer summer tutoring programs designed for kids of all ages. For elementary students, summer tutoring can help identify areas of weakness, and work toward developing core skills in reading, writing, and math that are at or above grade level. Your childs instructors can also help set up study skill plans that your child can use from Day 1. Being proactive and planning for the start of the new school year ahead of time can help prevent problems before they start and help your child transition into a new classroom as smoothly as possible. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

?? 4 Reasons You Should Consider Becoming A Tutor

?? 4 Reasons You Should Consider Becoming A Tutor 4 Reasons You Should Consider Becoming A Tutor Tutoring is a flexible, rewarding and interesting job where you’ll make a positive difference. Whether you work with children or adults, the one-on-one educational support that you provide can empower them to achieve their full potential. As a tutor, you’ll help students prepare for exams, work together on class work they need guidance with and help them improve in a particular subject that they’re struggling in. If you’re new to tutoring or thinking about going into this profession, the great news is that there’s a growing demand for tutors. According to The Sutton Trust, the private tuition market has expanded, and research reveals that a quarter of families in the UK have used a private tutor at some point in the past three years. With that in mind, here are four reasons you should consider becoming tutor.1. FlexibilityTutors are usually self-employed which means you’re basically your own boss. Unlike a standard nine to five job, it’s much more flexible and convenien t. The flexibility in scheduling your workload gives you the opportunity to accommodate work around personal commitments, resulting in a better work-life balance. You can choose what days you want to work, how many hours you want to work and where you want to work from. Typically, tutors will go to the student’s house or even have the student travel to their home. Online tuition is also an option and is useful if your pupils are not particularly local. You can give your one-to-one lessons online, via call or video chat, and easily share files and other teaching material with your students to ensure a productive lesson.You may need to be flexible with your student’s requirements. For example, it’s likely that they will have school during the week so won’t be able to see you until after 3pm.Alternatively, some tutors may choose to work for companies that provide tutoring services. This probably wouldn’t have the same level of flexibility, but you’d have consistent work com ing in. As you’ll be dedicating different days, times and maybe even subjects to every student, it’s a sensible idea to have an official written contract tailored to each student. In this, you need to outline important information, such as the location, contents of the lessons and payment policy. 2. Supplement your incomeTutoring is a great way to increase your income while sharing your knowledge with others. For example, it might be that you’re already working as a teacher and want to earn some extra money on the side. Alternatively, you may have a completely different day job. For example, you may be a website developer who provides tutoring services for people who want to improve certain IT skills, like learning how to code a website. Tutoring is also something you could take on as a university student if you know your particular subject area really well. As a tutor, you can set your own rates, take charge of your own income and decide how much time you can dedicate to eac h student. When you’re setting your tuition rates, it’s important to consider your financial needs as well as your educational and professional credential. Then weigh up the competition within your specific subject area. If your skills are in high demand, you can probably charge more. Every student will require a different level of tutoring based on their existing knowledge, educational achievements and speed of comprehension. Therefore it’s important to tailor your rates according to every individual’s situation. You’ll be able to decide what each student needs once you meet them, and discuss their requirements and what they hope to achieve from your tutoring. It’s also worth considering any special offers you could do, such as discounting your hourly rate when your services are bought in bulk or if your students recommend you to their friends. If you have competition within your particular subject area, having good offers is a way to stand out from the crowd. 3. Rewarding for your effortsTutoring is very different to a typical classroom setting. Each session is unique and solely focused on the one student. This one-to-one learning experience is something many students wouldn’t normally get in a classroom. Naturally, they’ll be able to ask as many questions as they want. As a result, you’ll feel you’re making a real difference in each student’s life.Your influence as a tutor can have a real impact on students. Whether you’re helping them gain more confidence in a subject area or teaching them something new, it’s about making the learning process as enjoyable as possible. Through your support, students can start to build their confidence and apply what they’re learning outside of the lessons. When you start to see this pay off in their exams, assignments and general knowledge, it will give you a real sense of gratification and pride. 4. Intellectual fulfilment Tutoring also reinforces your own skills and techniques as you†™re exposed to different learning styles. It strengthens your communication and leadership skills and your ability to adapt these skills to individual students and their needs. These skills are important for your own growth as a professional, whether you’re in the teaching field full-time or not. You’ll also be required to remain highly knowledgeable in the area you’re tutoring in. This means you’ll be continually adding to your knowledge base, which will keep you intellectually active. Consequently, tutoring is something that not only helps your students develop, but also you. What’s more, if you have other career plans for the future aside from teaching jobs, having tutoring experience on your CV is invaluable. Being a tutor is something that will always be in demand not just in the education sector, but also across various professional industries. If you have the genuine passion, patience, drive and commitment to educating people, then tutoring could be a brilliant job for you. Haleema Khokhar writes for CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board. For more expert advice on education jobs, careers and the workplace, visit their Career Advice pages.

Almost 50,000 children leave school without any explanation - Tutor Hunt Blog

Almost 50,000 children leave school without any explanation Almost 50,000 children leave school without any explanation Almost 50,000 children leave school without any explanationSecondary SchoolsThe Education Policy Institute, a think tank based in Westminster, has just released research that suggests almost 50,000 children have disappeared from school placements for no credible reason. The report discloses the disturbing information that during the academic year of 2016-17, one in twelve pupils from the year groups of seven through to eleven, somehow vanished from the school records without any explanation. The study focuses specifically on pupils who have probably been excluded for financial concerns, or to help the school`s overall GCSE grades - it doesn`t cover those pupils who may have left due to personal or family reasons. The research shows that, of the 49,100 pupils surveyed in the 2016-17 study, there were 55,300 unexplained departures from school, which can only mean that some pupils left their schools, returned at a later date, only to leave once again. The National Education Union report broke down the demographics of their findings, revealing that as many as one in three pupils in the social care system, along with one in eight black pupils and one in seven disadvantaged pupils have experienced unexplained school moves. It also seems to be that just a few schools make up a disproportionately large number of absent pupils: only 6% of secondary schools, that is 330 across the United Kingdom, account for almost a quarter (23 percent) of the unaccounted moves. Why exactly this should be the report doesn`t make clear, but there is obviously a particular problem with those schools that needs to be attended to. Ofsted has recently critiqued schools for the practice of `off rolling` pupils just before GCSE`s, a technique used to improve their league table results, where those pupils who might not obtain a high enough grade are removed from their course, for fear they may damage the precious results table that the school publishes every year. In 2018 Ofsted said that `some of the most vulnerable children are being let down by an increasingly fragmented system,` and commented that there was a `perverse incentive` for schools to prevent students sitting exams when they might get grades that lower the school`s league table results. The report from the EPI may well be further indication that schools are coaxing and manoeuvring pupils out of the system, with the same aim as `off rolling` pupils - to ensure their exam league table results are falsely maintained. Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of school leaders` union NAHT, said that this was probably not the case: `It is important not to conflate and condemn all the different reasons a pupil might leave a school`s roll.` `To be clear, the practice of off-rolling a pupil to `game` the data is wrong. But not all unexplained pupil exits are off-rolling, and this report still cannot tell us exactly how widespread bad practice is.` Dr Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), a trade union in the United Kingdom for school teachers, said that `The data is shocking if not surprising,` and went on to say that the real reasons for the unexplained absences must be accounted for. `It is urgent that we move beyond the numbers, analyse the real reasons behind these moves, and challenge the government policies which are undermining inclusive and high-quality education.` It is extremely disturbing that so many pupils seem to have simply vanished from the system without any explanation. The state has a duty of care towards these children - if their education is cut off early, they will miss out on later life opportunities, and can never hope to reach their full potential. 10 months ago0Add a Comment

Manage ADHD with Cognitive Training

Manage ADHD with Cognitive Training Managing ADHD by cognitive training is a new and promising approach, one that avoids the intake of drugs and improves academic results. While Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be associated with laziness, poor motivation, low intelligence, or poor upbringing, ADHD is a genuine medical disorder, and it can be caused by genetic, environmental factors and substances. The exact cause of ADHD is still unknown. However, the link to genetics is strong. For example, twin studies indicate that the disorder is often inherited from ones parents with genetics determining about 75% of cases. Environmental factors play another important role in the onset of ADHD. Because the disorder is more common in children of anxious or stressed mothers, some argue that ADHD is an adaptation that helps children face a stressful or dangerous environment with. Toxic substances are also known to trigger ADHD. Alcohol intake during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder which includes symptoms similar to ADHD. Exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy can cause problems with central nervous system development and can increase the risk of ADHD. Children exposed to lead, even low levels, or polychlorinated biphenyls may develop problems which resemble ADHD, however, the evidence is not conclusive. Contrary to what you might know from the media, a childs diet does not trigger ADHD. Much of the research done over the past two decades was unable to support the claim that diet played a significant role in causing ADHD. Dietary sugar and the artificial sweetener aspartame appear to have little to no effect, with the only exception being children less than six years of age. While experts still are in search of the cause of ADHD, they all agree ADHD changes the brain structure. Certain parts of the brain become smaller or less active than they are in children who dont have ADHD. Another common pathological sign are impaired brain pathways connecting the brains prefrontal cortex. Patients with ADHD develop an imbalance of neurotransmitters â€" these are the brain chemicals needed for generating thoughts. The management of ADHD typically involves counseling or medications either alone or in combination. Unfortunately, while treatment may improve the long term outcomes, it does not get rid of the negative outcomes. Javier Arguello, Director at COGx, has an entirely different view about managing ADHD. He notes while the Unites States has less than 5% of the worlds population; it consumes 85% of the worlds stimulants. That would mean that America’s children are disproportionate inattentive compared to the rest of the world. Because this appears to be highly unlikely Mr. Arguello argues Americans take stimulants too often when they should not. In his second argument, Mr. Arguello looks at the sales of simulates. Surprisingly, stimulants have increased in sales by over 100% in the time frame from 2007 ($4 billion) to 2012 ($9 billion). These numbers might indicate we are oversold on stimulants. Inattentiveness is often a symptom of a weak cognitive skill. What this means is when the brain is mentally tasked beyond is capacity to process that information the brain releases glucose. As a result the brain becomes quickly exhausted. In an attempt to protect it we become disengaged and inattentive, which are exactly the symptoms of ADHD. ADHD is typically diagnosed through a questionnaire. It should be obvious that this method of diagnosing ADHD is highly subjective. But the student may not suffer from genuine ADHD medical disorder yet but simply scores low on short term memory retention has a slow mental processing speed. Mr. Arguello says: While drugs are necessary for a few, they do not fix a broken learning system. We are giving pills instead of skills. Every student is different, every student learns different. Instead, a better approach is to assess the cognitive skills of each individual and then tailor the teachings. In other words, Mr. Arguello would prescribe cognitive training and improving memory retention instead stimulants. For parent it is not easy to decide what to do when a loved one shows signs of ADHD. We at TutorZ recommend hiring a qualified  ADHD tutor  to improve his or her  learning environment by individualizing education aiming to manage  ADHD with cognitive training.

Readers choice Your favorite teach abroad articles of 2017

Reader’s choice Your favorite teach abroad articles of 2017 At Teach Away, we have the privilege ofwitnessing firsthand the transformative power of great teachers, just like you, every day. By bringing amazing teachers and innovative schools together all around the world, the whole Teach Away team is proud to play our part in changing the world for the better. Our wonderful community of international educators has grown rapidly in 2017. In fact, there's now over 750,000 of you (not to mention our 34,000 Facebook followers!) Our blog has also grown hugely this year. In 2017 alone, our posts were read over 210,000 times! The articles you loved most in 2017 Looking back at 2017, we’ve rounded up our most popular (and relevant) blog posts throughout the year. If you haven't already done so, don’t forget to check them out: Can I teach English abroad if I’m a non-native speaker? 5 ways to progress your international teaching career in the UAE 6 top interview tips from a teach abroad recruiter 5 steps to becoming a culturally responsive teacher Quiz: Are you a digitally literate teacher? Happy reading! And as we wrap up for the New Year, we wanted to take a moment to send a sincere message of thanks to our amazing readers here on the Teach Away blog. We appreciate you reading, commenting and sharing our blog posts and we'll continue to use your feedback to make the Teach Away blog an even better resource for international teachers in 2018!

Pursuing a Major in Chemistry

Pursuing a Major in ChemistryThose who are serious about their career should major in chemistry as the field is highly regarded and contributes a lot to the health of society. Moreover, the school curriculum in chemistry prepares students for professional careers in industries like pharmaceuticals, energy, chemical plants, food processing, food engineering, and more.With the advent of modern technology, college level chemistry courses can be taken online as well. It is advisable to take up this option since most of the institutes offer high quality education. The drawback is that the course material is usually given online. This can lead to frustration if one is not familiar with the subject matter.The curriculum for chemistry covers various aspects of the subject like thermodynamics, nuclear physics, organic chemistry, complex molecular structure, spectroscopy, biochemical reactions, and much more. Therefore, it is advisable to have an idea about the details of chemistry before taki ng up the course.The first step for taking up the course is to find out which college offers the program. There are several universities and colleges that offer online degree programs. To find out whether they provide a higher degree in chemistry or not, the prospective student should look for the accreditation status of the university. Some colleges offer certificate programs in chemistry, while others offer the diploma or degree program.The courses are divided into major and minor, so the prospective student should choose the major he/she would like to pursue. A specific course schedule is set for the majoring in chemistry to be followed. For instance, the majoring in chemistry is followed for master's, bachelor's, and doctoral degrees in the subject.Although many people are busy working full time, they still have the time to devote for a career in chemistry. There are many opportunities for career advancement in this area, even in the rural areas where the demand for trained prof essionals is strong. These programs are very popular among young people, whose interest lies in science and also those with a desire to make a difference in the world by pursuing a career in the field of chemistry.With the emergence of medical sciences and researches on the general health of the population, people are now aware of the importance of taking up the course of chemistry and the associated health benefits. Therefore, it is worth spending some time to find out the best program for one's interest.