Education | Education DNA

Teaching Methods for Learning Disabled Students

Teaching learning disabled students is one of the most rewarding jobs that you will ever have. You will contribute to helping them learn and grow and be someone special. Teaching learning disabled students can be challenging. They have a more difficult time learning. Because they do, this will require patience on your part. But the challenges are so worth it. They can be overcome by using teaching methods that will make learning fun and easy for them.

The Hands on Teaching Method

the hands on teaching method is one of the best for learning disabled children because they can actually touch and feel what they are learning about. Rather than making these students learn from a book, you can have them do projects that pertain to the lessons that they are learning. For instance, if the students are learning about various aspects of science, you can have them work on science projects that demonstrate what you are trying to teach them. When they are leaning about history, you can have the students take a trip to a museum or to a specific historic place. The hands on teaching methods will enable them to take in information much easier than if they were to learn from a book, since book learning is a challenge for these types of students. When hands on teaching methods are used, what they learn will actually stick with them and make an impression on them for life.

Learning through Play

Another one of the teaching methods is learning through play. A lot of learning disabled students has mentalities that are a bit younger than their actual age, so learning through playing will actually be beneficial to them.

When you use these teaching methods, you will help these students a great deal. You will mold and shape these students into something successful.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: Education, Learning disability, Student

Podcasts To Increase Knowledge

Podcasts are being increasingly used as marketing tools by businessmen and other experts. These Podcasts have the tendency to project one as an expert. They have a widespread audience and have the repeatability factor. A new use of Podcasts has been in using them as educational tools. Podcasts deliver a message like a teacher delivers and more convincingly. Podcasts can be designed to used to deliver learning content to students and employees.

There are multiple formats of Podcasts that can be used to deliver various messages. Audio Podcasts are not meant for delivering learning content, but these too can be designed to deliver learning content. It can include humor along with commentary that can make the process of listening more fun. It is however not recommended as the best form of podcasts to deliver learning content to the listener. On the other hand interviews are very effective at delivering information and that too expert information. The whole podcast interview will deliver lots of information in the form of question and answer. They usually provide non-educational information, but an interview with the right person like a scientist or a business man will lead to flow of information. Audio article based podcasts provide information like any news paper of magazine article. But due to their boring nature, they tend to push away people from them. One needs to create a humorous article which can keep the listeners involved. The most popular of podcasts in the combination of these three podcasts that has been proven the most useful of the three. It has been tested in a few classes and also in a few organizations. They have been using these podcasts to give motivational as well as educational information. With the advent of audio books and its popularization, whole text books can also be supplied in the same way.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: Education, Interview, Podcast

The bad and Good About Montessori

If you have ever studied the various educational theories, perhaps you have heard about Montessori schools. In the environment of a Montessori school, the students go around and learn things as they individually see fit. Instead of sitting in a room and having the teacher lecture them while everyone does exactly the same assignments as everybody else, in a Montessori environment everyone is able to work at their own pace. There is even a great deal of flexibility when it comes to the learning of different subject matter. While a normal school is all about rules and bringing the entire class down to a low average in terms of speed of material presentation, in a Montessori school the biggest rule is that everyone may learn at whatever their individual pace might be. Naturally, there are both good and bad points to this type of system.

The good thing about being in a Montessori program is that everyone gets to do their own learning, as they individually see fit. If a particular student is feeling especially energetic on a particular day, they are not going to be forced to simply sit there while the class goes over something. That student may decide to do very little beyond playing, or they may end up doing a large amount of learning (depending on where they decide to focus their energy). An individual student can determine their own course of study, and their own ambition and skills determine how much they accomplish. That is self sufficiency at its finest.

But on the other hand, there are going to be a significant number of students who simply can not function in such a free environment. Some people can not handle the freedom to do what they like, and end up doing nothing but being lazy or rambunctious. A student like that is generally not going to learn anything unless they are essentially forced to do so, and get left behind.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, learn, Montessori method

Education tools

Education is a very necessary need of individuals today. The educational system has undergone many changes in the past few years. With education becoming compulsory and free, there have also been new tools that have been implemented to change the way of delivering education. With the advancements in the field of technology there has been a transformation in the ways of delivering education. There are a number of educational tools that are available in the market today. From online tools to offline tools, there are innumerable ways which the teachers and parents can adopt today. These methods are not just simple but very interesting as well.

Internet has emerged as a very popular medium of educating children today. This medium is not just used in colleges but also in schools today. The students also find such methods interesting and motivating. The traditional and the basic method of imparting education are still prevalent and will always be for centuries to come. But today, online classroom training, vestibule training have also emerged as very popular medium and are now being implemented by several schools and colleges. The online teaching is not only interesting but the students can get an exposure to the real world. They can gain some practical knowledge apart from what they learn from their books.

Thus, the parents and teachers must try and implement such methods so that studies do not become a burden for little ones. Different types of activities, assignments and role plays will help them learn faster and better. These methods are not at all costly and can easily be affordable. E-books and several articles on the Internet will help the students acquire much knowledge and develop intellectual thinking in the little minds. In the long run, Internet will be a very resourceful medium in teaching children.

Filed Under: Education, Internet Tagged With: Education, Teacher, Technology

Design your teaching method around the three learning styles to help your students learn

Not all children can sit down and learn how to add and subtract the same way. Most children cannot understand the material if their teacher does not appeal to that child’s learning style. When design your teaching method, you need to keep in mind the three learning styles that are most common. You are going to have a mixture of visual, auditory, and Kinesthetic learners.

Children who are generally visual learners think in pictures. They need to be able to see what you are talking about. When you are planning your lesson, make sure you include maps, graphs, charts, PowerPoint slides, and handouts to help visual learners understand the material. Simply writing information on the white board and instructing them to take notes can help a visual learner enormously. Seat visual learners up at the front of the class so that they are not distracted by what is going on around them.

Children who are auditory learners learn the material easiest when they hear the information. They will usually learn when you lecture or through a class discussion. Many times these students need to speak the information so encourage them to ask questions and to answer questions. You will be able to tell the auditory learns because they will be speaking aloud as they read from books. Let them study with friends and ask the class to repeat after you.

Children who are Kinesthetic learners understand the material better by doing. They are often moving or drawing while you lecture. They need to be writing out the information or physically doing the activity. If you are showing them how to do an activity, ask several of the Kinesthetic learners to come up and assist. Not only will the other students pay attentions, but the Kinesthetic learners will also notice the information.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Learning, Learning styles, Proprioception

Ways To Improve Reading Comprehension In Your Children

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Reading comprehension improves children’s learning in every subject. It offers them an edge in standardized testing as well as transform them into lifetime reading enthusiasts. Children along with their parents can engage in reading comprehension activities at home, to improve their reading and spelling skills.

Here are a few activities for parents and children to do together:

1. Supply your child with the right kinds of books. Ensure your child practices reading books that are at their skill level. A general rule of them is your child should recognize approximately 90% of the words read without help. If your child has to stop the majority of the time while reading to figure out a word, focus can be lost.

2. Have your child read aloud to you. This causes your child to read slower and allows for more comprehension of what was read. Additionally, your child is not only visualizing the words he his learning how to pronounce them correctly and become fluent.

3. Engage with your child about what has been read. Communicating the written word helps your child to remember and ponder about the book. Ask questions before, during and after reading such as – What interested you the most? What didn’t you like about the book? Did the story end as you thought it would?

4. Read in front of your children. Demonstrate to them that reading is an enjoyable activity for leisure time. Share with your children the book you are reading. When your child listens to you give a summary about the story, it teaches them the importance of comprehension and gives them an example how to summarize.

Make reading a part of your daily routine. Not only will these improve your child’s reading comprehension, but it is a terrific way to spend time together.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Child, Reading, Reading comprehension

Those Who Love to Learn Also Love to Teach

Those with a love of learning oftentimes make the best teachers.

The reason for that is simple; they had a hunger to know everything about anything, and all they want to do is share what they have learned with others.

In order to teach, one must equip themselves with the right tools. Since language is the first step in the teaching process of all other subjects, these are the most important tools one would need to teach:

1. dictionary
2. thesaurus
3. set of encyclopedias

There are dictionaries and thesauruses for every level of school; elementary, middle school, high school, and college.

People of all age levels can also find dictionaries, thesauruses, and encyclopedias online today.

One site, Merriam-Webster’s Word Central, has a dictionary, a rhyming dictionary, and a thesaurus for kids, as well as the Daily Buzzword, where they can learn a new word every day. There are many word games to play as well.

For older students and adults, Bartleby.com features reference books including The World Factbook, Bible references, and even fables. They also have tons of links containing verses and quotes.

If you are looking for specialized studies such as social studies or science, there is History.com and NASA.gov, with sections for Educators and Students. NASA also features a section for younger children to learn about space, astronomy, and human spaceflights.

The most comprehensive site on the Internet is the Enchanted Learning website. There is information on everything imaginable there. Although geared for the young learners with the hands-on activities section, there is a lot for those of all ages to learn on this site.

Although, some prefer to use the printed books and visits to the library for learning, the fast-paced world we live in today, demands information as quickly and accurately as we can get it.

A combination of the two is the best solution for those who want to educate with the right tools for any age group.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, NASA

Is Your Child A Bully? Now What Do You Do?

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Finding out your child is a bully can be devastating to a parent. It is perfectly natural for you as a parent to become defensive. Especially when confronted by another parent whose child has been bullied by your child. You want to try to remain calm and really listen to the other parent. Talk with your child to hear both sides of the story. Often times a bully will deny it even if caught red handed.

Make it clear to your child that bullying is unacceptable. And your family has a zero tolerance for bullying. Although, as tough as it may seem, you may want to examine your familyâ€™s behavior for any bullying that your child may have learned. A lot of times parents do not realize that their behavior could potentially lead to the child becoming a bully.

One sign to look for would be aggressive behavior toward adults or smaller children. A bully does not necessarily need to be a large child, it can be a small child with a large group of friends or girls who tries to turn friends against another child. But aggressive behavior would be a good indicator you may have a bully. Most bullies are very good at talking their way out of trouble. They need to dominate and control others and situations. Bullies often break rules without a thought to consequences.

Make your child apologize to the bullied child, if your child has indeed bullied them. Keep in touch with the childâ€™s parents to make sure the bullying has stopped. This shows your child that you take bullying very seriously and you do not condone that type of behavior. Let your child know that if the bullying continues there will be serious consequences and follow through with them. If that does not work, you need to consider counseling.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Behavior, Bullying, Parent

Using E-Readers in the Classroom

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E-books and the numerous e-book readers now available have grown tremendously in popularity over the past ten years or so. With technology constantly advancing, e-book readers are almost becoming the norm these days as more people are trading in the sometimes costly and space hogging books for the slim, space and money saving e-book reader.

Schools have to keep up with technological advances, too, and many are adopting e-books and e-book readers for use in the classroom. Many may be wondering how to get started with this. First, letâ€™s take a look at two of the most popular e-book readers that are available:

â€¢ Kindle: This is Amazonâ€™s e-book reader and it seems to be the most popular. The Kindle 3/DX was released a few months ago and runs over $300, but Amazon also released a Wi-Fi only version of the device for only $139. Most of the e-books Amazon offers are $10-$12, making it a much cheaper purchase then buy the actual book at a bookstore.
â€¢ The Nook: This is Sony/Barnes & Nobleâ€™s take on the e-reader, which is also fairly popular. The Nook Color was recently released, which offers users a colored screen instead of black and white.

Textbooks on these devices are a cost-effective, space saving way for kids to learn, not only about regular school subjects, but about our advancing technology as well.

While some teachers may have reservations about introducing e-readers/e-books into their classrooms, they should remember that their students were raised on technology. Itâ€™s the age of iPhones, iPods, laptops, iPads, Droids, and yes, even e-readers. Introducing new technology can be a gateway to getting those normally uninterested students interested in reading and learning, especially if they get to use a new device to do so.

Because most teachers operate on strict budgets, not everyone can afford an e-reader for every student. One or two for the classroom works just as well and teaches students how to share as well.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: E-book, IPad, IPhone, IPod

Cool tools you can use to educate your child at home

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While kids learn a lot at school, they can learn even more at home. You can be your childâ€™s best teacher, and you can do it either free or for a very low price. Here are some cool tools that you can use to help your kids learn.

Science kits. Science kits come in a variety of shapes, sizes and prices. Kids love to learn hands on, â€œget down and get dirtyâ€. Conducting science experiments to learn the qualities of rocks, plants and water, learning about chemical reactions or creating an ant farm â€“ are all fun ways to teach your kids about nature.

Online educational games. There are hundreds of websites that offer free educational math, language, science and music games. These tools work especially well if your kids are crazy about video games and learn best by looking at a screen.

Flashcards. Flashcards are a renowned tool for helping younger children learn, but they work for older kids, too. Formulas, definitions, important dates in history or words in a foreign language â€“ can all be learned from flashcards.

Worksheets. Worksheets are probably the next most versatile tools after flashcards. You can download ready worksheets or make your own and print them off. One of the best strategies is to print an educational passage and have the child study it and answer questions. By using this technique, you can teach your kids literature, history, science, geography, geology and a variety of other subjects. By downloading worksheets that correspond with your kidsâ€™ curriculum for their grade level, you can assess their progress, find their weaknesses and help them improve.

Workout DVDs. You probably havenâ€™t thought of that! Working out with your kids teaches them lifetime fitness education. With childhood obesity soaring, teaching your family to be healthy and fit is a critical task that lies on the parentsâ€™ shoulders.

Filed Under: Education, Internet Tagged With: Education, Flashcard, learn