I was a cum laude graduate in the Philippines and had finished my masters with honors. Since I had an impressive academic standing I was immediately hired as an English teacher in a public school which I consider as a blessing because in the Philippines it is almost impossible for newly graduates to be absorbed in a public school.
The experience was very challenging but after two years I gave up my profession. It was one of the toughest decision I made but when your salary is not even enough for your children to have the life you wanted. As a mother you have to do what you are supposed to do. I was working on my doctorate degree when I decided to quit and work as a caregiver in Canada. When I left I have so much hope in my heart that after two years I can be a teacher again but this time in a country of opportunity, Canada.
Canada has a two year program for live in caregivers that after a caregiver finished the two year contract , he or she will be eligible to apply for permanent residency. So I said to myself for two years I will be working as a live in nanny then I will apply for my permanent residency then I can be a teacher again because as a permanent resident I can work whatever work I want as long as Iam qualified. What a well thought plan I said.
Now that Iam almost done with my two year contact hence in the near future I would be applying for my permanent residency ,the excitement and hope for me were like ice cream that had been melted under the sun when I realized how hard it is to be accredited by the teachers college and that was not the only obstacle I have to face. The unemployment rate for teachers was overwhelming. I had read lots of articles about unemployed teachers especially in Ontario. Now, if teachers that were educated in Canada were having a hard time finding a job, where do teachers educated outside Canada belong? Do we have a chance in this country then? Are teachers like us have a future in Canada?I do not know what the future holds but all I can say is nothing can ever discourage me. I had already been in a long way just to simply give up. Giving up is not an option.
That is something that immigrants like me have, the determination and the courage to believe. I know for sure that it will be a rocky and tough road just to be certified in Canada not to mention how tough it would be to compete with other teachers for employment but all I can say is “once a teacher will always be a teacher“. Hence, I can already picture myself practicing my profession again. Iam born to be a teacher. Iam passionate about it. Iam well equipped and if it will take me changing nights into days I will do it for the glory of my profession.
Just thinking that I would be teaching again, touching student’s life give me strength to keep believing. Wondering whether teachers like me have a future or a chance in Canada does not really matter what matters is believing in myself and I believe I can. Everyone
has a chance. You and I can make it but on how we make it up there is an assignment we both need to do. Meanwhile as I send this article and start preparing dinner for the two kids I’m taking care of, I would like to leave this words to those teachers who are in the same situation, Believe and work hard is the key to success.
About the Author
Lea Joy Somera is A Filipino teacher.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Foreign Language Classes as a Paradigm For Successful Instruction
To put this article in perspective, I should mention that I write a lot of harsh articles about the counter-productive practices used in public education.
A few weeks ago I wondered: well, is there any good news? Let’s approach this thing from the other direction and ask: are there still classrooms that are sensibly conducted; are there still subjects that are taught in an intelligent way?
I thought about French (or other foreign languages). And I was immediately sure that this was the least contaminated area in American education. Here’s why:
I bet that most French classes are still taught today very much as French classes were taught 100 years ago. This is great news. It means there is a laboratory where we can see how it should be done.
And what are the main components of this successful formula? There are two. First, teachers and students are deeply respectful of the content being taught; everybody loves French and wants to master French. Second, language classes are completely transparent; everybody in and outside the class can view and evaluate the progress made by all the students.
Think of the contrast with a typical public school classroom, where content is disdained, and the proceedings are so murky that almost nobody knows what success looks like or whether anybody is achieving it.
I wrote up these reflections in an article titled “French Class As A Paradigm For The Perfect Way To Teach Everything.” (On AmericanChronicle.com.)
Trying to keep the article short, I left out some interesting points. Run through your own list of the most popular fads in American education. You would probably think of Constructivism, Self-Esteem, Multiculturalism, Cooperative Learning, Portfolios, No Memorization, and many more. Now imagine a good French teacher evaluating these gimmicks (as I think of them) for use in her French class:
Constructivism? This means the kids are going to invent French? Sure they are.
Cooperative Learning? Learning French is like eating lunch at a bistro: you have to do it for yourself. When you interact, you should interact with the whole class or the teacher. Kids shouldn’t be chatting with each other, whether in French or English.
Multiculturalism? That’s why they take French to begin with. They’ll learn the glory of French civilization. Are you saying we have to stir in some stuff from Africa, Asia and South America. Bizarre!
Self-Esteem? Where does this go? Kids will hear records, movies, television news. Can they pronounce it like that? Then they’re good. If they can’t, should the teacher say they’re good. Everyone knows it’s a lie.
Portfolios? Oh yes, students will learn French by cutting out pictures of the Eiffel Tower. Maybe this is a way to learn about France in elementary school. But it is clearly not the way to learn to speak French in middle or high school.
No Memorization? And you want to learn French? Does this actually work in history and science?? Well, it doesn't work in French. The whole point is to memorize French...
My point here is that thinking about French clarifies how useless all these things are. My thesis is that these gimmicks are harmful in history, biology and all other subjects. You don’t always feel it because the Education Establishment has woven them into the fabric and made you think it’s normal to have contempt for content, and murkiness and ignorance in every direction.
(For more about respect for content, see “47: Teach One Fact Each Day” on Improve-Education.org.)
About the Author
Bruce Deitrick Price is an author, poet, artist and education activist. He founded Improve-Education.org in 2005.
A few weeks ago I wondered: well, is there any good news? Let’s approach this thing from the other direction and ask: are there still classrooms that are sensibly conducted; are there still subjects that are taught in an intelligent way?
I thought about French (or other foreign languages). And I was immediately sure that this was the least contaminated area in American education. Here’s why:
I bet that most French classes are still taught today very much as French classes were taught 100 years ago. This is great news. It means there is a laboratory where we can see how it should be done.
And what are the main components of this successful formula? There are two. First, teachers and students are deeply respectful of the content being taught; everybody loves French and wants to master French. Second, language classes are completely transparent; everybody in and outside the class can view and evaluate the progress made by all the students.
Think of the contrast with a typical public school classroom, where content is disdained, and the proceedings are so murky that almost nobody knows what success looks like or whether anybody is achieving it.
I wrote up these reflections in an article titled “French Class As A Paradigm For The Perfect Way To Teach Everything.” (On AmericanChronicle.com.)
Trying to keep the article short, I left out some interesting points. Run through your own list of the most popular fads in American education. You would probably think of Constructivism, Self-Esteem, Multiculturalism, Cooperative Learning, Portfolios, No Memorization, and many more. Now imagine a good French teacher evaluating these gimmicks (as I think of them) for use in her French class:
Constructivism? This means the kids are going to invent French? Sure they are.
Cooperative Learning? Learning French is like eating lunch at a bistro: you have to do it for yourself. When you interact, you should interact with the whole class or the teacher. Kids shouldn’t be chatting with each other, whether in French or English.
Multiculturalism? That’s why they take French to begin with. They’ll learn the glory of French civilization. Are you saying we have to stir in some stuff from Africa, Asia and South America. Bizarre!
Self-Esteem? Where does this go? Kids will hear records, movies, television news. Can they pronounce it like that? Then they’re good. If they can’t, should the teacher say they’re good. Everyone knows it’s a lie.
Portfolios? Oh yes, students will learn French by cutting out pictures of the Eiffel Tower. Maybe this is a way to learn about France in elementary school. But it is clearly not the way to learn to speak French in middle or high school.
No Memorization? And you want to learn French? Does this actually work in history and science?? Well, it doesn't work in French. The whole point is to memorize French...
My point here is that thinking about French clarifies how useless all these things are. My thesis is that these gimmicks are harmful in history, biology and all other subjects. You don’t always feel it because the Education Establishment has woven them into the fabric and made you think it’s normal to have contempt for content, and murkiness and ignorance in every direction.
(For more about respect for content, see “47: Teach One Fact Each Day” on Improve-Education.org.)
About the Author
Bruce Deitrick Price is an author, poet, artist and education activist. He founded Improve-Education.org in 2005.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Educational Propaganda
Recently, students across the country took the Advanced Placement English Literature exam. This three hour test, which grants college credit to qualifying students, is the culmination of a year of intense study and preparation in a high level class. On this year’s exam, students were asked to write an essay in response to the following quote: "Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted."
While exile as a theme is a good launching point for an essay, the College Board used the topic to launch an apparent political agenda by identifying the author of the quote as “Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said.”
Quoting Edward Said, a man who has infamously been photographed throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, isn’t the issue. It isn’t even quoting a Palestinian, per se. What is problematic is the linking of a Palestinian with a quote about “exile.” It creates a sympathetic image of exiled Palestinians without any qualifications. It assumes one side in a longstanding conflict. After spending a year studying the nuances in language and writing, most of my students did not miss this inference.
Many of them had a fundamental problem with the question. As a teacher, I had a serious problem with it.
Political propaganda is something my students will certainly get used to, particularly as they head off to college campuses in the fall. But it has no place on a high-stakes exam that is supposed to be standardized. Not when they’ve worked hard all year studying literature and language.
They were blindsided and left with a choice: agree with the quote about Palestinian exile and write an essay, or disagree with the supposition that the Palestinians were torn from their “true home” and possibly throw their chances at a high score.
There isn’t anything “standardized” about that.
The College Board is particularly sensitive to language. This prompt could not have come out of nowhere. Politically motivated and particularly disturbing in its inclusion on the exam, it is a manipulation of facts and as such, it is a manipulation of education. In essence, this educational measure was a forced indoctrination of the College Board’s political beliefs.
I voiced my concern to the College Board and was told that they had not received any complaints. I called two more times and received the same reply. A Facebook group of close to 700 members has voiced its concerns. An article was written about this issue in a Jewish newspaper, The Forward, but still the College Board claims that they know nothing about the “problem.”
I shouldn’t be surprised. They are simply following the higher academia pied pipers down the path of bias and partiality. Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing, and Thinking, the Bedford St. Martin Press anthology just completed for the AP Literature course, contains two poems by Palestinians. Not one Israeli poet or author is quoted. Not even as an alternate view to Mahmoud Darwish’s “Identity Card”.
The College Board is notoriously politically correct. In fact, their dedication to being PC has gotten them in trouble over the years. But this time, they have chosen sides in a controversy that has offended a large portion of their testing audience. They have drawn lines, not in the sands of higher academia, but in the sandboxes of impressionable high school students.
Many in the academic world have pooh-poohed the controversy and called the protesting students overly sensitive or even racist. Interestingly, the same day as the exam, students in Brandies University were dismayed to learn that Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren was asked to give the commencement address. The student newspaper came out against the choice on the grounds that Oren is “a divisive and inappropriate choice” because “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hotly contested political issue, one that inspires students with serious positions on the topic to fervently defend and promote their views.”
I find it remarkable that University students cannot handle political controversy, but high school students are expected to “get over it.” Moreover, they are forced to actually agree with a statement they dispute, from a man who is so controversial that even his status as a Palestinian is questionable.
As an AP teacher, I have respectfully told my school that I am not comfortable teaching a course that has a clear political agenda. My students would be better served taking a literature course at their local university and graduating with actual college credit rather than relying on a politically biased exam to test their skills.
And while they will get their fair share of propaganda on campuses, at least the manipulationwill be blatant. There will be opportunity to debate.
I can’t say the same for the College Board.
About the Author
Adina Ciment teaches English in Miami Beach.
While exile as a theme is a good launching point for an essay, the College Board used the topic to launch an apparent political agenda by identifying the author of the quote as “Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said.”
Quoting Edward Said, a man who has infamously been photographed throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, isn’t the issue. It isn’t even quoting a Palestinian, per se. What is problematic is the linking of a Palestinian with a quote about “exile.” It creates a sympathetic image of exiled Palestinians without any qualifications. It assumes one side in a longstanding conflict. After spending a year studying the nuances in language and writing, most of my students did not miss this inference.
Many of them had a fundamental problem with the question. As a teacher, I had a serious problem with it.
Political propaganda is something my students will certainly get used to, particularly as they head off to college campuses in the fall. But it has no place on a high-stakes exam that is supposed to be standardized. Not when they’ve worked hard all year studying literature and language.
They were blindsided and left with a choice: agree with the quote about Palestinian exile and write an essay, or disagree with the supposition that the Palestinians were torn from their “true home” and possibly throw their chances at a high score.
There isn’t anything “standardized” about that.
The College Board is particularly sensitive to language. This prompt could not have come out of nowhere. Politically motivated and particularly disturbing in its inclusion on the exam, it is a manipulation of facts and as such, it is a manipulation of education. In essence, this educational measure was a forced indoctrination of the College Board’s political beliefs.
I voiced my concern to the College Board and was told that they had not received any complaints. I called two more times and received the same reply. A Facebook group of close to 700 members has voiced its concerns. An article was written about this issue in a Jewish newspaper, The Forward, but still the College Board claims that they know nothing about the “problem.”
I shouldn’t be surprised. They are simply following the higher academia pied pipers down the path of bias and partiality. Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing, and Thinking, the Bedford St. Martin Press anthology just completed for the AP Literature course, contains two poems by Palestinians. Not one Israeli poet or author is quoted. Not even as an alternate view to Mahmoud Darwish’s “Identity Card”.
The College Board is notoriously politically correct. In fact, their dedication to being PC has gotten them in trouble over the years. But this time, they have chosen sides in a controversy that has offended a large portion of their testing audience. They have drawn lines, not in the sands of higher academia, but in the sandboxes of impressionable high school students.
Many in the academic world have pooh-poohed the controversy and called the protesting students overly sensitive or even racist. Interestingly, the same day as the exam, students in Brandies University were dismayed to learn that Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren was asked to give the commencement address. The student newspaper came out against the choice on the grounds that Oren is “a divisive and inappropriate choice” because “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hotly contested political issue, one that inspires students with serious positions on the topic to fervently defend and promote their views.”
I find it remarkable that University students cannot handle political controversy, but high school students are expected to “get over it.” Moreover, they are forced to actually agree with a statement they dispute, from a man who is so controversial that even his status as a Palestinian is questionable.
As an AP teacher, I have respectfully told my school that I am not comfortable teaching a course that has a clear political agenda. My students would be better served taking a literature course at their local university and graduating with actual college credit rather than relying on a politically biased exam to test their skills.
And while they will get their fair share of propaganda on campuses, at least the manipulationwill be blatant. There will be opportunity to debate.
I can’t say the same for the College Board.
About the Author
Adina Ciment teaches English in Miami Beach.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
What Parents and Teachers should Know about Suicide in Adolescents (Part 1)
By Dr. Shahul Ameen, M.D.
INTRODUCTION
Suicide is one of the commonest causes of death among young people. The latest mean worldwide annual rates of suicide per 100,000 are 0.5 for females and 0.9 for males among 5-14-year-olds, and 12.0 for females and 14.2 for males among 15-24-year-olds. Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among children aged 5-14 years, and the third leading cause of death among all those 15-24 years old. In most countries, males outnumber females in youth suicide statistics. There are far more suicidal attempts and gestures than actual completed suicides. One epidemiological study estimated that there were 23 suicidal gestures and attempts for every completed suicide. Though female teens are much more likely to attempt suicide than males, male teens are more likely to actually kill themselves.
The suicide rate among young teens and young adults has increased by more than 300% in the last three decades. Social changes that might be related to the rise in adolescent suicide include an increased incidence of childhood depression and decreased family stability. Some researchers argue that economic and political institutions have penetrated the family unit, reducing it to a consumer unit no longer able to function as a support system, and no longer able to supply family members with a sense of stability and rootedness. Awareness of the existing state of the world, now threatened by sophisticated methods of destruction, can cause depression which contributes to the adolescent's sense of frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness. Faced with these feelings and lacking coping mechanisms, adolescents can become overwhelmed and turn to escapist measures such as drugs, withdrawal, and ultimately suicide.
The rising rate has also been explained as a reaction to the stress inherent in adolescence compounded by increasing stress in the environment. Adolescence is a time when ordinary levels of stress are heightened by physical, psychological, emotional, and social changes. Adolescents suffer a feeling of loss for the childhood they must leave behind, and undergo an arduous period of adjustment to their new adult identity. Yet society alienates adolescents from their new identity by not allowing them the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. They are no longer children, but they are not accorded the adult privileges of expressing their sexuality or holding a place in the work force. Our achievement-oriented, highly competitive society puts pressure on the teens to succeed, often forcing them to set unrealistically high personal expectations. There is increased pressure to stay in school, where success is narrowly defined and difficult to achieve. In an affluent society which emphasizes immediate rewards, adolescents are not taught to be tolerant of frustration.
RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDE
Contrary to popular belief, suicide is not an impulsive act but the result of a three-step process: a previous history of problems is compounded by problems associated with adolescence; finally, a precipitating event, often a death or the end of a meaningful relationship, triggers the suicide. The major, empirically proven risk actors for suicide among adolescents are detailed below.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Psychopathology: More than 90% of youth suicides and around 60% of younger adolescent suicide victims have had at least one major psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent disorder in adolescent suicide victims is depressive disorders. Depression that seems to quickly disappear for no apparent reason is a cause for concern, and the early stages of recovery from depression can be a high risk period. Substance abuse, conduct disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and panic attacks are the other disorders found to be common in this population.
Previous suicide attempts: A history of prior suicide attempts is one of the strongest predictors of completed suicide, especially in boys. One quarter to one third of teen suicide victims have made a previous suicide attempt.
Cognitive and personality factors: Hopelessness, poor interpersonal problem solving ability and aggressive impulsive behaviour have been linked with suicidality.
Biological factors: Some teens are at greater risk for suicide because of their biochemical makeup. Abnormalities in the function of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, have been associated with suicidal behaviour.
FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS
Family history of suicidal behaviour: Teens who kill themselves have often had a close family member who attempted or committed suicide.
Parental psychopathology: High rates of parental psychopathology, particularly depression and substance abuse, have been found to be associated with completed suicide and suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. Moreover, family cohesion has been reported to be a protective factor for suicidal behaviour among adolescents.
ADVERSE LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES
Stressful life events: Life stressors such as interpersonal losses and legal or disciplinary problems are associated with completed suicide and suicide attempts in adolescents. The anniversary of a loss can also evoke a powerful desire to commit suicide.
Common problems preceding suicide attempts:
* School or work problems
* Difficulties with boyfriends or girlfriends
* Physical ill health
* Difficulties or disputes with parents, siblings or peers
* Depression
* Bullying
* Low self esteem
* Sexual problems
Physical abuse: Childhood physical abuse has been found to be associated with increased risk of suicide attempts in late adolescence and early adulthood.
SOCIOECONOMIC AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
School and work problems: Difficulties in school, neither working nor being in school, dropping out of high school and not attending college pose significant risks for completed suicide.
Contagion/Imitation: Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they have recently read, seen, or heard about other suicide attempts. Evidence continues to amass from studies of suicide clusters and the impact of the media, supporting the existence of suicide contagion. The impact of suicide stories on subsequent competed suicides appears to be greatest for teenagers.
PREVENTION STRATEGIES
Youth suicide prevention strategies have primarily been implemented within three domains - school, community, and health are systems. This article reviews the school-based programs in detail and briefly describes the community based interventions.
SCHOOL-BASED SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
School based suicide prevention programs include both curricula components to teach students about these warning signs and what to do, as well as non-curricula components such as peer groups, hot lines, intervention services and parent training. Prevention includes education efforts to alert students and the community to the problem of teen suicidal behavior. Intervention with a suicidal student is aimed at protecting and helping the student who is currently in distress. Postvention occurs after there has been a suicide in the school community. It attempts to help those affected by the recent suicide. In all cases it is a good idea to have a clear plan in place in advance. It should involve staff members and administration. There should be clear protocols and clear lines of communication. Careful planning can make interventions more organized, and effective.
The goals of school based suicide prevention programs are to:
* Increase awareness
* Promote identification of students at high risk of suicide and suicide attempts
* Provide knowledge about the behavioral characteristics ("warning signs") of teens at risk for suicide.
* Provide information to students, teachers and parents on the availability of mental health resources
* Enhance the coping abilities of teenagers
Education: Education may be done in a health class, by the school counselor or outside speakers. Education should address the factors that make individuals more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. Education regarding the ill effects of drug and alcohol abuse would be useful. PTA meetings can be used to educate parents about depression and suicidal behavior. Parents should be educated about the risk of unsecured firearms in the home. Outside mental health professionals can discuss their programs so that students can see that these individuals are approachable. Education on the following topics will be useful:
Warning signs of suicide:
* Preoccupation with death and dying
* Signs of depression
* Taking excessive risks
* Increased drug use
* The verbalizing of suicide threats
* The giving away of prized personal possessions
* The collection and discussion of information on suicide methods
* The expression of hopelessness, helplessness, and anger at oneself or the world
* Themes of death or depression evident in conversation, written expressions, reading selections, or artwork
* The scratching or marking of the body, or other self-destructive acts
* Acute personality changes, unusual withdrawal, aggressiveness, or moodiness
* Sudden dramatic decline or improvement in academic performance, chronic truancy or tardiness, or running away
* Physical symptoms such as eating disturbances, sleeplessness or excessive sleeping, chronic headaches or stomachaches, menstrual irregularities, apathetic appearance
Sudden changes in behavior that are significant, last for a long time, and are apparent in all or most areas of his or her life (pervasive) are more specific than presence of isolated signs. However, it should be noted that many completed suicides had only a few of the conditions listed above, and that all indications of suicidality need to be taken seriously in a one person to another person situation.
Signs of depression in teens:
* Sad, anxious or "empty" mood
* Declining school performance
* Loss of pleasure/interest in social and sports activities
* Sleeping too much or too little
* Changes in weight or appetite
Features of self harm that suggest high suicidal intent:
* Conducted in isolation
* Timed so that intervention is unlikely (for example, after parents have gone to work)
* Precautions to avoid discovery
* Preparations made in anticipation of death (for example, leaving indication of how belongings to be distributed)
* Adolescent told other people beforehand about thoughts of suicide
* The act had been considered for hours or days beforehand
* Suicide note or message
* Adolescent did not alert others during or after the act
(Article continued in Part II)
About the Author
Dr. Shahul Ameen, M.D., is a psychiatrist based in Ranchi, India. He edits http://www.psyplexus.com/ (a portal for mental health professionals) and http://www.mind.in/ (a portal on mental health for the consumers).
INTRODUCTION
Suicide is one of the commonest causes of death among young people. The latest mean worldwide annual rates of suicide per 100,000 are 0.5 for females and 0.9 for males among 5-14-year-olds, and 12.0 for females and 14.2 for males among 15-24-year-olds. Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among children aged 5-14 years, and the third leading cause of death among all those 15-24 years old. In most countries, males outnumber females in youth suicide statistics. There are far more suicidal attempts and gestures than actual completed suicides. One epidemiological study estimated that there were 23 suicidal gestures and attempts for every completed suicide. Though female teens are much more likely to attempt suicide than males, male teens are more likely to actually kill themselves.
The suicide rate among young teens and young adults has increased by more than 300% in the last three decades. Social changes that might be related to the rise in adolescent suicide include an increased incidence of childhood depression and decreased family stability. Some researchers argue that economic and political institutions have penetrated the family unit, reducing it to a consumer unit no longer able to function as a support system, and no longer able to supply family members with a sense of stability and rootedness. Awareness of the existing state of the world, now threatened by sophisticated methods of destruction, can cause depression which contributes to the adolescent's sense of frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness. Faced with these feelings and lacking coping mechanisms, adolescents can become overwhelmed and turn to escapist measures such as drugs, withdrawal, and ultimately suicide.
The rising rate has also been explained as a reaction to the stress inherent in adolescence compounded by increasing stress in the environment. Adolescence is a time when ordinary levels of stress are heightened by physical, psychological, emotional, and social changes. Adolescents suffer a feeling of loss for the childhood they must leave behind, and undergo an arduous period of adjustment to their new adult identity. Yet society alienates adolescents from their new identity by not allowing them the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. They are no longer children, but they are not accorded the adult privileges of expressing their sexuality or holding a place in the work force. Our achievement-oriented, highly competitive society puts pressure on the teens to succeed, often forcing them to set unrealistically high personal expectations. There is increased pressure to stay in school, where success is narrowly defined and difficult to achieve. In an affluent society which emphasizes immediate rewards, adolescents are not taught to be tolerant of frustration.
RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDE
Contrary to popular belief, suicide is not an impulsive act but the result of a three-step process: a previous history of problems is compounded by problems associated with adolescence; finally, a precipitating event, often a death or the end of a meaningful relationship, triggers the suicide. The major, empirically proven risk actors for suicide among adolescents are detailed below.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Psychopathology: More than 90% of youth suicides and around 60% of younger adolescent suicide victims have had at least one major psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent disorder in adolescent suicide victims is depressive disorders. Depression that seems to quickly disappear for no apparent reason is a cause for concern, and the early stages of recovery from depression can be a high risk period. Substance abuse, conduct disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and panic attacks are the other disorders found to be common in this population.
Previous suicide attempts: A history of prior suicide attempts is one of the strongest predictors of completed suicide, especially in boys. One quarter to one third of teen suicide victims have made a previous suicide attempt.
Cognitive and personality factors: Hopelessness, poor interpersonal problem solving ability and aggressive impulsive behaviour have been linked with suicidality.
Biological factors: Some teens are at greater risk for suicide because of their biochemical makeup. Abnormalities in the function of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, have been associated with suicidal behaviour.
FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS
Family history of suicidal behaviour: Teens who kill themselves have often had a close family member who attempted or committed suicide.
Parental psychopathology: High rates of parental psychopathology, particularly depression and substance abuse, have been found to be associated with completed suicide and suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. Moreover, family cohesion has been reported to be a protective factor for suicidal behaviour among adolescents.
ADVERSE LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES
Stressful life events: Life stressors such as interpersonal losses and legal or disciplinary problems are associated with completed suicide and suicide attempts in adolescents. The anniversary of a loss can also evoke a powerful desire to commit suicide.
Common problems preceding suicide attempts:
* School or work problems
* Difficulties with boyfriends or girlfriends
* Physical ill health
* Difficulties or disputes with parents, siblings or peers
* Depression
* Bullying
* Low self esteem
* Sexual problems
Physical abuse: Childhood physical abuse has been found to be associated with increased risk of suicide attempts in late adolescence and early adulthood.
SOCIOECONOMIC AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
School and work problems: Difficulties in school, neither working nor being in school, dropping out of high school and not attending college pose significant risks for completed suicide.
Contagion/Imitation: Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they have recently read, seen, or heard about other suicide attempts. Evidence continues to amass from studies of suicide clusters and the impact of the media, supporting the existence of suicide contagion. The impact of suicide stories on subsequent competed suicides appears to be greatest for teenagers.
PREVENTION STRATEGIES
Youth suicide prevention strategies have primarily been implemented within three domains - school, community, and health are systems. This article reviews the school-based programs in detail and briefly describes the community based interventions.
SCHOOL-BASED SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
School based suicide prevention programs include both curricula components to teach students about these warning signs and what to do, as well as non-curricula components such as peer groups, hot lines, intervention services and parent training. Prevention includes education efforts to alert students and the community to the problem of teen suicidal behavior. Intervention with a suicidal student is aimed at protecting and helping the student who is currently in distress. Postvention occurs after there has been a suicide in the school community. It attempts to help those affected by the recent suicide. In all cases it is a good idea to have a clear plan in place in advance. It should involve staff members and administration. There should be clear protocols and clear lines of communication. Careful planning can make interventions more organized, and effective.
The goals of school based suicide prevention programs are to:
* Increase awareness
* Promote identification of students at high risk of suicide and suicide attempts
* Provide knowledge about the behavioral characteristics ("warning signs") of teens at risk for suicide.
* Provide information to students, teachers and parents on the availability of mental health resources
* Enhance the coping abilities of teenagers
Education: Education may be done in a health class, by the school counselor or outside speakers. Education should address the factors that make individuals more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. Education regarding the ill effects of drug and alcohol abuse would be useful. PTA meetings can be used to educate parents about depression and suicidal behavior. Parents should be educated about the risk of unsecured firearms in the home. Outside mental health professionals can discuss their programs so that students can see that these individuals are approachable. Education on the following topics will be useful:
Warning signs of suicide:
* Preoccupation with death and dying
* Signs of depression
* Taking excessive risks
* Increased drug use
* The verbalizing of suicide threats
* The giving away of prized personal possessions
* The collection and discussion of information on suicide methods
* The expression of hopelessness, helplessness, and anger at oneself or the world
* Themes of death or depression evident in conversation, written expressions, reading selections, or artwork
* The scratching or marking of the body, or other self-destructive acts
* Acute personality changes, unusual withdrawal, aggressiveness, or moodiness
* Sudden dramatic decline or improvement in academic performance, chronic truancy or tardiness, or running away
* Physical symptoms such as eating disturbances, sleeplessness or excessive sleeping, chronic headaches or stomachaches, menstrual irregularities, apathetic appearance
Sudden changes in behavior that are significant, last for a long time, and are apparent in all or most areas of his or her life (pervasive) are more specific than presence of isolated signs. However, it should be noted that many completed suicides had only a few of the conditions listed above, and that all indications of suicidality need to be taken seriously in a one person to another person situation.
Signs of depression in teens:
* Sad, anxious or "empty" mood
* Declining school performance
* Loss of pleasure/interest in social and sports activities
* Sleeping too much or too little
* Changes in weight or appetite
Features of self harm that suggest high suicidal intent:
* Conducted in isolation
* Timed so that intervention is unlikely (for example, after parents have gone to work)
* Precautions to avoid discovery
* Preparations made in anticipation of death (for example, leaving indication of how belongings to be distributed)
* Adolescent told other people beforehand about thoughts of suicide
* The act had been considered for hours or days beforehand
* Suicide note or message
* Adolescent did not alert others during or after the act
(Article continued in Part II)
About the Author
Dr. Shahul Ameen, M.D., is a psychiatrist based in Ranchi, India. He edits http://www.psyplexus.com/ (a portal for mental health professionals) and http://www.mind.in/ (a portal on mental health for the consumers).
Monday, June 7, 2010
Is Your Kid Disorganized? What can you do?
Children with disabilities like ADD, ADHD, Mood Disorders, and Autism have lots of difficulty with organization. This is because these disorders affect the Executive Functioning part of the brain. It’s very frustrating for parents and teachers to try to help these kids learn organizational skills. It’s just as frustrating for kids to always feel like they’re not prepared and not ready for what they need to do. But there are things that can be done. Children with these types of disabilities can learn strategies and techniques for independent organization.
Think about the last time you were in the grocery store and you realize you left the list of groceries on the kitchen table. You feel unprepared as you go through the store trying to remember what was on the list, hoping you don’t forget something you really need and pretty much just trying to get it done, but knowing you’re not doing a really good job. You feel stressed and anxious because you’re wandering up and down the aisles randomly choosing things from the shelves. Going back down aisles numerous times because something in another aisle reminds you of something you’ve forgotten. It takes you twice as long and you spend too much. Then you get home and look at the list and learn that you did indeed forget things and will have to go back.
This is how our kids feel every day. They get to school and they’ve forgotten their homework, or their book. They can’t find their assignment book. They know they were supposed to have something for their math notebook signed by mom, but can’t remember what. They start to get stressed knowing they’re going to get in trouble or even worse that they will get to class and not be able to participate because they don’t have their book. Their brain is thinking that they don’t want to tell the teacher they forgot it again and that causes them to miss out on what the teacher is saying to the class and now they don’t even know what is going on. It’s a vicious cycle. How can we help?
We can help by helping our kids to have good habits at home. After school, unpack the backpack and look at everything that needs to be done. Review the assignment book. Assignments should be in folders or binders, preferably colored for each subject. My son used an accordion file with different colored tabs for each subject. Then he only had to keep track of one item that went everywhere with him. He would put all papers in it in the proper section. Find what works for your child and stick with it. Help your child make a plan for the evening based on what needs to be done. When finished have him put everything back in the appropriate folder, etc., and then back into the backpack. Place the backpack in the same spot all the time. I recommend a hook right near the door. Do this at night before bed, so everything is away and you’re not scrambling in the morning.
If your child is involved in any activities, have a bag for every activity to keep all of the needed supplies together. I suggest a soccer bag for soccer stuff, a baseball bag for baseball stuff, etc. You don’t want to get to the big game and not have cleats. (This has happened to me. Two hours away from home and we are hunting for a sports store to buy a pair.) Plus you don’t want to hound your child throughout the day to make sure they have everything. As I like to remind parents, we won’t be there forever to remind them, let’s help them be independent. We can’t follow them to college, I’ve tried but for some reason my kids object.
I used to have to remind my son every morning about 30 times to brush his teeth, comb his hair, get his shoes, and get his homework. I’d send him upstairs to do 3 things and it never failed, he would come down only having done 1 or 2. So, to help him be more independent, I purchased a write on wipe off board and placed it on his bedroom door. He wrote on it the things he needed to do in the mornings. He wrote, ‘Brush Teeth, Comb Hair, Get Shoes, Get Gym Bag, and Feed Fish’. He would then check them off as he had done them. Erasing the checkmarks at night. I never had to remind him of what he had to do again. He is independent. Our mornings are much nicer and there is much less stress for him when he gets to school. He can even add things that don’t relate to school that he wants to do, like call his friend to go to a movie or rent a video game. Of course, he still occasionally forgets something, (the disability never goes away), but it only happens once in a great while and let’s face it we all forget things sometimes.
Not all things work for every child, but keep trying things and you’ll figure out what works for your child. Give each thing you try at least two weeks before giving up and trying something new, don’t forget, we’re trying to help our child learn a routine which takes time. I now put my list in my bag as soon as I’ve finished writing it. I rarely forget it on the table. And my grocery shopping is much less stressful. Good luck.
About the Author
Lynne Castino has been advocating for children for over 15 years. She is a public speaker, trainer, author, and advocate working with families throughout the Southcoast of Massachusetts. Visit her website at http://www.beyondadvocacy.com or email her at lmccmw@gmail.com
Think about the last time you were in the grocery store and you realize you left the list of groceries on the kitchen table. You feel unprepared as you go through the store trying to remember what was on the list, hoping you don’t forget something you really need and pretty much just trying to get it done, but knowing you’re not doing a really good job. You feel stressed and anxious because you’re wandering up and down the aisles randomly choosing things from the shelves. Going back down aisles numerous times because something in another aisle reminds you of something you’ve forgotten. It takes you twice as long and you spend too much. Then you get home and look at the list and learn that you did indeed forget things and will have to go back.
This is how our kids feel every day. They get to school and they’ve forgotten their homework, or their book. They can’t find their assignment book. They know they were supposed to have something for their math notebook signed by mom, but can’t remember what. They start to get stressed knowing they’re going to get in trouble or even worse that they will get to class and not be able to participate because they don’t have their book. Their brain is thinking that they don’t want to tell the teacher they forgot it again and that causes them to miss out on what the teacher is saying to the class and now they don’t even know what is going on. It’s a vicious cycle. How can we help?
We can help by helping our kids to have good habits at home. After school, unpack the backpack and look at everything that needs to be done. Review the assignment book. Assignments should be in folders or binders, preferably colored for each subject. My son used an accordion file with different colored tabs for each subject. Then he only had to keep track of one item that went everywhere with him. He would put all papers in it in the proper section. Find what works for your child and stick with it. Help your child make a plan for the evening based on what needs to be done. When finished have him put everything back in the appropriate folder, etc., and then back into the backpack. Place the backpack in the same spot all the time. I recommend a hook right near the door. Do this at night before bed, so everything is away and you’re not scrambling in the morning.
If your child is involved in any activities, have a bag for every activity to keep all of the needed supplies together. I suggest a soccer bag for soccer stuff, a baseball bag for baseball stuff, etc. You don’t want to get to the big game and not have cleats. (This has happened to me. Two hours away from home and we are hunting for a sports store to buy a pair.) Plus you don’t want to hound your child throughout the day to make sure they have everything. As I like to remind parents, we won’t be there forever to remind them, let’s help them be independent. We can’t follow them to college, I’ve tried but for some reason my kids object.
I used to have to remind my son every morning about 30 times to brush his teeth, comb his hair, get his shoes, and get his homework. I’d send him upstairs to do 3 things and it never failed, he would come down only having done 1 or 2. So, to help him be more independent, I purchased a write on wipe off board and placed it on his bedroom door. He wrote on it the things he needed to do in the mornings. He wrote, ‘Brush Teeth, Comb Hair, Get Shoes, Get Gym Bag, and Feed Fish’. He would then check them off as he had done them. Erasing the checkmarks at night. I never had to remind him of what he had to do again. He is independent. Our mornings are much nicer and there is much less stress for him when he gets to school. He can even add things that don’t relate to school that he wants to do, like call his friend to go to a movie or rent a video game. Of course, he still occasionally forgets something, (the disability never goes away), but it only happens once in a great while and let’s face it we all forget things sometimes.
Not all things work for every child, but keep trying things and you’ll figure out what works for your child. Give each thing you try at least two weeks before giving up and trying something new, don’t forget, we’re trying to help our child learn a routine which takes time. I now put my list in my bag as soon as I’ve finished writing it. I rarely forget it on the table. And my grocery shopping is much less stressful. Good luck.
About the Author
Lynne Castino has been advocating for children for over 15 years. She is a public speaker, trainer, author, and advocate working with families throughout the Southcoast of Massachusetts. Visit her website at http://www.beyondadvocacy.com or email her at lmccmw@gmail.com
Friday, May 28, 2010
A Checklist Of Ten Education Ideas We Might Want To Reconsider
One fascinating thing about education is that everyone has an analysis or a miracle cure.
Even when correct, however, a lot of these theories seem to me superficial. They don’t deal with the deep-down pathologies.
If we’re seeing really bad results, can’t you usually be pretty sure there’s a really bad idea down there somewhere?
Rushing in where angels might fear to tread, I offer my checklist of bad ideas undermining many American schools:
Self-esteem is pushed
Constructivism is injected into every course
Arithmetic is badly taught
Reading instruction is flawed
Guessing is encouraged
Foundational knowledge is slighted
Group learning is favored
Memorization is dismissed
Handwriting is not taught
Fuzziness is praised
Put aside for the moment whether a school is rich or poor, the teachers good or bad, the students smart or not so smart; put aside all the explanations and alibis typically mentioned. Behind all of that, these bad ideas are humming away 24/7, diminishing educational effectiveness.
Presumably for ideological reasons, our Education Establishment is more focused on social engineering than on intellectual engineering. The result is that they tend to favor inferior pedagogical methods. That’s what I believe this list is: inferior pedagogical methods.
For a little more detail on each item, please see “46: Public Schools Seem To Be Designed To Fail,” the newest article on Improve-Education.org.
(NB: this article is very brief because it was originally written to make a YouTube graphic video (one of 40 at this point). For the 4-minute YouTube version, click here.)
.
About the Author
Bruce Price is the author of "THE EDUCATION ENIGMA--What Happened to American Education." He founded improve-Education.org in 2005. It now has 48 original articles. Reading is a focus. Please see "42: Reading Resources."
Even when correct, however, a lot of these theories seem to me superficial. They don’t deal with the deep-down pathologies.
If we’re seeing really bad results, can’t you usually be pretty sure there’s a really bad idea down there somewhere?
Rushing in where angels might fear to tread, I offer my checklist of bad ideas undermining many American schools:
Self-esteem is pushed
Constructivism is injected into every course
Arithmetic is badly taught
Reading instruction is flawed
Guessing is encouraged
Foundational knowledge is slighted
Group learning is favored
Memorization is dismissed
Handwriting is not taught
Fuzziness is praised
Put aside for the moment whether a school is rich or poor, the teachers good or bad, the students smart or not so smart; put aside all the explanations and alibis typically mentioned. Behind all of that, these bad ideas are humming away 24/7, diminishing educational effectiveness.
Presumably for ideological reasons, our Education Establishment is more focused on social engineering than on intellectual engineering. The result is that they tend to favor inferior pedagogical methods. That’s what I believe this list is: inferior pedagogical methods.
For a little more detail on each item, please see “46: Public Schools Seem To Be Designed To Fail,” the newest article on Improve-Education.org.
(NB: this article is very brief because it was originally written to make a YouTube graphic video (one of 40 at this point). For the 4-minute YouTube version, click here.)
.
About the Author
Bruce Price is the author of "THE EDUCATION ENIGMA--What Happened to American Education." He founded improve-Education.org in 2005. It now has 48 original articles. Reading is a focus. Please see "42: Reading Resources."
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Join the Educational Revolution!
I consider myself an Education Reformer. Through the years I have tried to reform education from the inside out. It has not worked. What makes me so smart, nothing really? I think every teacher wants to assist students with learning to the best of their ability. At least that is my deepest desire, to assist kids that struggled to overcome their challenges. Which in turn, produces more well-rounded, self-sufficient, educated people as citizens for our county. Does this seem far-fetched?
This is my general premise as per my paper, The Multi-Sensory Classroom (Aug. 2004):
“Each child develops sensory/motor preskills at a very young age (e.g., auditory processing, fine and gross motor skills, visual perception, reflexes, tactile processing, sensory modulation). These bottom levels of sensory/motor development are often taken for granted because they are basic and develop automatically in the typically developing child. When we teach a student at school, the child uses these sensory/motor preskills as a foundation for learning. Children in whom these preskills have not fully developed find learning difficult if not impossible; they become our struggling or special-needs children. Without the appropriate developmental foundation, they cannot build the abstract thinking skills we try to teach them in school. “
Therefore, students may struggle in an educational setting and it may not be obviously apparent why the struggle exists.
So here’s my beef. Many students receive the necessary tools to overcome struggles in public education by the support of parents, teachers and interventions. There are a great number of students who do not receive additional support for whatever reason. This fact needs to change very rapidly.
Case in point, let’s examines the test scores for the high school exit exam for California. According to the California Department of Education website’s data for July of 2008, 13, 237 students took the Math portion of the California Exit Exam and 13, 373 students took the English portion of the exam. 29% of the students passed the Math and 30% passed the English portions of the test for the state. That means that 9,423 students failed the Math and 9,420 failed the English! Holy Smoke!
I cannot be the only one screaming in the wildness. Where are you? Please don’t give me the spill about more qualified teachers and incentives. In today’s, New York Times, Week in Review section on page 5 there is an advertisement from the President of America Federation of Teachers. The name of the article which is really an advertisement is called, “ What Matters Most: Words into Action”. In the ad-like article the president, Randi Weingarten explains this problem in education, “ For too long and too often, teacher evaluation –in both design and implementation – has failed to achieve what must be our goal: continuously improving and informing teaching so as to better education all students”. She goes on to give an example from Colorado of the school board and teacher union working together. Then at the end she says that school board members, teachers, union leaders all feel the same way, they want what’s best for the kids. I felt the article was about working relationships in these difficult financial times. Maybe that needs to be the focus for the advertisement that educational higher ups and teacher unions do not need to eat each other alive so they can eventually help kids. Although our students are failing right now and I don’t want any kid to miss several years of learning because people who make a lot of money can’t get along. We are talking about kid’s futures here. Give me a break!
I’m tired of the Infomercial Education. The kind that keeps promising that magic ellixir yet, the product is just so-so. The real conversation needs to be around the individual differences of students or their learning styles and needs. Administrators, school boards, teachers and all school staff members need to be trained in how to recognize a struggling student’s needs: emotionally, developmentally and physically. They also need to know how to build or recognize curriculum for these needs and drive the curriculum based on assessment data, not a hunch or a feeling. I’m not saying that public education can fix it all and is a one-stop shop. But let’s be honest students come to school with all of these issues and as a whole we cannot ignore the numbers. Our students in this state are not making the cut. Our interventions are not making the cut. Identifying student’s needs are not based on each student’s individual differences or assessments yet blanket interventions are thrown on major problems.
So, we need an Educational Revolution…
About the Author
Lisa Y. Johnson-Collins, Director of Education Through Engagement, LLC and Learning Through Engagement bring complementary skills in education and child development. Lisa has thirteen years of experience in special education classrooms. Lisa also has worked in the field of social work, assisting children and families. She has a master’s degree in special education, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and is a credentialed teacher in both special and general education, kindergarten through high school. She has taught children with, among other things, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, emotional disturbance, autism, and mental retardation, as well as children in general education classes. Lisa has also studied in the field of child development as it relates to children’s education, having completed the requirements for certification in DIR (Developmental Individual- differences Relationship Model/Floortime) in the area of Special Education from the Interdisciplinary of Council of Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL).
This is my general premise as per my paper, The Multi-Sensory Classroom (Aug. 2004):
“Each child develops sensory/motor preskills at a very young age (e.g., auditory processing, fine and gross motor skills, visual perception, reflexes, tactile processing, sensory modulation). These bottom levels of sensory/motor development are often taken for granted because they are basic and develop automatically in the typically developing child. When we teach a student at school, the child uses these sensory/motor preskills as a foundation for learning. Children in whom these preskills have not fully developed find learning difficult if not impossible; they become our struggling or special-needs children. Without the appropriate developmental foundation, they cannot build the abstract thinking skills we try to teach them in school. “
Therefore, students may struggle in an educational setting and it may not be obviously apparent why the struggle exists.
So here’s my beef. Many students receive the necessary tools to overcome struggles in public education by the support of parents, teachers and interventions. There are a great number of students who do not receive additional support for whatever reason. This fact needs to change very rapidly.
Case in point, let’s examines the test scores for the high school exit exam for California. According to the California Department of Education website’s data for July of 2008, 13, 237 students took the Math portion of the California Exit Exam and 13, 373 students took the English portion of the exam. 29% of the students passed the Math and 30% passed the English portions of the test for the state. That means that 9,423 students failed the Math and 9,420 failed the English! Holy Smoke!
I cannot be the only one screaming in the wildness. Where are you? Please don’t give me the spill about more qualified teachers and incentives. In today’s, New York Times, Week in Review section on page 5 there is an advertisement from the President of America Federation of Teachers. The name of the article which is really an advertisement is called, “ What Matters Most: Words into Action”. In the ad-like article the president, Randi Weingarten explains this problem in education, “ For too long and too often, teacher evaluation –in both design and implementation – has failed to achieve what must be our goal: continuously improving and informing teaching so as to better education all students”. She goes on to give an example from Colorado of the school board and teacher union working together. Then at the end she says that school board members, teachers, union leaders all feel the same way, they want what’s best for the kids. I felt the article was about working relationships in these difficult financial times. Maybe that needs to be the focus for the advertisement that educational higher ups and teacher unions do not need to eat each other alive so they can eventually help kids. Although our students are failing right now and I don’t want any kid to miss several years of learning because people who make a lot of money can’t get along. We are talking about kid’s futures here. Give me a break!
I’m tired of the Infomercial Education. The kind that keeps promising that magic ellixir yet, the product is just so-so. The real conversation needs to be around the individual differences of students or their learning styles and needs. Administrators, school boards, teachers and all school staff members need to be trained in how to recognize a struggling student’s needs: emotionally, developmentally and physically. They also need to know how to build or recognize curriculum for these needs and drive the curriculum based on assessment data, not a hunch or a feeling. I’m not saying that public education can fix it all and is a one-stop shop. But let’s be honest students come to school with all of these issues and as a whole we cannot ignore the numbers. Our students in this state are not making the cut. Our interventions are not making the cut. Identifying student’s needs are not based on each student’s individual differences or assessments yet blanket interventions are thrown on major problems.
So, we need an Educational Revolution…
About the Author
Lisa Y. Johnson-Collins, Director of Education Through Engagement, LLC and Learning Through Engagement bring complementary skills in education and child development. Lisa has thirteen years of experience in special education classrooms. Lisa also has worked in the field of social work, assisting children and families. She has a master’s degree in special education, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and is a credentialed teacher in both special and general education, kindergarten through high school. She has taught children with, among other things, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, emotional disturbance, autism, and mental retardation, as well as children in general education classes. Lisa has also studied in the field of child development as it relates to children’s education, having completed the requirements for certification in DIR (Developmental Individual- differences Relationship Model/Floortime) in the area of Special Education from the Interdisciplinary of Council of Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL).
University Ranking - Top Online Universities in the World
Want to study for an online degree program? There are many online universities
and colleges offering high quality education online.
Online Degree Programs:
Online degree programs offer many advantages such as flexibility and cost savings. Learning can take place at anywhere in the world, individual student can choose where, when and how to study.
Online programs are offered at different levels ranging from Certificate program, Diploma program, Associate degree, Bachelor degree, Graduate Certificate
, Graduate Diploma, Master degree to Doctorate degree. Subject areas include business, psychology, nursing, education, sociology, information technology and so on.
Top 10 Online Universities:
According to “The Best and Worst Online Degree Programs” 2007, the top ten online universities in the world are as follows:
(1) The University of London (UoL)
(2) The University of South Africa
(3) The University of Phoenix
(4) The University of Texas
(5) University of South Australia (UniSA)
(6) University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
(7) The University of Maryland University College
(8) Golden Gate University
(9) Ellis College of NYIT
(10) Stanford University
The University of London is ranked number one in the world for its outstanding online degree programs. It offers more than 100 online and distance qualifications through the University of London External Programme. Students studying through the External Programme are examined to the same standard as full-time on-campus students.
The University of South Australia is the leading provider of distance education in Australia. With more than 32000 on campus and offshore students, it is now the largest university in South Australia.
Prospective students are advised to check the accreditation and reputation of online universities and colleges before enrolling into a program of study.
Please refer to the relevant guides for more information on the latest university ranking and world university ranking.
Loke Yuen Wong - About the Author:
The author, Loke Yuen Wong, holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University (UK) and a BCom degree from The University of Adelaide (Australia). Other qualifications include the Postgraduate Diploma in Bus. Administration, Diploma in Instructor Skills, Diploma in Inferential Statistics, Group Diploma in Accounting, Group Diploma in Management Accounting, ACCA CertIFR, Pre-Cert (ES) TESOL, Certificate in Managing Performance, Certificate in Book-keeping & Accounts and English for Commerce.
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/university-ranking-top-online-universities-in-the-world-571792.html#ixzz0oSYefPxu
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
and colleges offering high quality education online.
Online Degree Programs:
Online degree programs offer many advantages such as flexibility and cost savings. Learning can take place at anywhere in the world, individual student can choose where, when and how to study.
Online programs are offered at different levels ranging from Certificate program, Diploma program, Associate degree, Bachelor degree, Graduate Certificate
, Graduate Diploma, Master degree to Doctorate degree. Subject areas include business, psychology, nursing, education, sociology, information technology and so on.
Top 10 Online Universities:
According to “The Best and Worst Online Degree Programs” 2007, the top ten online universities in the world are as follows:
(1) The University of London (UoL)
(2) The University of South Africa
(3) The University of Phoenix
(4) The University of Texas
(5) University of South Australia (UniSA)
(6) University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
(7) The University of Maryland University College
(8) Golden Gate University
(9) Ellis College of NYIT
(10) Stanford University
The University of London is ranked number one in the world for its outstanding online degree programs. It offers more than 100 online and distance qualifications through the University of London External Programme. Students studying through the External Programme are examined to the same standard as full-time on-campus students.
The University of South Australia is the leading provider of distance education in Australia. With more than 32000 on campus and offshore students, it is now the largest university in South Australia.
Prospective students are advised to check the accreditation and reputation of online universities and colleges before enrolling into a program of study.
Please refer to the relevant guides for more information on the latest university ranking and world university ranking.
Loke Yuen Wong - About the Author:
The author, Loke Yuen Wong, holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University (UK) and a BCom degree from The University of Adelaide (Australia). Other qualifications include the Postgraduate Diploma in Bus. Administration, Diploma in Instructor Skills, Diploma in Inferential Statistics, Group Diploma in Accounting, Group Diploma in Management Accounting, ACCA CertIFR, Pre-Cert (ES) TESOL, Certificate in Managing Performance, Certificate in Book-keeping & Accounts and English for Commerce.
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/university-ranking-top-online-universities-in-the-world-571792.html#ixzz0oSYefPxu
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Monday, May 10, 2010
Move to Learn – Unlock the Potential of the Brain
There are about as many nerve cells in the brain as there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The unique set of connections between neurons that each of us develops determines how we view the world, shapes our future experiences, and indeed, determines who we are. Successful students have developed rich, connected networks of neurons. Many factors encourage neurons to branch and communicate with each other. In this newsletter, our topic will be the vital role of movement in brain development.
In our quest to fathom intelligent behavior, we have failed to appreciate that learning does not occur strictly in the mind. Learning and creativity are a “whole body” phenomenon and cannot occur independently. We teach “to the head” only, asking students to sit in chairs for long periods of time, listening and looking almost exclusively at abstract symbols, even when they are very young. We don’t fully appreciate that the mind cannot excel without the support of the body. We don’t “get it” that we must move to learn.
What is the role of movement in learning?
Movement stimulates the growth of neural networks upon which learning depends. It affords us the opportunity to explore our world and gather the sensory data that fuels the development of intelligence, in other words, it provokes learning. Movement provides feedback that the brain requires in order to learn. Movement allows us to express knowledge and therefore advance to the next plateau in our understanding.
What can parents do to encourage stronger learning in their children?
Not very many years ago, children played in their yards for hours each day. They ran, climbed trees, built forts, made mud pies and pretended to fly. These experiences developed rich neural networks that supported brain development in these children. Young people today spend far less time moving. They watch considerably more television and play significantly more video games.
We can integrate movement into our children’s daily lives and augment their capacity to succeed. In particular, children who have learning issues benefit from the systematic inclusion of movement into their daily lives.
Each “body” learns in its own unique way. The following activities can be stimulating to the development of strong brain networks. Allow your child to experiment during homework time and find the particular combination of activities that are most effective.
Most students remember new information better when they talk, write or draw. Encourage your child to “teach” new information to others in the household. For those students who anchor information best by writing, provide them with a white board and erasable markers or encourage them to take notes on paper. It isn’t always necessary to keep notes or read them later in order to anchor information in memory. The act of writing down the information promotes the development of connections among concepts. Demonstrating the concepts of the learning is another powerful way to incorporate the new learning into existing neural networks. Allow your child to act out what has been read, build a model, draw a diagram or chart, sing or dance.
Many students attend, concentrate and learn better when engaged in a repetitive, low concentration task such as doodling, folding paper, rocking, or squeezing a ball. Your child can also try walking around the room while reading or studying. Suggest to your child that he or she do this every 15 minutes while completing homework.
Because the mouth is an important site of neural integration and is closely tied to brain development, some students find that chewing can be a highly integrating activity that promotes concentration and understanding. Chewing gum can actually be an effective way to focus! It’s best to keep it simple. Crunchy, spicy, salty or sour foods can be effective concentration boosters. Have your child try carrot sticks, sugar free gum, pretzels or a small sour candy.
Encourage your child to engage in cross lateral physical activity for five minutes every hour. Cross lateral movements engage hand and foot on opposite sides of the body. Most of these movements are more effective when done standing. The addition of rhythmic music provides a boost. Some cross lateral movements students enjoy are:
* Touch hand (or elbow) to opposite knee.
* Lazy 8. Use one hand to trace a large infinity sign in front of the body, following the hand with the eyes. Alternate hands and continue.
* Cross the arms in front of the face in the shape of an “X” tracing a lazy 8. Be sure to watch the path of the 8 while tracing it.
* Karate Cross Crawl: Kick while punching or chopping with alternate hand and foot (right hand chops while left foot kicks).
* Cross Crawl Sit-ups. While lying on the back with hands clasped behind the head for support, sit up and touch the right elbow to the left knee. Alternate touching elbow to opposite knee.
* Double Doodle. Draw a design with both hands simultaneously. Be sure the designs are mirror images of each other, rather than facing the same direction.
About the Author
Dr. Kari Miller is a Board Certified Educational Therapist and Director of Miller Educational Excellence in Los Angeles. She began her career almost twenty-five years ago as a special education resource teacher. She has worked with students in a vast array of capacities, including special education teacher and educational therapist. Dr. Miller has a PhD in Educational Psychology and Mathematical Statistics, a master’s degree in Learning Disabilities, Gifted Education and Educational Diagnosis, and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Behavior Disorders.
To contact Dr. Miller
Email: klmiller555@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.millereducationalexcellence.com
Phone: 310-280-9813
In our quest to fathom intelligent behavior, we have failed to appreciate that learning does not occur strictly in the mind. Learning and creativity are a “whole body” phenomenon and cannot occur independently. We teach “to the head” only, asking students to sit in chairs for long periods of time, listening and looking almost exclusively at abstract symbols, even when they are very young. We don’t fully appreciate that the mind cannot excel without the support of the body. We don’t “get it” that we must move to learn.
What is the role of movement in learning?
Movement stimulates the growth of neural networks upon which learning depends. It affords us the opportunity to explore our world and gather the sensory data that fuels the development of intelligence, in other words, it provokes learning. Movement provides feedback that the brain requires in order to learn. Movement allows us to express knowledge and therefore advance to the next plateau in our understanding.
What can parents do to encourage stronger learning in their children?
Not very many years ago, children played in their yards for hours each day. They ran, climbed trees, built forts, made mud pies and pretended to fly. These experiences developed rich neural networks that supported brain development in these children. Young people today spend far less time moving. They watch considerably more television and play significantly more video games.
We can integrate movement into our children’s daily lives and augment their capacity to succeed. In particular, children who have learning issues benefit from the systematic inclusion of movement into their daily lives.
Each “body” learns in its own unique way. The following activities can be stimulating to the development of strong brain networks. Allow your child to experiment during homework time and find the particular combination of activities that are most effective.
Most students remember new information better when they talk, write or draw. Encourage your child to “teach” new information to others in the household. For those students who anchor information best by writing, provide them with a white board and erasable markers or encourage them to take notes on paper. It isn’t always necessary to keep notes or read them later in order to anchor information in memory. The act of writing down the information promotes the development of connections among concepts. Demonstrating the concepts of the learning is another powerful way to incorporate the new learning into existing neural networks. Allow your child to act out what has been read, build a model, draw a diagram or chart, sing or dance.
Many students attend, concentrate and learn better when engaged in a repetitive, low concentration task such as doodling, folding paper, rocking, or squeezing a ball. Your child can also try walking around the room while reading or studying. Suggest to your child that he or she do this every 15 minutes while completing homework.
Because the mouth is an important site of neural integration and is closely tied to brain development, some students find that chewing can be a highly integrating activity that promotes concentration and understanding. Chewing gum can actually be an effective way to focus! It’s best to keep it simple. Crunchy, spicy, salty or sour foods can be effective concentration boosters. Have your child try carrot sticks, sugar free gum, pretzels or a small sour candy.
Encourage your child to engage in cross lateral physical activity for five minutes every hour. Cross lateral movements engage hand and foot on opposite sides of the body. Most of these movements are more effective when done standing. The addition of rhythmic music provides a boost. Some cross lateral movements students enjoy are:
* Touch hand (or elbow) to opposite knee.
* Lazy 8. Use one hand to trace a large infinity sign in front of the body, following the hand with the eyes. Alternate hands and continue.
* Cross the arms in front of the face in the shape of an “X” tracing a lazy 8. Be sure to watch the path of the 8 while tracing it.
* Karate Cross Crawl: Kick while punching or chopping with alternate hand and foot (right hand chops while left foot kicks).
* Cross Crawl Sit-ups. While lying on the back with hands clasped behind the head for support, sit up and touch the right elbow to the left knee. Alternate touching elbow to opposite knee.
* Double Doodle. Draw a design with both hands simultaneously. Be sure the designs are mirror images of each other, rather than facing the same direction.
About the Author
Dr. Kari Miller is a Board Certified Educational Therapist and Director of Miller Educational Excellence in Los Angeles. She began her career almost twenty-five years ago as a special education resource teacher. She has worked with students in a vast array of capacities, including special education teacher and educational therapist. Dr. Miller has a PhD in Educational Psychology and Mathematical Statistics, a master’s degree in Learning Disabilities, Gifted Education and Educational Diagnosis, and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Behavior Disorders.
To contact Dr. Miller
Email: klmiller555@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.millereducationalexcellence.com
Phone: 310-280-9813
Times Tables – Causes of Difficulties (1 – 3)
The brief enumeration of main causes of difficulties in mastering the multiplication tables described in my previous article needs to be detailed and motivated. Now I would like to dwell at some length upon the first three causes.
Cause #1. Pupils begin to learn the times tables while many of them have not mastered simple mental addition and subtraction totally.
Only the fact, that multiplication is repeated addition, defaults importance of the addition skills for understanding the multiplication idea. At the first stage of becoming accustomed to the times tables every pupil should obtain himself/herself each multiplication result from 2 x 2 = 2 + 2 = 4 to 9 x 9 = 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 +9 = 81. Undoubtedly, only the pupils, which have mastered the mental addition skills within the limits of 100 totally, can perform such a work successfully. Only in this case the times tables will cease to be a meaningless set of numbers, and, furthermore, the results obtained by a pupil without assistance will become more accessible to be retained in the memory.
If a kid meets significant difficulties in addition, if he/she can not perform mentally, for instance, 7 + 7 + 7 quickly and effortlessly, then the exhausting calculating procedure will hide the importance of the desired goal. Hereupon the final result will lose meaning for the kid, and, as is generally known, it is not easy to memorize any meaningless information.
After the times tables have been shaped by pupils, the work upon learning them by heart begins. The process of the memorizing will require certain quantity of time and some, maybe, considerable efforts. We know that our memory has bad habit to let us down at the very unsuitable moment. So pupils are needed to become acquainted with some tips which can help them to recall the forgotten result. The first of the tips is already mentioned. If a pupil remembers that multiplication is repeated addition, then, when, for instance, the result of 6 x 4 has been forgotten, he/she can get it by adding 6 + 6 + 6 + 6. But there are other tips also. If you remember that 6 x 3 = 18, you can perform the next procedure 6 x 4 = 6 x 3 + 6 = 18 + 6 = 24. Or if you remember that 6 x 5 = 30, you can act so 6 x 4 = 6 x 5 - 6 = 30 - 6 = 24. To use these tips effectively, pupils have to master totally both the addition skills and the subtraction skills within the limits of 100.
Cause #2. Pupils learn the times tables without simultaneous learning the corresponding to them division facts.
If you need to memorize new information quickly and firmly, the best way is to form many connections between the new facts and any other facts in your brain. As for the multiplication tables, the first connection is the close relation between multiplication and addition. The second one is symmetrical multiplication results, and then the connections between the multiplication facts and division facts must be mentioned. My experience show that the simultaneous learning interconnected results (3 x 6 = 18, 6 x 3 = 18, 18 : 3 = 6, 18 : 6 = 3, for example) helps to memorize each of them better. Some my pupils had memorized well the division facts first, and only then they achieved success in the memorizing the multiplication results. Evidently, remembering that 18 : 6 = 3 helps to recall that 3 x 6 = 18.
Cause #3. To memorize the multiplication facts, many pupils use the learning by rote only, and the knowledge which has been crammed is forgotten very soon.
If a pupil is weak in mental addition and subtraction, he/she has the only way to recall a forgotten result – looking at the multiplication charts, and the only way to memorize the times tables – learning them by rote. Sometimes even teachers encourage children to do so by asking them to recite the times tables over and over again. As a result, many of pupils do not understand what have been crammed in their heads, and if they are asked for the answer to 7 x 8 they can give it only by reciting from 1 x 8.
It is doubtful whether we can manage without learning some math facts by rote at all, but it is evident that the learning by rote can not be the single or main way of learning math. In all events children must at first understand well the information which then they will try to memorize by heart, and, secondly, they must constantly use this information. We know well, that the phone number used often is memorized easier than the phone number which we use once in a while.
About the Author
Victor Guskov, a teacher of mathematics, PhD, Pedagogical Sciences.
http://www.simplar.narod.ru/index1.html
Cause #1. Pupils begin to learn the times tables while many of them have not mastered simple mental addition and subtraction totally.
Only the fact, that multiplication is repeated addition, defaults importance of the addition skills for understanding the multiplication idea. At the first stage of becoming accustomed to the times tables every pupil should obtain himself/herself each multiplication result from 2 x 2 = 2 + 2 = 4 to 9 x 9 = 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 +9 = 81. Undoubtedly, only the pupils, which have mastered the mental addition skills within the limits of 100 totally, can perform such a work successfully. Only in this case the times tables will cease to be a meaningless set of numbers, and, furthermore, the results obtained by a pupil without assistance will become more accessible to be retained in the memory.
If a kid meets significant difficulties in addition, if he/she can not perform mentally, for instance, 7 + 7 + 7 quickly and effortlessly, then the exhausting calculating procedure will hide the importance of the desired goal. Hereupon the final result will lose meaning for the kid, and, as is generally known, it is not easy to memorize any meaningless information.
After the times tables have been shaped by pupils, the work upon learning them by heart begins. The process of the memorizing will require certain quantity of time and some, maybe, considerable efforts. We know that our memory has bad habit to let us down at the very unsuitable moment. So pupils are needed to become acquainted with some tips which can help them to recall the forgotten result. The first of the tips is already mentioned. If a pupil remembers that multiplication is repeated addition, then, when, for instance, the result of 6 x 4 has been forgotten, he/she can get it by adding 6 + 6 + 6 + 6. But there are other tips also. If you remember that 6 x 3 = 18, you can perform the next procedure 6 x 4 = 6 x 3 + 6 = 18 + 6 = 24. Or if you remember that 6 x 5 = 30, you can act so 6 x 4 = 6 x 5 - 6 = 30 - 6 = 24. To use these tips effectively, pupils have to master totally both the addition skills and the subtraction skills within the limits of 100.
Cause #2. Pupils learn the times tables without simultaneous learning the corresponding to them division facts.
If you need to memorize new information quickly and firmly, the best way is to form many connections between the new facts and any other facts in your brain. As for the multiplication tables, the first connection is the close relation between multiplication and addition. The second one is symmetrical multiplication results, and then the connections between the multiplication facts and division facts must be mentioned. My experience show that the simultaneous learning interconnected results (3 x 6 = 18, 6 x 3 = 18, 18 : 3 = 6, 18 : 6 = 3, for example) helps to memorize each of them better. Some my pupils had memorized well the division facts first, and only then they achieved success in the memorizing the multiplication results. Evidently, remembering that 18 : 6 = 3 helps to recall that 3 x 6 = 18.
Cause #3. To memorize the multiplication facts, many pupils use the learning by rote only, and the knowledge which has been crammed is forgotten very soon.
If a pupil is weak in mental addition and subtraction, he/she has the only way to recall a forgotten result – looking at the multiplication charts, and the only way to memorize the times tables – learning them by rote. Sometimes even teachers encourage children to do so by asking them to recite the times tables over and over again. As a result, many of pupils do not understand what have been crammed in their heads, and if they are asked for the answer to 7 x 8 they can give it only by reciting from 1 x 8.
It is doubtful whether we can manage without learning some math facts by rote at all, but it is evident that the learning by rote can not be the single or main way of learning math. In all events children must at first understand well the information which then they will try to memorize by heart, and, secondly, they must constantly use this information. We know well, that the phone number used often is memorized easier than the phone number which we use once in a while.
About the Author
Victor Guskov, a teacher of mathematics, PhD, Pedagogical Sciences.
http://www.simplar.narod.ru/index1.html
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