Can Mom's Education Level Predict Her Child's School Success?

From eating a balanced breakfast to staying in touch with teachers, there are plenty of ways to help your child succeed in the classroom. But new research shows that your own education may have just as big of an impact on your child’s achievement in reading and math. According to a study recently published in Journal of Research on Adolescence, a mom’s level of education can actually predict her child’s academic performance years down the line. 

Can Mom's Education Level Predict Her Child's School Success?

Kids Do Well If They Can: A Strength-Based Approach

Kids do well if they can. This statement is foundational to supporting students from a place of empathy. Said another way, children use the skills they possess, and when a situation asks them to use more skills than they possess, they compensate through strategies that may not work well for themselves or others. 

Kids Do Well If They Can: A Strength-Based Approach

Prevent Bullying: Nurture Great Values and Affirm Life-Enriching Behavior

It’s unpleasant to be stretched out and pinned down on a pitch. Not by people, but metal hoops. A gang of boys had caught me. The friend I was with managed to get away. Now they were hurling heavy objects 30ft in the air above my head. Laughing as they crashed down around me. One, the size of a fist, punched into the ground by my right ear. I had watched its arc and descent. Unpleasant.

I was lucky. This only happened to me once when I was about 15. For many kids, physical and/or verbal abuse happens every day. And they wither under it.

Prevent Bullying: Nurture Great Values and Affirm Life-Enriching Behavior

How Is Gamification Reshaping The Language Learning Landscape?

As a language teacher, I have seen rapid changes in the learning trends. In a fast paced world, creating immersive learning environment is not a simple task. Yet, in order to meet the learning outcomes on the one hand and keep their students motivated on the other, teachers, are employing various techniques. Gamification seems to be the perfect way to make learning fun, but is there anything else beyond this? Read More

How Is Gamification Reshaping The Language Learning Landscape?

Going Google for Education

Google Classroom is gaining traction in schools and it’s only a work in progress! At a simple level Classroom helps teachers to communicate with their classes, create and organise assignments and provide feedback when and where it is required. Classroom is actually an excellent example of paperless workflow and does a fantastic job of leveraging the power of Google Docs, Drive and Gmail in one platform. 

Going Google For Education

Best and Worst Media Moments of 2014

Fifteen minutes of fame used to sound too short. But now -- with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a thousand other ways to get news instantly -- fame is more fleeting than ever. One minute you're watching the world take the Ice Bucket Challenge, and the next minute, it's all about that bass.

Best and Worst Media Moments of 2014

Curiosity.com Grows Out of Discovery

(Chicago) - Curiosity.com – a consumer-centered online marketplace featuring the best learning-based content from across the web – announced today it will change ownership from Discovery Communications to an independent company, Beacon Solutions, Inc. The Chicago-based venture also has raised $6 million in Series A funding from Discovery and four local investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Origin Ventures, Chicago Ventures and Corazon Capital. Read More

Curiosity.com Grows Out of Discovery

Can Parental Controls Aid Self-Regulation?

Most of my friends know what it’s like to worry at night for a child, even if it’s not their own.

Awake, restless. Revisiting something said or seen. Unsettled by a gnawing intuition.

Three questions worry away at us. For good reason. What are they viewing? Who are they with? Where are they?

The first question, what are they viewing? not only keeps parents awake, but also educators. Particularly anyone in curriculum design and software/app development. The question of content creates more heat in education debate than anything else. I have seen curriculum writers white with anger, arguing over content that will spill into books, apps, images and videos. One time, I thought a colleague would die over the matter.

Self Regulation and Parental Controls iPad

18 Things Great Principals Do Differently

School improvement efforts rely heavily on quality leadership. Educational leaders are tasked with establishing a collective vision for school improvement and initiating change to spur innovation, ensure student learning, and increase achievement. On July 13th I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. James Strong, from the College of William and Mary, deliver a keynote address at the NJ Department of Education Leadership Institute entitled "Qualities of Effective Principals." Dr. Strong emphasized that the job of a principal, or school leader for that matter, is about making a difference in the lives of children. Leading and teaching is challenging work that requires a high level of understanding and patience.

What Principals Do Differently

The Attack On Our Higher Education System And Why We Should Welcome It

In the past few years, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become a lens used by educators, entrepreneurs, education reformers and venture capitalists to view the higher education system. They are now a proxy for our hopes and fears for education; how we speak of MOOCs increasingly says more about our personal philosophy than it does about open online courses. 

More On Higher Ed

Why? Because Education Matters.

I intend to write a series of blogs on education. Why? To inform; provoke and cause to act.

Why? Because education matters. And because I think, live and breathe education.

Because education is about justice (hence the title of the minority report ‘Just Education’ I wrote as Secretariat to a group of cross-party MPs, working from the Prime Minister’s Office).

Because I have something to say on education having worked for over thirty years in teaching (K–12); tertiary education; postgraduate education; research, curriculum design, development and testing; and education policy at the highest levels of government in multiple jurisdictions.

Why? Because Education Matters

Great Parents Nurture A Child's Natural Desire To Learn

Nkong Bushman at the age of 13 was still tiny. Typical of his people group. The first time I saw him was at dusk, moving like a dart across a sweltering dust-cloud football field. Neither his size, light skin nor name deterred him. He was going to get a goal.

I had been living in the central Kalahari desert for just over a year, teaching at a junior secondary school called Lehutshelo. It was a bit of an experiment, funded by the World Bank in response to fundraising by local communities–a type of private public partnership. Peace Corps, World Universities Services Canada (WUSC), local and British Council teachers came together in this fledgling school in a remote community.

The Board of Governors and the principal were remarkable people. The latter, an Oxford graduate in English and former president of the student union.

He was standing beside me, commenting on Nkong.

The boy had achieved the best primary school results in the nation. He was one of my top students: a total joy to teach, gloriously mischievous, and yet winsome. What made him remarkable?

Great Parents Nurture A Child's Natural Desire To Learn

Can Math Be Fun & Entertaining?

It probably won't surprise you that Pixar uses some good old fashioned mathematics in the 3D animation process. What might surprise you is just how much they use math to ensure that their characters look and move perfectly. And Pixar researcher Tony DeRose is great at explaining just that. 

Can Math Be Fun And Entertaining?

Can We Turn Social Media Distractions Into Learning Experiences?

When you have a tool as useful and speedy as a smartphone or tablet at hand, many of us would be tempted to take a moment and “peek” at sports scores, the latest headlines, or the number of “likes” we’ve accumulated on our latest Facebook or Instagram posts. And of course, students are not immune to these temptations. Texts from friends, tweets from celebrities, the latest online game, and myriad other tools and apps all have the potential to distract them from your classroom activities.

Can We Turn Social Media Distractions Into Learning Experiences?

Yes! We Can Revolutionize Education

It is hard to imagine a time when the opportunity and need to transform education has been greater. What great business and education leaders know is that no single institution or organization can make the kinds of changes necessary to revolutionize the education system. It requires a community to enable the significant education transformation needed for the 21st century.

Yes! We Can Revolutionize Education

Is My Kid Struggling In School Because He's A Genius?

Every year, the MacArthur Foundation bestows large financial grants on a group of people who are doing exceptionally creative or important work. MacArthur fellowships are often called “genius grants,” and grant-winners tend to be unusually motivated, passionate and forward thinking. But are they geniuses? The annual conversation that ensues raises questions about what it means to be intelligent and whether that’s something that can be cultivated, measured or even defined. Read More

Is My Kid Struggling In School Because He's A Genius

The Future of Parenting?

Three distinct styles of parenting, with altogether different amounts of investment and outcome, but what are the possible reasons behind the trends towards authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting, and permissive parenting? By “trends” we don’t mean individual family reasons behind the parenting style, but what is going on in the culture, generation by generation, country by country, that causes one style or another to be adopted most readily? atthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti share their research on leading economics site voxeu.org, and it makes for interesting reading. Read More

The Future of Parenting?

Parenting or Schools - What's More Important?

Given all the roiling debates about how America’s children should be taught, it may come as a surprise to learn that students spend less than 15% of their time in school. While there’s no doubt that school is important, a clutch of recent studies reminds us that parents are even more so. A study published earlier this month by researchers at North Carolina State University, Brigham Young University and the University of California-Irvine, for example, finds that parental involvement — checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home — has a more powerful influence on students’ academic performance than anything about the school the students attend.

Parenting or Schools - What's More Important

Can Technology Really Improve Education?

Last week’s DevLearn 2014 was another amazing conference, characterized by progressive approaches to age-old problems in the educational space. One of the most impacting takeaways, however, was how little education has changed in the last 150 years. In his opening keynote session, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson outlined the history of the traditional education system in America.

Can Technology Improve Education?

Teen Identity Theft: Fraud, Security, and Steps Teens are Taking to Protect Themselves Online

Between October 1 and 7, 2013, Hart Research Associates conducted a nationwide online survey among 558 teens ages 13 to 17 who access the internet. This report presents the key findings from the survey

Teen Identity Theft

A Parents Guide To Cyberbullying

Top 5 Questions Parents Have About Cyberbullying 1. What is cyberbullying anyway? 2. How likely is it that my child will be cyberbullied? 3. How do I know if my child is being cyberbullied? 4. What's the best way to keep cyberbullying out of my child's life? 5. What do I do if my child is cyberbullied?

Parent Guide to Cyberbullying

What is the true cost of college?

How much is the average American spending on higher education? More than you might expect. This infographic goes beyond tuition and offers a comprehensive breakdown of the real costs of college, as well as what goes into financing a degree, including the realities of student loan debt. Get the info you need to plan and pay for college.

What Is The True Cost of College

Does School Feel Like Prison?

Schools are not prisons, but this image resonates with the age-old problem of school: how do we tailor our teaching to the unique needs of 20–30 students who are sitting in the same room? The imagery captures the frustration when we try to push the a unique life-in-formation through an often limited mold.

Does School Feel Like A Prison?

Can Kids Teach Themselves?

Indian education scientist Sugata Mitra tackles one of the greatest problems of education -- the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching

Can Kids Teach Themselves?

A Parents Guide to Snapchat

Top 5 Questions Parents Have About Snapchat: 

1. Why do kids love Snapchat? 

2. Does Snapchat have a minimum age? 

3. What are the risks in using Snapchat? 
4. Is it good that Snapchat photos and videos disappear in seconds? 
5. What’s the best way to make sure kids stay safe in Snapchat?

A Parents Guide To Snapchat

38 Of The Best Educational Games For iPad

School is a time in a students life where they are learning as much about how to be students and operate successfully in a school as they are about how to read, write, and think. But oftentimes, the demand for pure academic instruction and practice can fly in the face for a student’s need–at any age–to play, build, interact, explore, and construct their own learning experience. Read More

38 of The Best Educational Apps for iPad

Social Media Safety For Teens

A checklist that can help teens take steps to stay safer online: 

1. Check your comments and images 

2. Talk to your friends about what’s OK to post 

3. Review your account settings 

4. Know your friends, contacts, and followers 

5. Keep an eye on 3rd party apps 

6. Don’t forget mobile 

7. Report

Teen Safety Report

Internet Safety Tips for Kids

Sharing photos, posting comments, playing video games -- these are just a few of the ways that kids interact online. But when online networking goes beyond friends and family, it can present safety risks. Learn how to protect your kids online

Internet Safety for Kids

At What Age Should We Put Babies On A Digital Media Diet?

A recent New York Times article points to a glaring inconsistency between the amount of “screen time” toddlers have using tablets, phones and computers – and the advice of many early years specialists. In fact, there are several apps specifically developed for (and enjoyed by) two-year-olds and even one-year-olds, yet the official guidance from the American Paediatric Association states that: “Television and other entertainment media should be avoided for infants and children under age two.”

What Age Should We Put Babies On A Digital Media Diet?

What Can LEGOs Teach Us? The Learning Power of LEGO®

You don’t have to be a young child to enjoy LEGOs. The brightly colored blocks are an irresistible toy. Whether you’re putting together an elaborate building or spaceship, or are deconstructing someone else’s creation, these ubiquitous blocks have brought many of us hours of entertainment. Not only do LEGOs have a long history in the realm of play, they also offer endless creative opportunities and hold quite a bit of teaching and learning power. Read More

The Learning Power of LEGO

LEGO Infographic

Digital Citizenship - Flashcard Deck

In today's connected world it's critical that our children understand how to be safe and responsible online. To help you teach them the basics, the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) designed this flashcard deck which covers the key principles of digital citizenship. Read More

Read More - Digital Citizenship

Calming Parental Anxiety While Empowering Our Digital Youth

Kids are growing up in a digital world. They connect, share, learn, explore, and play in a way unimaginable just a generation ago. This is the only world they know and their parents, teachers, political leaders and even the media are all doing what they can to catch up. The emergence of social media, in all its extraordinary forms, is pushing the boundaries of what we think of as private while giving us all, and our children, a platform to express ourselves anytime, anywhere. Read More

Calming Parental Anxiety

A Parents’ Guide to Instagram

Top 5 Questions Parents Have About Instagram
1. Why do kids love Instagram?
2. Does Instagram have a minimum age?
3. What are the risks in using Instagram?
4. What's the best way to help kids stay safe on Instagram?
5. Should my child's profile be private?

Parent Guide To Instagram

Can TV & Games Teach Kids Patience and Empathy?

Did you know that TV shows, games and apps can help kids develop important qualities like empathy, curiosity and grit? Find out how to pick the best character building media for your kids. Watch the Video

Watch The Video - Kids and Empathy

A Parents Guide to Cybersecurity

The Top 5 Questions Parents Have About Cybersecurity: 

1. What are the biggest security threats to kids? 
2. How do I talk with my child about security? 
3. How do we protect our family's computers? 
4. How do we protect our mobile devices? 
5. Why do we always hear "Never share your passwords"?

The Guide - Click Here

Zero to Eight - Children’s Media Use

In the two years since Common Sense Media first reported on media use of 0-to-8 year olds, our latest survey in the series, Zero to Eight: Children’s Media Use in America 2013, shows the media environments and behaviours of young kids have changed. More than ever, they’re growing up mobile. Read More

Use of Media - Click Here

Bright College Years: Inside the American College Today

As the price of higher education escalates and the number of Americans seeking a college degree steadily rises, it is now more important then ever to think about higher education in a different way. In Bright College Years, Anne Matthews paints a provocative yet evenhanded portrait of the American campus. With each chapter dedicated to sections of the academic year, Matthews puts students, professors, and administrators under the magnifying glass.

Bright College Years

Parenting in the Digital Age, November 2014

FOSI released its latest research report, "Parenting in the Digital Age: How Parents Weigh the Potential Benefits and Harms of Their Children's Technology Use" on November 12, 2014. This research was conducted I by Hart Research Associates on behalf of FOSI with support from Google, Cable Impacts Foundation, Microsoft, and CTIA. Read More

Parent In The Digital Age

Teens Ditch Facebook for New Social Media Favorite

More than 9 out of 10 American teenagers use social media, and they name Instagram as the most popular site by far, according to the results a new survey by Piper Jaffray, an investment bank and asset management firm. In the survey, analysts examined how kids' social media preferences have changed over the last six months. They found that Instagram has become even more popular, with 76 percent of teens currently saying they use it -- up 7 percent since last spring. Read More

Teens New Favorite Social Media

The Secret Language of Girls on Instagram

Girls have quietly repurposed the photo-sharing app into a barometer for popularity, friendship status and self-worth. Here's how they're using it. Secrecy is hardly new on Planet Girl: as many an eye-rolling boy will tell you, girls excel at eluding the prying questions of grown ups. And who can blame them? From an early age, young women learn that to be a “good girl” they must be nice, avoid conflict and make friends with everyone. It’s an impossible ask (and one I’ve studied for over a decade) – so girls respond by taking their true feelings underground. Read more

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Can Your Kids Learn From Zombies?

The ZBL narrative follows the different stages of the zombie outbreak: Pre-planning, the outbreak, after the outbreak, survival, resettlement and rebuilding society. Students apply the knowledge and critical thinking that meets geography standards instead of just memorizing maps and capitols. The goal is to practice higher order thinking skills and think like a geographer.

Well Can They?

Increasing Youth Safety and Responsible Behavior Online

Hundreds of programs are being developed to promote safe and responsible online behavior among youth. They are being successfully marketed and eagerly adopted because of their appealing content, exciting graphics, engaging games, catchy phrases, and cool characters. But that is not enough. The bottom line for everyone to remember - funders, program developers, communities, schools, and families -- is these programs actually need to work. They need to change youth attitudes and inspire youth to make smart and ethical choices about how they behave online.

Youth Safety

Games, Problem-Based Learning and Minecraft

Our students' experiences of society and culture are increasingly digital and their futures will involve digital workplaces. Their everyday lives are characterized by digital play and online interaction and their futures will involve digital workplaces, regardless of the career paths they follow.

Minecraft and Education

Understanding Student Loans

We have all heard the statistics: Tuition keeps rising, while student debt continues to increase. In fact, the United States now has more total student loan debt than credit card debt. The good news? Lenders are eager to provide students with loans to make their college aspirations a reality. The bad news? Those same students often do not recognize the full impact of taking on additional debt

Understanding Student Loans

Project-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning vs. X-BL

Effective Technology To Jumpstart Early Childhood Educators

Moving beyond screen time

What do Americans really think about their educations system?

Should kids be on a media diet?

Tablet and Phone Reviews

The benefits of gaming - what the research shows

Safe Web Surfing: Top Tips for Kids and Teens Online

Smart Online Search Tips for Kids

Internet Safety Tips for Kids

Smart Screen Time Tips

Can I return this?

The 10 Best Kid-Friendly Minecraft Channels on YouTube

Should you put your kids on a media diet?

Getting Early Childhood Educators Up and Running

What do Americans really think about their education system?

A different look a the the use of technology and early childhood development

Kids and Games - Problem Based Learning

http://www.slideshare.net/mindmake/games-problem-based-learning-and-minecraft

A conversation between James Tooley and Clive Crook

Can Kids Teach Themselves?

Kids Online - Parental Controls

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MindMake Parental Controls iPad and iPhone