Learning Specialist and Teacher Materials

Posts

How to Quickly and Easily Write Neatly with Zoom Annotations

When working with students online using Zoom, it can be frustrating and messy when trying to write out lessons with your mouse. Although Zoom does offer a great typing tool, when doing math problems or drawing an image or diagram that requires a less linear approach there are better options out there. How Can You Use an iPad During Zoom? A great way to write and draw neatly on a Zoom session is to link your iPad to the Zoom session and share the screen. You can do this through airplay or by using a cable. Simply: First, select the green button at the bottom of the screen that says share screen Second, select either: iPhone/iPad via AirPlay OR iPhone/iPad via a USB to lightning cable. * I find the use of a cable to be a more reliable option. Third, allow screen sharing on your device by selecting: "Trust this computer" on your device. If it doesn't work, make sure both your iPad and Computer are updated to the latest versions and restart the devices. Fourth, you should ...

Informative Zoom Presentations and Support for Educators

Have you been looking for a supportive community to help you manage the academic and emotional needs of kids? Are you an educator or parent that has questions about the best schooling options? Perhaps you would like to learn more about topics such as executive functioning, dyslexia support, serving the needs of struggling students, remedial methods, and more. Dear friends: I hope you are safe and well during this strange and awkward time! With all this social isolation, I've really come to understand the importance of connection and community. In the past, I have been fortunate to have developed some lovely relationships with a number of my followers and students, and I want to reach out to more of you! I have decided to offer a monthly Zoom group that will feature a focused topic, presentation, and discussion. It won't be a webinar, because I want us to be able to see, interact with, and support one another. Instead, it will be a regular Zoom session with a limited number o...

What are the Best 2020 Summer Resources for Academic Gains?

Whether your child sprinted towards the finish line or limped over it, they’re done with the 2019-2020 school year - Congratulations! So, how do we now manage the summer months to accommodate for academic losses and remediate any learning difficulties? This guest blog is by my colleague, best friend, and amazing educational therapist, Nancy Platt Dawud. She was so gracious to share some amazing summer resources with all of us. What is the COVID 19 Summer Slide? For many, it feels like a victory to have simply made it to the end of the academic year. As we applaud students’ achievements and recognize their resilience and flexibility in handling a novel situation, we also have an eye to autumn and the coming academic year. While we can’t yet predict what “school” will look like in September, we can help support our students throughout the summer months to ensure that the skills they have, don’t recede and weaken. According to a recent study , between sixty-two to 78% of students los...

How COVID 19 Can Help Children With Dyslexia Thrive

COVID 19 has Changed the World and Education Bustling metropolises have become overnight ghost towns and rambunctious classrooms lay deserted and lifeless. Families who once scattered during the daylight hours into detached existences are now hunkering down in close quarters at home together both day and night. Kids with dyslexia and other learning disabilities are spending all their time at home with their parents and are needing direct assistance and help with academic support. As a result, it's been an eye-opening experience for many parents as they witness the true learning needs of their child. Some are now witnessing reading and writing struggles for the first time. COVID 19 Created an Opportunity for Dyslexics and Other Struggling Students The social isolation that has resulted from the COVID 19 pandemic now offers an opportunity for parents to observe and help their child that may have been slipping through the system. For many families, they may now...

Why Is Critical Thinking an Important Skill to Teach?

In order to teach our students to be critical thinkers , we must step out of the traditional pedagogical paradigm where learners are seen as blank slates that are dependent on their teachers and instead embrace and educational climate in harmony with many anthropological principles. Although andragogy refers to methods used in adult education, this approach offers a much better platform for teaching critical thinking. By embracing a new role as a facilitator, teachers can guide students to uncover intrinsic motivations, interest-based experiences, and problem-solving techniques. What is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking requires active learning and advanced reasoning skills. In addition, it involves rigorous questioning and analysis of ideas, assumptions, views, and values in an attempt to solve problems. Why is Critical Thinking Important to Teach? Critical thinking is a vital skill to teach because it nurtures self-directed learning and helps to train thoughtful a...

What does Executive Functioning Disorder Look Like?

Although there is no specific diagnosis for executive function disorder, the term is often used to describe the impairment in one's ability to manage their own cognition or executive functions. What are Executive Functions? Executive function is a term that has become more and more popular in the educational realm as it can have a profound impact on learning. Executive functions (EFs) collect sensory inputs as well as memories and processes from different parts of the brain. It also has its own virtual whiteboard where one can utilize the inner voice and visualizations to hold and arrange simple cognitive manipulations and tasks. What are the 5 Main Roles of Executive Functioning? Management involves task initiation, organization of information, time management, planning, and prioritization. Mental State includes both effort (speed and alertness) as well as emotional regulation or the management of moods and feelings. Metacognition or the awaren...

The Best Games to Engage Students on Zoom

A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog entitled, How to Use Zoom in 2020 for Video Tutoring , but this week, I wanted to share with you five, fun, educational games I created for my students that you can play while conducting lessons or tutoring online with Zoom! What are Five, Fun, Free Learning Games for Zoom Sessions? Here are some fun, educational games I created to be played with the Zoom group chatbox. 1) Category Race: One person comes up with a category such as Superheros. A timer is set for 1 to 2 minutes. Players type in as many superheroes as they can in the chatbox, while hitting the return or enter key after each one. The first one to type the superhero's name is the only one that gets the credit, so players have to make sure to read what others are typing, while they are typing themselves! When the timer goes off the player with the most answers wins. 2) Inference Detective: One player (the leader) has t...

How to Use Zoom in 2020 for Video Tutoring

With schools closed, children homebound, and teacher's sending lessons and assignments, online tutoring and academic support is at an all-time high. In-person sessions have been the preference, but with the coronavirus sweeping across the globe, online instruction offers a safe and effective option. What is the Best Platform for Conducting Online Sessions with Students? Although there are many conferencing devices out there, I have found that Zoom offers the best features and seems to be the most stable platform. Zoom can be used on virtually any computing device and browser. Here are just a few: mac PC Ubuntu Mint Linux Surface Pro iOS & Android devices Blackberry devices Zoom offers a Number of Excellent Features for Student Sessions: Zoom presents many useful tools: One or more participants can participate in a single Zoom session. Zoom allows you to share with up to 100 participants for their free or low payin...

How to be an Active Learner

Many classrooms nurture passive learning by training students to sit still and receive lessons through lectures and texts. They are expected to acquiesce, listen, absorb, and remember the new content. Unfortunately, this approach does not serve the needs of all students, and an active learning environment can offer an exciting solution. What is Active Learning? Active learning environments are bustling with energy and thought-provoking activities. Students are busy engaging with others, sharing ideas, and applying new content to prior knowledge. Active learners are continually involved in creative projects, self-directed learning, mindful activities, interactive discussions, and multisensory ways of learning. In addition, learners can discover how to use their inner voice and visualizations to make content memorable and easy to encode. What are Active Learning Strategies for the Classroom? Active learning strategies involve a different teaching approach as well...

How to Strengthen Executive Function for Students

Most teachers have excellent executive functioning skills, so when they come across students that struggle in this arena, they may have little compassion or patience. For many students, executive functioning is relatively easy. However, for some, tasks that require self-initiation, planning, time management, and organization to name a few, can be an immense struggle. What is Executive Functioning and Does it Impact Learning? Executive functioning is much like the conductor of one's brain. It is a mental process that gathers and creates meaning from sensory information. Allowing us to makes sense of what we experience, executive functioning also enables focused attention, metacognitive skills , and helps us to relate new content to prior knowledge. Executive functioning affects learning because it is the lens through which we perceive the world around us. Good executive functioning skills enable students to quickly and effectively absorb and assimilate ...

Learning Specialist and Teacher Materials - Good Sensory Learning

Search This Blog