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I chose to examine the SMART GOALS TEMPLATE. I feel like this could be used with 4th grade and above. It's really important for students to have goals, but it is really hard to set goals that are achievable. This template lays out questions and step by step directions to come up with an achievable goal. Each step asks the students to answer specific questions to guide them. I think this could also a students revise a goal if they do not meet their goal by a chosen time frame. This template could be used with academic, social or even sports/activities.

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Krissy Harmsma

K-5 PE

10 Tips for a smooth school year for students with ADHD (allow students to make choices)

One way I could provide students with choices is to allow them to choose the order of various stations that they need to complete, instead of a fixed rotation.

The students can also have choices within a skill. For example, I could ask the student if they want to skip in a line, or in a circle. Another way to give them choices would be to provide different levels they want to challenge themselves at. They can try the next level when they feel ready to do so.

When the students get to choose their own path, they will feel more sense of ownership and be more engaged.

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

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Amy Clune

This article states,  "Attending to multiple streams of information and entertainment while studying, doing homework, or even sitting in class has become common behavior among young people—so common that many of them rarely write a paper or complete a problem set any other way." It is recommended that one way to control the multitasking is by allowing students to take a tech break. Students can spend 15 minutes on the assignment, with all other tabs and devices off, then two minutes on "choice" tech. I wonder if this technique was utilized in HS the students would actually be successful to manage delayed gratification. I think this is a great article to share with parents to help manage the load of MS and HS homework.

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn - Debora Vida

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn - Debora Vida

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I found this article fascinating and totally relatable. It spoke mostly about "media multi-tasking with learning" (homework) and how distractions via social media has led to a decline in the amount of "on task behavior". On average, students "on task behavior" declined at about the 2 minute mark! And by the 15 minute mark, students had only spent 65% of that time studying. The study shows that this results in spotty and shallow learning, and that students understand and remember less. Additionally, it takes longer to complete tasks, and most time students have to continually refamiliarize and reread the material. This is because learning and attention to social media/texting rely on the same parts of the brain and "under most conditions the brain cannot do two complex tasks at the same time". So, learning suffers. I see this in myself when I am doing lesson plans at home. I stop and text, check FaceBook, and get distracted and lose my thoughts. The article suggested setting a timer with students to ease them out of this (15 mins work, 2 mins break) and then shoot for longer and longer work time with the idea to totally abandon any social media outlets during their homework time. It's worth a shot. I may try it!

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4th grade

SMART Goals

My school follows Leader in Me. SMART Goals are great for when students become leaders and choose their own goal for the semester. Having students understand the importance of a SMART goal so they choose the right goal for themselves and effectively grow. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. I'm going to use the provide example pdf during a mini-lesson for their goal setting time.

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I read the Ten Tips for Students with ADHD. As a 5th grade departmentalized teacher (math) our lessons and pacing moves fast. I teach a group at the end of the day and I have several students who have ADHD and have a hard time with the math lesson and the end of the day. I would like to focus on teaching them stress-management techniques that they could use when they feel like they are out of control. I just had a conversation with a student about how she could take time during my class to help her feel less hyper. These are great ideas that I can share with her and others in my class. These would be quick and easy to teach to the students and they would benefit from them.

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After participating in the Fish Bowl Activity in class, I decided to read the article “11 Discussion Protocols.” I’ve tried several of these strategies before with varying levels of success. One that stood out as both simple and effective was Collaborative Posters. In this strategy, students are each assigned a specific color to ensure accountability and work together to visually share their learning.

Another favorite strategy of mine is Jigsaw. In this approach, students are divided into groups and assigned a text or material on a topic (or related topics). After discussing their assigned content within their group, they then share their learning with a different group. I especially like using ChatGPT to organize content by subheadings, which makes setting up this activity quick and easy.

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I really like the idea of doing a graffiti wall for my third, fourth and fifth graders. I am a school counselor so I provide a lot of lessons that are focused on SEL. The graffiti wall may provide me with information that I don't know how the students are feeling or may give me a different perspective. The kids don't always know what their feelings are or how to express those feelings. I also love the carousel idea for the same reason. This type of activity allows my kids to know that there are others that may be feeling the same things. This can create understanding and support school community. I feel like I can use both of these activities during a coping skills lesson regarding stress, anxiety, making friends, getting along with others, being kind, and acting respectful.

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I love your thoughts on multi tasking and how this can help a high school student. I think we often think of high school students as adults but they are still children with developing brains. I think this activity would allow the student to feel a sense of autonomy while still learning important skills.

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I love your idea about using chat gpt. most of us are scared to use some of the new technology like AI because students may not be learning. I love that you had the students work together on a poster and a jigsaw activity. These activities allow students to work together and create a sense of school community. Thanks for sharing!

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD                                           

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD                                           

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Karen Laskowski

3rd Grade

Gen Ed

I chose this article because I realize that every year I will likely have a student who is either diagnosed ADHD or shows signs. I allow my students to fidget as long as they aren't distracting others. Some of my students need to stand and move their feet. Others need something to keep their hands occupied. This year, I've purchased a variety calming strips and give students the opportunity to add another to their desk every month. I try to get my students up and moving during lessons. I think the idea of wearing a costume is interesting. I am going to use the deep breathing exercise tomorrow. I like that it uses the visuals of a robot and a rag doll (even though I'll probably have to show them what a rag doll is).

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Fawnda Sanchez

I chose to watch the video and read the article on philosophical chairs because I find that as a kindergarten teacher of current “Covid babies”, they are really struggling with critical thinking. The purpose of this activity is to get students to think critically. I obviously would not be able to use it the way it was portrayed in the video or article, however, I do think it can still be used in kindergarten in a different way to get students to think critically. I was thinking that we could use it for discussions about simple things like quotation which one is better for you, fruits or vegetables?“. I like the idea of students listening to each other and possibly being able to change their minds based on what somebody said and I think this helps them Understand that their opinion isn’t always the correct one or that people can have different opinions and it is OK.

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn

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Steven Rankin Not an activity, but an analysis of what is really going on when we as teachers assign something that uses technology. Even in 5th grade we have added a lot of technology to our everyday curriculum, and we didn't bring it in, the district did. Edmentum, Savvas, and Amplify are just a few. In all of these, students are capable of clicking another tab and moving over to look at something else. We have GoGuardian to help us combat this, but then we as teachers are looking at a screen. The article was more of an eye-opener in that how quick students look for a way out even when they know someone is watching. My point is that even though we want our students to be tech savvy and capable of learning in the modern world, aren't we creating more of the problems that we see media and tech are giving us.

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Tips for Teaching ADHD

The tips provided in this article work well equally for my kindergarten students with or without ADHD. Kindergarteners, as well as most students these days, need frequent movement, brain breaks, novelty and choice to keep them engaged and motivated. This article inspired me to include even more movement and arts into my lessons to help my students regulate and enjoy the adopted curriculum even more each day.

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Suzanne Davis

Purpose: focusing on learning

Grade level: Any

My resource is the article for tips for teaching students with ADHD.

The main part of the article that stood out to me is Intergrating Arts into the Lessons. Allowing students to draw, doodle, and using their creativity helps to channel their energy to something constructive. I think this is an excellent way to focus and use their hands to show their learning. Anytime we can engage the students with attention difficulties in active learning, will help focus their attention in a positive way. I can be more aware of ways I can incorporate active learning and arts into my lessons.

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Lisa Erickson, 12 grade

"Goal Setting"

I chose the goal setting activity for my (mostly) seniors in high school.  We talk a lot about college as well as other paths to take after high school.  Goal setting is such a powerful thing and, at this age, students have a decent grasp of the importance.  It is exciting as they have so much future ahead of them.  I like the format laid out here particularly the reflection on progress which I think will be very beneficial.

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11 Discussions Protocol - Jillian Ebrahimi

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11 Discussions Protocol - Jillian Ebrahimi

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I found some great new ideas for student discourse in this article. One new idea I want to try in my classroom is the Graffiti Wall. The document recommends using as a whole class, but I think it could also be great to use as a unit learning log that students keep individually and can share with peers and use for review. I also liked the Final Word and Text Rendering Protocols. I am always looking for new activities for when we read articles and I can easily implement either of these with any article. All of these strategies will be great for processing.

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I have used Jigsaw in my class. There are 4 students per table, and I assign word problems with varying difficulty. I let them choose which problem they want to assign to each member of the group, then tell them to be in expert groups. That way, I can already differentiate students as to how they feel about solving different types of word problems.

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Name
“10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD” – Thomas Armstrong

Purpose
Offers quick strategies to keep ADHD students active, focused, and supported.

How I’d Use It
In PE I’d add frequent movement breaks, give station choices, and build quick 1-on-1 check-ins. I’d also share key tips with classroom teachers so students get consistent support.

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

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Meghan Fraser

I examined the article entitled “How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn” and was intrigued by the research about distractions and how they affect retention, efficiency, memory and cognition when we are attending to multiple streams of information at one time. While the focus of the article examined multi-media as the source of distractions, it appealed to me because I think it is common that primary students are completing homework, eating dinner, going to public places and maneuvering around with devices being pumped in from parents, siblings, and home environments. While they may not use social media at this age, completing assignments and homework with these distractions result in obstacles to learning. The strategy I intend to discuss with parents is using a time-based system to allow them to chunk their activities and intersperse them with media sources rather than simultaneously engaging with both.

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD

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Hello everyone,
I currently teach 3rd grade, and this year I have several students in my class with ADHD. For that reason, I chose to focus on the article “10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD.” I found all of the tips in the article to be helpful and practical.

Today, I specifically implemented the strategy of using stress management techniques. As a class, we practiced deep breathing exercises and discussed ways to calm ourselves when we feel fidgety or overwhelmed. I also played calming music during independent work time to help create a peaceful classroom environment.

I’m looking forward to trying out more of these strategies and resources throughout the year.

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I chose this article because Goal setting has been an important part of my classroom in the past. The school that I am at now has students goal set. I like to let students have some choice in goal setting. Ie. Pick an academic area to goal set for and also a behavioral goal. Students are more likely to follow through with the goal when they choose it. I personally really like it when students goal set every month. The shorter time frame makes it more manageable for the students and creates more buy in. I liked that the article mentions the need for self reflection. Goals are fine but if you set and forget, it won't amount to anything.

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD

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Marine Baldzhyan

4th Grade

General Education

10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students with ADHD caught my attention because I am always looking for tips for helping my students who are distracted very easily. I have several students who show signs of ADHD but are not diagnosed. The helpful tips like Letting them Fidget, Engaging them in Active Learning and Providing Physical Activity Breaks are a great way to get all students engaged and on task. Although the article was specifically for students with ADHD, I think all students will benefit from the tips. I will definitely try to incorporate more physical movement and active learning in my daily lesson and plans.

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Anger Management Group Activities - Role Playing

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Anger Management Group Activities - Role Playing

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My name is Rebecca Witalka, and I teach K-5 Library. The activity is Role Playing from Anger Management Activities. The purpose of the activity is reflection and understanding how to deal with anger. This activity has students acting out situations that would cause anger and discussing how it makes the students role playing feel and what the best response should be. I have used role playing before, and I think it is a great tool for preparing students for situations that might occur. While dealing with anger management, as a librarian, I would read a story, such as "When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Anger," about dealing with big emotions for some common situations that might occur in elementary. I would then have the students act out how the character handled the situation and some alternative responses. This would help them to have some experience with common situations and build empathy. Role playing can be done with more than just anger management and can help students to understand how to respond in situations to keep important relationships.

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Teenage Brain is Wired to Learn - Consider the Source

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Teenage Brain is Wired to Learn - Consider the Source

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My name is Rebecca Witalka, and I teach K-5 library. The strategy is Consider the Source. This activity is focused on building reflection and building metacognition. For this strategy, you would help the students to make judgements about the reliability and credibility of an online source. This is a strategy that would be useful to be taught in elementary as it is now a life skill. We are bombarded with online information, and it is easy to believe just about anything. Teaching this skill helps to make critical thinkers. There are many places that can help teach this skill. One lesson source I use is Commonsense.org. Also, just having students practice analyzing a source and providing a checklist of what to look for helps them to focus on what to consider.

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I chose to read the article on Tips for Teaching ADHD. The one strategy that I actively do is engage them in active learning. When I see them begin to get fidgety I call on them to read or give an answer. I also do get up and move activities around the middle of classtime, which gives them a chance to stretch and get their wiggles out!

Once activity I would like to do more of this year is taking my students outside. We just recently had our quad area landscaped with turf and benches. I think fresh air for the kids is good and they tend to enjoy those moments with their peers.

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While I teach k-5 library, I read through the article "The Teenage Brain is Wired to Learn". I took away several ideas from this article. One is that you can get smarter. It argues that success isn't about innate talent, but about using effective learning strategies and putting in the necessary effort. Past academic performance doesn't have to define future success. Another point I really liked was that effective learning is an active process. Instead of just reading, students should actively engage with the material to improve their understanding and memory.

Some activities that I could use in the library include having students reflect on a time they struggled with a subject and ask them to brainstorm how they could have approached it differently using a "growth mindset." I could also teach students to go beyond passive reading. For example, I could give students a short passage or article to read and challenge them to summarize it in a "tweet" or to create a simple diagram representing the main ideas.

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students with ADHD

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10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students with ADHD

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Steven Buford - High School

"10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students with ADHD"

This article offers 10 helpful teaching strategies when working with diagnosed cases of ADHD. All of them are applicable, but the tips involving physical activity are the most effective in my experience. Examples include quick exercise breaks every 30 minutes or so to provide for a release of energy and to refocus. Another helpful strategy I've used with students is to take my lessons outdoors, if possible. A change in scenery and fresh air seem to help calm students and promote concentration.

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Teenage Brain is Wired to Learn:

In my third-grade classroom, I can the idea of neuroplasticity in kid-friendly language to help students understand their brains can grow stronger and smarter the more they practice. I do this through growth mindset.

I can also begin building metacognitive skills by teaching students to rate their understanding of our success criteria. Also we can practice summarizing the main idea in their own words, draw a picture to show what they understood, or turn to a partner and retell the information.

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I like to try this activity in my ELA class wherein the students will have the chance to state their opinions. I find this engaging and each student will realized that there are also other students who shares the same opinion as theirs.

Also, as a teacher, I will be able to find out if my student is understanding the lesson and will give me a chance to make adjustments if necessary to my lesson.

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Shelley Ives

World History/World H, World AP

I love using visuals in my activities or non traditional ways of writing. I already use silent essays (an essay built in a group in silience (ish, there are always giggles), hexogonal thinking and collaborative posters/projects and socratic seminars. This article brought to light the idea of phiosophical Chairs. I like the idea of students have to explore "what would you rather..." questions. This was very close to a game I wa hoping to create this year. I also like the Graffitti Wall to see what students do/do not know. This is great for a quick formative review.

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I truly value how the 11 discussion protocols offer various avenues for showcasing students' thinking. Every protocol promotes involvement in a different way; some, like Four Corners, emphasize movement, while others, like Jigsaw or Partner Reading, emphasize teamwork. The fact that they can be linked to various lesson objectives, such as processing new information, reflecting, or developing reasoning skills, is what I appreciate most about them. Since the structures provide my ELL students with clear roles, sentence starters, and peer support while they practice academic language, I also think they are very beneficial for them. All things considered, the protocols provide me with additional resources to maintain discussions' focus, interest, and student-centeredness.

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Isabel Nava - 10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD

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Isabel Nava - 10 Tips for a Smooth School Year for Students With ADHD

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I selected this article because ADHD is my jam! Here are the 10 tips for a smooth school year.

Fidget-friendly is focus-friendly. Let them wiggle! Try stress balls or bouncy bands under chairs.

Make learning active. Passive = distracted. Get them talking, moving, creating—whatever gets their brains buzzing.

Movement breaks = magic. Every 20–30 minutes, get the wiggles out. Dance videos or quick exercises are often effective.

Add a dash of art. Let that creative energy shine through sketching, acting, or musical projects.

Take it outside. Nature does wonders for focus. Read under a tree or explore science outdoors.

Give them choices. Let them pick books, assignments, or projects. Ownership boosts motivation.

Keep it fresh. Wear a silly costume, sing a song, or bring in something wild (hello, skeleton in science class).

Tech it up. Interactive apps with sound, color, and instant feedback can be a game-changer.

Teach calm. Deep breaths, muscle tension games, or peaceful visualizations (monster truck rally, anyone?).

Build the bond. A positive teacher-student relationship goes a long way. Greet them with a smile and catch them doing awesome things.

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After watching the video I really love this idea for when we are learning to write a persuasive paper. The teacher models it with examples and she gives them time, she also lets students know when they are starting. I feel like in my classroom maybe in between the brainstorming and the writing phase this would benefit my class. We'll pick a topic, then students can take a stand and write their reasons, and then they can share them out. I bet we would get some really great discussions out of it. In the video they were talking about fast food in school, that would be an interesting topic to cover in fourth grade.

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Our school is requiring us to go over MAP goals and iReady goals with our students. I am going to begin this next week. I like the sentence stems provided in this piece as they will help me lead these conversations. The sentence stems are:

Students Reflect on Progress--Use question stems to help students reflect on their performance:

My goal was ______, and was/was not obtained because ______.

I have learned _____ and/or obtained the grade of _______because ____.

The strategy I used was effective/ineffective because _____.

To continue to improve, I need to change/modify _______ because _____.

Some our team came up with are:

I want to improve my score on the MAP or iReady test.

My goal is to read more...

...informational texts.

...stories with a narrator.

...nonfiction books.

I want to improve my score in the math part of the test.

I will get better at...

...solving word problems.

...adding or subtracting big numbers.

...understanding fractions.

I find these helpful as I can't always come up with things on the fly, and having stems to reference will make this easier for me.

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Rosemary Ojumah Onyekonye.

History class, 7th grade.

I will use this knowledge to foster a supportive learning environment by providing scaffolded learning in my classroom, encouraging the students to participate and see if by encouraging neuroplasticity and designing lessons that leverage teens' sensitivity to social validation and their capacity for developing resilience and metacognition. I can also include classroom discussions about chunking complex tasks into smaller steps, using visual aids, and creating a safe space for students to explore and take healthy risks in learning within 15 minutes during my history class and see if they understand it.

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

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How Does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

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How does Multitasking Change the Way Kids Learn?

It impacts negatively on a child's ability to learn by over loading the brain working memory. Such things are kids coming back from school instead of doing their homework, they are off to jobs to earn money, watching TV and doing homework, driving and texting, eating and talking at the same time or even sitting in the classroom but not focusing on the activities that are supposed to be done at a certain period. This has become a common behavior for some of our young people that they cannot even solve a simple problem when giving. It is recommended that the way to control multitasking is by managing their external environment, teaching them self-control strategies, and helping them to understand the science behind focus. Has this ever been implemented? Maybe soon. This is a great article that can help teachers, parents and the community at large to help manage the workload for academic and life success.