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The Map Features Song (Gentleman by PSY)

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The Map Features Song (Gentleman by PSY)

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What is the difference between a Large scale and Small scale map?

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What is the difference between a Large scale and Small scale map?

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What is the difference between a Large scale and Small scale map?

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It's just not possible to have a world map that's completely accurate - and that's where we get projections.

There's no perfect projection - it all depends on your intended purposes for using the map.

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Be sure to read Mapping Penny’s World before doing this activity! It is a terrific intro to mapping skills!

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Looking at Maps and Globes by Rebecca Olien

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Looking at Maps and Globes by Rebecca Olien

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North, South, East, and West by Meg Greve

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North, South, East, and West by Meg Greve

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This post may contain affiliate ads at no cost to you. See my disclosures for more information.

Do you know how to make a compass? I had long heard that it was possible to make a functioning compass using a magnet and a needle, but I had my doubts about how well it would work. Well, it turns out that my doubts were misplaced because it was surprisingly easy do make a compass using some simple materials from around our home!

As part of our geography studies, my kids have been learning about directionality. Since they had worked with a real compass and knew how to use it, I thought it might be fun for them to try making their own compass. Fortunately, not only was it fun, but it was really simple too!
Note: You can find more kid-friendly geography activities on my geography unit study page.

To make our compass, we gathered the following materials:

A magnet wand

A small cork

A blunt needle (use caution when allowing children to handle needles)

A compass (we used a compass I've had since I was a kid, but if I was going to buy a compass I would consider this Backyard Safari compass )

A bowl of water (the larger the bowl, the better)

Scotch tape

The first step was to rub the needle against the magnet. I don't know the minimum amount of rubbing required, but both of my kids rubbed for about 10 or 15 seconds.

The purpose of rubbing the needle against the magnet is to magnetize the needle. As explained in this article, a compass is like a lightweight magnet that detects the magnetic fields of the earth. The magnetized needle of a compass, then, always points to magnetic north. By rubbing our needle against a magnet, we magnetized it just like the needle of a compass.

The second step was to tape our now magnetized needle to something that floats. We had a small cork laying around, and we used scotch tape to tape the needle to the cork.

Once our needle was secured to the cork, we dropped it into the bowl of water. We watched in amazement as the needle briskly turned so that one end was pointing north.

Wondering if it was a fluke, we dropped the needle in over and over again, and each time the result was the same. The needle would turn until it was pointing north.

And that is how you make a compass. Easy peasy!

More geography resources

More geography posts from Gift of Curiosity:
You can find more kid-friendly geography activities on my geography unit study page and my Geography Activities for Kids Pinterest Board.

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How to make a compass - Gift of Curiosity

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This post may contain affiliate ads at no cost to you. See my disclosures for more information. Do you know how to make a compass? I had long heard that it was possible to make a functioning compass using a magnet and a needle, but I had my doubts about how well it would work.

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Standards-based Geography Curriculum… with Zombies!

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A quick look at the everyone's favorite, the Compass Rose.-- Created using PowToon -- Free sign up at http://www.powtoon.com/ . Make your own animated videos and animated presentations for free. PowToon is a free tool that allows you to develop cool animated clips and animated presentations for your website, office meeting, sales pitch, nonprofit fundraiser, product launch, video resume, or anything else you could use an animated explainer video.

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Assignments that are bigger than a lesson and smaller than a unit are a good way to experiment with inquiry-based learning.

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5 Tips for Handling EBD Kids (Emotional Behavior Disorder) in an Inclusive Classroom

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5 Tips for Handling EBD Kids (Emotional Behavior Disorder) in an Inclusive Classroom

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Executive Function Deficits Determine Student Achievement

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Executive Function Deficits Determine Student Achievement

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Education Research

Executive Function Deficits Determine Student Achievement

A new report finds the achievement gap tends to widen with students having academic difficulties in math and science starting in kindergarten.

Difficulties in math and science learning in the early grades can have lasting consequences for students who have impairments in executive functions, according to a new report from Penn State researchers published in the Early Childhood Quarterly journal. The research looks back at executive functions related to working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control to determine when problems begin in early STEM education.

The study analyzes data from 11,010 students who participated in the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics Early Childhood Education Study, which measures childhood development, school readiness and early childhood experiences. The report data comes from students who started kindergarten in the 2010-2011 school year through the spring of third grade.

"This is the first publicly available dataset that includes measures of executive functions for individual children based on microlevel data," said Paul L. Morgan, Penn State professor of education and demography and lead author of the study. "The assessments are administrated through individual assessors who administer one-on-one measures of student achievement in reading, mathematics and science. The measures are carefully designed to allow researchers to examine growth across time."

The study compares are compares working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control deficits to different STEM coursework starting in kindergarten. Morgan said the strongest correlation in his dataset comes between math and working memory. Study results also show that that kindergarten children with working memory deficits were more than twice as likely to display difficulties with science coursework.

In terms of gender, male students were more likely than females to experience repeated difficulties in reading, but less likely to experience repeated difficulties in math or science. Morgan said the study is designed to determine which students need extra help when it comes to STEM education.

"These students are unlikely to be disposed to STEM coursework and careers," Morgan said. "Identifying these kinds early in their school careers has the potential for helping inequity in the STEM pipeline."

The research is supported by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation's EHR Core Research program that funds fundamental STEM education research. Morgan's study is the first report come out of the grant and future research will be centered on academic achievement and student behaviors.
The full study is available for purchase in the Early Childhood Quarterly journal.
About the Author

Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe covering education policy and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.

Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.

Friedman can be contacted at sfriedman@1105media.com or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.

Click here for previous articles by Friedman.

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executive fuinction and eductional achievement

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Executive Function Deficits Determine Student Achievement -- THE Journal

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Education Research A new report finds the achievement gap tends to widen with students having academic difficulties in math and science starting in kindergarten. Difficulties in math and science learning in the early grades can have lasting consequences for students who have impairments in executive functions, according to a new report from Penn State researchers published in the Early Childhood Quarterly journal.

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Attention - the ability to focus our mental energy towards a specific stimulus while ignoring other environmental aspects that are not pertinent. In order to function effectively in many environments, we are required to have control over our focus. We must be able to attend to the desired aspects while ignoring distractions and be able to maintain that focus over time.

Most people's attention is like a dimmer switch. They are able to control the intensity and duration of their attention. For example, they may turn up the intensity when tasks are more challenging, there are more distractions, or when something is very boring. Although this is something that develops over time (a 3-year-old's ability to stay focused for 30 minutes straight is laughable!), many people are able to effectively adjust their attention dimmer as desired.

For those with attention difficulties, the experience is vastly different. Instead of a dimmer, they have a light switch. Their attention is either turned all the way on or is completely off. As a result, the person with dysregulated attention may have the light switch on when reading a book, drawing, or playing a video game. They become so focused that they fail to pay attention to both external and internal stimuli, such as a parent asking them to do something or basic needs (i.e., hunger). This is known as hyper-focus. These individuals may lose track of time and believe they have only been engaged in the activity for a few minutes when in reality they have been in a state of hyper-focus for hours. When the switch is off, these people are unable to hold their attention to any one aspect and instead are distracted by noises, their own thoughts, and/or physical sensations (the feel of their shirt on their skin or a sense of restless that requires movement as a release). As a result, they may float between many tasks or get started on several projects, but accomplish very little. In addition to these challenges, people with an on/off switch have little control of when their switch gets flipped or on what their focus attaches (the video game or the hum of the air vent).

In this blog, we will dive into understanding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a dysregulation of attentional abilities that may or may not include restlessness and hyperactivity.

What is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Diagnostic categories have changed over the years. Previously there were two separate labels for those with attention challenges: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD). This was designed to separate those who solely experienced inattention from those who experienced hyperactivity. However, we began to realize that attention dysregulation was not as clear cut as those two diagnoses, particularly for those who experienced both inattention and restlessness. Now, regardless of the symptoms, all attention issues are captured under the umbrella term ADHD and then further delineated into three main categories:

ADHD - Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation

ADHD - Predominantly inattentive presentation

ADHD - Combined presentation

There are some similarities across all of the categories. For example, they all require the following features for diagnosis: symptoms occur in multiple settings (home, school, sports teams, church, etc.); symptoms result in significant impairment; and symptoms are developmentally inappropriate. ADHD is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning that it is seen over the course of an individual's life. As a result, symptoms must be present prior to the age of 12, even if it is not diagnosed until later in life. However, the symptoms may change over time and the degree of impairment often depends upon the daily tasks required of the individual. For example, the symptoms may be more problematic when in an academic setting or working in a cubical, but be more manageable as an athletic coach or a photographer.

Additionally, children with attention difficulties frequently have weaker scores on tasks tapping working memory and processing speed. Both of these intellectual aspects are necessary to perform well academically. However, they require the ability to attend to specific information upon demand, hold and manipulate information in your mind, and work efficiently within a time frame. This is extremely challenging when the attentional switch is off or turned on but focused on the wrong information.

It is important to understand that children with dysregulated attention are not lazy, rebellious, or defiant. Quite the contrary, these students often have high levels of motivation, want to please others, and have a strong desire to follow the rules. Simply put, their minds are wired differently, causing them to not be present mentally even when they aspire to maintain their focus. In fact, many of them are putting forth extraordinary amounts of effort to even maintain the little amount of attention others see. What you see is the duck gliding effortlessly along the top of the water, what you don't realize is the frenzy with which the duck is kicking their legs to simply stay afloat. This is one of the most challenging aspects for many parents to understand as it can be quite frustrating to have to repeat yourself multiple times or have to wait for a child to re-do an activity due to incorrectly following the directions. We will talk about ways to help manage this a little later in this blog.

Although there are similarities, each category is slightly different. Let's dive in and understand the uniqueness of each category.

ADHD - Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation

This is likely the type that you envision when you here the term ADHD. These kids are often flagged earlier due to their difficulty staying still and tendency to be very talkative. As a result, they are more likely to be a behavioral distraction or problem in the classroom. These are the kids that you might feel exhausted trying to keep up with because they are bouncing off the walls. Those in this category experience several symptoms related to hyperactivity and impulsivity. For older children and adults, this is often experienced more as a sense of restlessness, as they usually learn how to stay in their seat. These people frequently use counteractive measures to address their restlessness, such as bouncing their knee, doodling during meetings/classes, or tapping a pencil. Whether it is related to biological or societal aspects, this type of attention dysregulation is more often seen in boys than girls.

ADHD - Predominantly inattentive presentation

Predominantly inattentive presentation is used to describe those who were previously diagnosed with ADD. These individuals are frequently overlooked. Many of these children are very well-behaved, but may be seen as day dreamers. Although they do not disrupt classrooms by bouncing off walls, they may miss important information as their mind wanders outside of the classroom. Just as boys are more likely to experience hyperactivity, girls are more likely to present with this type of attentional issue.

ADHD - Combined presentation

As you might have guessed from the name, those with a combined presentation experience both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. The combination is unique for each individual, with some experiencing slightly more hyperactive symptoms while others experience more inattentive symptoms. Additionally, some symptoms may be more present depending on the time of day, the specific activity, or the environment the individual is in. These individuals may also change presentation over time, as inattentive symptoms are more lasting and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms have a tendency to fade away.

Additional Challenge - Executive Functioning

An additional challenge that many individuals with ADHD face is weak executive functioning skills. Executive functioning is an umbrella term to cover a variety of "common sense" skills that people tend to develop over time. These skills include:

Often, children will learn these skills by observing others or through trial and error. However, those who struggle with dysregulated attention frequently need more explicit instruction to develop executive functioning skills.

A great example is learning to pack a bag for a weekend trip. This requires a person to have organization (to find their bag, clothes, toiletries), planning (thinking ahead to what they actually need), initiation (actually getting started), and inhibition (keep themself from getting side tracked by the book they found or the text they received). Children with ADHD often have no concept of the process involved in packing. Instead of simply showing them one time, they need to be provided with the framework used to guide the packing decisions. For me, I first count how many nights and days I will be gone so that I can have the correct amount of underwear (plus an extra, "just in case!"). I then get my pajamas. Next, I look up the weather so I know what to expect and then select an outfit for each day. While I'm selecting outfits, I also have to keep in mind what activities I will be doing so that I have the appropriate attire (what works on the beach doesn't exactly work for a nice dinner at a steakhouse). Lastly, I toss in shoes, electronic chargers, and my toiletries. I then run through everything one final time in my head ensuring that my travel motto to make sure that I have all of the things I cannot easily buy (because they are expensive, hard to find, or irreplaceable) has been met.

Do you see how involved a "simple" request of packing a bag for a trip can be? Without my executive functioning skills, I would just be throwing things in a bag and hoping for the best. Children with ADHD frequently need extra support to learn and develop these skills. What other children learn in two steps, these children may need five steps. In our above example, for the first few trips, a parent might provide a list of items for their child to gather. Then, on the next few trips, they may talk their child through the process while having the child be the one to actually gather all of the items (i.e., we are going to be gone 3 nights, so how many pairs of underwear do you need?). After success at that level, the parent may have the child verbalize the process and collect the necessary items for a few trips. And finally, the parent may simply be a checklist for the child after the bag is packed. Do you see just how much more involved a parent is in this process? And this happens across many activities, both simple and elaborate (e.g. developing study skills, doing laundry, pursuing romantic relationships, and getting ready for the day).

Managing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

One of the main questions I get when dealing with parents of children who have just been diagnosed with ADHD is whether they should medicate or not medicate. While this is dependent on a multitude of factors and is a highly personal and individual decision, I firmly believe that everyone should understand the options available to them.

Yes, medication does change an individual's behavior. For some, this is very helpful, as their behavior is interfering with their ability to learn and interact with their peers. Medication tends to best address the hyperactive symptoms, allowing individuals to stay in their seat and reducing behaviors seen as problematic. However, some individuals with inattentive symptoms also note vast improvement when taking medication. Sometimes, medication is necessary to help reduce how hard a child has to work to maintain their "normal" level of functioning (think back to our duck example). Providing medication can allow the child an opportunity to use that energy that had been put towards constantly focusing and re-focusing towards their academic and social success. If the light switch is turned off, then the child is not available for learning and is not getting the essential information. This may also allow a child the opportunity to develop the skills and strategies necessary to manage their fluctuating attention so that medication is no longer necessary.

One of the great things about medication is that it works quickly. It is effective from the first day taken with no need to build up in a person's system. This means that, even though dosage and type of medication is a trial and error process, we know fairly immediately what difference it will make. However, this also means that the medication wears off quickly. Some children find that they need a booster dose at the end of the school day, especially at the high school level when a high degree of focus is needed to complete homework and study for exams. Another important note is that, since there is no build up, a child can take medication sporadically. In other words, the child may take medication only on school days and not on weekends or over the summer. Some older students may decide to take medication only on days that are longer, more challenging, or have tests. Others have found they perform best when taking medication daily, as it allows them to do daily, non-academic tasks more efficiently which improves their overall quality of life. As a result, medication can be tailored to an individual's needs and values.

Some people experience side effects from taking medication. Common ones include a lack of appetite and a sense of feeling numb or operating in a fog (like a zombie). Side effects typically indicate a need to change dosage or medication, or that medication is not a great option. Most people know of stimulant medications used to treat ADHD (Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse). However, for those who struggle with or are prone to anxiety, stimulant medication can increase their anxious symptoms (chest tightness, shortness of breath, heart racing). Therefore, non-stimulant options, such as Straterra, Wellbutrin, and Intuniv may be a better fit.

ADHD can also be managed through the development of skills and strategies. Examples include: learning to go back and check work for careless errors; using timers to learn to be more in control of when their brain takes a break (setting a timer to work for 3 minutes and then take a 30 second break with the goal of extending the time between breaks); increasing awareness of when their mind has wandered off; using agendas to keep track of assignments; color-coding; and using a pencil or ruler to help with tracking when reading. These students also benefit from accommodations to provide extra support throughout their academic career.

Examples of possible accommodations:

Additional Resources
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. Please note that I only promote a resource that I believe is beneficial and is something that I would promote regardless of any payment. Also, if you love/hate a resource, ADHD please let me know. If it has changed and is no longer useful, I want to stop recommending it.
Driven to Distraction (Revised) - by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey

Answers to Distraction - by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey

Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents - by Russell Barkley

www.impactadhd.com - tips/tools, groups, education

www.chadd.org - national resource on ADHD

www.helpguide.org - covers a variety of topics but provides parenting tips

This device is a wearable tool that vibrates at predetermined times set by parents (every 5, 7, or 10 minutes). Every time the device vibrates, the child mentally asks the following question, "Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?" If they are, then they congratulate themself and continue on. If not, then they are reminded to get back on task. This tool allows the child to monitor their own behavior and increase awareness of when their mind drifts. Additionally, it has a homework setting that vibrates every 3 minutes and then will provide a different cue after 15 minutes to suggest a brain break. There are higher level models for those wanting more customizability (some have an algorithm to learn when you are more or less distracted and adjusts accordingly) or other features such as a watch component.

Executive Functioning

1. https://childmind.org/article/helping-kids-who-struggle-with-executive-functions/

2. https://www.beyondbooksmart.com - has lots of info and provides executive functioning coaching services

3. www.thestudypro.com - focuses on developing study skills; has lots of info on executive functioning

4. http://efpractice.com - speech-language pathologists who work within the realm of executive functioning

5. http://www.understood.org - lots of info to understand basics of executive functioning; provides some tips to help improve executive functioning skills

If you believe you or your child is struggling with symptoms of ADHD, please contact Dr. Schriefer for a free consultation to discuss a possible evaluation to definitively diagnose any dysregulated attention and determine any necessary accommodations.

Stay tuned for the final blog in this series, A Beginner's Guide to Understanding a Language Disorder, as it goes into more depth about the characteristics of this disorder as well as the impact on social, emotional, and academic development and success.

Follow Dr. Schriefer on Facebook and Twitter for more tips and resources.

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This blog discusses Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a dysregulation of attentional abilities that may or may not include restlessness and hyperactivity. The ability to focus our mental energy towards a specific stimulus while ignoring other environmental aspects that are not pertine

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The essential feature of expressive language disorder is an impairment in expressive language development in a child as determined by scores on standardized individually-administered tests which measure both nonverbal intellectual capacity and receptive language development. The difficulties may occur in communication involving both verbal language and sign language.

The linguistic features of the disorder vary depending on its severity and the age of the child. These features include a limited amount of speech, limited range of vocabulary, difficulty acquiring new words, word-finding or vocabulary errors, shortened sentences, simplified grammatical structures, limited varieties of grammatical structures (e.g., verb forms), limited varieties of sentence types (e.g., imperatives, questions), omissions of critical parts of sentences, use of unusual word order, and slow rate of language development.

Non-linguistic functioning (as measured by performance intelligence tests) and language comprehension skills are usually within normal limits.

Expressive language disorder may be either acquired or developmental. In the acquired type, an impairment in expressive language occurs after a period of normal development as a result of a neurological or other general medical condition (e.g., encephalitis, head trauma, irradiation). In the developmental type, there is an impairment in expressive language that is not associated with a neurological issue. Children with this type often begin speaking late and progress more slowly than usual through the various stages of expressive language development.

Specific Symptoms of Expressive Language Disorder

The scores obtained from standardized individually-administered measures of expressive language development are substantially below those obtained from standardized measures of both nonverbal intellectual capacity and receptive language development. The disturbance may be manifest clinically by symptoms that include having a markedly limited vocabulary, making errors in tense, or having difficulty recalling words or producing sentences with developmentally appropriate length or complexity.

The difficulties with expressive language interfere with academic or occupational achievement or with social communication.

Criteria are not met for mixed receptive-expressive language disorder or a pervasive developmental disorder.

If mental retardation, a speech-motor or sensory deficit, or environmental deprivation is present, the language difficulties are in excess of those usually associated with these problems.

This disorder has been reclassified and altered in the updated 2013 DSM-5 (e.g., now combined with receptive language disorder characteristics); the old DSM-IV criteria above remain here for historical/informational purposes only. See DSM-5 language disorder criteria.
Expressive Language Disorder Symptoms

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The essential feature of expressive language disorder is an impairment in expressive language development in a child as determined by scores on standardized individually-administered tests which measure both nonverbal intellectual capacity and receptive language development. The difficulties may occur in communication involving both verbal language and sign language.

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Grade 2 Global Geography: Places and Peoples, Culturesand Resources

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Grade 2 Global Geography: Places and Peoples, Culturesand Resources

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2018 History and Social Science Framework

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ISTE Standards for Computer Science Educators

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ISTE Standards for Computer Science Educators

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ISTE Standards for Computer Science Educators, 2011 (Permitted Educational Use)

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ISTE Standards for Students (Permitted Educational Use) (1)

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5 Cooperative Learning Strategies To Try Today

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5 Cooperative Learning Strategies To Try Today

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Let's face it, there are a lot of cooperative learning strategies out there to choose from. The most popular and most-utilized of the cooperative learning strategies is probably the Think-Pair-Share technique. This is where students think about a topic or question, then pair up with a classmate and share their thoughts about it. Educators use these types of cooperative learning strategies in their classrooms because first, they get the students to work together in a team, and second because they are an effective way for students to learn. However, it's always a good idea to try out a new strategy or two to change things up a bit. Here are five cooperative learning strategies you probably haven't tried yet.

If you're looking for a new brainstorming strategy then you're going to love this one. The focused listing strategy is designed for students to generate words to define or describe something. For example, you would give the students a main topic, then ask them to create a list of words or phrases that describe that topic. From there, you can put students into small groups to discuss their lists or you can first put them into groups to generate the lists. Once the lists are completed, you can use the list to help facilitate a small group or whole-group discussion. If you are using the focused listing as a gateway to your lesson, then you can choose one list that all students agree upon and use that.

2. One-Minute Papers

This strategy can be used to gather feedback from you students after a lesson is taught. First, write the following questions on the front board and have students answer them by themselves.

What was the most important thing you learned from the lesson?

What is still unclear about the lesson? What questions do you still have?

What is one thing about the topic that you want to know more about?

Next, put students together into groups to facilitate a discussion. Have students do a Round Robin (take turns talking) and discuss each of their answers to the questions listed on the board. Once students have all answered the questions, then have students figure out which answers they have in common. They can then take this information and come up with the most popular answer to each question, which they then can discuss with the class as a whole.

3. Uncommon Commonalities

If you are looking for a strategy that will help your students become more cohesive, then this is a great one to try. Group students into teams of four and have them come up with a team name. Give each team member a piece of paper and have them fold it the long way in fours and label each section, 1, 2, 3, and 4 at the top. Next, write a question on the front board, such as "How many siblings do you have?" The teams' goal is to discuss the question with their group and figure out what they all have in common. If all four team members have one brother, then they will write that in column four, if all three of them have one brother then they will write that in column three and so on. The activity continues with each new question that is put on the board.

4. Forced Debate

This strategy requires students to use their communication skills to work within a group. Here's how it works: The teacher writes a proposition on the front board, such as "Should there be a vending machine in the school cafeteria?" then the students who agree move to one side of the classroom and the students who disagree move to other side. Once students are on one side of the classroom, that is now their group. The teacher then forces them to debate the opposing side that they have chosen. This strategy really utilizes students' critical thinking skills and forces them to really think about the question as a whole in order to argue for the opposing side rather than what they really feel about the question.

5. Cooperative Graffiti

Another great brainstorming technique to try is cooperative graffiti. This strategy requires students to think about a topic and write down as many ideas as possible using different-colored pens. To start, divide students into small groups and give each group a large, butcher block piece of paper and a variety of colorful pens. Write down a broad topic on the front board, and on your command "Go!", instruct students to write down as many ideas as they can that correlate with the topic you wrote on the board. Once the time is up (about 5-10 minutes), then have students try and organize their colorful ideas into categories.
Have you tried any of these cooperative learning strategies yet? If so, how do you like them? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below, we would love to hear them.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds Masters of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com, TeachHUB Magazine, and Hey Teach. She was also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com for five years. You can follow her on Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, on Facebook at Empowering K6 Educators, or contact her at Janellecox78@yahoo.com.

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5 Cooperative Learning Strategies To Try Today

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Let's face it, there are a lot of cooperative learning strategies out there to choose from. The most popular and most-utilized of the cooperative learning strategies is probably the Think-Pair-Share technique. This is where students think about a topic or question, then pair up with a classmate and share their thoughts about it.

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Cooperative Learning

What Is It?

Cooperative Learning, sometimes called small-group learning, is an instructional strategy in which small groups of students work together on a common task. The task can be as simple as solving a multi-step math problem together, or as complex as developing a design for a new kind of school. In some cases, each group member is individually accountable for part of the task; in other cases, group members work together without formal role assignments.

According to David Johnson and Roger Johnson (1999), there are five basic elements that allow successful small-group learning:

Positive interdependence: Students feel responsible for their own and the group's effort.

Face-to-face interaction: Students encourage and support one another; the environment encourages discussion and eye contact.

Individual and group accountability: Each student is responsible for doing their part; the group is accountable for meeting its goal.

Group behaviors: Group members gain direct instruction in the interpersonal, social, and collaborative skills needed to work with others occurs.

Group processing: Group members analyze their own and the group's ability to work together.

Cooperative learning changes students' and teachers' roles in classrooms. The ownership of teaching and learning is shared by groups of students, and is no longer the sole responsibility of the teacher. The authority of setting goals, assessing learning, and facilitating learning is shared by all. Students have more opportunities to actively participate in their learning, question and challenge each other, share and discuss their ideas, and internalize their learning. Along with improving academic learning, cooperative learning helps students engage in thoughtful discourse and examine different perspectives, and it has been proven to increase students' self-esteem, motivation, and empathy.

Some challenges of using cooperative learning include releasing the control of learning, managing noise levels, resolving conflicts, and assessing student learning. Carefully structured activities can help students learn the skills to work together successfully, and structured discussion and reflection on group process can help avoid some problems.

Why Is It Important?

The authors of Classroom Instruction that Works cite research showing that organizing students in cooperative learning groups can lead to a gain as high as 28 percentiles in measured student achievement (Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock 2001).

Other researchers report that cooperation typically results in higher group and individual achievement, healthier relationships with peers, more metacognition, and greater psychological health and self-esteem (Johnson and Johnson 1989).

When implemented well, cooperative learning encourages achievement, student discussion, active learning, student confidence, and motivation. The skills students develop while collaborating with others are different from the skills students develop while working independently. As more businesses organize employees into teams and task forces, the skills necessary to be a "team player" (e.g., verbalizing and justifying ideas, handling conflicts, collaborating, building consensus, and disagreeing politely) are becoming more valuable and useful. Using cooperative groups to accomplish academic tasks not only provides opportunities for students to develop interpersonal skills but also gives them authentic experiences that will help them be successful in their future careers.

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Cooperative Learning: Teaching Strategy (Grades K-12)

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Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy in which small groups of students work together on a common task.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

UDL Rising to Equity

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey. Do you use social media? Join the conversation happening now in the #UDLrising hashtag.
Meet the UDL Rising to Equity Advisory Board Meet the UDL Rising to Equity Stakeholder Council

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guid…

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Examples of Cooperative Learning Strategies

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Examples of Cooperative Learning Strategies

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Examples of Cooperative Learning Strategies - KNILT

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As the previous lesson focused broadly on examples of cooperative learning strategies and provided a visual example of them, this lesson is going to dive further into these strategies and discuss a few other strategies. By the end of this lesson you should be able to name cooperative learning strategies that can be used in the classroom and describe their potential uses.

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How do you teach 21st Century Skills? A Project Based Learning (PBL) Approach

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How do you teach 21st Century Skills? A Project Based Learning (PBL) Approach

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Learning needs to be fun, relevant, and engaging. Hundreds of studies on how children learn tell us that children learn best when they're playing or investigating the world around them. Kids demand relevant learning environments. Yet, today's educational landscape affords children few opportunities to learn through play and investigation. Twenty-first century skills require a demanding, novel approach.

Today's students and educators are chronically frustrated by schools that teach to tests. Students must memorize long strings of irrelevant information. Teachers are forced into an exhausting schedule that takes the fun out of learning. The information children learn through this exhausting process often has little relevance to their lives or their futures. If you're frustrated by a classroom dominated by drills and memorization rather than fun and engagement, you're not alone. It doesn't have to be this way.

Project-Based Learning: Get Your Students Excited About Learning 21st Century Skills

PBL offers an alternative to boring classrooms and exhausted educators. This approach to learning arms students with deep analytical and critical thinking skills that they'll need for the rest of their lives. It prepares children for civic engagement, meaningful careers, rewarding hobbies, and even the many critical thinking challenges of parenthood.

Traditional and test-based teaching methods serve up a lot of disconnected information. Students don't understand why they need this information, don't see it as relevant to their lives, and spend much of their days bored. Teachers know the inevitable results: poor attention, distracted behavior, and stunted interest in learning. PBL connects information to students' lives by engaging them in complex investigations and deep analysis.

How Does Project-Based Learning Work?

PBL engages student in a meaningful, relevant project. The gold standard for these projects is to include all of the following:

A challenging question or problem that requires ongoing investigation.

Authenticity. The problem must be relevant.

Student involvement and choice. Students should have input into the project and control over much of its direction.

Reflection. Students should reflect on their work in meaningful ways.

Critique and revision. Critique and revision both demand critical thinking skills and encourage students to create high-quality work.

Public product. Good projects produce something of value, such as a movie, a public presentation, or another product students can share.

PBL can be tailored to any curriculum goal and virtually any subject. In a science class, students might create a new evolutionarily-adapted animal. In a technology class, they might build a robot or gadget. These projects resemble the type of work many students will do in adulthood.

Project-Based Learning: Relevancy in the Real World

Consider the challenges your students may face in adulthood. They'll need skills that can serve them in a career, especially STEAM skills. But preparing students for the real world is about more than just basic skills. Consider the challenges you and other adults encounter daily:

Planning your time

Negotiating with employers

Navigating conflicts with friends, family, and coworkers

Deciding how to parent your children

Advocating for yourself at the doctor's office

Budgeting and financial planning

Adulthood is complex, and teaching to the test does not prepare students for its complexity. PBL does. By engaging with an authentic and challenging project, students are driven to dig deeply. They may have to manage conflicts with other students, master time management, consider hypothetical budgets, and learn how to separate useful information from irrelevant distractions. And they do so in an environment that teaches them STEM, reading, writing, life skills, and more.

These are skills that the 21st century demands. These are skills your students deserve to learn. Teach them in a fun, engaging way and watch your students' minds expand.

Bridging the Gap Between Teachers and Administrators: How We Help

Project Pals knows that teachers are on the front line of the battle for students' minds. We understand that teaching to the test is demoralizing and boring. They must also follow district standards and meet metrics set by administrators. Many educators are interested in project-based learning, but reluctant to try it. They worry they'll raise hairs, get in trouble with the school board, or have their ideas rejected by administrators.

We can help bridge the gap. Project Pals appeals to students by creating an exciting learning environment, we help teachers again find joy and meaning in their work, and we offer metrics that administrators can review. With our approach, project-based learning is not just a diversion from the curriculum. It can become your primary curriculum.

Schools across the nation are already embracing this revolutionary, metric-based approach to learning. Join them. Teach your students how to solve the complex problems the 21st century will throw at them. Project Pals teaches students analytical skills that are relevant to every aspect of life. Watch your students excel and thrive. Let us show you how.
Engage students with a shapes project they will remember, download this free lesson plan.

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How do you teach 21st Century Skills? A Project Based Learning (PBL) Approach

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Learning needs to be fun, relevant, and engaging. Hundreds of studies on how children learn tell us that children learn best when they're playing or investigating the world around them. Kids demand relevant learning environments. Yet, today's educational landscape affords children few opportunities to learn through play and investigation.

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Does your child have an Individualized Education Program (IEP)? If this is a new development, you may run into some language you're not familiar with. Here are key terms you'll see and hear as you work with the IEP team.

Accommodation: This is a change to or in your child's learning environment. Accommodations can help her learn and then show what she's learned without having her challenges get in the way. For instance, if your child takes longer to answer questions, she might be allowed extra time to take a test. Even with accommodations, kids are expected to learn the same content as their peers.

Annual goals: The IEP document lists the academic and functional (everyday) skills the IEP team thinks your child can achieve by the end of the year. These goals are geared toward helping your child take part in the general education classroom. IEP goals need to be realistic and measurable.

Assistive technology (AT): Any device, equipment or software that helps your child work around her issues. AT can help your child learn, communicate and function better in school. AT ranges from simple tools (like highlighters) to high-tech software (like apps that reads text aloud).

Behavior intervention plan (BIP): A plan designed to teach and reward positive behavior. Typically, the plan uses strategies to prevent and stop problem behaviors. It may also have supports and aids for the child. A BIP is often included as part of an IEP. To get a BIP, a child must have a functional behavioral assessment.

Disability: A condition recognized by the law. To qualify for an IEP, your child must have a disability that is one of the 13 categories listed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Kids' learning and attention issues usually fit into one of three categories: (1) specific learning disability, (2) other health impairment (ADHD) and (3) speech or language impairment.

Due process: A formal process for resolving disputes with a school about special education and IEPs. Due process isn't the only way to resolve a dispute. There are other options, like mediation and filing a state complaint.

Extended school year services (ESY): Some students receive special education services outside of the regular school year, such as during the summer or, less commonly, during extended breaks like winter break.

General education curriculum: This is the knowledge and skills that all students throughout a state are expected to master. The curriculum varies from state to state.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The nation's special education law. IDEA is a federal law that guarantees all children with disabilities access to a free and appropriate public education.

Least restrictive environment (LRE): Students with documented disabilities must be taught in the least restrictive environment. This means they must be taught in the same setting as students without documented disabilities as much as possible. The school must offer services and supports to help a child with an IEP succeed in a general education classroom.

Modification: A modification is a change in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate. For example, a teacher might ask the class to write an essay that analyzes three major battles during a war. A child with a modification may only be asked to write about the basic facts of those battles. Modifications are different from accommodations.

Parent report: This is a letter you write. It's a good way for you to document your child's strengths, struggles and success at school, at home and in the community. By sharing the report with your child's IEP team, you give them a more complete view of your child.

Progress reporting: How a school will report to you on your child's progress on annual goals. This is specified in the IEP.

Present level of performance (PLOP, PLP, PLAFF, PLAAFP): This is a snapshot of how your child is doing right now. PLOP describes your child's academic skills (such as reading level) and functional skills (such as making conversation or writing with a pencil). The school prepares this report for the IEP meeting. This is the starting point for setting annual IEP goals.

Standards-based IEP: This alternative to the traditional IEP is only used in some states. A standards-based IEP measures a student's academic performance against what the state expects of other students in the same grade.

Special education: Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of your child. It should be designed to give her access to the general education curriculum. The instruction is provided at no cost to you.

Supplementary aids and services: These are supports to help your child learn in the general education classroom. They can include equipment or assistive technology, like audiobooks or highlighted classroom notes. They may also include training for staff to help them work with your child.

Related services: Any support services your child needs to benefit from special education. One possible example is transportation. Another is occupational therapy.

Transition plan: This part of the IEP lays out what your teen must learn and do in high school in order to succeed as a young adult. She and the IEP team develop the plan together before it kicks in at age 16. The transition plan includes goals and activities that are academic and functional. But they extend beyond school to practical life skills and job training.

Keep this list of terms handy for future reference. You may also want to learn the key terms that describe your child's rights.

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Does your child have an Individualized Education Program (IEP)? If this is a new development, you may run into some language you're not familiar with. Here are key terms you'll see and hear as you work with the IEP team. Accommodation: This is a change to or in your child's learning environment.

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The Rights of Students With IEPs and 504 Plans

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The Rights of Students With IEPs and 504 Plans

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At a glance

Public schools can discipline any student who breaks school rules.

However, students with IEPs or 504 plans have extra protections.

Schools must help students when misbehavior is caused by a disability, like a learning or thinking difference.

All students must follow school rules - including students with IEPs and 504 plans. When students break rules, schools have the authority to discipline them. This is because public schools must maintain a safe, orderly learning environment.

When it comes to school discipline, all students have some basic rights:

They have the right to know beforehand what the rules are.

They have the right to challenge accusations and prove innocence.

In some states, students who are suspended have the right to instruction at home.

In addition to these rights, students with IEPs and 504 plans have extra protections. (Sometimes, kids who don't have these plans are protected too.) These protections aren't an excuse for breaking rules. They simply help everyone understand the cause of misbehavior. And they require schools to try to reduce misbehavior and prevent it from happening again.

1. When a child is removed from school, which prevents the child from receiving services. This is called a change in placement.

2. When a child's misbehavior is caused by a disability, like a learning or thinking difference. This is called manifestation.

About the author

About the author

Andrew M.I. Lee, JD is an editor and attorney who strives to help people understand complex legal, education, and parenting issues.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Robert Tudisco, JD is a practicing attorney in the areas of education law, disability advocacy, and criminal law.

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School Discipline Rights for Students With IEPs and 504 Plans

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Public schools can discipline any student who breaks school rules. However, students with IEPs or 504 plans have extra protections. Schools must help students when misbehavior is caused by a disability, like a learning or thinking difference. All students must follow school rules - including students with IEPs and 504 plans.

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Recently, the Aspen Institute released " The Practice Base for How We Learn: Supporting Students' Social, Emotional, and Academic Development," which contains several statements of practice for integrating these different aspects of learning. Among them is the recognition that "the key to fostering social and emotional development is a continuing loop in which we first help students understand why the skills are important and how they can be used effectively, then create opportunities for students to practice those skills, and finally provide feedback and time for reflection."

One way to do this is to embed these practices in a framework known in my school network, the Athlos Academies, as the 3Rs: review, reflection, and recognition. The 3Rs function as a formative assessment tool for educators looking to better understand their students, and for students they serve to build metacognition-the ability to better think about one's own thinking.

Implementation looks different depending on context, time constraints, and overall purpose. For example, coaches use the 3Rs during the last five minutes of physical education, and students respond to prompts as a large group using strategies like think-pair-share and concentric circles. During a core instructional block, the 3Rs may be embedded in instruction with the teacher using a Catch and Release protocol to incorporate discussion of them throughout the lesson or saving time at the end to discuss students' learning experience in more detail.

We have found that there are a few common best practices for integrating the 3Rs:

Use all three together, in the order they are presented. Recognition is a great way to end.

If you use specific protocols with the 3Rs, teach and model them, and provide students with time to practice them.

There's no opting out: Find a way for all students to participate through scaffolding or accommodation.

The First R: Review

The review phase of learning is all about formative assessment and provides an opportunity to reconnect to the lesson's learning targets. Questions to consider:

What new learning has occurred?

What do my students know now that they didn't before?

What can my students do now that they couldn't before?

What misconceptions do students have?

Review also provides an opportunity to increase students' awareness of their own learning process. Discussing with students how they learn is as relevant as what they learned when building their metacognition.

A popular protocol we use is called Heads Together: Students are placed into groups of four by counting off and are asked to summarize their learning or respond to a prompt. The groups work together on a response and make sure that every student is prepared to represent their group, and the teacher randomly selects a number from one to four. Each student with that number presents their group's response.

Students can also review their learning through exit tickets, brief performance tasks, or the use of online tools.

The Second R: Reflection

The reflection phase focuses on students' acquisition and use of the social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies that support their success. The goal is to make visible for students the role SEL skills play in their learning. Questions to consider:

How do lesson activities foster SEL skill development?

How can I use students' SEL skills to improve learning?

What do I want students to understand about their own SEL skills?

SEL concepts like social awareness are abstract enough to render them meaningless to students without further unpacking. Reflecting on prompts like "How is your point of view different from your partner's?" and "How did you use social awareness to discuss different points of view?" provides connections to the concepts for students.

Another way to help students see these connections is to create an anchor chart with three columns labeled "SEL Skills," "Content," and "Future Success." Engage students in a brainstorming session to complete the following sentence frame: "When I use [SEL skill] when learning how to [content], it helps prepare me for [future success]." For example: "When I use social intelligence to solve complex math problems, it helps prepare me for working on a team like engineers do."

Students can reflect on their learning in a variety of other ways. Group reflection protocols like the fishbowl provide structure and promote equity.

The Third R: Recognition

At this point in the process students have had the opportunity to show what they know and reflect on the learning process. The recognition phase gives them a chance to recognize each other. Questions to consider:

Who demonstrated SEL skills today?

How can I increase students' awareness of SEL in action?

How are students good models for others?

Much has been written about the overuse and downsides of generalized praise, so teach students how to use specific praise when recognizing each other. The following three-step process can help: Ask students to describe the behavior they observed, how it made them feel, and the impact it had on learning. For example: "When you included me in the process, it showed a lot of social awareness. It made me feel good that I got to share my ideas."

Review, reflection, and recognition are not new concepts in education-their effectiveness is well known. Using them in combination with each other and with regularity increases their efficacy.

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Integrating SEL in the Classroom | Edutopia

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Recently, the Aspen Institute released " The Practice Base for How We Learn: Supporting Students' Social, Emotional, and Academic Development," which contains several statements of practice for integrating these different aspects of learning.