Learning without Labels

Schools are hard on kids and parents. Because they are run like intellectual factories, the way an individual child thinks is mostly disregarded. For some kids this is fine. For others, it's a travesty. And so schools stick labels on these certain kids -- probably with good intentions -- to call the kids out as outliers. In this way we protect the system, even while it has long outgrown its industrial function. Even while the size of the outlier population increases.

After years in education corporations, I now work one on one with kids and parents and teachers. The view from the ground has disrupted my thinking. I’ve stopped thinking from general to specific and now try to stay in an inductive mindset.

I get to work with kids not knowing their school-based labels. My work might involve helping them figure out how to focus, or how to think abstractly, or how to make meaning of a particular content area. It sometimes involves helping them celebrate MAKING MISTAKES or THINKING DIFFERENTLY or NOT KNOWING. In fact, I believe that this is where learning begins.

More to come.

In Praise of Curious Kids!

Do you have a curious kid?  The kind that drives you crazy with a million why's and who drives his or her teachers crazy by asking questions about topics not covered by the curriculum? Celebrate! Research shows that curiosity is just as important to learning as is self control. 

The findings stem from longitudinal research conducted by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and the Center for Human Growth and Development. "The researchers found that even after controlling for differences in children's backgrounds and whether or not they had attended preschool, the young children's curiosity -- in particular their 'eagerness to learn new things' -- was as good a predictor of their later kindergarten math and reading achievement as were early measures of self-control." In fact, the researchers found that curiosity has a high impact on children from low socioeconomic status and can outweigh lack of outside resources.

So the next time that your child asks why, smile! And then help them find out why. 

Reference: Shah, P.E. et al (2018). Early Childhood Curiosity and Kindergarten Reading and Math Academic Achievement, Pediatric Research DOI: 10.1038/s41390-018-0039-3

Digital Time: How Much is Too Much?

The old discussions about kids and media used to be about television. Parents were wracked with good old guilt about letting their kids watch TV until the 1960s when Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers put the "all TV is bad for children" sentiment to rest. 

Today we're caught in the same type of debate. Smartphones, tablets, computers, game devices. How much time on these devices is too much time? Before you look at the guidelines, you may want to think about what you're modeling. How much time do you spend on your smartphone during time with your family? 

The American Academy of Pediatrics published these guidelines in 2016:

• For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.
• For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.
• For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health. 
• Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms.
• Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline.

How do educators feel about time on devices?A survey sponsored by Education Week Research Center reported that 95% of principals who responded answered that their students spent too much time on their digital devices when not in school. However their reasoning might surprise you. It was that the devices are depriving students of human interaction.

As Giles Turner reminds us in Bloomberg: "Ever since Socrates complained about the written word ruining memories, people have been wringing their hands over the potential harms of technology." So no need for gnashing of teeth. However recent studies about brain connectivity, eyesight, depression, and tech addiction do give pause. Common Sense Media offers advice to families. Check out this short video on Common Sense for three easy ways to control screen time: https://d1pmarobgdhgjx.cloudfront.net/parenttip/PT_Parents_Tame_Device_Use.mp4

How Much Screen Time Affects Kids' Bodies and Brains, Walton, Forbes, 4/16/18

How Smartphones and Social Media Can Steal Childhood: Quick Take, Turner, 5/6/18

Digital Guidelines: Promoting Healthy Technology Use for Children, American Psychological Association

Joy of Learning

You know what makes your brain happy? Learning new stuff. Learning how to do things you've always wanted to do or learning about something that excites or interests you. Watch babies. They are so JOYFUL when it comes to learning.

They play and imitate (and in the playing continue the learning process that began with observing and interacting) to cook and write and clean and drive and build and take care of babies and puppies and swim and dress themselves.

And then they want to know why. And where and when and who and what! Then something happens. They go to school and learning is what happens between 8am and 3pm and only some topics are covered and answers are right or wrong. 

It doesn't have to be that way.

We can teach our children the difference between school and learning, give them plenty of opportunities to make their brains happy, and be honest with them about the benefits and limitations of school. 

Serious learning is fun! The brain is fully engaged. Time stops. Discovery turns on. Limitations disappear. And learning evolves.