World-Shaker

Avaz today is an app designed to assist to children communicate non-verbally by addressing their difficulty in processing information such as letters, words and sentences. The app reworks the information into easy-to-understand pictures, rerouting through visual pathways rather than verbal ones. Avaz is prescribed through therapist evaluation for purchase by the child’s parents or through the school’s therapy program. Gradually introduced, the software becomes a part of the child’s life as it helps them to communicate in both academic and social environments. Taking a holistic view of the language development process, Avaz teaches the child underlying patterns of language while seamlessly integrating with existing methods of speech therapy. Moreover, the app is very easy to customize, allowing users to add a new phrase in just 15 seconds. And it’s available on the App Store for $99.

Learning Disability Apps and Important Innovations Under Way

"Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, “Is that true?” Well, of course it’s true. I just told you. And please don’t ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent."

— What teachers really want to tell parents

How to Get Parent Support for Tech Use in Class

Here’s one idea:

Follow Up with Parents

Keep parents in the loop throughout the year. If their child has just finished an impressive project, drop them a note and suggest that they sit down to see the finished product with their child. Even the most reluctant parents tend to be excited when they see the work their student has produced.

Mom makes son, 13, sign 18 terms and conditions before giving him an iPhone →

‘I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it,’ she wrote at the start of the list.

I love this, and this mom. Here’s her full list:

‘WITH THE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS GIFT COMES RULES’: THE AGREEMENT

1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?
2. I will always know the password.
3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.
4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.
6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.
7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.
8. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
9. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.
10. No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person - preferably me or your father.
11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.
12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear — including a bad reputation.
13. Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.
14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO — fear of missing out.
15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.
16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.
17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.
18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.

Source: Janell Hofman’s blog

"First, while parents and teachers talk often with young children about parts of the body and how they work, they rarely mention this most important organ. (A 2005 study by another group of scientists found that young children hear very few instances of the word brain in everyday conversation.) Secondly, children can’t observe their own brains, and so are left to guess about what’s going on inside their heads—not unlike the state of ignorance in which adults dwelled for many centuries before the founding of neuroscience as a scientific discipline. And finally, most students aren’t formally taught much about the brain until at least middle school. Marshall and Comalli believe such instruction can and should begin much sooner."

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What Kids Should Know About Their Own Brains

A fast and fascinating article.

A Parent’s Guide to Bloom's Taxonomy →

A bit oversimplified, but it could easily be adapted into a little “cheat sheet” for conference nights or open house.

Here’s an excerpt:

Apply & Analyze

At the Apply and Analyze levels, as a parent, you can take a basic activity that would require a child to learn basic facts and then add a twist.  For example, you can ask your child to do things like predict what will happen next in a story or to predict what would happen if you made a change to the story.  They could also share if they had to write a sequel to a story, how would it begin?  You can ask them to illustrate a math word problem or draw a scene from their favorite part of a story they are reading.

It’s worth nothing this only covers the cognitive portion of Bloom’s.

Back to School Tips for Parents and Teachers →

An interesting column. This piece of advice for teachers caught my eye:

1. This next tip is going to seem strange but I speak from experience. Purchase refuse and recycling containers with lids. One year, I had a little boy who would get physically sick every day after lunch. Since we had math right after lunch, we thought perhaps he was riddled with math anxiety. He loved school and was always excited to come, but by 1pm he was sick to his stomach and laying in the infirmary or being sent home. We could not figure out what was wrong, until one weekend when I was tidying up and changing the configuration of our desks. The little  boy was now seated next to a window we loved to open, instead of being by the door where the garbage and recycling was located. That Monday the little boy was feeling fine after lunch and was able to stay at school all day. In our school we ate lunch in the classroom and the overwhelming smells of all these lunches in the garbage bin next to him was making him nauseated to the point that he had to leave school. It was something that few of us noticed in the room. I purchased a covered garbage and recycling bin and  have not had that problem since.

10 Things You Should Never Say to Your Kid's Teacher →

Ooooh, I loved reading this! Here’s one as an example:

“We’re going on vacation for a week. Can you put together a packet of my daughter’s work so she doesn’t fall behind?”

You may think you’re doing the responsible thing, but unfortunately, this typical request is a bit insulting. “You’re implying you can replace teaching with a packet of worksheets,” says Jan Copithorne, a middle school special education teacher in Highland Park, IL. On top of that, “it’s a lot of extra work to anticipate everything that will happen in class over a week and put it together for one child.” Because kids miss so much when they’re kept out of school, Copithorne advises against pulling them out for an extended period, unless there’s a truly important event or a family emergency. If you’re set on your plans, ask the teacher for a general overview, like what chapters will be covered in each subject, and accept that your child will need to play catch-up when you get home.

74 Creative Ways to Stop Summer Brain Drain →

A slightly better list for parents than teachers, but it could always inspire some ideas for fall :o) Here are four to give you some ideas:

1. Map out your trip: Involve your children in vacation planning by helping them create a map for your trip.
2. Programming: Using programs like Scratch and Kodu, even young children can get started on programming over the summer.
3. Finish schoolbooks: Often, school books like math journals aren’t completed by the end of the year-put them to good use and finish them over the summer.
4. Do art projects: Practice drawing, take pictures, or sculpt together, and discuss the meaning of art while you’re doing it.

"Many of the baby-boomer parents of Millennials were involved in social-change movements when they were in college. They feel passionate about getting involved and realize that they can make a difference. Often called “helicopter parents” because they “hover” over the lives of their sons and daughters from preschool to college graduation, many of them are in fact reasonable and patient when dealing with the university. In many cases, the parents are willing to help the university by recruiting students, hiring students for internships and permanent positions, and serving on various university advisory boards. Their involvement, and that of the Millennials themselves, has resulted in increased volunteerism and community service and a greater appreciation for diversity."

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Huh. How ‘bout that.

Managing Millennial Parents

The trouble with physicist parents…

May I present to you: The Best Parents, EVER.

Five Easy Ways to Make Schools and Tech Connect →

This one’s more from the parent perspective, but still interesting.

Watch your own tech habits. Kids are learning how to interact with technology partly from you. Set limits on yourself, and your kids will grow to understand the importance of real face-to-face conversations.

Review rules for responsible online usage. When kids do research online, they sometimes forget that they can’t copy things directly from the Internet into their reports and homework. Explain the basics of copyrighted material and plagiarism.

ADHD Parent Resources →

Here are two:

1. Tips to Help Live with ADD - Ideas to help children with ADHD.
2. What can I do to help my child? - Many parental ideas on helping children with ADHD.

Thanks to @tcbird1 for the find!

View high resolution

kbkonnected:

FISH (Family Involvement Starts Here) Parent/school communication binder. Free printables to create your own.

Via Beg, Borrow, or Steal…a Blog for Teachers

Added to  Classroom Printables