Skip to main content

Home/ 6329 brain-based learning/ Group items tagged easier.

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Juan Saldana

- The Virtual High School now offering full-time online program - 10 views

  •  
    Warming up my skills to do my Diigo hosting in a few weeks. I believe we have one resident expert on Online High Schools.
  • ...14 more comments...
  •  
    This is a quick article on the new program developed by the VHS program
  •  
    Hi Juan, Not sure I qualify as an expert, but I am researching online high schools for this class and I work for an online high school, so I'll jump in. I had not heard of VHS, but the article says they are a nonprofit arm of K12, inc, which has received a LOT of press--most of it bad. It seems that some schools that are using K12 product are better run than others. The wikipedia article on K12 is interesting, and references a lot of the press: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K12_%28company%29 VHS is an interesting one indeed. I can't quite figure out how they are going to work it. It looks like they are partnering with schools so that students can get a degree from a school in their district even though all of their classes are taken from VHS. So rather than get a VHS degree, the degree will actually say Austin High or whatever their local school is. They are doing this only for "partner" schools, which are schools that they have already been supplying with online course material piecemeal. So, that must mean that they are meeting the state-required standards of each partner school. Thanks for the tip. I think I will call them and see if they are willing to be interviewed.
  •  
    I call you the expert since this is your specialty and I wouldn't have know that this is a competing organization otherwise. I like the idea of a hybrid solution where some classes are physical and others are online, make for an easier transition.
  •  
    I think this is a great alternative for students who don't fit well into the public setting, but at $450 a course per semester? WOW! I think I would save my money to pay for college.
  •  
    Jackie, think about all the costs they don't have to spend--wardrobe, gas to and from school, school supplies (fewer), etc. For many, the benefits far outweigh the costs. It can definitely be a good solution for many if the school is a good one and the student has other options for social interaction. Juan, you might be interested to learn about the USC hybrid school. They came recommended to me by the folks at ISTE, who are essentially the standards-setters for online ed. I ended up not interviewing them because they are not really an online high school, but more of a blended option. What appeals to me about that program is that it really is targeting underserved populations: http://uschybridhigh.org/ From their website somewhere: USC Hybrid High School is a college preparatory public charter high school in Downtown LA currently serving 9th and 10th grades. We combine a traditional "no excuses" model with a blended learning model that embeds technology across the curriculum and school day. Our goal is to develop self motivated and disciplined learners who are prepared to graduate from top four year universities and who will go on to use their college degrees to effect Positive Multigenerational Change. Its student population mirrors the population of the USC neighborhood, with 64% Latino/a, 28% African American, 4% White and 4% Asian students. About 82% of the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch. Spanish is the primary language in 40% of the homes.
  •  
    I can see the demographic they have chosen to target as being most in need. I've grown up in neighborhoods like this and you don't always get the best teachers. It is tough trying to excel in a public school where most of your colleagues are in and our of Juvenile hall. Hybrid works simple because those who choose to learn, but are in less than a safe environment.
  •  
    I'm very interested in what you are saying here, Juan. Are you saying that hybrid works because those who choose to learn can do a chunk of their learning from a safer environment than the school? Please expand!
  •  
    I would think so, in areas like SC LA, the Wards in Houston and New Orleans are some of the more impoverished areas in their respective states. Usually these environments are a little hostile and not really safe for students who want to learn much less got to school physically. I grew up in a gang ridden area and I saw many of my friends take to the streets rather than education, sadly most are gone or locked up today. I would imagine the same holds true for areas like Afghanistan where these groups prefer that their followers not be educated, take for instance the Pakistani girl shot for wanting to go to school. My idea is if these people had the opportunity to take classes in either a hybrid or fully online model they could proceed with their education in the safety of their homes. That being said for some people "home" might not be the safest place or best place to get an education. I guess it really depends on the situation. If a person wants to educated themselves they will find a way to do it. Slaves of the 1800s were taught in secret and they in turn taught others, and the history books do state that it was death for a slave to learn to read. An online education just makes it easier to do, because you lack the physical constriction. We all knew someone who was home schooled and we all thought it was the coolest thing to not have to come to school. That was just an off-shoot of correspondence school. Online education is just a natural evolution and if we are lucky be the norm. Schools are no longer the safest place to be and I think some day online may be the best alternative. Jen, hope these ramblings are of some benefit...
  •  
    Thanks so much for sharing, Juan. Very interesting, indeed! I've seen many ways that online can be useful, but I hadn't really thought this one through. You make me want to revisit that interview even though it isn't a typical online school so that I can learn more. THANK YOU!
  •  
    I believe the parents of the students in these types of virtual schools would probably play a much greater role than parents would like to be involved. If not, who would keep the students on task? This also may exclude those parents that could not get involved because of limited resources. Additionally, what if both parents have a full time job this would make it difficult to balance work and the student's education at the same time. Most experts would probably agree that in order to be successful in these types of courses parents would need to be actively involved.
  •  
    Actually, Jaime, what I'm finding is that the students who are successful are the ones who are capable of self-motivating. Sometimes parents are involved and sometimes they aren't. Time management and getting enough social time are the two biggest issues for online students. Schools are coming up with all sorts of solutions, such as teachers who spend a lot of time poking and prodding students or calendar systems that send reminders and give students tools to keep themselves on pace for the former and clubs, summer camps, graduation/homecoming type ceremonies kids can attend in person for the social. Some schools also work out partnerships with regional schools to allow students to participate in local school music, dance, theatre, or sports. Many of the students are what we call "professional students," who are very driven to do something else--like compete in the Olympics--but don't want to miss out on their education, so they find the time to do what they need to do for school when they aren't training or competing. It's a world that is designed to meet special needs, but yes--either the student needs to be self-motivated, or he/she needs a strong parent or teacher to keep him/her on task.
  •  
    Hi Juan, I've got an interview set up with the Director of Academic Affairs of VHS for Tuesday morning. Thanks again for the tip. That's a real interesting setup they've got going on there! Jen
  •  
    Sounds like an interesting idea but I would ditto to what Jackie had said. I can totally see it work for GTs or child celebrities. Can you think of a newly immigrant child who needs to build on his/her English language skills or need to learn how to socialize in their new environment while trying to learn from an fully online program? I don't think it's for everyone. However, It's nice to know that there is an option for the few who can need it and/or can pay for it.
  •  
    Jen, please keep us in the loop with how your interview goes, would be interested to hear.
  •  
    It really depends on the school. One of the biggest advantages of a program that is done right is that the child will actually get MORE individualized attention. So that immigrant child could be greatly helped by more individualized instruction. Some schools, though, are really more like correspondence programs put online, and the child is very much left to his/her own devices. In that situation, the student you describe will not likely make it and would be better off in a classroom where someone can witness his/her struggle.
  •  
    Shaila, If memory serves you are from another country and this might some what match your situation. The towns I have lived in, have always been migrant towns, field works and day laborers. Their children have to up root and move with the seasons. They often don't speak much english if any at all. They have to uproot teachers and friends quite often and don't have a very stable living arrangements, much less education. This is not taking into account students who are from an entirely different continent with entirely different customs. The students will likely be chastised because of their religious view and practices, perhaps even things like attire and eating habits. I spent a month in Singapore for my employer and learned a lot about the mix cultures in that area and how areas at least within our organization are separated by religious views, even meals are prepared differently. So jump back to Online education and you see that this environment provides stability in their education, specialized teachers of appropriate language, and the ability to live a close to normal as possible. This is not to say that some foreign students do in fact acclimate to culture and system well, while still balancing their views and customs.
Katy Lu

Achieving Without Goals : zenhabits - 1 views

shared by Katy Lu on 02 Sep 13 - No Cached
    • Katy Lu
       
      Enjoy what you do is the most easiest way to find happiness. So enjoy what you do, NOW!
  • Isn’t having no goals a goal?
  • Love what you do. This seems obvious, but so often people do things that they’re not excited about. I try to find things that I love doing, and if there’s some mundane task I have to do for some reason, I either eliminate it or find a way to enjoy the hell out of it.
    • Juan Saldana
       
      i couldn't agree with this more, how many mindless drones do we know that hate their jobs and let it snowball the rest of their lives? The fields I work in pay well and I get new toys to play with all the time! I tell my mids to do something they love, it might not pay a 6-7 figure salary but you will be happy, live longer, and enjoy your life that much more..
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Love what you do. This seems obvious, but so often people do things that they’re not excited about. I try to find things that I love doing, and if there’s some mundane task I have to do for some reason, I either eliminate it or find a way to enjoy the hell out of it.
    • Adam Hovde
       
      One of the best posts I have ever seen. I try and live by these guidelines. I was not always a teacher. I started out as a programmer and hated the job. I went back to school and fell in love with working other students and decided to make a career change into the education field. I have now been a teacher for the past 12 years and still love getting up each day and working with the students. I tell my students all the time. Find something you love doing and then find a way to make it your career.
  •  
    I have to agree with you wholeheartedly Katy. Teaching can be a tough job with all the paperwork and extra jobs that seem to be never ending. I think that is why so many new teachers just don't make it. Until you are in that classroom dealing with the kids day in and day out you really don't realize what a hard job it is. And its not just the kids that disrupt the class that makes it tough. It is the kids who inspire you or bring you to tears because of the hard work they do even if they have a terrible life at home. I love teaching not because I necessarily love math, but because I like the idea that I make an impact on many students lives every year. Even if it is just one child that I can get motivated and inspire them to be great, I have done my job.
  •  
    one I applaud teachers for the work that they do, I know fully well that this is not something I could do. I remember being in K12 and teachers having to deal with the hecklers in the back of the class that didn't want to be there and chose to ruin the experience for every one. This is why I have chosen to take my aquired skills and put them to better use. Simply put teachers need all the help that they can get and I believe that incorporation of technology is the answer. Work smarter not harder...
  •  
    Yes Katy, doing what you love to do makes you job easier and enjoyable. I enjoy orienting first time online students on how online courses work and makes my time worthwhile when I see them taking another online course after another every semester. That means to me that I guided them correctly and makes me enjoy my job even more.
ernieperez519

Is Technology Producing A Decline In Critical Thinking And Analysis? - 7 views

  •  
    How are we coping with technology in our school system and at work? How many times have you seen the squiggly red line when you mispell a word. Our natural instinct is to right click and correct the misspelled word. Have we lost our thought process by multitasking?
  • ...5 more comments...
  •  
    Ernie, I think you pose an interesting question that is not easy to answer. I think that everyone copes with technology differently at school and at work. I think it all depends on how open minded one is to technology and if ones first experiences have been easy or hard. I personally have to say "thank spellcheck for that red squiggly line." I always have been a horrible speller and it makes life that much easier. Luckily, I went to college at 30 when it was the norm to turn in a paper that was typed on a computer with Microsoft Word. I don't think we have lost our thought process, I just think that we have to stop and realize that we truly cannot multi-task everything. There are only certain things that should be multi-tasked such as a pilot on an airplane as mentioned in the article, but most everyday things should not be. We need to learn to be truly sufficient in what we do we need to put our full attention into our task. I am curious about the articles comments about students reading less. I teach middle school and I would not necessarily agree with that statement. I would say that about 60% of my students will pick up their books as much as they can during class and would read the entire class if I let them and many of them would love to bring their Kindles or e-readers to schools if my school would let them. They might not be reading a book in print, but I bet if more students were aloud to read on their phones or other electronic devices we would see more kids reading.
  •  
    I agree with Jackie! Everyone copes with technology differently but I also believe in two distinct ways either positively and negatively. The people that embrace technology positively will not only use the spell check app but would not think twice not to use it because this is acceptable behavior. If it was not acceptable to use, why is the option available? I realize relying on an app or computer software to do most of the work is a receipt for disaster one day. I think it is too late to turn back the old ways because the world dictates the pace we now live in. Let's say for example, we want to slow down the use of technology in the classroom. The question is, will the rest of the world follow suit? I do not think so! Based on the article you have provide Erie, it clearly states that recreation reading is in decline and I do not think it is going to get any better any time soon. The gaming industry is to blame because these games provide students with a shot of instinct gratification that recreation reading will never be able provide. The people that do not embrace technology will not only not use the spell check app but technology altogether. I have few co-workers in my office that refuse to learn and incorporate technology in their daily routine. When they do need to use technology they are always asking for help and it gets old after a while. I believe ten years from now everything will be automated and these cohorts of employees will be obsolete if they do not change their ways. No, Erie I do not believe we have lost the thought process by multitasking. In fact I think the opposite has occurred. I have witness in my office where season techs struggle with a technology issue and a student employee finds the issue without any real training. I then asked the student employee how he was able to figure it out and the answer is always I do not know how I just did. Crazy as it sounds it has happen several times in my office.
  •  
    Technology is ubiquitous and as such, impossible to avoid. We get used to our kindle, notebook, phone, etc. and life seems impossible without them. While technology seems to simplify our lives it also poses questions and problems as the one Jaime describes that require the use of something that technology itself cannot provide, i.e., intuition in the process of problem-solving. That is something inherently human. I don't think I'd worry about losing this trait. I know it sounds like a cliché but a computer cannot replace a human brain. Having said this, I do think that the way we process information is changing but it is an adaptation to new environmental challenges; challenges that include technology amongst other things. It may be described as a new ability to multi-task, although as Dr. Medina explains in Brain Rules, the ability to multi-task is a myth. I prefer to consider it a new ability to focus in sequential processes.
  •  
    One thing that we need to consider is that the pre-computer generation is getting ready to retire and these new "workers" have grown up with computers and internet. Each generation to come will be more and more tech savvy. My daughter struggled with standard keyboarding in school, but types a million miles an hour on her ipad! I read somewhere that the Concorde airplane was the last airplane that actually required a pilot to manually fly it, where as all the new and current planes really only require the pilot for landings and take-offs. There are school districts still fighting to keep cursive in their curriculum, but when is the last time a teacher took a hand-written paper? The question above about whether we are losing something due to our reliance on technology, is an interesting one. The better question would be is what if the technology was taken away, would we be able to function? Can we as a people survive without it?
  •  
    I think that just like anything else, as our technology grows, we will lose some thought processes and gain others. That's not necessarily bad, though. We have always done that. I don't feel bad about losing the thought process that involves sneaking up on a chicken and killing it. Then, cleaning it and cooking it. I like that I can just go buy it prepared. By the same token, I like not having to get out the liquid paper when I mess up a word or sentence. Just a few keystrokes and I have made the correction. With regard to multitasking - Medina tells us that we really aren't wired for that. It does seem that more and more, people wear the ability to multi-task like a badge of honor. But actually it goes back to the old saying "jack of all trades, master of none". I would like to see people (myself included) take more time to focus their attention on one thing and get it right.
  •  
    Great discussion here. I can see this going either way. A teacher can guide students to use technology for critical thinking. I have students that go directly to their technology to try and find an answer and others will try and work on a problem before they try and look up an answer. The way a teacher guides the students will students use technology to bolster critical thinking rather than use it as a crutch. My students know they can just look up an answer in my physics class BUT they have to show their work so just knowing the answers doesn't really help them. Being able to explain how you get to an answer is more important to me than the right answer itself. These skills can be taught and can use technology at the same time.
  •  
    I agree with the fact that our thought processes have changed- but haven't been paralyzed. Like Raquel said, technology is ubiquitous to today's education. There is no way out of it. When I was 11 I had to practice hand writing and got told off by my mother when I did a bad job. My 11 years old son, on the other hand has bad handwriting and is not responsible to beautify it in any way since he does most of his work on the laptop he has been given from school. Yes, spellchecker does eliminate us to learn proper spelling. However, the need to learn how to spell is slowly being diminished. I think we need to take a new approach to looking at how children learn these days and stop sweating over small stuff that once was considered 'big'.
ernieperez519

How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus - 2 views

  •  
    Article on how technology is changing how children think.
  • ...1 more comment...
  •  
    I agree with the author that in 21st century children spent too much screen time and not enough activities on reading, sports games, and family time. No doubt about it, new technology has made contacting family and friends easier than ever, and has assisted us in managing life. But I can't say technology has made people happier than ever. I would rather see children playing in the park, playing basketball with friends, go swimming, biking, hanging around with their circle of clique instead of chatting on Facebook all day. While hurricane Ike severely damaged Houston area in 2008, The power outage lasts longer than 3 weeks in my neighborhood. Kroger offered clearance for 50% off on all Frozen Food items, we have had wonderful hurricane parties with our neighbors. That is also a good time for the whole family get together and having a candle light dinner quietly without bothering of TV and phone calls. (We were having tuna fish with bread for dinner). Without AC, we have to let the window open up all night, and I just enjoyed the summer night breeze.
  •  
    I certainly agree Katy. The effects of technology on children are complicated, with both benefits and costs. Whether technology helps or hurts in the development of your children's thinking depends on what specific technology is used and how at what frequency it is used. We need to have children use technology wisely and not excessively. It all comes down to how the parents up-bring their children.
  •  
    I agree that technology has changed how children are growing up today. You do not see as many children out playing in the yard as we did when we were young. They are social and interacting with their peers, but on a different level with social media. It is important for parents to recognize that their needs to be a balance with technology and push their kids out the door, literally. I am lucky that my kids often ask to go for walks or go to the park to hang out with their friends. Of course, they have their phones attached to their hands, but they are active and outside soaking up the sun. As they grow up and raise the next generation they in turn will have to look back and learn the best way to raise the next generation.
Pedro Rodriguez

The Neurochemistry of Positive Conversations - Judith E. Glaser, and Richard D. Glaser ... - 2 views

  • The Neurochemistry of Positive Conversations
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      I choose this article because it relates to Brain Based learning. Also we all need to positive conversations.
  • Why do negative comments and conversations stick with us so much longer than positive ones?
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Before reading the article, I attempted to answer the question based on my readings. At first I would think its how we encode the information. We tend to encode information better when its is tied to something we feel or is familiar to use.? Before reading the article, please attempt to answer the questions: Why do negative comments and conversations stick with us so much longer than positive ones?
    • Lauren Simpson
       
      I think that negative comments and conversations stick with us because they elicit a bigger emotional response than positive comments. Negative comments make you feel angry, sad, depressed, and sometimes guilty. Those are feelings that, at least for me, stick around longer than feelings of joyfulness, happiness, etc.
  • A critique from a boss, a disagreement with a colleague, a fight with a friend – the sting from any of these can make you forget a month’s worth of praise or accord. If you’ve been called lazy, careless, or a disappointment, you’re likely to remember and internalize it. It’s somehow easier to forget, or discount, all the times people have said you’re talented or conscientious or that you make them proud.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Most go through this at work, school, or through their personal life. I choose this article because we all can relate to it. Please take a moment and reflect of a similar situation you have gone through. 
    • rtrevin5
       
      This is an important point. The other day I was telling a co-worker, you can do a thousand things right, but you'll be remembered for the one thing you do wrong. In education, I have found that people do not want to call my son lazy despite the fact that he is very obviously being lazy. They say he needs to be more professional. In my workplace, that means dress better or speak better, but it has nothing to do with performance. If you are lazy, you get called lazy. The group polices itself. This is an important lesson that despite articles and psychologists and others saying negative feedback is bad - well, it still happens in the workforce. Just reality. And kids need to be prepared for that.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Chemistry plays a big role in this phenomenon. When we face criticism, rejection or fear, when we feel marginalized or minimized, our bodies produce higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that shuts down the thinking center of our brains and activates conflict aversion and protection behaviors. We become more reactive and sensitive. We often perceive even greater judgment and negativity than actually exists. And these effects can last for 26 hours or more, imprinting the interaction on our memories and magnifying the impact it has on our future behavior. Cortisol functions like a sustained-release tablet – the more we ruminate about our fear, the longer the impact.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      This is similar to what John Medina describes. The brain imprints or encodes events much better when there is "elaborate" information.  Medina explains that we vividly recall information when associated with fear. 
  • This “chemistry of conversations” is why it’s so critical for all of us –especially managers – to be more mindful about our interactions. Behaviors that increase cortisol levels reduce what I call “Conversational Intelligence” or “C-IQ,” or a person’s ability to connect and think innovatively, empathetically, creatively and strategically with others. Behaviors that spark oxytocin, by contrast, raise C-IQ.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Understanding how the brain works, I believe we can use what we have learned and apply it to practical situations. I chose this article because we can understand how the brain works and use that knowledge and apply it in our everyday lives. 
  • unfortunately, when leaders exhibit both types of behaviors it creates dissonance or uncertainty in followers’ brains, spurring cortisol production and reducing CI-Q.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      I believe this is very important because if you are a leaders, your followers will be uncertain and will cause them to be distrustful to you. Leading your followers will be much harder.
  • sking questions to stimulate discussion, showing concern for others, and painting a compelling picture of shared success
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Here are a few positive (oxytocin-producing)  behaviors one can do as a leader. 
  • his tendency was to tell and sell his ideas, entering most discussions with a fixed opinion, determined to convince others he was right. He was not open to others’ influence; he failed to listen to connect.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      This are the types of behaviours one needs to stay away from. I am sometimes guilty of such behaviors. Taking this course is helping my leadership skills through Brain Based learning.  
  • Harness the chemistry of conversations.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      I like that saying. What do you think overall of this article?
1 - 6 of 6
Showing 20 items per page