The author is my grandson ,Shane's, advocate. Without her he would be up the creek without a paddle.
Will My Child Grow Out of It written by Dr. Bonny Forrest is an important book for parents, educators and practitioners. The succinct, accurate description of learning differences and mental health issues is based on extensive research as well as personal case study experience. The topics discussed and suggestions given are realistic yet always positive. The expanded appendix provides resources for action, effective therapies for consideration and medications commonly in use. Most importantly there is a direct link to ProjectSkip, http://www.projectskip.com/. A special code is given for use of this tool, a first step in the decision of whether to seek professional help. While this book is an excellent resource for parents, it could also be an important textbook for educators as well as those studying in the field of psychology
found that students who read a passage, then took a test asking them to recall what they had read, retained about 50 percent more of the information a week later than students who used two other methods.
I think that learning is all about retrieving, all about reconstructing our knowledge,
When they are later asked what they have learned, she went on, they can more easily “retrieve it and organize the knowledge that they have in a way that makes sense to them.”
In the narrative recall version of the test the subjects were made to reread the article numerous times. In the concept mapping version they were directed to read the article once. The different outcomes could just be related to the power of re-reading something. Also, narrative recall isn't what most tests look like. That label is clearly a misnomer.
"Thousands of new school places are being created for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education, providing tailored support to help children thrive.
Every region in the country will benefit from a new school, which include 37 special free schools and two alternative provision free schools. This will create around 3,500 additional school places, boosting choice for parents and providing specialist support and education for pupils with complex needs such as autism, severe learning difficulties or mental health conditions, and those who may have been or are at risk of being excluded from mainstream schools."
"We often talk about the challenges of teacher recruitment and retention, about new initiatives and political landscapes, but day in, day out, teachers and schools are delivering exceptional teaching and most of it is invisible.
Ross uncovers, celebrates, analyses and disseminates best practice in teaching. This is supported by case studies and research undertaken by Ross in ten primary and secondary schools across Great Britain, including a pupil referral unit and private, state and grammar schools, as well as explanations from influential educationalists as to why and how these ideas work. Ross explores the issues of marking and assessment, planning, teaching and learning, teacher wellbeing, student mental health, behaviour and exclusions, SEND, curriculum, research-led practice and CPD."
Brain simulates actions in stories as a person reads: study
What scientists discovered was that parts of the brain associated with certain activities described in the story would light up as the person read those sections.
This study suggests that readers do mental simulation when they comprehend a story,"
This year, I was asked to attend as a Canadian Teacher Representative, along with Ontario Ministry Officer, Colette Ruduck and our Ontario Deputy Minister of Education, George Zegarac.
the theme of “Trust and Regulation”
my Canadian values of equality, diversity, safety and choice
high degree of trust for teachers, administrators and district decision makers
Our regulations are meant to encourage equality and diversity, choice, opportunity, innovation – fundamental values in our society.
In contrast to many of the other countries represented, our Canadian context was unique in that the regulations (organizations, federations, policies, curriculum) imposed actually tie in Trust and Relationship building and partnerships as key factors to increase capacity building with a wide range of stakeholders.
We need our profession to be respected, which includes paying us well, treating us fairly, supporting us with resources, nurturing our learning and leadership opportunities
systems of education can achieve and can be highly ranked without the use of formalized testing
We need to feel safe to make mistakes because we too are learners, especially in a profession that is changing so drastically in the 21st Century
We need to feel trusted and with that, we want our skills, our education, our talents and our passions to be respected so we -together – can become the creators of our own pedagogies
these passionate and experienced leaders agreed that such tests don’t work when used to rate, or punish teachers
can even sometimes do more harm then good
such tests are not always authentic
First and foremost, teacher voice needs to be heard and respected
As principals, we need to empower our teachers and community
the importance of the teacher/principal relationship came up over and over and over
Trust – allows me to teach in my style, developing my own curriculum
I wonder if there is a correlation between that supportive, trusting principal and the fact that we have incredibly dynamic teachers here, at Van Leer from all over the globe
We too need to think different because change can start with us
We need to make our voices heard by be socially active
By sharing and reflecting our learning openly and even by sometimes being vulnerable and asking for help and challenging the status quo
we need to recognize that our learning environments are changing and are very different from how we were once trained and educated
We need to remind our leaders that we are not just teachers of academics but we teach the whole person
Many of us struggle, without supports – to help impoverished families, students with mental health disabilities, learning disabilities, students that speak a different language, large class sizes, violence, inequalities
The conference in Jerusalem, Israel that Van Leer hosts each year is intended to encourage professional dialogue among educators, academics, representatives of the Third Sector, and policymakers from diverse areas and places in Israel and abroad. This year, I was asked to attend as a Canadian Teacher Representative, along with Ontario Ministry Officer, Colette Ruduck and our Ontario Deputy Minister of Education, George Zegarac.
With the theme of "Trust and Regulation" at the center of our discussions, it did not take long to realize that my context, as a Canadian Educator, a parent, and a student - was one of privilege and opportunity.
Last year, more than two million prescriptions for Ritalin and other ADHD drugs were written specifically for children under 17, and at least 75 per cent of them were for young males. Part 3 of a 6-part series.
taking a drug for attention deficit disorder each morning has become as commonplace as downing a vitamin.
prescriptions for Ritalin and other amphetamine-like drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder shot up to 2.9 million in 2009, a jump of more than 55 per cent in four years.
“It certainly suggests the drugs are being abused,” says Gordon Floyd, president and CEO of Children's Mental Health Ontario. “There's a desire for the quick fix … the idea that – ‘oh, we'll fix this with a pill' – rather than spend a few months in counselling, is pretty appealing.”
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders of childhood, with core features that include an inability to focus, and hyper and impulsive behaviour. Increasingly, it's seen as a chronic condition that 60 per cent of kids never outgrow and one that experts estimate affects five per cent of children worldwide.
Boys are four times more likely to develop autism, three times more likely to suffer dyslexia, and two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
IMS figures show ADHD prescriptions for males have increased 50 per cent since 2005.
Last year, more than two million prescriptions for Ritalin and other ADHD drugs were written specifically for children under 17, and at least 75 per cent of them were for young males (Canadian data). Part 3 of a 6-part series.
Few would argue that life-long learning is a worthy goal with real benefits for our long term mental health and happiness. Engaging with new ideas, concepts and ways of doing things is the ideal strategy for a healthy mind and a disposition towards better understanding the world and challenging our entrenched beliefs.
"Participation in team sports is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in children, whereas non-sport activities have no association with symptoms, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier. The association was found only for boys. The findings suggest that exercise could have anti-depressant effects in adolescents.
"These interesting results provide important clues as to how exercise benefits mood in children and reveals the important role that gender plays in these effects," said Cameron Carter, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging."
"Despite the prevalence of depression in the population, the devastating impact it can have, and the rise in public awareness in recent years, schools (and society at large) still find depression a taboo. Something which is often ignored and misunderstood. Where support is available wonderful things can happen mitigating some many of the pressures when the black dog comes barking. While a societal shift is needed, there are many, often small things that educators can do to help those who need help."
"These children are not trying to be awkward, they would love to walk into a classroom, sit down listen, not worry who is near them, not panic when there is a different teacher, not care if someone sees them hang their coat up. Sometimes they can get into the school but not into the classroom. Sometimes they can get out of the house but not through the school gates. Professionals saying, "Just tell them they are going," is brilliant in theory but, even with an 8-year-old, sometimes impossible in practice."