Eduville Blog

Today I happened to overhear a conversation as I was waiting to get a coffee at our local mall that made me realize the impact that testing has on our kids and how teachers can make a huge difference in the attitude that our kids have towards it. During the next couple of weeks kids all over the United States will be involved in some sort of standardized state assessment. Here was this 10 year old telling her mom that tomorrow she was going to take the FCAT (that is Florida’s state test) and that she was going to do fine since this test was a snapshot of what she had been learning the entire year. She kept talking and talking in a self-assured tone. I sensed that her teacher was a person who really understood the importance of telling her students that this test was just that “a test” she had taught them and they were prepared to take it. I sensed that the child felt calm and confident. The lesson to me was simple - a child’s self-esteem is critical and parents and teachers need to cultivate and delvelop it. Kudos to that mom who listened with all the love in her heart!

Some secrets are worth sharing and some are not. When it comes to school secrets to help you give your child a cutting edge education I will tell all!

Where do I begin…..school has started, report cards are out - how is your child really doing? Did you know that getting involved positively with the teacher can make a world of difference with the kind of school year your child has. Ready for some secrets…

Secret #1 - Kindness rules! Send a short note telling the teacher how much you appreciate everything that he/she is doing for your child. Even if your child is struggling working with the teacher and school as a team should get things turned around in no time - if not stay tuned for more secrets on ….how to get what you need for your child!

Can video games be serious learning tools for schools? There I was on Fox News being asked this question. As one who believes that learning should be fun and interactive - I said YES! Now don’t get me wrong - video games should serve as an educational resource - enhancing the learning environment making it real-world allowing the child to transfer from one content to another - meaning that as they read it in the textbook they can play it or create it with a video game.

Check back frequently to see postings about education, and teaching your children.