%)
%)
%)
%)
%)
%)
%)
%)
%)
%)
Sep 2007
How to incorporate technology into school projects
September 27, 2007 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
 |
Dear Dr. Fournier: My
daughter is in the eleventh grade and is a good
student, but she's always had a hard time with
projects. Stated more accurately, we -- her
parents -- have a problem with projects for
several reasons.
First, these projects often do not reflect "real world" values. These projects often place more emphasis on "artistic" presentation than on excellent information. My husband and I are both physicians, and clear, pointed analysis is a necessity in our work. Brevity is important and appreciated in most workplaces, and concise information is a valuable asset in a fast-paced world. When will schools teach that to our children? Second, technology is used everywhere around us, except, it seems, in the classroom. Why do teachers insist that students use those stupid three-sided boards? Technology allows our children to do much more, and students will be expected to do just that when they enter the "real world." How many three-sided boards are used in corporate meetings or at industry symposiums? If I have to buy one more three-sided board for a school project, I am going to consider home-schooling. |
The Assessment: There is a big difference between the technology mandated for success in the real world and the technology available at schools. Technology is vital to the learning process because it is an extension of the human senses. With binoculars and microscopes we see at distances the unassisted human eye cannot reach. With the internet we cross the globe and communicate within seconds. Our voice could never carry that far, and a letter could never be delivered as fast. With an iPod your child can absorb 20 books during a semester in her free time, while she only reads a few books each semester in school. Physicians know that MRIs and PET scans are needed to truly diagnose some patients. Doctors cannot see inside their patients, but technology can. Unfortunately, some of the more "advanced" schools pride themselves on giving each child a computer while still using textbooks. That is true irony.
What To Do: You are not a dinosaur, and you are unwilling to educate your daughter using antiquated technology such as three-sided boards, colored pencils and aluminum foil. Take charge of your daughter's education and let her teachers know that when it comes to projects, your child will use the technology of her era.
For an example, take the visual and audio technology of a video recorder. I communicated with Katy Gaenicke of the Sony Company, and she provided several ideas, some of which are incorporated in this list:
• "Instead of bringing in an object for "show and tell," younger students could videotape something they find interesting in their neighborhood, city or nearby park. They could then present their footage to the class " and from this they could establish hypotheses in architecture, science, history and math for further exploration.
• "Students could bring a camcorder on school-sponsored field trips to capture unique activities throughout the year."
• "A class could create a video history book of their city by interviewing historians and older residents and then editing the footage together." As a final exam, they could compare their video with written accounts from five historians.
• "Memories captured on DVD are great additions to annual yearbooks."
As parents we must admit we are preparing our children for a world whose knowledge to date will be obsolete by the time they graduate from college. Do you really want to continue having your children educated the dinosaur way?
<<Previous page
Don't measure 'Gifted' students only by grades, scores
September 20, 2007 12:00 PM Filed in: Diagnoses
| All Levels
 |
Dear Dr. Fournier: As the parent of a "gifted" seventh grader, I wanted to respond to the advice you offered recently in your column. You responded to a parent whose child was considered "gifted" according to standardized tests, but teachers refused admission to the accelerated program due to the student's insufficient grades. While I agree that placement in a "gifted" program will not make or break a child's academic career, it is troubling that teachers would deny entry to the program solely on the basis of past grades. Regardless of intelligence, it is a sad reflection of our educational system when schools "give up" on students who aren't "gifted" according to traditional guidelines and grades. |
The Assessment: In that column, I addressed the parents' concern that the child was underachieving because I felt that was the primary issue. However, it is a very sad reflection of our educational society, as well as society in general, when our schools "give up" on our children. Perhaps the problem lies with the concept and existence of a "gifted" program. While there are many exceptional teaching practices occurring in "gifted programs" across the nation, I am concerned that such labeling has a negative impact on children. What label do we place on children who do not fit the criteria -- is there an antonym for "gifted?" Would it be ungifted, mediocre or deficient? It is inconceivable to me that our society still believes that giftedness can be measured by test scores or grades.
Though practices vary widely, students usually qualify for "gifted" programs based on their standardized tests scores, grades, and the recommendations of teachers. This is problematic, not only because the various measures may disagree, but also because of the qualifying measures themselves.
Standardized achievement tests assess what the child has learned. This is helpful to evaluate the child's strengths and weaknesses, but these tests do not reflect the child's ability to learn, process and analyze new information. Furthermore, these test scores are affected by numerous factors which can skew the results. In addition to flawed testing strategies, teacher recommendations are very subjective and are often the synthesis of test scores and classroom grades. These traditional indicators often overlook potential, creativity and other important factors.
What To Do: As a society, we must begin to realize that gifts are not singular, especially not in the academic arena. Educators and parents should allow all students to benefit from the teaching innovations of "gifted" programs. These programs are generally more creative and challenge students to explore learning in new and innovative ways.
Unfortunately, only students who perform well under traditional teaching methods are placed in these programs. Could it be that students who do not perform well under traditional educational methods would actually benefit the most from gifted program strategies?
As parents, we must make sure each of our children know they are "gifted," and we must help them find the gifts that make them unique. The desire to learn, to think, to create, and to affect change must be instilled in all students. No parent should ever rely solely on the educational system to provide that desire. Parents must help their children find personal gifts to affect positive change in our world.
When we label some children as "gifted," we imply that other children are not. The educational system should take responsibility for the unspoken disaster of telling so many children they are simply not good enough. But parents are just as responsible as the school when they say nothing and allow this to continue. All children have gifts, and it is the job of teachers and parents to encourage students to find their special talents and abilities.
<<Previous page
Confront children about drug use with confidence
September 13, 2007 12:00 PM Filed in: Diagnoses
 |
Dear Dr. Fournier: This may not seem like a question about education, yet it is something that concerns me regarding my son’s future. I recently found marijuana in his bedroom. My husband says it’s no big deal. He believes it is simply a phase, something that teenagers experiment with while growing up. I am not so sure. I worry my son is doing something that could end his academic education and ultimately result in an “education” in prison. What do you think I should do? |
The Assessment: I disagree with your husband on many levels. You are right; this is a question about your son’s education and development. We make a big mistake when we believe our children’s education stops at the school doors. We are responsible for our children’s entire development – that includes cognitive aspects, as well as emotional and social growth. When considering the goals for our children, we should always ask: As a 25-year-old adult, who will my son or daughter be?
Too many people in society take the stance that marijuana is no big deal. This position seems to be based on a “lesser-of-many-evils” belief. But why would we, as parents, choose any evil for our child? Marijuana portends negative physical, emotional, and social ramifications for your child’s development.
We also must consider why your child is using marijuana. Often the reasons are similar to those for using alcohol or tobacco: peer pressure, social reasons, and stress. These reasons transcend childhood and should be treated as an opportunity for you to teach your child lifelong skills.
Finally, marijuana is illegal. Most schools have established a zero tolerance for drugs on campus. If your child is caught with marijuana in school, he will likely be expelled or sent to an alternative school. There will also be a trip to juvenile court and exposure to the criminal justice system. That sounds like a big deal to me. Even if your child is able to conceal drug use from officials, he is learning to disregard the law. This can be a slippery slope that haunts your child later in life.
What To Do: Confidently approach your child about his drug use. Find out why your son uses drugs and assess the extent of his use. Make sure your child understands that he is putting something into his body that alters who he is. If your child is having difficulty with peer pressure, ask your child why he is willing to substitute someone else’s thoughts or opinions for his own. If he is using marijuana as a social prop, ask what he dislikes about himself. If the issue is stress, find out what is causing him to seek escape, then work to alleviate that stress.
Lastly, the social and legal and physical ramifications of drug use should not be overlooked. Your child should be fully aware of how a drug offense could significantly affect his future. Make sure he knows that continued drug use is not an option. The correlation of drug use to lung disease and psychosis and the road toward addiction of escape form life issues through the short lived effects of drugs is a straight road to a life in a dark alley with no return. Seek therapeutic help if in spite of your attempts you know your son continues.
Most importantly, remember that drug education is definitely a part of your child’s development. A parent’s job is to raise a person who will be prepared to deal with life’s pressures and stress. There are longstanding battles in life for all of us. Have you not had your own? Has your husband not had his? If you do not teach your son these skills early in life, he will look for answers in the wrong places. He has already learned too much from the wrong people at the wrong time, and you must steer his education in a direction that offers him a life of thriving, not mere surviving.
<<Previous page
How to teach your child time management skills
September 06, 2007 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
 |
Dear Dr. Fournier: Your article suggesting that parents use a timer to teach kids how long tasks take was very helpful, and I would like to try this with my 5th grade son. I especially like the idea of keeping a log to show the difference between the child's estimate and the actual time it takes to do a task. However, my child always underestimates how long things will take. What would you suggest when the task takes longer than his estimate? How would you record this on the log? |
The Assessment: When a child underestimates the time it takes to finish a task, the use of a timer is even more important. If a child convinces himself that he has plenty of time, the result will be procrastination and denial. Unaware of his actions, he will constantly wait to the last minute to complete assignments and for test preparation. Your child's future growth and development depends on his ability to gauge his own working capacity.
Many students simply have no idea how to estimate the time they personally need to complete school assignments. As with too many learning strategies, the concept of knowing your own working capacity is rarely "taught." Instead, some students develop this skill "naturally" through trial and error. Unfortunately, this is not an effective and efficient way of developing a process that must become intuitive in the long-term.
A greater problem is that children often only take into consideration the quantity of time needed to complete an assignment. But the time needed to complete quality work is more important. All assignments are not equal. The amount of time required to complete different tasks varies greatly depending on the nature, importance to know rather than just recall or know, difficulty and importance the teacher will give each task.
What To Do: Have your child list the assignments for the night, then evaluate the nature of each assignment. If the assignment is a rote task (copying spelling words or answering multiplication facts), it may not require as much time or concentration. If the assignment involves practicing a new concept, consideration must be given to the child's competency in that subject. These assignments may require more time and concentration to complete. If the assignment requires the child to create something new and completely his own (a poster, poem or book report), then set aside more time for the creative process of thinking and planning and not just doing.
Once the tasks have been properly evaluated, you and your child should determine the order of completion. The more concentration required to complete the task, the fresher the child must be. Thinking, learning and creative tasks must be completed when the child is the most fresh. Depending on the child, this could be directly after school, or it could be after the child relaxes and recuperates from soccer practice.
The tasks should be completed with a digital timer inn front of the child. Should the child underestimate the time, have him/her reset it and continue to do until complete. Now, your child has a realistic view of their current working capacity. Your child should be able to view time involved, but the assignment should not become a race.
Using a timer has several benefits. It teaches the student to recognize how long assignments take to complete. By adding time management to his learning tools he will be able to remain focused over an extended time period with effectiveness and efficiency.
Finally, a log should be kept to show your child where more or less time should be allotted in the future. Do not be surprised when tasks eventually begin to take less time. This will occur as your child begins to better understand the concept of time and focus, based on his control of his unique personal working capacity.
<<Previous page
