Digital Learning, Where Does it Fit into the Whole Child Picture?

I received the following information in my inbox, just sharing.


FINDING A HOME AMONG DIGITAL NATIVES

"In our education technology dreams, we can see young people using technology to engage in learning about a multitude of subjects, develop skills that will solve tomorrow's problems, connect to people around the world, and prepare for jobs we can't even conceptualize.

In our nightmares, we see young people who can't write complete sentences because they know how to write only in text-speak, lack social skills because they spend too much time in front of a screen and too little time learning how to interact with others face-to-face, and can't distinguish quality content from garbage. For many of us, these dreams and nightmares are daily realities. For others, these may sound like the possibilities and problems of a distant future.

Wherever your experience and opinions fall on this continuum, we can all agree that technology is here: it is a large part of most young people's lives, and we have an opportunity and a responsibility to harness its power for good and reduce its power to harm. To deny the challenges and focus with rose-colored glasses only on the positives and possibilities will shortchange our young people. Alternatively, having realistic and candid conversations about the challenges and opportunities, identifying promising practices and tools, and staying tightly connected to young people's use and experiences are essential to utilizing technology to keep students healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Throughout February, we're taking a hard look at what it takes to meaningfully integrate technology into students' lives to help them achieve the academic, social, and emotional learning and development key to their success. Download the most recent Whole Child Podcast, read and post your comments on the Whole Child Blog, and e-mail us resources for and examples of connecting digital learners."

Tiger Mom, An Interesting Read

Here is the original article

Here is a different take.

Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice

Another organization that is doing Good Work!

"Today the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization that works to realize his dream of a peaceful and just world."

http://www.rfkcenter.org/

Speak Truth to Power
As a teacher/educator you can access plans on Speaking Truth to Power.

While the lessons plans seem to created for children of high school age, you may find that you can use the information as a beginning research project for yourself, and build your own lessons plans, making them age appropriate.

Inexpensive Training Opportunity and News

Good Afternoon All!

We are please to announce several new adventures that have presented themselves.

1. We will present at the Chautauqua County Association for the Education of Young Children this fall. October 23 at SUNY Fredonia McEwen Hall. Topic- Character Education: What Is It? How Do You Do It? Why Is It Important?
As Early Childhood Educators we are faced with many challenges and charged with many duties, one of which is helping children to become successful citizens and life long learners. In this workshop we will define what character education is, give examples of activities and classroom learning centers to help cultivate character and why it is so important to include character education as part of your curriculum.

Cost is $10 for members and $15 for Non Members. I am checking on the times, but it is generally 8-1, with a keynote address and several sessions after the keynote.

2. A dear friend and great supporter of our work has joined our team, her name is Alyce Thorp. Alyce lives in Buffalo, has her masters in library science, and is a true believer in our cause. She will join us for trainings and workshops as her schedule allows.

3. At this time, I am in the process of opening a small school. As you may know, the Rainbow Farm School wasn't able to open and run at this time, however, the dream is still alive. Alyce plans to join me in opening a small Montessori based school. I am hoping to take the teacher certification program soon so that I have the knowledge and understanding to create a Montessori based school in the area. If you are interested in receiving more information or to be kept in the loop, please email taverna@moonandme.com. I hope to be open and running by 2012 at the latest.

Personally, I feel very blessed to part of such a wonderful organization. And as a group, I know I speak for the rest of the team when I say Thank You for your Support!

Meeting the Needs of Parents

In her popular Exchange book, How Does it Feel? Child Care from Families' Perspectives, Anne Stonehouse asks, "How would you feel if you believed that the professionals in the program were more knowledgeable and expert about your child than you were?

Parent support is much more appropriate than believing that you have a mandate to 'educate families.' The point is to support and empower families as the most important people in their child's life.

We must always be conscious of what message we are sending parents. We must build trust in relationships and meet the parent where they are at this moment.

Ready, Set, Happy

Good Afternoon,
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a training called Ready, Set, Happy by Denise Flora, one of the creators. (I apologize for not underlining the above title)

The Ready Set Happy curriculum is based on The 16 Guidlines.

The 16 Guidelines for Life are a set of practical and straightforward tools for developing happiness and meaning in everyday life. It is the first project of Essential Education, a non-profit organisation that aims to help people develop their natural capacity for compassion and wisdom. The 16 Guidelines are featured in a book, 16 Guidelines For Life: The Basics by Alison Murdoch and Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw, first published in 2005.

The 16 Guidelines are not a prescriptive doctrine or a set of commandments. They are offered as opportunities to explore one's own life experiences and to see whether the 16 Guidelines can help to improve the quality of that experience.

Ready Set Happy is based on the 16 guidelines are appropriate for children aged 7-12, but I would argue that the principles are appropriate for all children, and that the activities would need to be altered to be age appropriate.

The curriculum has specific activities to go along with each character trait, as well as songs, ideas and book suggestions.

If you are interested, A Starting Small Project, plans to develop additional ideas and lessons plans to follow this curriculum.

Please visit http://www.16guidelines.org/ as well as http://www.16guidelines.org/publications/29-ready-set-happy.

We also plan to develop activities and ideas for adults, so if you would like us to present this information along with our current workshops please contact us at
astartingsmallproject@gmail.com
or
taverna@moonandme.com

Relationships with Children

In Intellectual Emergencies: Some Reflections on Mothering and Teaching, Lilian Katz makes these two observations about teachers' relationships with children:

"Relationships cannot be developed in a vacuum; we have to relate to each other about something — something that matters to the participants in the relationship. The content of our relationship with children should not be mainly about rules, regulations, and conduct, but about their increasing knowledge and developing understandings of those things within and around them worth knowing more about and understanding more deeply, more fully, and more accurately."

"Cultivate the habit of speaking to children as people — people with minds — usually lively ones. Appeal to their good sense. It is not necessary to be sweet, silly, or sentime ntal at one extreme, or somber, grim, or harsh at the other end. Let us be genuine, direct, honest, serious, and warm with them, and about them — and sometimes humorous too."