By Christina Quarelli, K-8 Curriculum Specialist at McGraw Hill
Part 2 of our series, “Make Every Remote Learning Moment Count,” where we explore no-plan strategies to boost student engagement quickly.
It’s no secret that motivation has a direct effect on all levels of student engagement. If your virtual classroom is built on a safe space and motivates your student, then their growth, mastery, and retention will have something to stand upon firmly. We must have solid ground before we can gain momentum. …
Everything You Need to Know About Student Data Protection
By Andy Bloom, Chief Privacy Officer at McGraw Hill
The subject of student data privacy has never been more relevant, important, and stress-inducing for school administrators. Although the topic has been around since the 1970s, when schools began collecting electronic information, a lot has changed since the days of analog technologies and magnetic tapes.
The size of our data universe has exploded, and most schools today are relying on cloud services to collect and store their data. The risks and responsibilities of administrators, as it relates to student data privacy, have never been greater.
In this blog, we present the ABCs of student data privacy, with a goal of providing a quick overview of key privacy concepts to help you reduce risk to your school or district, and prepare you for what may lie ahead. …
By Learning Engineer Kyla Haimovitz and Associate Professor of Psychology David Yeager
Published as a part of a collaboration between McGraw Hill and Character Lab, where this piece first appeared. Character Lab advances scientific insights that help kids thrive (you can watch a short video here). By connecting researchers with educators, Character Lab seeks to create greater knowledge about the conditions that lead to social, emotional, academic, and physical well-being for young people throughout the country.
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
— Louisa May Alcott
Why does growth mindset matter?
Having a growth mindset helps you focus on developing your abilities rather than proving how smart or talented you are. Compared to a fixed mindset, a growth mindset encourages you to embrace challenges, sustain effort, and try new strategies — and that’s true for both children and adults. Of course, no one embodies only a growth or fixed mindset; we are all a mixture of the two, and we can learn to recognize what triggers a fixed versus growth mindset. Shown evidence that the brain is like a muscle — something you can strengthen — students adopt more of a growth mindset about intelligence and earn higher grades. Finally, the concept of growth mindset doesn’t only apply to intelligence: If there are qualities you don’t like about yourself or others, keep in mind that people can change. …
Participate in the Great Kindness Challenge January 25 to 29
The best thing about kindness is that it can be done anywhere, at any time. It can be done at school, or on Zoom, in your community, or simply in your backyard. Whether you’re a teacher, an administrator, a caregiver, or a learner — anyone has the power to be kind. It all starts with one small act.
So how might your classroom celebrate kindness this month?
Join The Great Kindness Challenge
We are proud to celebrate seven years of sponsoring The Great Kindness Challenge (GKC) event, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. …
By Christina Quarelli, K-8 Curriculum Specialist at McGraw Hill
Part 1 of our series, “Make Every Remote Learning Moment Count,” where we explore no-plan strategies to boost student engagement quickly.
Drawing from Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation, active participation cannot meet its true potential if a safe learning environment with positive rapport isn’t initially established and consistently maintained.
Students will not engage if they don’t feel safe, even remotely.
Although it seems like a no-brainer, it should always be at the forefront of our minds, especially since there’s been a significant uptick recently in school-age children experiencing anxiety and depression.
Assigning tasks that embed social-emotional principles and require metacognitive application can not only create a consistent and positive atmosphere in your virtual classroom, but also break down common mental or emotional obstacles students face when approaching their learning goals. …
No-Plan Strategies to Boost Student Engagement Quickly
By Christina Quarelli, K-8 Curriculum Specialist at McGraw Hill
“Let me share my screen.”
“Eye contact please!”
“Unmute yourself.”
“Remember that you are on camera!”
“Drop it in the chat box.”
The list of our new remote learning “mantras” goes on — and they don’t seem to be going away any time soon.
As teachers and students across the globe have had their agility, patience, and emotions tested and retested, there has been a consistent challenge: how to make the most of their time together. In addition to the technical logistics, student access, and a whole host of other obstacles that have come with abrupt and revisited distance learning, the challenging feat of how to make every minute of instructional time more interesting, relevant, and engaging has been one of the more difficult hurdles for teachers. …
By Dr. Gerald Paterson, Principal in New Jersey
On December 15, 2020, I was going to participate in a panel hosted by McGraw Hill on Twitter. I was extremely excited to share all the amazing work my staff has done thus far during the pandemic.
In addition to offering two learning platforms, 70 percent of students were able to return to school full time, five days a week, and 30 percent of students were able to learn from a full-time virtual teacher.
Shortly before the 15th, the District decided to move to full remote due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the surrounding area and the difficulty of filling teaching positions at school. …
Sixty Seconds of Actionable Advice, Based on Science, Brought to you by Character Lab
By Angela Duckworth, Character Lab Founder and CEO
Published as a part of a collaboration between McGraw Hill and Character Lab, where this piece first appeared. Character Lab advances scientific insights that help kids thrive (you can watch a short video here). By connecting researchers with educators, Character Lab seeks to create greater knowledge about the conditions that lead to social, emotional, academic, and physical well-being for young people throughout the country.
…
Where does the conviction that I can do this if I try come from?
In 1977, the psychologist Albert Bandura asserted that the most important determinant of self-efficacy is what he calls mastery experiences. …
An Introductory Guide to Identifying the Signs and Symptoms
By Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, Author and Educational Consultant
In our previous blog, Understanding Dyslexia, we discussed how almost a century of research from a variety of scientific fields has disproven many myths about dyslexia that are unfortunately still prevalent in our culture. We now know that dyslexia is neurobiological in origin and typically results from a deficit in the phonological component of language. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Like all learning disabilities, dyslexia is a spectrum disorder that varies in the level of impact and has no correlation with intelligence.
This blog will attempt to explain the prevalence of dyslexia, what signs parents and teachers should look for so we can detect dyslexia earlier — sometimes even before students learn to read — and how we can address it in the classroom, so we can turn struggling readers into confident ones. …
A Virtual Care Package for Teaching and Learning How to Be Brave in the Face of Uncertainty
What is Bravery?
Of all the characteristics that make us human, our capacity for courage is perhaps the most admirable — and yet also the most surprising. After all, when we are brave, we take positive action despite uncertainty, risk, and fear. That we can achieve such an incredible feat is a testament to our humanity, and this is something worth celebrating.
Today, in times such as those we are experiencing, we are all calling upon our own courage as we navigate experiences and challenges that are simultaneously unfamiliar and formidable. Uncertainty, risk, and fear seem to lurk in every corner.
Fortunately, research on the human brain and how we learn has demonstrated that all people — no matter their age — are capable of demonstrating courage. Moreover, bravery serves as the cornerstone of how we learn; without courage, we can never take the risk of trying new skills or exploring new ideas. …
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