Learnamic Blog

Risks of iPhone's AirDrop, Bill Gates' Parents' Strategies, Twitter Making Kids Dumber, And More : Learnamic Update

by Joel

Teaching Trends

Grading The 4-Day School Week - Texas Public Radio
Due to a lack of funding, a public school in Colorado is testing a 4-day school week.  Check out a roundup of the advantages and disadvantages.

Twitter is making kids stupider - Ladders
Those of us who have watched the typical level of interactions on Twitter may not be surprised by this one, but now there's research to back it up.

Using Rubik’s Cubes to Teach Math - Edutopia
Cool way to introduce a variety of mathematical concepts including probability, fractions, ratios, and geometry.

Raising Kids

What's AirDrop and How Are Kids Using It? - CommonSense
AirDrop is a feature of iPhone and iPads, and it lets you easily transfer files to someone else. However with easy file-sharing comes risks that you and your kids should be aware of.

What Bill Gates' Parents Did Differently - CNBC
A quick but worthwhile read on how Bill Gates' parents dealt with his precociousness, curiosity, and drive for independence as he was growing up, and how they pushed him to not give up on things he wasn't good at.  

Parents think they spend too much time on mobile devices; Their kids agree - 9to5Mac
Interestingly, both teens and parents think the other group are "addicted" to their mobile devices and should send less time on them.  Perhaps parents need to be more aware of modeling healthy behavior to set a better example?

Teachers are SO Important

Teachers make a massive impact on who we are - Typing.com
Some fascinating stats about how much impact teachers have on students' lives.  88% of respondents attributed their career success to a teacher, and about half of those attributed it to a teacher in their high school years. 

The Importance of Teacher-Child Relationships - Early Learning Network
Perhaps not a huge surprise, but the science is in: "Children are more likely to be engaged in the classroom and motivated to learn when they trust that their teacher will provide comfort, encouragement and emotional support."

This Week's Dose of Positivity

Teachers Share What Gives Them Hope About Kids Today - Buzzfeed
Parents complaining about "kids today" is a timeless tradition, but here are some real signs that those kids may actually be making meaningful, positive progress over previous generations!  Among the trends teachers are observing are that today's kids think being a "nerd" is normal, reckless behavior is less accepted, they're neater, they're closer to their parents, and they're more accepting of each others' differences.  That sounds pretty great to me, and I highly encourage you to read the whole list!

Kindergarten Teacher Lets Students Draw on Her Dress - Inside Edition
Super cute story (and pictures!) of a teacher who lets her kindergarten students draw on her dress at the end of the year.