teachable moments Archives - Page 37 of 45

Aug 16 2018

Talking About Death and Difficult Subjects Play Activities

Children love to watch the evolution of life in their daily play. They witness the growth, life, and death weeds, plants, flowers, trees, insects, animals, pets, and family members. They hear family members talk about sickness, the old age decline of family members, and eventual deaths of older relatives. Television, movies, and video games can overwhelm children with messages about death and dying. Listed below are a few thought provoking activities that you can share with your children in memory of a loved pet or family member. [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Aug 15 2018

Talking About Death and Difficult Subjects Reading Activity

Children are often curious about understanding the death of a pet or family member. You can read your child an age appropriate book or the story below about the death of a father when a child is a preschooler or early elementary student. When children lose a young parent to death, they can become very fearful that they may lose other significant family members at a young age. It is critical that we reassure our children when they hear about a friend or family member.

The story below is written by Michele McDevitt, a GenParenting guest blogger, who sadly has significant experiences working with grief and young family members. After reading the story, you can answer the comprehension questions and submit a comment to GenParenting.com. [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Jul 31 2018

Heroes Among Us

School shootings, children separated from their parents, suicide, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods…these are just a few of the devastating headlines coming through the radio and across my newsfeed. Not to mention, there are so many more personal stories of families experiencing a serious health issue of another family member, children caught in the middle of a custody battle, or even children being intimidated by a menacing bully on the playground. If you are like me, these news reports and life events leave me feeling sad and helpless. Imagine, then, how much more devastated and vulnerable our children may feel. What can we do to help our children develop core values so they can be strong in difficult situations?

Be a Hero

Parents should help instill positive, core character values in their children. Are the traits of Hope, Courage, Perseverance, and Integrity being modeled and practiced at home? Think about the words and tone of voice you use when you hear about discouraging news. When we react to a less than ideal situation, our children observe and mimic our behavior. Are children being taught to respond positively? When children are confident and affirmed that they possess these qualities, then they are able to practice and extend Compassion and Generosity towards others. This is the first step in helping children see that they can be a positive change agent. In the face of difficult situations, they can be a hero to their brother, sister, friend, or stranger. [Read more…]

Jaime Koo, Encouraging Literacy

Discovering the joy of teaching while in high school, Jaime pursued her B.A. in English at Santa Clara University. She also received a teaching credential and a M.A. in Education Administration from Santa Clara University. Jaime taught English Language Arts at Rancho Middle School, motivating and inspiring young people to become effective communicators and contributors in their community. From being a Middle School English Language Arts/English Language Development teacher to becoming a stay-at home mom, Jaime is an education consultant who presents literacy workshops. Her workshops focus on a combination of her ten years of teaching expertise with tried-and-true experiences that she uses with her own children. Jaime is also a Teacher Consultant with the San Jose Area Writing Project. Jaime’s mission is to share effective reading and writing strategies with families to encourage literacy.

Jul 19 2018

Transportation and Construction Play Activities

When learning about various types of transportation vehicles and how they can be used in the community, suggested materials and activities include the following:

Materials:

Stories or books on transportation and construction that can be discussed include:
- There’s a Hole in the Road (by Mary Ann Burke published on GenParenting.com)
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
- Wheels at Work Construction book
- Find it: Things That Go
- Spot the Difference Building Site
Foam bath vehicles
Transportation and Construction vehicles (i.e. TOMY TOOMies dump truck)
Building materials (i.e. Roylco Straw Connectors)
Vehicle speedways (i.e. Blu Track)

[Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Jul 17 2018

Transportation and Construction Play with Kids

Bryce is passionate about visiting construction sites. When walking through the city, we will stop to watch a road being repaired and a new sky scraper being built. My grandson will carefully observe how the various types of construction equipment is used for specific construction jobs. He loves to watch the transformation of earth moving equipment that forms roads and highways.

At home and at the park, Bryce recreates construction sites with his construction vehicles. He has studied books and knows the name and purpose for each type of construction truck. Bryce likes to be the truck operator and will work cooperatively with a pretend crew when creating a road or building. When playing with others, he has learned how to share his toys and take turns when operating the different vehicles. [Read more…]

Joyce Iwasaki, Early Parenting

Joyce Iwasaki has over thirty years of educational experience working with diverse students in grades from preschool through high school. Joyce’s extensive background includes teaching elementary school, serving on early childhood advisory boards, and advocating for educational initiatives as a legislative aide. During her tenure as a legislative aide, she helped create legislation that allowed incarcerated mothers to keep their newborn babies with them while in prison. Additional legislation was enacted to allow incarcerated pregnant mothers to remain unshackled during labor and delivery. Ms. Iwasaki established and served as the president of an educational scholarship foundation for fifteen years. Her foundation awarded college scholarships to emerging student leaders who provided service to their schools and communities. Joyce is active in performing arts and cultural organizations. She also provides ongoing support to her daughter and family by raising her grandson in her home.