Learning

My presentations in Seoul, South Korea, gave me insight into Third Culture Kids (TCK).

The presentations were to English speaking teachers and parents at international schools. A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. TCKs build relationships to other cultures while not having full ownership in any. For example, the parents are Korean but the students have lived in different countries, usually because of a parent's corporate or embassy job. There are thousands of Korean youth who are TCKs. They have lived in a foreign country; when they return to Korea, they are not accepted by native Koreans—hence, the label, "Third Culture Kids."

Their "home" … >>>

When you present something, follow this formula:

WHAT it is you will explain.
WHY it is important to know about it.
HOW the listener can use it.
Give an EXAMPLE of how it works.

The more you use this simple approach, the more people will be motivated to put forth the effort to learn what you are teaching.… >>>

Most of the extrinsic school rewards are of little motivational value to students who fail or fall behind.

Once children have a year or two of struggle in primary grades, once they feel and know for themselves that they are “behind,” they resign themselves to lower status and acquire a defeatist attitude.

The stickers, teacher approval, honor roll, family (and extended family) encouragement become less frequent, less meaningful, less sincere, and less valued. Even peer approval and acceptance begins to wane. Meanwhile, learning becomes more of an effort with fewer rewards and more discouragement, more negativism, more privileges withheld, and more on the punishment end of the reward-punishment continuum.

–Bill Page, “At-Risk Students: Feeling Their Pain,
Understanding Their Plight, Accepting … >>>

In a few presentations to teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District, one of my charges was to include some ideas about differentiation. The following are some ideas on differentiation (both in content and process) that I shared.

ASSESSMENT (before):

Write a letter to your parents. Include interests, talents, learning preferences, long-range plans or desires, and goals in the class.

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Topics for class meetings with PRIMARY students:
–Why are we here?
–What are we trying to do?
–What does it mean to do something well?
–How will we know if we are doing it well together?

Topics for class meetings with OLDER students:
–What does it mean to do quality work?
–How will you know that a quality … >>>

Thomas Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist with the New York Times and author of the best-selling book about globalization, “The World Is Flat.” He recently introduced a new phrase to the English language: CONTINUOUS PARTIAL ATTENTION. This was explained as, “when you are on the Internet or cell phone or Blackberry while also watching TV, typing on your computer and answering a question from your child. That is, you are multitasking your way through the day, continuously devoting only partial attention to each act or person you encounter.”

The August/September, 2006, issue of “Scientific American MIND” included an article about how the brain decides on what to focus conscious attention.

A professor asked his class to watch … >>>

The following focuses on how to establish a learning community where competition is at an absolute minimum and collaboration is optimal. It is how Kerry and her teaching partner, Darlene, continue to share how they use the Discipline Without Stress Teaching Model.

We try to focus on improvement and effort at academic times instead of on achievement. We don’t assign marks on anything and never mention specially those who have done very well. We focus on having students judge their own work (by comparing it to previous work) and make their own goals for improvement. We offer encouragement on a private basis and try to offer positive feedback rather than praise. We aim to have all students, regardless of … >>>

The following is from a post at the mailring.

QUESTION:
I’m being encouraged by my principal and special education department to use behavior charts and rewards to get students to behave more responsibly. Their argument is that these kids are still on the “concrete” level and must be treated like preschoolers. I’m supposed to be on them all the time until their behavior is automatic.

RESPONSE:
I can see why you are uncomfortable with carrying out the suggestions of your principal and special education experts. They’re asking you to control your students through manipulation—and in effect, be responsible for their behaviour. This is a very stressful way to approach classroom discipline because it is actually impossible to make someone else … >>>

Among many questions asked during my school presentations around the world, one in particular prompted me to really reflect. The question was, “What is it that makes your approach so successful?” My response was that I think of how the brain and body are so interrelated that one affects the other. Therefore, I think of how the brain and body react whenever I communicate.

For example, if I compliment you, a good feeling is prompted. In contrast, if I tell you to do something, or criticize you, or blame you for something, then a negative feeling ensues. The mind first processes information (external stimuli); then emotion kicks in. But we oftentimes do not act on cognition; it’s emotion that prompts … >>>

When turtles are born, they know everything they need to know to live for 50 or so years. Since learning is one of the joys of living, I don't think turtles have very much fun.

Learning brings growth, and both the process and result of learning can be enjoyable. Watch anyone at any age who is involved in any mental activity for any length of time and ask the person the reason for the involvement. The response will inevitably include the fun factor.

A characteristic of successful leaders, teachers, and parents is that they make learning enjoyable; they make it fun.

On the other hand, think of someone who has given up learning because, like the turtle, the person already … >>>

Responsible people are happy people.
Happy people are responsible people.

Responsibility and happiness feed on each other.

 … >>>

At the conclusion of the academic year in the U.S.A. and the start of summer vacation in many schools, it seems a proper time to review two significant characteristics of the approaches I recommend that are different from most others.

CHARACTERISTIC I:
ACTING REFLEXIVELY vs. ACTING REFLECTIVELY

You are at home and the telephone rings. You answer it. Assume for a moment that you are NOT familiar with choice-response thinking. If I were to query you why you answered the phone, most would say—in one way or another—that the phone was a stimulus and answering it was the response.

Now, let’s assume that you are at home watching a television program that you had been looking forward to seeing. You … >>>

Asking, "Why?" is an INeffective question when it relates to behavior.

For example, the answer to asking a young person, "Why are you doing that?" will prompt answers such as, "I don't know" or an excuse, such as, "I have ADD."

In contrast, asking a student, "Why are you LEARNING that?" and receiving a similar response, "I don't know," is a reflection on the teacher, not on the student.

Sharing the "why" for something you would like young people to learn is an extremely effective teaching technique for promoting learning and effort. It becomes "purpose driven," which, in turn,
—prompts self motivation,
—sustains that motivation,
—diminishes resistance, and
—enhances better decisions.

When you reflect on this idea, you will quickly … >>>

“What Would Shaq Do?” is an outgrowth from a previous post. Bob Sullivan, who is consulting with an inner city school, applied the idea with a boy who was pushing in the cafeteria line. As the principal was then attending to other students, Bob began talking with the student—who has a difficult home life—and found out that he liked basketball and that Shaquille O’Neal was his favorite player.

Later when teaching the staff about “Impulse Management” using the traffic signal poster, he used Shaq as a model to choose a good option when agitated.

Shaquille O’Neal is a professional basketball player in a league that has the greatest athletes in the world. He is a big man, seven feet-one inch … >>>

In the 1990’s, the Juran Institute produced a video series on the subject of quality. One of them describes a problem with the Jefferson Memorial: the granite was crumbling. What was frustrating to the national park officials was that none of the other memorials were having this same problem with their granite. So the question was “Why?”

Question: Why is the granite crumbling on the Jefferson Memorial?
Answer: It is hosed off more than the other memorials.

Question: Why is the Jefferson Memorial hosed off more than the other D.C. memorials?
Answer: The Jefferson Memorial has more bird dung.

Question: Why does the Jefferson Memorial have more bird dung than the other memorials?
Answer: It has more birds.

Question: Why … >>>