Do you want a career in Music? Not sure how to gain admission to the right college? If you’re in high school, gaining admission to college is hard, no matter what career pathway you choose. Acceptance into Music programs isn’t just about talent. There are certain requirements that you should be aware of, so that you can get on track and have the best possible chance of admission. Universities highly consider GPA’s and test scores.…
Everyone — from businesses to classrooms to sporting organizations — is on a quest to crack the code to perfect teamwork. Google spent years studying their working teamwork systems and determined that success wasn’t based on “who” was on a team, but on the culture created by the team — for example, a group that takes turns talking vs. one in which members speak over one another would have better teamwork. Educators are also looking…
It is never too early to start teaching the important life skill of goal setting to our children. Learning to set goals teaches kids to take responsibility for themselves, and they learn that their actions can determine whether or not they fail or succeed. Goal setting also builds self confidence, as when children reach their goals, they learn to believe in their abilities and are more likely to set new goals for themselves in the…
Mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder can affect a student’s ability to concentrate, form friendships, and thrive in the classroom, among many other things. Educators and school counselors often provide Social and Emotional Learning programs (SEL) in order to help these students, as well as school-based therapeutic support groups. Even in these forums, however, getting teenagers to speak about their problems can be challenging, especially when they feel like outsiders and…
Music is a valuable part of any well-rounded education. While many studies on music’s benefits focus on their association with higher SAT scores in college or student involvement in middle school, the perks of a music education can actually begin much earlier. Students in elementary school exhibit a broad range of benefits from access to an early music education. From math and science to reading and beyond, children perform better in nearly every area when…
There are many ways to encourage a child. For students of any age, honest, authentic, and persistent messages from adults that have credibility in their eyes have the most impact. The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning has put together a list of 50 Ways To Encourage A Child, from which our recommendations will be coming. It was designed for younger students (around kindergarten age), but most of them are actually useful for K-12 in…
It is essential to human nature to be able to think critically and creatively. Our ability and tendency to think critically and carefully takes precedence over content knowledge, not only in the classroom but in the wider world around us. There are thought to be three different modes of thinking: lateral, divergent, and convergent thought. Convergent thinking (using logic). This type of thinking is also called critical, vertical, analytical, or linear thinking. It generally refers…
In our last blog post, we talked about 10 different types of learning journals that can help students think. Today we will extend that list by providing 10 more examples of learning journals. To read part one of this post, please click here. 11. Five W’s Journal. This journal is framed through the iconic five W’s questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Students simply start with a concept, then ask and answer five questions,…
A learning journal is an ongoing collection of writing dedicated to learning–that is, writing done for the purpose of learning rather than the purpose of demonstrating learning. Learning journals are often named for a specific purpose and/or format, such as a creative writing journal. Even a personal blog can be a kind of journal if the blogging is done in order to promote, deepen, or extend learning of some kind. There are as many types…
Creativity is an incredibly valuable skill. All too often, we outgrow our imagination with age due to an encroaching sense of self doubt, an ingrained belief that it’s an impractical pursuit, or firm guidance from more experienced grown-ups advising engineering over art school. Although almost everyone would agree that creativity is important, budget cuts to areas of education like art and music programs demonstrate differently. Creativity should be encouraged along with technical knowledge, since the…
