The Internet is a fascinating collision of endless information and infinite danger. Do your kids know how to stay safe online? Even if you think they do, a refresher course wouldn’t hurt. Go over these 10 tips from Connect Safely with your children–it’s better to be safe than sorry. 1. Be your own person. Don’t let friends or strangers pressure you to be someone you aren’t. And know your limits. You may be internet savvy,…
Handwriting is something that many people let fall by the wayside in the digital age, but there is true artistic value and design in something as creative and intricate as handwriting. Even if you aren’t interested in this aspect of handwriting, it’s still of general use to make your writing legible to other people. If even you find it difficult to decipher your own handwriting, it’s time to make a change. Here’s how to do…
It’s time for an update on Massachusetts schools reopening in the time of COVID-19. Here’s what’s happening in schools across the state. ABINGTON 9/28/2020: Someone at Beaver Brook Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Abington Superintendent Peter Schafer, though he would not say whether the individual is a student, teacher, or other staff member. ANDOVER 9/30/2020: West Middle School students quarantined after positive test. 10/3/2020: A community member associated with Andover High…
It’s the time of year when spooky stories emerge and haunted traditions appear! Every family is sure to have their own traditions for autumn–from pumpkin-carving to harvest rituals, there’s something for everyone. Halloween traditions aren’t reserved for home alone, however. Some spooky teachers were willing to share the Halloween traditions they have started in their own classrooms here. Cemetery Trek On or around Halloween, Dr. Carter, an associate professor in Virginia, takes his class to meet…
It’s almost Halloween, and it’s still possible to have some safe and spooky fun. Check out these Halloween books for kids and get in the spirit. 1. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson: The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and…
Happy October! We are now well into the month of my favorite holiday: Halloween. I’m hoping to get everyone into the holiday spirit with this list of spooky short stories. Please keep in mind that these stories are recommended for high school students and up, and are not appropriate for young kids. Please check out our blog about Halloween books coming out next week if you have little ones. Stay spooky and keep it creepy!…
COVID-19 forced Keriann Wilmot’s son to trade his classroom for a computer. It was a tough transition for a 10-year-old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD students tend to struggle more with remote learning. “It was a different environment for him,” Wilmot says. “He wasn’t used to this kind of work from school coming in the format of an email in his Chromebook every single day.” Her son would avoid math and writing and instead…
Procrastination is the bane of every student’s existence–we know what we have to do, but sometimes we can’t seem to make ourselves do it. It’s easy to put off assignments until the night before, but then three cups of coffee later we’re exhausted, frustrated, and turning in an assignment that hardly showcases our best work. Here are 10 tips to beat procrastination and get yourself out of that cycle. 1. Get organized. You can’t do…
As we’ve discussed previously, cheating is a concern even with online learning. Technology is an essential tool for the modern classroom, but with technology comes many more ways for students to take advantage of the system, especially since students can know more about the technology they are using than their teachers. For many, it is hard to envision a scenario where students complete online exams without using their smartphones, tablets, and other devices to look…
Studying is a part of every student’s school experience, but it doesn’t have to be done alone. In fact, studies show that students benefit greatly from participating in study groups with their peers. There’s all sorts of research documenting how students can learn from each other, but that learning doesn’t happen automatically, and some worry that it’s not likely to occur in a study group where there’s no supervision and distractions abound. Recent findings should…
