GROW!

What does that mean to you?

Is it a negative or positive word when you hear it?

I’ve been involved in a online training course called “Childhood in the Digital Age”. It has sparked my interest with the various debates between parents and children… teachers and doctors.

Parents was never brought up with technological equipment around them. It was mainly television, radio or the telephone. Nowadays, children have access to various technology: mobile phones, laptops, ipads and so forth. They have been brought up around it and they are not afraid to use it. This is why Parents are more hesitant to work their way around a technology equipment without instructions and guidance from someone else. They were never brought up by this technology advantage.

BUT… I say but, because there is always a downfall with technology. What I came across on the online course is that it affects young children’s social interaction with other children their age – known as “social isolation”. It also affects their behaviour towards people, if technology equipment is taken away from them. There’s higher risk of Obesity and affecting children from age 0-2 years motor skills.

So, who is to blame? Parents or the Child? Or, the people who invented these amazing technology equipments?

It’s neither… There’s various reasons of why we should or should not use technology. But it’s all about balance in life, where technology should be used wisely and as a knowledgeable tool. Not a way to isolate yourself from the real world and loosing the social interaction with people and loved ones around you.

However, what I’m interested in is: What makes digital technology so compelling and motivating? What are the benefits to children’s learning? How do we separate children from using technology as a knowledgeable tool for learning rather than using it for social media/interaction?

Would love to hear peoples views, opinions and their ow experience with their children.

Meet the road-schooled Meek family.

Who caught their story on ITV This Morning?

What an amazing way to learn about different cultures, visit various museums and being with nature.

Read more on the Meek Family on the link below:

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/jan/30/meek-family-uk-caravan-road-outdoors

Is your child stressing about their upcoming GCSE Exams?

If your child is determined to get as many A-C grades as possible in their upcoming GCSE exams, they may be searching for better ways to revise for their exams to make sure they achieve them. Nothing beats hard-work, especially when it comes to studying, but there are ways they can guide their brain to remember information easier which supports their ability to learn.

Here are 3 revision tips to get your child started:

1). Create a Revision Timetable – Building a Revision Timetable can add structure to your revision and help you identify which GCSE subjects you need to prioritise to get better marks. Plus, creating a revision timetable is a great way to organise your study time and it will get you motivated.

2). Practice Makes Perfect – One of the biggest recommendations that GCSE students should be doing is going through as many past papers as you can. This will help you become familiar with the: Exam Format, Question Style, Time Pressure and Retrieve Information quicker.

3). Use Mind Maps to connect your Ideas – If you find it difficult to remember tons of new study notes, Mind Maps may be the key to improving your memory. The Theory behind Mind Mapping explains that making associations by connecting ideas helps you to memorise information easier and quicker.

GCSE exams are just around the corner – Are there gaps in their learning and they just need that extra support?

Why not sign your child up to One-2-One Tutors Group Revision Sessions?

One-2-One Tutors are offering GCSE English and Maths revision sessions in Witney, Oxfordshire. These revision sessions will take place every Saturday between 1-3pm and the group will consist of 4 pupils at a time. Your students will be tutored by qualified Teachers with DBS Clearance.

We will be covering areas that students are struggling to understand, showing students a variety of ways to help them in English and Maths and going through practice exam papers to get them in the mindset.

Plus, your child will receive a FREE revision worksheet and more revision tips!

The rates for Group Revision Sessions are £10 per hour, plus a first assessment meeting which is free of charge, to help support your child’s needs.

To book your child’s place now to avoid disappointment; contact us on: 07854507760 or email info@one-2-onetutors.co.uk.

To see what else we offer, please visit our website: www.one-2-onetutoring.co.uk.

 

Four out of 10 teachers have experienced violence from pupils in the past year, a survey for the ATL teachers union suggests.

“Of those who had experienced violence, 77% said they had been pushed, and around half were kicked or had an object thrown at them.

Nine out of 10 staff had dealt with challenging behaviour, such as swearing or shouting, in the past year.

Staff have greater powers to deal with poor behaviour, the government said.

However, 45% of the 1,250-strong panel of teachers surveyed across England, Wales and Northern Ireland said they felt pupil behaviour had got worse in the past two years”.

Read the full report here: Teachers being attacked by pupils

How will the Government address this situation? Will there be more Mental Health support throughout schools; to address these challenging behaviours from students and giving teachers coping mechanisms?

CentreForum and Education Datalab state that pupils achieving a “good pass” in their GCSEs could fall by almost a quarter under the new numerical grading system.

“When the new grade 5 standard is introduced in place of the current “C” grade standard, we calculate that the percentage of children who secure this “good pass” level in English and maths will initially fall by around 23 per cent [percentage points], from 58 per cent to 35 per cent”. Article attached: New GCSE Reforms

What’s your opinion on the new system? Do you feel the Educational System are making it harder for students to achieve the “C” grade requirement?

If your child is receiving bad grades – who is to blame? Is it the teachers or parent? Or even both?

A history tutor writes in the TES about what he calls “values poverty”, pleading for parents to take more responsibility or show interest in their children’s education. He believes the balance needs redressing – and that more responsibility should lie with students themselves. Students need to have more “get up and go” and wanting to succeed in their lives. They should want to make a better future for themselves. Often that comes down to parental attitudes, and parents taking a more active interest in the way their children are learning. I know some people don’t agree with pushy parents, but there needs to be some sort of pushing in order for their child to be on the right learning pathway.

“The one component that has been missing for so many years; parental and student accountability. At the moment, responsibility for student performance seems to rest solely at the school gates. This is despite the fact that it’s well established that parents are the biggest stakeholders in their own children’s success or failure”. The history teacher writes.

To read more on the article, here is the link: Parenting not schools has the biggest impact on student outcomes

 

Has anyone discovered the magnificent Periscope? I have… only a few days ago. Everyone seems to be talking about it on Facebook and Twitter, so I was curious and thought to look into it more.

Periscope lets you discover events and places through the eyes of someone else. For example: watching the sunrise in another country or watching a live religious celebration. It’s about experiencing things that you’ve never seen before or not able to experience in your lifetime.

Sounds amazing doesn’t it?

I was wondering how it could benefit my students through using Periscope. All I want is to teach students all over the world through using Periscope.

I want to share learning tips and techniques for English and Maths; to help students around the world and give them a head start in their learning.

So that’s what I’m going to do… follow me on Periscope – @patriceh08 and keep an eye out on useful learning tips.

Tips to ease the separation anxiety between parents and children.

Saying goodbye on that first day of school can be the hardest moment for parents and children. Here are some tips on how to ease the separation anxiety:

• Reintroduce the teacher to your child. Allow them to form an initial relationship. Make it clear to your child that you trust the teacher and that they will look after you.
• Bring a friend from home. Ask the teacher whether your child can bring along a stuffed animal or toy to keep in their school bag, so they can grab it when they need comforting.
• When it’s time to go, make sure to say good-bye to your child. Leaving without saying good-bye to your child risks their trust in you. If good-bye is too much of a final word to them, then tell them that you will see them later and have a lovely day.
• Once you say good-bye, leave promptly. A long farewell scene will not help your child settle in quick enough and it will feed on both of your anxiety about the first school day. The sooner you leave them too it, the sooner they will forget why they are nervous about their first day at school and why you were worrying all this time.
• Express your ease with leaving. Some parents wave from outside the classroom window or make a funny good-bye face.
• Create your own ritual. Say goodbye the same way everyday to your child: as this creates comfort and reassurance for your child before starting school. For example: kiss and a hug goodbye, rub noses or pull funny faces at each other. When the embrace is over, they knows it’s time for them to have a fun day at school, learning new things and playing with friends.
• Learn the other kids’ names. When you can call your child’s classmates by name (“Look, Andrew, there is a space at the rainbow table with Elliott and Ben”), it makes school seem much more familiar and safe.