EmpoweredEd2020

Kurt Vonnegut tells his wife he's going out to buy an envelope: “Oh, she says, well, you're not a poor man. You know, why don't you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. "And go out to get an envelope because I'm going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. And see some great looking babies. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And I'll ask a woman what kind of dog that is. "And, and I don't know. The moral of the story is - we're here on Earth to fart around. And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And what the computer people don't realize, or they don't care, is we're dancing animals. "You know, we love to move around. And it's like we're not supposed to dance at all anymore." This is me in a nutshell. - Btw, this is from the book “A Man Without a Country” (by Kurt Vo...

Walt Disney was rejected over 300 times before Mickey Mouse came to be. Three hundred times. The man who’s work has touched billions was also fired from a job at a Kansas City newspaper for ‘lacking creativity’. After Walt succeeded in bringing Mickey to life, he caved under mounting business and self-induced pressures, and suffered — as he called it, ‘one heck of a breakdown’. Not exactly a traditional version of success that our minds would be inclined to conjure. People may ask me why I have so much admiration for Walt Disney, the man. It’s because while we tend to celebrate those that think differently or have difficulty staying within societal lines — quite often early on, they are shunned and misunderstood. They are easily celebrated after validation, but not during the climb. A journey which is criticized, ridiculed and deemed incomprehensible countless times. I admire him for his commitment and willingness to always find a way, no matter the sacrifice.  I am sure he didn’t ...

1. Take care of you -- Exercise, eat well-balanced meals, stick to regular routines and reach out to others for support. These activities might be difficult when you are grieving, but taking care of yourself is still important. Grieving children do better when they have a healthy adult providing support and understanding to them.   2. Be honest with your child -- Discuss the tragic event with your child in a simple, direct and age appropriate manner. Be honest and share clear, accurate information about what happened. Children need to hear the truth from someone they love.   3. Listen -- Listen to your child share his or her story about what happened. Let them ask you questions and answer their questions as best as you can. Do not be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”   4. Acknowledge your child’s grief -- recognize that your child is grieving. Be careful not to impose your grief on your child, but allow him or her to grieve in his or her own way. It is normal ...

1. Take care of you -- Exercise, eat well-balanced meals, stick to regular routines and reach out to others for support. These activities might be difficult when you are grieving, but taking care of yourself is still important. Grieving children do better when they have a healthy adult providing support and understanding to them.   2. Be honest with your child -- Discuss the tragic event with your child in a simple, direct and age appropriate manner. Be honest and share clear, accurate information about what happened. Children need to hear the truth from someone they love.   3. Listen -- Listen to your child share his or her story about what happened. Let them ask you questions and answer their questions as best as you can. Do not be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”   4. Acknowledge your child’s grief -- recognize that your child is grieving. Be careful not to impose your grief on your child, but allow him or her to grieve in his or her own way. It is normal for children to...

Today’s parents are more involved than they’ve ever been with their children’s development. Except for when it comes to preschool. Many parents drop their kids off in the morning while the teachers take over, and then pick them up at the end of the day without giving their learning much more thought. To get the true benefits from early childhood education, however, parents need to consider how they can support what their children are learning throughout the day. The Benefits of Parent Involvement Some of a child’s most important cognitive development happens during their preschool years. By taking an active role in the early childhood education process, parents can help ensure that their child has all the support they need to develop to their full potential. Parent involvement helps extend teaching outside the classroom, creates a more positive experience for children and helps children perform better when they are in school. It is essential for parents to support the learning that hap...

  The average number of books in a U.S. household is 114, according to a just-published paper called " Scholarly culture: How books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies ." 114 is a good number. The paper's authors studied 160,000 adults and found that just having 80 or more books in a home results in adults with significantly higher levels of literacy, numeracy, and information communication technology (ICT) skills. The paper finds, "Growing up with home libraries boosts adult skills in these areas beyond the benefits accrued from parental education or own educational or occupational attainment." The effect was found to be powerful in: Children from such homes who ended up attaining just a high-school-level education "become as literate, numerate and technologically apt in adulthood as university graduates who grew up with only a few books." It’s not quite the more books the better The study, led by  Dr....

 

We believe the use of technology is changing rapidly, as is the knowledge base on which literacy approaches will work best for diverse children and families.  The Campaign for Grade Level Reading forecasts that communities committed to making a demonstrable impact on grade-level reading will need to prioritize their technology-based efforts by determining which areas are most pressing.  Promoting a personal connection among parents and educators via social media, cell phones, texting, and the development of hybrid learning communities is key. 

When Ralph Nader visited Atlanta I shared our pilot programs for new moms, now named Educare, with him over a coffee. Here are some of Nader’s thoughts regarding parents’ involvement in early childhood education.  Nader believes education is clearly a significant factor in enhancing the future of impoverished children. Education levels bear heavily on efforts to bring families out of poverty and in providing livable wages for low and moderate and middle-income families. Nader is adamant, “We need to invest in the nation’s children. We must assure an adequate safety net, health care, higher quality and more plentiful child care and vastly better educational opportunities, particularly as early as Kindergarten.”  Parental responsibility should be encouraged by finding ways to help support parents in their efforts to help support their children as more families confront economic conditions demanding a greater deal of time be spent away from home. Parents should be as involved as ...

The trajectory of children’s lives can be changed if parents understand the primacy of language and know how to deliver “Language Nutrition.” Research funded by United Way has revealed that many children lack access to quality health care, housing, nutrition, early care, learning services and support. Far too many children also experience the trauma of stress and violence in their homes and neighborhoods, inhibiting their ability to learn and grow. The study also determined that efforts to change long-term literacy outcomes and consequences must begin early—long   before children enter kindergarten.   We looked at some of the root causes for why a child might not be reading. This exploration encompassed early brain development and the power of verbal interactions with infants and toddlers, attendance in preschool and grade school, summer learning loss, and the influence of health on all aspects of early learning and development.   In an effort to change the outcomes, we l...

Proficiency in reading by the end of third grade is a crucial marker in a child's educational development.  In the early years, learning to read is a critical component of education. But beginning in fourth grade, children use reading to learn other subjects, and therefore, mastery of reading becomes a critical component in their ability to keep up academically.  Children who reach fourth grade without being able to read proficiently are more likely to drop out of high school, reducing their earnings potential and changes for success.

Art exploration is not only fun and entertaining, but also educational. Here are some tips for growing your budding artist. Children are naturally curious. From the minute they gain control of their limbs, they work to put themselves out into the world to see how it all works. They explore, observe and imitate, trying to figure out how things operate and how to control themselves and their environments. This unrestricted exploration helps children form connections in their brain, it helps them learn—and it’s also fun. Art is a natural activity to support this free play in children. The freedom to manipulate different materials in an organic and unstructured way allows for exploration and experimentation. These artistic endeavors and self-directed explorations are not only fun, but educational as well. Art allows youth to practice a wide range of skills that are useful not only for life, but also for learning. Skills youth practice when participating in art activities include: • Fine mo...

82 percent of parents look for ways to encourage their children’s learning through play, according to research results found in The Toy Association’s “STEM/STEAM Formula for Success" report.  The first three years of life are a critical period for children’s brain development. During this time, the brain is especially responsive to external input due to the brain’s ability to shape itself. Introducing the right toys at the right time can help infants adapt to change and explore the world around them, as learning happens naturally through play.

I have read countless articles about the lessons handed down by moms to there sons…here is a list that you may find amusing especially if you have an Italian mom. Now that you have become parents you may find yourselves using these very pearls of wisdom. 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.” 2. My mother taught me RELIGION. “You better pray that will come out of the carpet.” 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!” 4. My mother taught me LOGIC. ” Because I said so, that’s why.” 5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. “If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.” 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. “Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.” 7. My mother taught me IRONY. “Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.” 8. My mother taught m...