Happy New Year to everyone from Bridgeway and Turning Tides. We wish you happiness, health and many wonderful memories in 2012. Thanks for following the blog too! I look forward to bringing you many more stories, tips and advice in the year to come.
I would love to welcome guest bloggers in the months to come as well. Please send your contributions or ideas to me at rhonda.brown@bridgeway-academy.com
Rhonda
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Talking to Sir Ken via Twitter - Part two
I introduced you to a few of Sir Ken's answers to questions he received via Twitter some time ago. Here are a few more replies to consider. If you Tweet Sir Ken and get a reply, let us know!
Rhonda
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Question 2 (Assessing Creativity)
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Question 3 (School Subjects)
Rhonda
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Question 2 (Assessing Creativity)
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Question 3 (School Subjects)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Talking to Sir Ken via Twitter - Part 1
I'm still on vacation, but found these really interesting moments on Sir Ken Robinson's YouTube channel. He took questions via Twitter, then sat down in front of a web camera to answer them. Here's his first few. I'll post another two tomorrow.
Rhonda
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Intro
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Question 1 (Value of Diplomas and Degrees)
Rhonda
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Intro
Sir Ken answers questions from Twitter - Question 1 (Value of Diplomas and Degrees)
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Living with non-verbal learning disabilities
Here's the final part of our look at non-verbal learning disabilities. This is a terrific article I found on the Canadian Family website about two families and their journeys with NVLD kids.
Rhonda
By Jonathan Burkinshaw
Cheryl Pidgeon had been a teacher for 20 years, but when her bright, articulate daughter started school and immediately began having problems, even Cheryl’s broad experience could not tell her what was wrong. “Leah was unable to understand and follow her teacher’s instructions and so she had difficulty doing her homework. She had problems with writing assignments and struggled in math,” Cheryl says. In the schoolyard, Leah would miss various social cues. As a result, she tended not to get involved in group activities; instead, she would hang back watching and imitating other children’s play.
By the time Leah reached Grade 2, the situation had worsened to the point that the Waterloo, Ont., mom knew she had to seek help for her daughter. So five years ago, Cheryl took Leah for a private psychological assessment and learned that her daughter had non-verbal learning disorder (NLD), something Cheryl had never heard of.
The NLD syndrome involves a cluster of neuropsychological, emotional, social and academic characteristics that reflect a deficiency in non-verbal reasoning. While possessing advanced speaking and reading skills and often excelling at tasks requiring rote memorization, children with NLD typically have poor organizational and problem-solving competency. Their mathematical reasoning ability is weak and their visual-spatial and fine motor skills are underdeveloped. These children also have difficulty comprehending and responding to the nuances of body language and vocal tone and inflection. Often the point of schoolyard banter and teasing is completely lost on them and so they get ostracized by their peers for being “out to lunch.”
NLD kids may also have trouble telling time, colouring maps, deciphering graphs, keeping their place on the page while reading, and understanding the streetwise humour and visual cues of cartoon strips. They may find it hard to pay attention in class, organize their desks and essays, understand teachers’ instructions and, later, to take notes in university lectures. William MacDonald (a pseudonym) was diagnosed with NLD when his suffering at the hands of bullies escalated to the point that he became physically ill upon entering the school building. He also began expressing thoughts of suicide. “It was this that made us seek professional help,” says his mother, Brenda, of Waterloo, Ont.
“The new environment faces and expectations that William encountered in Grade 7 made him fall apart,” she says. “His stress, anxiety and insecurity only led to further abuse at the hands of bullies.”
A hospital psychiatrist recognized that William was suffering from NLD, which helped explain both the boy’s social difficulties and his academic struggles. “We now understood why he was unable to pick up the social cues that others learn naturally,” says his mother. “He was always a big talker with an impressive vocabulary—we joked that his first word as a baby was ‘actually’— but he had a terrible time getting his thoughts and knowledge down on paper.”
Almost two years after his diagnosis, William’s spelling and writing skills remain at an early elementary-grade level. The 14- year-old also has the organizational problems so typical of the syndrome: so far this year, he’s lost two watches and six pairs of gym shorts! Needless to say, even with good verbal skills, the estimated 1% of children with NLD find school very difficult, especially as the rote learning of the early grades begins to give way to the more complex reasoning demanded in later elementary school. To make matters worse, teachers and psychologists are often unaware of the disorder and hence unable to recognize its symptoms. “NLD is the new learning disability on the block, so some teachers ask, ‘Is it really real, or is it just something someone has come up with to complicate our lives?” says Cheryl. She has since founded a support group in Kitchener for parent of kids with NLD.
William’s mother, Brenda, found that same lack of awareness among the professionals she approached for help. “Many psychologists were ignorant or skeptical of NLD. Our local learning disability association had few resources on the syndrome. Most of the information I found came from my own research and from other parents I connected with on the internet.”
Diagnosis is often made more difficult because an affected child’s NLD is frequently masked by superb verbal skills or general intelligence. As a result, academic failures and social awkwardness are moralistically attributed to a poor work ethic or willful acting up. William, for example, was accused of being “lazy and pampered” because of his disorganization and writing difficulties.
NLD is often misdiagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Asperger’s syndrome, both of which share many of the same symptoms. A diagnosis of ADHD is ruled out if the child receives standard medical treatment for ADHD but still shows NLD-like problems. And although a child may have only a minor deficit in non-verbal skills, an attention problem can exacerbate it to the point that it resembles full-blown NLD.
Distinguishing NLD from Asperger’s is more difficult; in fact, many experts place the two conditions close together on a spectrum and can’t agree where one ends and the other begins. Generally speaking, however, those with Asperger’s are likelier to display severe social impairment but do his school day to organize his work. And he has frequent sessions with the school counsellor to discuss his stress. With these accommodations, his progress has been excellent. The teenager attends a social skills training program that teaches strategies for dealing with peers. Although he still sometimes misses his friends’ sarcasm or innuendo, he can now join in the laughter and ask to be let in on the joke. “Life is good right now,” says Brenda.
Leah, now entering Grade 8, has made “fabulous progress,” says her relieved mom—thanks to such accommodations as getting copies of notes from the teacher instead of taking them from the blackboard. Leah dictates her essays to a parent instead of writing them out herself. “With the right management strategies, kids with NLD can be very successful,” Cheryl says.
If those are the remedies, what are the causes? Rourke, who has researched the disorder since the late 1960s, says the neurological problem behind NLD is a deficit in the brain’s white matter, which consists of nerve cells covered in a white myelin sheath and connects different parts of the nervous system. Damage to the brain from trauma and toxins, as well as neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, can lead to white-matter deficits and NLD symptoms.
It is often difficult, however, to determine what caused any particular case. For William his birth 10 weeks early and the brain damage suffered shortly afterwards were likely the major factors.
As Leah’s mother laments, the lack of NLD awareness among educators compounds the academic and social difficulties of undiagnosed kids. Even those who are successfully diagnosed must cope with what Rourke brands as the abysmal quality and availability of management resources in Canada. “NLD is a really devastating situation, especially if it goes untreated much past the age of 7 or 8,” he says. His best advice to concerned parents is to consult a clinical neuropsychologist specializing in children, as this is the professional optimally equipped to make a diagnosis and suggest management options.
Rhonda
Non-Verbal Learning Disability
Your child is intelligent and articulate but struggling to keep up in the classroom and schoolyard. She may have a learning disability you've probably never heard of.
February 16th, 2007By Jonathan Burkinshaw
Cheryl Pidgeon had been a teacher for 20 years, but when her bright, articulate daughter started school and immediately began having problems, even Cheryl’s broad experience could not tell her what was wrong. “Leah was unable to understand and follow her teacher’s instructions and so she had difficulty doing her homework. She had problems with writing assignments and struggled in math,” Cheryl says. In the schoolyard, Leah would miss various social cues. As a result, she tended not to get involved in group activities; instead, she would hang back watching and imitating other children’s play.
By the time Leah reached Grade 2, the situation had worsened to the point that the Waterloo, Ont., mom knew she had to seek help for her daughter. So five years ago, Cheryl took Leah for a private psychological assessment and learned that her daughter had non-verbal learning disorder (NLD), something Cheryl had never heard of.
The NLD syndrome involves a cluster of neuropsychological, emotional, social and academic characteristics that reflect a deficiency in non-verbal reasoning. While possessing advanced speaking and reading skills and often excelling at tasks requiring rote memorization, children with NLD typically have poor organizational and problem-solving competency. Their mathematical reasoning ability is weak and their visual-spatial and fine motor skills are underdeveloped. These children also have difficulty comprehending and responding to the nuances of body language and vocal tone and inflection. Often the point of schoolyard banter and teasing is completely lost on them and so they get ostracized by their peers for being “out to lunch.”
NLD kids may also have trouble telling time, colouring maps, deciphering graphs, keeping their place on the page while reading, and understanding the streetwise humour and visual cues of cartoon strips. They may find it hard to pay attention in class, organize their desks and essays, understand teachers’ instructions and, later, to take notes in university lectures. William MacDonald (a pseudonym) was diagnosed with NLD when his suffering at the hands of bullies escalated to the point that he became physically ill upon entering the school building. He also began expressing thoughts of suicide. “It was this that made us seek professional help,” says his mother, Brenda, of Waterloo, Ont.
“The new environment faces and expectations that William encountered in Grade 7 made him fall apart,” she says. “His stress, anxiety and insecurity only led to further abuse at the hands of bullies.”
A hospital psychiatrist recognized that William was suffering from NLD, which helped explain both the boy’s social difficulties and his academic struggles. “We now understood why he was unable to pick up the social cues that others learn naturally,” says his mother. “He was always a big talker with an impressive vocabulary—we joked that his first word as a baby was ‘actually’— but he had a terrible time getting his thoughts and knowledge down on paper.”
Almost two years after his diagnosis, William’s spelling and writing skills remain at an early elementary-grade level. The 14- year-old also has the organizational problems so typical of the syndrome: so far this year, he’s lost two watches and six pairs of gym shorts! Needless to say, even with good verbal skills, the estimated 1% of children with NLD find school very difficult, especially as the rote learning of the early grades begins to give way to the more complex reasoning demanded in later elementary school. To make matters worse, teachers and psychologists are often unaware of the disorder and hence unable to recognize its symptoms. “NLD is the new learning disability on the block, so some teachers ask, ‘Is it really real, or is it just something someone has come up with to complicate our lives?” says Cheryl. She has since founded a support group in Kitchener for parent of kids with NLD.
William’s mother, Brenda, found that same lack of awareness among the professionals she approached for help. “Many psychologists were ignorant or skeptical of NLD. Our local learning disability association had few resources on the syndrome. Most of the information I found came from my own research and from other parents I connected with on the internet.”
Diagnosis is often made more difficult because an affected child’s NLD is frequently masked by superb verbal skills or general intelligence. As a result, academic failures and social awkwardness are moralistically attributed to a poor work ethic or willful acting up. William, for example, was accused of being “lazy and pampered” because of his disorganization and writing difficulties.
NLD is often misdiagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or Asperger’s syndrome, both of which share many of the same symptoms. A diagnosis of ADHD is ruled out if the child receives standard medical treatment for ADHD but still shows NLD-like problems. And although a child may have only a minor deficit in non-verbal skills, an attention problem can exacerbate it to the point that it resembles full-blown NLD.
Distinguishing NLD from Asperger’s is more difficult; in fact, many experts place the two conditions close together on a spectrum and can’t agree where one ends and the other begins. Generally speaking, however, those with Asperger’s are likelier to display severe social impairment but do his school day to organize his work. And he has frequent sessions with the school counsellor to discuss his stress. With these accommodations, his progress has been excellent. The teenager attends a social skills training program that teaches strategies for dealing with peers. Although he still sometimes misses his friends’ sarcasm or innuendo, he can now join in the laughter and ask to be let in on the joke. “Life is good right now,” says Brenda.
Leah, now entering Grade 8, has made “fabulous progress,” says her relieved mom—thanks to such accommodations as getting copies of notes from the teacher instead of taking them from the blackboard. Leah dictates her essays to a parent instead of writing them out herself. “With the right management strategies, kids with NLD can be very successful,” Cheryl says.
If those are the remedies, what are the causes? Rourke, who has researched the disorder since the late 1960s, says the neurological problem behind NLD is a deficit in the brain’s white matter, which consists of nerve cells covered in a white myelin sheath and connects different parts of the nervous system. Damage to the brain from trauma and toxins, as well as neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, can lead to white-matter deficits and NLD symptoms.
It is often difficult, however, to determine what caused any particular case. For William his birth 10 weeks early and the brain damage suffered shortly afterwards were likely the major factors.
As Leah’s mother laments, the lack of NLD awareness among educators compounds the academic and social difficulties of undiagnosed kids. Even those who are successfully diagnosed must cope with what Rourke brands as the abysmal quality and availability of management resources in Canada. “NLD is a really devastating situation, especially if it goes untreated much past the age of 7 or 8,” he says. His best advice to concerned parents is to consult a clinical neuropsychologist specializing in children, as this is the professional optimally equipped to make a diagnosis and suggest management options.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Strategies for parenting children with non-verbal learning disabilities
We work with several children with non-verbal learning disabilities, and have developed programs such as our social skills classes to help meet their needs. Still, many people don't understand what NLD is and how it can affect a child. This is a great article on the topic I found on the Smart Kids with LD website. Enjoy!
Rhonda
Rhonda
Strategies for Parenting Children with NLD
By Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D.
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD) are not just learning disabilities; the motor, sensory, and social issues associated with NLD affect life on every level. Children with the condition have difficulty combining information coming at them from many different channels—visual, auditory, sensory—into a “big picture” that they can understand and use. For them, life is an endless series of curve balls—and for their parents that means a unique set of child-rearing challenges.
5 Keys to Parenting a Child with NLD
5 Keys to Parenting a Child with NLD
- Anticipate: Know the challenges of NLD and predict problems.
- Understand: Think about your child’s behavior from his point of view.
- Plan: Develop strategies for handling predictable situations.
- Be consistent in your responses and your support.
- Reinforce: Catch her doing it right.
Dealing with Inflexibility
The most frequent issues parents face from children with NLD are inflexibility and poor adaptability, both of which result from processing limitations. These children can be stubborn, disobedient, and argumentative. Confronting these behaviors head-on can make the situation worse: modeling inflexibility is not the best way to teach children to be flexible.
Children with NLD like structure and often have trouble transitioning. In addition, they can seem selfish, insisting on what they expect. For example, Adam complained when he couldn’t go for ice cream as planned; his sister needed to go the doctor. His reaction didn’t indicate a lack of caring; it was his way of coping with another curve ball (change in plans). Communicating understanding of the child’s view is important, while also doing what is necessary.
Parenting strategies:
Preventing Meltdowns
Children with NLD can be easily overwhelmed when routines vary, even in positive situations such as birthday parties or vacations. Knowing your child’s limits from past experience, being aware of extenuating factors (tiredness, hunger), and recognizing the early signs of frustration are important.
Parenting Strategies
Coping with Social Challenges
Children with NLD miss nonverbal signals that make up 70-90% of emotional communication. They don’t realize when their behavior is annoying, miss signals of what others intend, and lack “big picture thinking” to understand social situations. They can misinterpret the behavior of others, be unaware of the impact of their own behavior, be inappropriate, or overreact.
As a result of such social misunderstanding, children with NLD are particularly vulnerable to bullying and having their actions misunderstood. Even family members can be offended by such behavior.
Parenting strategies:
Other Challenges
Children with NLD can be surprisingly concrete in their thinking—missing jokes, inferences, figures of speech, and subtleties such as tone of voice and exaggeration. Because these children are so verbal, their misunderstanding may come across as “attitude.” It’s not; they don’t “get” what they have missed.
Parenting Strategy
Parenting Strategies
The author is an evaluator, consultant, and therapist who specializes in working with children with NLD.
Children with NLD like structure and often have trouble transitioning. In addition, they can seem selfish, insisting on what they expect. For example, Adam complained when he couldn’t go for ice cream as planned; his sister needed to go the doctor. His reaction didn’t indicate a lack of caring; it was his way of coping with another curve ball (change in plans). Communicating understanding of the child’s view is important, while also doing what is necessary.
Parenting strategies:
- Communicating understanding is critical. Approach inflexibility with empathy (“I know you want X”), while also clarifying what is necessary (“We also need to do Y”).
- Preview transitions.
- Agree upon rules for repeated problem situations.
- Reinforce success.
Preventing Meltdowns
Children with NLD can be easily overwhelmed when routines vary, even in positive situations such as birthday parties or vacations. Knowing your child’s limits from past experience, being aware of extenuating factors (tiredness, hunger), and recognizing the early signs of frustration are important.
Parenting Strategies
- Preview the situation.
- Plan a way out, and intervene with redirection or a break for self-calming at the first sign of frustration. It’s too late once the blowup occurs.
Coping with Social Challenges
Children with NLD miss nonverbal signals that make up 70-90% of emotional communication. They don’t realize when their behavior is annoying, miss signals of what others intend, and lack “big picture thinking” to understand social situations. They can misinterpret the behavior of others, be unaware of the impact of their own behavior, be inappropriate, or overreact.
As a result of such social misunderstanding, children with NLD are particularly vulnerable to bullying and having their actions misunderstood. Even family members can be offended by such behavior.
Parenting strategies:
- If bullying is taking place, take action to stop it.
- Parents must be vigilant about pursuing their child’s rights and explaining NLD processing to those who interact with their child regularly.
- Help family members understand the situation—and if they won’t, realize that their advice is going to be off base.
- Blaming or punishing a child for what he doesn’t understand is not helpful. Better to preview situations, talk through strategies, and process what happened.
Other Challenges
Children with NLD can be surprisingly concrete in their thinking—missing jokes, inferences, figures of speech, and subtleties such as tone of voice and exaggeration. Because these children are so verbal, their misunderstanding may come across as “attitude.” It’s not; they don’t “get” what they have missed.
Parenting Strategy
- Be direct, and understand the frustration when they misunderstand or are misunderstood.
Parenting Strategies
- Use a hula hoop or the idea of a circle to explain how people respond when someone’s too close.
- Encourage activities such as swimming or martial arts where visualizing space isn’t an issue.
The author is an evaluator, consultant, and therapist who specializes in working with children with NLD.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Non-verbal learning disabilities - Impact on social skills
I wanted to share some information this week on non-verbal learning disabilities. It's an LD that isn't always understood, is difficult to recognize, and shares many of the same characteristics of Austism and Asperger's Syndrome.
Here is some good, basic information on NVLD and its impact on individuals from the Learning Disabilities Association of Halton's website.
Rhonda
In our complex social world, it is vital that we become competent at recognizing important cues from the environment that trigger appropriate behavioral responses. Many of these cues are contained in the language that we speak, and we are attuned to listening to what someone says in order to judge what is expected of us in interpersonal situations. It has long been accepted, however, that communication skills are substantially non-verbal, and therefore it is critical that we learn not only to listen to the words, but also to be attuned to the wealth of non-verbal data that provide vital information to shape and direct social responses. It is therefore not surprising that disruptions in the ability to process this non-verbal information can have profound effects on an individual's ability to function appropriately in a social environment.
Non-verbal learning disabilities (NVLD) effect most non-linguistic aspects of communication, for example:
Read the rest of the article online here.
Don't forget, Bridgeway and Turning Tides Community Outreach provide social skills programs for students with NVLD. Visit our websites for more information.
Here is some good, basic information on NVLD and its impact on individuals from the Learning Disabilities Association of Halton's website.
Rhonda
Non-verbal Learning Disabilities - Impact on Social Functioning and Interpersonal Skills
Maggie Mamen, Ph.D., C.PsychIn our complex social world, it is vital that we become competent at recognizing important cues from the environment that trigger appropriate behavioral responses. Many of these cues are contained in the language that we speak, and we are attuned to listening to what someone says in order to judge what is expected of us in interpersonal situations. It has long been accepted, however, that communication skills are substantially non-verbal, and therefore it is critical that we learn not only to listen to the words, but also to be attuned to the wealth of non-verbal data that provide vital information to shape and direct social responses. It is therefore not surprising that disruptions in the ability to process this non-verbal information can have profound effects on an individual's ability to function appropriately in a social environment.
Non-verbal learning disabilities (NVLD) effect most non-linguistic aspects of communication, for example:
- Interpretation of visual social cues, such as body language, gestures, facial expressions.
- Understanding of tone of voice, mood, emotional cues
- Comprehension of information not immediately contained in words, such as nuances, humor, sarcasm, metaphor, imagery
- The pragmatics of language, particularly social language; knowing what another party knows or needs to know, what to say when, when and how to initiate and maintain conversations, when and how to terminate communication, and so on.
- General organizational abilities: most specifically, in the ability to break down a complex task into its component parts and to work through the steps in order to complete the task;
- Difficulties with part-whole relationships
- Mastery of nonverbal mathematical concepts such as time, space, quantity, visual array
- Ability to grasp and manipulate spatial relationships in one-, two- and three- dimensions
- Understanding of the position of self in space, orientation, directionality
- Visual pattern recognition and memory
- Visual-motor integration and fine motor control
Read the rest of the article online here.
Don't forget, Bridgeway and Turning Tides Community Outreach provide social skills programs for students with NVLD. Visit our websites for more information.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas!
I'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas from everyone here at Bridgeway and Turning Tides. Have a wonderful holiday season with the people who are important in your life.
Here's a wonderful image drawn by one of our students, Levon. It was turned into a Christmas card we sent to our many supporters and friends this year. Great work Levon!
Rhonda
Here's a wonderful image drawn by one of our students, Levon. It was turned into a Christmas card we sent to our many supporters and friends this year. Great work Levon!
Rhonda
Friday, December 23, 2011
More from Sir Ken...
Here's another talk by Sir Ken Robinson on The Element. This one is much longer than yesterday's video, so sit back and get comfortable before you hit play.
I'll be back to blogging about this book in January. Enjoy!
I'll be back to blogging about this book in January. Enjoy!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Finding your passion - A Sir Ken teachable moment
I'm on vacation this week, so instead of blogging about Sir Ken Robinson, I'll let him tell you a bit about his philosophies himself. He was on Oprah at some point, and offered advice on how to find your passion as "teachable moment".
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
8 gifts for ADHD (and LD) kids
I recently came across a blog by Zoe Kessler, adult ADHD'er who was diagnosed when she was 47. She blogs for PsychCentral.com on life with ADHD, and has graciously agreed to share one of her recent postings with us - 8 gifts for ADHD Kids. I think this advice would also suit LD kids just fine as well.
Thanks Zoe!
Rhonda
I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic this Christmas. In particular, I’m remembering what it was like being a hyperactive little girl with undiagnosed ADHD.
Based on on my research and my experience as an adult with ADHD, I’d like to suggest the following gifts that parents can give to their ADHD kids, both during the holidays and throughout the year.
I know these gifts aren’t “one size fits all,” but I’m pretty sure most of them would have been great for me. Maybe some (or all) of them would be good for your son or daughter, too.
1 ) your time
More than anything else, kids with ADHD want to feel connected. Spending quality time with your child is worth more than anything you can wrap up and put under the tree. Spend time sharing activities that your child enjoys; your support and encouragement will go a long way in helping your son or daughter build self-confidence and trust in their own talents and abilities.
2 ) understanding
Throughout my childhood, I frequently removed myself from family gatherings. The din of music, a million conversations going on at once, kitchen sounds, animals and other kids running around, drove me crazy. I’d lock myself in an upstairs bathroom; sit in an empty bedroom; or go for a walk down the road (while freezing in the cold Canadian winters) to get away and re-group.
I think it’s great that I took care of myself. I don’t think it’s great that I felt so alone. It would have been great had my folks known about my ADHD and hypersensitivity and been able to give their support, understanding, and encouragement.
You have the chance to give your sensitive ADHD child the gift of understanding at Christmas. Try to be aware of what they’re feeling; support them during new or out-of-the-ordinary experiences, such as parties and social events; encourage them to do what they need to do.
3 ) control
During the holidays, your child with ADHD may feel even less in control of their life (and symptoms). Give them a role to play, perhaps by helping in the kitchen or setting the table. Let them decide what’s for dessert; let them pick what holiday movie they want to share as a family; this will give them back some control over what’s happening.
4 ) transition time
People with ADHD need more time to switch from one activity to another. If you’re frantically getting ready to go to a family gathering, or trying to get a meal on the table for company, don’t leave notifying your child until the last minute. Make it a priority to give your son or daughter enough time to finish what they’re doing, to mentally prepare for what’s coming next, and to join you in the next activity. And remember that this might take longer than it would for others (1/2 hour’s notice; then a 15-minute heads-up; then a last 5-minute warning, for example). This will help make transitions easier for you and your child over the holidays, and lessen the chances that Johnny’s still playing a video game in his pajamas while the car’s idling in the driveway with the rest of the family waiting.
5 ) role modeling
This is a gift to give all year long. You may not think your hyperactive little angel is paying attention; trust me, they are. They’re not only watching, they’re absorbing everything you do. My parents smoked and drank; my mom loved being outdoors and being creative; my dad never hesitated to help anyone in need. All of these things and more showed up in my adult life. I wasn’t as distracted as they thought, after all.
6 ) meditation
Meditation can be an effective non-drug treatment for kids (and adults) with ADHD. Make this a family activity, and you’ll not only be a good role model; you’ll be giving your child gift #1 – your time. And – bonus – meditation will be good for you too, especially if you’ve already given your child the gift of ADHD through your genes!
7 ) nature
Being out in nature is great for people with ADHD. It’s good for anyone, but a lot of us ADHDers feel so much better in the woods, walking along the shoreline, hiking in the mountains, it’s worth a shot to get out there with your kids at least once a week to see if this helps keep them on an even keel.
8 ) exercise
Exercise is one of the all-time best treatments for ADHD, and it’ll give your child better overall health and well-being, including helping them to sleep better (a problem for a lot of kids with ADHD) and the ability to focus better. As with the other gifts, this one can be shared by the whole family.
A gift for the whole family!
Finally, remember that every one of these gifts is a gift to the whole family. Helping your child with ADHD to not only manage their symptoms, but most importantly, to accept their symptoms and themselves no matter what, is the best gift you can give – and – bonus – none of these gifts have to be wrapped!
Thanks Zoe!
Rhonda
I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic this Christmas. In particular, I’m remembering what it was like being a hyperactive little girl with undiagnosed ADHD.Based on on my research and my experience as an adult with ADHD, I’d like to suggest the following gifts that parents can give to their ADHD kids, both during the holidays and throughout the year.
I know these gifts aren’t “one size fits all,” but I’m pretty sure most of them would have been great for me. Maybe some (or all) of them would be good for your son or daughter, too.
1 ) your time
More than anything else, kids with ADHD want to feel connected. Spending quality time with your child is worth more than anything you can wrap up and put under the tree. Spend time sharing activities that your child enjoys; your support and encouragement will go a long way in helping your son or daughter build self-confidence and trust in their own talents and abilities.
2 ) understanding
Help your child manage their ADHD symptoms over the holiday; a gift for the whole family!
Holidays are a time when routines go out the window; that can stress out a kid with ADHD. Try to keep your child in the loop by letting them know what’s going on, what’s going to happen, and that it’s ok for them to take time out if they’re overwhelmed.Throughout my childhood, I frequently removed myself from family gatherings. The din of music, a million conversations going on at once, kitchen sounds, animals and other kids running around, drove me crazy. I’d lock myself in an upstairs bathroom; sit in an empty bedroom; or go for a walk down the road (while freezing in the cold Canadian winters) to get away and re-group.
I think it’s great that I took care of myself. I don’t think it’s great that I felt so alone. It would have been great had my folks known about my ADHD and hypersensitivity and been able to give their support, understanding, and encouragement.
You have the chance to give your sensitive ADHD child the gift of understanding at Christmas. Try to be aware of what they’re feeling; support them during new or out-of-the-ordinary experiences, such as parties and social events; encourage them to do what they need to do.
3 ) control
During the holidays, your child with ADHD may feel even less in control of their life (and symptoms). Give them a role to play, perhaps by helping in the kitchen or setting the table. Let them decide what’s for dessert; let them pick what holiday movie they want to share as a family; this will give them back some control over what’s happening.4 ) transition time
People with ADHD need more time to switch from one activity to another. If you’re frantically getting ready to go to a family gathering, or trying to get a meal on the table for company, don’t leave notifying your child until the last minute. Make it a priority to give your son or daughter enough time to finish what they’re doing, to mentally prepare for what’s coming next, and to join you in the next activity. And remember that this might take longer than it would for others (1/2 hour’s notice; then a 15-minute heads-up; then a last 5-minute warning, for example). This will help make transitions easier for you and your child over the holidays, and lessen the chances that Johnny’s still playing a video game in his pajamas while the car’s idling in the driveway with the rest of the family waiting.
5 ) role modeling
This is a gift to give all year long. You may not think your hyperactive little angel is paying attention; trust me, they are. They’re not only watching, they’re absorbing everything you do. My parents smoked and drank; my mom loved being outdoors and being creative; my dad never hesitated to help anyone in need. All of these things and more showed up in my adult life. I wasn’t as distracted as they thought, after all.
6 ) meditation
Meditation can be an effective non-drug treatment for kids (and adults) with ADHD. Make this a family activity, and you’ll not only be a good role model; you’ll be giving your child gift #1 – your time. And – bonus – meditation will be good for you too, especially if you’ve already given your child the gift of ADHD through your genes!
7 ) nature
Being out in nature is great for people with ADHD. It’s good for anyone, but a lot of us ADHDers feel so much better in the woods, walking along the shoreline, hiking in the mountains, it’s worth a shot to get out there with your kids at least once a week to see if this helps keep them on an even keel.8 ) exercise
Exercise is one of the all-time best treatments for ADHD, and it’ll give your child better overall health and well-being, including helping them to sleep better (a problem for a lot of kids with ADHD) and the ability to focus better. As with the other gifts, this one can be shared by the whole family.
A gift for the whole family!
Finally, remember that every one of these gifts is a gift to the whole family. Helping your child with ADHD to not only manage their symptoms, but most importantly, to accept their symptoms and themselves no matter what, is the best gift you can give – and – bonus – none of these gifts have to be wrapped!
Kessler, Z. (2011). 8 Gifts for ADHD Kids. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 16, 2011, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/adhd-zoe/2011/12/8-gifts-for-adhd-kids/
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A little insight into our admissions process
Lisa Saunders is back with another guest blog. This one is really interesting as it gives some terrific insight into what Bridgeway's process is for reviewing and accepting students into our program. As you'll read, the process is not as straighforward as you might think.
Rhonda
This is not to say that our program would not help those students who have a cognitive delay and an LD, just that those students will need more intense remediation over a longer period of time. Parents are only able to rely on Department of Education funding for four years, if they even qualify. We have based our program on an average three-year stay with a transitional return to alternate education (public, private, post-secondary). If we begin to admit students who meet the alternative diagnosis of an LD, the guidelines set-up will not meet the needs of the learner. As well, moving forward we are hoping to incorporate more research within our program, too many variables may not be conducive to providing useful data.
If you're interested in more information on Bridgeway's programs or our admissions process, please give Lisa a call at 902-464-0134.
Rhonda
By Lisa Saunders
Of
course we have the same sort of discrete problems as the public schooling
system: ordering supplies, setting the bell schedule, how many staff to hire
and so on; the emergent problems we experience are quite unique. The public schooling system is called that
because they exist to serve the public, they have very few choices in terms of
who attends the school other than geographic limitations. The very issue that is our emergent problem,
who is accepted into our program, is more of a discrete problem for them. Currently, our program is designed for
students who meet a specific set of criteria: diagnosed learning disability, no
emotional/behavioural issues as a primary concern, no global or cognitive
delays and no diagnoses of autism – sounds pretty straight forward, almost as
though the decision to accept a student would be considered a discrete problem
for us as well, right?
In
answer to this emergent problem we have established an Admission and Review
committee, a group of people who each bring different perspectives, expertise
and investment into this complex decision-making process. Involved are a psychologist,
neuropsychologist, myself (Director of Programs) and our Executive
Director. Each of us bring to the table
various perspectives through which we meet, filter the information each of us
have on the topics at hand and arrive at a decision that is implemented and
monitored. Most of our decisions are
based on emergent problems in that the effects of our decisions are long
reaching and have various outcomes depending on each individual case.
As
more and more studies surrounding children’s learning emerge, new diagnoses and
ways to diagnose come about in answer to those findings. Most specifically, the very definition of
learning disabilities is changing leaving our Admissions and Review committee
with an emergent problem to deal with.
This is not the first emergent problem of this nature we have had to
contend with; recently the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has
become a prevalent occurrence on psycho-educational assessments. The spectrum is wide-reaching and we have
experienced success and disappointments in accepting this new diagnosis under
our program umbrella. The party line
remains – no diagnoses of Autism, but ASD doesn’t really fit there any more
than it fits and LD diagnosis. Our acceptance criteria continue to be weighed
on a child-by-child basis, however; the impact of being wrong is much more
devastating than ordering the wrong kind of printer ink!
The Learning Disabilites Association of Canada defines a
learning disability as follows:
Learning Disabilities refer to a number of disorders which may affect
the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or
nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who
otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or
reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global
intellectual deficiency.
This is
the guideline we follow in determining those students whom we accept into our
program. The trend we are starting to
see, though, is a move away from the inclusion of average cognitive ability as
part of the diagnostic criteria. We are
receiving psych-ed reports with final diagnosis of an LD, but the child does
not have the full scale I Q to support the diagnosis (according to LDAC
criteria).
This is not to say that our program would not help those students who have a cognitive delay and an LD, just that those students will need more intense remediation over a longer period of time. Parents are only able to rely on Department of Education funding for four years, if they even qualify. We have based our program on an average three-year stay with a transitional return to alternate education (public, private, post-secondary). If we begin to admit students who meet the alternative diagnosis of an LD, the guidelines set-up will not meet the needs of the learner. As well, moving forward we are hoping to incorporate more research within our program, too many variables may not be conducive to providing useful data.
Involvement of the committee
members proves an invaluable resource to maintaining and growing our
program. Each member of the committee
brings a different perspective, level of experience and investment to the table
helping to solve just one category of emergent problems we face. Although the organizational leader plays a
role in this committee, which does not necessarily translate to the role played
in the organization-that of leader.
Rather, each participant has a key role in the emergent problem solving
process.
If you're interested in more information on Bridgeway's programs or our admissions process, please give Lisa a call at 902-464-0134.
Bridgeway receives $750,000 endowment grant
We're delighted to announce that we have received a major boost in our efforts to create bursary programs for families in financial need. The Johnson Scholarship Foundation is a supporter of some major organizations in the US, and we're very proud that they have chosen to support Bridgeway and Turning Tides Community Outreach. We'll share more information about the grant and bursary availability soon. In the meantime, we thought we would share the media release that went out this morning.
Rhonda
Rhonda
Bridgeway
Academy receives Johnson Scholarship Foundation Grant
Launches
$1.95 million endowment campaign
Dartmouth, NS
- Bridgeway Academy will receive up to $750,000 in endowment funding over the
next five years from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, a U-S based private
foundation with the mission of assisting disadvantaged individuals obtain
education.
Endowment funds will be used to support students with
learning disabilities who are in financial need. Students may use bursary funds to obtain
access to Bridgeway’s day school programs, as well as tutoring and social
skills programs through its Turning Tides Community Outreach programs.
Bridgeway has committed to raising an additional $1.2
million in endowment funds, bringing the total endowment to $1.95 million in
five years. Bridgeway will raise and
distribute another $600,000 in bursaries to families in need over the five year
period.
“Cost has been a barrier to many families wishing to
access our programs,” says Lucinda Low, Founder and Executive Director of
Bridgeway Academy. “The Johnson
Scholarship Foundation Endowment will open doors to students who are currently
struggling with learning disabilities or social skills deficits and allow us to
provide them with the skills they need to succeed.”
“Bridgeway
Academy was a natural choice,” says Malcolm MacLeod, President of the Johnson
Scholarship Foundation. “Education of
young people with learning disabilities falls squarely within the Foundation’s
mission. We are extremely impressed by
the Bridgeway’s operations and its method of instruction in particular.
And the outstanding leadership of Bridgeway makes it a good bet for
continued success. “
Bursary funding will be made available starting in the
2012-13 academic year. Information on
Bridgeway’s bursary programs, including application criteria, can be found on
Bridgeway’s website – www.bridgeway-academy.com. Information on Turning Tides Community Outreach
programs and bursaries can be found on the Turning Tides website – www.turningtides.ca.
About the Johnson
Scholarship Foundation
The Johnson
Scholarship Foundation was founded in 1991 by Theodore R.
Johnson and Vivian M. Johnson. Since inception, it has made grants of
approximately $80 million to support the disabled
or those who are disadvantaged because of their social or economic
circumstances. The Foundation assists
only those in financial need and has chosen to support education as the
best means to empower people to become more independent and to participate more
fully in the benefits of society. All of the Foundation's grants are made
through partner institutions, and does not make grants to individuals. For further information, please refer to the
Foundation's website: www.jsf.bz.
About Bridgeway
Academy
Established in 1983, Bridgeway is one of the leading
providers of individualized education for students with learning disabilities
in Nova Scotia. With locations in
Dartmouth and Truro, Bridgeway’s day school program offers a safe, nurturing
learning environment for students aged 5-19.
Bridgeway Academy is a registered charity, and is managed
by an Executive Director under the guidance of a Board of Directors. For more information about Bridgeway, please
visit www.bridgeway-academy.com.
For more
information, please contact:
Rhonda Brown, Director of Communications
902-483-7800 or Rhonda.Brown@Bridgeway-Academy.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
Bill Strickland - hope and possibility
Bill Strickland believes in hope and possibility. He believes that the impossible can be made possible. Officially, he is a "nationally recognized as a visionary leader who authentically delivers educational and cultural opportunities to students and adults within an organizational culture that fosters innovation, creativity, responsibility and integrity." He has created an arts, education and job-training program in Pittsburg, which he hopes to replicate around the world.
Bill Strickland will bring his vision to Halifax this spring as one of the keynote speakers at Emergent Learning: Turning Tides in 21st Century Education. Before he gets here, we'll explore his ideas, his books and his success stories on our blog. Here's a terrific introduction as Bill speaks about his story and the story of Manchester Bidwell Corporation. Enjoy!
Rhonda
Bill Strickland will bring his vision to Halifax this spring as one of the keynote speakers at Emergent Learning: Turning Tides in 21st Century Education. Before he gets here, we'll explore his ideas, his books and his success stories on our blog. Here's a terrific introduction as Bill speaks about his story and the story of Manchester Bidwell Corporation. Enjoy!
Rhonda
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Tools to help students get organized.
There are likely to be plenty of electronic gadgets under the tree this Christmas season, and many of those can help students with learning disabilities or ADHD keep themselves organized. At Bridgeway, organization is one of the skill areas we focus on, and it's a skill that many of our students use for the rest of their lives.
Here's an exerpt from a Tech Expert advice column written by Dr. Tracy Gray for LD Online. I would encourage you to visit the website for more advice on preparing students for online learning, helping younger students organize their writing.
Rhonda
You have done a good job laying the groundwork for success by helping your student organize his binder with dividers and pockets. Now we have to figure out how to get him to use it!
Students who struggle with executive function tasks like organization often have difficulty remembering things, keeping track of time, and initiating tasks as well. Perhaps he does not remember to place papers into his binder until the last minute and is then forced to hurriedly throw everything in. Or maybe he does remember that he should organize his materials, but he's having a hard time actually getting started.Technology can help with these challenges.
A PDA, electronic organizer, or cell phone with an alarm function can remind him to perform a task, like place his notes in his binder or write down his homework, at the same time each day. You can program the alarms on the device itself, or use a free, online service like Remember the Milk to automatically send a text message, IM, or email reminders. The regularity of these reminders helps create positive habits, and the fun, high-tech nature of the PDA or cell phone motivates action.
I also suggest that you give your student fun opportunities to practice his organizational skills. Encourage him to create a new playlist on his iPod, coach a fantasy sports team on Sports Illustrated for Kids, or play a video or computer game that emphasizes organizational skills (see LearningWorks for Kids for suggestions and reviews). The categorization, memorization, and time management abilities he develops through these fun activities will serve him well both in and out of school.
Don't forget, Turning Tides Community Outreach offers tutoring in organizational skills at locations in Dartmouth and Truro. If you're interested in more information, you can contact them at 902-404-TIDE (8433).
Here's an exerpt from a Tech Expert advice column written by Dr. Tracy Gray for LD Online. I would encourage you to visit the website for more advice on preparing students for online learning, helping younger students organize their writing.
Rhonda
What tools help students stay organized?
By Dr. Tracy Gray
Students who struggle with executive function tasks like organization often have difficulty remembering things, keeping track of time, and initiating tasks as well. Perhaps he does not remember to place papers into his binder until the last minute and is then forced to hurriedly throw everything in. Or maybe he does remember that he should organize his materials, but he's having a hard time actually getting started.Technology can help with these challenges.
A PDA, electronic organizer, or cell phone with an alarm function can remind him to perform a task, like place his notes in his binder or write down his homework, at the same time each day. You can program the alarms on the device itself, or use a free, online service like Remember the Milk to automatically send a text message, IM, or email reminders. The regularity of these reminders helps create positive habits, and the fun, high-tech nature of the PDA or cell phone motivates action.
I also suggest that you give your student fun opportunities to practice his organizational skills. Encourage him to create a new playlist on his iPod, coach a fantasy sports team on Sports Illustrated for Kids, or play a video or computer game that emphasizes organizational skills (see LearningWorks for Kids for suggestions and reviews). The categorization, memorization, and time management abilities he develops through these fun activities will serve him well both in and out of school.
Don't forget, Turning Tides Community Outreach offers tutoring in organizational skills at locations in Dartmouth and Truro. If you're interested in more information, you can contact them at 902-404-TIDE (8433).
Saturday, December 17, 2011
What's the best way to teach our kids?
Thanks once again to Lisa Saunders, Director of Programs at Bridgeway for contributing more of her writing on education. Lisa is working on her Master's degree at Acadia, and will sharing some of her studies with us in guest postings on our blog.
Enjoy!
Rhonda
By Lisa Saunders
What are your thoughts on education in the future? Share them in the comments section below!
Enjoy!
Rhonda
By Lisa Saunders
Over our history there have been and continue to be many
great debates: is the world flat or round, does God exist, are carbohydrates
good or bad? Within educational circles one
debate rages on; what is the best way to teach our kids? Traditional education offers the stability
and predictability of reading, writing and arithmetic, long-established customs found in schools that our society
has historically deemed appropriate. Progressive
education, on the other hand, has the qualities of well-rounded education that western
society has come to covet; a focus on each student’s strengths and interests,
assessing in various ways that support diverse learners.
Throughout the past 100 years many studies have been carried
out with the sole purpose of investigating how we learn. Many of these studies have shown an
overwhelming amount of evidence supporting the implementation of the
characteristics of progressive education: individual
instruction, informality in the classroom, multi-sensory teaching practices and
the use of group discussions and laboratories as instructional techniques. Successful implementation of this very
practice has been seen all over the world.
From establishment of progressive education techniques by John Dewey in
the early 1900’s to the public uprising against the No Child Left Behind Act,
progressive education has been a supported teaching practice spanning over two
centuries, albeit with varied success.
As long as we have administrators and policy makers fully immersed in
traditional education, progression will not be fully realized. Difficulty lies in separating the two ideas
in that, elements of traditional education: external motivation, memorization
of rote facts and concentration on skills in reading, writing and math, are
sewn into the very fabric of our educational system.
Each generation experiences the
upcoming generation doing things a little bit differently – how did our parent’s
parents feel about television, or our parents feel about computers; how do we
feel about social networking and assistive technology? These tools can be seen as barriers to
learning or they can be seen as tools, stepping stones for the next generation
to express what we have taught them. As each generation learns more about how the
next generation of students learn, educators attempt to predict what skills
will be most beneficial in the next generation’s society. Central skills include the need for workers to
have a proficient ability to receive, store, process and communicate
information. Teaching our students to be
independent thinkers will always serve them, no matter their career
choice.
Critics in education will
always exist, projecting their view on an education system that is slow to
change and seems to cater to the average student. The essence of learning is not to regurgitate
facts, memorized for that expressed purpose, rather it is to understand,
investigate and discover in a way that is meaningful to each of us. As we are all different in thoughts,
experiences and viewpoints, so must our learning and evaluation be diverse from
that of our classmates. There are many
students who have gifts that reach far beyond memorizing multiplication tables
and mastering spelling bees, who require creative and out-of-the-box teachers
to guide them towards becoming the forward thinkers of the next generation.
It makes sense to tailor
education to each individual. Though many of our traditionalist teachers and
administrators work in their comfort zone, relying on those methods that were
bestowed upon them as students, we all
want to teach and support our next generation of children in a way that will be
beneficial to society. Teach a student
what to think and humanity stays stagnant, teach a student how to think and who
knows how far we will go.
What are your thoughts on education in the future? Share them in the comments section below!
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Element - Think Differently
So we have identified what The Element is, and if you're like me, you want it, but aren't sure how to get to it. The first piece of advice from Sir Ken - Think Differently. (Also the title of the second chapter of the book, The Element.) Here are my thoughts on what it means - and how Sir Ken suggests we go about it.
Rhonda
One of the first things you learn when you work with kids with learning disabilities is that they're really smart, but they learn differently. They often think differently too. But often, their ability to learn (or maybe, their inability) is taken for granted. The kids often take those abilities (or lack of) for granted too.
Take the example Sir Ken offers - Mick Fleetwood (yes, the Mick Fleetwood of the band Fleetwood Mac). He struggled in school with academics, thanks to a learning disability. By the definitions of intelligence that we take for granted (academic performance), he wasn't considered "intelligent." Luckily, his family knew intelligence came in many forms, and not being very good in math wouldn't doom anyone to an inconsequential life.
What Mick could do was drum. His dream to become a drummer started when he was young, the first time he saw music being performed live. When he was 16, he finally went to his parents to talk about leaving school to pursue his dreams. His parents agreed, and he headed to London to pursue his dream.
His lucky break came when a neighbour heard him practicing in a garage and invited him to a gig at a youth club. One break led to another, and another, until he met the other members of what was to become Fleetwood Mac. Consider the opportunities that might never had happened had his parents insisted he finish school!
The moral of this story, and one of the key principles of the Element, "is that we need to challenge what we take for granted about our abilities and the abilities of other people." As Sir Ken points out, it can be tough to identify the things we take for granted because we don't know we're taking them for granted in the first place.
We also take intelligence for granted, or at least the definition of what it means to be intelligent. Sir Ken believes this is, "one of the main reasons why so many people underestimate their true intellectual abilities and fail to find their Element." For most, intelligence means academic ability or IQ. But, as you probably have guessed, Sir Ken believes otherwise. Instead of asking how intelligent you are, you need to ask, "How are you intelligent?" This question lets us consider the variety of ways we can express intelligence, which no scale could ever measure.
Sir Ken shares quite a bit of research in this chapter on the history of the current definition of intelligence and those who questioned the status quo. I won't go into those here, but would suggest picking up the book if you're interested in more detail.
So how should we define intelligence. Sir Ken aruges there are three features of human intelligence: it's diverse; it's dynamic; and it's distinctive. Here's a bit more about what he means...
Diverse - Intelligence expresses itself in a number of ways, and often shows itself in ways that have little or nothing to do with numbers and words. The diversity of intelligence is one of the fundamental underpinnings of the Element. "If you don't embrace the fact that you think about the world in a wide variety of ways, you severely limit your chances of finding the person that you were meant to be.
Dynamic - You use many parts of your brain in every thing you do. Using the brain dynamically - finding new connections between things - creates true breakthroughs. Sir Ken uses Einstein as an example of dynamic intelligence. It's fairly well known that Einstein didn't do so well in school, and was often caught daydreaming. Even later in life, his success in science came from imagination and creativity.
Distinctive - Each person's intelligence is unique. There may be hundreds of forms of intelligence, but we all use them in different ways.
So the challenge is to use this new definition of intelligence to see and appreciate your own intelligence. As Sir Ken says, "Discovering the Element is all about allowing yourself access to all of the ways in which you experience the world, and discovering where your own true strengths lie. Just don't take them for granted."
Next week, we'll look at Sir Ken's theories about imagination and the power of creativity. Don't forget to check out our website for more information about Sir Ken's upcoming visit to Halifax on April 23-24!
Rhonda
One of the first things you learn when you work with kids with learning disabilities is that they're really smart, but they learn differently. They often think differently too. But often, their ability to learn (or maybe, their inability) is taken for granted. The kids often take those abilities (or lack of) for granted too.
Take the example Sir Ken offers - Mick Fleetwood (yes, the Mick Fleetwood of the band Fleetwood Mac). He struggled in school with academics, thanks to a learning disability. By the definitions of intelligence that we take for granted (academic performance), he wasn't considered "intelligent." Luckily, his family knew intelligence came in many forms, and not being very good in math wouldn't doom anyone to an inconsequential life.
What Mick could do was drum. His dream to become a drummer started when he was young, the first time he saw music being performed live. When he was 16, he finally went to his parents to talk about leaving school to pursue his dreams. His parents agreed, and he headed to London to pursue his dream.
His lucky break came when a neighbour heard him practicing in a garage and invited him to a gig at a youth club. One break led to another, and another, until he met the other members of what was to become Fleetwood Mac. Consider the opportunities that might never had happened had his parents insisted he finish school!
The moral of this story, and one of the key principles of the Element, "is that we need to challenge what we take for granted about our abilities and the abilities of other people." As Sir Ken points out, it can be tough to identify the things we take for granted because we don't know we're taking them for granted in the first place.
We also take intelligence for granted, or at least the definition of what it means to be intelligent. Sir Ken believes this is, "one of the main reasons why so many people underestimate their true intellectual abilities and fail to find their Element." For most, intelligence means academic ability or IQ. But, as you probably have guessed, Sir Ken believes otherwise. Instead of asking how intelligent you are, you need to ask, "How are you intelligent?" This question lets us consider the variety of ways we can express intelligence, which no scale could ever measure.
Sir Ken shares quite a bit of research in this chapter on the history of the current definition of intelligence and those who questioned the status quo. I won't go into those here, but would suggest picking up the book if you're interested in more detail.
So how should we define intelligence. Sir Ken aruges there are three features of human intelligence: it's diverse; it's dynamic; and it's distinctive. Here's a bit more about what he means...
Diverse - Intelligence expresses itself in a number of ways, and often shows itself in ways that have little or nothing to do with numbers and words. The diversity of intelligence is one of the fundamental underpinnings of the Element. "If you don't embrace the fact that you think about the world in a wide variety of ways, you severely limit your chances of finding the person that you were meant to be.
Dynamic - You use many parts of your brain in every thing you do. Using the brain dynamically - finding new connections between things - creates true breakthroughs. Sir Ken uses Einstein as an example of dynamic intelligence. It's fairly well known that Einstein didn't do so well in school, and was often caught daydreaming. Even later in life, his success in science came from imagination and creativity.
Distinctive - Each person's intelligence is unique. There may be hundreds of forms of intelligence, but we all use them in different ways.
So the challenge is to use this new definition of intelligence to see and appreciate your own intelligence. As Sir Ken says, "Discovering the Element is all about allowing yourself access to all of the ways in which you experience the world, and discovering where your own true strengths lie. Just don't take them for granted."
Next week, we'll look at Sir Ken's theories about imagination and the power of creativity. Don't forget to check out our website for more information about Sir Ken's upcoming visit to Halifax on April 23-24!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The Element - I get it; I love it; I want it: Where is it?
In my last blog on Sir Ken Robinson's book, The Element, I promised to share some more info on what Sir Ken defines as The Element. Defining The Element will help us move to embracing it, moving to a point where we do the thing we love and can be our most authentic selves.
Rhonda
Sir Ken tells us that The Element is different for everyone, but it has two main features (apitude and passion) and two conditions for being in it (attitude and opportunity). The sequence is what I hinted at in the title of this blog - I get it; I love it; I want it; Where is it?
I get it
There was a commercial I used to love on television. It featured young boys each doing something they were good at - playing sports, playing an instrument, etc. The take-away message? No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something. That's the message that Sir Ken is trying to get at here. We need to find our creative strengths (aka our aptitudes) before we can develop them. In other words, "we don't know who we can be until we know what we can do."
I love it
Being good at something isn't enough. You need to have passion for what you do - enough to imagine doing it for the rest of your life. The example Sir Ken uses is a musician who was very good at keyboards. When Ken told the musician that he wished he could play that way, he was taken aback when the musician replied, "No, you wouldn't." As the musician pointed out, he spent many, many hours every day practicing. Asked why, he simply replied, "Because I love it." Not many of us could commit that time and energy to a task without the passion to go along with it.
I want it
Attitude is our perspective on ourselves and our circumstances. People who love what they do describe themselves as lucky, and people who think they're unsuccessful often say they're unlucky. Sir Ken believes that, "how we perceive our circumstances and how we create opportunities depends largely on what we expect of ourselves."
Where is it?
We can't know what our aptitudes are if we don't have the opportunities to explore them. That could mean that we don't ever get to find our Element, but if we explore our apitutdes in different fields, our chances certainly increase. Sometimes, we need people to help us recognize our real talents, and sometimes, we can help people disover theirs. Look closely at the opportunities you have and the opportunities you create.
Tomorrow, thoughts on thinking differently and how we're intelligent. Don't forget - if you're looking for wisdom directly from Sir Ken Robinson, he'll be in Halifax on April 23-24 as part of our conference on emergent learning!
Rhonda
Sir Ken tells us that The Element is different for everyone, but it has two main features (apitude and passion) and two conditions for being in it (attitude and opportunity). The sequence is what I hinted at in the title of this blog - I get it; I love it; I want it; Where is it?
I get it
There was a commercial I used to love on television. It featured young boys each doing something they were good at - playing sports, playing an instrument, etc. The take-away message? No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something. That's the message that Sir Ken is trying to get at here. We need to find our creative strengths (aka our aptitudes) before we can develop them. In other words, "we don't know who we can be until we know what we can do."
I love it
Being good at something isn't enough. You need to have passion for what you do - enough to imagine doing it for the rest of your life. The example Sir Ken uses is a musician who was very good at keyboards. When Ken told the musician that he wished he could play that way, he was taken aback when the musician replied, "No, you wouldn't." As the musician pointed out, he spent many, many hours every day practicing. Asked why, he simply replied, "Because I love it." Not many of us could commit that time and energy to a task without the passion to go along with it.
I want it
Attitude is our perspective on ourselves and our circumstances. People who love what they do describe themselves as lucky, and people who think they're unsuccessful often say they're unlucky. Sir Ken believes that, "how we perceive our circumstances and how we create opportunities depends largely on what we expect of ourselves."
Where is it?
We can't know what our aptitudes are if we don't have the opportunities to explore them. That could mean that we don't ever get to find our Element, but if we explore our apitutdes in different fields, our chances certainly increase. Sometimes, we need people to help us recognize our real talents, and sometimes, we can help people disover theirs. Look closely at the opportunities you have and the opportunities you create.
Tomorrow, thoughts on thinking differently and how we're intelligent. Don't forget - if you're looking for wisdom directly from Sir Ken Robinson, he'll be in Halifax on April 23-24 as part of our conference on emergent learning!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Autism Nova Scotia
I had the opportunity this morning to visit and tour the Provincial Autism Centre for Nova Scotia this morning. Nestled into a Victorian-era house on Brenton Street in Halifax, it's a wonderfully warm and welcoming environment to walk into. The first thing you see is a seating area nestled among bookshelves. My host, Robin, noted that the library is the largest collection of autism-related reading east of Montreal. Families are welcome to come in any time to read, browse and borrow books. Robin tells me that half of the books are checked out at any time.
Downstairs is an area that reminds me of many basement rec rooms - shelves filled with games and toys, comfy chairs arranged around a TV with a Wii on top. This is where they hold social groups and other activities for their clients and families. Again, it's a warm and welcoming space.
Back upstairs, I was able to browse a wonderful collection of jewelery, which is being made by family, friends and people with Autism in Nova Scotia. Profits go to support programs and services of Autism Nova Scotia. More importantly, it provides paid employment for people with autism, who sometimes struggle with the social skills necessary to gain and hold employment. (As many individuals with LDs do as well!)
The Autism Centre was founded in 2002, and was the vision of Joan and Jack Craig, parents of an autistic son. Their vision began from the sense of helplessness and isolation many individuals and families feel as they try to understand what an autism diagnosis means for themselves and their families. They wanted a supportive environment where families could go to get the informatioon they needed, and provide them with the opportunity to connect with others facing similiar challenges. I think they have succeeded!
If you're on Brenton Street, I would encourage you to drop in and check out this terrific organization. And if you're in the market for a last-minute Christmas gift, be sure to check out the jewellery in house or online at http://promiseofapearl.com/.
Rhonda
Downstairs is an area that reminds me of many basement rec rooms - shelves filled with games and toys, comfy chairs arranged around a TV with a Wii on top. This is where they hold social groups and other activities for their clients and families. Again, it's a warm and welcoming space.
Back upstairs, I was able to browse a wonderful collection of jewelery, which is being made by family, friends and people with Autism in Nova Scotia. Profits go to support programs and services of Autism Nova Scotia. More importantly, it provides paid employment for people with autism, who sometimes struggle with the social skills necessary to gain and hold employment. (As many individuals with LDs do as well!)
The Autism Centre was founded in 2002, and was the vision of Joan and Jack Craig, parents of an autistic son. Their vision began from the sense of helplessness and isolation many individuals and families feel as they try to understand what an autism diagnosis means for themselves and their families. They wanted a supportive environment where families could go to get the informatioon they needed, and provide them with the opportunity to connect with others facing similiar challenges. I think they have succeeded!
If you're on Brenton Street, I would encourage you to drop in and check out this terrific organization. And if you're in the market for a last-minute Christmas gift, be sure to check out the jewellery in house or online at http://promiseofapearl.com/.
Rhonda
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Celebrating our talents
The thing I love most about working with kids with learning disabilities is celebrating their strengths and talents. When you struggle in school, it's easy to get down on yourself and your ability to be successful. But everyone is good at something, and it's an amazing experience to watch the kids celebrate their own talents.
Today, kudos to Tom from our Truro school who has become a cadet, and Ashley from our Dartmouth school who was recently honoured for her outstanding volunteer work with YMCA in Halifax.
Rhonda
Today, kudos to Tom from our Truro school who has become a cadet, and Ashley from our Dartmouth school who was recently honoured for her outstanding volunteer work with YMCA in Halifax.
Rhonda
Monday, December 12, 2011
A resource for teen mental health
At Bridgeway, we believe we need to support the whole child. Too often, we have students coming to us who are suffering from a variety of mental health issues - usually anxiety and depression - that are related to their learning disabilities. Often, those issues resolve as the students begin to learn and their self-esteem grows. Sometimes, they need the help of a mental health professional. Being a teenager is tough, even if you're not dealing with an LD, and it's nice to see that there is a growing awareness of the particular mental health challenges teens face. If the teen in your life needs help, please seek out the advice of a medical professional. If you're looking for more information, you should check out this "made in Halifax" website from the team at IWK/Dalhousie: teenmentalhealth.org.
The question, 'will we ever understand teens?' is as puzzling as the question of chicken or egg. While we might not ever truly understand teens, we can learn more about what makes them behave the way they do.
You might be wondering if the teen in your life is going through a tough time, are they just going through those 'teenage years' or is there truly something wrong.
The answers to the questions above can be found on teenmentalhealth.org. The website that has been built for teens, their families, educators and health professionals who want to help teens with a myriad of mental health issues they might face. It also helps to lift some of the stigma teens who are suffering from mental illness may be facing as well. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Rhonda
The question, 'will we ever understand teens?' is as puzzling as the question of chicken or egg. While we might not ever truly understand teens, we can learn more about what makes them behave the way they do.
You might be wondering if the teen in your life is going through a tough time, are they just going through those 'teenage years' or is there truly something wrong.
The answers to the questions above can be found on teenmentalhealth.org. The website that has been built for teens, their families, educators and health professionals who want to help teens with a myriad of mental health issues they might face. It also helps to lift some of the stigma teens who are suffering from mental illness may be facing as well. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Rhonda
Sunday, December 11, 2011
More ideas that challenge the rules of education
If you`ve been following the blog for a while, you know I love to share ideas about education that make us think differently. Here`s a looooonnnnggg article from Wired magazine about the Khan Academy that I stumbled across the other day. I won`t post the whole thing here, but I will encourage you to click through to the article and read the whole thing.
Enjoy!
Rhonda
“This,” says Matthew Carpenter, “is my favorite exercise.” I peer over his shoulder at his laptop screen to see the math problem the fifth grader is pondering. It’s an inverse trigonometric function: cos-1(1) = ?
Carpenter, a serious-faced 10-year-old wearing a gray T-shirt and an impressive black digital watch, pauses for a second, fidgets, then clicks on “0 degrees.” Presto: The computer tells him that he’s correct. The software then generates another problem, followed by another, and yet another, until he’s nailed 10 in a row in just a few minutes. All told, he’s done an insane 642 inverse trig problems. “It took a while for me to get it,” he admits sheepishly.
Carpenter, who attends Santa Rita Elementary, a public school in Los Altos, California, shouldn’t be doing work anywhere near this advanced. In fact, when I visited his class this spring—in a sun-drenched room festooned with a papercraft X-wing fighter and student paintings of trees—the kids were supposed to be learning basic fractions, decimals, and percentages. As his teacher, Kami Thordarson, explains, students don’t normally tackle inverse trig until high school, and sometimes not even then.
But last November, Thordarson began using Khan Academy in her class. Khan Academy is an educational website that, as its tagline puts it, aims to let anyone “learn almost anything—for free.” Students, or anyone interested enough to surf by, can watch some 2,400 videos in which the site’s founder, Salman Khan, chattily discusses principles of math, science, and economics (with a smattering of social science topics thrown in). The videos are decidedly lo-fi, even crude: Generally seven to 14 minutes long, they consist of a voice-over by Khan describing a mathematical concept or explaining how to solve a problem while his hand-scribbled formulas and diagrams appear onscreen. Like the Wizard of Oz, Khan never steps from behind the curtain to appear in a video himself; it’s just Khan’s voice and some scrawly equations. In addition to these videos, the website offers software that generates practice problems and rewards good performance with videogame-like badges—for answering a “streak” of questions correctly, say, or mastering a series of algebra levels. (Carpenter has acquired 52 Earth badges in math, which require hours of toil to attain and at which his classmates gaze with envy and awe.)
Initially, Thordarson thought Khan Academy would merely be a helpful supplement to her normal instruction. But it quickly become far more than that. She’s now on her way to “flipping” the way her class works. This involves replacing some of her lectures with Khan’s videos, which students can watch at home. Then, in class, they focus on working problem sets. The idea is to invert the normal rhythms of school, so that lectures are viewed on the kids’ own time and homework is done at school. It sounds weird, Thordarson admits, but this flipping makes sense when you think about it. It’s when they’re doing homework that students are really grappling with a subject and are most likely to need someone to talk to. And now Thordarson can tell just when this grappling occurs: Khan Academy provides teachers with a dashboard application that lets her see the instant a student gets stuck.
“I’m able to give specific, pinpointed help when needed,” she says.
The result is that Thordarson’s students move at their own pace. Those who are struggling get surgically targeted guidance, while advanced kids like Carpenter rocket far ahead; once they’re answering questions without making mistakes, Khan’s site automatically recommends new topics to move on to. Over half the class is now tackling subjects like algebra and geometric formulas. And even the less precocious kids are improving: Only 3 percent of her students were classified as average or lower in end-of-year tests, down from 13 percent at midyear.
Read the rest of the article here.
Enjoy!
Rhonda
How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education
By Clive Thompson“This,” says Matthew Carpenter, “is my favorite exercise.” I peer over his shoulder at his laptop screen to see the math problem the fifth grader is pondering. It’s an inverse trigonometric function: cos-1(1) = ?
Carpenter, a serious-faced 10-year-old wearing a gray T-shirt and an impressive black digital watch, pauses for a second, fidgets, then clicks on “0 degrees.” Presto: The computer tells him that he’s correct. The software then generates another problem, followed by another, and yet another, until he’s nailed 10 in a row in just a few minutes. All told, he’s done an insane 642 inverse trig problems. “It took a while for me to get it,” he admits sheepishly.
Carpenter, who attends Santa Rita Elementary, a public school in Los Altos, California, shouldn’t be doing work anywhere near this advanced. In fact, when I visited his class this spring—in a sun-drenched room festooned with a papercraft X-wing fighter and student paintings of trees—the kids were supposed to be learning basic fractions, decimals, and percentages. As his teacher, Kami Thordarson, explains, students don’t normally tackle inverse trig until high school, and sometimes not even then.
But last November, Thordarson began using Khan Academy in her class. Khan Academy is an educational website that, as its tagline puts it, aims to let anyone “learn almost anything—for free.” Students, or anyone interested enough to surf by, can watch some 2,400 videos in which the site’s founder, Salman Khan, chattily discusses principles of math, science, and economics (with a smattering of social science topics thrown in). The videos are decidedly lo-fi, even crude: Generally seven to 14 minutes long, they consist of a voice-over by Khan describing a mathematical concept or explaining how to solve a problem while his hand-scribbled formulas and diagrams appear onscreen. Like the Wizard of Oz, Khan never steps from behind the curtain to appear in a video himself; it’s just Khan’s voice and some scrawly equations. In addition to these videos, the website offers software that generates practice problems and rewards good performance with videogame-like badges—for answering a “streak” of questions correctly, say, or mastering a series of algebra levels. (Carpenter has acquired 52 Earth badges in math, which require hours of toil to attain and at which his classmates gaze with envy and awe.)
Initially, Thordarson thought Khan Academy would merely be a helpful supplement to her normal instruction. But it quickly become far more than that. She’s now on her way to “flipping” the way her class works. This involves replacing some of her lectures with Khan’s videos, which students can watch at home. Then, in class, they focus on working problem sets. The idea is to invert the normal rhythms of school, so that lectures are viewed on the kids’ own time and homework is done at school. It sounds weird, Thordarson admits, but this flipping makes sense when you think about it. It’s when they’re doing homework that students are really grappling with a subject and are most likely to need someone to talk to. And now Thordarson can tell just when this grappling occurs: Khan Academy provides teachers with a dashboard application that lets her see the instant a student gets stuck.
“I’m able to give specific, pinpointed help when needed,” she says.
The result is that Thordarson’s students move at their own pace. Those who are struggling get surgically targeted guidance, while advanced kids like Carpenter rocket far ahead; once they’re answering questions without making mistakes, Khan’s site automatically recommends new topics to move on to. Over half the class is now tackling subjects like algebra and geometric formulas. And even the less precocious kids are improving: Only 3 percent of her students were classified as average or lower in end-of-year tests, down from 13 percent at midyear.
Read the rest of the article here.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Committed Sardines
Yesterday I was blogging about Sir Ken, and today I'm blogging about sardines. Is there a connection? Yes! A friend sent me a link to this website the other day, and if you're someone who thinks we need to rethink our approach to education (as Sir Ken does), you'll be interested in this.
Start with this inspiring answer as to why this group calls themselves The Committed Sardines, then explore the website for yourself. (And don't forget to forward it to the educators in your life!)
Enjoy!
Rhonda
Why Are We Called The Committed Sardines?
First, an aside. A blue whale is the largest mammal on earth. An adult blue whale is the length of 2 1/2 Greyhound buses put end to end, weighs more than a fully loaded 737, has blood vessels large enough for an adult to swim down, a heart the size of a Volkswagon Beetle, a tongue 8' long and weighs 6000 lbs. A baby blue whale is estimated to gain more than 50 pounds an hour from birth to agcompare the way a blue whale turns around (slowly) to how a school of fish turns around - specifically a school of sardines - which can have the same or even a greater mass than the whale, does the same thing. A school of sardines can turn almost instantly. What's their secret? How do they know when to turn. Is it ESP? Do they use cell phones? Are they using the Internet?
The answer is simultaneously a little simpler and quite a bit more complex. If you take a careful look at a school of sardines, you'll notice that although the fish all appear to be swimming in the same direction, in reality, at any time, there will be a small group of sardines swimming in a different direction, in an opposite direction, against the flow, against conventional wisdom. And as they swim in another direction, they cause conflict, they cause friction, and they causes discomfort for the rest of the school.
But finally, when a critical mass of truly committed sardines is reached - not a huge number like 50 percent or 80 percent of the school, but 15 to 20 percent who are truly committed to a new direction - the rest of the school suddenly turns and goes with them - almost instantaneously!
Isn't that what became of our feelings about smoking? Isn't that exactly what happened to the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union? Isn't that what caused the Internet to suddenly appear overnight. Each and every one of those events was an overnight success that took years in the making. Overnight successes that took a small group of people who were truly committed despite the obstacles, challenge, yabbuts, and TTWWADIs to make the necessary change.
That's why we're Committed Sardines.
Start with this inspiring answer as to why this group calls themselves The Committed Sardines, then explore the website for yourself. (And don't forget to forward it to the educators in your life!)
Enjoy!
Rhonda
Why Are We Called The Committed Sardines?
First, an aside. A blue whale is the largest mammal on earth. An adult blue whale is the length of 2 1/2 Greyhound buses put end to end, weighs more than a fully loaded 737, has blood vessels large enough for an adult to swim down, a heart the size of a Volkswagon Beetle, a tongue 8' long and weighs 6000 lbs. A baby blue whale is estimated to gain more than 50 pounds an hour from birth to agcompare the way a blue whale turns around (slowly) to how a school of fish turns around - specifically a school of sardines - which can have the same or even a greater mass than the whale, does the same thing. A school of sardines can turn almost instantly. What's their secret? How do they know when to turn. Is it ESP? Do they use cell phones? Are they using the Internet?
The answer is simultaneously a little simpler and quite a bit more complex. If you take a careful look at a school of sardines, you'll notice that although the fish all appear to be swimming in the same direction, in reality, at any time, there will be a small group of sardines swimming in a different direction, in an opposite direction, against the flow, against conventional wisdom. And as they swim in another direction, they cause conflict, they cause friction, and they causes discomfort for the rest of the school.
But finally, when a critical mass of truly committed sardines is reached - not a huge number like 50 percent or 80 percent of the school, but 15 to 20 percent who are truly committed to a new direction - the rest of the school suddenly turns and goes with them - almost instantaneously!
Isn't that what became of our feelings about smoking? Isn't that exactly what happened to the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union? Isn't that what caused the Internet to suddenly appear overnight. Each and every one of those events was an overnight success that took years in the making. Overnight successes that took a small group of people who were truly committed despite the obstacles, challenge, yabbuts, and TTWWADIs to make the necessary change.
That's why we're Committed Sardines.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Element & education
Yesterday, I started my blogging journey through Sir Ken Robinson's book, The Element. Today, a bit more on Sir Ken's thoughts regarding education, and how it keeps us from finding our passion. Don't forget, you can see Sir Ken in action in April at Emergent Learning: Turning Tides in 21st Century Education.
Rhonda
Do you know someone who wasn't the greatest of students, but is enjoying fantastic success in their careers? I do. Sir Ken provides a few examples of really creative people who didn't find their Element until after their education was complete - Paul McCartney (who went through school without anyone noticing his musical talent and was turned down by a choir for not being a good enough singer), and John Cleese (who went through school and university without his teachers noticing he had a sense of humour).
Why does this happen? Sir Ken argues that there are three reasons: the preoccupation with academic ability; the hierarchy of subjects (with math, science and language skills at the top, and musical and visual arts at the bottom); and reliance on particular types of assessment. Sir Ken says our system of mass education focuses on these areas because of their origins in the Industrial Revolution - math, science and language skills were essential for jobs in industrial economies. He also cites the influence of the academic culture of universities. The result - "a very narrow view of intelligence and capacity and overvalue particular sorts of talents and ability."
What else is wrong? The current systems place limits on how teachers teach and students learn and stifle the power of creative thinking. I'll let you discover the detail behind Sir Ken's arguments, but it basically comes to this: "We place tremendous significance on standardized tests, we cut funding for what we consider 'nonessential' programs, and then we wonder why our children seem unimaginative and uninspired. In these ways, our current education system systematically drains the creativity out of our children."
When kids have minds that work differently, they can feel alienated from the culture of education. If their talents and abilities are stifled, so is their motivation to learn. That's why so many people who are creative and ultimately successful aren't necessarily successful in school. Sir Ken argues it's time to change our thinking - and our education systems - to help our children prepare for a life with rapidly changing technologies and world demographics. "When the only thing we know about the future is that it will be different, we would all be wise to do the same. We need to think very differently about human resources and about how we develop them if we are to face these challenges. We need to embrace The Element."
Next Thursday, I'll share more wisdom on finding The Element. Don't forget - if you're looking for wisdom directly from Sir Ken Robinson, he'll be in Halifax on April 23-24 as part of our conference on emergent learning!
Rhonda
Do you know someone who wasn't the greatest of students, but is enjoying fantastic success in their careers? I do. Sir Ken provides a few examples of really creative people who didn't find their Element until after their education was complete - Paul McCartney (who went through school without anyone noticing his musical talent and was turned down by a choir for not being a good enough singer), and John Cleese (who went through school and university without his teachers noticing he had a sense of humour).
Why does this happen? Sir Ken argues that there are three reasons: the preoccupation with academic ability; the hierarchy of subjects (with math, science and language skills at the top, and musical and visual arts at the bottom); and reliance on particular types of assessment. Sir Ken says our system of mass education focuses on these areas because of their origins in the Industrial Revolution - math, science and language skills were essential for jobs in industrial economies. He also cites the influence of the academic culture of universities. The result - "a very narrow view of intelligence and capacity and overvalue particular sorts of talents and ability."
What else is wrong? The current systems place limits on how teachers teach and students learn and stifle the power of creative thinking. I'll let you discover the detail behind Sir Ken's arguments, but it basically comes to this: "We place tremendous significance on standardized tests, we cut funding for what we consider 'nonessential' programs, and then we wonder why our children seem unimaginative and uninspired. In these ways, our current education system systematically drains the creativity out of our children."
When kids have minds that work differently, they can feel alienated from the culture of education. If their talents and abilities are stifled, so is their motivation to learn. That's why so many people who are creative and ultimately successful aren't necessarily successful in school. Sir Ken argues it's time to change our thinking - and our education systems - to help our children prepare for a life with rapidly changing technologies and world demographics. "When the only thing we know about the future is that it will be different, we would all be wise to do the same. We need to think very differently about human resources and about how we develop them if we are to face these challenges. We need to embrace The Element."
Next Thursday, I'll share more wisdom on finding The Element. Don't forget - if you're looking for wisdom directly from Sir Ken Robinson, he'll be in Halifax on April 23-24 as part of our conference on emergent learning!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sir Ken & The Element - beginning the blog journey
Quite some time ago, I promised to blog my thoughts as I read through Sir Ken Robinson's book, The Element. Now that the holiday season is upon us, I thought it would be a perfect time to discover how finding my passion changes everything (as promised on the book cover). Rather than share everything over the course of a week or so, I'll be blogging on Thursday and Fridays from now until... Well, until I'm done!
If these words inspire you and you want to see Sir Ken in person, we'll be bringing him to Halifax in April for our new conference - Emergent Learning: Turning Tides in 21st Century Education. Hope to see you there!
Rhonda
Sir Ken starts the book with this premise - kids are naturally creative, but they lose that capacity over time. He believes one of the main reasons for this is because of education, and "too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they're really capable of achieving." The idea of The Element, as I understand it so far, is reconnecting with this passion will bring us to our full potential - "the place where things we love to do and things we are good at come together." He argues that to do this, we need to think differently about ourselves. We also need to think differently about how we educate our kids and run organizations, creating places where people are inspired to think creatively and can find The Element in themselves.
The first example of a person living in their Element is Gillian Lynne, now a world-famous dancer and choreographer. When she was eight, she was struggling in school, couldn't sit still, and was constantly disrupting the school. The school wrote to her parents, suggesting Gillian had a learning disorder and should be placed in a school for children with special needs. Her mother took her to a psychologist to try to figure out what was going on.
The psychologist spoke to her mom for a time, then they left the room, leaving the radio on. Gillian began to dance. The wise psychologist looked at Mom and told her the young girl wasn't sick, but was a dancer. She took her to a dance school, as the doctor suggested, and a remarkable life path began.
Sir Ken also shares the story of Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, who was so bored in school he turned to drawing in his classes. He did fine in school, but knew he'd never be happy at a traditional job. He decided to live by his wits, eventually finding success after placing his comic strip in a weekly newspaper in LA. There's also the story of Paul Samuelson, who discovered his life as an economist after walking into a University of Chicago lecture hall while still in high school. He was so fascinated by the information he heard he felt he was "born again" and started on a journey he describes as "pure fun".
All three of the examples provided are individuals living in their Element. Why aren't we all? Sir Ken says it's because we don't understand our natural capacities - our powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition, spirituality and physical and sensory awareness. We also don't understand how our capacities relate to each other holistically. Finally, we don't really understand our potential for growth and change. Can that change? I guess we'll see as we read along.
Tomorrow, more of Sir Ken's thoughts on education and the impact it has on finding our Element.
If these words inspire you and you want to see Sir Ken in person, we'll be bringing him to Halifax in April for our new conference - Emergent Learning: Turning Tides in 21st Century Education. Hope to see you there!
Rhonda
Sir Ken starts the book with this premise - kids are naturally creative, but they lose that capacity over time. He believes one of the main reasons for this is because of education, and "too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they're really capable of achieving." The idea of The Element, as I understand it so far, is reconnecting with this passion will bring us to our full potential - "the place where things we love to do and things we are good at come together." He argues that to do this, we need to think differently about ourselves. We also need to think differently about how we educate our kids and run organizations, creating places where people are inspired to think creatively and can find The Element in themselves.
The first example of a person living in their Element is Gillian Lynne, now a world-famous dancer and choreographer. When she was eight, she was struggling in school, couldn't sit still, and was constantly disrupting the school. The school wrote to her parents, suggesting Gillian had a learning disorder and should be placed in a school for children with special needs. Her mother took her to a psychologist to try to figure out what was going on.
The psychologist spoke to her mom for a time, then they left the room, leaving the radio on. Gillian began to dance. The wise psychologist looked at Mom and told her the young girl wasn't sick, but was a dancer. She took her to a dance school, as the doctor suggested, and a remarkable life path began.
Sir Ken also shares the story of Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, who was so bored in school he turned to drawing in his classes. He did fine in school, but knew he'd never be happy at a traditional job. He decided to live by his wits, eventually finding success after placing his comic strip in a weekly newspaper in LA. There's also the story of Paul Samuelson, who discovered his life as an economist after walking into a University of Chicago lecture hall while still in high school. He was so fascinated by the information he heard he felt he was "born again" and started on a journey he describes as "pure fun".
All three of the examples provided are individuals living in their Element. Why aren't we all? Sir Ken says it's because we don't understand our natural capacities - our powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition, spirituality and physical and sensory awareness. We also don't understand how our capacities relate to each other holistically. Finally, we don't really understand our potential for growth and change. Can that change? I guess we'll see as we read along.
Tomorrow, more of Sir Ken's thoughts on education and the impact it has on finding our Element.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
ADHD and the genetic connection
There is more research out this week on the brain and ADHD, this time from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They're looking at the influence of genetics and how genes impact pathways in the brain. The research was published in the journal Nature Genetics, but here's an exerpt from a media release sent out earlier this week.
I also discovered an interesting blog posting on boys and ADHD from Dr. Stan Kutcher, an internationally-renowned expert in mental health from right here in Halifax! I`m going to share more about Dr. Kutcher and his work in mental health next week. Stay tuned!
Rhonda
New Gene Study of ADHD Points to Defects in Brain Signaling Pathways
I also discovered an interesting blog posting on boys and ADHD from Dr. Stan Kutcher, an internationally-renowned expert in mental health from right here in Halifax! I`m going to share more about Dr. Kutcher and his work in mental health next week. Stay tuned!
Rhonda
New Gene Study of ADHD Points to Defects in Brain Signaling Pathways
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia Research Suggests that Interventions at the Glutamate Transmission
Level Might Treat Disorder--
Pediatric researchers analyzing genetic influences in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found alterations in specific genes involved in important brain signaling pathways. The study raises the possibility that drugs acting on those pathways might offer a new treatment option for patients with ADHD who have those gene variants--potentially, half a million U.S. children.
"At least 10 percent of the ADHD patients in our sample have these particular genetic variants," said study leader Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The genes involved affect neurotransmitter systems in the brain that have been implicated in ADHD, and we now have a genetic explanation for this link that applies to a subset of children with the disorder."
Read the rest of the media release here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-gene-study-of-adhd-points-to-defects-in-brain-signaling-pathways-2011-12-04
Pediatric researchers analyzing genetic influences in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found alterations in specific genes involved in important brain signaling pathways. The study raises the possibility that drugs acting on those pathways might offer a new treatment option for patients with ADHD who have those gene variants--potentially, half a million U.S. children.
"At least 10 percent of the ADHD patients in our sample have these particular genetic variants," said study leader Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The genes involved affect neurotransmitter systems in the brain that have been implicated in ADHD, and we now have a genetic explanation for this link that applies to a subset of children with the disorder."
Read the rest of the media release here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-gene-study-of-adhd-points-to-defects-in-brain-signaling-pathways-2011-12-04
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Surviving the Holidays
The holidays can be stressful for anyone, but this is especially true for kids who are dealing with mental health issues, ADHD, or are simply sensitive to changes in routine. With some planning, we can help our kids (and ourselves) enjoy a less-stressful holiday season.
Thanks to Parents for Children's Mental Health for sharing this fantastic tipsheet for families.
Enjoy!
Rhonda
Thanks to Parents for Children's Mental Health for sharing this fantastic tipsheet for families.
Enjoy!
Rhonda
Surviving the Holidays
Recognizing and accepting
it is going to be stressful
It seems no matter how many
years we have all experienced the holidays they still often seem to catch us
off guard and creep up on us much more quickly than we had anticipated. When
the holidays are upon us, we have to remember, it is going to add stress, we
can’t fight that, and in fact trying to fight it may actually produce more of
it. So prepare yourself for the fact that indeed we need to be proactive about
ways to handle it, not only for ourselves, but our children.
· Our children can sense are stress so Self-Care is VERY
important during the holiday season. Make
sure you are calm and as a free from stress as possible so your emotions are
not flowing over to your children.
· There are many more lights, much more sounds, and often
times more people when we go out. There
is a true “hustle and bustle”. Know this, and if your child is prone to
reacting to this, don’t expect them to be able to handle it more because it’s
the holidays…..if this is likely to trigger them, plan for it. Shorter shopping
trips, perhaps not bringing them when you know they may not handle it, plan for
frequent breaks in the shopping for drinks, or brief visits outside – this may
take longer, but it may be a more enjoyable experience if you work this into
your time.
· Ensure that wherever possible you avoid potential
triggers for your child.
· Recognize what your own triggers are that increase your
stress and be proactive about building in your own coping strategies and tools
so that you can remain calm when not only dealing with your children, but also
when modelling for them.
· Continue to be aware and continue to be proactive.
· Do things over the holidays that are special to your
child, even if it is not holiday related, create an anticipation about the
holidays that is positive.
· Even though routines are difficult throughout the
holidays, ensure wherever possible that sleep, and eat routines stay the same.
When routines are going to be different, prepare the child for that, discuss it
with them, let them know what will be different, ask them if there is anything you
can do that would help make it easier for them.
· Acknowledge and validate for them that this is an exciting
time and yet sometimes it is hard to manage for them. Let them know that is
okay
*The tips
included in this sheet are provided by families, and based on their personal
experiences. These are tools and strategies that have worked for families and
have been identified by families. They are not clinical or therapeutic
suggestions. If there are concerns about your child’s mental health throughout
the holiday season, or at any point, please seek immediate advice and counsel
from professionals in the child and youth mental health professional.
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