Category: Learning

To, Too, or Two? When Do I Use Too?

6/18/2014

Hi everyone! I have to admit that grammar is not one of my favorite subjects. It never has been. However, I have learned some cute little ways to remember grammar rules and usage throughout the years. I continue to learn.
So, I thought grammar would be a great topic for today. How do you know when to use the word "too?" Do you know? Even if you do, you might be surprised to hear how many people don't.
Think of "me too." You want to do something or believe something as well. You use "too" instead of the word "also." It is like you are showing a togetherness. "I want to play cards and watch a movie too." You want to do both of those things. It is almost like playing cards and watching movie go together. "I want to go shopping too." You want to go shopping as well, or even with someone. It is a togetherness with someone or a camaraderie of sorts. It is like the old saying, "They go TOGETHER like two peas in a pod." Well, think of the "oo" in "too" as the two peas in a pod to remember that "too" is used to show togetherness.
I hope this helps. Let me know what you think.

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Learning with Quotes

6/4/2014

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Hello everyone! Before I start, I want to thank Betty Jo for giving me the idea for my post today. You can read her educational post that inspired me here. To read more of her posts, go to her blog, Still Learning Something New. (I love her blog title, because she did teach me something new today. It is very fitting.)
Anyway, while Betty Jo's post was about homeschooling plans about Aesop and retelling his fables, mine focuses on quotes. (She did have a link to some of his quotes, which is really what gave me the idea for my post.)
Quotes are a great way to teach life's lessons and concepts. They are short and to the point. Often, the quotes "pack a punch" with their message. It doesn't matter where you find the quote. However, if you can find a powerful source, it makes it all the more powerful of a lesson.
For example, if you want to teach your child a lesson or drive home a principle, instead of saying "this is the way it is" or "you should do this," you can find a quote and build a lesson around it. Maybe read one of Aesop's fables as an example. Get your child excited about the author. Then, show him or her the quote that drives home the message that you wanted to share. It could be one like, "We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified." (Aesop) Ask your child what that means. Have him or her look up any words that he or she doesn't understand. (I am thinking that "gratified" might be difficult for some children to understand.) After doing a little research, I have found that "The Tortoise and the Eagle" might teach that lesson. Maybe, have your child read it. It may be more exciting for a child to say, "Aesop said…" or "this story said…" instead of Mom told me to "be careful what I wish for."
Note, if you teach in a public school and want to teach values, you may want to send a note home to parents to make sure they are fine with the values that you plan on teaching. Not everyone shares the same beliefs. However, sometimes it is good to teach a quote just as a fact of what someone has said. Let the right and wrong of it, be up to each individual student and his or her family.
Whether you are a classroom teacher, a homeschooler, or a parent looking for a way to drive home a specific point, quotes are great resources and wonderful teaching tools. What are some of your favorite quotes?

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How Many Squares and Share for a Chance to Win Contest

5/14/2014

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Hello everyone. I decided to share with you one of my favorite math activities. It is a thinking activity.
The idea is to count the squares. That sounds easy enough, right? Well, it may not be as easy as it sounds.
This activity is not new. I have seen it with fewer squares. Yet, I have never seen it with this many. So, I created this particular learning page.
I think this activity is fun anyway. However, in order to make it even more fun, I am going to make a contest out of it. If you would like a chance to win ONE HOUR of ONLINE TUTORING and/or one of my educational children's books for FREE, then correctly tell me how many of squares and send me a link of where you are sharing the link to my online tutoring services. Good luck! I will choose a name from all eligible entries, which are those who contain the correct number of squares and a link to where you have shared my tutoring page, on June 1st. You will be able to choose which prize you would like.

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A Shout Out to Homeschoolers from DUO Education

5/7/2014

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Hello everyone! I would like to give a great big shout out to all the homeschoolers out there. Most homeschooling parents are the most dedicated and most creative teachers out there.
Homeschooling parents chose to teach their children at home for a variety of reasons. Some parents do it for religious and spiritual reasons, whereas others homeschool because they do not feel that their children will get the same level of education in a school as they would at home.
I have homeschooled in the past. I know the kind of passion and care that goes into teaching your own child. I feel it is more of a natural education. Homeschoolers can take more field trips and do more hands on learning. If a child has a particular interest, a homeschooler can use that interest to develop an awe of learning and individual learning habits. As a homeschooler, there are no set times or set way in which a child has to be taught. The latter may be one of the reasons why some parents are choosing to homeschool now, whereas they may not have in the past.
More and more parents are choosing to homeschool because of the new Common Core State Standards. Parents may not like the rigid rules of how students are taught and graded. They may not like some of the content being taught with the new Common Core.
No matter what the reason for homeschooling, homeschoolers are often misunderstood or put down. I know that I have been put down while I was homeschooling years ago.
People tend to feel that parents are not trained educators, so they are not able to give children the same quality of education that certified teachers could provide. However, most of the homeschooled students that I know, get better grades and learn more at home than the average child in school. The children also have a greater passion for learning and put a high value on family.
So, again, I want to give a shout out to all the homeschoolers! I understand and I admire what you are doing! You are appreciated! If there is anything I can do to help a homeschooler out there, please let me know! I also want homeschoolers to know that I appreciate at your support and that you have my support.
And, if you are interested in learning more about homeschooling, there are plenty of information out there. There are quite a few groups on Facebook and other social media sites. I am also happy to help you find a group for you. Please, feel free to contact me. Thank you.

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Is Texting Helping to "Dumb Down Society?"

4/30/2014

3 Comments

Hello everyone. Do you understand all the texting terms in the poster? I have to admit that some of them are new to me. Actually, I will message people on Facebook, but I do not text. LOL! Yes, I know. I may be considered strange now. (It wouldn't be the first time and probably won't be the last time.)
Why am I talking about texting on an education blog? This might not give me any brownie points, but I am not a fan of texting. The most important reason for my disliking it is that I think it is used while driving or working too much. It seems to come before safety and responsibility. However, the reason I am talking about it on this blog is that I also feel that it is helping to "dumb down society."
Spelling is not a subject that comes easy to all people. With texting so prevalent and these terms used so frequently, it seems like correct spelling is even more difficult to learn. Sometimes these abbreviations are just the first letter of every word in the term. This kind of makes sense. However, sometimes the terms don't make sense and confuse people trying to learn the correct spelling of the word. For example, "tomorrow" is abbreviated as "2moro." The "2" in the beginning to stand for "to" when the number "2" is actually spelled "two" is bad enough. However, the abbreviated form also has one "r" whereas the correct spelling has two and the correct word also has a "w" at the end. How can people be expected to learn the correct spelling if they see the texting abbreviation so often?
I can remember tutoring someone who was having trouble in spelling. The student's parent asked how the student could be helped at home with the spelling difficulty. One of my comments was to cut down the texting slang that is used around the student. However, it was so much a part of society and the family's daily life, the texting didn't stop and the texting abbreviations didn't stop. No wonder this student had a difficulty learning spelling. Sadly, it doesn't seem like correct spelling is appreciated or encouraged in today's world.
So, what do you think? Is texting helping to "dumb down society?" I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Videos, Songs, and Humor are Often Used to Make Learning Fun

3/12/2014

2 Comments

Hello everyone. I am always talking about making learning fun. Everything is easier when you can make it fun. Learning is no different.
So, "how do you make learning fun," you might ask. Well, in today's 21st century learning world, many educators will call on games, videos, songs, and humor.
I have used the DVD and book to this first video. The video is not sung by the original artist. However, it is sung very much like the original and it has the words on the screen. "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" is an alphabet book and song by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. It is illustrated by Lois Ehlert.
My students used to enjoy listening to the story and hearing the song. They would even chime in. We would get up and kind of dance along as we sang. It has a catchy tune. So, it made learning fun! (It is things like this that made teaching kindergarten really fun. Well, most of all, I enjoyed the awe and wonderment of the children.)

Yet, kindergarten students are the only ones who enjoy catchy learning songs. This second video is called, "50 States That Rhyme Song." I wouldn't use it for a rhyming lesson. I didn't really get any rhymes in the video. However, it did have a catchy tune and it listed the states in alphabetical order. Also, when the states were listed, you could visually see where they are on the map. It is a neat little cartoon. It would be great for a geography lesson for a class studying the location of the 50 states.

And, just so you don't think that I would leave us older students, adults, and lifelong learners out… I came across this video titled, "Bloom's Taxonomy according to Andy Griffith." It uses humor to "explain" Bloom's Taxonomy. It was an extra treat, because I enjoy the "Andy Griffith Show."
I learned Bloom's Taxonomy in college when I got my degree in education. It categorizes the different levels of thinking and learning.

Yes, I have some announcements today.

*I am trying a new idea in hopes to get more interaction. Please check out the educational discussions page. I hope to have various discussions on educational topics. (I would love to know what you think of this new feature on DUO Education.)

*I have made some changes on the site. Please take a moment to explore it. Also, I would love to hear what you think of the site and the changes. I welcome any ideas, suggestions, and questions as well.

*My books, "Clarinda Cloud" and "Johnny's Adventure Makes Reading Fun" will be free on Kindle today and tomorrow. I hope you will take advantage of this and pick up your copy. Both books have some great reviews already. If you enjoy the books, please consider leaving one as well. Thank you.

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Tracing is a Great Fine Motor Skill Activity

2/12/2014

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Hello everyone. Don't under estimate the power of tracing! Tracing has many benefits. Mainly, it is a great fine motor skill activity. It helps children focus on the path in which they should take with their pencil. Tracing guides them in their drawing or writing.
I have heard where people try to make tracing even more fun, by calling the dots train tracks. They tell children to pretend that they are the train conductor, their pencil is the train, and they have to follow the train tracks. It comes back to what I always say, "Learning should be fun."
I can remember tracing things even past the stage of learning fine motor skills. I enjoyed getting tracing paper and tracing images that were past my drawing skill level. It helped me to develop the "feel" for how to draw something. It was a confidence booster, kind of like training wheels, for the skill of drawing.

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Water Cycle Word Search and Word Searches as Teaching Tools

1/22/2014

1 Comment

Hello everyone! A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was starting to work on units and themes. I shared a poster I created on the water cycle. If you haven't read it yet, please feel free to do so here.
Today, to add to the water cycle fun, I thought I would share a word search I created using words and concepts often discussed while studying the water cycle.
Some people may feel that word searches are "filler activities." You know what I mean. It is one of those activities when you want to keep the students busy and out of trouble when a substitute is there. It is one of those activities where you don't expect the substitute teacher to do any "real" teaching. And, if you give a word search to the students and say, "Here, complete this word search," that may be what it is… just a filler activity.
Yet, I think word searches can be great teaching tools. As a matter of fact, I think they can reinforce reading skills, spellings skills, and knowledge in various content areas. Word searches helps people focus on the spelling of a particular word, because they are looking at the word and often checking and double checking the word while searching for it. They have to often read it and reread it while looking for the word. Not only that, but, if you talk about the words on the page…or ask students to write the words on the page in a sentence as another activity… it reinforces the content knowledge as well.
So, I guess, as in many other things in life, it is all in how you approach it. To me, learning should be fun. It should be something that people want to do, instead of something force upon them. Finding fun and creative ways of teaching, such as in the use of a word search is a wonderful way to motivate and encourage students to learn.

1 Comment

Presenting "Mixed Multiplication Practice"... and Me as a Life-long Learner and an Educational Resource

10/2/2013

4 Comments

Hello everyone! I have been asked by a homeschooling mom to come up with a teaching aid for various basic math skills. Here is a presentation, called "Mixed Multiplication Practice," that is meant to allow people to practice multiplication facts. This would be great as homework, morning work at school, and part of a homeschooling curriculum.
I hope you like it! It has taken me a while to be able to get it to the point where I could put it on the website. I started off with a PowerPoint presentation, but that wouldn't upload correctly. So, I am using a program called Keynote. I thought I would be able to embed it with code, but couldn't figure that out. I ended up calling Apple who said that I could upload it as a movie. I was concerned that it might lose some of the animations as it did with PowerPoint. But.... it didn't.
Why am I telling you all this? I am telling you, because I am a persistent life-long learner. I worked and worked until I learned something. Now... I know two presentation programs and which is good for uploading to this site. It is also a good example of how someone who knows very little about something, can learn quite well with persistence and an individualized plan to succeed. (You will get that with DUO Education!)
Just a note.... I hope other homeschooling people will contact me. I would be happy to be a resource for you! Right now, if I can fit it in, I will develop tools for free...well... in exchange for promoting my site. I am trying to build a huge inventory of teaching aids and learning activities. Some day, I hope to have a variety of activities and aids to sell. I am happy to hear from anyone with your comments, ideas, questions, and educational needs. Thank you!

4 Comments

An Award of DUO Education's Educational Excellence

9/25/2013

4 Comments

DUO Education is proud to announce the "An Award of DUO Education's Educational Excellence" award. This is a new program that I am seeking to develop to encourage and award educational excellence.
As many of you know, education is one of my passions. I feel very deeply about it and want to do what I can to promote great education. I have been using my life-long learning attitude to learn, practice, and create the seal. I believe I have come up with the seal that I like for the award! (Although, I look forward to your comments on it as well.)
Now, I will create the standards of the award and the process in which to attain it! It will not be awarded to just anyone and any product. There will be a process with standards. Again, I look forward to your input!
I hope that some day it will be a much honored and sought after award! I also hope it inspires many to be truly innovative and excellent in education! Can you imagine someone proudly displaying this award on their educational product/book, on their educational blog, or in their classroom?
Note that this is currently in the works! I am sharing to try to get awareness to this valuable project. Thank you.

4 Comments

<<Previous

To, Too, or Two? When Do I Use Too?

Learning with Quotes

How Many Squares and Share for a Chance to Win Contest

A Shout Out to Homeschoolers from DUO Education

Is Texting Helping to "Dumb Down Society?"

Videos, Songs, and Humor are Often Used to Make Learning Fun

Tracing is a Great Fine Motor Skill Activity

Water Cycle Word Search and Word Searches as Teaching Tools

Presenting "Mixed Multiplication Practice"... and Me as a Life-long Learner and an Educational Resource

An Award of DUO Education's Educational Excellence

Jodi Desautels

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