There’s been a lot of talk about how technology in the classroom can enrich the learning experience, giving students multi-sensory, hands-on learning time. New tools such as iPads and even tools with fewer bells and whistles (such as cellphones) are becoming part of many schools’ classroom teaching and learning experience.

The argument is that it just makes sense to teach using the tools and methods that students are already using to communicate and learn.

The supporters say that it engages the students and can break down learning barriers crating greater student interaction.

In fact, some schools are experimenting with a  new instruction model–the flipped classroom–which has kids listening to lectures via You Tube for homework, and using class time to complete assignments and interact with fellow students.  They say that the traditional model is passive, and doesn’t challenge the students using the tools that the student is already using.

However, not all schools think that technology in the classroom benefits learning. Some research actually suggests that the traditional instruction model–teacher lecturing at the front of a classroom while students take note–actually promotes better learning.  Some schools firmly believe that traditional is best–going as far as banning computers from the classroom.

However, for public schools facing budget cuts and staffing problems, the blended learning  model–incorporating both lecture and self-teaching into lessons–seems to make the most sense.  It encourages independence and provides guidance while still giving the structure that students are familiar with.

1. Consider reviewing last year’s final report card. This will give your family an academic refresher and a little remind of the highs and lows of last year.
2. Consider setting some academic goals. Now that you’ve reviewed the outcomes of last year, start considering what academic achievements could be reached THIS year. Both parents and children can identify changes that they’d like to make this school year.
3. Consider a routine overhaul. A new school year is an opportunity to deal with any and all bad habits that can get in the way of learning. These include morning and evening routines, eating habits, after-school routines, and homework and study habits. Fine-tune your family’s routine from the first day of class and settle into a school year with better habits.
4. Consider using an agenda for more than just school. Agendas are more than just a place to write down homework, they are great for keeping track of to-do lists, questions to ask teachers, chores. Students can also use agendas to prioritize workflow, keep track of work hours, extracurricular activities, and countdown until tests and exams.
5. Consider getting extra support right off the bat. School may not even be in session yet, (or it may have just begun) but it’s not too soon to enlist in some extra support. Why wait to find out what will happen with grades this year? Get on top of any potential issues BEFORE they become a problem. Take the bull by the horns. Show this grade who’s boss!

The rising sun and buzzing alarm clocks signal the arrival of morning. School bells ring to signal the start of the school day, recess, and the end of the school day. Church bells and cuckoo clocks mark the passing hours. When the kettle boils—it’s teatime. Home from school and work—it’s dinnertime. The sun sets, its bedtime.

Our lives are measured in compartmentalized segments of time slated out for us. So why is managing our time such a challenge?

We are constantly multi-tasking and splitting our time a hundred ways. We talk on the phone, do homework, surf the net, and make tea … all at the same time!

Instead of each of small task taking mere minutes, it takes much longer. Homework should take one and a half hours; instead, it takes close to four.

The hectic pace of our lives, the interruptions, and the distractions do little to help our time management issues. It is difficult to filter out the constant din of TVs, radio, instant messaging alerts, IPods, and of the clang-honk-beep-buzz of our modern world. Adults find focusing on one thing at a time challenging, so it’s no wonder that when kids are faced with a time-management issue, they have no idea how to solve the problem, and put things off until the last minute.

Like so many other skills that we need in life, time management techniques don’t come naturally to all. A little instruction and a lot of learning can help even the busiest of students to complete homework on time, finish projects well ahead of the due date, and to end procrastination for good.

Time Management: it’s a skill that we can all use, both in and out of the classroom.

It’s the middle of the semester. Tests and midterms are on the horizon, which means more than a few afternoons, evenings, and weekends will be earmarked for studying. Solid study skills that help students to make the most of study time are not a natural skill—they are learned. Unfortunately, study skills are very rarely taught in school, so most students don’t have the skills necessary to maximize their study time.

Studying is more than passively reading over notes—proper studying requires an active mind that continually questions, summarizes, and paraphrases. These 8 tips will help students study better, not longer.

1. Get Organized. Avoid last minute cram sessions by using an agenda or calendar. Plan out a study schedule. Working backwards from the test date, give yourself plenty of time to review all materials
2. Review with a Pen and Paper. When reading over notes, write down all the subject headings, subheadings, and bolded words. This will help provide a clear picture of the material. Plus, the physical act of holding the pen and writing makes study time active rather than passive.
3. Ask Questions. By starting your review early, you’ll have plenty of time to ask the teacher questions about material that you find confusing.
4. Put it in your own words. Rather than trying to commit facts to memory, try explaining what you’ve just read to an imaginary person using your own words. If you have trouble, identify key words and work around them. This process helps will help you to really understanding the material, rather than memorize it.
5. Be efficient. Before beginning to review a chapter ask yourself what you already know about this unit. Once you’ve identified the material that you are comfortable with, study what you don’t know. A common mistake is spending too much time reviewing material that is familiar.
6. Use mnemonic devices. To remember all items or examples, write the first letter of each example and create a sentence from that acronym. For example, to remember all the planets use MVEMJSUNP, or My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas.
7. Test yourself. Test your memory and understanding by giving yourself mini-quizzes with this self-test:
1. read over your notes
2. cover them up with a sheet of paper or another book.
3. now recite aloud, or in your head, what you have just read, paraphrasing when possible.
4. check the facts. Did you remember everything? Pay attention to any missed facts or examples. Chances are, if you missed any now, you’ll miss them on the test too.
8. Hit the sheets. Studying for a test is a lot of mental work. By getting a good night’s sleep, your brain has plenty of time to properly organize and store what you’ve studied so that you’ll remember everything at test-time.

Why is note-taking in class important? In today’s technologically advanced times, class notes are often distributed by the teacher, or available online, even for elementary students. Taking proper notes in class is the first step to stress-free review and can make study time less arduous.

With effective note-taking skills, a student can

• remember easier
• make associations between lessons
• understand better
• spend less time studying

Check out these 6 tips for better in-class note taking.

1. Sit front and center. To take detailed notes you have to pay close attention in class. Sit at the front of the classroom. This is a great way to ensure that the teacher sees you, and can slow down while you write. Taking notes while in class—the act of holding a pen to paper is active—and helps to ensure that the brain stays actively focused.
2. Think before you write. Note taking doesn’t mean writing down every word that the teacher says. Listen for main ideas, key words, or phrases. If the teacher hands out notes, be sure to write down any examples or concepts that are not included in formal class notes.
3. Look and listen for clues. The teacher will often cue any important information that students need to pay extra attention to. Some clues to important information include a change in volume or tone, repetition, emphasis, making a list, or writing materials on the board or the overhead.
4. Develop a system. Parents can help children to develop their own system. Use a color-coded system. Black for taking notes in class, blue for your own ideas, and red to summarize what you feel are the key points. Use headings to separate different concepts, and be sure to write the date at the top of every page.
5. Use the margins. Leave extra space in the margins or along the top of the page to identify key phrases and the main idea. This is also the place to write down unique ideas, or connections to other lessons.
6. Practice paraphrasing—that’s just a fancy way of putting it in your own words. Things will stick in the memory better when they are in your own words. Instead of memorizing the words of the teacher, use your own words to understand the notes. When you understand, you’ll remember. And when you remember, the need to study is reduced.

It’s happened to us all before. You are in an important meeting. Someone is giving a presentation. A power point presentation starts, then, the next thing you know, everyone is getting up and leaving. You haven’t heard a word that’s been said. You were staring out the window, not paying attention. You were distracted.

Kids deal with this sort of thing everyday in the classroom.

But why did your mind start wandering? And why did you not even notice that you were thinking about, oh I don’t know, organizing your sock drawer when you should have been taking notes on the quarterly profit losses?

Metacognitive Awareness is the solution to this problem. It sounds really technical, something that you might hear in a doctor’s office, but it’s really just fancy talk for paying attention to what the mind is doing. With a little training and some practice everyone can master metacognitive awareness—even kids. Here’s how it works:

1. Recognize when you are off-topic.
• As soon as you notice that you are off-track stop yourself.
• Now think back to when you started to get off track. What happened? Did you hear some noise in the background?
2. Identify the distraction.
• The ringing cell phone distracted me. Now that you know the source, you are more likely to recognize it when it happens again, and more likely to stay on track.
• It may go something like this: A cell phone rings somewhere behind you. You stop focusing on the speaker and…WAIT. That’s a cell phone, it rang, and it distracted me. I should re-focus on the presentation. Or ask that co-worker to shut off his phone.
3. Thinking about thinking.
• This is really what metacognitive awareness is all about—paying attention to what the mind is doing.
• If your mind is active in the classroom and not turned onto autopilot, it is easier to pay attention to what is going on around you. As you learn new things, be aware of your thought process—is this new thing like other things? Can I relate it to something else? Does this make sense?
4. An active brain is an on-topic brain.
• As you learn new things, be aware of your thought process—is this new thing like other things?
• Can I relate it to something else? Does this make sense? Do I need to ask any questions? If you flip your mind’s switch to “on” the likelihood of not paying attention diminishes.
5. Practice Makes Perfect.
• Metacognitive Awareness, like so much else takes time to perfect. The more that you are aware of what your mind is doing; the easier it is to pay attention. And the less likely it will be that you’ll spend entire meetings staring out the window.