Thank you to NEARI's Smoothies for the Brain author Penny Cuninggim for providing this article to share.Shannon Chabot, NEARI's coordinator and school consultant in the areas of sensory integration and reflex and motor development, hosts this blog and explains the importance of sensory development and learning. He built the list below that both provides teachers with some useful sensory tools and shares their impact on areas of learning readiness.Our nervous systems begin the process of … [Read more...]
National Institute for Student Centered Education Receives 2015 Best of Arlington Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Institute for Student Centered Education Receives 2015 Best of Arlington Award Arlington Award Program Honors the Achievement ARLINGTON July 15, 2015 -- National Institute for Student Centered Education has been selected for the 2015 Best of Arlington Award in the Education category by the Arlington Award Program.Each year, the Arlington Award Program identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community … [Read more...]
Does the Seating Arrangement Matter
As I share new evidence-based tools for increasing calm, focus and achievement in school, I also look for any research on more traditional approaches. Recently, I focused on the traditional practice of sitting in rows. Here is what I turned up: "Seating Arrangements That Promote Positive Academic and Behavioral Outcomes: A Review of Empirical Research," by Rachel Wannarka & Kathy Ruhl. Support For Learning, 2008 "There is no single classroom seating arrangement that promotes positive … [Read more...]
When Children are Unable to Regulate their Behaviors and Emotions
During this winter season when I am confronted with an unhappy student who can't easily or is unwilling to follow directions, I find it helpful to pause and remember some important principles of behavior management. Here are some thoughts to remember when children are unable or unwilling to regulate their behaviors and emotions: You can't control another person's behavior, only your own response. No matter what it seems, students do not want to be in control of the … [Read more...]
Using Frequency, Intensity and Duration to Improve Learning Outcomes
It is a well understood neurological fact that to increase learning, improve automaticity, and embed skills and concepts in memory, one needs to be sure there is sufficient frequency, intensity and duration of the particular skill or stimulus. We decide this every day when we determine the correct use of a medication, the right training program for an athlete, the nature of pregnancy contractions, and peak performance requirements that produce quality results in, say, a factory assembly … [Read more...]
The Boy Education Crisis
All educators can attest to the behavioral and learning challenges that many, many boys in their classrooms exhibit. These challenges are leading boys to fall behind educationally, and leading teachers to grapple with productive ways in which to bolster their self-confidence and allow them to focus in class.At INSPIRE 2014, Anthony Rao, Ph.D., a psychologist and noted author, led a session on “The Boy Education Crisis” that helped attendees understand how boys think, develop and learn. After … [Read more...]
Dearborn Academy Educator To Lead Course On Student-Centered Education at Northeastern University
...Dearborn Academy high school director to teach “Perspectives on Student-Centered Education” in the College of Professional Studies’ “Issues in Education” course... WINCHESTER, MA – January 12, 2015 -- The National Institute for Student-Centered Education (NISCE) announced that Northeastern University will offer a course focusing on student-centered education in its College of Professional Studies.The class, called Issues in Education, is part of the university’s winter term curriculum … [Read more...]
Testing the Standardized Test
By Theodore Willson Executive Director, National Institute for Student-Centered EducationAt long last, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taking a much needed step back to examine whether the state’s appetite for standardized testing is proving detrimental to teachers and students.Matthew Malone, the state’s education commissioner, thinks it’s time to review how testing is being handled in school districts around the state. He was quoted as saying in a recent Boston Globe article, … [Read more...]