According to studies, moms are more accepting of their children behaving in ways that contradict traditional gender stereotypes (such as young boys sobbing when they are sad) than fathers. And both moms and fathers were more comfortable encouraging female children to play in ways that are often associated with males, such as playing with trucks, than encouraging male children to play in ways that correspond to the gender norms for girls, such as playing with dolls.

Parents and educators must collaborate to establish inclusive environments for children of various gender identities and to combat gender stereotypes in the early childhood classroom. Here are a few ways that adults can assist in creating these safe environments for children.

Keep your language in check.

Make certain that your language with children does not represent stereotyped gender roles. For example, in the context of conventional gender norms, you could change the wording of popular songs that mention “he” or “she,” or name male or female names, and change the pronouns to “them” or switch to the opposite pronoun. Simply say “everyone” instead of “boys and girls” when addressing a group of children. It may appear to be a little detail, but this inclusive wording goes a long way toward instilling in children’s minds that males and females are equal.

Recognize your own beliefs.

Before adults can effectively build inviting places for children that challenge gender stereotypes, they must first examine their ideas and biases. Parents and educators frequently demand and encourage different behaviors from boys than from girls, whether subconsciously or intentionally. Adults must continuously assess whether their words, attitudes, and behaviors are consistent to overcome gender stereotypes.

Observe and make adjustments

Examine how children naturally play to see whether there are any activities or toys that males prefer more than females or vice versa. Then, make changes to the play spaces to make them more gender-inclusive. For example, if boys dominate the block-playing area, make sure there is a range of colors of blocks or tape drawings to some of the blocks to encourage story-telling. If the dress-up or costume section is dominated by girls, make sure there have enough costumes and accessories for physicians, superheroes, and firefighters. Not only does this inspire girls to explore costumes that have traditionally been associated with male-dominated jobs and play, but it may also attract more boys to a female-dominated costume play area.

Early infancy is a critical period in a child’s development of gender identity. Parents and educators must be mindful of fostering safe and accepting environments for children to explore gender expression without being constrained by outdated and harmful gender norms. Adults can help to challenge gender stereotypes in early childhood spaces by acknowledging personal attitudes about gender roles, using inclusive language, and watching and changing the play area.

The post Challenging Gender Stereotypes in Elementary Schools appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

Even as children are accorded more study time for technical subjects, there are potential drawbacks to a lack of recess. For instance, the resulting sedentary lifestyle affects a student’s attention span and ability to grasp difficult concepts.

The Downsides of Reduced Recess Time

1. When schools take away recess time, there are several drawbacks, especially on the children’s ability to learn. Firstly, kids can exercise their social skills during recess. Moreover, collaborative skills are essential in STEM fields. 
2. Secondly, kids need some time off from the classroom to keep their creative juices flowing. The outdoors gives children an opportunity to try out new things while playing, fail and retry with some success. Recess offers a safe space for kids to get active and take advantage of unstructured learning.
3. Physical fitness is arguably the primary reason for recess. Therefore, kids who are constantly in class are likely to prefer a sedentary lifestyle as they grow older. These children will likely suffer from various preventable conditions like obesity and multiple cardiac complications.
4. Recess allows students to break from the monotony of classroom work. This way, they will be able to maintain optimum attention levels whenever they resume their lessons. Normally, adults can perform deep work with intermittent breaks that prevent them from burning out. Similarly, young students need these gaps to maintain their learning capacity.
5. Recess allows children to get in touch with nature and cultivate a deep relationship with the environment. Today, climate change is a constant topic in global forums, and with good reason. Young students will make up the next human generation and are more likely to experience the adverse effects of climate change. Therefore, recess sessions allow them to connect and learn how to care for the environment and become conscious about climate change.

Recess Offers an Essential Avenue Place For Play

In a classroom, students are mainly seated and listening to their teacher. However, during recess, they engage all their senses for physical games, social activities, and exploration. Simply put, recess allows children to be all-rounded students capable of further academic success. Additionally, play is a natural remedy for mental fatigue and stress.

It is no wonder, then, that recess is an important aspect of the modern school system. Some researchers even link recess with academic success. Therefore, schools and students could greatly benefit from added recess time.

The post What Kids Lose When We Take Away Recess appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

Now, look at it from the other angle. Have you ever tried to learn something—learn with all your might and still come up short? Maybe you were trying to figure out genetics… or your mom’s favorite pancake recipe. Perhaps it was Algebra 2… or how your dad always hit the target just right and made it look so easy. Maybe you were battling one of the two main barriers against deep learning.

What Is Deep Learning?

“Deep learning” is actually a machine term. It’s an AI (artificial intelligence) function. Artificial Intelligence is programs that allow machines to do the things that it typically takes a human to do. 

Machine learning is a field of AI and is defined as when a machine can learn new things through experience without the involvement of a human. 

Deep learning is a subset of machine learning. Deep learning takes it a step further. Deep learning actually allows a machine to mock the human brain, allowing it to learn through repeating the same task multiple times, tweaking it each time, depending on the data it receives. Deep learning requires “thought.”

Examples of deep learning in technology include:

• Facial recognition
• Driverless vehicles
• Chatbots
• Virtual Assistants
• Medical Research
• Translation

How Does This Apply to Students in the Classroom?

Deep learning is the learning we receive through the higher levels of cognitive work found in Bloom’s Taxonomy. These are analyzing, creating, and evaluating. When learners travel these paths, they are repeatedly working with the material they have learned until it has become part of their thought patterns. In this way, these facts become part of their learning process, which can be drawn upon at later times.

What Are These Barriers?

Although we want our students to use deep learning with every piece of material we give them, it seems that there are barriers against them achieving that goal. Let’s look at the two main barriers and how we can overcome them.

Lack of Interaction

The first main barrier against deep learning is the lack of interaction. I believe that there are three reasons for this. One, sometimes, our students do not lend themselves to interaction. Sometimes they just don’t feel well, or they are having an “off” sort of day. Then, there are those students who just refuse to interact regardless of the day or hour.

Secondly, there may be a lack of interaction on the side of the educator. To up your game in the area of interaction, put yourself out there. Be animated. Really get into your learners’ shoes. Get to know them. Get one-on-one. Give them individual time. This is what our students need—now more than ever.

Lastly, there is a lack of interaction due to remote learning. When we are teaching our students from several miles apart, it can be challenging to have that teacher/student interaction that fuels learning. However, it is vital if you are going to drive deep learning.

Lack of Motivation

The second main barrier against deep learning is a lack of motivation. Unless a learner wants to learn about a specific subject, they do not seem to be motivated in any way.

It is the educator’s job to fix this, and there are so many fixes. You must get them excited about the topic. 

• Make it applicable to them or something they love. 
• Use something they like to teach it. 
• Show how fun the subject is.
• Use games to teach the principle.
• Let them learn through debate.

There are so many other great ideas.

Conclusion

When students learn through deep learning, they remember the material longer and can recall the material more easily. When you work to overcome these two main barriers against deep learning, your students will be able to access deep learning. They will better understand the material, and their grades will rise.

The post The Two Main Barriers Against Deep Learning appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

There are numerous ways that technology can be used in the classroom, either in-person or online. Below you’ll find three digital trends in K-12 education that have been tested and proven effective.

1. Use of augmented and virtual reality

Schools strive to provide the most immersive learning experience possible for students and teachers. This is where virtual and augmented reality comes in. Incorporating the said technology allows its learners to have a deeper and more vivid understanding of various subjects. For instance, they can level up their learning experience through 3-D, which maximizes almost all senses. It is better than listening to boring lectures with simple illustrations. 

Also, they can have a tour-like experience as they plunge themselves into virtual reality. It paves the way for more interactive class discussions. Likewise, the accessibility of technology enables learners to have near-to-reality vocational training without leaving their classrooms. It is efficient and ideal for both the students and teachers.

2. Use of assistive devices

Today’s students can extend their learning and not limit themselves to their classroom’s four corners. Aside from textbooks, they can use assistive devices like Google, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple’s Siri to provide additional information. 

Students and teachers alike find it easy and convenient to use such devices, giving them the chance to find information about almost everything. Besides having a faster way to learn things, they can also have updated information that their books cannot provide. These assistive devices are considered additional resources that can greatly contribute to the teaching and learning process. 

3. Persistence of online education

Aside from being an efficient way to acquire information, technology also aids schools in delivering their services. When the pandemic hit, some schools took the initiative and used online learning to educate their students.  

Almost everyone today has computer devices, and online teaching helps them utilize such tools. Students can access lessons and video tutorials anytime, anywhere—this aids students who have problems regarding transportation and mobility.

Students can also have online, real-time discussions. They can receive a quality education in the comfort of their home. Through various accessible applications, they can have a classroom-like experience without the need to travel. 

As technology continues to progress, educators will see a rise in digital trends that will make teaching and learning more enjoyable, accessible, and convenient. These digital trends help teachers provide the best lessons to their students by using more technologically advanced teaching materials and content. Meanwhile, students also use such trends to develop their knowledge and skills without relying on textbooks.

The post Focus on 21st-Century Skills: 3 Digital Trends in K-12 Education appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.