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Education

10 Apps For Smarter Parent – Teacher Communication

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When it comes to a child’s education, it’s vital that parents and teachers can communicate well. They both see the child in different settings, and together they can build up a picture of that child works and learns. Apps are a fantastic way to keep in touch, as they’re easy to access and use. Here are 10 apps that you can use to keep in touch and improve your child’s education.

  1. Class Messenger

This app recognizes that notes in backpacks rarely work. They get lost, they get missed for weeks, and so messages aren’t sent. This app eliminates the problem by sending messages directly to parents. It also allows parents to participate in classes, so they can see what their children are learning. Even pictures and videos can be sent via the app.

  1. Remind

This app has been developed so reminders can be sent and seen exactly when they should be. The developers recognize that letters and emails can often sit unread for days or even weeks, where a notification will be seen right away. Teachers can send test reminders, so parents know exactly what’s happening that day and what their child should be ready for.

  1. Ringya

This app is perfect if you or parents don’t own a smartphone. Many apps don’t keep these people in mind, but Ringya does. You can set up group messages between any group of people, so keeping a class’s parents in the loop is easy. It can be used on PC too, so non-smartphone owners can stay involved.

  1. TeacherKit

This app is perfect for teachers, as it can help them record everything for parents with just a few taps. Teacher David Jenkins from Revieweal says “You can track attendance, behavior, grades, and all kinds of things with this app. It was incredibly helpful as it meant all the information I needed for parents at the touch of a button.”

  1. Buzzmob

This app gives you the ability to bring teachers, students, and teachers together all on one platform. This means that any work or documents can be sent to students, and parents can see what those documents are, and when they were sent. It helps create transparency between everyone, which means that everyone knows what’s expected of them. It’s a helpful communication tool in that regard.

  1. VolunteerSpot

This app is designed with volunteers in mind. In a school setting, it’s perfect for organizing chaperones for school trips, or schedules for parents to volunteer in schools. You can use it to create schedules or signup sheets that they can use to get involved. If you’re a teacher looking to involve parents in school, then this is a good way of doing so.

  1. MailChimp

If your parents prefer to get emails from you, rather than having to download an app, then MailChimp is the tool you should use. It lets you create user groups depending on the message that you need to send out, and who it affects. This helps you minimise confusion that mass emails can generate. It also keeps email numbers down, so no parent should feel as though they’re drowning in emails from their child’s school.

  1. Google +

Sometimes a social network can be the best way of parents and teachers to keep in touch. App developer Sarah Wales from Australian Reviewer says, “As a teacher, you can use it to share anything you think may be relevant to the parents of your pupils. As a parent, it’s an easy way to get in touch with the teacher and other parents too, helping create a sense of community.”

  1. Schoolology

This app is designed to help teachers connect with students even when they’re not in class. Parents can use it too, as it’s a great way to keep an eye on their child’s homework assignments and performance in class. Online tests and discussions can get parents involved in their children’s learning, and help them feel like a part of it. It’s a great way to keep everyone in the loop.

  1. State Of Writing

This app is a highly developed writing tool that can help anyone, especially pupils, in improving their writing skills. It’s also a tool that teachers and parents can put to use, too. There’s writing guides for almost every eventuality, so if you think you need some help with getting your point across, consult this guide before you write that message. You’ll be surprised at how much it can improve your writing skills.

These 10 apps have all been chosen as they’re made with teachers and parents in mind. With your busy lifestyle, it’s hard to stay in touch, but these apps make it a whole lot easier. Whether you’re communicating by phone, email, or even social media, there’s lots of ways you can stay talking and improve your child’s education.

How Involved Should Fathers Get in Their Kids’ Education

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A century ago, the answer posed in the title of this article would have been easy to answer – either you didn’t have the money and education wasn’t an option or you sent your kid to a boarding school hundreds of miles away and you didn’t see them till they were grown, all educated and ready start families of their own.

Nowadays, things are far more complicated and one cannot help but feel that they are getting more and more complicated with each year that passes. For instance, when we were children, most of us didn’t get too much help with our school from our parents (or at least that was the case in the author’s household). Nowadays, parents are doing 90% of their children’s homework and wondering why they aren’t learning much.

Then again, we don’t want to look disinterested.

It is definitely getting really, really complicated. So, where do we stand at the moment? How involved should we as dads get?

Support Their Choices

People have achieved incredible things in whatever field you may think of.

For example, there must have been more than a few kids who loved spending time collecting bugs as children and whose parents might not have been too psyched about it. Those kids became world-renowned entomologists who contributed immensely to the world of science.

It is very likely that many of world’s wealthiest IT billionaires’ parents didn’t love it that their children played on their computers for hours on end.

No interest is dumb. No choice of education is stupid and leads nowhere. There may be fields and professions where success is harder to achieve, but who are we to say that our children will not be happy with limited means, doing what they really love?

Supporting their choice definitely beats the alternative – pushing them into something that will make them money, but make them miserable along the way.

Let Them Fail

We live in a world (especially in the Western Culture) where all failure is immediately seen as a weakness and something that makes a person seem less worthy. Winning is everything and there is nothing that should stand in the way of victory.

We have taken this to such an extreme that parents feel horrified when their children fail at something. Getting an F has become tantamount to burning down the school. We feel pressured by the people around us and our children feel pressured by everyone around them.

We do stupid things just to prevent our children from failing.

And there is no worse thing we can do. Failing is a part of life. It is part of learning. You have to fail in order to know what you are good at. You are not good at everything. Your children are not good at everything. Failure will help them grow and learn.

Do not prevent your children from failing during their education.

Be There for Them

Education used to be a thing that mothers take care of. The father was there to perhaps make the final call of what the child will pursue, but that was that.

The good thing is that things have changed and that fathers are finally more involved in their children’s education. Back when we were children, how many of us ran to our dads when we needed help in school?

It was always the mom.

Nowadays, your children are as likely to come running to you as they are to mom and this is a great thing. They will ask you to be there for them, to help them out, to hear them out. Maybe they are looking for a bit of guidance. Be there.

The great thing is that this is not easier than ever thanks to the internet and the various things that it enables you to do. It can be something as small as brushing up on your basic knowledge of physics if your kid needs a bit of help or it can be something as huge as getting them help to nail university admissions at the world’s best colleges.

Instead of a Closing Word

Never push. Pushing never gets you anything and it can only hinder your children’s education efforts.

Help. Advise. Guide.

But never push.

College 101: What Parents of University Students Should Know

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Throughout many American households, going to college is an expectation for children, but planning for this can be a big step for any family, especially when the expenses could bust the family’s budget. For parents of first-generation college students, the summer before your child leaves can without a doubt be both exciting and frightening.

It’s common for parents to have worries about their children being on their own for the first time. As a matter of fact, once a child leaves home for college, it can become one of the most challenging times as a parent.

Your child will have lots of freedom, and you won’t be able to see them as often.

This is completely normal and understandable; but to allow your child room to grow as an individual, he or she may have to deal with situations on their own without running to you (as a first option).

Here are some tips on how to successfully parent your college student:

Preparing for Your Child’s College Career

Begin planning your child’s financial budget: Teaching your kids how to work within a budget pays off big time in the long run. Even when they’re young, kids are ready to learn the basics and as they get older, including them in your own budget planning helps them develop good habits from the start.

Believe it or not, teaching credit is like teaching your child good manners-you need to have it, and you need to know when to use it. That being said, be sure to explain how credit affects your lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to tell them how credit is measured, and what is considered a good credit score. These are the discussions that will help your child understand that credit can be used as a tool. It also gives them power over their financial decisions whether it’s applying for a student loan refinance (after college), or applying for multiple scholarships to help reduce the amount of money owed back to the government. Whatever the case maybe, planning your child’s budget will definitely benefit them down the road.

Keep in touch: A cell phone can be an amazing way to stay in contact, or it can be, as some students put it, an “electronic leash.” Most parents, in fact, find that as students start to become more absorbed in campus life, they hardly ever respond to phone calls, emails, and other means of communication. If this has happened to you as a parent, you are not alone. Keep calling, try instant messaging, and send care packages. Your student will appreciate hearing from you, even if for some reason, they don’t respond. Visiting during parent and family weekend, is also another great way to stay connected.

Gathering essential school supplies: The excitement of gathering items that your child will need for their dorm room or college apartment may cause them to forget that they still need school supplies too. Of course, the new adventure of college will be thrilling, but as a parent, you have to make sure your child’s still working towards their accomplishment. Make sure to put these items on their school supply list:

  • Laptop/printer. Generally speaking, laptops have larger screens and a keyboard that lends itself to easy content creation. This means that inserting pictures, graphics, and other elements into documents will make it much easier for students to both organize and prioritize their work.
  • Student planners. From exam dates to group presentations, a college student’s schedule is typically jam-packed with multiple deadlines to meet. A student planner is vital for time management and will help students stay on top of things.
  • Index cards. Studying using index cards is a great way to help your child learn new material. Writing the information on an index card will help your student better retain information, and the cards are easy to take on the go in case they decide to study while walking to class.
  • Flash drive. There’s nothing worse than losing a semester’s worth of work without the possibility of getting any of it back. Luckily, with the help of free cloud storage, such as Dropbox, Google doc, and One drive, a flash drive aren’t as big of a necessity as it was 10 years ago. There are, however, a few benefits of using a flash drive for college documents such as maintaining physical documents, and securing them.
  • Highlighters. These are a must for future college students. Using a highlighter helps to make the most essential information in their textbook stand out.

Get them ready for independence: Preparing for college during freshman year also means preparing students to be more independent during their last year of high school. In other words, college shouldn’t be a child’s first taste of independence or being away from home.

Leaving home, however, is no easy feat; homesickness, loneliness, stress, and anxiety are all common feelings amongst first-year college students. Signing children up for summer programs that allow them to spend time away from family enjoying the outdoors, studying, or volunteering will help them become more independent. Some universities offer summer programs to give students a chance to learn more about their surroundings while they take on their initial college courses.

These are the same programs that teach students valuable lessons about co-existing with roommates they don’t know. Students also learn how to care for their basic needs. The more responsible a rising freshman becomes, the better off they are when they walk onto a college campus.

Encourage campus involvement: Getting and staying involved is one of the most important things a student can do while in college. Being involved, just doesn’t have to deal with volunteer work. In fact, campus involvement takes on many forms, from being a member of a student organization (ASB Student Body Government), to helping a professor conduct research on a project.

As a result of their involvement, they will gain knowledge, skills, and experience in leadership, problem-solving, communication, management, and group development. Being involved also encourages and advances developed on all levels that include: intellectual, spiritual, and social.

In the long run, participating in groups at school, and attending activities on campus are all important for your child’s well-being. But being involved in everything their campus has to offer can also be dangerous for students, distracting them from their studies. That’s why it’s important for your student to ask, “How much is enough?” and “How much is too much?” to understand the difference. Your student will need to find the appropriate level of involvement for him/her.

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Thanks for the read! Did I miss anything crucial? What are some other things parents should know before their child heads off to college? Feel free to leave comments below.

5 Ways to Teach Productivity Skills to Your Kids

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If you are among those parents who are still wondering which the best way is to teach your kids about productivity, you have come to the right place. This is the question asked regularly on a daily basis by millions of people all over the world. How do you start, what do you tell them and in what way to tell them? To find the answers you seek, check out the tips below.

The Projects

Most kids do not understand the meaning of their assignments. For instance, skipping homework in school will result in downgrade from let us say B to C. By helping your child understand the importance of his homework and helping him finish it, he will be rewarded with a higher grade and the feeling of satisfaction. Also, by teaching your child how to organize his time will be even more productive. By teaching him to create a list of all the things he has to do, and complying with that list, your child will gain significant organizational and productive skills over time.

Call to Action

Your child’s brain as an adolescent is always something that is in progress and it evolves every day. If you are able to teach them to ask geometric dimensioning and tolerance question (also known as GD&T) “What is the next action?” they will learn how to break down complex tasks and manage it by completing simpler steps, one by one. Keep forcing them to answer the question “What is the next action”, and as the time goes by, they will start asking themselves the same question, which will help them in solving many problems which range from common life situations to work-related problems.

Memorize What is on Your Mind

Another very important thing is teaching your kids how to memorize the things that come to their minds. Many children struggle to capture their thoughts and ideas, and especially their assignments. By teaching them how to capture them, you will help them build up additional productive skills and help them solve many problems, while boosting their creativity. Some ways of doing it are by taking simple notes on their smartphone or iPod, by simply writing it in their paper planner with a built in calendar, or by carrying around a small pocket notebook with one purpose – to memorize all your ideas and plans.

Use Additional Sources

If you are uncertain on how to additional pass your knowledge on to your children, you might want look up for additional sources to help you out. One of the ways is to consult a professional and learn about various methods of boosting a child’s productivity. Another great way of obtaining knowledge or reminding yourself of all the tricks is by browsing for Evercoach, for the website offers great lessons and resources which can help every father gain more information, latter to be passed on to the kids. Final option should be videos created especially for kids and adolescents, teaching them how to properly manage their tasks and how to become more productive.

Try Different Approaches

If you kid just cannot follow you, try a different approach. Teaching them how to concentrate and focus will go a long way; it starts with the small things, such as focusing on a single task and finding different ways of completing it. By boosting your child’s creativity and concentration, you will help him develop significant and important skills which will reflect and help him later on in his life. Remember to be patient, for all the kids are different and might need different types of attention.

Do the Weekly Review

The best way to teach your kids productivity is to be their role model; use the weekend (Sunday or Saturday night) to do your weekly review in front of them. At first they might be repelled, but their curiosity will soon step forward and they will start observing you and the things you do. Soon they will start picking up techniques and might do it themselves. If you keep saying out loud things such as “I have to do this every week”, or “it is very important to do this every week”, they will absorb it as something significant and essential and might apply it sooner than you think.

Kids need productive adults to teach them the art of stress-free productivity. Be a role model to your children, and teach them early on the skills that will influence many things in their lives. Tell them that these are the “cheats” that will help them solve problems more easily, and that they will always be rewarded afterwards.

Principals Say the Darndest Things: But Not to Your Face

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Man with hand on chin“Reader’s Digest” recently interviewed principals from all parts of the country, and what they said may shock you. There are things that your child’s principal wants you to know but, for one reason or another, simply can’t tell you. Here are just some examples of what the principal may be thinking as you sit sweating in her office.

1. That Teacher is Terrible

If you don’t like your child’s teacher, don’t assume that the principal does. Principals have a keen insight into what makes a good teacher. If your complaint holds water, you can bet that the principal is on your side. Unfortunately, she may be relegated to smiling and nodding while you complain.

2. We Know Your Secrets

Younger children have difficulty discerning what is okay to share. If your child has heard you and your spouse getting frisky, expect his teacher to know about it. Do you swear like a trucker? Your child’s class has heard vivid examples.

3. Your Child Has Been Pod Snatched

If your child’s teacher calls to inform you of bad behavior, you can bet the behavior occurred. Teachers have enough on their plate without having to call you to discuss your child’s attitude problem. The child you have at home is rarely the one seen in school.

4. Your Kid is a Liar

It’s a simple fact: Children lie. Whether it is out of fear of disappointing you, or for another reason altogether, don’t tell the principal that your child would never lie. Trust is a great thing, and it’s an important factor in your relationship with your child. Just remember: Your kid’s teacher isn’t out to get him, nor is she making up tall tales.

5. Lay Off the Spanking

If a child strikes others, it invariably starts at home. Children are not born knowing violence; it is something that is taught at home. If your child is displaying aggression of any type in the classroom, he has learned his behavior from you. It’s time to change your parenting technique.

6. We Know That You Did the Project

Principals and teachers know what children are capable of. A first-grader does not have a mechanical engineering degree. Never think that you’re pulling one over on anyone when you do your child’s homework; everyone knows.

7. I Am Not on the Job 24 Hours a Day

Nothing is more annoying than the parent who wants to discuss their child during a basketball game or school play; except the parent who wants to discuss their child when they run into the principal in public. If you want to talk about your child, schedule an appointment.

8.Dislike is Not a Reason for a Classroom Change

Get over yourself. Because you or your child don’t like his teacher this year does not give ample reason for a room change. There are things in this life that people don’t like. Think of this as a lesson in learning how to make lemonade out of lemons.

9.Those Who Can’t Do, Teach: Baloney

Teachers have been dismissed for years. The truth is this: Every teacher is in the profession because they were called to it. Your child’s teacher isn’t some misfit that couldn’t find another job. She went through years of schooling to be able to give your child the best education possible.

10.We’re Not the Parent

No matter what you think, teachers and principals are not responsible for parenting your children. If you refuse to do the job, don’t call to complain when the school staff has to step in. Teach your children social skills, teach them to brush their teeth, and feed them breakfast; it’s the least you can do.

As you’re sitting across from your child’s principal, you no longer have to wonder what she is thinking. If you remember anything, remember this: Your child’s principal is invested in his education, she’s not there to make your life or the life of your child more difficult. Look to your child’s principal as a cooperative partner in your child’s success.