How to help build your child's concentration

Summer is here and every child in Beirut wants to come play at 2to12. This is also the time for parents to prepare for the school year ahead. Here is an intersting article we found on dubaiexpat.com/schools site…

Youtube clips. Playstation games. Instant chat. Tweets. Status updates. Kids today in schools in Dubai are often too distracted. Let’s face it, here in Dubai, we all live in a fairly materialistic world. The outdoors for many kids is the shopping mall. Electronics has invaded every day life and taken over.

It’s a fast moving world for today’s generation… and with information coming at us in constant short, swift bursts, are kids losing the ability to concentrate on in-depth subjects that require a deeper level of engagement, understanding and effort?

It’s not just the multitude of distractions that await us at every turn. There’s also the fact that surely very few children are born organized and focused. Organization is a skill that must be acquired just like any other, and is part of the process in building a child’s concentration. Yet the ability to stay focused, organized and on-task is half the battle won, whether it’s for an after school football match, a piano recital or preparing for an important test. So how can it be done?

Whether your child goes to a school in Dubai, or anywhere else in the world, here are a couple of tips… Break down tasks with a three-way approach. This will help your child to get better organized. And that, in turn, works towards establishing a calm, quiet setting which encourages focus and concentration.

1) The first step is to get your kids organized. Help them to make a list of, and then gather, everything that is needed. This should be collected and kept ready in the place where the work is to be done – at your child’s desk, for example. This could include paper, writing materials, textbooks, pencils, erasers, for example, if it’s a writing project for school.

Encourage your child to think about some of the other steps that could be included in this process, such as first reading over the teacher’s instructions, emailing the teacher to clarify any questions or doubts they may have or even coordinating with a classmate ahead of time if your child is working on a team project.

Also, make a list together with your child of all the step-by-step tasks that need to be accomplished on the project and include deadlines if any.

2) Next comes the most challenging part of the process – that is, staying on course. This means that your child will have to learn to resist the urge to let thoughts wander, to give in to impulses (perhaps checking email or strolling into the kitchen to see what’s for dinner) and to be distracted by what could be going on in another part of the house.

For younger children, learning to sitting quietly and calmly, without slouching or being fiddly, is a great way to settle into concentrating on the task. If it’s helpful, then closing the door and shutting out interruptions may also be a good idea.

If the project is time-consuming and arduous, then short breaks will be necessary.

Explain to your child that this is the time to stay focused, and not lose sight of the goal. Thus everything else can and must wait until the job gets done to satisfaction.

3) Finally, wrap up the process by tying up any loose ends. This is the stage where it’s about checking over the work and paying attention to the details, no matter how minor they may seem.

For example, if your child’s task is practicing piano, then this is the stage where it’s important to ensure that all the teacher comments have been followed, that the book is back in its proper place ready for the next practice session,the piano lid is closed and the piano stool neatly put away.

This is not only a way of ensuring that the task has been completed well and with attentiveness, but also a way of winding down and out of the task.

Remember to:

• Talk to your child about how you will work together to get more organized. Discuss the end benefits of this, ie more free time, less stress .

• Ask your child to think about how implementing an organized system could help improve different areas of your child’s life, not just academics.

• Use daily and weekly checklists, a homework and after-school activity schedule that can be ticked off as you go along, a dedicated calendar for weekly planning (use this on a Saturday night to plan for the week ahead) and organized binders to keep track of notes and papers.

from DubaiExpat.com/schools

Parents & Teachers Sometimes Label Children

Parents and teachers sometimes label children "lazy" because they get the impression that children don’t listen, don’t concentrate, and don't care intentionally. You'll often hear them say "He has the ability, if he just tried harder, he could do it. He chooses not to do the work. If she would just pay attention, she would get it. After I give the instructions, he sits and stares at his paper. He is not motivated." Children are often not aware that those things happen or have no idea why and how they happen, or what they can do about it.
Most of these symptoms can be caused by the emotional states in which children go through like pain, fatigue, being hungry, and by all kinds of things happening in the environment. Children excel at different rates and learn in different ways, their educational needs are very diverse and constantly changing. It is the teacher’s role to carefully prepare a self instructive motivational environment that appeal to and serve the diverse nature of children. Telling the child he needs to concentrate is no help because he can't help it and will bring only more confusion and frustration and make children start to doubt themselves. Moreover, those symptoms can also be caused if the child is suffering from a learning disability which the teacher nor the parents nor the child himself is aware of. Thus it is very important that teachers become aware of all sorts of learning obstacles that the children may be facing along their educational journey.
A child with a learning disability cannot try harder, pay closer attention, or get motivated on his own. He needs help to learn how to do those things. A learning disability is not a problem with intelligence; often the child's IQ falls within the normal range. The source of difficulty is in the brain. Children with a learning disability have trouble processing information which interferes in their daily activities at school. They see, hear, and understand things differently. The teacher should focus on addressing children individually instead of groups, which will help in further understanding the child’s needs and interests.
There are different types of learning disabilities that affect writing, reading, arithmetic, spelling, language....etc. So basically all of the educational skills that children normally posses are affected when a child suffers from a certain type of a learning disability.
Learning disabilities are categorized into different types according to which learning skills they affect the most. For instance, children with Dysgraphia typically labor at written work much longer than their classmates, only to produce large, uneven writing that would be appropriate for a much younger child. Children with Dyslexia have trouble understanding written words. Children with Dyscalculia have difficulties in solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts. There are many other different types of learning disabilities that affect children's learning abilities and motor skills.
Learning disabilities cannot be cured they can only be remediated, therefore, it is very important to detect them as soon as possible and not to confuse them with other emotional states of the child so he can start benefiting from his learning.
To sum up, it is very important for teachers and parents to realize that there's more behind the word lazy and that they shouldn't falsely label children just because they are inexperienced and not aware of many learning disabilities or emotional states that children may suffer from. Teachers' roles are not only to explain what's written in textbooks and assign work during class and after, but also to monitor each and every child within their classroom population very carefully, try to work hard to help each child to reach his/her maximum learning ability, and try different learning styles that appeal the most to each child individually. Parents should not doubt their kids' abilities and believe that their kids are not smart or lazy. If they notice that their kids have learning problems, they should consult a specialist about their kids' situation as soon as possible. If children are left untreated, the frustration and difficulties caused by the learning problems, both at home and in school, creates stress thus making children hate learning because of the mental effort they exert and still everyone around them are calling them "lazy."

Making Art Out Of Trash

                                                             

It was a  surprise for me to know that in all Bekaa, we don’t have any recycling factory except Memosa.Memosa was just concerned in recycling papers. We were wondering of the huge wastes of plastic, glass, metals …. and any othernon-biodegradable matter . Such objects need hundreds to thousands of years to be degraded. For that reason, my students and I decided to make art of such trash instead of throwing them. The aim was to create spirit of responsibility in students to be aware of the trash they produce without being aware of its fate…. they could make nice simple gifts for whom  they love for free. They used empty bottles, old CDs, bottle covers, old wheels, egg packaging carton, cans… Pictures will be better than words to show the creative minds and crafty hands of grade six can do.More pictures are in the Gallery.

''Don't Hate Anything, Lest It May Be Better For You''

 '' ولا تكرهوا شيئا لعله خيراً'''

 I always used to say this, but never felt that I would really understand what it means. Recently my fiancé and I faced a lot of difficulties and obstacles. It was so tough to be misjudged by people we were worked a lot for their benefits and business. Today, 1 March 2013 instead of hearing a lie as the traditions are, I heard the best news I would expect. My fiancé got an excellent opportunity that we would never get if he stayed in Lebanon. Now I understand what the good things are after the difficulties we had before. In this occasion I remembered a story about a king and his vice. One day the king cut his finger by mistake, so his vice said it may be better for you (inshallah). The king was angry from the vice how he dares to say that cutting his finger might be good. Then the king ordered to take him into the jail. The vice also said it may be better for me. After short time and as usual, the king went in a trip in the sea. In the middle of the sea, they were opposed by pirates. These pirates used to kidnap victims as gift to a statue they worshiped. But because the king's finger was cut, they considered him imperfect and don’t worth to be given as a gift to their Statue. The king then realized what his vice meant when he said:'' it may be for your good''. The king ordered to release his vice. When he met him, he told him that he was right about it being good. But what's the good about putting him in jail injustice. The vice answered: '' If I wasn't in jail, I would be with you. Since I am healthy, they would take me as gift to their statue. The aim of this story is to believe that God never estimates badly for us. We should always be patient to see God's will

رحلوا، بعيدا عن وطنهم

My Fiance s Pasport

رحلوا، بعيدا عن وطنهم

بعيدا عن أهلهم ..

اعتادوا على ان يودعهم اهلهم، دمعات تنهمر على خدود أمهاتهم وغصة في القلب ترجو عودتهم. كانوا يعرفون أنها دمعة فراق تحبس الغصة في القلب، للقاء جديد...

لماذا هاجر هؤلاء الشباب، لماذا يرحلون في ربيع العمر قبل ربيع لبنان؟؟

الا يسأل اصحاب الكراسي في لبنان أنفسهم هذا السؤال، او يعمل على ملفهم عند استحقاق موعد الانتخابات!! هل هم مجرد أرقام بالنسبة اليهم، ايفتخرون ان اللبنانيين هم الأكثر إنتشارا في العالم.. ويا اكثر من علامات السؤال والتعجب في هذا البلد العزيز.. ولكن من دون جواب...

Even Trees Are Calling For Rescue

 Scientists have recently found that tree emits  sounds when it's  finds itself in risk. We already    know that the tree gets the water it needs throw  bundle of xylem. Due to the attractive force  between water molecules within each other and the plant cells, drops of water can reach the highest top in a tree. But if the land was dry, the interaction pressure may lead to the breakage of the trunk, this leads to the formation of gas bubbles that block water flow. This is what's known by cavitation. This process may cause death for some trees. French scientists have performed a vitro experiment to prove that process using microphones. They placed a piece of pine plant in water then evaporated it to have drought conditions.  Scientists have recorded several sounds which are ultrasounds that the human being can't hear. According to this study, a device will be designed to receive such sounds from stressed trees to water them in drought cases. This approach will save many trees especially in tropical rain forests.

My Philosophy Of Education

The Wordle of My Philosophy

When I first was asked:" What is your philosophy?" I stared surprised, should I have a philosophy and is still a new teacher with little experience. Then I realized that each teacher has his own philosophy whether he was old or new, professional or not. It took me few minutes to compare my first year of teaching with the second and the third. Many management techniques have changed, and I have been more able to able o control my class, but it’s still Baraah as I started. I always considered education as Plato once said: Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”  Students are the center of the class. Students have the right to discuss whatever comes to their mind at the suitable mind. Students should feel a safe atmosphere to ask.  My philosophy of education is to go beyond the traditional teaching. To encourage students for creativity , self-realization, questioning , cooperative learning and not competitive …..

Discovering the Parallel Connection's Secrets

Fatima and Hadi

Maamoun Hussien

 After defining what's an electric circuit and how to construct a simple circuit, it was time to construct an electric connection. Students first constructed series connections, and discovered how electric current have only one pathway and one loop. They have examined what happened if we removed only one lamp or if it's burnt out.. In this lesson i wanted them to be introduced to the second type of connections which is parallel connections. In this lesson students were supposed to be able to construct a parallel circuit and distinguishing it from the series one. They had to examine what happens when a lamp burns or unscrewed. also they had to use different switches in each loop and follow the passage of current. I think it was really so effective to teach this lesson using real experiments and not only diagrams. Students enjoys experiencing such experiments instead of just receiving information.

Cognitive Learning

According to the cognitive theory an
effective teacher should follow six
basic principles to achieve cognitive
learning:

• Learning should depend on learner's experience,which means that the teacher should provide students with the experience needed to meet the specified objectives.
• Learning construct understanding in an effort to make sense of experiences. It's not enough to only provide students with experiences, but also to allow them to construct a meaningful ideas about the real world application.
• constructing understanding depends on what learners already know. Students are not white sheets and we have to fill them. Students arrive with different backgrounds and experiences. The teacher should be able to connect the new information to what they already know or believe.
• Constructing Understanding is facilitated by social interaction. Social interaction allows teacher to get into the student's head to know what they are thinking. Also it allow students to be introduced to others experiences and perspectives.
• Learning requires practice. As a teacher, we shouldn't only introduce the idea, but we should give them appropriate exercises to solidify and connect ideas with each other.
• optimal learning is achieved with concrete and real world experiences. This is the basic building block of cognitive learning. The role of teacher is to covert an abstract topic to more concrete one by linking it to the real life. This would make information meaningful for students regardless of their age or subject taught.

White Light Is Made Up of ...... ?

Learning would be more interesting with deeper thinking when students explore and discover the knowledge by experiments. In this lesson, the objective was to discover the colors that make up the white color. The 1st experiment was to see how light when passing from air to another medium scatters into 7 different colors. Then to emphasize this, students were supposed to prove this hypothesis in a reverse way. They cut a round disk and divided it into seven equal regions. Then they colored them with the rainbow colors and connected it to a source of energy. when the disk rotated, the colors mixed together and white color appears. Now my students can explain the natural phenomenon: the rainbow :)

Cleaning the playground









Teaching is not only transfer of knowledge,but also it's transfering what we learn to real life application. After studying how the human activities are affecting the environment ,grade six volunteered to start from their small surrounding,the play ground. They were really amazing. Each section was responsible to clean it day in the weak.

رحلوا، بعيدا عن وطنهم

بعيدا عن أهلهم ..

اعتادوا على ان يودعهم اهلهم، دمعات تنهمر على خدود أمهاتهم وغصة في القلب ترجو عودتهم. كانوا يعرفون أنها دمعة فراق تحبس الغصة في القلب، للقاء جديد...

لماذا هاجر هؤلاء الشباب، لماذا يرحلون في ربيع العمر قبل ربيع لبنان؟؟

الا يسأل اصحاب الكراسي في لبنان أنفسهم هذا السؤال، او يعمل على ملفهم عند استحقاق موعد الانتخابات!! هل هم مجرد أرقام بالنسبة اليهم، ايفتخرون ان اللبنانيين هم الأكثر إنتشارا في العالم.. ويا اكثر من علامات السؤال والتعجب في هذا البلد العزيز.. ولكن من دون جواب...

Teaching is not only transporting knowledge and information to students, neither it's just a job to save money.Teachers should build trust with students.they should create helpful relationships and provide them with positive recognition. Building close relationships between the teacher and student would reflects on the students confidence of himself and increase the teacher’s influence (Saphier & Gower). going out in a picnic with my grade six students was a nice approach to take toward building close relationships. We shared our interests and favorite hobbies, TV shows ,singers .... etc. I discovered many new things about their personalities and their own lives.