Pearblossom Education

Infographics are great for learners of all ages. It makes information digestible in an easy way. In times of crisis, here are some tips: 1. Spread Cheer- Everyone benefits from a positive attitude. "Be the change you wish to see" 2. Check the Facts- Be your own investigator, read up on current events 3. Be Safe and Respectful- Respect boundaries 4. Take Care of Yourself- You cannot help others unless your own well-being is satisfied <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4103875472220489"      crossorigin="anonymous"></script>  

Keep an organized learning space with all materials needed. It is important to create an area where your student is able to concentrate and focus on their work.  Try to keep outside noises to a minimum, and limit distractions. Make sure to stay on schedule. Children enjoy routine, and keeping a plan helps them work on prioritizing goals and responsibilities. Try to maintain lessons at the same time each day, with ample breaktime in between. Try combining digital with traditional learning methods. Students get enough screen time as it is; adding worksheets and other physical materials such as textbooks can keep the balance. Allow children to communicate within their cohort. Social interaction is an important part of the learning experience, and could arguably be just as important as academics. Utilize video chat resources such as Zoom and Google Hangouts to interact with friends.   Respect the value in learning. Each learner is different. We must cultivate a growth-mindset and ...

As our school districts prepare for the re-opening of institutions for the 2020-2021 school year, there are certain mandates and restrictions that we are being asked to follow. I am curious as to how these regulations will impact the social, mental, and academic lives of our students. A school session takes up roughly seven hours or more of a student's day. During this time, a huge part of a student's social being is formed, by relating to others and being part of the community experience. In my opinion, some of the guidelines that students and teachers are being asked to follow for the coming year will certainly put social values and experiences at risk. Here are a few: Face coverings required or recommended for most, except 6th grade and under. Physical distancing of up to 6' or 35 sq. ft. per student in a space is required Staggering exits and entrances to buildings to keep track of students Playgrounds will be continually sanitized between use Keeping ...

Homeschooling is not easy. But neither is going through a pandemic... From preschool awards to doctorate programs, the educational world has been tossed upside down.  Here is a glimpse of our current situation: K-12 Education: The perspective of teacher and parent have become reliant on what to do next with our students. It seems that school districts nationwide have done a pretty phenomenal job coming into action, providing resources such as Chromebooks and food supplies for local families and students. Online learning grids were introduced with options for both online and non-online activities. Attendance is still being obtained, and the parent/teacher relationship might have even gained strength like never before. Access to educational programs make it easy for teachers to monitor the progress of their students, and there are bi-weekly Zoom meetings in which the students can get together and communicate. For the younger groups, virtual birthday party invitations h...

Everybody has abilities as well as disabilities. Some of these are not seen on the surface level... It is important for educators to be aware that some students may struggle with disabilities. The historical context of defining “disability” is: 1. A restricted activity 2. Social oppression 3. A socially constructed attribute - Some adults that are classified as disabled may not view themselves as disabled, but rather as part of a member of an oppressed group or other cultural group. - Physical disabilities may include sensory issues that can affect seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. External factors such as lighting, temperature, sounds, door accessibility, and bathroom access are all factors which can disrupt a student’s learning. - Mental disabilities have a wide range of cognitive issues that cannot be directly seen. Each student is different when it comes to their learning aptitude. Many individuals work at different paces, and have different levels of self-...

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"It's a common but mistaken belief that you can burn something into memory through sheer repetition. Lots of practice works, but only if it's spaced." - Make It Stick Sometimes we have to really imagine what it is we are reading. Have you ever caught yourself reading a book and visualizing every little detail? A fairy tale for instance, creates the vision of a majestic castle, with details down to intricate carvings on a wooden drawbridge... With every paragraph, your brain conjures a magnificent visual of what you are reading. Now, imagine how colorful your learning would be if you applied this to your academic studies! Practicing creativity like this with course material could aid us in better understanding the essentials of a topic. Let's get outside of the box, and get personal with the information... Can you Prevent Forgetting? Retrieval practice is the act of coming back to material after a pause in learning. In an article titled Metacognitive Control ...

"While she is a woman of strong aesthetic sensibilities, she is also one of epic doubt."- Brown This quote alludes to Bonnie Blodgett, a master gardener who surfaces the trials and tribulations of having a green thumb. Gardening can be a hit or miss, starting down to the seed and even the soil. To get it right can be a remarkable accomplishment, and there is no wonder why flora competitions have stuck by for centuries. But even epic doubt seems to find its way into the premise of success.   Try to find congruency with the phrase "desirable difficulties" and "growth mindset." This is ultimately what happens when we encounter issues that challenge us- we get into a certain mindset which is getting ready to grow... I ended 2/23's post with an excerpt about desirable difficulties. I cannot but help but to compare our current state as being difficult. Will these challenges have anything to offer us? Coming together as communities has been a highlig...

Visiting material after time can lead to better long-term memory retention.  So, let us think about what we do when we learn something. We can attend a culinary class. We can earn credits for a college course. We can take a CPR class and receive a certificate at the end, signifying that we have passed the course and that we are now equipped to take on certain responsibilities. But are we really retaining this information? Are we prepared to take on the world with our new cheesemaking, life-saving, academic skills? The answer is not only in the issue of memory retention, but also the process in which we recall information in the first place. Massed or blocked practice has been a traditional staple in education, and has been shown to be effective. When we cram information into our brains with whatever resources we can- acronyms, flashcards, hours of repetition- we are bound to remember something, right? Indeed. Yet, it turns out that interleaving practice, or taking breaks in b...

"Making errors is crucial for effective work." -Robert Bjork, Professor of Psychology at University of California, Los Angeles Bjork goes on to mention that when it comes to novice college students, that there is not enough worry of whether they are equipped for a good 4-5 years of intensive learning. Learning skills are imperative in challenging programs, and many students are just not prepared to handle it. It can take years of realization and skill honing to figure out what kind of student one is...  Changing our behaviors to fit into our learning lifestyle can be a factor of if we succeed or not. As learners, we find what works for us, and what doesn't. For example, some students prefer taking paper notes versus digital, while some prefer online reading platforms over paper books. All of us are individuals and our abilities are unique to us. Figuring out our own strengths and weaknesses can be a key to finding what may be blocking us from achieving our goals. Bj...

Going to college is not everybody's cup of tea... Did you know, that unschooling is a trend ? The idea goes on the basis of that which intrigues the learner will ultimately have the best effect overall. So, the learner ends up learning about something that they are genuinely interested in, perhaps making mastery easier to achieve? Sales, administration, and hospitality endeavors sprinkle my professional career experience. My educational background has taken me through various paths, attending institutions in California, Florida, and Colorado. I started my college career in 2002 as a geology major. As my interest in areas broadened, psychology and economics courses were on the menu before switching majors again. In 2015, I was about a semester away from earning my BS in Human Development & Gerontology when life circumstances pulled me into the sociology program at CU Denver. After nearly a decade of attending six different colleges, I earned my BA, Sociology in 2017. My adv...