Tutor and Teacher Educational Resources

In this section of our education blog, we give tips for tutors and teachers on how to teach subjects, keep kids passionate, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter (on the left or below on mobile) to get bi-monthly updates in your inbox!

Teaching students how to navigate without a GPS

Susan Cumberland July 17, 2015

GPS, or global positioning systems, are a wonderful tool. But they’ve become a big crutch that many of us rely on. There will be times when this technology will be unavailable. Perhaps some of us will go on family camping trips in remote areas. And, as a more dramatic example, some of us may be caught in a natural disaster. With that being said, it would be wise to teach students how to navigate without a GPS. In this article, we’ll go over some of the ways we can help our children learn how to travel without a GPS.

Show students how to use a compass

This is a topic we’ve already discussed in this blog, so we won’t go into extensive detail about it. But the long and short of it is that compasses are essential to navigate. Kids should learn how to use them. And it’s also wise to show children how to create their own compasses. We’ve suggested using a bucket of water and a magnet in the above post.

North, south, east and west — teaching students how to navigate without a GPS

Orienting yourself on a map is the first step to teaching students how to navigate without a GPS. We’d suggest you start by showing your children landmarks. If you live in the Vancouver area, start by showing your children the mountains. It is the easiest and clearest northern point you can show them. And regardless of where your kids are in the city, it’s usually easy to spot Cypress, Seymour or Grouse Mountain. If you’re not in Vancouver, many cities or towns often have a landmark that can serve as an reference point. Show it to your children. And on a clear night, you can also show them the north star.

Explain to students how to use a paper map

Children who navigate with their phones might need practice using paper maps. Teach them the basics of the grid system many maps use. Also, show kids how to refer to destinations via major intersections. For example, if you’re in Vancouver, you can tell them how 41st and Dunbar is in the western part of the city. On the other hand, 41st and Joyce is in the eastern area. And if your children catch on quickly, show them how maps can be used to show other things. For example, an informative chart might show elevation, distance and population. Very detailed maps may include demographic information such as political ridings, GDP and much more.

The final test — teach children how to memorize directions

Sometimes parents get separated from their kids and have no way of contacting them. Go over this article with your kids. Once your children know how to navigate without a GPS, we’d recommend teaching your kids how to find their way to important meeting spots. You could start with the most obvious choice: your home. For example, if you usually take your children to the grocery store, you could show them how to get back to your house from there. Once you feel comfortable with their navigation skills, drop them off at the store and ask them to meet you at your house. Tell them to keep their phones on just in case anything happens. But ask them to try getting home without using their GPS. Obviously, make sure you are doing this in a safe area first.

Should kids still learn cursive writing?

Susan Cumberland May 29, 2015

In this age of keyboards and screens, many people are wondering if kids should still learn cursive writing. As with most things, there are two sides to every story. The camp in favour of banishing cursive writing says it is an antiquated tool of little use in the digital era.

However, others who are for the skill say it can promote a better grasp of reading and writing. In this article we’ll examine some of the main arguments coming from both sides. So should kids still learn cursive writing? Let’s take a look.

Does learning cursive writing improve literacy?

Some research suggests cursive writing helps children read and write better. One study found children who learned cursive were better at spelling and reading than children who only learned how to write print. The researchers said this difference remained even though the groups were similar in most other ways. While the authors of the study weren’t sure what the cause was, they suggested cursive forces children to look at words as a whole. Cursive letters are literally joined together to make words but the printed alphabet is not.

Time magazine has also reported on its blog that cursive writing activates different parts of the brain where printed letters don’t. For example, the magazine says learning cursive improves children’s fine motor skills and generally helps students retain more information and generate more ideas.

But critics call into question some of the research suggesting cursive makes children smarter. For instance, handwriting troubleshooter Kate Gladstone wrote in the Stamford Advocate that most proponents of cursive misquote a study which found hand printed — not cursive — writing provided some developmental benefits over keyboarding.

Some people are questioning if children should learn cursive writing

Many people are wondering if kids should learn cursive writing in the digital age because services that used to depend on it appear to be phasing it out.

Take these two examples where cursive writing used to be the standard: signing cheques and signing forms.

In the former example, cursive was the norm. That’s because most money was transferred via a signed cheque. But cheques are becoming less common now. Many businesses use direct deposit to pay their employees, and that number is growing. Add to the fact debit and credit cards with pin codes or ‘tapping’ abilities have become more common and the argument becomes clearer. All you need to do is ask yourself when you last used a cheque to pay for something at a store or restaurant.

What about the cases where debit or credit don’t apply? Does the cheque still have a use?

Possibly, but given the growing availability of e-transfers, which allow you to deposit money directly and securely into another person’s account, it’s questionable if cheques will be needed at all in the near future.

What about filling forms? Shouldn’t cursive apply there? After all, we all need to sign our names on the dotted line, don’t we?

For now, that seems to be the case, but more and more organizations are using online forms. These forms can be signed with a digital signature rather than a stroke of pen, securing the document with cryptography. Some places such as the United States give these signatures the same legal weight as a traditional signature.

Given that cursive appears to be less applicable in daily life, some people are saying cursive is a waste of school time. Some say that time would be better spent on keyboarding and other computer-related skills, which are more relevant in today’s age.

For example Morgan Polikoff, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, wrote in the New York Times preserving cursive would be akin to resurrecting the abacus and the slide rule.

Another fun fact — handwriting troubleshooter Kate Gladstone says in a 2012 teachers’ conference held by Zaner-Bloser, a company that publishes cursive writing textbooks, only 37 per cent of the educators surveyed at the event wrote in cursive. If even cursive writing teachers don’t use cursive, why should we?

The bottom line – benefits of writing in cursive are still hazy

It’s still unclear whether writing in cursive is useful for children. Conflicting research and opinions on the skill make it very difficult to determine whether this is a tradition worth preserving. However, most research appears to agree that students must learn some form of penmanship.

A reasonable middle-ground would be to teach children how to read cursive but not to force them to write in it. According to the Stamford Advocate column of Kate Gladstone that we mentioned earlier, teaching the skill takes only one 30 to 60 minute session in the span of the child’s lifetime, so it won’t be diverting time from other pressing activities. Keep in mind this applies only if the student has already learned the printed word. If the child expresses a desire to learn more, teach them cursive and give them a few activities to start them off. We’ve suggested some ideas on our blog such as journaling. But if they don’t feel a need to learn how to write in cursive, there is little to suggest much harm will come of it.

Photographic memory and how to help kids improve their memory

Susan Cumberland May 22, 2015

Many of us are able to recall a familiar scene, say, the street your house is on. But how many people can actually recall every single detail of that scene? The ability to do so is referred to as having a photographic memory. But is photographic memory an imaginary concept? Or is it really possible? Keep reading to find out, plus learn how to help your kids improve their memory.

Photographic memory: is it real?

Some believe that people who are able to recall a picture with great detail simply have not lost their eidetic memory from when they were a child, as mentioned in a DNews video. Unfortunately, there have not actually been any studies that prove that photographic memory is real.

However, according to the video mentioned previously, there was one study done on the brains of eleven different people who have similar cognitive abilities. The results showed that these people actually had different brains than most people, which aided in their memory abilities. So, while it might not be proven that there is such a thing as photographic memory, some people are naturally better at remembering things than others.

Nonetheless, our memories are known to not always be reliable. John Green, a famous teen novelist discusses his experience of flashbulb memories and memory storage in this video. In short, his very clear memory of a dog pooping in a Nintendo was actually not what really happened. This of course becomes a problem when ethics are involved, such as in the case of court disputes. This TEDTalk explores the “fiction of memory” and “false memories, when people either remember things that didn’t happen or remember them differently from the way they really were” (as it is put in the description of the video).

How to help your kids improve their memory

One way that some people have a better memory is by following certain memorization techniques, whether they just know them subconsciously or practice them once they learn them. In his TEDTalk on memory, Joshua Foer explains that many people who compete in memory competitions actually consider themselves to have an average memory. However, what sets them apart is that they have trained themselves to perform ‘miraculous’ memory tricks by following ancient techniques. So, it is definitely possible to train a so-called ‘average’ memory.

One way to help your kids improve their memory is by approaching it in the way they learn best. For example, if your child is a visual learner, colour-coding notes may help them remember the important points. Or, if your child is an auditory learner, saying something over and over again that they need to memorize will most likely help them get it stuck in their head.

Another approach you can take is to play some memory-boosting games with your kids. This could mean playing a simple game of memory, where your kids have to make pairs out of different pictures that are flipped over. Or, you can find some fun games online, like at http://www.photographicmemorygame.com.

Teaching Kids Water Conservation

Susan Cumberland May 15, 2015

Recently, there has been quite a buzz in the news about how California is running out of water. A drought emergency was actually declared at the beginning of last year, and ever since then there has been a big push for Californians to reduce their water consumption. However, Californians are not the only ones who should care about conserving water. Read on to find out why water should be conserved, and how you can go about teaching kids water conservation.

What happens if we don’t have water?

Although here in Canada we might not be going through a drought, what’s happening in California still affects us. It just so happens that in Canada we get the majority of many fruits and vegetables from California. With the state going through a drought, that means less crops, which means less fresh produce for us, not to mention an increase in prices.

Why we should be teaching kids water conservation

Even in places like Vancouver, where it rains a lot, it is very important to conserve water. According to National Geographic, fresh water sources in residential areas and agricultural lands are often polluted. Many major rivers in the world have become so overtapped that they hardly discharge any water into the sea. This disrupts the natural water cycle.

And it’s not that easy to use the ocean to solve the drought. Do kids know the difference between freshwater and seawater?

Water is so basic, that we often don’t think of all the things we couldn’t do without it, besides drinking it. Could we wash our clothes? Would we have macaroni and cheese?

In Ethiopia, health care providers are having a hard time helping people with solvable diseases because it is so hard to access water. John Green (a popular teen novel writer and YouTube star), went to Ethiopia and heard many people cite “water” as their primary need. He explained his experience in this video. The interesting thing to note when watching it is that kids can relate to what he shows in that video; a child dying from too much diarrhea is a real thing kids can ‘feel’ and understand.

So when kids get excited about trends such as the Ice Bucket Challenge, they often don’t think of the ripple effect dumping water all over the place can have. If they won’t listen to you, get them to watch celebrity Matt Damon dump toilet water on his head, and explain that it was probably cleaner than what many people have access to in other countries.

To avoid having these same water-shortage problems in our well-to-do cities, it is important to teach kids water conservation so that they grow up with good water-usage habits.

How to go about teaching kids water conservation

Start simple, by making sure they know to turn the water off while they brush their teeth or wash dishes.
Encourage your kids to take shorter showers, or try to limit the number of times a day they flush the toilet
Check out wateruseitwisely.com for tips to tell your kids, or even go through it with them. Some of their tips include washing pets outdoors in an area of lawn that needs water, or running the dishwasher only when it is full.
Have your kids play some fun games relating to water conservation, and talk to them about what they got out of it. Again, wateruseitwisely.com has a great page with a list of water conservation games.
Buy local fruits and vegetables, if possible. Explain to kids about the California situation, and how the lack of crops affects us here. Bring your kids to a farmer’s market and teach them about the importance of buying local vegetables and how it’s better for the environment. Or, start a vegetable garden in your back yard!
Limit or even avoid toys that require a lot of water, especially those that use a constant water flow. As fun as they might be, these are quite contrary to the message of water conservation.

While we might not be in a drought here, we can all still make our best effort to reduce our water footprint. Have some fun teaching your kids water conservation tips to help them build up healthy water saving habits.

Why should kids learn geography, and how can you help them do so?

Susan Cumberland May 1, 2015

Geography is no longer a core subject in most Canadian schools, although it is included in the area of Social Studies. But do Canadians really know their geography? One case popped up in the media a couple years ago about a university professor who was complaining that her students could not label a map- some didn’t even know where Africa was! But does that even matter? Read on to find out why kids should learn geography, and how you can help them.

Why should kids learn geography?

It helps put the news in context

If kids learn geography, then when they hear a story on the news from across the globe, they will actually have an idea of where Kenya, or at least Africa, is. They will also know that Africa is not a country! And if Ebola breaks out in one African country, that doesn’t mean that all of Africa is affected.

If kids learn geography, it will also help them learn history

Understanding how close two places sit on the map can help kids see how and why different civilizations influenced each other. Or, it will help them understand the significance of one civilization conquering another. For example, how impressive the distance they covered was, or what resources they would have gained from conquering a territory near the ocean or water ways.

Why was the Panama Canal such a big deal? What happens when a country doesn’t have access to a lake or river, if it is inland? All of these things affect us greatly. The things we can now buy, the professions we work as, the way we communicate over long distances, and the way we live today (such as with electricity) all depended on things like this.

So what does it mean today? What happens when a country like Israel runs out of fresh water? They innovate and start desalination processes. What happens if you cut off water from ISIS in Iraq? How does that affect who can win the war?

Learning geography will help kids understand different cultures

Being surrounded by water, or being in the middle of a desert will drastically affect what a culture values, as well as how they live their daily lives. If kids learn geography from around the globe, they will have the opportunity to gain more of an appreciation for foreign countries and cultures.

It will also help them understand languages, which can shape cultures. Do all languages have a word for “snow”? How would you describe “snow” to someone who has never seen it, and never heard of it? Is it ice? Is it water?

Why do many languages contain words from other languages? For example, the word “telephone” – can you find this word pronounced differently in different countries? Why or why not? What about “tomato”?

What about what we consider to be ‘beautiful’ in the place where we live. Where does the idea of ‘beauty’ come from? Do all cultures see things as ‘beautiful’ in the same way? Why or why not?

Geography gives kids a better worldview

Speaking of the globe, understanding where certain resources come from, or even just where certain places are, will help your child gain an appreciation for the world that goes beyond the borders that they live within.

4 tips to get your kids to learn geography!

1. Get a globe, or a map

A good way to start is by getting a globe or map for your home. Encourage your kids to ask questions about different places- if you don’t know what to tell them about a certain place, have them research it themselves and learn something new!

2. Travel!

Travelling is a great way for your kids to learn about different places and cultures. Or, if you can’t go somewhere, watch a documentary about it. We wrote an article, for example, on how to make a trip to Vernon, B.C. more educational for your kids.

3. Get a map puzzle

Map puzzles are great because your kids have to actively think about where each country, province, or state goes. There are even some online, like this one from National Geographic.

4. Apps

And of course, there are plenty of great apps out there to help teach your kids geography! This list by kidworldcitizen.org is great to start with.

5. Start a Flat Stanley Project!

This is a fun way to live through world experiences vicariously through a paper ‘Stanley’ who gets sent in the mail to a friend or relative. The receiver documents where Flat Stanley goes, takes photos with Flat Stanley and writes about the experiences. Flat Stanley can even send back treats for the class at school! Learn more about The Flat Stanley Project here.

And most importantly, have fun helping your kids learn geography! Happy Studying!

Focused art lesson: making lanterns as an educational craft

Susan Cumberland March 20, 2015

An important skill for a teacher to have is to be able to teach kids how to see the bigger picture of a lesson and make connections between academic subjects. One way to do this is through integrated studies, which according to edutopia.org, means you combine subjects by doing projects to get a broader understanding that goes beyond one simple topic. The benefits of integrated teaching are quite vast, and include cooperation, and an increased ability to think critically and creatively. In this lesson idea, we will show you how to combine English, Social Studies, and Art to teach your students about making lanterns as an educational craft.

History of making lanterns

You can take the history portion of this lesson in a lot of different ways. You can focus on one culture, one period of time, or even one specific type of lantern. One example of this could be the history of lanterns in China. In this lesson, you could focus on the yearly Lantern Festival. This famous Chinese event began over 2,000 years ago and features lighting lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, folk dances, and eating a sticky rice dumpling called Yuanxiao. Do some research on the history of lanterns for the culture or time period of your choice, and have fun telling stories about lanterns to your students!

The art of making lanterns as an educational craft

A lesson like this is a great way to make some art with your students. After learning about the history behind lanterns, have your students make some! Depending on how you tailored your history lesson or what supplies you have, you can make different types of lanterns. First of all, you could make glass lanterns. To make these, just decorate a mason jar and put a tealight inside. To make a handle, just twist a piece of wire around the jar and hook another piece of wire on two sides of it.

The simplest option is probably to make paper lanterns. To do this, you only need two sheets of coloured paper, scissors, and a stapler. Have your students follow these steps from innerchild.com. Then, hang them from the ceiling of your classroom or tutoring room to brighten up the room!

If you have a little more time for this craft, you can make fun lanterns using yarn or twine. This one is a little more complicated, so you will want to closely follow the directions of wednesdaycustomdesigns.com if you are using yarn, and mrkate.com if you want to use twine.

If you and your students are feeling fairly adventurous, you can even try making flying paper lanterns. This one requires a lot of planning, preparing, and time consuming steps, so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into before you do this one. Read the instructions by Angie Diersman here.

Apply an English lesson to making lanterns as an educational craft

You can incorporate English studies into both the beginning and end of this lesson. At the beginning, you can have your students read a short story about lanterns, like one about the Chinese Lantern Festival. After the lesson, have your students write about their experience of making the lanterns, and what they learned from it. Or, have them write a small speech to present their lantern and what it represents.

Now that you have this idea for an integrated lesson, try making lanterns as an educational craft with your students! Or, apply these skills to create a fun lesson combining different subjects. Have fun doing integrated lessons with your students!