Welcome to our Ad-Free Education Blog for Tutors, Teachers and Parents

Weekly posts on educational topics, how-to-teach tips, parenting advice, kids health and more. Subscribe to the newsletter (on the left or below on mobile) for education blog updates by School is Easy Tutoring.

How STEAM learning is changing STEM subjects, and why it matters

Susan Cumberland March 31, 2017

In a past article we discussed ‘How the push for STEM education in Canada could change your child’s future.’ We talked about how modern curriculums are including science, technology, engineering and math as an interdisciplinary approach. We also discussed the way in which governments, businesses and organizations are investing in teaching and popularizing those subjects. STEM is becoming a framework for ensuring a viable workforce in Canada’s future.

However, a newer term has been popping up, called STEAM learning. The ‘A’ stands for “Art.” Art includes design, and it’s concepts. The newer acronym is changing the way we look at STEM subjects.

For one, it may get your kids more interested in pursuing STEM. And, it can change the approach to teaching these subjects by integrating the creative with the ‘modular.’

How STEAM learning affects STEM education and careers

In our last article on STEM education, we mentioned that STEM is invasive. It pervades our lives nowadays. It’s hard to meet someone who doesn’t own a piece of technology – be it a smartphone or a flip phone. Either way, even if your phone can’t tweet, it still needed people in STEM careers to make your life that much easier.

But STEM is not just about computers. It includes engineering and innovation in the things you don’t really notice or think about daily. Like the fuel efficiency of your car today compared to your parents’ time. Or the ability of your symmetrically-shaped glass windows to keep your heating bill down, compared to centuries ago. Or the systems that take your toilet waste and turn it into clean drinking water without you smelling or seeing it.

These all have the need for something that overlays STEM subjects: design thinking. Sometimes, this extends into a term called ‘whole-brain thinking,’ where business is added to science and creativity too. In short, the design component, while it may seem only creative, is not. The design is what decides how science is going to solve problems for humans in a way that they can adapt to it, or use it.

And so, the Rhode Island School of Design started a push to start changing the term STEM into STEAM. The idea is to combine art into the STEM subjects, because it’s still needed. The two fields are dependent on each other.

Their website, stemtosteam.org explains how art and science often converge. It gives the case study of a painter who discovered daguerreotypes – the precursor to photography. Photography, at the time, needed chemistry to develop film, an understanding of light to capture images, and more. Today, the way a camera is designed is reflective of how it needs science to work.

And we can see this in many areas, without a scholar needing to show us. The height of the Eiffel Tower is clearly related to its magnificent design, for instance. Buildings that grow plants on their walls or roofs are clearly a convergence of design and science working together. And so on.

Edutopia has a list of resources to help educators bridge STEM with art, and explain the need for both:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/STEAM-resources

How STEAM learning might encourage more students to pursue STEM

Since the need for STEM-educated students is rising, the ability to get kids interested in these fields is also proving to be a challenge. Around the web you’ll find articles and stats about diversity issues in STEM, and the reluctance of kids to want to pursue these subjects in post secondary schools. We covered some of that in our previous article on STEM, mentioned above.

However, when you add art and creativity into the mix, you suddenly have an avenue for getting kids interested in what STEM subjects can do. This is most prominently noted among the gender gap in STEM; girls are less likely than boys to pursue these hard skills.

This article on Lifehacker.com also explains how the application of STEM can get kids interested in studying it further. For example, music actually uses a lot of math. And cooking requires chemistry. And so on.

Google started an initiative called Made with Code to get girls interested in the field. You’ll notice that the way they attract girls to take on coding subjects is by things they may be interested in, that involve art: like fashion design.

Thanks to STEAM learning, students no longer have to pick distinct paths

With the realization that art and science can go together, and need each other, it makes the choice of picking a career much easier. In the past, students may have chosen a degree in the arts believing it could not be applied to traditional STEM projects. However, workplaces and educators are seeing that is not necessarily the case. In fact, the most freedom to be able to create can come from the STEM subjects, integrated as STEAM learning.

How the push for STEM education in Canada could change your child’s future

Susan Cumberland March 24, 2017

STEM education in Canada can be argued to be just as important today as it is in the USA, our close neighbour.

This is showing up in your child’s future with a push for the STEM subjects all around us; even toy makers have hopped on this trend – and we know they go where the money is. So make way, STEM is here to stay.

Here is how the push for STEM education in Canada could be shaping your child’s future as we speak:

Kids are being exposed to the STEM concept of learning in modern curriculums

STEM is an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Connecting the dots between subjects to make them more relevant and useful is not new. We’ve written about things like this before. For example:

When you were young, you may have remembered math as a totally separate subject from science. Engineering was probably barely touched on. And at most, you may have learned how to use a Mac computer to draw, or type up projects in those fun fonts.

Meanwhile, a strong emphasis may have been placed on developing your handwriting – remember when you were told to write your essays on paper before typing them up on the computer?

Nowadays, it’s not just about learning how to use a computer, or learning these STEM subjects separately.

The whole learning concept of STEM is that these subjects are highly integrated, and directly relevant to our future as a society. Long gone are the days when kids could complain about math class being useless. And teachers don’t have to say, “math helps develop your brain” anymore either. Our modern economies need kids to learn this stuff, badly.

To produce a computer (not just use it), you need to know more than computer science. Computer science connects to math and engineering. And you can’t be great at making computers without understanding how they’re used, like for art (yes, even art needs STEM, and STEM needs art!). STEM is invasive.

Educators, along with parents, are realizing that STEM is important. And, the force of today’s tech culture is making kids aware of it too – although not enough, especially where diversity in STEM is concerned. Still, too few are pursuing the field.

Businesses, organizations and governments are investing in your child’s STEM future already

The Globe and Mail has reported the way in which corporations like Google, Microsoft and Cisco are investing in STEM programs. Sometimes these show up as after-school initiatives, since school curriculums may not be as up to date as the corporations need them to be for their future workforce. However, there are more. Best Buy has donated to help improve STEM learning at Canadian schools, for instance. Some companies work with organizations like Ladies Learning Code to help get STEM education out there.

The Federal Government of Canada has already invested in a program called BrainSTEM, to encourage the outreach of these subjects in schools and at conferences. Some provincial governments are also seeing the need to invest in STEM programs. The aforementioned Globe and Mail article states New Brunswick’s plan to improve STEM education in schools. Some of B.C.’s investments are outlined here.

However, in 2012, B.C. did cut back on funding that helped science volunteers visit schools to enhance STEM learning. The program continues, but as teachers themselves are not all equipped to put on these lessons, it shows a lack in resources.

Companies are also popping up to allow for STEM learning outside the classroom. One such company based in Canada is Scientists in School. And, non-profit organizations are also getting involved in the spread of STEM with B.C.’s new curriculum. For example, Science World and BC Hydro are some, in addition to teacher’s associations.

STEM is everywhere, and parents can help

While STEM is here to stay, it’s also obvious that fewer kids may be interested in pursuing it, given its perception of being ‘hard’ or ‘boring.’ However, that doesn’t need to be the case. As a parent, you can encourage your child to pursue STEM subjects. Whether it be through educational toys, registering for after-school programs, or merely being there to help with their homework, it all can help. Of course, as a tutoring company, we’ll also mention that a science or math tutor can help fill the gap if you feel your child is falling behind in STEM.

See our related articles for help on encouraging STEM in your child:

How to teach teens personal hygiene lessons

Susan Cumberland March 17, 2017

Sometimes, teens just stink. As parents, we wonder if they even notice their personal hygiene problems. But truth be told, when we were that age, we were probably taught personal hygiene; it didn’t come naturally. And other times, the stink may not be the obvious giveaway that you need to discuss hygiene with a teen. Germs and bacteria can secretly cause sickness or infections right under our noses (sometimes literally – like in our mouths!).

The subject can be awkward. So, in this article, we will discuss how to teach teens about personal hygiene lessons.

When teaching teens about personal hygiene, make the conversation as normal and frank as possible

Bad personal hygiene is embarrassing. And sometimes, the teen may not even realize they need help in this area. Other times, they may not know what to do, or are too embarrassed to ask.

When teens hit puberty, their body is going through multiple changes. New sweat glands start operating. Not to mention, girls get their periods, and boys experience wet dreams. Both can be susceptible to yeast infections, acne, cold sores, cavities and so on. Who really wants to talk about this? Wouldn’t you feel ‘dirty’ if you had no idea how these things started happening to your body? And if kids at school are making fun of them, they can be even more embarrassed by them.

But when an adult makes them feel comfortable, and lets them know that this is normal, the teen may better get the impression that it’s ok to ask questions. Being frank when teaching teens about personal hygiene can help remove the awkwardness. Sometimes, having the same-sex adult tell a teen about personal hygiene practices can help too.

If you act like this is so secretive and ‘yucky’, or give them the “phewww! You stink!” glance, you might induce insecurity, which will prevent them from wanting to talk about it at all. And you need them to be open to talking about it, if you’ll get through to them.

If they act like they don’t care, teach teens the consequences of bad hygiene

Following up with being frank, a parent or adult role model needs to also tell teens why personal hygiene is important.

When they were little, they may have been taught to wash their hands after going to the bathroom, or before eating a meal. They also learned to cough with their mouth covered, and to brush their teeth before bed. These practices would prevent them from getting sick. Or maybe they did it just because mom and dad told them to.

But when they are teens, they may need more reason than “it’s a rule” to keep themselves clean.

It wouldn’t hurt to explain how bacteria grows on the skin to cause stink and infections, or that cross-contamination is a ‘thing.’ And, it’s in a teen’s best interest to follow self-cleaning routines; it can control acne, avoid itchy rashes, keep their adult teeth longer, reduce bad breath and make them smell nicer in front of friends – even those they are attracted to! (if they’re at that stage).

According to an article by WebMD, additional tips on this matter include:

Letting them know what is true and not true about commonly held beliefs on hygiene (for instance, oily french fries are not the cause of acne).
Making it a ‘chore’ if the teen is unmotivated to stay clean for their own interests. The article linked to earlier in this article also suggests writing down a hygiene schedule for special needs kids, who may need the extra help remembering.
Discussing puberty at the right time, so kids know what’s coming, and don’t believe the weird things kids at school may be telling them.
Asking a doctor to help out with the education needed, if necessary.

To teach teens about personal hygiene, you have to be a good role model

Also noted in the WebMD article, it’s important to be a good role model when teaching teens about personal hygiene. Don’t think kids aren’t watching – any parent can tell you they’ve been surprised by this. If you’re falling asleep on the couch and not brushing your teeth before bed, they can use that as an excuse to think it’s ok for them to do it too. And you don’t want to be paying for the dental bills as a result of those bad oral hygiene practices.

The same goes for showering, grooming, using deodorant (or antiperspirant) and so on. And, openly telling your son or daughter that you’re visiting the doctor for routine visits related to health may also set the example for them that they should be doing this too. If they see you sharing a water bottle or chapstick with someone, they may start doing it with friends, without regard to the fact that they can catch colds that way. So make sure they know when it’s ok, or not ok to do that.

You can make it fun for them too. For example, try hairstyles together, or shop for hygiene products together. Girls may like picking out the smells of some soaps. And boys may like making their cleaned hair look like a celebrity’s. Maybe not the best examples, but you get the idea. And sure, teens may not enjoy their parents being that intimate with them. So give them space if they need it.

As teens become more independent, their soon-to-be adult lives will need to be full of lessons on personal hygiene – just as much as they need to know about other life skills.

Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (5): learning to critique the media and spot ‘fake news’

Susan Cumberland March 10, 2017

See other articles in this series:

In our last article in this series on teaching kids how to start a newspaper, we discussed the need to learn how to research and identify sources of information.

But there is a bigger societal issue at hand presently. And it’s becoming a buzzword people are using to denounce the state of journalism, as we know it on the internet. It’s called “fake news.” What does fake news mean? Well, it’s fake; it’s not true. But how do people get fooled by it? By not knowing how to identify reliable sources of information. We all need to learn how to research, not just kids.

Troublingly, reports are showing that kids nowadays can’t tell the difference between real news and fake news. And so, in our educational system, it seems wise to teach kids how to start a newspaper, so they can learn what goes into news storytelling. This will make them better-informed citizens of our future.

Learn to be critical of the media, recognize bias and spot ‘fake news’

We discussed the need to recognize bias in the media in our first article on this series. However, this comes into play when analyzing sources, especially secondary sources. As mentioned above, a good news story will simply report on its findings. Interpretation, opinion, conjecture and the like have no place in a ‘pure’ news article. But sadly, that’s not the state of all journalism these days.

So, kids should learn to be critical of the news, and to recognize bias. They should ask questions like, are there contradictory opinions on a subject? Or am I telling only one side of this story? Did the student, in their news article assignment, cover both those opinions by dutifully interviewing two opposing sources?

And, what happens when a primary source – say, someone you’re interviewing – makes statements about ‘facts.’ Do you check on those facts, to find out if they are true? How do you check? Kids need to learn how to find both primary and secondary sources, and to spot them in a news article.

One way to learn to research is by media critiquing exercises. Have students find a news article they believe to be true. Then ask them how they can know for sure it is absolutely true. Chances are, when learning to research, students will find a lot of nuance regarding the subject – and not all of it will be based on what they thought they knew (see this article, page 12). This can help kids get out of their own ‘bubble’ and see the subtlety in news bias.

See the article below for a story of teaching kids in school to spot fake news:

The Classroom Where Fake News Fails

This article explains the need for teachers to teach kids the elements of news stories that are assumed to be general knowledge. We forget as adults we carry lots of previously-acquired information that kids don’t always have, to be able to make these analyses.

And, while this John Oliver rant is not a video to show kids in a classroom, it can give a teacher a primer on the issue of native advertising, especially as it relates to being ‘fooled’ on news sites nowadays.

Plus, see our related article on this blog:

The impact brands have on children

Teaching kids about fake news challenges our own ‘truths’

One diagram being shared on the web makes an attempt to help people identify quality news. However, an opposing article makes the claim that in itself, the diagram is liberally biased.

This may spur an interesting discussion with your students. How do they themselves know what a reliable news story is, without someone having to tell them?

In short: we all have biases. And we all have a tendency to believe what we hear and read in the media, just because it’s our go-to source of information.

This lesson should challenge kids to question even the source that says “this is fake news.” It should direct kids to learn how to make well-informed critiques, instead of trusting what their favourite website or celebrity says. To do that, kids must learn how to research and fact-check, which we discussed in Part 4 of this series on how to start a newspaper.

Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (4): learning to research and identify sources of information

Susan Cumberland March 3, 2017

See other articles in this series:

In our series on teaching kids how to start a newspaper, we can’t help but discuss the important need to teach kids how to research. When you teach kids to research, you are not only teaching them to be investigative journalists; you are enhancing their curiosity to want to know the truth behind everything.

Learning how to identify a reliable source, a primary source and a secondary source can also transfer to other areas of academics. Even if writing is not the focus, research always is in academia. Think of writing academic papers, scientific reports and so on.

Let’s begin.

Learn the difference between a primary source and a secondary source

When doing research, you have multiple ways of finding information. What types of information are there?

There are many ways you can categorize types of information. There is qualitative and quantitative data, for instance. In journalism, the two main information types to teach kids when learning to research are primary and secondary sources. There are also tertiary sources. The page below gives an overview of the types of information sources to use when doing research, and how they differ:

http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/research/primary-secondary-tertiary.html

A well-researched news article will use at least one primary source (i.e. an interview) or one secondary source (i.e. a scientific report). However, asking questions is what journalists are known for, so there will usually be a primary source in a current events type of article.

Scholastic has published a page on ‘How to Conduct a Journalistic Interview,’ which you can use in your classroom.

This article explains the steps to quality investigative journalism, which can be used to teach kids how to research and identify reliable sources of information.

This article also delves into how journalists can use data as a research method, and the need to do so these days.

Teach kids to back up their sources while writing

Quality journalism means not expecting your reader to take what you say at face value. Journalists always have to back up their sources. That means, they have to state where they found their information.

Journalism has specific standards for including sources in news articles, which we won’t get into fully here. However, as a form of habit, when teaching kids how to research, they should learn the difference between writing sentences as fact, and writing them as a report of what another source states. For example, note the difference between:

“The sky is blue.”

And

“Jane said the sky is blue.”

“This scientific study, which you can find at _____, discovered that the sky is blue.”

The first example makes an assumption, and assumes the reader will believe the writer no matter what. The other two are backed by sources – either primary or secondary. They simply report on findings. They make no analysis, interpretation nor true or false statements. They also don’t give an opinion.

Teaching kids how to research makes them better learners

This is an opinion of ours: that if kids learn how to research, they can become better learners. (Notice that we haven’t sourced the statement, so it can only be an opinion!).

Learning how to start a newspaper is a great entry point into understanding where information comes from (hint: it’s not social media!). Students can learn the difference between fables and truth. They can understand what it means to verify that something is true before believing it. And so, when they learn new topics, they can think more critically about the information they are absorbing.

We plan to delve into this subject more in our next article on this series. Stay tuned!

What is the Montessori adolescent program, and how is it used in elementary and high schools?

Susan Cumberland February 24, 2017

When we think of ‘Montessori’ we often think of preschool programs. However, unless your child falls into a school district offering Montessori alternative programs, or is enrolled in a private school, you may not be aware that Montessori educational theory can be applied to elementary and high school grades too.

So how is the Montessori adolescent program different? We’ll explain a few key characteristics in this article.

Montessori adolescent programs follow the designs of its early childhood learning, but with more advanced subjects

If your child attended a Montessori early childhood program, you may remember that the classroom set up was a bit different than a traditional school. Nowadays, it’s commonplace to have free-roaming daycares and a few age groups in a single room. But when you get to the elementary or high school levels of Montessori, this begins to stand out.

Contrary to the idea that students should sit in rows, do what the teacher says, and work independently, the Montessori adolescent program is different in the following ways, compared to other traditional school programs:

Multiple age groups are in put in a single classroom. This allows for older role models to help the younger ones. It also allows for social environments that may mimic ‘real life.’
Students are given a lot of freedom in choosing what they want to learn, within limits. The trained Montessori teacher can set out certain parameters for the kids to work within. But the student is responsible for directing their own learning – that can be by picking their own novel to study, for instance. They can also work on solving a math problem for as long as they need. The idea is to keep kids responsible for their own progress. It is also believed to translate into more motivation, and being able to reason and come to conclusions on one’s own.
Students are not graded. This is a big difference in Montessori adolescent programs vs. traditional schools. Montessori teachers do evaluate kids and are meant to keep them on track, and to individually develop their interests. However, feedback is meant to avoid discouragement, because different children will have skills in different areas. In higher grades, to meet Ministry of Education standards, students are given tests.
Students work in groups. The social aspect of Montessori teaching is instilled in students so that they learn to get along and work with others. Yes, sometimes they have to work independently, but groups are also encouraged, and sometimes necessary. It is also noticeable that a Montessori classroom may not have desks.
Subjects are taught in segments. There is a typical 5-week rotation for learning. This provides less switching, more focus, and ample time to delve into a topic.
Studies in subjects overlap. The idea is that one subject of study can bring about other subjects.

The Montessori adolescent program focuses on fostering independence

You’ll notice with Montessori methods in adolescent learning, such as with Montessori high schools, that the learning is meant to shape independence. The thought here is that kids need to develop life skills they will use in the ‘real world.’ They should not merely be given theory to study. Instead, a “holistic” approach is taken. It is important, for instance, that they know how to manage their own money, and learn what it takes to survive on their own. They should also have work skills.

You can see this in the encouragement of internships, the group assignments, and in the way self-directed learning means knowing how to budget your time effectively. Remember, Montessori high school students must still meet the BC Curriculum requirements. So while they can pick their topics and develop interests in a certain area, they must still complete the rest of the subject. They can do this by making a plan to complete their work, in conjunction with the teacher’s input.

This article from the Times Columnist describes Canada’s first Montessori graduating high school class, and demonstrates the above principles.

Montessori adolescent programs are considered helpful for gifted or special needs students

As some articles online, and linked to in this article will point out, the individualized approach of Montessori educational theory can be helpful for students who need a program that is non-standardized. By being able to work ahead of others, and pick challenging topics, a gifted student can excel in this type of environment. On the other hand, needing to go slower, or to have more time to absorb material can also help someone with a learning difficulty.

Is Montessori right for your child beyond preschool?

To conclude, we can see benefits of the Montessori approach. However, whether or not your child attends a Montessori alternative program in a Canadian school district or private school is something you’ll need to decide for yourself. You may notice that public school programs can incorporate some of the elements of the Montessori educational method, without being regarded as a full-fledged Montessori program.

Also remember that the term ‘Montessori’ can mean many things in different contexts. So not all Montessori schools will be alike. You’ll need to do research into each of their programs to find the right fit, if it interests you. Some associations provide more credibility to some than others, which you can also look into.