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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter:


This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

Guest post by Gwen Pescatore
This week’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#ptchat) on Twitter – Creating a Positive Learning Environment at Home & at School
Maxine Shaw, Head of Hazelwood School in Surrey, England said in an article for the autumn issue of Attain Magazine, “The very best schools will set children on a journey.” She continues on to say, “…each child sees themselves as an octopus, in a string bag, on a zip wire. As the child travels along the zip wire they will be able to swing away from the central line, grabbing every opportunity that is offered to them.”
Learning is not limited to school. Children are in school for only a fraction of the day, meaning, in the best of situations, this statement carries over to the home. There is no secret formula to how children learn best, but do some techniques and situations set kids up to maximize the learning experience and leave them wanting to know more? How do parents and educators together create a positive learning environment and encourage kids to be lifelong learners?
Questions we’ll discuss this Wed., 11/14/12 at 9PM EDT/6 PM PST
• How do we balance allowing children the freedom to “swing away” while also protecting them from potential harm? Do we stifle their learning in the process of protecting them?
• What inspires students to learn about a subject they don’t consider their “favorite”?
• How can technology and social media play a role?
• What can we learn from the students who are creating companies that solve some of the world’s largest problems or being a regular contributor to the local newspaper?
• Does there need to be structure to maximize learning?
• Does a positive learning environment have to mean “fun”?
• Does socio-economic status play a role? If so, what are ways to overcome them?
• Does class/school size make a difference?
New to Twitterchats?
After logging on to Twitter, visit Tweetchat and simply enter “ptchat” in the box at the top. Follow along, just watch and/or participate as you as much as you like to join others around the world in this weekly chat. We look forward to engaging your unique and important parent and/or educator perspective.