Smart Parents
We spend a lot of our time creating and sharing resources for educators and parents (who are often one and the same audience). Time and time again, we observe that families are left out of the equation when it comes to determining the primary audience for education reports, papers and articles—even though they are among the hungriest for informed opinions that can help them. Smart Parents is a blog series for parents, by parents who are navigating educational opportunities + making powerful decisions for and with their students. Learn more in Smart Parents: Parenting for Powerful Learning.
Hey Mom, Can We Code This Weekend?
I was asked this by our eight year old son, Luke, just a few days ago. What prompted it? He got to make a device upon which he could also game, and would eventually code.
No Preschool Is Perfect: How to Find the Almost-Perfect Situation That’s Right for Your Family
Preschool parents crave information. You may not need daily reports, writes author Suzanne Podhurst, but there are other important items to consider when choosing a preschool. This blog is part of our Smart Parents series, where we break down how parents can encourage and promote powerful learning.
10 Kid-Tested, Smart Parent-Approved Toys & Games
Just in time for holiday shopping, here are 10 "kid-tested and smart parent-approved" toys and games that capture kids’ imaginations, hold their interest over time and even teach them a thing or two.
For the Parents, When You Know What You Don’t Know
It is encouraging to find a book that is so well-conceived and large-hearted, engaging and humbling at the same time, where the voices are real, the advice authentic, and the situations familiar.
Parents Smarten Up About Education. You’ll Never Guess What Happens Next…
By: Jonathan Oglesby. There are reflections, strategies, and checklists in Smart Parents that you can use right now (and well into the future). We all need a game plan. Smart Parents offers you the inspiration and foundation you need to develop yours.
Smart List: Homework Help & Parent Organizing
Today's Smart List is for all the Smart Parents out there. Today we are recognizing sources for homework help and organizations informing and organizing parents.
5 Ways Parents Can Support STEM Learning
By: Sarah Cornelius. How can you help encourage (or spark) an interest in these fields with your child? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, surgeon, or coding guru to do it! Take a look at these five simple tips to engage your child in STEM learning outside of the classroom.
Teaching Kids to Navigate Social Media? It’s a Matter of Principle
By: Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff. Practical strategies and resources to help parents navigate social media decisions, and the role of principles in the journey to do what's right online.
3 Steps for Choosing Learning Games for Children
By: Kristen DiCerbo. The actual process of selecting educational games can itself be a learning process… for kids and adults. Here are three steps to help in making decisions when it comes to learning games.
Smart Parents use Games & Sims to Provoke Powerful Learning
Kae Novak runs the ISTE Games and Simulations. Tom recently joined her and a great panel for a Google Hangout. Read the quick recap of the conversation and the video in it's entirety.