B-Dag

Electronic pen-pals: a great way to connect cultures

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Since the invention of the telephone people have been able to speak to each other from time to time. Today there is a better way of communicating anytime, from anywhere as long as a computer is available. It-s called electronic pen-pals: a great way to connect cultures.

Becoming an electronic pen-pal means being able to communicate with someone anytime, day or night. You can go on the web and talk to them about any subject you wish for as long as you wish. This great invention called the Internet allows for this adventure.

Electronic pen-pals is a find that has changed the way people communicate with each other forever. Now, instead of having to call up your best friend, family member, boss or co-worker, you can simply turn on your computer, go on the web and view and respond to pictures and comments alike.

There are pen-pal websites specifically for continual communication. Talk to your pen-pal whenever you like about subjects you and they prefer. Talk about recipes-, book titles, the comics, politics, religion, jobs, property, getting older, meeting new pen-pals, education, entertainment issues, or anything else that comes to mind.
There are electronic pen-pal sites for kids, adults, teachers, grandparents and friends alike. Surfing from all over the world and in your own backyard is fun, exciting, easy and educational. It brings the outside world, inside. Explore new lands, meet interesting people and learn new and interesting things while doing it.

So check out becoming an electronic pen-pal today and begin a great new adventure from the comfort of your home or office.

Getting children comfortable with using technology

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Parents can get children comfortable with using technology by exposing them to it. Children can learn how to use the computer very quickly. Their mind just absorbs new information and they learn through hands-on methods. Parents should show their children how to use technology and show them how to use it. Technology increases learning opportunities for children.

One way to get children comfortable with using technology is to have them play with technological toys. These toys function as computers, video games and readers so that the children not only learn the alphabet. phonics and numbers but also how to use technology. Toys that are technological are fun to use so children will want to use them.

Children can also learn how to use technology by using the computer to play games, learn new information, watch videos, look at pictures of family and friends and chat with other kids. It is important for a parent to sit with the child or in close proximity to make sure their children use the equipment correctly and monitor what their kids are doing on it. However, children need to be comfortable with the computer because they will be using it in the classroom for word programming, web quests and tests.

Taking stock of current technology trends

admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Schools often consider the use of technology separate from curriculum. Students learn to keyboard, photoshop, use search engines in the computer lab, without practical application. Faced with stand alone lessons, often one or two days a week, sometimes over an entire marking period, many already skilled students find other uses for the online time. Telling point, many high schools now assign a staff member to monitor students real time use in the labs. Indeed, someone sits watching all the computer screens in the lab, ensuring that students do not-waste their time-viewing alternatives to what they already know. Depending on the size of the school and number of computer labs, there may be 2 or more paid staff members monitoring every period of the day. The systems are expensive to buy, install, and service.

Commonsense and a concern for tax dollars spent would lead to lesson plans that integrate technological use within them. From the earliest years through high school, teachers can incorporate technology available to enhance both presentations and lessons themselves. Whether through online videos, interactive white boards, online enrichment sites, or other applications, the first individual needing to be educated is the classroom teacher. They need to check all links, make necessary adjustments for their students, to assure themselves that the correct information is being presented.

How creative writing can help children grow

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One of the biggest failure of the education system today is that it often neglects to teach children how to use their right brains. The right side of the brain controls a person’s creative and artistic side and it is just as important as the left. That is why it is important that children do activities that stimulate the right side of the brain. One of the activities that can do just that is creative writing. Creative writing is something that every young child should engage in. One of the best things about being a child is being able to use the imagination. Creative writing does just that by allowing a child to create his or her own little world.

Writing itself is a very important skill and being creative with it just makes it a lot easier and funner to learn. A child is more apt to learn something if he or she enjoys it and creative writing is an activity that many children enjoy. Last, but certainly not least, many children are aspiring writers. Creative writing gives young writers that extra practice that they need to prepare for that successful writing career. That is why it is important that creative writing be a part of the curriculum.

Fun ways to learn how to type

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Fun Ways To Learn How To Type

Learning to type is almost as important as learning to read today. Everything is computerized these day from going to the grocery store to helping your kids with their homework.

There are several very good ways to learn to type and have fun while doing so. The first of which is the virtual classroom. That’s right you can take lessons online in the comfort of your own home. The online courses will teach you which fingers to use with which keys and before you know it you’ll be typing up a storm.

Another great way to learn to type is by purchasing or downloading software that was designed to help people learn to type. The typing tutors will teach you all that you need to know to learn to type as well as keep track of your progress.

Online courses or typing software are both easy and fun ways to learn to type and both usually offer a very entertaining way to perfect your new typing skills, games. Much like a video game the typing games are fun and they are two of the best ways to learn to type more quickly and precisely.

The most entertaining educational children’s shows on television

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Television is often blamed for the decreased literacy and other problems with education, but watching the right educational shows with children deserves some credit as well. Educational children’s shows run the gammut from shows focused on pre-reading and self esteem skills, to shows that demonstrate interesting science lessons. Often, teachers play clips from these shows in their classrooms and incorporate them into their lesson plans.

Of course, many shows claim to be educational, while in reality they have very little educational value. This is why parents should not simply park their kids in front of the television to watch an “educational” show. They need to watch the show with the child at least a few times to get a feel of the lessons it is trying to teach and so that they can talk to their child about the shows, and guide their children towards shows they deem most appropriate for their family’s value system and what will also teach them what they need to know.

While learning from TV is important, it is also important that shows be entertaining as well. Educational children’s shows need to be fast moving and employ interesting characters and concepts in order to continue to hold the interest of children as well as their teachers and parents. Having these qualities will encourage a child’s natural curiosity and enable them to learn even more on their own.

ePals launches a new initiative

www.b-dag.com — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:37:39 +0000

Schools around the country have been taking advantage of new technology this year. Cloud-hosting and online communications offer students and teachers new ways to collaborate in an educational sphere. ePals, Inc. is working to establish itself as a leader in online educational communities, especially with the recent launch of its K-12 Solutions Partner Program.The program supports ePals’ already popular LearningSpace and SchoolMail applications. LearningSpace is a controlled online environment complete with social media and digital storage areas. Users are assigned roles (such as teacher and student), and teachers can moderate the information students are posting before it goes out over the web. LearningSpace is aimed at school districts seeking more communication between different sites, although smaller groups can be created within individual schools and classes. With blogging, wikis, content tagging, RSS, and web forums at their disposal, students learn to work with technology and integrate it into their other subjects. Users can also connect with other students and teachers in the more than 200 countries that use LearningSpace.The new Partner Program will allow companies aimed at the K-12 market to reach prospective customers, and inform parents and teachers about the opportunities available. Computer Generated Solutions (CGS), which was Microsoft’s 2010 Education Partner of the Year, will be the first partner. CGS is known for its Unlimited Mailbox application, which offers e-mail users more storage space for archiving old messages and documents.

Virtual schools provide more options for parents

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:55:30 +0000

In earlier generations, home-schooling was seen as the most popular alternative to public school. This option was seen by some as isolating children from the traditional school experience, but it had its advantages for parents that wanted to keep their children close by during the day. A new trend is on the rise that also keeps children at home, but also makes them part of an online community. These communities are referred to as “virtual schools”.Recent statistics suggest that more than 2 million children between kindergarten and 12^th grade are enrolled in online schools, and that number has been growing by 20 percent in recent years. Online school programs may be supplemental to actual class-time experience, but more and more schools are offering full-time virtual options.Some education professionals believe that these programs can offer a more personalized and comprehensive education for students. They can work at their own pace in activities tailored around their own interests, and parents can pick the best school for their child without worrying about location. More importantly, while some schools are dropping higher level courses like language and Advanced Placement classes, virtual schools have less to worry about when it comes to budgets for these sorts of programs. It’s also helpful for parents without regular schedules, since families can decide together when these classes will take place.Given the number of institutions trying to capitalize on this growing trend, it’s important to do research before selecting a virtual school program. Accreditation organizations like AdvancED or the National Council of Education Providers will let you know whether or not a school’s reputation holds up. You should also be able to easily find teacher credentials and contact information online, since you should still be in touch with the people who are guiding your child’s future. Some accredited nationwide programs include Virtual High School, Inc., Olympus High School, and Park City Independent National High School.

McGraw-Hill Education: quality books for over a century

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:50:02 +0000

The McGraw-Hill logo and brand-name should be familiar to most people. The company has established itself as one of the premier textbook publishers from early childhood to high school, college, and the professional world. The company can trace its roots back to the turn of the 20^th century, when James McGraw began the McGraw Publishing Company, closely followed by John Hill‘s own publishing company. The two good friends merged in 1909, and the rest is history. Starting with a focus in business and management, the company continued to expand through the 1900s (and still does today), adding a major K-12 department in the 1950s.The MHE Online Catalog is the easiest place to search for any product in any age group, beginning with early childhood and Elementary school. Toddlers and preschoolers will be enthralled by Storyteller Lift the Flap Books like “Guess My Pet” and “Guess the Weather”. They will also be introduced to the basics of subjects like Reading, Math, Social Studies, and even technology skills like typing. With the move to Secondary products, the level of information and visuals increases. Students now have access to a wealth of information in every subject, along with historical photos, diagrams, and charts. Similar enhancements occur with each successive shift, from Secondary to AP/Honors and eventually to Adult Basic Education.The best part about McGraw-Hill Education’s complete line of products is that they provide consistency and accuracy throughout your child’s educational career. The McGraw-Hill logo is one you can trust, just as it was one hundred years ago. Check out their catalog today and see how they can best improve your child’s (or your own) learning experience.

JumpStart educational software makes kids leap for joy

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:43:47 +0000

JumpStart is one of the most recognizable children’s computer software series on the market. Those bright red and yellow boxes stand out perfectly on the shelves, and the variety of cartoon characters make the series as marketable as Spongebob. As opposed to that fine children’s show, though, JumpStart games do have the added benefit of teaching important educational skills.The JumpStart series was started in the mid-1990s, with the earliest products being released between 1994 and 1998. Starting in 2000, the games were upgraded to include new characters and extra bonus discs in each package. However, the series’ dedication to providing quality education along with compelling stories and bright graphics has not faltered.When choosing the right game for your child, you can pick between games based on age level or on specific subjects. Starting at the toddler level, the games grow and learn along with your child. Want your child to explore without having to worry? Simply pop in a disc and rest assured that your child is in good hands. A special bonus in the Preschool-2^nd Grade products is the All-Stars feature, which determines your child’s learning style based on a simple quiz. The age-based games go all the way up to 6^th grade.If you and your child would rather focus on a particular subject, you can select from a wide range of specialized titles. Many of them are self-explanatory, such as JumpStart Typing and JumpStart Phonics Read & Rhyme. JumpStart Explorers is a history-based game that also teaches skills like following directions, while JumpStart Artist focuses on creativity and art history.In recent years, JumpStart products have branched out from PC games to other media. There are a variety of workbooks available from Scholastic, and new DVD games provide yet another way to keep learning fun.