Every parent wants to “get it right,” but with so many opinions out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Psychologists often talk about four main parenting styles—authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved. Each has a different impact on a child’s confidence, behavior, and emotional health. So, which parenting style is actually best, and why does it matter?
Understanding the 4 Parenting Styles Researchers typically group parenting into four core styles:
Authoritative – High warmth, high structure. Parents set clear rules and expectations but are also responsive, supportive, and willing to listen.
Authoritarian – Low warmth, high structure. Parents focus on obedience, strict rules, and punishment, often with little room for discussion.
Permissive – High warmth, low structure. Parents are loving and lenient, often avoiding rules or consequences to keep kids happy.
Uninvolved (Neglectful) – Low warmth, low structure. Parents provide little guidance, emotional support, or involvement in the child’s life.
These styles aren’t rigid boxes—most parents move between them at times—but understanding them helps you see patterns in how you respond to your child.
What the Research Says: Why Authoritative Tends to Win Decades of developmental research consistently point to authoritative parenting as the most beneficial overall. Children raised with this style are more likely to:
Develop higher self-esteem and stronger emotional regulation
Do better academically
Build healthier social skills and relationships
Show more independence and problem-solving skills
Why does it work so well?
Clear boundaries give kids a sense of safety and predictability.
Warmth and connection help children feel loved and understood.
Open communication teaches kids to express themselves and think critically, not just obey.
In contrast:
Authoritarian parenting may produce obedient kids in the short term but can lead to fear, resentment, or low self-esteem.
Permissive parenting can result in kids who feel loved but struggle with self-control, limits, and responsibility.
Uninvolved parenting is linked to the most negative outcomes, including behavioral issues and emotional difficulties.
Finding Your Balance in Real Life No parent is perfectly “authoritative” all the time, and culture, personality, and family stress all play a role. The real goal isn’t perfection—it’s leaning toward authoritative more often than not.
Practical ways to move in that direction:
Set clear, age-appropriate rules and explain the “why” behind them.
Stay calm but firm when enforcing consequences.
Listen to your child’s feelings, even when you can’t give them what they want.
Admit mistakes and repair when you overreact or are too harsh.
Stay emotionally available—connection makes limits feel safer.
Think of it as a mix of love + limits: you’re warm and supportive, but you also provide structure and guidance.
Conclusion: There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, but some approaches help children thrive more than others. Research strongly supports authoritative parenting—high warmth and high structure—as the most effective and balanced style for most families. It nurtures confidence, resilience, and healthy independence.
Take a moment to reflect:
Which style do you lean toward most often?
Where could you add a bit more warmth—or a bit more structure?
If this got you thinking about your own parenting style, share your thoughts, questions, or experiences in the comments. And if you know another parent who’s wrestling with “Which parenting style is best?”, pass this along so they can reflect too.
Summertime is the perfect time to get outdoors and do some things. Science is the one subject that makes up every aspect of lives, from walking to cooking to opening and closing doors, Science is involved. The acronym, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) describes all aspects of Science. Summertime is a great time to be outdoors and explore! There several things you can do with your scholar during their summer vacation that will maintain learning momentum and spotlight some concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM).
I was a Summer Camp Coordinator for several years and I enjoyed planning fun and engaging activities for my students. Many of the activities were connected to Science in some form; however, the acronym, STEAM had not been established back then. Now, I plan fun and engaging STEAM lessons in my classroom. I want to share with you this week’s Summertime STEAM Fun activity – weather journaling.
Weather Journaling
Weather Journaling is an activity that gets students outdoors and focuses their attention on the weather. Students look at different weather factors such as temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation (rainfall), humidity, cloud cover, and intensity of sunlight. The materials for this activity are listed below followed by instructions.
Materials
Weather Log (attached below)
Clear Glass Jar/Clear Glass
12-inch Ruler
Weather Thermometer
Internet Access (to access the WeatherChannel.com or weather Apps)
Download the weather log so your scholar can record visible weather factors (You can make as many copies as you need). Find a space outside where you can place the clear glass jar/glass; you can dig a hole deep enough in the ground that will fit half of the jar or glass. This hole in the ground will stabilize the jar/glass. The top of the jar/glass should be open, without a lid or top. This jar/glass will be used to measure the amount of rainfall in your area, and you will use the ruler to measure the amount of water in the cup. Measuring rainfall should happen after a rain shower or storm has finished, and be sure to pour the water out after measuring it. Also, DO NOT MEASURE RAINFALL DURING A THUNDERSTORM. The weather thermometer can be purchased on Amazon or at Walmart in the garden section. The thermometer should be placed outside of your home. They are sometimes hung from a nearby tree or other outdoor structure close to the home; it will need to be checked daily. Students will need to access the weather forecast, for the day, to obtain the wind speed and direction, unless you have a tool that can do it. The local meteorologists on the News channels usually provides the wind speed and direction. The weather app that is found on most cell phones can also be used. My favorite weather app is The Weather Channel; however, you can also go to their website.
Now, if you and your scholar track the weather for several weeks or even the entire summer, you can have your scholar find the average rainfall in each month(June, July, August). This activity requires math; adding and dividing. They would add all of the measurements for each day of week, then add each week’s total, and then divide by the number of weeks. For example (See below), let’s say it rained 1 inch all 7 days for 2 weeks, that is a total of 14 inches for 2 weeks. Now you want to find out what the average rainfall was for those 2 weeks, so you will divide 14 by 2 and the average rain fall for each week would be 7 inches.
1 inch of rain x 7days (1st week) = 7 inches of rain in week 1
1 inch of rain x 7 days (2nd week) = 7 inches of rain week 2
Grand total of rain for 2 weeks is = 14 inches of rain for 2 weeks
Average rain fall for two weeks = 14 inches / 2 weeks Average Rain Fall/week = 7 inches
You could also have your scholar create their own weather video, which will help develop speaking skills and writing skills because they should write a script of what to say before video recording. This is why I love STEAM activities, because they consist of multiple subject areas. Have fun with this Summer STEAM activity and next week I will share another fun activity to enjoy.
Each school year has its rewards and challenges, and usually the rewards outweigh the challenges. Educators become acquainted with new groups of scholars and families. The beginning of the school year is exciting for both educators and scholars. We come with a refreshed outlook on the new school year. Educators think about ways to increase student engagement and improve student achievement. Students think about ways to make new friends and perform better in all of their classes. The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for educators, scholars, and families of scholars, it’s a fresh start.
On the other hand, the end of the year is filled with excitement, as well, especially for seniors in high school, eighth grade scholars, who are preparing to leave middle school and enter high school, and fifth grade scholars, who are preparing to enter middle school. These three grade levels are transition grades for scholars and signal both an end and, soon, a new beginning. As I reflect on this year as a middle level educator, I think of the three main areas that have made this year, and every year enjoyable: lending a listening ear, showing a caring heart, and laughing out loud.
Listening Ears
In my educator preparation program, there were no courses that taught me how to be an effective listener, it is a skill that I nurtured and developed over the years. Growing up, I was a very quiet child and did not speak much, but I would always listen. I listened to and followed instructions given to me from my parents and teachers. I listened intently while in college to gain new information. I listened to friends and family members when they share their stories with me or seek advice. So, listening is second nature to me.
As an educator, I have learned to use my listening skills to enhance my pedagogy. Most of my scholars like talking about their lives and I, genuinely, like listening to their stories. As I listen to their several stories about home life and events they experience at school, I am using that time to build relationships with my scholars, and these relationships help me in the classroom. Building relationships is vital to increasing student achievement because I have gained the trust of my scholars, and this trust pours into classroom instruction and learning tasks assigned to them; they give me their best work. In addition to a trusting relationship, I get to know my scholars outside of their academic performances. I learn about their favorite sports and when they have games coming up so that I can attend. Listening is a skill I will continue to use every school year to help me learn more about my scholars, both academically and personally.
Not only do scholars need access to a listening ear, but other teachers need someone who will serve as a sound board or provide them time to “vent.” Many of my co-workers have come to me to just share their frustrations about a scholar, a parent, or an administrative action or email, and every “vent session” is always confidential; I never share information shared with me to others. During these “vent sessions” I simply listen, I don’t try to fix the problem, unless asked for advice; most times teachers just want to get their frustrations out. Usually, I share the same frustrations, but I don’t share, during the vent session, I just listen, because that is what they need at the time. Listening is a powerful tool that builds trusting, positive relationships and it is a skill I will use every year in my teaching.
A Caring Heart
Working with people requires a level of care which will help build trusting and positive relationships. Working with young adolescents requires a “caring heart” because many of them don’t know how to care about themselves and, or their life goals. Displaying a caring heart toward my scholars, shows them what “care” looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Unfortunately, some of my scholars live in, somewhat, negative environments and they may not interact with someone who has a caring demeanor, and so when they come to school, I try to make their experience at school be the best experience ever. I want school to feel like a fun and safe place where there are several caring adults that can be trusted.
I remember reading this quote by John C. Maxwell, “students don’t care what you know, until they know how much you care.” This saying is so true. The first few weeks of school are challenging because my scholars do not know me and they do not know what to expect; they do not trust me. However, when I begin peeling back their many layers and listening to their many personal narratives, and building trusting relationships, my scholars become more invested in their academic tasks and they perform at a higher level. Scholars know which teachers care about them and which teachers don’t care about them; scholars usually do not enjoy the classes of teachers that do not care about them or for them. I have to literally walk scholars into those classrooms to ensure they will attend the class. These are also the classes that scholars do not care about arriving to class on time. Showing students a caring heart will help to increase student achievement, engagement, and also help them develop a love for learning.
Laugh Out Loud
This is perhaps the one skill I had to learn through my years of teaching, laughing with my scholars. When I first began teaching, I took my calling to teach too seriously, I would not smile or laugh because I wanted to make sure my student respected me. However, in the latter years of my teaching career, I learned that there is an urgency in closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement, but that did not mean that I could not laugh with my scholars and make learning fun. The more I smiled, the more my scholars smiled. The more I laughed, they too began to laugh.
Closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement would require me to get to know my scholars and view them as intelligent young people. Young people like having fun with each other, so why not try and connect the fun to learning. However, there are times when scholars have to maintain a serious demeanor, such as during testing or presentations to the class. Even so, I like to have as much fun teaching my scholars and I still maintain an orderly and respectful classroom environment. When we laugh we are not laughing at each other, we are laughing with each other; most often my scholars are laughing at my jokes, or funny comments. Then there are those times where one of my students will do something so funny until I can’t hold back my laughter, and we are all laughing. Laughing helps me to connect to my scholars, which in turn will help to build positive and trusting relationships that will, eventually, contribute to closing the achievement gap and increasing student achievement.
So, not only do I laugh with my scholars, I have also learned to laugh more with my colleagues while at work; sometimes teachers and students are laughing together. Laughing out loud creates a positive atmosphere because some social scientists believe that laughing is, in fact, contagious and reduces stress. I know when one of my scholars begins laughing deeply, I begin laughing, as well as other teachers walking by my door. There have been times where, when scholars arrive to my class and they are laughing at something that happened in the hallway or in the previous class, and I see that they are not slowing up with the laughter, I will just say, “okay class, let’s laugh for one minute.” We all laugh for one minute and then I am able to move on with the lesson. We all need to laugh more and stop taking life so seriously.
In conclusion, being a reflective practitioner helps me identify skills and strategies that help to increase student engagement and achievement. All teachers should reflect on their pedagogy and identify areas of “glows (+) and grows (-).” Our scholars cannot be held accountable for our lack and we can’t keep blaming our scholars or their families; it is our professional duty to build relationships and help our scholars become great thinkers and provide support to their families. My reflections on this school year have brought to light the skills that have contributed to my effectiveness in the classroom, which are having listening ears, having a caring heart, and laughing out loud when a situation calls for it. So have fun teaching so that our scholars will develop a love for learning!
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Guide Our Curriculum for Mathematics Lab, Reading Workshop, Writing Lab, and Science Lab. The Book Club is also aligned to the CCSS.
Next Generation Science Standards Guide the Science Lab.
Certified Classroom Educators guide each online learning session.
Select “Online Learning” from the menu to get more information.
During classroom instruction, scholars are expected to complete several learning tasks, which could sometimes lead to mental fatigue for the learner, or sometimes result in displays of negative behaviors. Teachers are, often times, so focused on teaching a concept and students mastering skills and understanding the concepts taught until they forget to check in with scholars to see how they are doing, or even consider the fact that they may need a break.
Brain breaks are extremely effective during the last five minutes of class. When students know that the last five minutes is dedicated to a break, and that the break can be used to talk to one another and just relax, they become more eager to complete assignments. However, there is one stipulation that students must meet to get a brain break , they must complete all learning activities successfully. Sometimes when students work exceptionally well the Brain break can be extended to 10 minutes. Brain breaks show scholars that the the teacher cares and in return they will put forth their best effort. Try giving a Brain Break during the last five minutes of your class and see how scholars respond.
Asking for help seems to be a difficult task for middle level scholars. On the other hand, elementary school scholars are more prone to ask questions when they do not understand something. In addition, elementary level scholars are not as judgmental of each other as scholars in the middle level. Young teens become extremely judgmental of one another and peer pressure takes center stage and middle level scholars become more concerned about what their peers think than what they, themselves, think.
Encouraging young teens to ask questions when unclear about something requires teachers to ask scholars, individually, what questions they may have about a topic or directions. For example, after directions are given to the class, teachers should move throughout the classroom to each scholar or each group of scholars and ask scholars, “how are they coming along? or what questions do you have about…” Asking these questions usually opens the door for scholars to ask questions when they are in doubt. This strategy prevents scholars from having to ask questions within the whole group and seems to be one-on-one with the teacher; one-on-one with the teacher seems less intimidating, which makes scholars feel more comfortable with asking questions. The more students ask questions the more they learn; if students are not asking questions, they may not be learning.
…if students are not asking questions, they may not be learning.
In conclusion, if scholars develop a habit of asking questions when they are in doubt about something, then hopefully they will become more comfortable with asking questions in a whole group setting. Questions render answers, and answers can increase knowledge. So, encourage your scholars to ask questions
Some scholars need to move to focus on learning tasks in the classroom. Sitting still can be exhausting for young learners, so I have found a way to rejuvenate the kinesthetic learners in the classroom and get them focused. “Silent Speed Ball” is the name of the instructional strategy. Yes, it is a game that involves a ball; however, the ball can be a soft foam ball or a rubber squeaker ball (size of a grapefruit). The strategy of the game is to remain quiet, throw the ball appropriately (in the catch-zone), and catch the ball. Most often, scholars are eliminated for talking; scholars have to focus on not speaking or making a sound and catching the ball, which helps students quiet their minds and focus. After playing a game of “Silent Speed Ball” students seem more settled and focused on either a learning task, or transitioning to the next class; this strategy can be used at the beginning of class or at the end. A game of Silent Speed Ball should be played for five to 10 minutes; no more than 10 minutes because then scholars will sometimes lose focus and rules become blurred. Try it and see for yourself.
Silent Speed Ball Rules
Find a ball that is the size of a grape fruit or as big as a basketball or soccer ball. Depending on the size of the classroom; the smaller the classroom the smaller the ball.
Players should remain quiet at all times during the game.
The ball should be thrown in the “catch zone” (between under the chin and above the waist; in front of the person). The ball should not be thrown to a person’s knees, head, above the head, far left, or far right; directly in front of the person. (Students have to focus on throwing the ball correctly.)
If the thrower throws the ball outside of the “catch zone” and the receiver does not catch the ball, the thrower is out; it does not matter if the receiver touched the ball. (Students like adding in the fact that the receiving person touched the ball). However, if the receiver does catch the ball, then no one is out.
If the ball is thrown in the “catch zone” and the receiver drops the ball, then the receiver is out.
Players should not have the ball for more than three seconds (hence the name Silent SPEED Ball).
Balls should not be thrown hard, only fast.
Try this game during the last five minutes or first five minutes of class. This game definitely helps scholars focus their minds. The students will love this game and teachers can bribe scholars with this game by suggesting to them if a particular learning task is complete, then maybe they can play Silent Speed Ball during the last five minutes of class. This game is terrific!
Disagreements happen to everyone, there is no age limit on disagreements. Disagreements are uncomfortable and usually escalate into something negative when individuals involved do not know how to express themselves appropriately. When people do not know how to appropriately express themselves, the animal instinct takes over; punches are thrown and angry words are exchanged. Disagreeing appropriately means that individuals can disagree without becoming angry. People think differently and have different viewpoints, so disagreements are inevitable. However, disagreements do not have to be taken personally. There are four key steps to ensuring appropriate disagreements:
Look at the other person.
Use a calm-toned voice.
Tell the other person why you feel differently (remember step #2).
Listen to the other person, without interrupting.
Remember, everyone is a unique individual with different thoughts and ideas as a result of different experiences. These experiences become the lenses by which people see the world. So, when a disagreement arises, keep in mind that the other person has different experiences than you.
To establish a successful school year, requires planning for success in the classroom. Teachers should think of how they want their classrooms to look, feel, and sound once scholars arrive to school. How do you want your classroom to appear to scholars? How do you want your classroom to feel? How will your students move around in the classroom? Will you have an area just for students? These are all questions I face at the beginning of each year. Management planning focuses on classroom management and how the classroom will be utilized by you and scholars; the arrangement of the classroom contributes to the management of the classroom. The more organized a classroom is, the easier it will be for the teacher to manage the space and behaviors. Below is a list of possible classroom focal points:
Management Planning Areas of Focus
Entering and Exit the Classroom
Retrieving a pencil, ink pen, paper, or art supplies
Work Submission area
Seating Arrangements
Sanitizing Station (location)
Storing of content-related materials
Content-specific word wall
Student Area
Classroom Library
Bulletin Board and White Board arrangements
Identify areas in the classroom that will be designated for a specific use. For example, establish a particular wall area for a content-specific word wall, or designate a space for a student area; this is where extra ink pens/pencils, paper, pencil sharpener, and any other supplies you think your scholars will need. Other areas to consider are classroom library, work submission areas, sanitizing stations, and bulletin/white board arrangements (See Image 1). Bulletin boards could house positive messaging and also be used to display student exemplar work; exemplar work samples help scholars correctly complete assignments. White boards could be used to display date, standards, learning objectives, essential questions, class agenda, homework and, or vocabulary word of the day (See Image 1).
Teachers should not wait until the first day of school to figure these things out, a plan should be devised before the first day of school; this is where classroom management starts. An organized classroom produces a well-managed classroom which is essential to ensuring the safety of everyone who enters your classroom.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin
Image 1: Board Arrangements
Planning for Success in the Classroom Strategy #3 will be posted on Friday, August 27, 2021.
There are so many reports about virtual learning and how students are not learning virtually. Virtual learning is here to stay, so why not ensure that it offers high-quality learning experiences. Many critics believe that virtual learning is “watered-down learning.” However, there are several middle level educators that will disagree and will argue that learning can happen anywhere. Most educators work extremely hard to ensure their scholars learn, by providing high-quality learning experiences that will strengthen their scholars’ cognitive abilities. Virtual learning can be just as rigorous as in-person learning, creating “productive struggles” for learners and creating opportunities for scholars to consolidate ideas with each other. “Productive Struggles” are essential to learning because they require scholars to solve problems that force them to critically think through processes that produce the correct answers or the best outcomes. John Dewey mentions in his book, Experience and Education, “teachers are the agents through which knowledge and skills are communicated and rules of conduct enforced.” In other words, learning begins with teaching. Planning engaging lessons, especially for middle level and high school scholars is difficult, but when teachers purposefully plan lessons that include questioning techniques, integrated literacy development, and provide opportunities to create, whether in the virtual classroom or physical classroom, scholars become more engaged in their learning and they actually learn.
Questioning Techniques
Questions are a focal point of learning. If a person wants to know something, they ask a question. The first step in the Scientific Method is “ask a question” which will begin to lead scientists down the road to solving a scientific problem. The same rule applies to any subject area; begin with a question. Asking a question begins to peak the interest in scholars. The use of essential questions at the beginning of a lesson not only increases the interest of scholars but guides instruction; keeps teachers on task. For example here is an essential question used for a science lesson: “How does Earth move?” This essential question initiates thoughts around the movement of Earth; now students are thinking about Earth’s movement. This same essential question, “how does Earth move?”, opened a lesson that focused on the movement of Earth and helped scholars distinguish the difference between an orbit, rotation, and a revolution. Essential Questions should always be open-ended questions to promote detailed answers; “yes” and “no” do not provide details. In addition, when close-end questions are asked and students provide a “yes” or “no” answer, teachers should always follow up with a “why” question to encourage scholars to provide more details which will give the teacher more information about the thought processes of scholars (I always like to know what my scholars are thinking and the “why” behind their thinking). Essential questions can be used in every content area, even mathematics and physical education classes (See chart below). The purpose for using essential questions is to focus attention and thinking on a particular topic; learning takes place when questions are asked. Questioning also promotes conversation and builds interests at the same time. The more outlandish the question, the more interested scholars become in the topic, whatever the topic! So ask lots of questions!
Examples of Essential Questions
Science
Math
English Language Arts
Social Studies
Electives
What is the difference between science and technology? What information can scientists get from fossils? How can ecosystems help Earth?
How do you add three digit numbers? What is the difference between an addends and a sum? What is the difference between an equation and an expression?
Who are the main characters of the story? What is the difference between a noun and a verb? What is the main idea of the text?
What are the three branches of the U.S. Government? Why was the Revolutionary War significant to the United States of America? What was the Harlem Renaissance?
Why is health and fitness important to your overall function? (Physical Education/Health) What can we do to stay physically fit? (Physical Education/Health) What are the primary colors? (Art) How can functions be used to create programs? (Computer Science)
Essential Questions for different subject areas.
Integrated Literacy Development: Reading, Writing, and Speaking
Literacy consists of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and each of these skills should be incorporated in weekly instruction in every subject area, even mathematics and physical education. All of these literacy elements are closely related, when one area is deficient, the other areas are also deficient. Words are the foundation of scholars’ literacy development. Words that are connected to content or words used in every day language are essential to the literacy development of young learners, the more words they know the easier it will be for them to comprehend text. Every day, students should be exposed to a new word by having them learn words in a dictionary or use the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) vocabulary list which can be downloaded on the internet as a PDF file (SAT Vocabulary )Create word walls in the classroom that contain the words and definitions; get students to write the definition of words on Post-It notes and stick under the word on the Word Wall. Word Walls can also be created at home in students’ bedroom or study areas. Word Search puzzles are good for helping scholars with spelling issues; the words are correctly spelled on the puzzle. Increasing vocabulary helps scholars understand written text, which then helps them understand content material. The scholars see and read words in print the better readers, writers, and speakers they will become.
Reading and writing are paired skills that produce comprehension of text; students are usually encouraged to write something in connection to the text they are reading or annotate. When scholars are assigned a text to read, they should always be encouraged to write about the text they are reading, whether that means writing five key facts, main idea, or identifying the main characters. Writing helps scholars dissect and digest information from the text. No matter if the text is fiction or non-fiction (informational text), writing should accompany reading. The use of graphic organizers is a great tool to use along with reading to help scholars organize their ideas about the text they are reading. However, when using graphic organizers with reading text, topics should be made known to scholars. For example, when reading informational text, the topic could be “volcanoes” or “ecosystems”. When reading literature, a topic could be “description of characters” or “identify main characters.”Speaking and listening are also paired literacy skills.
Learning to speak in a public format, such as in front of the class or student body is vital to literacy development. Productive talk is great! Many times parents or teachers tell young people to be quiet; however, talking, in general, is evidence of learning. When scholars discuss topics associated to class topics, they are sharing ideas and learning new information. Students also have to practice how to become effective listeners. Provide a check list to students that will help them learn how to become effective listeners. For example, look at speaker, take notes, and ask questions about topic. Schedule time for scholars to present information to the class or student body. Scholars can even present information to their family during a family gathering.
Discourse is essential to learning, so the more scholars talk, the more they are learning. Effective listening skills develop over time, and is closely associated with effective speaking skills. Listening is a skill that develops at different age levels; it is usually connected to the development of executive functioning skills. Executive function is a term used by neurologists to describe the brain processes that drive a person’s ability to focus, solve problems, organize work, remember information, learn from mistakes, and manage impulses, all of which help students learn efficiently and develop important social skills (Searle, 2013). One strategy that can be used with scholars to help with developing listening skills is “Say and Repeat.” For example, the teacher will say something and ask the student to repeat what was said; this strategy also helps teaching students how to pronounce words and paraphrase text. Students can also be encouraged to repeat and say a correct answer provided by a peer. Try it.
Create Something (Build it!)
Who doesn’t like to create or build something? Science does not have to be the only class that promotes building of things. Scholars can build something in every content area. Too much lecturing can become uninteresting and also promote learning-disengagement. Providing opportunities for students to get their hands dirty helps increase comprehension of complex content. For example, writing a poetry book or building a prototype of something that helps the environment are all ways to engage students in their learning. Each of the learning activities just named are great ways for students to create an end-product that connects to the content being studied. Hands-on activities can also be done virtually. Through video recording or capturing images with a camera, building can happen, even in the virtual realm. For example, scholars can take pictures or make video recordings as they work. Building requires three stages: Research, Planning, and Building. The research stage consist of collecting information on different materials being considered for the building project; if the building project is publishing a book, students may want to research pictures or create artwork to go along with their book. Students may also want to research different authors or artists, depending on the type of published work they are creating. The research stage can also focus on identifying problems needing a solution. During the planning phase, scholars should work on sketching out a design for their prototype of their final product and identify building materials that will be used to create their prototype. For publications, students may want to work on how they will display their work during the planning stage. Finally, the building stage consists of building the actual prototype or publishing the actual book; making adjustments and fine tuning the model. Application and Synthesizing are higher-order thinking skills, and require scholars to create something based on information covered in class or gathered through research; this information is then applied to the creation of a prototype that can be used for solving a problem or creating an easier way to do work. In addition, prototypes do not have to be models of something, they can also be a publication, a food dish, or even the creation of a small business. Prototypes can also be visual art, such as a painting or a sculpture. The purpose of creating or building something is to allow scholars an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in class to creating a finished product based on the newly-gained knowledge. Get creative, make something!
Conclusion
Learning occurs when teaching happens. A teacher can be other agents outside the classroom, such as a parent, coach, or sibling,. The overall goal of learning, is intentionally sharing information. Teaching should be carefully planned out with an end-product in mind. Teachers should always keep in mind, when planning, the main takeaway of each lesson; “what should students learn from this lesson?” Classroom teachers should ensure that they plan lessons that include questioning techniques, integrated literacy development, and provide opportunities to create on a weekly basis. Including these elements in weekly classroom instruction will improve literacy skills and result in increased student achievement in learners.
References
Dewey, J. (1938) Experience and education. New York: Touchstone Books
Searle, M. (2013). Causes and cures in the classroom: Getting to the root of academic and behavior problems. ASCD. Alexandria VA
Teaching virtually is completely different than teaching in the classroom. The virtual environment seems dark, quiet, and somewhat distracting, which encourages students to drift off task (drifted off task while writing this article to look at things to buy for my dogs). I had been struggling for about month trying to get students more engaged by turning on cameras, unmuting microphones, and raising their virtual hand. However, these attempts worked with some students, but not all. Teachers have to find a way to actively engage students in learning to ensure concepts are learned and skills are mastered. Active engagement looks like scholars completing assignments, submitting those assignments, and responding, in written format, to questions in the chat box. Active engagement sounds like robust dialogue occurring between the teacher and students, and between students, themselves. So how do we get this active engagement in the virtual environment? Three strategies that will actively engage scholars in their learning are providing timely feedback, a weekly participation grade, and communication with parents/families. Providing Timely FeedbackProviding students with timely feedback keeps them informed of their progress in class. For example, when students know they will receive a grade for work they submit, most students want to know the grade they received on their submitted work immediately. I have not mastered giving students immediate feedback on all assignments; however, I usually provide feedback within a week’s time, if not sooner. The sooner a teacher can get feedback students the better. Informing students of missing or incomplete assignments encourages them to ask clarifying questions about the assignment and then eventually completing the missing or incomplete assignment. Most often, when assignments are not submitted or incomplete, it is because scholars did not understand part of that assignment. I encourage teachers to have bi-weekly dialogue sessions with your scholars about their progress in your classes because these sessions will improve successful student outcomes. Timely feedback also shows students areas on which they need to work and areas they can celebrate successes. This strategy keeps students informed about their learning progress, and soon teaches them how to organize their time and study habits. A Weekly Participation GradeAfter weeks of silence, when asking questions to my classes, I realized that i have to find a way to encourage students to answer questions and participate in class discussions, more. I came up with the idea of rewarding students points each time they participated in class. Since I am a Class Dojo Mentor and Ambassador and I usually use it in the physical classroom, and now I am also using it virtually. I figured, I can do the same things virtually as I did in the physical classroom, except collect assignments on paper; everything, now, is digital (The trees are thankful). When students get 20 or more points, they receive 20 participation points each week; if students do not get 20 points then they receive how ever many points out of 20 points. For example, if a student only received 15 points, then that student will receive 15 out of 20 points. Parents/families are, also, connected to Class Dojo, so they, too can view these points and encourage their scholars to participate more. With this new participation system, I am hearing more students’ voices (because they all want 20 out of 20 points), even students I do not normally hear from during class discussions. I am still trying to encourage a few more students, but I think they will soon come around. Communication with Parents/Families As mentioned above, I keep parents/families connected to the classroom through Class Dojo. But during the first marking period, I was not consistently communicating with parents/families on the progress of their scholars; however, for the second marking period, I have focused my efforts on communicating with families on a weekly or bi-weekly basis; more than two weeks will not pass without parents/families receiving some form of communication about the progress of their scholar. Many parents, so far, have communicated their appreciation for receiving information about their scholars progress in class. Keep parents/families informed of their scholars’ progress because, in the long run, teachers need the support of parents/families to ensure successful academic outcomes for scholars. In conclusion, this virtual teaching experience is helping me to increase my repertoire tool bag. I am learning new ways to engage my scholars and increase successful outcomes. Since implementing the above classroom strategies, I am receiving more assignments on time, check-in communications from parents, and hearing more comments and questions from scholars throughout the week; I don’t feel like I am in the Black Hole anymore.
For a little over two months now, educators have been charged with the task of taking courses from a physical classroom to a virtual classroom. This transition was not difficult, just different. Students who are not active participants in learning in the physical classroom have become shining stars in the virtual classroom; this is their niche, and then with other students they have remained less engaged. In some areas of the country, the education system is behind the teaching and learning curve when it comes to preparing 21st Century learners; not actively and consistently utilizing technology throughout every school. This has been the case in most Urban area school districts where equal access to digital resources is scarce. Technology should be integrated into every course offered in schools, including Physical Education, no matter where the school is located. Schools that serve disenfranchised student populations are usually not equipped with a sufficient amount of digital devices. Virtual teaching requires a different mindset and teachers have to learn different ways to engage their students, since they are no longer standing near them, physically. Teachers should continue learning by seeking to master the various learning manage systems and learning platforms to engage their scholars. Maintaining students’ interests requires participation, visual aids, and sense of belonging (building relationships). Participation
Participation in the classroom is more than showing up to class on a daily basis, but also speaking up; students’ voices should be heard. So often, do teachers overlook the quiet students during class instruction. Many times, teachers overlook the quiet ones because the loud, rambunctious students are concentrating all the attention on their negative or loud behaviors. In my classroom I make a conscious effort to recognize my quiet students; to hear their voice and their thoughts. I like using equity sticks in the physical classroom, which are craft sticks with all of my students names on them. I go through my sticks of names and as I select different students, I move those sticks to another cup, or my left or right pocket; the goal is to give everyone an equal voice in class. My students soon adapt to the equity sticks and they remind each other by saying, “don’t raise your hand, she is using the sticks.” However, in the virtual classroom, it is a little different, because all of my students report to one class, so on a given day I have over 50 participants. So how do I reach all of my scholars during a 50 minute session? I don’t. But I do my best to reach at least 60% of them. I use the participant list that is visible during live instruction, and call on scholars randomly, I then write down the names of students’ on whom I have called on a note pad I keep handy while facilitating instruction. I also sometimes let students call on each other while keeping a list of students who have had a turn to speak; I have found scholars are more eager to participate when called on by a peer. Speaking is a critical part to teaching and learning. Teachers need to hear their scholars voices to determine if they understand a concept; when students speak about content, then they begin to think about the content, which further leads to comprehension. So for those quiet students I do not hear in the virtual classroom sessions, I have office hours and tutoring, outside of class time which provides additional opportunities to discuss the content being studied in class. Several of my quiet learners like the one-on-one format better. Participation is key to learning.
Visual Aids
Most people like pictures, movies, or short video clips because you see things of interest; you gain a deeper understanding, in some instances. In the classroom, visual aids should be used to help students master concepts or understand certain processes, such as the water cycle or genetic traits using a Punnet Square (As seen above). There is an opportunity to use visual aids in ever subject area, even math. For example, when I taught math and had to teach the concept of fractions (part/whole), my students just could not comprehend the idea of “part over whole.” Until one day, I ordered pizzas to assist with the lesson, and amazingly everyone understood fractions. The pizzas were considered manipulatives, which are also forms of visual aids. In virtual classrooms, visual aids enhance learning, as well, and creates a sense of curiosity in scholars. I like using short videos to introduce concepts or dig deeper into scientific processes. Brain Pop and the Magic School Bus videos are my definite go-to videos when introducing topics; yes even in middle school students still jump for the chance to watch these videos. I also like streaming videos from Discovery Education and You Tube; when used for education purposes You Tube should be added to every teachers pedagogical tool kit. Many of our scholars have to be taught how to use digital platforms appropriately; the internet is an educational tool and scholars, as well as, educators should learn how to use it appropriately. Visual aids help keep scholars engaged and increase comprehension, so that scholars are able to synthesize newly learned information. A new digital platform that I have become extremely fond of is “Explain Everything,” which is a digital whiteboard. I have used “Explain Everything” to display a molecule of DNA and solve a Punnet Square. “Explain Everything” also allows teachers to record live lessons that can be played later by scholars to review. Check it out!
A Sense of Belonging Helping students feel included is primarily the responsibility of the educator, and now more than ever, teachers must ensure that scholars feel included in the virtual learning environment. The education arena is consistently communicating how the social and emotional welfare of students and teachers should be considered moving forward in the planning for the upcoming school year.
Before beginning instruction, I ask scholars to give me a temperature check; I also do this in the physical classroom. Students select an emoji that describe how they are feeling and put it in the chat. In the classroom, students place a check under the emoji faces that describe how they are feeling when entering the classroom. This allows me an opportunity to assess the social and emotional state of my class one student at a time. In the physical classroom, if I saw several check marks under the angry emoji face I would take about 3-5 minutes to check in with the class. Usually, the quick check-in session works; students are able to vent and get whatever is bothering them out in the open; now we can move on to learning. Temperature checks are extremely important at the beginning of instruction time because it allows the teacher to gauge how scholars are doing emotionally, and it also helps teachers make valuable in-the-moment decisions about how to move forward with instruction. Students also get a sense of belonging because they now know the teacher cares about how they are feeling. When students know their teachers care about them, they will put forth the effort needed to be successful in class.
In conclusion, educators should continue to research resources and strategies that will help enhance and foster learning in the physical and virtual classrooms. Engagement is the one way teachers can assess student learning and modify instruction based on data collected from student engagement. Engage, engage, engage!
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This article is intended for classroom educators, instructional assistances, substitute educators, instructional coaches, education administrators, and parents. This article helps to shed light on “mistakes” being an essential factor to learning. Read more below.
Students working in Cooperative Learning Teams discussing their plans as they work to complete a project. Photo credit: Dr. V. Elliott
The ultimate goal of school is to ensure that students master content-specific skills that will help them become independent thinkers and problem solvers. Exposing all learners to high-quality learning experiences will help them achieve success in the classroom. High-quality learning experiences should require scholars to do all of the cognitive lifting when engaged in learning activities.
“Productive Struggle” is a term that refers to the action of allowing learners to reach a learning outcome using their prior knowledge and newly acquired knowledge. Productive struggles allow scholars to apply their knowledge to produce specific learning outcomes. Teachers should facilitate learning, showing their scholars how think and not what to think. The teacher should not provide all the information, but help scholars learn how to find and make sense of newly acquired information. Teachers should view themselves as “learning coaches” and should use questioning techniques to help scholars find relevant information, help scholars embrace mistakes, and provide timely feedback. These practices will help make your scholars’ productive struggles high-quality learning experiences.
Ask Your Scholars Questions
Sometimes, the learning tasks will require scholars to apply critical thinking skills when trying to complete the tasks, and sometimes they will not know the answers to questions or even know how to proceed with the learning tasks. This is okay, it is a productive struggle. As teachers, we want our scholars to know all the answers, but they won’t. We also want them to acquire the correct information authentically. Teachers sometimes get “tricked” into giving scholars the answers or information because it is the easiest thing to do, but it is not the most effective strategy. Teachers can use questioning techniques to help students track their own thinking and find relevant information.
Asking probing questions stimulates thinking and makes scholars think about how to apply their knowledge to the finished product or learning outcome. Begin with three questions when you want to stimulate thinking about a particular topic, diagram, image, or data table: What do you think? What do you notice? What do you wonder? These questions encourage students to generate new ideas about a concept or topic and share their ideas. Through discourse, scholars share their ideas about the topic. Talking helps scholars organize their thoughts and comprehend a topic. There are other probing questions that work as well, such as What do you understand about (name of topic)? Or What new information did you learn about (name of topic)? Any open-ended question can be used to help stimulate your scholars’ thinking and help move them through challenging areas. So, ask questions to encourage scholars to have productive discourse because it stimulates thinking and helps them work through challenging areas.
Embrace Mistakes
Mistakes occur during the learning process and often times when we make mistakes we feel embarrassed or not very intelligent. Learning is a process that requires mistakes to occur, and varies with individual scholars. People learn at different rates; some individuals learn information quickly, and others require longer periods of time to learn new information. Whatever the time frame, learning is a process that includes making mistakes. Teachers should help scholars embrace their mistakes and not feel ashamed. Without mistakes, learning will not occur.
A Classroom Scenario: In my classroom, when I am modeling a procedure for my scholars or doing a “think aloud”, I may intentionally make a mistake noticeable to my scholars. When they inform me of my mistake, I will have a few of my scholars correctly walk me through the needed steps to complete a procedure or explain the correct information to the class. Through this process I have modeled for my scholars how to embrace mistakes and how to accept assistance from each other. My scholars also learn how to patiently help one another learn from mistakes. Mistakes should always be embraced and never criticized.
Provide Timely Feedback
Teaching and learning are both fluid, meaning they both are constantly changing. Teachers should change their instruction based on their scholars’ progress, and the progress (learning) of scholars can change directions based on feedback from the teacher. Feedback is not critical, but only informative. Providing timely feedback to your scholars is essential to their academic success. When scholars become unclear about a topic or skill, teachers should provide feedback that will help the scholar identify the area or skill of uncertainty, explain their understanding, and provide clarity through questioning techniques.
For example, a few weeks ago, my scholars were learning about the geological processes needed to change the different types of rock into one another, and they had to illustrate a diagram of the Rock Cycle. One student, incorrectly illustrated the Rock Cycle diagram, so I asked the student what is giving him trouble about the processes and the Rock Cycle. The student stated that he did not understand the differences between “melting and cooling” and “heat and pressure.” I, then, directed the student to rewatch a few videos on the different geological processes and review his class notes, and I told him that I would check back with him in about 20 minutes. (The student was absent on the day geological processes was covered.) Providing timely feedback helped the scholar identify his mistakes and acquire the information needed to master understanding of a concept. The timely feedback also helped me realize that the student did not obtain important information needed to complete the learning activity. Timely feedback should occur while learning is happening, not at the end of a marking period when it is too late.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Productive Struggles are an essential part to the learning process that produces in-depth learning. In-depth learning is learning that stays with the learner, the information is never forgotten. Productive Struggles help scholars process (understand) information and apply newly acquired information to experiences that produce new products or new experiences (application and synthesis), which reveal the highest order of thinking; this is what we want for our scholars. So remind your scholars that it is okay to have Productive Struggles.
This article is specifically for parents and educators with children displaying behavioral or academic challenges in school which could be related to poor Executive Function skills. This article defines the term Executive Function and how the delay in mastering specific skills can be mistaken for other disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This article provides a few strategies parents can begin using at home to help their scholar overcome the challenges they may be facing in the academic setting.
When academic or behavioral concerns arise in the classroom, teachers and parents, often, rush to request for testing. I must admit, during my earlier years in teaching, I was on the “testing” bandwagon, too. But now, with over 20 years of teaching, I have learned that every scholar learns differently and has a different learning style. I have also learned that teaching disengaged scholars with challenging behaviors requires patience and a belief that every child can learn. The academic and behavioral challenges, exhibited by hard-to-reach, disengaged scholars may simply be a result of underdeveloped Executive Function skills.
What Exactly is Executive Function?
Neurologists describe Executive Function as the brain processes that drive our ability to focus, solve problems, and organize oneself, remember information, learn from mistakes, and manage impulses, all of which help us learn and develop important social skills (Searle, 2013). There are six major subskills of Executive Function:
Planning and Problem Solving: Students usually struggle with beginning a task or meeting goals. They are reluctant to set and stick with goals that challenge them (Searle, 2013).
Memory: Students are less likely to feel comfortable responding in class or participating in class discussions and are more likely to “zone out” when tasks or conversations are demanding (Searle, 2013). A weak executive memory system can also impact planning and problem solving executive skills.
Organization: Students are often labeled “sloppy” or “unreliable.” They become frustrated with keeping track of time, space, and materials, which make completing learning tasks difficult.
Focusing Attention: Students have difficulty maintaining attention or making adjustments and transitions. They make careless mistakes and have difficulty with refocusing themselves as they move from one activity or situation to the next (Searle, 2013).
Impulse Control: Students usually display difficulty with how to keep their responses proportional to the issue at hand; their conversation may not be related to the topic of discussion. Students usually have a mentality of “do now, think later” (Searle, 2013).
Self-Monitoring: Students usually have a sense of hopelessness because they are unable to accurately assess the quality of their work, they struggle to identify ways to improve their performance.
Strategies that Support Students with Underdeveloped Executive Function
Before testing, medicating, and punishing students, teachers and parents should try some of the strategies listed below. These strategies can also help to build confidence in scholars and help them understand that with a little effort, they can become GREAT scholars.
Planning, Problem Solving, and Organization: Display an agenda in class that list all of the activities that are planned for the day. When scholars know what to expect during class time they become less anxious and more comfortable. For example, each day when my scholars enter the learning environment, they can see, displayed on the board, a list that shows all of the learning tasks and activities they will experience. At home, a large dry-erase calendar can be displayed a wall that shows weekly or daily activities, such as household chores or extracurricular activities. These agendas and calendars help to organize time. Another device that can help with organizing time is a timer. Timers can be used to help improve pacing and keep students on task.
Displaying chronological tasks list helps students stay focused on learning task and helps them organize their time. Timers are also an essential tool that can help with planning and organization.
2. Memory: The use of visual aids should always be used with information that scholars need to learn, especially when introducing new concepts. For example, in math class when introducing fractions, a diagram, such as a circle sectioned into one half, one third, or one fourth (See image below). Visual aids help organize information into mental images that make relationships and patterns obvious to scholars and help them make sense of the information (Searle, 2013).
3. Focusing Attention: The previously mentioned strategies all have the capabilities to capture the attention of scholars. In addition, the use of graphic organizers, will help focus students’ attention on the topic or skill being studied. With graphic organizers, teachers should provide the topic or focus point, and teachers should also explain how to use graphic organizers correctly. My scholars enjoy using graphic organizers when reading articles because it helps them to understand the information better (See Image Below).
In conclusion, teachers have to think outside the box and try new strategies that have never been used before to capture and keep the attention of our scholars. Using a variety of instructional strategies that will engage our scholars in their learning is worth a try. So let’s engage our students and increase student achievement!
Reference
Searle, M. (2013). Causes and cures in the classroom: getting to the rood of academic and behavior problems. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
The advancement of technology is constantly changing every aspect of society, from grocery shopping to public parking; everything is constantly changing as a result of technological advances. Schools and classrooms even appear differently because of technological devices that enhance classroom instruction, help teachers collect student data, and assess student progress. As technology advances, methods and curricula need to also advance (Russell, 2009). Technology is opening an information highway described as both informative and disruptive (Russell, 2009). Students in today’s classrooms are under the assumption that all information on the Internet is true; students must learn to discern scholarly from unreliable information. Teaching information literacy will prepare students for academic writing in higher education institutions. In education, information literacy significantly influences scholars, practitioners, and leaders.
Scholars and Information Literacy
Presently, students do not make libraries their first choice or even a choice at all (Badke, 2009). Scholars in today’s academic institutions do not know the difference between scholarly information and reliable information (Badke, 2009). Students type words or statements into Google’s search engine and think the information is coming from a reliable source (Badke, 2009), and now with Generative Artificial Intelligence, researching information has become even more complex.
When students receive information from Google or other search engines on the Internet, they assume the information is reliable; in some cases it is not, and students need to be able discern reliable from unreliable information. Students lack the understanding of what constitutes good-quality information (Russell, 2009, para.). Scholars in today’s academic institutions do not possess the information needed to access information from an academic library; scholars, nowadays seem to only know Google (Badke, 2009).
Information literacy is having the ability to identify when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and use the information effectively (Kovalik, Yutzey, & Piazza, 2012). Information literacy is not remedial, but foundational and needs to be a part of every elementary and secondary school’s curricula (Badke, 2009). Teaching students how to discern between reliable and unreliable information is vital to education because students need to learn how to locate and use reliable information. The purpose for sending children to school is to learn new information; reliable or true information. Scholars must incorporate the same reliable information into writing assignments and research papers.
Practitioners and Information Literacy
Educators are the role models with whom students interact every day. As role models, teachers have the tremendous responsibility to influence students, especially in the area of academics (Russell, 2009). During classroom instruction, teachers need to use reliable information and model for students just how to get reliable information. For example, instead of accessing information on Google, arranging a field trip to the neighborhood library or the school’s library is a resourceful way to model how to obtain reliable information for students. Families can also arrange a trip to the library with their children. Teachers become overwhelmed by jargon-rich details found in the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries, which prevents teachers from implementing information literacy into the class curriculum (Russell, 2009); however, librarians have the knowledge and training to teach young scholars about Information Literacy.
In addition, educators are practitioners and must practice and model everything students must implement in classwork (Russell, 2009). Information literacy courses must be framed in an easy way to implement into any curriculum; information needs to apply to every discipline (Russell, 2009). Information Literacy should be added to the curriculum beginning in upper elementary and continued through the secondary education level. Also, any teachers do appear eager to learn more about information literacy and teaching students how to become information literate (Kovalik, Yutzey, & Piazza, 2012). Maybe information literacy can be an added course to teacher-preparation programs.
Leaders and Information Literacy
Today’s educational system is designed to prepare scholars to become future leaders; scholars practice the new information obtained in school. Academic leaders use new information to enhance the educational field. The new information leaders obtain must be reliable and based on facts or research; not feelings or opinions. Scholars and practitioners recognize the changing way in which leaders govern communities, and academic institutions must prepare students for the changing world (Jacobson & Warner, 2008). The only way to help scholars stay informed about current events and a changing Global Economy is by teaching them how to find reliable, accurate information.
Leadership is no longer just one person controlling an organization or community, but a group of individuals working together to solve problems (Jacobson & Warner, 2008). Preparing scholars with reliable information will equip them with effective problem-solving skills (Jacobson & Warner, 2008). Leadership is an entity that people look to for problem-solving techniques or new methodologies which is why leaders must be information literate to make improvements that will bring about positive change (Jacobson & Warner, 2008).
Conclusion
In conclusion, educators at all levels must make sure that all students understand how to locate, evaluate, and effectively use reliable information (Turusheva, 2009, para.). Information literacy is vital for the success of scholars, practitioners, and leaders. Students must not be vulnerable to trusting the non-filtered information on the Internet and must learn how to identify authentic and reliable information from fraudulent information. Curriculum developers must incorporate information literacy into classroom resources, such as textbooks and software. By integrating information literacy into content specific material, teachers will not be hesitant to teach information literacy. Teaching information literacy in stages will render more effective results. Everyone must be information literate to evaluate and use “real” or authentic information.
References
Badke, W. (2009, July August ). How We Failed the Net Generation. Online, (), 47-49. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library website: https://portal.phoenix.edu/library.html
Jacobson, W. S., & Warner, D. (2008). Leading and Governing: A Model for Local Government Education. (cover story). Journal Of Public Affairs Education, 14(2), 149-173. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library website: https://portal.phoenix.edu/library.html
Kovalik, C. L., Yutzey, S. D., & Piazza, L. M. (2012). Assessing Change In High School Student Information Literacy Using The Tool For Real-Time Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills. Contemporary Issues In Education Research, 5(3), 153-166. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library website: https://portal.phoenix.edu/library.html
Russell, P. (2009). Why Universities Need Information Literacy Now More Than Ever. Feliciter, 55(2), 92-94. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library website: https://portal.phoenix.edu/library.html
Turusheva, L. (2009). Students’ Information Competence And Its Importance For Life-Long Education. Problems Of Education In The 21st Century, 12(), 126-132. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library website: https://portal.phoenix.edu/library.html
