Types of Learning

A recent survey shows that as many as 11% of children aged 4 to 17 years old have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. This is a condition defined by an ongoing pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that can interfere with the child’s development and daily function. Some of the most common signs of ADHD like hyperactivity and impulsivity are easy to identify, but there is another category of symptoms that is often less clear – inattention.

Inattention is more than just having trouble staying on task, however, it has lately been defined more broadly as a pattern of difficulties known as executive function disorder (EFD). Keep reading to learn more about executive functioning issues and how to manage them.

This video explains how to bolster executive functioning in middle and high school-age students.

What is Executive Functioning Disorder?

If you think of the human brain as a big company, the executive function of the brain is the CEO. Around the time your child hits puberty, the frontal part in the cortex of his brain matures enough to allow him to perform higher-level tasks – things that the chief executive officer of a company might do. This includes actions like:

• Analyzing a particular task
• Planning the steps to complete the task
• Organizing those steps as needed
• Developing timeline to complete the task
• Adjusting or changing the steps as needed to complete the task
• Completing the task in a timely manner

Co-teaching is an inclusive education model in which students with special education needs are provided the opportunity to learn in a mainstream classroom with the additional support of a special education teacher who co-teaches with the general education teacher. This model has proven successful in many school districts for several reasons.

Benefits for students with special education requirements

First of all, the co-teaching model ensures that students with special needs have access to the general education curriculum. By law students with disabilities must be provided access to learning opportunities that do not restrict their ability to progress in a subject or grade level. In a co-taught class, special education students have the opportunity to move from modified assignments to typical assignments as they develop skills and confidence. As a result, co-taught special education students are generally more likely to meet grade-level standards.

While they have access to the mainstream curriculum, co-taught students also continue to receive specialized instruction. Special education teachers within the mainstream classroom can coach students individually, or in small groups, providing them the additional coaching and guidance necessary for them to complete activities and assignments.

Differentiated instruction

In addition to in-class support for mainstream assignments, co-taught students also have the opportunity to grow within the curriculum through differentiated instruction. Since there are two teachers in the class, the same material can be taught in two or more different ways. The special education teacher can anticipate student needs and, in planning lessons with the mainstream teacher,

If you have a child with special needs, you are no doubt familiar with many of the services and accommodations provided to them by their school. You may also clearly understand some of the laws that guarantee your child the appropriate support services in an educational setting. You are likely also familiar with the time, energy, and red tape required to obtain services for your child. It is a complicated process, with many legal underpinnings guiding developing and administering programs for special needs kids.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

First passed in 1975 as the Education of Handicapped Children Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as it stands today, is the result of revisions in 1990, 1997, and 2004. Before 1975, children with disabilities were either placed in segregated classrooms in public schools or denied access to public education altogether.

This video explains IDEA.

Today’s iteration of IDEA includes four parts, including Part B, which outlines the service requirements for children from 3-21 years of age, and Part C, which governs the administration of services to children from birth to 2 years of age. IDEA, among other things, establishes that families have a right to:

• A Free and Appropriate Public Education for school-aged children.
• An Individualized Education Plan for public school students.
• A consultation with a school professional to determine the level of a disabled child’s needs.
• Access to early intervention services for infants

Project-based learning is a unique type of pedagogy that moves beyond the traditional “memorize and regurgitate information” approach that is commonly seen in classrooms today. Project-based learning brings relevancy and practical application to the lesson, by making students active participants, rather than mere bystanders. Although project-based learning is still used on a relatively limited basis today, there are a number of reasons why educators might want to consider incorporating this methodology into their classrooms.

In this video, a teenager explains project-based learning.

A Definition of Project-Based Learning

According to the West Virginia Department of Education, project-based learning involves students coming together in groups or working individually to explore real-world problems. Through their explorations, students create presentations that sum up what they learned and their proposed solutions to those problems. Teachers in project-based learning classrooms serve as facilitators and guides, helping students find answers to questions without spoon-feeding the answers directly to them.

The Edutopia website explains that project-based learning comes from the belief that students learn best by becoming active participants in the education process. The methodology involves the following:

• Students using knowledge learned to tackle problems experienced in the real world
• Students exercising more control over their learning environment
• Students typically working in groups or pairs, although individual projects can also be used
• Teachers serving as coaches to encourage student reflection and problem-solving skills

Project-based learning is similar to problem-based learning, which presents

In what has traditionally been seen as an all-boys sport in high schools across the country, female athletes are beginning to make their mark. Female wrestlers have struggled for many years to be serious contenders in wrestling competitions, dealing with coaches who didn’t want them on the team and male contenders who forfeited matches rather than compete against them. Now, that tide appears to be changing, as more schools across the country are beginning to recognize these athletes as the serious competitors they are. Some are even giving girls their own place in the wrestling world, forming all-girls teams that are making their way into national competitions.

Female Wrestling Growing Nationwide

Max Preps reports that female wrestling at the high school is a growing sport across the country. In fact, the entire sport appears to be on the rise for both male and female athletes. The publication reports on a survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations during the 2010-11 school year that showed a .3 percent increase in the number of male wrestlers and a 19.8 percent increase in the number of female wrestlers. That year, 273,732 high school boys competed in the sport and 7,351 female athletes competed at the high school level.

This video shows Kasey Baynon of Statesboro Georgia making history as the first girl in Georgia to take the podium at the GHSA Wrestling Championships.