Momma Maven (a fellow mom blogger) has a recent post showing that Harvard has identified 7 Ways We Learn.
The “Seven Intelligences” are:
I am a kinesthetic learner. I’ve always known it. Tell me something to do and watch my eyes glaze over, show me how to do it and make me practice doing it, and I learn to do it.
It didn’t keep me from being an excellent student thankfully, because I could overcompensate by memorizing well enough to please professors/teachers on exams…but retention? Forget it.
Momma Maven (a fellow mom blogger) has a recent post showing that Harvard has identified 7 Ways We Learn.
The “Seven Intelligences” are:
But Maven brings up a great point…teachers still far and away instruct verbally through lectures, though most people don’t learn that way.
Brings up an obvious point of how our current education system needs to transition to today’s reality.
In the meantime, how do we help teach our children to learn verbally so that they can do better under the current system? Some tips for strong verbal learning suggested in a piece on Effective Learning are:
If your child does not learn well verbally, then engaging the content with questions, notes, recitation, and study groups might help broaden the information into other ways of learning.
Today is my birthday. Most women lie about their age as they get older. Not me. In fact, I use reverse psychology. When I turned 38, I began telling people I was almost 40. Then, when I turned 40, it was no big deal.
Well, today is 41, and still no biggie. Maybe it is because I surround myself with a rockstar husband who is in the best physical shape of his life or three kids (two of whom are teenagers) that keeps me young, or insane, or something of the kind.
Either way, I also am blessed to have girlfriends…3 of whom I work with daily. They kidnapped me today and took me for a girl’s day.
I am so type A, that I don’t normally make time for such things. But it was my birthday so I cut myself some slack and went with the flow.
Thought I would share a perfect itinerary for your girl’s day out b-day bash.
We started at Rockstar Nails Spa. I think it has been about 10 years since my last pedicure. Don’t get disgusted, I just do them myself. Cheap and fast. But the girls wouldn’t stand for it…we were getting flowers painted on our big toes. So, I went along. My fave part was the paraffin wax…awesome! The chairs were huge and massaged you while you relaxed. And, they serve cokes, water, wine…whatever you desire. No comment.
Next was one of my fave places to dine…West Crust Pizza. Margherita pizza with pepperoni and a vegie pizza…blissful.
Then off to shop. We ran to Burlington Coat Factory because I had a return to make anyway, so my efficiency kicked in for a minute, but I also walked away with some great new Kenneth Cole Shades and Polo top.
Topped the afternoon off with Sheridan’s. I chose a Grant’s Grasshopper…mini because I was still stuffed with pizza.
What a delicious day. Thank you precious friends. Girl power rocks.
I love learning. I love learning even more than I love teaching. And in this case, I am not referring to the kind of learning that takes place in the classroom. I’m speaking of the kind of learning that takes place when you realize a fault that you have that you were never aware of. The kind of learning that takes place when you see that family is more important that anything else.
Know what I’ve learned this week? I’ve learned that a free hour is to be cherished…not planned over. When in school, I looked forward to finals week because that was a sign tat school was almost over and I would have a life again. I could read for pleasure, maybe sleep in once or twice, wake up looking refreshed and not have to put concealer under my eyes, etc. Well finals week came and went and here I am. C-R-A-Z-Y busy. I planned something for every second I wasn’t already doing something else. I had 3 or 4 photo shoots, tryouts for a Color guard I teach, meetings about Church, painting an office, mentoring teenagers…just typing it all frustrates me.
So here I am Lubbock. Lesson learned. So what to do with it now? Embrace it. I woke up an hour ago. I plan on doing Yoga in a few minutes. Work from a coffeeshop. Love my free few minutes, and those I get to spend it with.
May that be the story of your weekend. Simply cherished.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN:
And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger…
Cait
My children are 15, 13, and 10…and though I have been prodding them to say please and thank you, yes ma’am and no sir since they were about 6 months of age, to this day they still don’t always get it right.
Manners are so yesterday. When did that happen? Was it when we went to casual Fridays? Casual church? Made our friends on the computer or iPhone? I wasn’t allowed to call my parent’s friends by their first name…it was Mr. Smith and Mrs. Gonzales. My kids have adopted a weird sort of compromise, calling our friends by their title and first name. Miss Jackie, Dr. Doug…what the heck is that?
And grateful? Not exactly. My husband and I are not wealthy by any stretch, but we are comfortable. As such, I am able to buy groceries a week at a time, and for a family of 5 plus all the neighborhood kids and entertaining of guests…it makes for a full basket at Wal-Mart or United.
A few months ago, I drove into the driveway as I do on most Saturdays, waiting for my kids to help me unload the trunk. They began complaining about having to unload so many groceries. Well, we stopped things right there for a “teachable moment.” Don’t your kids just love those? My teens especially treasure them. You see, comments like that 5 years ago would have irritated me, but comments like that in today’s economy where almost 1 in every 5 adults seeking employment can’t find a job…getting red and scowling just thinking about it.
How do we do it? How do we teach our children to appreciate things? Jim and I already have them work for their spending money and buy their own “extras.” They help with fundraisers that get them get to summer church camp every year. Last week I even had them write down three things each day that they were thankful for and we discussed it in the evenings sometimes.
But here is what I have found works even better. Drive through a less fortunate part of town. Let your children see the plight of the orphan or single mother struggling with three jobs…then and only then do they begin to comprehend a grateful spirit. That and pray for them to have a heart of compassion…one that gives a hand up to those less fortunate.
The truth is this is a good lesson for all of us. Living in America in this millennium…we are so blessed. How often do you say thank you each day to the sovereign God who gives you breath? To Him who does such big things as provide you with a job and food and such small things as a front row parking spot? Maybe this is a good reminder for us all…say thank you more. Don’t take your Provider for granted…or your husband…or your children. Life is too short. Say Thank You Dangit.