Methamphetamine Exposure and the effects on Learning

As more and more children are exposed to different stimulants that impact on learning I have been learning from Kathryn Sears and about the effects of exposure of Methamphetamine.

This slide show covers features of Methamphetamine Exposure from prenatal to school age children. How children social interactions can be affected along with physical characteristics and communication before explaining the implications for teaching and learning. Along with strategies to help students.

We can make a difference with positive parenting/teaching and early inventions. This is so true for many learning issues. So Kathryn is not trying to to make teaching harder by giving teachers another thing to do.

The implications for teachers is to ensure we are collaborative and have strong communication and understanding with the family and other agencies we need to help provide a suitable learning programme. This will also help with getting to know the child's background and understanding their family environment creating a foundation for home school partnership. One way to help build a positive relationship is to focus on their strengths with hands on activities. 

A well structured learning environment that is predictable helps with the unsettled child. All students with learning difficulties enjoy visual aides to give them clues to help anticipate what is happening next. It is important to have lots of repetition with out the teacher or learner becoming bored. 

Using prompt pause praise gives them an opportunity to think about what you are asking without getting confused because the teacher has continued waffling on. If you are havign a change in the programme remember to forewarn the student. 

DFI 2019 Chch

Today I had the pleasure of visiting Christchurch with Manaiakalani. As a facilitator I had a fair bit to chew on.

The day start well with Google Keep one of my favourite places to keep information and notes that are reusable.  Unlike the old paper post it notes the stick to my laptop for a while until they start curling or fall off to the bottom on who knows where only to be found at a much later date.

As a picture speaks a 100 words I find the part where you can add a photo or image extremely useful, I can see what I have stored at the caravan or use it for inspiration in the class writing program and it is to find.

The feature that helps the most is the reminder where I can set a location so that it reminds me through my phone (where I also have it loaded) as I drive past the shop to stop and get milk.

Once again even as the facilitator I was able to learn more. Quick Time for Mac needs to be set up and the microphone granted access. This is an easy step to forget as it doesn't ask for access like loom or screen-castify does. So then you get lovely videos of a discussion with their screen shared but no sound. Duh!

As the workshop was on work flow we discussed gmail, calendar and hangouts. which can make meetings so much more manageable if you are unable to make to the site.

Calendar with its wonderful letter short cuts , as goggle continues to develop products there is always more J and K work like arrow, J takes you forward to the next day and K takes you back, (year, month of day which ever view you are in. N also works for next.

I hope everyone else had as much fun as I did, Thank you for having me Christchurch.