I am a life-long learner! I love to teach! I was honored with 28 years in the classroom as well as independent study experience. I worked Kindergarten through College courses. Mentoring and working with teachers was a wonderful part of my educational experience. Today, I manage a consulting business - Passion In Education. I'm excited to still have access to educators. We welcome you to our virtual world!
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Alecia, 22, was a very bright young college student, but she was no longer performing up to her potential. She was having trouble thinking clearly, problems with goal setting, and difficulty staying organized. She also felt like she didn’t have enough energy, was prone to angry outbursts, and spent money foolishly. It got so bad she had to drop out of school.
What was Alecia’s problem?
To find out, Alecia’s parents took their daughter for a brain scan, which revealed marked decreased activity in her prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes. The problems, it turned out, stemmed from an accident she’d had a year earlier when she tripped and fell face first on a slick, rain-soaked ramp at college. The fall had caused a traumatic brain injury even though she never passed out. Based on the brain scan, Alecia was given a treatment plan targeted to help heal and balance her brain and eventually returned to school where she excelled.
Alecia’s Top Down Surface Scan, Indicating a TBIAlecia’s Front On Surface Scan, Indicating Clearer View of TBIAlecia’s Underside Surface Scan, Indicating Decreased Activity in PFC and Temporal Lobes
But what would have happened if she hadn’t gotten that brain scan?
The #1 Key to Optimal Performance—Your Brain
If you want to perform at your peak level at work, in school, or on the playing field, you need a healthy brain. Your brain is involved in everything you do and everything you are, including how you think, feel, act, and interact with others. Your brain is the organ of learning, communicating, personality, character, and every decision you make.
When your brain works right, you work right—whether we’re talking about work, school, sports, relationships, money, health, or anything else. Likewise, when your brain is troubled for whatever reason, you are much more likely to have trouble in your life.
How Can You Know Unless You Look?
The problem is no one ever looks at your brain. If you go to the doctor with crushing chest pain, they’ll scan your heart. But if you have crushing sadness, no one will scan your brain.
This needs to change. Brain imaging technology called SPECT measures blood flow and activity in the brain and can reveal areas of the brain with healthy activity, too much activity, or not enough activity. With this knowledge, you can get personalized strategies to balance brain activity for next-level performance.
Here’s what SPECT brain scans show about some of the most common issues that could be impacting your performance.
ACTING IMPULSIVELY
Routinely acting impulsively without considering the consequences or taking uncalculated risks can get you into hot water and cause losses for you and your organization.
SPECT findings: Impulsivity is often associated with low activity in the brain’s frontal lobes. In some people, it is associated with ADD/ADHD.
GETTING STUCK IN YOUR WAYS
Falling into a rut can prevent you from staying up to date in terms of skills and trends. When you’re stuck in outdated thinking patterns, it stunts creativity and innovation.
SPECT findings: Too much activity in the brain’s frontal lobes is commonly seen in people who tend to get stuck, have looping thoughts, or compulsive behaviors. In severe cases, it is linked to obsessive compulsive disorder.
ANGER/MOOD ISSUES
How can you expect to perform your best when you feel mad, sad, or anxious? These issues can rob your motivation, drain your energy, and sideline your ability to focus on your goals.
SPECT findings: Anger and aggression are often linked to damage in the temporal lobes. People who have low moods or depression often have increased activity in the brain’s limbic system, and those with high anxiety tend to have too much activity in the basal ganglia, insular cortex, and amygdala.
RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS
There’s no way to be operating at full capacity if you’re constantly butting heads with your colleagues, classmates, or teammates. And relationship problems at home can spill over into the mindset you take to the office, classroom, or playing field and throw you off your game.
SPECT findings: Having trouble getting along with others can be associated with a variety of brain issues. Low activity in the frontal lobes can make you blurt out hurtful things. Too much activity in this area can make you argumentative and prone to pointing out what you don’t like about others. Abnormal activity in the temporal lobes can make you tend to have temper problems. All of these things can make it hard for you to maintain personal and professional relationships.
DISORGANIZATION
How can you hit your deadlines and do your best work when you can’t find your files, lose your phone with all your contacts, and miss important meetings because you put a reminder on a sticky note that’s now under a pile of stuff?
SPECT findings: Decreased activity in the frontal lobes is commonly seen in people who are disorganized and those who have ADD/ADHD.
MEMORY ISSUES
You can’t be your best if you can’t remember due dates, upcoming appointments, people’s names, or your team’s playbook.
SPECT findings: A number of brain issues can be associated with memory problems, including overall low blood flow, a toxic-looking brain, or damage from a traumatic brain injury.
Seeing is believing. When you see on SPECT scans that your brain is troubled, it gives you a blueprint to finding the right strategies to balance it. And when you optimize your brain function, you optimize your ability to perform at your very best. Get your brain right and it will be much easier for you to be at the top of your game in every area of your life.
At Amen Clinics, we utilize brain SPECT imaging to help people see what’s happening in their brain that is keeping them from performing at peak levels. We have helped thousands of CEOs, executives, entertainers, influencers, professional and college athletes, and students optimize their brain health and enhance their performance in everything they do.
If your performance at work, in school, or on the field is holding you back, finding the root cause is the first step to turning things around. Call 855-978-0161 today to speak to a specialist about getting a brain scan as part of a complete evaluation or schedule a visit online.
Planning ahead is the best way to create rules. What are your expectations for students to best utilize leaning time? Be concise and know your consequences. Follow through with consequences. The first six weeks is making sure all understand the rules and are ready to learn in your classroom.
Rules and Consequences for Junior High and High School Classrooms
Rules for younger students should be written in a positive manner. You may need more rules for students at this age. Consequences have to be followed through immediately.
In his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”, Abraham Maslow wrote about his theory on human development. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is used to study how humans intrinsically partake in behavior. This means that in order for motivation to occur at the next level, each level must be satisfied within the individual themselves. Each individual level contains a certain amount of internal sensation that must be met in order for an individual to complete their hierarchy.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has been taught to teachers in order for them to understand how basic needs must be met so that children are able to learn. The bottom two tiers, Basic Needs, need to be met first. The middle tiers, Psychological Needs, then need to be met in order to get to the final tier. Self-actualization, which is the realization that one has reached the point of utilizing their talents, gifts, and skills to best serve here on earth, is the final goal. Today, this hierarchy of needs is taught in sociology courses. Levels are sometimes slightly different and adjusted for adults. Some believe that there is overlap in the tiers but the end goal is still self-actualization.
Maslow believed that if basic needs are not met such as food, water, warmth and rest then a student cannot learn. Many teachers believe that the basic needs are being met at home so they just begin teaching. With the increase of homelessness and mental illness in our nation, we need to ensure that the basic needs are met among the masses of students before we begin instruction. We hope that parents have this covered the basic needs in a home, but in truth, we know this is not true! This is why schools want to provide breakfast and lunch for students. This is why counselors and psychologist in the schools are so busy. The bigger problem is that there is a lack of good parenting due to many factors. Much like many of the other problems that are arising in our nation, we all need to be aware.
The next level of the hierarchy is security and safety. Students need to feel safe and secure in their home and school environment. This is also not the case in many households. The lack of security and safety leads to mental health issues being passed on from adult to child. We have also seen too many cases of children being taken advantage of by people they should be able to trust which also creates mental illness. Children need to know that they are safe under the supervision of the adults in their life. If children do not feel safe at home or school, learning does not occur.
So in order to move on through the Hierarchy of Needs, let’s say children have a wonderful home and school environment. Now they will then need to develop safe, loving relationships with friends and safe, intimate relationships with healthy family members in order to meet this set of psychological needs. How common is this in all the lives of students in schools?
Then we have the level of Self-Esteem. In the public school system, we tried to build self-esteem through programs several years back. I now see how this failed and continues to fail. The students felt like they deserved self-esteem without accomplishments. Students were getting too much praise. Getting trophies and ribbons for merely showing up. The good idea went wrong once again. Too much-unmerited self-esteem can lead to narcism, which is caring only about self. This has lead to unkindness, arrogance, and manipulation to get what one wants. Self-esteem needs to come from being confident about one’s own abilities, skills, and talents. It’s gaining self-respect for being a good, kind, human being.
Reaching Self-Actualization allows one to feel their own accomplishments from which the hard work of meeting all the needs while enveloped in loving relationships and serving others occurs.
There are many forms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I often refer back to this Hierarchy of Needs as I am trying to solve world issues.
This is a very simplified form of levels of human needs that create certain behaviors which may help in the understanding of other human beings.
“What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization.” ~Abraham Maslow
How can undergraduate education be improved? In 1987, Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson answered this question when they wrote “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” They defined what good education means at the undergraduate level. The seven principles are based upon research on good teaching and learning in the college setting.
These principles have been intended as a guideline for faculty members, students, and administrators to follow to improve teaching and learning. Research for over 50 years on practical experience of students and teachers supports these principles. When all principles are practiced, there are six other forces in education that surface: activity, expectations, cooperation, interaction, diversity, and responsibility. Good practices work for professional programs as well as the liberal arts. They also work for a variety of students: Hispanic, Asian, young, old, rich, poor.
Teachers and students have the most responsibility for improving undergraduate education. However, improvements will need to be made by college and university leaders, and state and federal officials. It is a joint venture among all that is possible. When this does occur, faculty and administrators think of themselves as educators that have a a shared goal. Resources become available for students, faculty, and administrators to work together.
The goal of the seven principles is to prepare the student to deal with the real world.
Principle 1: Encourage contact between students and faculty.
Building rapport with students is very important. The contact between students and teachers are vital to the students’ success. One of the main reasons students leave school is the feeling of isolation that they experience. The concern shown will help students get through difficult times and keep working. Faculty have many avenues to follow to open up the lines of communication.
For the regular classroom:
Invite students to visit outside of class.
Know your students by name.
Help students with problems in their extracurricular activities.
Personalize feedback on student assignments.
Attend student events.
Advise students regarding academic courses and career opportunities.
Seek out students you feel are having a problem with the course or are frequently absent.
Encourage students to present their views and participate in class discussions.
Have regular office hours.
Help students to work with other faculty. Let them know of options, research, etc. of other faculty.
Share personal experiences and values.
Use the one-minute paper at the end of class to get feedback on what the student is learning and how well they are learning it.
Talk to students on a personal level and learn about their educational and career goals.
For distance and online courses:
Try computer conferencing.
Use list serves.
Clearly communicate your email response policy.
Encourage e-mail correspondence and discussion forum use, especially beneficial for those that are shy or are from different cultures because it allows them a different avenue of communication that might be more comfortable.
“Chat time” online with faculty (at various times, scheduled weekly).
Use pictures of faculty/students.
Visit the distance sites, if possible.
Have an on-site support person.
Maintain eye contact with camera and local students.
Arrange for group work at a distance site.
Principle in action:
A York College (PA) professor has incorporated an invitation in the syllabus to encourage contact during office hours: “You are encouraged to stop in during office hours to talk about any problems or suggestions you may have concerning the course; about careers (especially graduate school or the benefits of majoring or minoring in (Insert your course here); or just about things in general. If you want to talk to me and find the schedule hours to be inconvenient, feel free to schedule an appointment.”
Faculty at St. Norbert College, Wisconsin, use electronic mail discussion groups. Many instructors find that the students are more willing to participate in a written discussion than to speak up in class. The instructor monitors the discussions and participates along with the students, adding personal perspectives and ideas to those of the students.
The Residential College of Winona State University has implemented a “living-and-learn” environment to encourage student and faculty interaction. It is located 12 blocks from the main campus and houses 400 students in large, mostly single rooms. Academic activities at the Residential College include freshman seminars, sophomore common reading seminars, and an in-resident program with notable scholars or artists participating with students in a variety of experiences. Residential College faculty are located there and hold office hours. The interaction between students and faculty are enhanced because of the increased interaction.
Technology, like e-mail, computer conferencing, and the World Wide Web/Internet, now gives more opportunities for students and faculty to converse. It is efficient, convenient, and protected. It allows more privacy so that students are able to discuss more openly without fear that other students are going to hear. E-mail also gives student more time to think about what they want to say. With these new alternatives to face-to-face communication, interaction from more students should increase within the classroom.
Resources:
Building awareness and diversity into student life: Pomona College. (1991). Liberal Education, 77 (1), 38-40.
First year experience creates a community of learners: Augsburg College. (1989). Liberal Education, 75 (5), 28-29.
Furlong, D. (1994). Using electronic mail to improve instruction. The Teaching Professor, 8 (6), 7.
O’Neill, K.L. and Todd-Mancillas, W.R. (1992). An investigation into the types of turning points affecting relational change in student-faculty interactions. Innovative Higher Education, 16, (4), 227-290.
Wilson, R.C., Gaff, J.G., Dienst, L.W., and Bavry, J.L. (1975). College Professors and Their Impact on Students. New York, NY: John Wiley.
Principle 2: Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students.
When students are encouraged to work as a team, more learning takes place. Characteristics of good learning are collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated. Working together improves thinking and understanding.
For the regular classroom:
Use cooperative learning groups
Have students participate in activities that encourage them to get to know one another.
Encourage students to join at least one organization on campus.
Assign group projects and presentations
Utilize peer tutoring.
Encourage students to participate in groups when preparing for exams and working on assignments.
Distribute performance criteria to students is that each person’s grade is independent of those achieved by others.
Encourage students from different races and cultures to share their viewpoints on topics shared in class.
For distance and online courses:
Use chat sites and discussion forums for student-to-student communication.
Set up teams to interact through e-mail or phone bridges with enough people at each site.
Encourage students to respond to their peers’ work by posting it on the internet.
Have a question and answer time online.
Use teleconferencing for idea sharing.
Encourage online discussion groups that require interaction.
Work on group projects through phone and e-mail.
Team-teach courses.
Include an “ice-breaker” activity to allow students to share their interest and to learn about others.
Principle in action:
Students in communication courses at Miami University develop a group “code of conduct” to help facilitate cooperative learning. A sample code is given out as a model. The sample code includes: respect each other, criticize ideas instead of people, listen actively, seek to understand before being understood, contribute to group discussion, keep an open mind, share responsibility, and attend all meetings. Students are encouraged to customize the code to address other shared concerns the group may have. Students refer to the code after each class or group session to assess their performance and identify areas for improvement.
At Naugatuck Valley Community-Technical College, students are tested both individually and collaboratively. Students are given a test date but are not told in which fashion they will be tested. Group tests are highly structured and a unanimous decision must be reached for the answer. The collaborative testing method helps students experience a sensitivity for diversity and others’ point of view; develop and refine skills in persuasion, listening, and reading; and share responsibility and accountability. This method also reduces test anxiety among students.
In a first-year composition class at University of Minnesota students videotape themselves discussing apprehensions before taking the course, their feelings when they received their papers back, and what they learned from the class. Next quarter, the video is shown to new students in the course to show that the feelings they are experiencing are shared by others and helps motivate them to succeed.
Cooperative learning has several benefits. Students care more about their learning because of the interdependent nature of the process. Retention is higher because there is a social and intellectual aspect on the content material. Students also find the method more enjoyable because there is no competition placed upon them. Cooperation, not competition, is more effective in promoting student learning.
Resources:
Cassini, C. (1994). Collaborative testing, grading. The Teaching Professor, 8 (4), 5.
Grading student projects: A project in itself. (1994). Adapted from For Your Consideration, 3 (3), by The Teaching Professor, 8 (2), 3-4.
Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R.T. (1985). Cooperative Learning: Warm Ups, Grouping Strategies and Group Activities. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Co.
McKinney, K. and Graham-Buxton, M. (1993). The use of collaborative learning groups in the large class: Is it possible? Teaching Sociology, 21, 403-408.
Prescott, S. (1992). Cooperation and motivation. Cooperative Learning and College Teaching, 3 (1).
*Special note: The National Center on Post secondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment has developed a source book on collaborative learning. Contact: NCTLA, Penn State University, 403 S. Allen St. Suite 104, University Park, PA 16801.
Principle 3: Encourage active learning.
Learning is an active process. Students are not able to learn much by only sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and churning out answers. They must be able to talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. Students need to make learning a part of themselves.
For the regular classroom:
Ask students to relate what they are learning to something in real life.
Use journaling.
Give students concrete, real-life situations to analyze.
Encourage students to suggest new reading, projects, or course activities.
Ask students to present their work to the class.
Use of simulation software to run “what-if” scenarios allows students to manipulate variables and circumstances.
Practice role modeling and use web-based case studies to practice new thinking skills.
Encourage students to challenge your ideas, the ideas of other students, or those ideas presented in readings or other course materials in a respectful matter.
Set up problem solving activities in small groups and have each group discuss their solutions with the class.
For distance and online courses:
Allow flexibility in choosing material so that it is more meaningful to the learner (e.g. students choose their own topic, project format, etc.).
Have an interactive web page.
Debate on-line.
Present students work for other students to review.
Talk about what students are learning by creating a learning group through e-mail, telephone, chat room, or conferencing.
Use e-mail for group problem solving.
Principle in action:
At Iowa State University, history students interview prominent historical individuals during a press conference. After the press conferences, students work in groups identifying the main ideas and creating headlines and news articles that highlight those ideas.
Structured journal writing is a major part of several classes at Lesley College. Each journal entry has two parts: the first paragraph emphasizes points for recall and retention; the second part emphasizes application of the content to the student’s life experience and observation.
An education professor at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse has created a hypothetical school system, complete with administration, teachers, pupils, and families. The goal is to help the students learn the legal aspects of special education. During the semester, the students take on all roles as they participate in legal cases involving students with disabilities. Students gain an understanding of the law as it applies to special education and students with disabilities, and they develop a human understanding of the human side of the cases.
Promoting active learning in higher education is a struggle because of the learning background that many students come to classes with. This is due to the fact that the norm in our nation’s secondary schools has been to promote passive learning. A large amount of information needs to be covered with not enough time, so teachers resort to lecture in order to economize their time to cover as much material as possible. Students progress from topic to topic with no real understanding of the content and how it relates to their life. Effective learning is active learning. The concept of active learning has been applied to curriculum design, internship programs, community service, laboratory science instruction, musical and speech performance, seminar classes, undergraduate research, peer teaching, and computer-assisted learning. The common thread between all these events is to stimulate students to think about how they as well as what they are learning and to take more responsibility for their own education.
Resources:
Gabennesch, H. (1992). Creating quality class discussion. The Teaching Professor, 6 (9), 5.
Hands on experience in course’s focus: Temple University. (1989). Liberal Education, 75 (4), 33-34.
Harrison-Pepper, S. (1991). Dramas of persuasion: Utilizing performance in the classroom. Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, 2.
Interdisciplinary approach to technology. (1998). Liberal Education, 74, (2), 23-24.
Nalcolmson, P. and Myers, R. (1993). Debates: Techniques for improving student thinking. The Teaching Professor, 7 (3) 6.
Principle 4: Give prompt feedback.
By knowing what you know and do not know gives a focus to learning. In order for students to benefit from courses, they need appropriate feedback on their performance. When starting out, students need help in evaluating their current knowledge and capabilities. Within the classroom, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive suggestions for improvement. Throughout their time in college and especially at the end of their college career, students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how to assess themselves.
For the regular classroom:
Follow-up presentations with a five minute period for students to write down what they have learned in class.
Provide informative comments that show the students’ errors and give suggestions on how they can improve.
Discuss the results of class assignments and exams with the class and individual students.
Offer on-line testing, software simulations, and web-based programs that provide instantaneous feedback.
Have question and answer sessions.
Use audio and/or video recordings to assess performances.
Return grades for assignments, projects, and tests within one week.
For distance and online courses:
E-mail gives instant feedback instead of waiting for the next lesson.
Use on-line testing, software simulations, and web-based programs that provide instantaneous feedback.
Monitor bulletin boards regularly and give specific information feedback to students.
Use pre-class and post-class assessments.
Schedule a chat group where you, the instructor are present. Use it as a question and answer session when appropriate.
Send acknowledgment e-mails when you receive a students work.
Post answer keys after receiving assignment from all students.
Use of hyperlinks within text to provide feedback to questions raised within the text.
Principle in action:
At the University of Scranton, a management professor, used computer scored multiple choice tests and quizzes which allowed the professor to have the tests graded during the break that followed the test or quiz. The students immediately received their results and were able to discuss the exam in detail. Students were able to understand the material better through the class discussion that occurred after the test.
Hollins College students taking the Critical Thinking course submit two copies of their papers. The second paper is critiqued by another student.
Faculty at Winona State University in the Communication Studies Department have to evaluate as many as 30 speeches a day. They developed a system of codes for the most common comments on speeches. These codes were programmed into a computer program and instructors were able to listen to the speech and type in the codes for the appropriate comments. This gave extra time to make specific comments on the individual speech and also gave students complete and prompt feedback on the entire speech.
The importance of feedback is so obvious that it is often taken for granted during the teaching and learning process. It is a simple yet powerful tool to aid in the learning process. Feedback is any means to inform a learner of their accomplishments and areas needing improvement. There are several different forms that feedback can take. They are oral, written, computer displayed, and from any of the interactions that occur in group learning. What is important is that the learner is informed and can associate the feedback with a specific response.
Resources:
Brinko, K.T. (1993). The practice of giving feedback to improve teaching. Journal of Higher Education, 64 (5), 574-593.
Dohrer, G. (1991). Do teachers comments on students’ papers help? College Teaching, 39 (2), 48-54.
Enhancing instructor-class communication. (1994). The Teaching Professor, 8 (3), 3-4.
More on student self-assessment. (1992). The Teaching Professor, 6 (10), 7.
Svinicki, M.D. Four R’s of effective evaluation. (1993). Reprinted from The Center for Teaching Effectiveness Newsletter at the University of Texas as Austin, in The Teaching Professor, 7 (9), 3-4.
Principle 5: Emphasize time on task.
Learning needs time and energy. Efficient time-management skills are critical for students. By allowing realistic amounts of time, effective learning for students and effective teaching for faculty are able to occur. The way the institution defines time expectations for students, faculty, administrators, and other staff, can create the basis for high performance from everyone.
For the regular classroom:
Expect students to complete their assignments promptly.
Clearly communicate to your students the minimum amount of time they should spend preparing for class and working on assignments.
Help students set challenging goals for their own learning.
Have realistic expectations (don’t expect 10 papers in 10 weeks).
Encourage students to prepare in advance for oral presentations.
Explain to your students the consequences of non-attendance.
Meet with students who fall behind to discuss their study habits, schedules, and other commitments.
Be careful that time on task is real learning, not busy work.
Do not use technology for technology’s sake. It must be relevant and useful to the topic.
Have progressive deadlines for projects and assignments.
Teach time management.
Discussion topics from class posted in a discussion group on the web .
For distance and online courses:
Understand that there will be problems with the distance and technology along the way.
Identify key concepts and how those will be taught. Given the amount of time, decide what realistically can be covered.
Each distance class should involve some kind of achievement expectation that is laid out at the beginning of the course. Assign some content for out of class time.
Give up the illusion of doing it all as you might in a regular classroom.
Vary the types of interaction. In creating an interactive environment, it can be overwhelming to the students and teacher if the types of interaction required are too time consuming.
Consider both in and out of class time.
Make sure you know what your goals are and that the learners understand them as well.
Have regular discussions that require participation.
Principle in action:
At Fort Lewis College in Colorado they have an “Innovative Month”. Students are offered a series of five week summer domestic and foreign travel experiences that help them relate what they learned in the classroom to real life. The groups are limited to eight to fifteen students pre faculty member. Examples of Innovative programs include, “Management in Action”, “Native American Schools”, and “Music and Theater in England”.
At Lower Columbia College, the Integrative Studies Program is a block of 15 to 18 credit hours, organized around a theme. Students enroll in “traditional” courses, ut must enroll in the full block. This lets the faculty reorganize the day from the traditional fifty minute classes to include whatever schedule of lectures, seminars, conferences, and discussion groups needed to achieve learning objectives for that week.
Wake Forest University teaches time management and study skills in their Learning Assistance Program and in the Learning to Learn class. Through a counseling/teaching model in the Learning Assistance Program, students are individually encouraged to learn and develop strategies to improve their academic performance. In the Learning to Learn Course, first and second year students study learning theory with emphasis on demonstrating how good time management and appropriate study skills positively affect outcome.
An easy assumption to make would be that students would be more successful if they spent more time studying. It makes sense but it over simplifies the principle of time on task. Student achievement is not simply a matter of the amount of time spent working on a task. Even though learning and development require time, it is an error to disregard how much time is available and how well the time is spent. Time on task is more complicated than one might assume.
Resources:
Britton, B.K., and Tesser, A. (1991). Effects of time management practices on college grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83 (3), 405-410.
Earth-sea-sky course combines art, science: Mississippi State University. (1988). Liberal Education, 74 (2), 29-30.
Geiger, K. (1994). Rethinking school time: New, Better, and different…as well as more. The Washington Post, June 12, 1994. p. C3.
Ludewig, L.M. (1992). The ten commandments for effective study skills. The Teaching Professor, 5 (10), 3.
Terenzini, P.T., and Pascarella, E.T. (1994). Living with myths: Undergraduate education in America. Change, pp. 28-32.
Principle 6: Communicate high expectations.
Expect more and you will get it. The poorly prepared, those unwilling to exert themselves, and the bright and motivated all need high expectations. Expecting students to perform well becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when teachers and institutions hold high standards and make extra efforts.
For the regular classroom:
Give a detailed syllabus with assignments, due dates, and a grading rubric.
Encourage students to excel at the work they do.
Give students positive reinforcement for doing outstanding work.
Encourage students to work hard in class.
Tell students that everyone works at different levels and they should strive to put forth their best effort, regardless of what level it is.
Help students set challenging goals for their own learning.
Revise courses when needed so students remain challenged.
Work individually with students who are struggling to encourage them to stay motivated.
Encourage students to do their best instead of focusing on grades.
For distance and online courses:
Give a detailed syllabus with assignments, due dates, and a grading rubric.
Call attention to excellent work in bulletin board postings or class list serves.
Show examples of your expectations with previous students’ work.
Publish student work.
Provide corrective feedback. State what you did and did not like.
Be a role model to students. Model the behavior and expectations that you expect from students.
Expect students to participate.
Try to make assignments interesting and relevant to create interest.
Ask students to comment on what they are doing.
Suggest extra resources that support key points.
Principle in action:
At Bellevue University (Nebraska), students in the Introductory Psychology course are given a guide for answering essay questions on their syllabus. The suggestions are designed to provide direction to answering a broadly stated essay question. Three exams are given throughout the course. The list of suggestions as well as the essay question are included on the first two exams. On the final exam, only the essay question is given. Students are allowed to practice their writing skills until the assistance is no longer needed.
In order to understand how students at SUNY-Plattsburgh learn and develop and how the school can help them to do so, students are required to take the College Outcomes Measures Project examination of the American College Testing Program (ACT COMP) as freshmen and again at the end of their sophomore year.
Clayton State College requires students to exhibit seven different writing styles. Several levels of proficiency are present for each of the seven criteria. All students must pass writing assessments on four different occasions.
Although it is often only discussed at the instructional level, high expectations also includes the students’ performance and behavior inside and outside the classroom. College and universities expect students to meet their high expectations for performance in the classroom, but also expect a personal and professional commitment to values and ethics. They include the discipline to set goals and stick with them, an awareness and appreciation of the diversity of society, and a philosophy of service to others.
Resources:
An American Imperative: Higher Expectations for Higher Education. An open letter to those concerned about the American future. Report on the Wingspread group in Higher education. (1993).
Defining what students need to know: Clayton State. (1988). Liberal Education, 74 (3), 29-30.
Gabelnick, F., MacGregor, J., Matthews, R.S., and Smith, B.L. (1990). Learning communities: Creative connections among students, faculty, and disciplines. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (4), San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Nuhfer, E.B. (1993). Bottom line disclosure and assessment. The Teaching Professor, 7 (7), 8.
Williams, J.H. (1993). Clarifying grade expectations. The Teaching Professor, 7 (7), 1.
Principle 7: Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
There are many different ways to learn and no two people learn the same way. Students bring different talents and learning styles to the classroom. Students that excel in the seminar room may be all thumbs in the lab or art studio and vice versa. Students need the opportunity to show their talents and learn in ways that work for them. Then, they can be guided into new ways of learning that are not as easy for them.
For the regular classroom:
Use Web technologies to allow students to pick and choose learning experiences that fits the way they learn.
Encourage students to speak up when they do not understand.
Use diverse teaching activities and techniques to address a broad range of students.
Select readings and design activities related to the background of students.
Provide extra material or activities for students who lack essential background knowledge or skills.
Integrate new knowledge about women, minorities, and other under-represented populations into your courses.
Use learning contracts and other activities to provide students with learning alternatives for your courses.
Encourage students from different races and cultures to share their viewpoints on topic discussed in class.
Use collaborative teaching and learning techniques and pair students so they compliment each others abilities.
Give students a problem to solve that has multiple solutions. Guide them with clues and examples.
Consider field trips.
Be familiar with Howard Gardner’s research on multiple intelligences.
For distance and online courses:
Encourage students to express diverse points of view in discussions.
Create learning activities filled with real-life examples and diverse perspectives.
Provide Saturday lab experiences by contracting with local high schools or community colleges.
Some CD-Roms are available that offer a simulated lab.
Balance classroom activities for all styles (some books, some hands on, some visual).
Explain theory from a practical approach first then add the structural approach.
Principle in Action:
Realizing that students can interpret exam questions in different ways, students at Georgia State University in the nursing program are given the chance to modify multiple choice exam questions that they find confusing. This student input lessens test anxiety and gives the student an opportunity to demonstrate what they know.
Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College has a cluster college with an interdisciplinary curriculum and an emphasis is place on student-centered approaches to teaching and learning.
At Kalamazoo College, the K Plan gives students an on and off campus study that allows them to spend a significant amount of their time in college on career-development internships, foreign study, and individualized projects.
The meaning of diversity is very clear from effective institutions. They embrace diversity and systematically foster it. This respect for diversity should play a central part in university decisions, be apparent in the services and resources available to students and resources available to students, be a feature of every academic program, and practiced in every classroom.
Resources:
Hill, P.J. (1991). Multiculturalism: The crucial philosophical and organizational issues. Change, 38-47.
Jacobs, L.C., and Chase, C.I. (1992). Developing and Using Tests Effectively: A Guide for Faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kolb, D. (1981). Learning styles and disciplinary differences. In The Modern American College, edited by A.W. Chickering and Associates. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lynch, J.M., and Bishop-Clark, C. (1993). Traditional and nontraditional student attitudes toward the mixed age classroom. Innovative Higher Education. Winter, 109-121.
National Institute of Education. (1984). Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Higher Education. Final report of the study group on the conditions of excellence in American higher education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education News.
References
Benson, David, Lu Mattson and Les Adler (1995). Prompt Feedback. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (55-66). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Brown, David G. and Curtis W. Ellison (1995). What is Active Learning?. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (39-53). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Bunda, Mary A. (1993). The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. Instructional Exchange 4 (1-6), 1-4.
Chickering, Arthur W. (1991). Institutionalizing the Seven Principle and the Faculty and Institutional Inventories. New Directions For Teaching And Learning. Jossey Bass Inc. 47.
Chickering, Arthur W. and Ehrmann, Stephen C. (2000). Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever. [Online]. Available: http://www.hcc.hawaii.Edu/intranet/commi…/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/7princip/htm. [2001, January 10}.
Chickering, Arthur W. and Gamson, Zelda F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Teaching in Undergraduate Education. AAHE Bulletin 39, 3-7.
Chizmar, John F. and Walbert, Mark S. (1999) Web-Based Learning Environments. The Journal of Economic Education 30 (3), 248.
Codde, Joseph (2000). Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. {Online}. Available: http://www.msu.edu/user/coddejos/seven.htm. [2001, January 10].
Cookman, Claude (1998). A Computer-Based Graphics Course and Student’s Cognitive Skills. Journalism and Mass Communication. 53 (3), 37-49.
Cross, K. Patricia. 1997. The Freshman Year: Working Out the Puzzle of a College Education. Paper presented at the Sixteenth Annual Conference on The Freshman Year Experience, Columbia, SC, February 22. (Eric Document Reproduction Services No. ED 410 773)
Graham, Charles R., Cagiltay, Kursat, Craner, Joni, and Lim, Byung-Ro (2000). Using the Seven Principles to Evaluate Online Courses. Paper presented at Distance Learning 2000: Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning, Madison, Wisconsin. (Eric Document Reproduction Services No. ED 456 235)
Hatfield, Tim and Susan Rickey Hatfield (1995). Cooperative Learning Communities. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (23-38). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Lidman, Russell M., Barbara Leigh Smith, and Thomas L. Purce (1995). Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents And Ways Of Learning. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (95-106). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Millis, B. J. (1991). Fulfilling the promise of the “seven principles” through cooperative learning: An action agenda for the University classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. 2, 139-144.
Revak, Marie (2000). If Technology is the Hammer, Where’s the Nail?. Cooperation and Collaboration in College Teaching 10 (1), 21-23
Scott, Robert A. and Dorothy Echols Tobe (1995). Effective Undergraduate Education Communicates High Expectations. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (79-94). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Sturnick, Judith A. and Keith J. Conners (1995). Good Practice Encourages Student-Faculty Contact. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (9-21). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
Vorkink, Stuart (1995). Time On Task. In Susan Rickey Hatfield (Ed.), The Seven Principles In Action (67-78). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.
This guide has been designed and optimized for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, and was built to meet the needs of those with visual and hearing disabilities. See our disclosure below for more information.
Smart home technology has come a long way in the last few years. No longer just a novelty or relegated to home security systems, smart devices can help the elderly and those with disabilities live independently without having to pay a premium for products specific to their needs.
Whether you’re purchasing smart devices for yourself or for a family member, there are a few things you’ll want to consider.
Your Needs Before everything else, consider what you want to accomplish with smart home tech. Video doorbells, for example, are great for those with limited mobility or cognitive impairments because you can see who is at the door without getting up, and a family member can also receive notifications, communicating with whoever is at the door via their smartphone. Understanding what works best for you and your family will help you make the right choices when shopping for smart devices
Ease of Use Smart devices only work if you know how to use them. Research how the tech you’re interested in works, and be realistic about if it’s something you or a family member can learn how to use. Learning to use smart devices is relatively straightforward, but all of them will take some time getting used to — especially since most of them require you have a smartphone or tablet to control them. Choose smart devices that suit your needs and will most realistically fit into your lifestyle. If it’s too difficult, consider looking into a different brand or one with fewer bells and whistles
Budget While usually less expensive than devices marketed to those with disabilities, smart home tech can be pricey. Compare prices and set a clear budget after you’ve done some research. Also, look out for discounts. Many brands offer deals on both old and new products, so check for coupons or buy around holidays if you can wait
Installation Most smart devices aren’t difficult to install. Since many are wireless it’s usually just a matter of downloading an app onto your smartphone, setting up Wifi (or your network standard of choice), and making sure it has a power source. That said, some might require a deeper tech knowledge to set up. Most brands include step-by-step installation guides — some even connect you with a customer service rep to help lead you through the process. But if you can’t install it yourself, some brands offer expert installation by trained technicians.
There are many smart devices on the market that can help improve the quality of life for the elderly and disabled. To get you started, below is a list of some of the most popular devices on the market and ways in which they can help you create a safer home for you or your loved ones.
Smart light bulbs
Smart light bulbs can be programed to turn on or off at scheduled times or controlled via your smart device or hub. You can connect them to your doorbell or phone and they will flash when there’s activity. This is helpful for those who are deaf or hard of hearing since they can see the doorbell ringing or a call coming in.
Smartphone/tablet required to operate: Yes, if you don’t have a smart hub
Smart hubs
One of the most ubiquitous smart devices on the market, smart hubs function as the brains of your automated home and let you control all your devices from one centralized location. For those who with low vision or limited mobility, a smart hub that comes equipped with a voice assistant makes it easy to hear your schedule and to-do list, as well as unlock the door, turn on the lights, and make phone calls without having to get up.
Smartphone/tablet required to operate: No, but it may be required for setup
Robot vacuums
Robovacs are automated vacuums that clean floors without requiring you to actually get up and clean. It turns on with the push of a button on your smartphone, or via voice command if you have a smart hub. Some robot vacuums even map your home’s layout to optimize the cleaning experience. If you or a loved one has a disability that makes it difficult to clean, a robot vacuum might be a good option for your home.
Smartphone/tablet required to operate: Yes, if you don’t have a smart hub
Video doorbells
If you want to invest in security, you can’t go wrong with a video doorbell. They affix near your front door and alert you (through your smartphone or hub) when someone is on your doorstep — without you having to get up to see who it is. Most also offer two-way communication. This makes it easier to address who’s there without having to actually open the door. If you’re purchasing one for a loved one, you can program it so that you receive alerts when they get visitors.
Smartphone/tablet required to operate: Yes, if you don’t have a smart hub
Smart locks
Smart locks are another security investment that will help keep you or your family’s home more secure. For those with limited mobility, smart locks let you lock and unlock your doors with the push of a button or a simple voice command. Many smart locks also let you grant keyless access to friends and family who might stop by often.
Smartphone/tablet required to operate: Yes, if you don’t have a smart hub
Conclusion
Smart home technology is capable of making daily tasks more manageable for the elderly and disabled. Home automation is only going to expand in the future, with more devices hitting the market meaning a greater diversity of tech that will benefit those who need it most. When looking for smart gadgets, keep your goals in mind and purchase tech you know how to use and works best for your family.
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Teacher’s Guide to Cybersecurity – Everything You Need to Know in 2019
The days of handwritten homework assignments, heavy printed textbooks, and mailed paper report cards are slipping away. Learning is digital in the 21st century. Students often complete their homework, communicate with classmates, check their grades, and conduct research for assignments online.
The internet speeds up students’ ability to study and instantly connects them with more information than a printed school library could possibly hold. However, the cyber world of modern education can be dangerous, both to your students and to you as a teacher.
Your Risks as a Teacher
Your students are more tech-savvy than you can possibly imagine. While many adults rely on the occasional tutorial to learn how to use a new program or application, students are digital natives. They intuitively know how to use apps, mobile devices, and online platforms, since they’ve been using them their whole lives.
This means that, with the right motivation, your students could probably figure out how to hack into your accounts. For example, if a student wasn’t satisfied with her grade, she might be able to figure out your password and change a grade or two. Similarly, a student who wanted to play a joke on you could change all the images in your PowerPoint presentation.
You need to know how to protect both yourself and your students from cyber attacks.
Cyber Safety for Students
In some cases, students might be the culprits of cybersecurity issues in your classroom, but in others, they might be the victims.
While many young people are able to easily learn digital programs and might even have some hacking skills, they still have a lot to learn about the world. They may not be savvy enough to spot every cybersecurity risk that they encounter.
As a teacher, you can both directly protect your students and teach them about cybersecurity so they can better safeguard themselves online.
Protecting Your Classroom
Cybersecurity threats can be alarming, but fortunately, there is a simple solution to help keep you and your students safe: education! After all, knowledge is power.
By educating yourself and your students about cybersecurity, the latest applications, and other features of modern technology, you can spot and resolve digital safety issues before they put your classroom in danger.
How Students Put You in Danger
Even if they don’t mean to, your students could put you, your school, and their fellow students at risk with their digital habits. In this section, we’ll describe these hazards and explain how you can avoid them.
Integrating the Internet Into Your Classroom
As we discussed above, your students are often more tech-savvy than you. They probably know how to use every feature of the most popular online programs and digital devices. This could give them an enormous advantage over you if they wanted to hack into your accounts.
Your first instinct might be to completely ban digital devices in your classroom. However, this isn’t likely to work. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2018, “95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online ‘almost constantly.’”
This means that your ability to actually eliminate cell phone, tablet, or laptop use during class is very limited. Fighting digital devices in the classroom will most likely be futile and frustrating. Instead, make your students’ time online a productive part of class by integrating your students’ devices into your lessons (for more information on this, see our lesson plans).
Who’s Using Your User Accounts?
As a teacher, you probably have numerous online accounts. As well as your personal email and social media accounts, you also have multiple school and education software accounts.
Now, imagine if your students had access to all the information stored on those accounts. They could read your personal emails, change their online homework assignments and grades, look at other students’ reports, publish fake updates to your social media profiles, or hack you in many other ways.
Hacking into your accounts probably isn’t very challenging for your students. To make matters worse, many schools also don’t have great cybersecurity systems in place to help you protect your accounts.
To protect your important information from potential student hackers, it’s crucial that you understand how to protect and secure your accounts.
Below, we provide our suggestions for keeping your user accounts secure. This advice applies to your online teacher portals, personal accounts, emails, and social media platforms. We recommend that you:
Use your school email address to create education-related accounts. This will help keep your personal email address separate from accounts students may have access to.
Create complex passwords. Your passwords should be a mixture of upper- and lowercase letters, and include numbers and symbols. These types of passwords are more difficult to guess.
Change your passwords frequently. Experts advise switching your passwords every six months, but since that’s already most of the school year, we recommend changing your passwords every three months.
Use a different password for each unique account. For example, the password you use for your teacher portal shouldn’t be the same as the one you use for your personal Facebook. This means that if someone guesses or hacks one password, they won’t be able to access all of your accounts.
Check to see if your password is strong enough using a password meter, like ours. These tools calculate how difficult or easy it would be to guess or hack your password.
Use a password manager to generate and store your passwords on your device or browser. A password manager uses a special database to create and store strong passwords so you don’t have to remember them.
Use biometric passwords such as fingerprint access when available. These are very secure as only you can use them.
Take advantage of strong authentication or two-factor verification when it’s available. These systems typically require you to enter both your password and a special code sent to your phone or email. Strong authentication offers the best protection for sensitive accounts like your email address or bank account. Many services offer strong authentication on an opt-in basis. Ask your service provider for help if you’re not sure how to get started.
This should help keep your accounts safe from students and other potential hackers.
Making Mobile More Secure
You probably rely on your smartphone to stay in touch with friends, check your email, and post to social media. You may even use a mobile device to assign and grade homework or conduct research for your class.
Smartphones are incredibly convenient and useful, but they’re also very vulnerable to student hacking.
Your smartphone may be expensive, but the data stored on it is even more valuable. Photos, social media accounts, personal messages, bank accounts, and all sorts of other private information are stored on smartphones.
If you don’t take proper precautions, a student, fellow faculty member, or stranger could access any of the sensitive data on your smartphone or tablet. There are four ways you can protect your mobile devices from potential hackers:
Keep your devices updated. Hackers work to find flaws in technology companies’ security systems, and they’re almost as fast as the companies trying to stop them with updated software. No system is 100% secure, but updating your software is one of the most important ways to protect your phone. We recommend that you turn on auto-update features for all apps and devices.
Use biometric passwords. As mentioned above, biometric passwords are one of the most secure login options for your digital devices. Keep your smartphone and tablet safe by setting up fingerprint passwords where possible. Minimally, use a traditional password for your mobile device.
Disable wi-fi and Bluetooth as often as possible. They’re great when you’re actually using your device. However, when you’re offline, leaving wi-fi and Bluetooth on lets hackers know that you’re there. We recommend disabling your wi-fi and Bluetooth when you’re not using your device. This will limit your visibility to nearby devices.
Customize your encryption settings. The factory settings for your device and its various apps may not be ideal for cybersecurity. If your device is not encrypted by default, turn encryption on. You should also adjust your privacy settings to limit different applications’ access to your data.
These safety measures can help keep your mobile devices safe from students. They can also protect you from other potential hackers anywhere else you take your smartphone or tablet.
Maintaining Personal Privacy and a Stellar Online Reputation
You probably don’t discuss your romantic relationships, political opinions, or favorite celebrities with your students. However, if you don’t properly safeguard your social media accounts, your pupils could easily access all of that information.
Most teachers would rather keep their social media accounts and personal lives private from students, and for good reason. According to an article in Inc. magazine, “privacy matters more to Generation Z. They are very careful and intentional about managing their online reputation.” Since students are concerned with their own reputations online, they’re also very aware of yours.
As their teacher, you need to be careful about what your students can find out about you online. If they know about your recent breakup, see pictures of you at a concert, or learn what you think about a controversial issue online, they might feel less comfortable in your classroom or question your authority. It’s important that you remain a trusted, respected figure in their lives.
Many teachers are tempted to delete all their online information, but that’s not necessary. After all, you should still be able to use the internet to connect with your friends, express yourself, post photos, and more.
To keep your personal information safe from your students (and anyone else you may not trust), you need to cleverly conceal your online presence.
Our experts recommend that you take the following steps to safeguard your online reputation:
Google yourself. If you can find it on a search engine, your students can too. Googling yourself will reveal almost any personal information that is publicly available. Once you know what data about yourself is online, you can find its source and delete anything you wouldn’t want your students (or anyone else) to see.
Adjust your privacy settings. Many accounts are set up with minimal privacy as the default. If you want to keep your personal data away from students, make sure your posts, tweets, and other social accounts are private and visible to only your friends or followers. This way, your students won’t be able to easily find this information.
Delete and/or deactivate accounts you aren’t using. If you have an old social media account you’re no longer using, you should delete or deactivate it. This will prevent imposters hijacking the account and posting as you. If you want to keep your old accounts, make sure you set them to private.
These guidelines will help you enjoy the benefits of social media while protecting your online reputation.
The Internet in Your Classroom
You and your students will be online at school, so it’s vital that you know how to stay safe – and protect them. Below, we explain how.
Is Your School Network Safe?
Your school network is probably the primary way you and your students access the internet. It can also be a good way to block certain unsafe or inappropriate sites and improve your school’s cybersecurity. Unfortunately, it could also be vulnerable to breaches, which could put you and your students at risk.
There are many ways students can bypass the network and access blocked sites. As our article on this topic points out, students can use a VPN, proxy, or portable browser to get around the school network. These tools could allow them to unblock websites and load inappropriate online content while they’re in your classroom. This could be dangerous and disruptive.
Now that you’re aware of how students can get around school network blocks, you can work with technology professionals to prevent them from doing so. You can also be on the lookout for unsuitable online content students might bring into your classroom.
Furthermore, if your school network isn’t password-protected, this could make it even more unsafe. Hackers lurk on public wi-fi looking for users’ personal data and trying to take control of their devices. This could leave you, your students, and school administrators susceptible to malicious attacks.
In fact, in September 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) issued a PSA warning about the increasing cybersecurity risks faced by schools. The FBI stated that the widespread collection of sensitive information in schools “could present unique exploitation opportunities for criminals” and could result in “social engineering, bullying, tracking, identity theft, or other means of targeting children.”
Clearly, both you and your students face cybersecurity risks if your school network is unsecured. If your school network is open, you can work with administrators and IT professionals to make it more secure.
We recommend adding a password to your school’s wi-fi and changing it every three months. It may also be useful for the school to hire a cybersecurity professional to help set up more advanced anti-hacking systems.
The organization explains that “sometimes cyberbullying can be easy to spot” as in the case of “a text, tweet, or response to a status update on Facebook that is harsh, mean, or cruel.” However, Kids Health points out that “other acts are less obvious, like impersonating a victim online or posting personal information, photos, or videos designed to embarrass another person.”
Unfortunately, cyberbullying is epidemic in many schools. A September 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 59% of US teens have been bullied or harassed online. The study found that 90% of teens believe online harassment is a problem that affects people their age.
The same survey found that “majorities of young people think key groups, such as teachers, social media companies and politicians are failing at tackling this issue.”
As you might assume, cyberbullying can have a devastating long-term impact on children and adolescents. Like other forms of bullying, it can lead to real-world consequences that affect a victim’s whole life. Kids may experience depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem as a result.
They may also want to avoid school, affecting your ability to teach them the skills they need to succeed in the adult world.
As a teacher, you may be an adult onlooker when it comes to cyberbullying. It can be tricky to identify bullying and to understand the best way to intervene when it’s happening on an online platform, forum, or private messaging service that’s inaccessible to you. However, since you need to protect your students from its upsetting effects, it’s vital to know how to spot it in your classroom.
The Vocabulary of Cyberbullying
If you want to safeguard against bullying in your classroom, there are a few terms you should become familiar with. These include:
Trolling: intentionally posting provocative and insulting messages about sensitive subjects, such as racist and sexist material, in order to elicit a response. Merriam-Webster defines the verb “troll” as “to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content.”
Flaming: sending provocative messages to incite an argument. According to Lifewire, “flaming is about hurling insults, transmitting bigotry, name-calling, or any outright verbal hostility directed at a specific person.”
Harassment: specifically targeting an individual or group with persistent actions meant to make the receiver(s) frightened or upset. Harassment can develop into cyberstalking.
Cyberstalking: according to the Cyberbullying Research Center, “cyberstalking involves the use of technology (most often, the internet!) to make someone else afraid or concerned about their safety…Cyberstalking behaviors may include tracking down someone’s personal and private information and using it to make them afraid, texting them hundreds of times a day to let them know you are watching them, ‘creeping’ on their social media accounts to learn where they are so you can show up uninvited, or posting about them incessantly and without their permission.” Cyberstalking is against the law in many places.
Catfishing: stealing someone’s online profile or setting up fake profiles to lure others into starting online relationships. This form of cyberbullying can also be used to spy on, shame, or manipulate children, teens, and even adults.
Fraping: impersonating someone or logging in to their profile to post inappropriate content. This is a serious offense and, according to Business Insider, “is now a crime that could get you 10 years in prison, in Ireland.”
Griefing: abusing and angering people via online gaming. According to Oxford Dictionaries, a “griefer” is “a person who harasses or deliberately provokes other players or members [of an online game or community] in order to spoil their enjoyment.”
Outing: publicly sharing someone else’s personal, private, or embarrassing information, photos, or videos. This can be very damaging, especially amongst children and adolescents, who may not react compassionately.
Roasting: when an individual or, usually, a group, gangs up on an individual online until the victim “cracks.” The Bark Blog explains that “roasting is a term from comedy where a comedian roasts another person with good humor” but it becomes problematic when done “without the consent or desire of the individual to be roasted.” Although it “can start out innocuous and light-hearted…that is not where it always ends.”
If you notice your students discussing these types of activities in relation to themselves or their classmates, you should pay attention. Discussing cyberbullying with your pupils could help you save them from its hazards.
How to Tell if a Student is Being Cyberbullied
Even if you don’t hear your students talk about cyberbullying, you may be able to spot a student who is suffering from these types of online attacks. Children and teenagers who are cyberbullied often exhibit signs of general bullying or distress.
A student may have been cyberbullied if he or she:
Appears more lonely or isolated. Cyberbullied children may withdraw from their friends or feel as if they can’t trust anyone.
Unexpectedly or suddenly changes his or her friendship group. Sometimes, students’ own friends are the culprits of cyberbullying. In these cases, the student may no longer want to spend time with the friends who have bullied him or her.
Suffers from seemingly sudden changes in personality. This could include becoming withdrawn, anxious, sad, or angry.
Cries frequently, unusually, or in seemingly strange circumstances. A student may become upset in apparently odd circumstances when dealing with the consequences of cyberbullying. This could occur when other students mock the victim or remind him or her of what happened online.
Is getting worse grades. Cyberbullied students’ academic performance may decline due to feeling upset, being scared, or being unable to focus.
Seems distracted or lacks focus in the classroom. Students who have dealt with cyberbullying may be worrying about their fear or embarrassment instead of thinking about their schoolwork.
Misses school frequently. Students whose classmates have cyberbullied them may want to avoid school so they don’t have to deal with their attackers.
Loses interest in extracurricular activities. Cyberbullied children and teens may want to quit their athletics teams, dance programs, theater productions, or other activities to get away from their attackers. They might also be less interested in extracurricular activities because they feel ashamed, shy, or afraid to get hurt again.
Suffers from an increasingly negative self-perception. Children and teens who are victims of cyberbullying often feel less confident as a result, since they may believe the negative things their attackers say about them.
Isn’t doing as well physically. The emotional and mental stress of cyberbullying may cause victims’ physical health to worsen.
If these descriptions sound like one or more of your students, you should have a conversation with them about cyberbullying. The earlier you can intervene and stop this harmful behavior, the better.
An Educational Solution
One of the best ways to prevent cyberbullying is to teach students about it. You can educate them about how to avoid cyberbullying, when to report harmful online behavior, and why they shouldn’t engage in these activities themselves.
Your students are generally tech-savvy, but they may not understand the dangers of the internet.
They can make a social media profile on almost any site in seconds, but they don’t know how to protect themselves from catfishers. They can win online games, but they don’t realize how easily a hacker could steal their gaming account password. They know how to break into their friends’ social media accounts, but they don’t comprehend how hurtful it could be to out them online.
As a journalist writing for Forbes magazine argued, “just as we teach our kids to lock their bicycles, parents and teachers need to remind them to password-protect their phones and other devices. And kids need to know that some things in life need to be kept secret,” such as their account and device passwords.
We highlight a few other things your students need to know about cybersecurity below.
Public Wi-Fi Precautions
Free is always attractive, and free public wi-fi is especially tempting for students who may have limited data plans on their cell phones.
However, public wi-fi networks are especially vulnerable to hackers who lurk on open systems looking for data to steal and devices to control. You can help to safeguard your school’s network by ensuring it is password-protected and preventing your students from using different techniques to bypass its blocks.
However, you also need to teach them about the dangers of public wi-fi outside of school. Since they’re almost always online, your students probably use public wi-fi in cafes, restaurants, malls, and other public areas.
Although it can be convenient, there are many reasons to avoid public wi-fi. These include malware, worms, unencrypted websites, and more.
Fortunately, you can help teach your students how to combat these risks. You can urge them to:
Use HTTPS sites. As Wired points out, “when you browse over HTTPS, people on the same wi-fi network as you can’t snoop on the data that travels between you and the server of the website you’re connecting to. Over HTTP? It’s relatively easy for them to watch what you’re doing.” Your students should make sure to only browse sites whose addresses begin with HTTPS (you can tell them the “S” is for “safe”).
Understand the public wi-fi network’s privacy agreement. As Popular Science puts it, your students must “read the small print.” Actually reading the privacy agreement that often pops up when you connect to public wi-fi can help your students answer the questions: “what are you giving up in exchange for your wireless access? How will your email address or phone number or whatever else you’re surrendering be used?” You should also teach students not to give up important private information just for public wi-fi access, since their personal data is priceless.
Turn off sharing. Students should ensure that they’ve turned off the “share” option on their devices before connecting to public wi-fi. According to Wired, “when you’re on a public network around strangers, you’ll want to cut off the features that enable frictionless file sharing on your devices.” While sharing features can be useful for easily sending pictures and other information, they can be dangerous in a public setting.
Connect to public wi-fi with a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Forbes explains: “if you want to keep hackers out and lock down your connection entirely, you should consider using a virtual private network.” This system “protects your data from ever being accessed by third parties because they would need the encryption key to decode it.” VPNs can help keep students safe from hackers on public wi-fi networks. Setting up a VPN might seem too difficult for students, but they’re actually quite easy to use, especially for tech-savvy Gen Z-ers. If your students need help, they can check out our beginner’s guide on choosing the best VPN for their needs.
By teaching students to remember and apply these key concepts, you can help them stay safe on public wi-fi.
Fighting Phishing
Your students’ devices are filled with valuable information. This could include private photos, credit card information, personal messages, bank data, and more. Additionally, some hackers, cybercriminals, and cyberbullies simply want to mess with victims’ lives and cause chaos.
Some people assume that only those who are especially naive or irresponsible can be affected by these types of cyber schemes.
However, according to Pacific Standard magazine, researchers in a Dutch study found that “when it came to phishing and malware, hardly anything distinguished victims from other computer users, except that the more time people spent on the internet, the more likely they were to be victims.”
Since “teens spend an average of nine hours a day online,” as per Quartz, they are especially susceptible to cyber attacks. Knowing more about how phishing and malware work can help you and your students identify and avoid them.
According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, “phishing is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users” by manipulating them into providing personal information to the attacker. To trick receivers, “phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual.”
Once the person has opened the message and decided that it’s trustworthy, “these emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent website that appears legitimate. The user will then be asked to provide personal information, such as account usernames and passwords, that can further expose them to future compromises.” These websites may also infect devices with malware (which we explain below).
To protect your students, you can teach them to identify the signs of a phishing scam. These often include:
Unfamiliar sources. If a student has never interacted with this person or company before, they should not open the email or its attachments.
Strange email addresses. As the University of Chicago explains, “any communication from a University, or from a bank, health provider or other legitimate company with which you do business, should come from that organization’s email system, not from some unrelated email address.” For instance, students should not trust emails coming from addresses like starbucks@gmail.com or chasebankcustomerservice@hotmail.com. You can also suggest that they check the email addresses that previous, valid messages came from to see if they match up.
Messages to many people. The email should be to the student alone, not to “undisclosed-recipients or to a large number of recipients you are not familiar with,” as per the University of Chicago. In addition, students should be suspicious of messages that do not refer to them by name, but instead say “‘Hello, [blank],’” as CNET noted.
Grammar or spelling errors. An individual trying to trick someone into sharing their information may not write perfectly. However, an actual, trusted company most likely would, since they hire professionals.
Requests for personal information or money. Phishing scammers often want their victims’ private data or money. Students should be very cautious about providing personal information, even if they believe the email is legitimate.
Extremely profitable and easy offers. The University of Chicago argues that you should “watch out for emails with claims like ‘you have won the lottery’… [or] you stand to inherit millions of dollars.” You can tell your students that if it seems unlikely, unrealistic, or too good to be true, it probably is.
Odd attachments. Instruct students that if an attachment seems unnecessary or unrelated to the message, they should not open it. In addition, any attachment they do open should be a familiar file type, like “Word files, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, or Acrobat PDFs,” and definitely not “ones like .pif, .scr, or .exe.,” according to the University of Chicago. Scammers’ attachments may install malware.
If the email falls into any of these categories, tell students they should run the email by their parents, guardians, or by you before sharing information. As the Department of Homeland Security recommends, they can also “verify [requests] by contacting the company directly.” Students should only open email attachments if they are truly sure the message is authentic and safe.
Since anyone can be phished, you should also educate your fellow teachers and administrators about phishing. After all, if any member of the school’s staff is phished, this could put student information at risk.
Staying Away from Malware
Malware is linked to phishing. Scammers often phish as a way to install malware on victims’ computers, but devices can also be infected in other ways.
Malware is the umbrella term that describes all malicious software, including ransomware, viruses, rootkits, worms, adware, spyware, and more. Malware compromises your device, slowing down its basic functions and breaching its security. It can be used to steal your data, control your device, or to add software that you’ve not approved.
Malware can destroy a device or make it extremely difficult to use. It can also steal private or critical data users need to access. Malware may also cause a device to run very slowly or poorly.
In addition to phishing attachments, malware can access a device if students install files like “screensavers, toolbars, or torrents that [they] didn’t scan for viruses…from an untrustworthy source,” as per How to Geek. Clicking on pop-ups can also install malware on your device.
Malware can be included with seemingly trustworthy applications. As How to Geek explains, “the makers of popular software keep selling out, and including ‘optional’ crapware that nobody needs or wants,” which allows them to “profit off the unsuspecting users that aren’t tech-savvy enough to know any better.”
For these reasons, users should always research and understand exactly what they’re putting on their devices.
As Microsoft Windows Security Support points out, “infected removable drives” could also be to blame for malware. The article mentions that “many worms spread by infecting removable drives such as USB flash drives or external hard drives. The malware can be automatically installed when you connect the infected drive to your PC. Some worms can also spread by infecting PCs connected to the same network.” Students should never use a drive or network they can’t completely trust.
Pirating software, music, or movies may also make a device susceptible to malware, according to Computer Hope. This is because “these files and programs [sometimes] contain viruses, spyware, trojans, or malicious software in addition to what you believe you are downloading.”
Unfortunately, once malware does get onto students’ computers, it can multiply, “[installing] even more malware.” This dynamic can make the consequences of malware exponentially worse.
Students should also be aware that PCs and Androids (rather than Apple devices) are at higher risk for malware, as are devices without virus protection software installed.
To help your students be aware of and protect themselves from malware, you can teach them to:
Use protective software. As How to Geek explains, students may unintentionally let “malware, spyware, and other junk software…onto your computer” because they “aren’t using a quality Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware application.” These products can protect students against malware. Remind them that they should use antivirus software on all their devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Update their devices. Software providers and tech companies work hard to limit malware and other cybersecurity issues. If you don’t update your device regularly, your outdated programs could be more vulnerable to malware. The FTC recommends that users “set [their] operating [systems] and… web [browsers] to update automatically.”
Spot the signs that malware has been installed. The sooner students realize their devices are infected with malware, the better. The FTC describes that a computer with malware often “runs slowly, drains its battery quickly, displays unexpected errors or crashes…won’t shutdown or restart…serves a lot of popups, [takes users] to web pages [they] didn’t visit, changes [the] home page, or creates new icons or toolbars without…permission.” If students notice any of these software symptoms, they should avoid accessing sensitive information or using passwords on the affected device and ask an expert to take a look.
Use browsers with good security settings. As per PC Mag, Chrome and Firefox have security settings that help let users know when a site doesn’t appear reputable.
Identify and avoid phishing scams. Following our phishing tips above can help defend students from both phishing and malware, as they often go together.
Educating your students on these points could save them the hassle and harm of malware.
Toying with Cybersecurity – The Internet of Things
In this digital era, it’s not just smartphones, tablets, or laptops that can go online. Today, other devices, including watches and toys, can access the internet. As CNBC explains, “the Internet of Things, commonly called IoT in tech circles, is the concept of conventional, physical objects being linked to the internet and communicating with each other – think, for instance, of automobiles or appliances that are linked to the internet.”
Having a refrigerator that checks emails or a watch that sends your health information to your smartphone is certainly convenient. However, internet-enabled tools can also be dangerous. Many of the cybersecurity protections that come installed on phones, tablets, and computers don’t exist on the Internet of Things.
In late 2018, software security executive Haiyan Song commented to CNBC that “next year, we will definitely hear of even more IoT-related security challenges.” This new technology “has really changed…the way we live, and whenever you have new technologies like that…you open up a new attack surface.”
Many cybersecurity risks that affect normal internet-enabled devices can impact the Internet of Things. Hackers can access private information and use it to steal, phish, cyberstalk, cyberbully, and harass victims. Since the Internet of Things is relatively new, there aren’t the same safeguards in place, making your students’ trendy wearable fitness trackers or fancy toys easy targets.
For example, Info Sec Institute reported on “Cloudpets…adorable soft toys” that were “internet-enabled, allowing audio messages to be shared between the child and a parent via the Cloud.” However, “it turned out that CloudPets leaked the messages of 2 million of their owners, along with personal details and passwords.” They had “poor security” and couldn’t effectively protect their users’ data, especially since they “had no password strength rules.”
Similarly, Info Sec Institute described that when “security firm Mnemonic was engaged by the Norwegian Consumer Council to check the security safety of a range of kids’ smartwatches,” they “found a number of critical security flaws in a number of watches.”
While these devices might be fun and fashionable, they demonstrated a “lack of consent to share and process data, showing a fundamental lack of respect for personal information,” including “location data.” In addition, “some of the watches did not even use basic security techniques such as encryption in transit to protect” users’ information.
You can help keep your students safe from cybersecurity threats on the Internet of Things by:
Encouraging them to create longer, more complex passwords. These will be much more difficult to hack than Cloudpets’ three-character, unsafe passwords.
Suggesting that they and their parents research new devices before purchasing them. They should only purchase internet-enabled toys, watches, or other devices if they understand and approve of their cybersecurity methods.
Showing them how to adjust security settings on their Internet of Things products.As Reuters advises, students should “turn off cameras and microphones that aren’t in use.”
Urging them to download updates. As we’ve discussed throughout this guide, students can improve their cybersecurity by making sure their devices are up to date. According to Reuters, “if your gadgets receive software updates, [you should] accept those because they could improve security.”
Advising them to connect to a safer network with their Internet of Things devices.Reuters recommends that users “create a ‘guest’ network for IoT devices” so that hackers can’t get into traditional devices via the IoT. They could also “use a VPN [Virtual Private Network]” to secure their data. If your students want to use a VPN, you can go with one of the choices on our carefully-selected Best VPNs list.
These tips can help make the Internet of Things safer for your students.
Safeguarding Students’ Social Media
Teens spend an increasing amount of time on social media. For this reason, it’s vital that students understand, can protect themselves from, and avoid participating in the cybersecurity risks on these platforms.
Statista reported that “a survey conducted in the US earlier [in 2018] showed that 70% of teenagers (13-17) check their social media several times a day, up from just 34% in 2012. More astoundingly, however, 16% of today’s teens admit to checking their social feeds nearly constantly and another 27% do so on an hourly basis.”
Given these statistics, if you teach high school students, it’s almost certain that your students are on social media throughout the school day.
Many teenagers share the intimate details of their personal lives on social media platforms. Pew Research Center reports that 44% of teens post about their family on social media, while 34% post about their emotions and feelings, 22% post about their dating life, 13% post about their personal problems, 11% post about their religious beliefs, and 9% post about their political beliefs.
Cyberbullies, stalkers, phishing scammers, or even identity thieves can use all of this data to hurt students. For example, if a teen’s classmates know that his or her parents are going through a divorce, they might use this information to harass that person. In addition, if a phisher wanted to steal a teen’s bank account information or social security number, he or she might pretend to be a member of the pop band the teen always talks about on social media.
As we discussed above, Gen Z-ers are conscious of their online reputations, but that doesn’t mean your students have spotless social media accounts. Some teens seem to know instinctively that posting personal data online could hurt their reputations.
Pew Research Center noted that 32% of teens delete or restrict “access to their posts because it could negatively impact them later,” and another 29% of teens delete or restrict “posts because they don’t want their parents to see” what they’ve put online.
While some teens think ahead regarding their social media reputations, statistics from the Pew Research Center indicate that roughly two-thirds do not.
This is unfortunate, as what students post online could have an impact on their futures.A 2017 US News and World Report piece noted that “in a Kaplan Test Prep survey of more than 350 college admissions officers in the US, 35% of officers polled reported having looked at applicants’ social media accounts to learn more about them.”
Similarly, a survey from CareerBuilder found that “70% of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring, which is up significantly from 60% in 2016.”
These reports indicate that a single tasteless photo, emotional rant, or controversial photo could prevent students from attending the universities of their dreams or getting the jobs they want. As their teacher, you can advise them to be scrupulous about anything they reveal on social media and encourage them to consider how others might perceive their posts.
Perhaps more worryingly is that, according to Pew Research Center, 42% of teens surveyed sometimes or often post updates on their location and what they’re doing. As Lifewireexplains, “we don’t often think about our current location as sensitive information, but it is. Armed with the knowledge of where you are at a specific point in time, people with ill intent could use that information to your disadvantage.”
Explain to your students that sharing their location and activities in real time on social media can create cybersecurity problems. Someone who wants to rob their house could know they weren’t home and take the opportunity to steal their family’s possessions. A cyberstalker might also use location information to track down a student and harass them.
Additionally, geotagging and geolocation on social media create issues. Lifewire describes how “most smartphones default to recording phone location” and “when you take a picture with your smartphone, you’re probably also recording the exact GPS location of whatever you happen to be taking a picture of.” This process is called geotagging, as your device labels your location on the image.
Geotagging means that even if you don’t mean to share where you are, a hacker might be able to access your location through “the metadata associated with a photo.” This process is called geolocation. Google, Yelp, and other applications also use geolocation to tell exactly where students are. These apps can potentially share that information with others.
In order to avoid theft, stalking, and other cybersecurity issues related to location sharing on social media, you can suggest that your students:
Avoid naming their exact location and activities in photos on social media. There is no need to tell their friends or followers precisely where they are or what they’re doing.
Turn off automatic geotagging on all their devices. Hackers can’t steal location metadata if it doesn’t exist.
Wait to post photos from outings until they’ve arrived back home. This prevents burglars from using this information to break in.
When it comes to social media, it’s not your job to monitor your students’ online activity.Checking all of your students’ social media accounts every day for inappropriate content would be invasive (and time-consuming).
Instead, educate them about the risks associated with social media. This way, they can make informed decisions about their cybersecurity on these platforms.
Later in this guide, we describe various techniques you can use to teach your students about cybersecurity.
Stranger Danger in Cyberspace
Whether on social media, messaging apps, chat rooms, forums, or games, your students also face the cybersecurity risks associated with communicating with strangers.
Regrettably, not every online user has the best intentions.Healthfully describes how“predators… befriend [children], usually posing as another child or slightly older teen, and gain trust by behaving as an understanding and trusted friend. Once trust is gained in the chat room [or messaging app, forum, or social media platform], the predator will move the conversation to a private area or in person.”
What begins as an anonymous online connection can turn into something much more dangerous in person. In addition, online predators who want to steal credit card information or commit identity theft might target young people who may be less aware of scams.
A 2018 report from WBTW News suggested that online predators may use popular online games like Fortnite to attack or steal from younger users. The news station also cited “statistics from the Crimes Against Children Research Center” which noted that “one in five children between 10 and 17 years of age reported receiving unwanted sexual solicitation online.”
Furthermore, cyberbullies might use these platforms to harass, shame, or embarrass young people. As Healthfully puts it, “chat rooms are a place where bullies can have free reign over potential victims while enjoying anonymity.”
In addition, unfortunately, anonymous users may also use “chat rooms…to post links to pornography.” Your students may “click on a link and be taken to an offensive site, either intentionally or by mistake.”
To protect your students from these dangers, you can:
Have an open conversation with them about these types of online platforms. We recommend discussing the potential dangers of anonymous online communications with your students in a relatable way. Explain that you understand how it can be fun to meet new people online, but that students need to be safe. Gently tell them that there are some people online who might want to hurt them.
Teach them never to connect with or talk to someone they don’t know online.Students will be at a much lower risk if they only friend, follow, like, and communicate with people they know in person and trust.
Urge them never to share private information or photos online. This is good advice regardless of whether or not a student knows who they are messaging, but it’s especially important with anonymous users.
Advise parents to monitor their children’s online communications. According to WBTW News, “the Horry County Sheriff’s office tells parents to” have their children “play [or text] where parents can hear.” The Sheriff’s office also encourages parents to “have access to [their] child’s phone and social media accounts.” You can also recommend that parents look out for potentially dangerous apps, such as Kik, Whisper, Yik Yak, Private Photos (Calculator%), Roblox, ChaCha, WeChat, After School, Line, Shush, Snapchat, and Line, as per Montgomery Advertiser.
Tell students they can come to you and their parents or guardians for help if they encounter anything upsetting or unsafe online. It’s important to let students know that they can trust you and their parents or guardians. Explain that you are there to help them and if they ever feel unsafe online, they can talk to you.
These suggestions will help students stay safer in chat rooms, forums, messaging apps, games, social media, and any other apps or sites where users can communicate anonymously.
We’ll provide further advice about teaching your students about cybersecurity in the next section.
Tips and Lesson Plans for Teachers
Technology use is increasing, so we can assume that cybersecurity will continue to be an important issue. As a teacher, you have the power to shape the next generation’s understanding of and response to cybersecurity issues.
By teaching your students how to safely use the internet, you can improve their quality of life, happiness, and success. Below, we provide our advice for effectively educating your students about cybersecurity.
How to Begin
We recommend that you begin with an online safety quiz to test your students’ knowledge. This will hopefully interest them in learning more about cybersecurity, and allow them to discover what they don’t know.
It will also give you the opportunity to evaluate their knowledge and create lesson plans accordingly. For example, if you find that your students already know a great deal about creating strong passwords, you may not need to include this topic in your curriculum.
When it comes to planning your cybersecurity curriculum, we have a few broader suggestions. We recommend that you:
Break down the information over a few lessons, rather than trying to cover everything cybersecurity-related in one day. This will prevent your students from becoming overwhelmed and help them better understand the material.
Use interactive lessons instead of lecturing. Students will remember and apply the lessons they learn if they participate in the process. For example, you can have students attempt to hack a social media account. We recommend that you create a fake account beforehand so no student’s personal information is compromised.
Relate cybersecurity to other lessons and classes. This will make the topic seem more relatable. For example, in an English class, you could have students read emails that were sent to people who were phished. You could have them highlight the grammatical errors in these messages, which can be a sign that they are scams. You might then have students discuss other strategies they could use to prevent an attack.
Have students read or watch stories of actual people or organizations that have suffered from cyber attacks. This will help students understand that the consequences of cybersecurity issues are real and serious. Some examples of these types of stories include:
Give students visual examples of cybersecurity threats. Showing students what phony ads, messages, and pop-ups look like will help them better identify and avoid them. This may be especially helpful for students who are visual learners.
Involve students in your lesson planning by asking them about their experiencesand designing your curriculum accordingly. For instance, if your students are already very familiar with social media security, there may be no reason to cover this topic in your lessons. Similarly, if students are particularly worried about malware, you could spend more time on this subject.
Assign interactive, practical homework. Just as interactive lessons are more effective, useful homework assignments may help students better learn the basics of cybersecurity. For example, you could give students a homework assignment to secure their devices and accounts. You might also have them write an essay about the dangers of public wi-fi and describe how they are going to avoid these.
By applying the above advice, you can help make sure that your cybersecurity curriculum is creative, fun, accurate, and successful.
The Cyberbullying Conversation
Since your students may be both the victims and the culprits of cyberbullying, it’s worth having a longer discussion about this specific subject in cybersecurity. Talking about this is important because students who struggle with cyberbullying may not open up about it on their own.
We recommend ensuring that your school has an anti-bullying policy in place that includes cyberbullying. Once this is fully in place, go over these rules with your students and make sure they fully understand them. We suggest having students come up with examples of cyberbullying to demonstrate that they comprehend what it involves.
Next, show students the consequences of cyberbullying so they fully understand how serious it is. You can help students comprehend the effects of cyberbullying by showing a relevant video from the list above. You might also ask students to imagine how they would feel if someone harassed them online.
Often, students do not see how harmful teasing, shaming, or insulting a classmate online can be. This means they have less empathy for the victims of cyberbullying and are therefore more likely to participate in it. Knowing the hurt that their actions can cause may reduce the risk of future cyberbullying.
You should also teach your students what to do if they are being cyberbullied. You can advise them to:
Reach out to a trusted adult. This could be you as their teacher, their parents, an adult family friend, or some combination of these. Once an adult understands the situation, they should begin looking into what happened and helping the student come up with a solution. For example, a meeting between the victim, the cyberbully, and their parents might be appropriate.
Save proof of the cyberbullying interaction(s). This could include screenshots, voicemails, or other evidence. This type of proof could be useful in an investigation by the police or your school. It can also be used to talk about the issue with the cyberbully’s parents.
Avoid fighting back. Responding to the cyberbully may simply feed into his or her attack. In addition, any sort of negative reaction could be considered its own form of cyberbullying.
Report the cyberbullying to the online platform on which it took place.As WebWiseexplains, “abuse on social networking sites or through text messaging needs to be reported to the websites and mobile phone service providers.”
Come up with strategies for preventing future cyberbullying. Of course, it is not the victim’s fault that he or she was harassed. However, that doesn’t mean your student can’t do anything about it. Webwise recommends “[giving] the child advice for making sure it does not happen again. This can include changing passwords [and] contact details, blocking profiles on social networking sites, or reporting abuse online.”
Ideally, none of your students would ever suffer from cyberbullying. However, if they do, following these steps can help minimize the damage of this harmful online activity.
Studying Social Media Safety
No matter how you approach your cybersecurity curriculum, we believe you must include a section on social media. These types of online platforms are widely used and very vulnerable to cybersecurity issues.
In 2018, the Pew Research Center reported that 85% of teens use YouTube, 72% use Instagram, 69% use Snapchat, 51% use Facebook, and 32% use Twitter. Only 3% of teens don’t use any common social media platforms, which means approximately 97% do.
As we’ve explained above, social media can be dangerous for children and teens.Cyberbullies can attack your students on these platforms, scammers can attempt to steal young people’s sensitive information, and cyberstalkers can use their posts to follow them, just to name a few.
We recommend that one of your first cybersecurity lessons teaches students how to protect their social media accounts. A few key ideas to cover include:
Passwords. It is vital that students create strong passwords for all of their accounts, and especially their social media profiles. These accounts often contain sensitive information cyber attackers could use against them. You should inform students that strong passwords:
Have numbers, symbols, and letters (both lower- and uppercase, ideally). If students have trouble coming up with their own passwords that fulfill these requirements, they can use a “‘strong random password generator’” online, according to the Chicago Tribune. The article also suggests “starting with at least 16” characters.
Are different for different accounts. As an example, the Chicago Tribune notes, “your Twitter password should not be the same as the password you use to log in to your banking accounts.”
Should be changed often. We recommend at least once every three months.
Should not be shared with anyone. Some children and teens feel pressure to share their passwords with friends and classmates. This is unsafe. Remind students that their passwords are only for them (and perhaps their parents) to know.
Two-Factor Authentication. As discussed above, this security feature requires users to enter two pieces of information to enter an app. In many cases, this means entering a password, then entering a code texted to the user’s phone. It could also involve using a biometric password (such as a fingerprint) or answering a security question. Encourage your students to use two-factor Authentication on social media (and other accounts) whenever possible, since this is more secure.
Privacy settings. Tell your students not to simply go with the default privacy settings for their social media accounts. They should set their accounts to be as private as possible. At the very least, their sensitive social media data and pictures should not be publicly visible.
Personal information. Your students should never share personal information on social media. This includes their date of birth, address, full name, social security number, credit card information, and similar data.
Virus protection. Some malware, phishing, and other scams come from social media. If students are active online, they should have antivirus software installed on all of their devices.
“Think before you click.” Since cyber scams are unfortunately quite common, students should be wary of any social media messages that ask them to act immediately or provide personal information. You should let them know that scammers often offer something too good to be true in exchange for private data.
Online reputation. As we’ve mentioned above, your students’ online reputations could impact their ability to get into college or get the jobs they want. In addition, a poor online reputation could lead to or worsen cyberbullying and cause problems with students’ parents. As the National Cyber Security Alliance’s Stay Safe Online site explains, “what you post online stays online. Think twice before posting pictures [or any other information] you wouldn’t want your parents or future employers to see.”
Report issues to social media platforms. Tell students that if they’re being cyberbullied, scammed, or otherwise harassed on social media, they should report these activities to the social media sites themselves. These types of activities are usually against social media platforms’ rules and the company may be able to help.
Ask an adult for help if needed. Encourage students to ask for assistance if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Remind them that they can come to you, their parents, or other trusted adults if they encounter any problems.
These crucial concepts should definitely be included in your cybersecurity curriculum.
Sample Lesson Plan: Go Phish
Below, we’ve included a sample cybersecurity lesson plan on phishing. You may use this as a model for planning your classes.
Introducing Phishing
Begin by showing students an email from “netflix@gmail.com” that reads:
Hello [name], We reget to inform you that your Netflixx account has been suspended do to a problem with your billing informations.
To repair your account and get it bak up and running, please go open the file netflixaccountinformation.exe and respond with Your full legal name: Your date of birth: Your address: Your phone number: Your preferred credit card number:
Please write us back if you need any asistance.
Sincerely, Netflix Customer Service
Ask them why they would or wouldn’t respond to this email.
Defining Phishing
Once they’ve answered, explain that this is very similar to a real email many people have received as part of a phishing scam. Explain that “phishing is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by” manipulating them into providing personal information to the attacker. In order to trick receivers, “phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual” (as per United States Department of Homeland Security).
Describe how phishing scammers use these emails to collect personal information. Explain that they use this data to steal users’ identities, install malware on their computers, and harass them.
Teach them the common signs of a phishing email: To protect your students, you can teach them to identify the signs of a phishing scam (covered in more detail above):
Have students write their very own phishing emails. Have them assume the identity of a cyber scammer trying to get the email recipient to give up their private information. Tell them to send their phishing emails to you so you can choose the best, most convincing one. Share the winner with the class and explain why it is a good example of a phishing email.
Once you’ve completed this exercise, remind students to look at any strange emails through the eyes of a phishing scammer. If it seems like it could have been written by a cyber attacker, remind them not to open any links or attachments.
Phishing Homework
For homework, have students write a five-step plan for avoiding phishing attacks. Have them share this plan with at least one other person (such as a classmate, parent, or family friend) and note down this person’s reactions.
Other Resources and Tools for Teachers
If you’d like further information and/or lesson plan suggestions, we recommend:
“Cyber Security for Beginners” by Heimdal Security. This free course teaches cybersecurity to beginners and includes a free security self-assessment PDF cheat sheet you can use to help determine how much your students already know.
In addition, if you want to combine playing and learning about cybersecurity, you can enter your school or class into a coding competition. The Australian Digital Technologies Hub offers competitions in robotics, coding, and tech, Grok Learning offers coding and AI training and competitions to students of all levels, and Code Chef offers a unique international coding competition. You can search online for similar opportunities in your local area.Was this helpful? Share it!Share on Facebook 18Tweet this 5About the Author
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Kristen promotes literacy and the art of creativity. She focuses on movement, wellness and creativity throughout her community. Kristen owns an art studio where children can come to paint during the summer. She also opens up her pool during certain hours to allow others to come swim. Kristen has built, painted and placed mailboxes around the community for people to take and trade books to read throughout the summer months. Kristen has inspired me to try this idea in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Thanks for all you do, Kristen Wilbern!
50 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITH THE HAPPIEST FRESHMEN
Going to college is one of the most significant experiences of your life. In fact, college is as much an experience as it is an education. Your freshman year is pivotal in determining the kind of experience you will have in college. A positive first year will greatly increase your likelihood of staying at your school and earning your degree. Not such a good year? You might find yourself looking to transfer to a new school. While transferring isn’t the end of the world, it is a headache: you have to start everything from scratch, make new friends, get to know a new place, and reestablish yourself all over again. In order to avoid the headache of a transfer, it’s important that you find a school at which you’ll be happy your freshman year. To help with that, we have ranked the top 50 schools with the happiest freshmen.
The primary criteria for our ranking are freshman retention rates. But you will notice that many of these schools have the same percentage of freshman that return for their second year. In order to delineate schools within a given percentage of freshman retention, we ranked them based upon overall graduation rate. We figure that you will want to find a school that not only offers a great first year experience, but excels in making sure its students graduate with a degree.50Wellesley College
Image Source Wellesley College, a private institution with total undergraduate enrollment of 2,481 students, ranks seventh in the 2014 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges. Wellesley has a breathtaking natural environment in the classically New England town of Wellesley, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. Students can choose from more than 150 student organizations on campus. Instead of sororities, Wellesley has societies that serve as social and academic clubs. Housing is guaranteed for incoming freshmen, and the majority of students live in Wellesley’s 21 residence halls throughout their four years. Wellesley has a cross-registration program with MIT, offering students a greater range of courses. The college has a strong science program, including the nation’s second oldest physics lab and there is a student-teacher ratio of 7:1 and a freshman retention rate of 95 percent.49United States Military Academy
Image Source Located in West Point, New York, approximately 50 miles north of New York City on the Hudson River, resides The United States Military. It is the oldest of the country’s five federal service academies. There is no cost for tuition to attend, but students, referred to as cadets, must fulfill an active-service duty obligation upon graduation. Army offers a wide range of extracurricular clubs, from the glee and gospel clubs to the ski and sailing clubs and boasts a 95 percent freshman retention rate. The Army Black Knights participate in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports at the NCAA Division I level and are known for their rivalry with the Naval Academy, particularly in football. Every cadet is required to participate in an intercollegiate, club, or intramural sport each semester. Cadets live in barracks on campus all four years and receive a monthly stipend.48Wesleyan University
Image Source Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college located in Middletown, Connecticut overlooking the Connecticut River. The Connecticut River is a beautiful work-out location for Wesleyan’s rowing team, but if rowing isn’t your sport Wesleyan offers about 200 student organizations that might be up your alley. Founded in 1831, it has about 2,900 undergraduate students. Wesleyan has a 95 percent freshman retention rate and requires all freshmen to live on campus. Wesleyan is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference in NCAA Division III with 29 varsity team, 16 club sports teams, and 8 intramural sports. The college is also part of the unofficial “Little Three” athletic conference with Amherst and Williams.47Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Image Source One of ten schools located in Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute provides a rigorous private education grounded in the sciences. Founded in 1865, WPI resides on 80 tree-filled acres within the city’s urban center. The community of Worcester Polytechnic Institute is very tight-knit, with an undergraduate enrollment of only 3,952 and a freshman retention rate of 96 percent. The majority of students are men (70 percent), and 70 percent of students are involved in athletics in the school at some level. The student body is actively engaged in campus activities, such as contests like the epic tug-of-war held throughout the year between the freshmen sophomore classes.46Northeastern University
Image Source Located in Boston, a city steeped in American history and full of activities for students, Northeastern University offers a private education to its 13,107 undergraduate students. Northeastern boasts a 96 percent rate of retaining freshmen. At Northeastern students gain substantial work experience before receiving their diplomas. Between 2006 and 2013 about 90 percent of Northeastern undergraduates are placed in “experiential learning opportunities” in over 110 countries and completed at least one professional co-op during their college career. Northeastern University is environmentally aware and was a founding member of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment since 2007. Cited in 2012, as America’s Greenest College by Green Metric Ranking of World Universities.45University of Rochester
Image Source Founded in 1850, The University of Rochester is located two miles south of downtown Rochester, New York, in the bend of the Genesee River. Total undergraduate enrollment of 5,785, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 707 acres. The University of Rochester is described as one of the smallest and most collegiate schools among the nation’s top research universities. The university pioneered the Take Five Scholars Program two decades ago, which has allowed more than 900 students to study, tuition free, for an additional semester or year in areas outside their formal majors. Rochester’s a cappella ensembles are among the country’s best, and it boasts a freshman retention rate of 96 percent.44University of Florida
Image Source The University of Florida is the oldest university in the state of Florida and has been considered a “Public Ivy” since 2001. It is located in Gainesville, a college town bolstered by the school’s nearly 50,000 students. The Florida Gators sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference. The Gator football team competes in the notorious stadium commonly called the “The Swamp.” The team became the namesake of popular sports drink Gatorade in 1966, after freshmen Gators experimented with the novel beverage. The annual Gator Growl, held each Homecoming weekend, has been called the largest student-run pep rally in the world. About 15 percent of students are involved in the school’s 60-plus fraternities and sororities. Freshmen do not have to live on campus, though about 80 percent opt to do so and 96 percent of them return for their second year.43College of William and Mary
Image Source The College of William and Mary is the second oldest college in the nation, founded in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II of England. Despite it’s historic legacy, William and Mary is a cutting-edge research university. William and Mary has a freshman retention rate of 96 percent and is consider “Public Ivy” school—one of only eight in the country. It is highly selective, and offers a world-class education. The school is located in historic downtown Williamsburg, Virginia, which along with Jamestown and Yorktown comprise the Historic Triangle. Students can therefore not only study but can walk the streets where the beginnings of representative government were first lived. William and Mary is steeped in tradition, including the ringing of the Wren bell by graduating seniors in the Sir Christopher Wren Building, the oldest college building in the nation.42University of California—Los Angeles (UCLA)
Image Source The University of California—Los Angeles, commonly referred to as UCLA, is located in the Westwood neighborhood of L.A., just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. UCLA was the most applied-to four-year university nationwide; over 105 thousand applications have been submitted for Fall 2014. The total undergraduate enrollment is 27,941, and 96 percent of freshman return after their first year. Founded in 1882, UCLA has been designated as a Public Ivy. The campus is home to world-renowned faculty who teach in more than 125 majors, with more than two-dozen of these academic programs ranked among the top 20 in their disciplines. UCLA athletes have competed in every Olympics since 1920 except 1924, and won gold in every Olympics that the U.S. has competed in since 1932. Amongst other honors, UCLA alumni and faculty helped create the Internet: the campus was the first node in ARPANET—the predecessor of the Internet.41University of California—Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
Image Source The University of California—Berkeley, often referred to as Cal, is situated overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Berkeley guarantees two years of housing for incoming freshmen, 96 percent of which return for their sophomore year. There are more than 1,200 student organizations on campus, ranging from political groups to a hang gliding club and everything in between. Often referred to as “bohemian Berkeley,” Berkeley is well known as a hub of liberal student activity, trendy coffee houses, and for its diverse culinary and cultural scene. Over 4,000 Cal students do volunteer work yearly. UC Berkeley is the only U.S. school to produce over 3,000 Peace Corps volunteers since the latter’s inception in 1961. UC Berkeley combines outstanding teaching and research programs with broad access for students of all means—educating more federal Pell Grant recipients from low-income families than all eight Ivy League universities combined.40Rice University
Image Source Founded in 1912, Rice University is located on a beautiful 285-acre campus in urban core of Houston, Texas. Referred to by many as “The Harvard of the South,” Rice is home to an intimate academic community of 3,848 undergraduate students, a teacher to student ratio of 9:1, and a freshman retention rate of 96 percent. Rice offers incoming students a dynamic student life in the nation’s fourth-largest city, as the campus is located within Houston’s Museum District. There is also plenty of natural beauty as well, as Rice boasts one of the city’s nicest running trails, which runs around the campus and through several of Houston’s established neighborhoods. The Rice Owls boast 14 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams and are well known for their strong baseball program. Rice is home to the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, which offers coursework, internships and lectures.39Georgetown University
Image Source Established in 1789, Georgetown is the nation’s oldest Jesuit University. Georgetown is situated overlooking the Potomac River just a few minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. The university’s connection to Washington, D.C. is part of what makes the Georgetown experience exciting and unique. With close proximity to the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and major theaters and museums, Washington offers a wide variety of cultural events, jobs, and internships across multiple sectors. Georgetown has a freshman retention rate of 96 percent, and freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus in one of the many residence halls. Other students choose to live in the townhouses and apartments along the cobblestone streets surrounding campus. The Georgetown Hoyas are part of NCAA’s Division I and are well known for their dominant men’s basketball team, which maintains a fierce rivalry with Syracuse and plays most home games at the Verizon Center, also home to the Washington Wizards.38Hamilton College
Image Source Hamilton is the third-oldest college in New York and was named after its former board of trustee and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton College was originally a men’s college until 1978 when it became coeducational after uniting with its sister institution, Kirkland College. 98 percent of students live in one of the 27 residence halls on campus. All students receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with 54 optional areas of study. Nearly half of students study abroad during their time at Hamilton through 180 programs around the world or the school’s consortium programs. Although Hamilton remains small by present-day standards and currently has a student body of fewer than 1,900, it provides resources and facilities comparable to those of undergraduate institutions substantially larger in size. While faithfully maintaining the tradition of liberal learning in a comfortably intimate environment, Hamilton retains 96 percent of its freshman class.37Vanderbilt University
Image Source Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt is a private internationally recognized research university located a mile and a half southwest of downtown Nashville. The university has a strong student/faculty ratio of 8:1, strong partnerships among its 10 schools, neighboring institutions, and the community, as well as being designated a national arboretum. On campus, Greek organizations play a big role in social life, with approximately 40 percent of students affiliated with Greek life. Vanderbilt has a freshman retention rate of 96 percent and all undergraduate students are required to live on campus. Freshmen live together in The Commons, which has six LEED certified green dorms.36California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Image Source Located in Pasadena, California, Caltech is a renowned science and engineering research and education school. Boasting an intimate student/faculty ratio of 3:1, social and academic life at Caltech centers on the eight student houses, which the school describes as “self-governing living groups.” Student houses incorporate an admired Caltech tradition: dinners served by student waiters. Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but around 80 percent of students remain in their house for all four years, and 96 percent of freshman return after their first year. Caltech is ranked second in the U.S. in return on investment of degree and its students are among the lowest in the nation for a four-year, student debt.35Cornell University
Image Source Cornell’s campus is bordered by Fall Creek and Cascadilla Gorge and looks out on picturesque Cayuga Lake. The university also showcases Cornell Plantations, which burst with beautiful flora and ponds. Ithaca itself has been named one of the top 100 places to live, a top-ten recreation city, a best green place to live, and one of the “foodiest” towns in America. Cornell University was founded in 1865, and has been distinguished as an Ivy League school with a freshman retention rate of 96 percent. Overall, it has seven undergrad schools and colleges that define their own academic programs and admit students. Collectively, they offer more than 4,000 courses across nearly 100 departments, with around 70 undergrad majors and more than 90 minors. As of 2010, Cornell is the only university with three female winners the Nobel Prizes among its alumni.34Washington University in St. Louis
Image Source Located in the suburbs of St. Louis, Washington University offers incoming students an opportunity to explore their academic interests with unparalleled flexibility and learning opportunities. With just over 7,000 undergraduate students and very intimate 8:1 student-teacher ratio, Washington University students are able to work closely with advisors to combine majors with minors, second majors, and pre-professional programs to develop their own unique academic program. Washington University is also committed to identifying and nurturing the pursuit of each students passion, by offering over 300 student clubs and organizations. In turn, 96 percent of Washington University’s freshman return after their first year in school.33Northwestern University
Image Source Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is a private institution located along Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois. Chicago is easily accessible via public transportation, which affords students the opportunity to supplement their education with a wide variety of cultural, practical, and social experiences for their incoming students, 97 percent of which return after their first year. Of Northwestern’s dozen schools, nine offer undergraduate programs in addition the school’s 11 residential colleges that offer thematic living quarters for social and academic programming. Northwestern’s Dance Marathon, created in 1975, is one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the country and has raised more than $14 million for Chicago-area charities. Northwestern University is a Division I school in the Big Ten athletic conference. Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team has won multiple NCAA national championships.32Vassar College
Image Source Vassar is located in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in the scenic Hudson Valley, 75 miles north of New York City. Founded in 1861, Vassar was one of the first historically women’s colleges in the northeast, but in 1969 Vassar became coeducational. The Maria Mitchell Observatory and the Main Building, which once housed the entire college, are registered as National Historic Landmarks. The Vassar Quidditch team, known as the Butterbeer Brewers, competes against other colleges in the sport from the “Harry Potter” novels. Vassar is a residential college, where freshmen are required to live on campus, 96 percent of whom return for their sophomore year. The school guarantees housing for all four years, and 98 percent of students live in the nine residence halls and apartments.31Columbia University
Image Source Columbia University is New York state’s oldest higher learning institution and the fifth oldest in the United States. Columbia, an Ivy League school, ranks fourth in the 2014 edition of Best National Universities. Columbia has a freshman retention rate of 96 percent, and a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,068, with a student/faculty ratio of 6:1. Columbia is located on 32 acres (6 city blocks) in upper Manhattan between the northwest corner of Central Park and the Hudson river, with everything from Times Square to The Guggenheim close at hand. More than 90 percent of students live in on-campus housing, ranging from traditional residence halls to university-owned brownstones. Fun fact: Columbia University administers the Pulitzer Prize.30Williams College
Image Source Located in Williamstown Massachusetts at the foothill of Mount Greylock in the Berkshire Mountains, Williams College is one of the oldest colleges in the country. Founded in 1793, the school was originally a men’s college until 1970, when women were first admitted. Williams ranks number one in 2014 for National Liberal Arts Colleges, boasting a student to teacher ratio of 7:1 and a freshman retention rate of 96 percent. The school has Oxford-style tutorials, which rely heavily on student participation. The school has many unique student activities, including the semi-annual, school-wide trivia contest and the annual Mountain Day when students hike Mount Greylock.29United States Naval Academy
Image Source The scenic Naval Academy campus, known as the Yard, is located in historic Annapolis, Maryland, where the Severn River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, approximately 33 miles east of Washington, D.C. Naval Academy students, known as midshipmen, are officers in training. In return for fully funded Bachelor of Science degrees, graduates of Navy and are commissioned either as Ensigns in the Navy or Second Lieutenants in the Marine Corps for five years. All midshipmen live in Bancroft Hall, a huge dormitory complex, and receive a monthly stipend. The Naval Academy has a 97 percent freshman retention rate and is 79 percent male and 21 percent female. The school offers more than 70 extracurricular activities for midshipmen, from the debate team to the alpine ski team, among others.28University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Image Source The University was founded in 1817 as the University of Michigania. Originally located in Detroit, the institution’s home moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. The University of Michigan boasts one of the best college towns in the country and Rolling Stone described it as “A campus scene that rocks.” Freshmen—97 percent of whom return for their sophomore year—are guaranteed housing but are not required to live on campus. Nearly 20 percent of the undergraduate student body is affiliated with Greek life at Michigan. If Greek life does not sound appealing, there are more than 1,200 other student organizations from which to choose. There are more than 1,000 undergraduate research opportunities on this campus, and the Wolverines have built athletic dynasties in football, men’s swimming, diving, and ice hockey.27University of Southern California (USC)
Image Source University of Southern California is home to 18,316 undergraduates and nearly 3,200 full-time faculty. Southern California’s campus—lovingly called “Troy”—is located in the heart of one of the biggest metropolises in the world, Los Angeles, California. USC has 21 schools and colleges and offers nearly 250 majors and minors, including professional programs and 97 percent of their freshman are retained each year. One of the most noted of USC’s schools is the School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest and largest film school in the United States, offering degrees in six programs. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated at least one USC alumnus every year since the inception of the Academy Awards in 1929. USC enrolls more international students than any other U.S. university and offers extensive opportunities for internships and study abroad. USC has a storied athletics program, with a nationally powerful football program and more Olympians than any other US university.26University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
Image Source The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the nation’s oldest state university, with a rich history stretching back more than two centuries. UNC has a total undergraduate enrollment of 18,503 and retains 97 percent of its freshman class. UNC is situated in the beautiful college town of Chapel Hill, considered one of the best college towns in the country, offering plentiful choices of live music, restaurants, and shopping. The North Carolina Tar Heels are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and have one of the most successful programs in men’s basketball, which maintain a storied rivalry with nearby Duke University. Former players include Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education.25Tufts University
Image Source Tufts University is located in the Medford/Somerville area of Massachusetts, not far from downtown Boston. Tufts offers a blended education of both a research university and a liberal arts college, offering more than 70 undergraduate degree programs to its 5,300 undergraduate students who are split about 90 percent in the School of Arts and Sciences and 10 percent in the School of Engineering. 97 percent of freshman return for their sophomore year at Tufts, and all freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus in dorms, suites, or university-owned houses or apartments. Notable student groups at Tufts include the Cycling Club, the Beelzebubs (an all-male a cappella group), and the Freethought Society. About half of the student body participates in study abroad programs. Tufts’ permanent art collection features works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and John Singer Sargent.24Davidson College
Image Source Located just a short drive north of Charlotte, Davidson College is the ninth ranked liberal arts college in the country, according to US News and World Report. Davidson has a 97 percent freshman retention rate, and offers 25 majors and 17 minors, in addition to a robust Interdisciplinary Studies program. About one-quarter of Davidson’s students compete in Division I athletics, and 80 percent study or work internationally during their Davidson careers. More than 95 percent of students choose to live on campus in residence halls, apartments, co-op living/learning houses and international houses. The Cake Race, a 1.3-mile dash around campus—where winners receive freshly baked cakes—is one of many activities during Wildcat Welcome Week. Davidson became the nation’s first liberal arts college to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages with its initiative called The Davidson Trust, giving all students the chance to graduate free of debt.23Haverford College
Image Source Haverford is a leading liberal arts college located just outside Philadelphia. The campus boasts a nationally recognized arboretum including a 3.5-acre duck pond, gardens, and wooded areas. Haverford is a residential college, where more than 98 percent of students live in one of the residence halls, campus apartments, or houses, and 97 percent of freshman return for their second year. Popular Majors at Haverford include biology, chemistry, economics, English, political science, and psychology. Haverford has the oldest college soccer team and only varsity cricket team in the country. The C. Christopher Morris Cricket Library and Collection is the largest collection of cricket memorabilia in the world. Haverford offers a number of study abroad programs through its International Academic Programs office, including programs designed specifically for pre-med students and science and math majors.22Bowdoin College
Image Source Ranked fourth in the 2014 edition of National Liberal Arts Colleges, with a freshman retention rate of 97 percent, Bowdoin College offers a private liberal arts education in a coastal New England setting. Located in Brunswick, Maine, Bowdoin College boasts a large offering of student organizations, the largest and most active being the Outing Club, which offers 100 excursions each year. The Peucinian Society, Founded in 1805, is one of the nation’s foremost literary societies and the oldest student organization at Bowdoin College, with alumni including poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Bowdoin College has a robot team named Northern Bites, who compete in the Standard Platform League of RoboCup.21Swarthmore College
Image Source Located a few short miles from Philadelphia, Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college with an intimate student body of 1,545 students. The campus is also adjacent to the Scott Arboretum, which adds to the campus’s renowned beauty. Unlike most liberal arts colleges, Swarthmore also offers a B.S. in engineering. It ranks third in National Liberal Arts Colleges for the 2014 edition of Best Colleges, offers a student/faculty ratio of 8:1, and has a freshman retention rate of 97 percent. Swarthmore offers programs around the world in more than 100 locations and about half of its students study abroad. Swarthmore has many unique traditions, including Worthstock, the school’s take on Woodstock, featuring outdoor live music, dancing and food and the Crum Regatta, where students race down Crum Creek in homemade boats.20Johns Hopkins University
Image Source The Johns Hopkins University has three major campuses. The majority of the undergraduate community is located on the Homewood campus, a little haven in the north Baltimore neighborhood of Charles Village. The Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering are found on the Homewood campus, while the other locations also offers undergraduate programs through the Carey Business School, the Peabody Institute, and the School of Nursing. Johns Hopkins has a freshman retention rate of 97 percent and has an undergraduate enrollment of 5,192. JHU ranks first among U.S. universities in receipt of federal research and development funds. It has ranked number one for over 3 decades by the NSF (National Science Foundation) amongst U.S. academic institutions for various research endeavors, including science, medicine, and engineering. In addition, JHU was “the first medical school to admit women on an equal basis with men and to require a bachelor’s degree.” The JHU Blue Jays have 22 athletic teams and participate in NCAA Division I for men’s and women’s lacrosse and Division III for all other sports.19Middlebury College
Image Source Located in the Champlain Valley of central Vermont, with Vermont’s Green Mountains to the east and New York’s Adirondacks to the west, Middlebury College is renowned for its strengths in international studies and environmental education. With a freshman retention rate of 97 percent, the 2014 edition of Best Colleges ranked Middlebury fourth in National Liberal Arts Colleges. Middlebury is home to the Bread Loaf School of English, as well as the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, one of the oldest and most prestigious writers’ conferences in the nation. The Middlebury Panthers have 31 NCAA Division III varsity teams and are members of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The school also competes in “Muggle Quidditch” and founded the International Quidditch Association based on the sport from the “Harry Potter” novels. Middlebury also hosts the country’s oldest Winter Carnival, featuring a ski competition and live music.18Duke University
Image Source Duke University’s campus is situated on nearly 9,000 acres in Durham, N.C, a city of more than 200,000 people. Duke Forest covers 7,200 acres and serves as a natural outdoor laboratory for Duke and neighboring universities. The forest is used for research, protecting wildlife and rare plant species, and studying timber management practices. It is also a popular place to walk or run. 97 percent of Duke’s freshman return for their sophomore year. Part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Blue Devils are best known for their outstanding men’s basketball program, in addition Duke has won national championships in lacrosse and soccer, and women’s golf and tennis. More than 75 percent of Duke students pursue service-learning opportunities locally and around the world through DukeEngage and other programs that advance the university’s mission of “knowledge in service to society.”17Brown University
Image Source Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown is the third oldest institution of higher education in New England and seventh oldest in the United States, and has a freshman retention rate of 97 percent. Curriculum at Brown allows any course to be taken on a satisfactory/no credit basis. In addition, there are no pluses or minuses in the letter grading system. The school has the oldest undergraduate engineering program in the Ivy League (1847). The Brown Bears have 35 NCAA Division I athletic teams, most notable being their men’s soccer team, which consistently ranks among the top 25 teams in the nation. One tradition at Brown is that the Van Wickle Gates opens its center section only twice a year: once to let incoming students onto campus and once to let recent graduates exit after commencement. Also, Brown hosts an annual celebratory “Spring Weekend” with athletic events, concerts, and free food.16University of Notre Dame
Image Source Notre Dame is an independent, national, Catholic research university located adjacent to the city of South Bend, Indiana. Undergraduate enrollment for the 2012-13 academic year was 8,475 with a freshman retention rate of 97 percent. The University is organized into four undergraduate colleges: Arts and Letters, Science, Engineering, and the Mendoza College of Business. Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but most students choose to remain on campus in one of the 29 single-sex residence halls. The halls serve as the centers of social life at Notre Dame, as there is no Greek life on campus. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the 14-story Hesburgh Library with its 132-feet-high mural depicting Christ the Teacher, and the University’s historic Main Building with its famed Golden Dome are among the most widely known university landmarks in the world. The Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” boast more than 25 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams and are well known for their historic football program.15Pomona College
Image Source Located in Claremont, California, Pomona College is within an hour of the Pacific Ocean, the Mojave Desert, the San Gabriel Mountains, and the city of Los Angeles. There aren’t many places in the world where you can ski in the morning, play on the beach in the afternoon, and take in a major league baseball game or an opera at night (not to mention the simple joy of wearing flip-flops in the middle of February). Pomona’s founders envisioned “a college of the New England type” when they created this school with small classes and strong student-faculty relationships. Pomona offers its 1,600 students a premier liberal arts degree with curriculum in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences with a study-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a freshman retention rate of 97 percent. On-campus housing is guaranteed if requested, and more than 97 percent of students live in the 14 residence halls, two-thirds of which contain single rooms.14Harvard University
Image Source Founded in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest university in the United States. Routinely ranking first or second overall in many university ranking lists, Harvard’s extensive library system houses the oldest collection in the United States and the largest private collection in the world. At Harvard, on-campus residential housing is an integral part of student life, and 97 percent of their freshman class return for their sophomore year. Freshmen live around the Harvard Yard at the center of campus, after which they are placed in one of 12 undergraduate houses for their remaining three years. Eight U.S. presidents graduated from Harvard College, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Other notable alumni include Henry David Thoreau, Helen Keller, Yo-Yo Ma, and Tommy Lee Jones.13Hillsdale College
Image Source Hillsdale College is an independent, residential, liberal arts college located in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was the first American college to prohibit in its charter any discrimination based on race, religion, or sex, and became an early force for the abolition of slavery. It was also the second college in the nation to grant four-year liberal arts degrees to women. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,434, and has a freshman retention rate of 98 percent. The distinctively rural town of Hillsdale, Michigan lies just miles away from the borders of Ohio and Indiana, and offers recreational opportunities for the outdoors lover with its numerous lakes, rivers, and nature areas, including the College’s own Slayton Arboretum. Hillsdale distinguishes itself from other institutions by it’s principled determination never to accept federal taxpayer funding and core curriculum containing the essence of the classical liberal arts education, where by students are introduced to the history, philosophical and theological ideas, works of literature, and scientific discoveries that have shaped Western Civilization.12Harvey Mudd College
Image Source Born from the urgency of “The Space Race” in the 1950s, Harvey Mudd College offers a technical liberal arts education with specialization in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. As a residential college in Claremont, California, freshmen are required to live on campus, and 99 percent of students remain on campus in one of the eight dormitories. Dorm competitions are regularly held, ranging from water polo to broomball. Harvey Mudd has a freshman retention rate of 98 percent and is ranked second in Undergraduate Engineering Colleges and sixteenth in Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News & World Report. PayScale 2014 ranks HMC first in Best Schools for Return on Investment. Harvey Mudd offers students a unique opportunity in its Clinic Program, where teams of four students work for a year on a project suggested by a company. The Clinic Program offers students a first-hand look at a particular industry and allows the sponsoring company to hire an inexpensive Clinic team whom they often try to recruit after graduation.11Carleton College
Image Source Known for its academic excellence and warm, welcoming campus community Carleton College is a small, private liberal arts college in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Carleton offers 37 majors and 15 concentrations in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences and enrolls 2,055 undergraduate students with a freshman retention rate of 98 percent. All freshmen are required to live on campus, and about 90 percent of students choose to remain on campus in one of the residence halls, shared interest houses, or campus townhouses. Intramural sports like quidditch, broomball, dodgeball, and sand volleyball are popular among students in addition to their 170 student organizations. A newer tradition is the “Silent Dance Party” during study days prior to finals when students don headphones and dance together in the library.10University of Virginia
Image Source Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University of Virginia is located in the charming town of Charlottesville. UVA offers 56 bachelor’s degrees in 53 fields to its total undergraduate enrollment of 15,822. UVA houses one of the 25 remaining original copies of the Declaration of Independence, called a Dunlap Broadside, in its Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. Only first-year students are required to live on campus, but 98 percent of them return to school for their second year. Greek life is prominent at UVA with a membership that includes approximately 30 percent of the student body. The Cavaliers, known unofficially as Wahoos or ‘Hoos, are part of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference and are well known for their dominant men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. In 2014, UVA ranked second in Top Public School, fifth in Best Undergraduate Business Programs, and 24th in Best National University by U.S. News and World Report.9Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Image Source The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private research university founded in 1861, is renown for its research and education in the physical sciences and engineering and more recently in biology, economics, linguistics, and management. Amongst its discoveries are the 2014 finding of a two-dimensional material similar to graphene that could be used to make flat solar cells and transistors. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from downtown Boston. Only freshmen students are required to live on campus, but about 70 percent of students choose to remain on campus during their four years of study, and 98 percent of freshman return for their second year. MIT offers housing in one of the coolest dorms in the country, commonly called “The Sponge,” designed by architect Steven Holl. The MIT Engineers boast more than 30 NCAA Division III Teams, and their mascot is a beaver, which MIT chose because of its “remarkable engineering and mechanical skill and its habits of industry.”8Dartmouth College
Image Source Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a private Ivy League research university located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dartmouth College ranked tenth in the 2014 edition of Best National Universities, with a student/faculty ratio of 8:1 and a freshman retention rate of 98 percent. The Arts & Sciences consist of 40 academic departments and programs; top majors among 2013 graduates were economics, government, history, engineering sciences, psychological and brain sciences, biological sciences, english, and mathematics. Dartmouth’s year-round academic calendar of four 10-week terms allows students to decide when to study on campus, and when to use time away from Hanover to gain work experience, engage in service, be an intern, or study abroad. Dartmouth offers 34 intercollegiate varsity sports at the NCAA Division I level, 24 intramural sports, and approximately 36 club sports. Three-quarters of Dartmouth undergraduates participate in some form of athletics. Dartmouth’s Outing Club is the oldest and largest collegiate outing club in the country and is the most popular student organization at Dartmouth, offering outdoor activities, expeditions, gear rentals, and courses.7University of Pennsylvania
Image Source Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740, University of Pennsylvania is a private institution located in Philadelphia. Inspired by what Benjamin Franklin called “an inclination . . . to serve mankind,” Penn weaves civic awareness and civic action into campus life. Approximately 13,000 University students, faculty, and staff participate in more than 300 Penn volunteer and community service programs. Penn has a 98 percent freshman retention rate. The Penn Quakers have more than 25 NCAA Division I sports that compete in the Ivy League, and are noted for successful basketball and lacrosse teams. Franklin Field is the oldest collegiate football field still in use and the country’s first double-decked college stadium. Penn, though secular, has a strong religious life with its Hillel for Jewish students, Penn Newman Catholic Center, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. More than 2,000 students each year participate in international study programs offered in more than 70 countries around the world. The Fisher Fine Arts Library, considered architect Frank Furness’ most distinctive major work, sits on Penn’s campus.6Stanford University
Image Source Leland Stanford Junior University, or more commonly Stanford University, is a private research university located between San Francisco and San Jose in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, one of the most intellectually dynamic and culturally diverse areas of the nation. Established in 1885, Stanford now has 6,980 Undergraduates and boasts a 5:1 student to faculty ratio with a freshman retention rate of 98 percent. It is the largest contiguous campus in the U.S. with over 8,000 acres has 700 buildings. Stanford ranks fifth in the 2014 edition of Best National Universities and has been named the most selective research university in the U.S. The approximate annual revenue of companies founded by Stanford alumni is about $2.7 trillion, which includes the likes of Google, Yahoo!, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, and Sun Microsystems. The Stanford Cardinals have successful lacross, tennis, and golf programs, but are most well known for the football tradition—the “Big Game”—against Cal.5Amherst College
Image Source Amherst College is an exclusively undergraduate private liberal arts college located the small town of Amherst, Massachusetts, about a 90-minute drive from Boston. Amherst College ranks second in the 2014 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges and has a freshman retention rate of 98 percent. Amherst has always shown awareness of and support for those who might not commonly have had access to higher education—for example, graduating its first African American student, Edward Jones, in 1826, and Joseph Hardy Neesima of the Class of 1870 was the first Japanese student ever to graduate from a Western college. The Amherst Lord Jeffs participate in NCAA Division III sports, and are also part of the unofficial Little Three athletic conference with Williams and Wesleyan, which has lasted more than 100 years. Amherst has taken great strides to become more sustainable, as it protects 500 acres of open land and water in its wildlife sanctuary.4Princeton University
Image Source Princeton University is fourth oldest college in the United States. Founded in 1746, Princeton has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,336, a student/faculty ratio of 6:1, and a freshman retention rate of 98 percent. Princeton University is the top ranked school in the 2014 edition of Best National Universities. Members of the Ivy League, the Princeton Tigers are well known for their consistently strong men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. One unique aspect of Princeton’s academic program is that all undergraduate students are required to write a senior thesis. One of the University’s most distinctive characteristics is its close-knit residential community. Housing is guaranteed for undergraduates, and nearly all students live on campus. The residential colleges offer students a supportive and enriching environment full of opportunities for personal growth.3Soka University of America
Image Source Soka University is a private, non-profit, liberal arts college located in south Orange County, California in the City of Aliso Viejo. Founded on the Buddhist principles of peace, human rights, and the sanctity of life, Soka is open to students of all nationalities and beliefs and is committed to diversity in its academic community. Soka offers a BA in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Environmental Studies, Humanities, International Studies, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, and has a freshman retention rate of 99 percent. In addition to residence coursework, the tuition of SUA includes a study abroad program, allowing every undergraduate student to spend a semester of their junior year living and learning in another culture. Soka offers generous financial aid with free tuition available to eligible admitted students whose earned family income is $60,000 or less (room and board fees still apply). Soka University of America is a 7-mile drive to the beach and Aliso Viejo offers an abundance of cultural, educational, sporting, and adventure opportunities.2University of Chicago
Image Source The University of Chicago is the city of Chicago’s elite institution of higher learning. Situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, the university offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting to its undergraduate enrollment of 5,590 students. Freshmen are required to live on campus, and more than 50 percent of students choose to remain on campus all 4 years, living in “houses” within their dorms, which serve as tight-knit communities that provide academic and social support. University of Chicago’s ranking in the 2014 edition of Best National Universities is fifth, and it has a freshman retention rate of 99 percent. The University of Chicago also has a 6:1 Student/Faculty ratio where nearly 80 percent of classes have fewer than twenty students, allowing for an intimate intellectual settings where students can thrive academically. The Chicago Innovation Exchange (CIE) is the University of Chicago’s new hub for multidisciplinary collaborations and support for business start-up activities by University faculty, students, and area entrepreneurs.1Yale University
Image Source Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, founded in 1701. The university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,405, a freshman retention rate of 99 percent, and a student/faculty ratio of 6:1. Yale’s distinctive residential system divides the undergraduate population into twelve separate college communities of approximately 450 members each, which enables students both the intimacy of a small college environment and the vast resources of a major research university. Yale is well known for its secret societies, the most famous of which is Skull and Bones. Yale’s buildings, towers, lawns, courtyards, walkways, gates, and arches comprise what one architecture critic calls “the most beautiful urban campus in America.” Yale University ranks third in the 2014 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges and National Universities.
If you love your children and want to help them grow into stable, thoughtful, productive, loving adults, here are 10 things you should avoid doing.
1. IGNORE THEIR BRAIN.
Their brain controls everything they do—how they think, how they behave, how they relate to others. When their brain works right, they work right. When they have trouble in their brain, they have trouble in their life. And if they have trouble in their life, you have trouble in your life. Leading edge brain imaging technology called SPECT shows the health of the brain. In the images below, you can see a healthy brain, a brain damaged by trauma (such as falling off a bike), and the brain of someone with ADD/ADHD. Seeing is believing. If you want your child to be their best, you have to take care of their brain and teach them how to do so.
Classic ADD/ADHD: low activity in prefrontal cortex
2. RARELY SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THEM.
Relationships require special time. The most effective exercise you can do is spend 20 minutes of quality time a day with your child—listening and doing something they want to do (within reason).
3. BE A POOR LISTENER.
When your kids are trying to talk to you, don’t speak over them. Learn to be an active listener. Let them say their piece and then repeat back what you heard so they know you have heard them.
4. USE NAME CALLING.
Don’t tell your child, “You’re a spoiled brat.” This is not helpful, and they will internalize these negative names and begin to believe them.
5. BE OVERLY PERMISSIVE.
Letting your child do whatever they want may make them “happy” in the moment, but it can be detrimental in the long run. Children need clear boundaries. Kids who have the most psychological problems usually have parents who didn’t set boundaries for them. Be firm and be kind.
6. FAIL TO SUPERVISE THEM.
The human brain’s frontal lobes—which are involved in planning, judgment, and impulse control—are not fully developed until about age 25. You need to be your children’s frontal lobes until theirs develop. This means checking in on what your kids are doing and with whom they are doing it. This doesn’t mean being a helicopter parent, it means you care.
7. DO AS I SAY, NOT AS A I DO.
If you’re a poor role model, your kids will pick up on that and follow your lead. If you say, “eat your vegetables” but you constantly snack on candy or potato chips, they will likely opt for the foods they see you eating.
8. ONLY NOTICE WHAT THEY DO WRONG.
Try to notice when your kids do things you like—cleaning up their room, finishing their homework, or brushing their teeth.
9. IGNORE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
On average, it takes 11 years from the time kids develop symptoms of a mental health condition to first evaluation. This is just wrong. Struggling with symptoms of ADD/ADHD or anxiety and depression can negatively impact their ability to succeed in school, in their friendships, and in life.
10. IGNORE YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH.
If you are suffering from a mental health condition—whether it’s PTSD, bipolar disorder, or something else—it can devastate your children. Remember the saying, “Put your own oxygen mask on first.” You need to take care of yourself and be the best version of yourself to be the best parent.
At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of parents and children enhance their brain health and improve their performance at work, at school, and in relationships. If you or your child are struggling with a mental health issue or consequences of head trauma, schedule a visit or call 855-972-4857.
