Teacher's Ideas: Dealing With Students Having ADD/ADHD

We can learn a lot from other teachers who have good experience of dealing with students having ADD/ADHD. This article would help you get ideas and tips, which teachers around the world have shared at 'A to z teacher's stuff forum':

Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD) and / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) are common disorders among children and adults. According to a research, between 4 and 12 percent of school-age children have ADHD. It has been given a great deal of attention by neurologists and psychologists. ADHD is now widely recognized as a legitimate mental health problem.

Now read the tips and ideas teachers are sharing with us:

1- One of the participant teacher says:
'Here are some things that I do to get me and my ADHD students through a day...

- Allow student to shift in his seat, change seats, or move around every now and then.
- Provide quiet "fidget toys". This is crucial during times when you want him to take in a lot of info at once. The thing about this disorder is that it doubles a person's processing time. It comes across as the kid not paying attention, being disruptive, or rude. (We get very defensive when confused.) It does help, for whatever reason, to have something in the hands to fidget with or even (I know this is an unpopular one...) a piece of gum. By occupying the physical impulses, the brain works better and can concentrate.
- Written plans, goals, and contracts work well. A visual reminder can really make all of the difference in the world.
- Give the child important jobs to do, especially ones in which he has to do something physical. "Joe, could you bring this to the office for me?" It is crucial that a kid with this disorder feels a part of things. Also, when confused, a lot of ADHD kids will get angry or violent. A pre-arranged signal between you and him could remind him that he is "floating out", and if necessary, signal that he needs to take a short walk to the bathroom or water fountain to cool down.'

2- Another teacher shares his experience and strategies:
'I am a first grade teacher on the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. I average about 4-5 ADD or ADHD students in my class each year. Here are some strategies that I have found helpful...

- Get the counselors, parents, etc. involved right away and document everything.
When you are on the floor, put a piece of tape in an X or a box for him to stay in. Explain that this is his space and nobody can go in except him.
- Keep him close to you. I would keep him at arms distance so you can keep a gentle hand on his shoulder, desk, etc.
- Many "busy" kids need something to touch while you teach to keep their focus. I put a piece of sticky velcro (the soft side) on the underside of their desk. They can rub this velcro while you teach and it helps with their impulse to move about.
- Walking Papers. We give the student a 2 pocket folder and have him hold onto the left and right side while we trace his hands with a black marker. This shows him exactly where his hands should be when he holds the folder. He takes this folder with him any time he walks in the hallway, to reading, to the OT, bathroom, counselors office, lunch, etc. This folder keeps his hands busy so that he is not using them to hurt or bother someone else. It has worked really well with a boy I have in my class right now. We give him a sticker each day when he has used it well and not forgotten.
- I've used a sticky note cut into three, four or five strips on their desks. (We target one behavior you want changed at a time.) Each time I have to remind them to sit still (or whatever the behavior is), I take away a strip. If there are any strips left at the end of the day (or half a day) he gets a sticker, computer time, to read a book (whatever he likes).
- I have let students stand who really have a tough time sitting while they work.'

3- A teacher shares his tips:
'Dealing with AD/HD kids is tough, and I'm speaking both as a special education teacher and a person with ADD. However, there are a bunch of things I have found that work with my students, at least most of the time! ...

- Since many children with AD/HD have other learning disabilites that tend to be masked by their zany behavior, I would recommend having the boy tested. Maybe part of the reason he is out of control is because the work is too difficult for him (or, alternatively, too easy.)
- Give him Playdough or silly putty to play with while you are giving instructions, reading out loud, etc. Or, let him draw or color. This may sound like letting him off the hook, but I have found that many AD/HD people focus better and absorb more of what they hear when they have something to do.
- Get the whole class up and moving now and then. I like to have a two minute stretch in the middle of every period. Or, you can use games such as Around the World to practice math facts and get the kids moving at the same time.
- Expect him to wiggle. He can't sit completely still, and even if he could, he would be concentrating so hard on doing that that all instructions would go out the window. If other students are distracted by him, put him in the back of the room so he can get up, lean against the wall, etc. If he gets out of his seat and wanders around the room, make sure it is really interfering with instruction before you make him sit down. I have a student who moves to a different chair about every fifteen minutes, but the others have gotten used to this and he gets his work done, and that's what really counts.

Source: A to z teachers stuff forum

Related posts:

* Tips to deal with your hyperactive child

* Is drug free treatment of "Attention Deficit Disorder"possible?

* Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD): No Heart for the Meds?

* Special Education Information for Teachers

Hobbies, Interests and Activities helping children with ADD

It is a common feeling of parents and teachers who have ADD/ADHD children, that keeping them busy is a good solution for them. But it is also difficult to let them focus on some activities for long time, so it is our duty as a parent or teacher to look for activities or interests, which can help develop their skills.

Nearly all principals (99 percent) and teachers (97 percent) surveyed feel that it is important for ALL students to participate in some extracurricular activities or clubs.

Extracurricular activities including hobbies and interests are beneficial for children with ADD. The sports they play, the hobbies they develop, the camps they attend all help to round out children, to make them more than merely persons who have difficulty paying attention in school.

Although the term extracurricular suggests something that is beyond school, these activities are an integral part of the learning process. Frequently such activities can be employed to enhance attention and to reinforce desired behavior.

Hobbies and Special Talents/Interests for Children with ADD

One of the wonderful things about hobbies is that children and adolescents can become "experts." This is particularly beneficial for students with ADD. Often the feedback they receive from parents, teachers, and classmates is negative. Coupled with their difficulty in establishing meaningful social relationships, this negative feedback can lower their self-esteem. By developing a hobby they can acquire knowledge and skills for which they are perceived as competent, as an "expert" in one particular area of interest.

Hobbies don't just emerge, they must be fostered. Parents must expose their children to a wide variety of experiences and reinforce their interests. In addition to trips to the zoo, museums, aquariums, historical sites, and the like, parents can foster hobbies by enrolling children in courses related to their interests or providing them with unusual experiences. Many communities have arts and crafts classes, music classes, gymnastics, and so forth. Museums and philharmonic orchestras frequently have programs specifically geared towards youngsters. Many of these are appropriate for children with ADD because they are relatively short and are only scheduled on a weekly basis, hence the novelty of the activity tends to capture their attention. As with sports and clubs, you need to assess the expectation of the teachers of these classes and the number of students who participate.

Beyond these hobbies there are many more to be discovered if you have the time and inclination to explore. Children have developed interests in such activities as illustrating, Morse code, and miniature furniture. Collections in stamps, coins, baseball cards, and rocks capture the imagination of many children. The list is endless. All that is necessary is enthusiasm and time. It may take a while before you find a hobby that truly interests your child, so don't give up. It is exciting to see a child develop a hobby to a point where others solicit their advice. We recall the look of pride on one youngster's face when an adult asked him about the value of a particular baseball card. He seemed amazed and proud that he knew more about this topic than even his teacher. A hobby can develop a unique competence that is often hard to find in school or extracurricular activities.

If you find it impossible to come up with a hobby that is of interest to your child you may want to ask her teacher. There are many different activities that children engage in during a school day. Perhaps the teacher has noticed your child's particular interest in one of them, one in which she has demonstrated some competence. Also check with the special subject teachers, that is, art, music, physical education, and computers. Their expertise in a particular field may enable them to identify some activity that could lead to further exploration. Although it is not critical that your child have a hobby, it can do wonders for her self-esteem.

Perhaps even more important than encouraging these types of activities is the nurturing of a special talent a child may possess. Because of the behavioral problems associated with ADD, it may be difficult for parents to identify a special talent. You might solicit the input of teachers or, if your child has been enrolled in classes such as art, gymnastics, or the like, you might inquire about exploring higher level or enrichment courses in an area in which your child demonstrates particular talent. For example, we know of a child who has been diagnosed as having ADD and has considerable difficulty staying on task in school. He happened to be enrolled in a weekend class that dealt with the environment, during which the instructor noticed a particular talent in science. The instructor informed the parents and the child has been enrolled in a number of classes outside of the school that reinforce this particular ability. Additionally, his parents make frequent trips to the local science museum, read books related to science to him, and have hired a science teacher to work with him one hour per week to expand upon his interest and talents. Over the years, this special talent has manifested itself in many ways and he has become extremely competent, some would say "gifted," in this important area of the curriculum. It is with a tremendous sense of pride that he answers the questions of adults, knowing that they seek him out for his special talent. There are other examples in the arts, music, technology, and sports that children and adolescents with ADD have demonstrated special talents.

The common thread through these examples is the commitment of the parents. It takes an extraordinary amount of time and energy to travel to special places, to seek special events, to balance the special talent with other activities, but it is necessary if the talents are to emerge. We know a youngster who is an exceptionally good gymnast. She has far exceeded the skills level of her local gymnastic class so her parents drive her (three times per week) to a special gymnastic academy in order for her to further develop this talent. It would be easier to ignore such a talent, especially since her behavioral disorders related to ADD continue to cause concerns at school. However, the parents' willingness and ability to continue having this extra training has enabled this youngster to excel, and others have come to view her as extremely talented in this area and treat her with awe. This attention can go a long way when she is reprimanded for being fidgety in school.

Not all children with ADD have special talents. In reality, not many of us have such gifts. However, if talents are present they should be encouraged and enhanced. A child should never be pressured or forced to excel. Typically, if you expose your child to a wide variety of activities at an early age she will have many opportunities for hobbies to develop. If in your opinion and that of professionals involved in the activity your child is deemed to have a special talent, then we encourage you to pursue it.

Article is experts from:
"From Keys to Parenting a Child with Attention Deficit Disorders" by Barry E. McNamara, Ed.D. & Francine J. McNamara, M.S.W., C.S.W.

Source link: family education

Free Micro-Blogging Site For Teachers and Students

New age requires us to adopt the learning procedure in tech ways, like use of blogging or micro-blogging to make teaching and learning easier. Young generation is now addicted to computers and internet, and if teachers or parents are successful in proper use of these mediums, they would be able to divert the attention of our children towards learning.

Edmodo is a private micro-blogging platform built for use by teachers and students. It’s not only a great way to introduce microblogging to students in a safe environment, but it’s also a great communication tool. At this platform teachers and students can use itto send notes, links, files, alerts, assignments, and events to each other.

Let's learn first what is 'micro-blogging'?

According to Wikipedia: Micro-blogging is a form of blogging that allows users to write brief text updates (usually up to 140 characters) and publish them, either to be viewed by everyone or if chosen by the user, a select group. the ease of use that microblogging platforms provide makes it a better way to communicate with students than the tradition blogging platform. Traditional blogging platforms are designed to communicate long posts to a large group of people.

Microblogging platforms are really designed for interaction and communication in short posts and we feel that is an advantage to a teacher in getting their students to interact in classroom activities.

Use of Edmodo in the classroom

Teachers can use it to post daily assignments, and students can use it to answer questions regarding the assignments.
A lot of teachers have students find articles to bring to class. Now a teacher could have the student submit a link to the articles in Edmodo instead of printing them out.
Teachers can plan on using it to have students submit their assignments through Edmodo.
It can used as a tool for managing communication with other committee members or other school teachers.

You are able to attach files, embed links, or even turn a basic post into an assignment or event complete with date metadata. Very easy to send out an assignment along with attachment out to a specific class of your students.

you could send your contact information and office hours to ALL of your classes. Or send a video to your after school club for them to enjoy. You get the idea. Lots of control here.
Students can save specific messages in their ‘locker’ to refer back to later. Assignments and events hang around and will appear conveniently in the sidebar when their associated dates are coming up.

How does it work?
Teachers sign up for accounts, and then create groups. Each group has a unique code which is distributed by the teacher to the class. Students then sign up (no email address required) and join the group using the code.

More at: faq

Related posts:

* Links for teachers to start educational blogs

* Effective use of Blogging in education

* Practice Of Blogging In Classroom

'Kids Cant Wait' - Helping Students Graduate With Needed Skills

High school graduation is an important step which prepares students for further higher studies and jobs as well. But how many of all graduates are successful in getting good grades for higher studies or good jobs?

Reality is that most of the students are not sufficiently skilled for the future life. The question is,

Why we need 'skill' development for high school students?

It is commonly observed that most of the students who graduate from high school lack the skills needed to do well in college or in a job.
- Many high school graduate end up in second class jobs because employers screen new employees with 6th grade English and Math tests and most of them can't pass the screen tests.
- Some college students have to appear for remedial courses because they fail freshman placement tests.

So we as a parents or teachers have to provide our support to students that they would have access to effective extra academic programs (especially in English and math) and graduate with the skills they need.

Kidscantwait.org is a campaign to help high school students graduate with skills.

The site will provide extra academic resources.

Moreover it will feature:(In their own words)

•A statewide directory of in-school and extended-time academic programs with descriptions and contact information.

•A Business Honor Roll of businesses who support local extra academic time programs for high school students by providing funding or other resources such as mentors, tutors, and summer jobs scheduled around extra help programs.

•Regional Business Forums: These forums, held across the state this spring with state officials, educators, and business leaders, will highlight local school and business-supported programs, enlist new business partners, and marshal local support.

•Community Media Outreach: At local editorial board meetings with school superintendents, businesspeople, community leaders, and legislators, we will highlight local efforts underway in our schools and advocate for increased focus on students who need help.

List of Sites and Links Helping You Learn - 'Internet And Searching The World Wide Web

Learning about internet, or world wide web is now easy for everyone. Good news is that many sites and links offer FREE tutorials for kids, students and teachers. Most of the tutorials are online and interatvie which means you browse the pages and learn in an easy but effective way, and often there are lessons which you can read offline and get the print of those tutorials. This post would help you learn about computers, internet and world wide web, including the related posts.

Links to the sites offering Free tutorials and lessons about internet, computers and world wide web

* BBC Online offers Becoming WebWise - a free online step-by-step course designed to help you learn the Internet. The course is set up as 8 "trips" and each trip is broken into three landmarks, each containing text pages, quizzes and interactive tasks.

Topics covered include:
Getting Started: what is the internet?
More From Your Browser: understanding URLs
Email: getting the most from email
Using the Net Safely: the healthy surfer
Finding Stuff: the basics of searching
As you progress through the course, your scorecard keeps track of which trip/landmarks you have visited and also your scores in the tasks and quizzes.
Link: Becoming Web Wise

* For basic learners who want to learn about the "Web"
Link: welcome to the web

* Learn the Net is dedicated to helping you master this amazing medium. You'll find articles, how-tos, resources, tutorials and information on all aspects of finding your way around the web. Learn all about email, newsgroups, downloading files, multimedia, how to protect yourself, surfing and more. If you're in a hurry, try the World Wide Web tutorial and in just 20 minutes you'll have learned how surf like a pro (or almost).

* 'World wide learn' Online Directory of Education offers "Online Internet Courses and Tutorials"

* "FREE search engine tutorial" A short and easy guide to Web searching, search engines and directories. This little crash course will teach you how to explore the Net more efficiently.
- search engine tutorial


Related posts:

* Internet as a useful tool for learning

* An internet learning site for children and teens!

* Learn more about your computer!

* "What a site" -helping teachers locate web resources

* "What is"- An internet and computer information site!

* Free tutorials about internet and World Wide Web

* Benefits of Access to Internet At Homes

Tips to help children with learning disabilities

Determining whether your child has a learning disability is a complicated process. But after realizing that your child has some kind of learning disability, you can inform the teacher at the school so they can better handle the situation. This article is particulary helpful for teachers who want to help the students with learning disablities.


As a parent and especially a teacher, you can help your child have a more appropriate sense of themselves by reassuring them that there are specific reasons for their behaviors and sharing with them what the realities are of their particular and unique abilities.


Ways to help a student with a learning disability succeed at school


* Accommodations - these can be as simple as being seated in the front row, having extra time on tests, or can involve electronic equipment and auxiliary personnel
Compensatory strategies - ways to use their cognitive strengths to offset weaknesses. If they have poor auditory memory but strong visual memory, have them draw or write down the instructions

* Special education - instruction taught by specially trained personnel in smaller classes which focuses on working on specific skills
* Self-advocacy skills - empowering students to ask for what they need in order to learn in the most effective way. Motivate the child to ask questions if they don’t understand the instructions

Working with your child at home

When you work with your child at home on academic and life skills, you help them recognize their own strengths and increase their self-esteem. Examples of activities you can implement at home fall into several categories – accommodations, organization, critical thinking, and emotional support.

Ways to cope

- Take frequent breaks when doing homework
- Know your child’s primary learning style and adjust accordingly. For more information on primary learning styles see Helpguide’s article: Learning Disabilities – Types, Symptoms and Interventions - Accommodate for the child’s primary learning style by allowing them to pace around, listen to background music, attach visual displays to the walls, or wear earplugs or headphones if distracted by noise
- Provide a computer for written assignments if the child has difficulty writing
Organization
- Model and teach them how to make “to do” lists and prioritize their homework
Set aside a regular time each week for organizing workspace, belongings, schoolwork, and activities; make a game of it or provide a reward
- Give your child a task that requires organization: grocery shopping required for a recipe, planning a birthday party on a budget, using a map to figure out the route from one place to another.

Critical thinking

- Play games of strategy
- Talk about current events and ideas with multiple points of view
- Encourage all sorts of age-appropriate reading and writing

Emotional support

- Praise your child for the positive qualities they exhibit during the whole process of doing homework not just when they finish their homework
- Engage them in social problem-solving: how to resolve conflicts with friends, teachers, and kids who may be bothering them at school
- Encourage activities that your child enjoys and excels in
- Keep open lines of communication so your child feels comfortable discussing feelings with you
- Regulate your stress and help your children learn to regulate theirs
(Helpguide’s article: Coping with Stress: Management and Reduction Techniques)
- Let your children know that you enjoy their company by playing and talking with them. It’s important not to ignore other children in the family. Many activities geared for learning disabled children can include and benefit children without disabilities as well.

Source link: Help Guide

Related posts:

* "Ld Online"- A site helping us learn about learning disablities

* Art and craft activities help children with learning disabilities

* Learn about "Children with learning disablities

Practice Of Blogging In Classroom

Many educational institutions or teachers are aware of the power and affects of "Blogging" for educational purposes but they don't know where to start. I hope that this article would help the students or teachers interested for use of blogging in classroom.

Blogs for Learning, is an online resource about instructional blogging. The site provides students and instructors with information and resources about the technical and pedagogical aspects of blogging in the classroom.

Blogs for Learning was originally conceived by Dr. Ethan Watrall and Dr. Nicole Ellison as a robust online resource designed for students and instructors who are interested in the theory and practice of blogging within an educational setting.

The goal of Blogs for Learning is to provide information and resources as to the technical, legal, and pedagogical aspects of blogging in the classroom. The design of the Blogs for Learning site was carefully conceived to be elegant, highly standards compliant and very forward thinking.

Blogs for Learning was created with the generous support from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and the Department of Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University.

Articles section contains very useful articles which can be downloaded easily either for reading or printing.

Few titles are:

- Student Blogging - What You Should Know

- Blogging for Large Classes

- Using Blogs in a College Classroom: What's Authenticity Got To Do With It?

* There are many tutorials which are in a flash presentation format, so you just have to sit, relax, watch the videos and learn about "Blogging". (Section is not working for the time being, but hope that it would be updated soon)

Read their "blog" for useful and latest articles.

Related links and posts:

- Use second generation web technologies so you can be at the forefront of transforming learning in your school at The Why 2 of Web 2.0

- Benefits of classroom Blogging?

- Classroom Blogging: More than Just Tech Ed

- A blog about career development, technology and learning strategies: The Bamboo Project

- A blog about Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century.
'Learning Blog'

- Links for teachers to start educational blogs

- Effective use of Blogging in education

"Pro Teacher" - A Community of School Teachers

Forums or message boards are a good place to have interaction with other peoples having same interests. At various sites or blogs, you can read or learn a lot, but particiating in forums is the effective way of learning from other or exchange of ideas.

ProTeacher is a professional community for school teachers in grades PreK-8. Participants include visitors from across the United States, and guests from around the world.

It is a place for professional teachers and staff (including classroom teachers, specialists, substitute teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and student teachers) working in early childhood, elementary grades K-6 and middle school. We also welcome retired and former PreK-8 teachers with a continuing professional interest in teaching.

Advantages:


- see what's new more easily
- get a reserved User Name to use as your own pen name
- edit your own messages up to 24 hours after you post
- word processor like features
- view and post photos and other attachments
- SEARCH for new and updated threads since your last visit
("thread" is Internet jargon for a discussion topic or conversation)
- bookmark threads and boards that interest you
- receive optional email alerts for your bookmarks
- send and receive Private Messages with other visitors
(your email address STAYS COMPLETELY HIDDEN)
- get a private MyPage to store your favorite stuff
- get a personal Profile page to share information about yourself
(share only information that you want to share)
- start your own ProTeacher Blog, or join a group blog
- sign out and post with a different name whenever you want to

You would be asked to enter the information about your teaching area, so it is easy for them to guide you to the area of your interest. There are a lot of helpful posts and ideas which teachers can find interesting and apply them accordingly.

Register here