Tag: Learning at Home

Caring Cards

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

IMG_20200327_104810127

With approximately one-third of the world’s population under some sort of restrictions, there is no better time to reach out to relatives, neighbors, and friends who are feeling isolated.

I have been making and sending cards out to people I know, and the reception has been humbling.  It is amazing the difference getting a card in the mail can make to someone feeling isolated and alone.  And it also helps me to feel less isolated, by reaching out to others.

Our children are feeling isolated as well.  This is a great time for children to make cards for others.  Not only are they authentically learning about giving and compassion for others, making the cards will help them feel less isolated.  (And they are also authentically practicing writing skills.)

Don’t forget to have them address the envelope – possible authentic geography lesson.  They should also put on the postage – this may lead to an authentic project about the cost of mailing letters, the history of stamps, stamp collecting…

For teenagers, they might want to make and send cards to nursing homes and thank you cards to hospital staff and first-responders.  They can do the research for what they would like to do, find addresses, etc.

And the above photo is a virtual “thinking of you” card for all of you.  Stay well!

Project Ideas for Teaching at Home

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Authentic Resources and Materials, Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

3028

I have always felt that authentic projects were the best way to teach.  With so many parents being called upon to educate their children at home, I wanted to reach out again to offer the ideas on my blog.

I started this blog as a way to share my passion, authentic teaching and learning.  I retired a few years ago, and I was ready to slow down.  But, I found that I still needed an outlet as a teacher.  My blog allows me to continue to share the ideas that I have about how to authentically educate children.

Thank you for allowing me to share my passion.  Best wishes to everyone and stay healthy.

Authentic Project Ideas – Coin Collecting

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

IMG_Foreign Coins

This is a post from awhile ago, but I thought I would repost it now.  Children are at home, and sorting through coins is a great activity that can be done at home and can involve lots of authentic learning:

While searching for information on the United States Mint, I accidentally ended up on a site that sold coins.  (Don’t you love how companies set up domain names with one different letter from another domain, hoping you will type a wrong letter and end up at their site – and maybe not even notice.)  Once I realized I was on the wrong site, I was fascinated by the price of coins.  What makes a coin extra valuable? Some of the current coins were still in circulation, why would anyone pay more for a coin that they could still get for face value in circulation? What is a “proof” coin? Do the pictures a country places on its coins (and/or paper currency) tell you something about that country?

I was then reminded of the coin collection I had as a child, and how much fun it was to collect coins.  I learned so much about geography and was constantly using math without even realizing it.  (Value of foreign currency, exchange rates, saving my allowance to buy a coin I really wanted…)

So many questions, so many possible authentic teaching moments, and maybe even an authentic project…