Search Results for: blog some things just need to be memorized

I Know My Kids Can Learn From Someone “Untrained”

Today I just thought I’d share some observations about memorization. I know I’ve said I’m not a big fan of television but I have to admit that I do like Dora and Diego. Apparently, so do my twins. Actually, we’ve gone through a few rounds of Dora and Diego love and I suspect that in another year or so, Dora and Diego will be gone from our lives forever. However, today, we are having a lazy day and are watching a Diego DVD about penguins. (For those of you who don’t know, Go Diego Go, focuses on teaching about animals … Continue reading →

Some Things Just Need to be Memorized

I have a master’s degree in teaching mathematics. In many and most of my college graduate level courses we discussed the reasoning behind why we do the things that we do, mathematically speaking. The idea is not to teach the children that two times three is six but teach them why by showing the process of addition. All other mathematical concepts were also presented in this way. We kept math journals and recorded our mathematical thinking through difficult word problems and math puzzles. I agree with the concept that children will learn and remember if they understand why. However, the … Continue reading →

Don’t Assume Your Child’s School Understands Allergies

A little girl in Virginia died from an allergic reaction while she was at school. This tragedy emphasizes how important it is for parents to ensure that the teachers and staff at their child’s school are prepared to appropriately handle a sudden allergic reaction. One cannot assume that they will know what to do. Ammaria Johnson was seven years old, and in the first grade at an elementary school in Virginia. It had been suspected that she may have had an allergy to peanuts. When she went out for recess one day, tragedy struck. She broke out in hives, and … Continue reading →

Reluctant Reader Turns Fluent

A few days ago, I posted about how my daughter is rather reluctant to take up new activities. Things that might occasionally be important, like walking? Ah, forget about it. At least that’s what she said until she was one and a half and the size of a three-year-old, anyway. My reluctant learner sometimes needs a bit of a push so that she can get to the point of feeling competent. Once she feels competent, everything busts loose and off she goes! Walking to running, and now basic letter recognition to reading! In the early fall, my daughter was just … Continue reading →

Ditching the Note Cards

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There is, I think, an important distinction that needs to be made between certain types of knowledge and certain types of evaluative procedures. If you read last weeks post you’re probably up to date about my big test and my note card usage. What you might not be up to date about are my thoughts about said evaluation. Currently, I’m studying for a somewhat lengthy multiple choice test evaluating what I think of as memorized knowledge: “Match this to that,” or “Which of the following don’t belong?” or “What year did this event take place in. The problems with this … Continue reading →

Education Week in Review: January 12 – January 18

The mornings on the school bus are now very cold. The coats, gloves, and hats fill the classroom. However, the news in education continues to be hot. Check out below for topics from this week. Sunday, January 13 Helping Children in Need In this article I discussed how many organizations help children during the holiday months. However, I am proud that a local organization sends food home with my school’s needy students every Friday. School for Special Needs Adults Opens Business We are all very aware that some children have special needs. In elementary school we do all that we … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 2:16-18

I skipped verse fifteen which perhaps I shouldn’t – it’s one that the youth love to say they’ve memorized. Okay, here it is: And my father dwelleth in a tent. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way . . . When we left off last time, we were discussing Laman and Lemuel, and how they had a hard time accepting the words of their father. They’d had every opportunity to learn the gospel the same as Nephi had, but because their hearts were not in the right place, they could not hearken to the Spirit. This caused much … Continue reading →

Running on Low Spiritual Batteries?

Just like a computer needs to be plugged in to the wall in order to get power, just like a flashlight needs to be filled with fresh batteries in order to shine forth with the most brilliant beam possible, we need to be plugged in to our source of power in order to function spiritually. We can only fake it for so long, dragging ourselves through Family Home Evening and to church with doggedly determined smiles on our faces, but before long, we’ll run out of juice and have to get recharged. What are some ways to spiritually recharge? 1. … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Technology, Blessings, and Scriptures

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Circumstances did not allow for posting these lessons the weeks they were completed. However, it is my hope that you will still be able to take something from them. This week’s Relief Society and Elder’s Quorum lesson from the Spencer W. Kimball manual focuses on the scriptures. This entire lesson was wonderful; when I read it in December, it strengthened my resolve to study and ponder the scriptures, and put me on the road to a more in-depth study program, despite the tugging of small children on my skirts. In the beginning, President Kimball refers to a talk he heard … Continue reading →

What To Do In Case Of A Hotel Fire

How many times have you spent the night at a hotel? If you are like me, your answer is: “too many.” Nothing made me believe that more than an experience I had at a hotel last week. It’s a stay I won’t soon forget. At 1:47 a.m. (I know this because I memorized the numbers on the digital clock out of fear) a high pitch wail tore through my hotel room. Within seconds I realized it was the fire alarm. The noise shook me to my core, but curiously it didn’t trigger my feet to move. In fact, I stood … Continue reading →