family-guide.co.uk

Well this is the first post on the new “Wayne’s Guide” category.

There are three things I want to share today that I have found while researching new tools and family services to share with you.

www.thirtydaychallenge.com - Parents Guide to Online Safety for Children - Flock.com

Number 1.

I have recently come across some no cost online training about building traffic to and developing websites.  It promises to help anyone from a complete beginner to an experienced pro and I have decided to share this with my readers for two reasons.  Firstly my aim is to take family-guide.co.uk to as many people as possible (well those who are interested in improving their family life) and the second reason is that I have been asked by a couple of people recently how to get started with a blog.

Now I always believe in helping where I can but if there is some professional training available then it is always better to take advantage of it.  So if you are interested in learning how to start/develop your own online business, website or blog then pop over to the 30 Day Challenge now and see if it will help you.  The main challenge kicks off in August but the “Pre-Season” as they are calling it (getting an understanding of the tools etc) starts today, 1st June 2008, so come on over at any time between now and August and have a look -> www.thirtydaychallenge.com

Number 2.

My daughter and eldest son are using the internet more and more and we are all aware that there are many dangers online which is why I am always looking for ways to ensure their safety without restricting their enthusiasm and inquisitive natures.  I came across a great short report recently, “Parents Guide to Online Safety for Children” which explains how to protect your child from online predators.  It is a very informative guide and certainly worth reading whether your children have started to use the net or not.  Download the report, in PDF format, by right clicking here and choosing “save file as”

Number 3.

Finally I have just started using a new web browser called flock.  I have been using it a few days now and it is pretty awesome.  It makes using the web a whole lot easier because the browser is more like an organisational hub that keeps track of everything.  Their info says this . . .

Flock is a social web browser that uniquely pulls together the people, photos, videos and websites I care about.  Check it out, I think you’re really going to like it.

You can download it for free at www.flock.com/invited/1212357575187
Enjoy it!

So if you are into all this social networking have a look and make it so much easier

See you all soon

Wayne

Even the youngest child in school can benefit from an integrated approach to education.  If parents are involved with the child’s education, and they talk to teachers during school conferences and events, it is much easier to coordinate educational activities.

Don’t just think about homework!

True educational integration can include having parents come into the class to talk about what they do for a living and expose the children to ideas they may later use to make career decisions.

You can also talk to the teacher about events you have seen in the papers or in advertisements. 

For example, if the Museum of Natural History in your city is holding a special showing or event about Egypt and you know your child is studying Egypt, you can talk to the teacher about taking the child to the museum and having them do a special class report.

Or, even have the teacher arrange a class trip and take the entire class to the exhibit.  Teachers are always looking for new ways to stimulate the interest of their class and with enough notice they may happily take you up on your suggestion.

Another way to incorporate ‘outside’ learning into the classroom is to find out what modules your child is learning in school. 

One woman whose son was learning about minerals and geology offered to spend 45 minutes with the class to show them the beautiful stones she had collected from the four corners of the world. 

The teacher gave her a globe and the children excitedly looked for the countries from which the stones originated and held the stones.  Then they drew pictures of their favorite rocks to post on the bulletin board.

Another man offered to take his child’s class on a field trip with their teacher and some chaperones to visit his bakery. 

The children got to look through the supply room to see what ingredients went into the baked goods and then they watched various products being made for sale. 

A few of them worked to help package the items and tie the strings around the boxes, and some of them even took a turn at the cash register with the staff to take the payments from the customers. 

When they got back to class, they wrote a paper about what it might be like to run a bakery and the problems you might face. 

Remember that learning should be about more than books and lectures.  Anything you find in life that can teach a child is fertile ground for integration into education. 

As you pursue your own career and life, and participate in recreational activities, think about how you might be able to work with your child’s teacher and the school staff to bring ideas to them and incorporate these everyday events into teaching children about the world. 

Here are some other ideas you might find helpful:

• Suggest that the class attend a marathon run or a horse track and spend time with the athletes and/or the jockeys before or after the race talking about preparation and how the race affects the body.  How does hydration and nutrition play into training?  What does the training entail?  Have the children write papers about what they learned.
• Find an art gallery exhibit or a special exhibit at a museum and suggest that the class take a field trip. 
• Remember that you need plenty of lead time and notice for the school to get approval for these trips and decide if they can fund the trip so be sure you watch the newspapers to see when exhibits are coming to your area over the next four to six months. 
• For example, when the dinosaur exhibit went to the Museum of Natural History, many classes took a field trip and were able to learn a lot about the time the dinosaurs were alive, what they ate, and how scientists believe they became extinct. 
• Seeing the dinosaur bones and the pictures and animation in the exhibit brought the entire experience to life. 
• Another such exhibit on Egyptology and archeology became fodder for a young group of teenagers to learn more about how scientists study ancient cultures and the implements and adornments these people used during their lifetimes. 

Many schools already have educational outreach programs but if you work with your teacher and even join the PTA or the board, you can have a greater influence on the range and breadth of the activities your child is offered as part of his or her educational experience. 

Want more ideas?

Download our Free Interactive Guide, “Educational Activities to Share with Your Children” now.  It’s packed full of great ideas and is a fantastic resource you can use time & time again.  Researched for the UK and only available from here - “Educational Activities to Share with Your Children – UK Guide”

(Our version for the USA is coming Soon)

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