When we look at our children’s report cards, we often focus primarily on the grades they receive. However, Jamie and Carol advocate for the importance of a child’s learning skills or his/her executive functioning skills. In this podcast, they explain what are executive functioning skills, the importance of nurturing these skills, as well as, some suggestions for supporting your child’s development.

Continuing the Conversation: Play-Based and Project-Based Learning
Continuing their conversation about current teaching practices and inquiry learning, Jamie and Carol focus today’s discussion on Play Based Learning for younger students and Project Based Learning for older students. They look at how both of these teaching methods are implemented in the classroom and how teachers assess students’ thinking, understanding and the application and analysis of their learning.

In today’s classrooms, students play a significant role in the learning process. They are encouraged to explore material, ask questions and share ideas. Join Jamie and Carol as they provide an overview of inquiry-based learning and discuss ways for parents to create a rich home environment that strengthens their children’s curiosities and questioning skills.

As we enter a new year and new decade, there are many uncertainties for parents, students and educators. Our educational system needs to evolve to meet the needs of our students both today and in the future. In their first podcast of 2020, Jamie and Carol begin their discussion about the evolution of educational practices by talking about the move from the Socratic method of teaching/learning to co-operative learning. Join future podcasts as the discussion continues to address the variety of current instructional methods.

As we come to the end of 2019 and get ready for a new decade, Jamie and Carol share their wish list for education. Wish list items include: school safety, programming and equity, school attendance, home/school partnerships and a prosperous 2020.

Report cards have been sent home and parents have participated in the annual Parent Teacher Interview but what does all this information really mean? In today’s podcast, Jamie and Carol discuss traditional methods of evaluation, current practices found in today’s classroom and also, where we need to go moving forward as we progress through the 21st century.

It’s time once again for the annual Parent-Teacher interview and knowing how to
optimize this time with your child’s classroom teacher is paramount. In today’s
podcast, Jamie and Carol provide parents with tips to best utilize their interview
time and make suggestions about the types of questions parents could ask to gain
a comprehensive understanding of their child’s academic journey.

Last May, Jamie and Carol discussed the changes being proposed to Ontario’s Math Curriculum and the government’s initiative to go “Back to the Basics”. In this episode, Jamie and Carol continue their discussion about math focusing on recommendations from research and suggestions for parents to support their children’s math development.

As families work to once again balance school, work and family times, the inclusion of homework can be a daunting task. In today’s podcast, Jamie and Carol discuss the pros and cons of homework and why parents are seeing their children bringing home less work than they did when they were children.

The week of October 7 – 11 is Media Literacy Week in Canada and the theme this year is Break the Fake. To highlight Media Literacy Week, Jamie and Carol define media and media literacy and discuss why it is essential for everyone to look at media with a critical eye. Website links and tips for parents to foster their child’s critical thinking and media literacy are provided.