New Learning Tools to Help You Homeschool Your Kids
Gone are the days when devices were considered a distraction to quality education. Education is becoming increasingly digital, now that 75% of U.S. classrooms are using desktop computers.
Societal trends are shifting within the educational sphere. As a result, preschool and childcare center directors make sure that their educational centers adjust to these educational trends. Their leadership training in a fast-changing world gives them the foresight to react to changes within the educational landscape. As such, preschool and childcare centers often integrate devices for better institutional management, parent-teacher communication, and student learning outcomes.
Due to these rapid changes, home-based learning teachers and parents are expected to keep up with the integration of information and communication technology. Since these devices create more meaningful learning experiences for students, home-based learning educators are urged to shift to a more extensive and dynamic educational design. Many homeschoolers and their guardians struggle to make this shift, however.
Fortunately, thanks to the development of new learning tools you and your little learner can find the best options for your learning needs. Here are the learning tools that you can employ to make digitalized homeschooling easier for both you and your child:
Flashcard tools
Parents know from experience that flashcards are effective in testing one’s knowledge. While traditional cards have been tried and tested for many generations, your kid will be more engaged to pursue independent learning through digital flashcards.
Flashcard and study tool Quizlet is used by two in three high school students and by one in two college students for a good reason! Digital flashcards test students’ knowledge in various subjects. As a result, these kids eventually feel more confident to learn on their own. So if you want your kid to learn how to study independently, you can slowly introduce them to the study sets that are created by teachers, lecturers, and students on Quizlet. Once they feel more comfortable with the app, they can start to create their own quizzes and study tests for a more personalized learning experience.
Assistive technology
No student will be left behind, particularly now that assistive technologies have been made for educational purposes. Homeschooling will definitely be much easier if your kids with disabilities have tools that meet their needs.
Approximately 7 million students in the US need special education services. This is why assistive technologies are crucial in breaking down the barriers that students with disabilities face. While your kid may be accustomed to manual practices, you can slowly introduce them to speech-to-text technologies by testing the solution together. Once they see that it’s quicker to type texts or look for information this way, they will be more encouraged to adjust to this innovative solution.
On the other hand, kids on the autism spectrum or those with hearing impairments may hesitate to use FM listening systems at first. In this case, you can encourage them to test these systems with or without a hearing aid. Also, allow them to choose the technology that helps them absorb the information much better.
AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) technologies
AR and VR technologies can be frightening or shocking for younger kids. So it’s crucial to check in with them as they check out the devices by themselves. Iff they’re excited to go on a field trip through AR and VR, try a special headset. For example, Merge Headset. Start by playing 360° videos of museums for a more familiar experience. Once they’re comfortable with the technology, you can give them the freedom to go on a virtual field trip. And you can choose destinations that are related to their current lessons.
Gamified learning tools
Who says kids can’t have fun while learning? Most kids find games to be highly engaging. Thus, companies are leveraging these activities to make educational tools more interesting.
Math can be challenging to teach in homeschooled environments. However, a research study revealed that gamified learning tool Classcraft was effective in boosting the involvement and academic performance of kids in their math course. So, encourage them to use tools like Classcraft for their learning experience. Use these gamified learning tools as a bonding activity. Also, create avatars and complete quests together. This will help them understand the game and be interested to navigate through it on their own.
There is a learning curve with assistive technology. However, increase your kid’s engagement and academic performance by using these innovative learning tools. To make your child’s homeschooling experience even more fun, look into our recommended educational materials here. Go through the rest of our posts to find the right tools and technologies make each subject much easier.
Article contributed by Reanne John:
Reanne John became a learning advocate after her daughter entered nursery. After discovering helpful educational tips, Reanne decided to pursue a career in blogging to support other parents.
Tacos are all the rage these days, and for good reason. You can even find t-shirts that express your love of tacos to the world. And while the American tradition of boxed taco kits featuring a crunchy hard corn tortilla shell lives on, these days the taco bar has been raised. That means you've got plenty of healthy options while getting your taco on. In other words, it's easier than ever to get a healthy taco makeover.
First things first: let's take a look at that tortilla shell.
Non-fried is the better option and if it doesn't have white flour you're ahead of the game. Pick up a plain corn tortilla for your taco. Compared to the wheat ones they may smell a little funny it's true. But if you brush with a bit of olive oil for that good fat and pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes, you will soon have a much-improved corn taco which counts as whole grain.
If you really want to go low carb, replace your taco shell with a big lettuce bowl made from a couple of leaves of crunchy iceberg lettuce. Granted, there really is no nutritional value to iceberg lettuce. But it makes a nice edible holder for your taco ingredients, and you can mix in some spring greens for a burst of good vitamins.
Looking to reduce fat?
Then make your taco meal something other than ground beef or shredded pork. These are meats that are higher in saturated fat. If you're striving for improved heart health and weight loss, look for some nutritious alternatives.
You still have plenty of options to fill that taco shell. Some include black beans, vegetarian refried beans, lean shredded chicken, or fresh fish such as salmon, tilapia, or shrimp.
Another way to ensure that your taco is as healthy as possible is to avoid any fried ingredients. Keep in mind that if a crispy tortilla is your jam, there's always the air fryer option for those who love a little crunch.
Choose fish that has been gently broiled in the oven or on the stove top rather than coated with breading and fried.
Swap out half the meat!
If you love meat on your taco and would feel sad without it, try this healthy work around. Cut down your portion of meat that you plan to serve with your taco. Add in a half a can or so of organic black beans to complete your portion serving while still managing to reduce the amount of meat that you're eating.
Go crazy with the fixings. There's plenty to get happy about when making a healthy taco and that includes tomatoes, onions, peppers, and green, leafy lettuce.
You get your choice of fresh or jarred salsa — either will work and both will be healthfully delicious. But fresh is superior because the vitamin C will still be available. (See recipe below for delicious homemade salsa).
You can also be generous with your serving of jalapenos if you're into extra spicy tacos. Olives get the nod of approval for being a healthy fat, so slice up a few black or green ones. While you're at it, top your taco with a few sprinkles of chopped fresh cilantro for a burst of color and vitamin C.
Fun fact about hot sauces: some actually contain butter as part of the recipe.
If your hot sauce is more light orange in color, then likely there has been butter mixed in to create a savory smoothness. Tabasco sauce is a basic recipe that does not include added fat. Our favorite, Cholula, comes with a little garlic. When in doubt, check labels.
For your taco cheese, this is considered a saturated fat. But if plan to enjoy a black bean taco, then it's okay to add a modest serving of cheddar or other aged cheese which will balance out your protein along with the beans.
Add in a healthy fat in the form of fresh avocado.
Chop it up or mash into a quick guacamole seasoned with some finely chopped onion, fresh cilantro bits and a squirt of lime if you have it.
To replace the saturated fat laden sour cream, choose Greek yogurt which will balance out any spiciness from the hot sauce or jalapeno peppers if you eat those on your taco.
A final way to ensure that you won't be veering into the unhealthy fattening taco territory is to watch your portions.
You can get your fill of a single taco, going lighter on the protein and cheese and going heavier on the fresh veggie fix ins. Make sure to eat your taco mindfully to get the full enjoyment while managing to avoid going on a wild taco eating binge.
And don't forget to try our own delicious taco recipe here. We eat this almost weekly!
This homemade salsa is made with fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro, and is rich in Vitamin C. Combining this recipe with bean burritos (or other meat burritos or tacos) will increase the iron in the foods served with (beans, tortillas, chicken).
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: easy, healthy
Servings: 8Servings
Calories: 8kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
1cupRoma Tomatoesabout 2 large, diced
1/4cupOnionsdiced
2tbspCilantrofinely chopped
1wholeJalapeno or AnaheimJalapeno (Medium Heat); Anaheim (Mild Heat)
1tbspLemon Juice
1/2teaspoonSaltTo taste
Instructions
Chop all vegetables to desired size (remove seeds from pepper) 2) Add lemon juice and salt 3) Mix all ingredients together4) Chill 2 hours and Serve
Pizza is a lot of fun, but we all know it's a food to avoid if you're looking to shape up, drop some pounds and improve your cardiovascular health.
Ordering pizza from the local Italian restaurant is always tempting. But now you're dealing with really a huge amount of cheese and a big serving of white flour in the dough. Plus, there's just something about having that huge box with the big pizza pie in it that makes it really hard to stop at just one slice. None of this is good for weight loss minded eaters.
Let's see if we can healthy up a pizza night with a homemade version.
First, revisit the crust. You have a few healthy options for this. One, you can make a whole wheat pizza crust from scratch using a few simple ingredients. It's even a fun project to do with your kids: kneading the dough and waiting it for it to rise, then punching it down and even tossing it in the air a few times.
Another option if you don't want to make dough from scratch is to pick up a frozen whole wheat dough from the grocery store. These pizza doughs come ready to make, so all you have to do is roll it out and press it into press it onto a big metal sheet.
Finally, if you're going lower in carbs, you have many options in the way of cauliflower crust pizzas from the frozen section of your grocery store. Or could make this delicious looking cauliflower pizza crust by clicking here. They're quite delicious and can help you stay on track with carbohydrate reduction so you can continue on your path to weight loss and good health.
If you normally salivate for a meat lovers pizza pie, just know that sausage and pepperoni and ham are not ideal if you're looking to do pizza but keep it healthy. Some options for not going meatless with your pizza are to find a high-quality brand of sausage. Artisan could be a better option or sausage that comes from farm-raised animals.
Try draining the fat from the sausage with paper towels.
Crumble a little bit over the top of your pizza pie but reduce the serving size. Instead, add fresh veggie toppings to balance out the saturated fats in the meat.
What kind of veggies can you enjoy on your pizza? If you're trying to lose weight, the good news is there's really no limit to how much vegetables you can eat. You have many options for topping your pizza pie including fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted veggies like zucchini and eggplant and peppers, diced mushrooms, onions, peppers, black olives. The possibilities abound and you really don't have to worry about your diet when it comes to the veggie portion of your meal.
Choose the sugar-free sauce.
If you're doing a jarred sauce for your homemade pizza pie, choose a brand that does not contain added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Somewhere along the way someone decided that sweet stuff should be added to jarred tomato sauces. You'll find these sugary offenders in common brands that live on your grocery store shelves.
Despite this, tomato sauce is quite delicious without any sugar at all. So, if you can find a better-quality brand that contains simple ingredients like tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, and spices, you can stick to your healthy eating plan and not ingest extra sugar unnecessarily.
What about the cheese?
Did you know that in Italy, pizza doesn't always come with cheese on it, never mind copious amounts? Minimizing your cheese serving is the way to go if you're looking to enjoy pizza night but keep it healthy and on the weight loss plan.
We mentioned this before, but mozzarella can be difficult to digest. This is due to the lactose. Between the yeast in the dough and the lactose in the pizza cheese, you are likely to experience some belly distension after eating pizza. The good news about this: it could actually be a fake out in terms of thinking that you gain 10 lb. overnight after eating a slice or two.
To avoid this, take a Lactaid supplement which will help you digest the milk sugar that's present in mozzarella. Another option is to top your pizza with provolone which is really just aged mozzarella. Aged cheeses have less or no lactose which is simply milk sugar.
Reduced fat mozzarella, also known as partial skim, can be a healthier alternative to whole milk mozzarella when it comes to Italian American favorites like pizza.
Wanting to get your veggie on? Opt for a white veggie pizza instead of the traditional red sauce pie. For this, you'll need some reduced fat ricotta and half skim mozzarella. Sauté either fresh broccoli, fresh spinach, or a combo of the two, with minced garlic and olive oil. Roll out your whole grain pizza dough and spread with a thin layer of the ricotta followed by the sauteed veggies. Sprinkle on more cheese, then bake at high heat.
If you're feeling especially adventurous, try the delicious Mini Sweet Potato Pesto Pizza below. And stay tuned for our next recipe makeover.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a large baking tray with baking paper or foil.
Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise (¼ inch thick) and rub with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Place the sweet potato slices on the baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip and top each slice with pesto, chicken and mozzarella cheese.
Return the tray to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately.
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