Quentin Willson, TV personality and motoring correspondent took a recent look at keen2learn and told us;-

‘Keen2learn have some cracking educational games and learning toys. And they’re absolutely right – homework that feels like fun will always be remembered far longer than the stuff that feels like a punishment. This is learning through joy and enthusiasm. Oh, and that little hydrogen powered car is an absolute belter….’

Teaching time in class is finite and most teachers admit that the core time in any lesson – after interruptions and administration is a lot shorter than most parents think.

The opportunity to recap on the last lesson doesn’t routinely exist, and anything missed from one lesson is abandoned in order that the next lesson can be on schedule. Harsh as this sounds schools have desperately tight deadlines and the recovery of lost time is impractical at school.

If your child is slipping behind the law of averages kicks in. In an average class of 30 the time available to help any one child is understandably limited. Expecting schools to overcome the deficit is problematic, and personal recovery plans become yet another task in a teachers average 60 hour week.

All is not lost. Lessons follow the National Curriculum and most are supported at school with modern teaching resources in the form of educational games. These are ideal for use at home to allow children to practice the lesson content at their own pace with their parents. A far cry from conventional homework, which basically is a form of practice but tends to be seen as a chore and does not fully engage parents. The new approach uses the educational resources used in school. As games they are engaging and great fun for parents to join in.

Spending a little quality time practising with your children in this form helps your child to better understand the lesson. It also lets you become dynamically aware of progress replacing the historic end of term report or parents night at school when valuable time will have been lost.

Educational toys such as the great hydrogen fuel cell model cars have a significant role to play in giving children the practical appliaction of a developing technology.

We read about the effect of global warming- pros and cons almost daily. Obviously we need to take some action before its too late, just as we did to cure the infamous London smog’s of the last century. London is now taking another lead in its aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25% by 2025. Sounds a long time but consider that this objective also accounts for the inherent growth in London’s activities and the 25% saving is based on the current levels.

The main areas of Carbon dioxide generation are domestic 44%, Commercial 28%, Transport 21%, and Industrial 7%. Radical plans are in operation to achieve the objective, one of which is to review the potential for hydrogen fuel cells as a power source for vehicles.

A rally to promote the scheme was launched on world environment day earlier this year on 5th June 2007 or 5-6-7. Hydrogen fuel cell cars from Ford, BMW, Honda General Motors and SAAB took to the road for the very fist time in the world, to rally between Brighton to London where they were met by HRH Prince of Wales. Quentin Willson, a leading motoring correspondent who drove several of the vehicles was astounded by their performance and virtually silent operation. A “gas guzzzler” in the form of a Ford Explorer from the USA had a range of 350 miles producing water and warm air as the exhaust emission!

Keen2learn are in partnership with Resolve one of the UK’s leading bodies behind the quest for zero emissions.When you think that by 2020 there will be 1 billion cars on the road through the world the significance of hydrogen as the fuel becomes all too real. And with the rapid development in the performance of photovoltaic cells the production of the electricity needed to generate hydrogen looks to be a real alternative.

A key element of the rally was a photo competition featuring environmental issues. The winners were presented by Quentin Willson and Alistair Owens of keen2learn at an awards ceremony at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in Westminster. And the prize to the best 10 photographers – fulling working hydrogen fuel cell model cars.

The hydrogen fuel celled car rally last June proved to be a great success with Prince Charles  Zac Goldsmith and motor correspondent Quentin Wilson extolling the merits of the hydrogen as a fuel and the performance of the vehicles involved. We still have some of the hydrogen fuel cell model cars at the special price, where you can see the technology of the future in action right now. But hurry we will have to revert to the normal price soon, Great as a birthday present.

The Learning Tower is one of the great developments for young kids. Designed to develop the inquisitive nature of youngsters, the Tower provides a safe haven whilst Mum and Dad to continue to work alongside.  Ideal in the kitchen when Mum is working, the child can watch, emulate, create, paint and play, safely, without the usual parental worry of what is going on behind their back. 

Developed to provide an ideal and adjustable working height, the robust Learning Tower is incredibly stable, overcoming any likelihood of tipping up.  With the number of accidents involving children falling off chairs and stools whilst trying to watch the action the Tower is a great safeguard.

And it doesn’t’ stop there. A few additions and the Tower transforms into a castle! The Tower allows easy access, is made from high quality layered birch to provide an easy to clean safe, non-toxic finish.

Some observations from existing users of the great Educational Game from Keen2learn.

 “I watched the CD through with my 9 year old daughter, and both found it a really stimulating treat. It’s so important children put themselves into the mind of their pony, as shown in Gentle Horse riding, to have a beneficial effect on their riding skills” Phil Bennet, author of “Riding in Harmony” – the principals of classical dressage.

 “Irish Natural Horsemanship has recently released this fantastic CD-Rom, packed full of information and quizzes for riders and owners aged 8 to 13. “Intelligent Kids” reader Satu Heinonen said ‘I think Gentle Horsemanship CD is great. I really like the quizzes because they have some really funny opinions and it makes me laugh a lot. I would recommend it to others. I am certainly going to tell my friends who have horses” 

‘It’s really wonderful to see something that starts with our younger riders. This is a fantastic product allowing children to be more sympathetic when riding, and able to handle and care for their horses and ponies properly.” Adam, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

“This evening my 12 year old daughter was working through the CD and amazed at the new information that she picked up. She is saving the quiz for tomorrow after school.!  I think it will be a great tool for not just our Pony Club but for all the Riding Schools in Jamaica.” Tina.

“This is a fantastic, easy to follow, CDROM, Great fun and excellent for young people who are just starting on their journey to understanding their horse’s behaviour! An excellent way to see how my horse can get to understand me! The useful exercises explained with cute and colourful pictures, are a great way to build confident and a trusting partnership with your pony. It’s so easy, even adults could learn more!’ – Natural Horsemanship Magazine (UK): August / September 2006.

 ’I'm very impressed and I see children will like the format – particularly the quizzes. I’m sure this is more appealing with my younger pupils than a book for homework! ‘ Fiona, BHS committee member, U.K.  

‘I think it is very good, and I will be using it at pony club camp.” Helen, Equine University Lecturer & Pony Club instructor, U.K.  

‘My daughter (8) has it and she loves it. She keeps going back to it to check things out, prints out some instructions and she adores the quizzes.’ Marianna, UK

 

 

Logiblocs educational games allows children to design on-screen simulations of circuits which can then be physically built using the actual Logiblocs parts. All the parts contained in the Bumper Pack are represented and their full functionality is demonstrated. This allows accurate simulations to be constructed, and children can hypothesise about the effect of joining components in circuits before they are built.The software uses a simple click and drag interface to enable easy access. Children of all ages are able to use it easily, and it can be projected clearly onto an interactive whiteboard or screen to allow group and whole class working.

The system allows projects to be saved and loaded so that they can be developed over time. It can therefore take into account ongoing learning and allow projects to be adjusted and altered in light of children’s discoveries. In this way, it really promotes the ‘what if?’ question and allows children to trial and observe the effect of changing individual elements of circuits.

Control is sometimes regarded as a difficult area of the ICT curriculum to access. The key priorities are to allow children to experiment, predict and identify the outcomes of their thinking and actions. This software represents an excellent way of addressing these elements of learning. It successfully enables children to investigate how circuits work within a non-threatening and accessible environment. When used alongside the circuit parts from the Logiblocs pack, the software represents a coherent and child-friendly system for developing ICT learning. It is very appealing and popular amongst children.

The CD-ROM is designed as a companion to the Logiblocs Bumper Pack project book and work cards. These are often used in class to give a ‘hands-on’ understanding of subjects like ICT and control.

This simple approach enables Logiblocs to be picked up quickly, but its flexibility also allows for extension and challenge. It meets all of its aims very well and children really enjoy using it. As such, its innovative approach represents a successful way to address control technology.

Introducing Children to Financial Independence.

The recent  statement by Ed Balls ( Children, Schools and Families Minister ) that children should have increased schooling on financial management within the curriculum is a stark realisation of how cash has changed in recent years.  The following article by Sally Lever explains some of the issues that can face the teacher, child and parent when dealing with money.
Money can be such an emotive issue. Our attitude towards it can be affected by our childhood circumstances, our positive and negative experiences of financial matters in adult life and the extent to which we feel in control of this area of our lives. It has the potential to make or break relationships.

How does this affect our children and their financial independence?

For children to learn to be financially independent, they need to have the opportunity to take responsibility for money. This means having some kind of allowance, or pocket money of their own. Very young children are likely to find abstract concepts difficult to grasp and so they might well start with keeping a small supply of cash at home. ( can also be plastic money )This can be manipulated, counted and played with and then exchanged at shops for items they value. Later, opening a bank account in their own name will introduce them to some of the more abstract areas of money management, such as understanding bank statements and interest payments on their savings. Even the process of choosing a bank account can lead to some interesting and educational discussions. Where does this bank invest its money? Where does it stand ethically and do you agree with that? How well does it treat you as a customer? Is it respectful of children? Can you access their banking services on-line, by telephone, at a local branch? Which is most convenient for us?

Once children have been given some financial responsibility, then we need to consider what our involvement is going to be. Are we going to let them make mistakes e.g. overspending? If so, do we bail them out? What about credit? Do we offer them loans when they are short of money or suggest that they save a certain proportion of their allowance each month? And how do we feel about children earning part or all of their allowance rather than it being given to them?

With matters such as these, I would encourage parents to discuss the issues with their children and to listen carefully to their children’s ideas and contributions. It really is amazing how creative and insightful children can be. In one family I know, the children asked their parents for an increase in their monthly allowance. Their parents could not afford to do this without finding the extra money from elsewhere and explained this to the children. The children suggested that they forego their Christmas presents and that the money that the parents would have spent on them be divided by 12 and added to their monthly allowance instead. According to the parents involved, this has worked out well for the whole family, since they now find it easier to budget for Christmas and the children are more financially independent for the rest of the year.

Another family I know regularly partake in car boot sales. They view this as a fun and interesting family outing, a chance for the children to experience haggling and negotiating and handling money from the seller’s point of view. The children have also learned the value of recycling unwanted items and the advantages and pitfalls of buying items second hand.

Children need good role models who are adept at handling their own financial affairs and are prepared to discuss such matters openly. That’s where we come in!

When we are open and honest with ourselves about our attitude to money then we are free to discuss these matters with our children. For them to learn from us, they will need to see us carrying out activities such as earning money, reconciling our cheque books with our bank statements, paying bills, dealing with insurance, tax, credit card payments, and exchanging currency if we travel abroad. So, as with many aspects of parenting, encouraging financial independence in our children works best when we’ve got our own financial act together first!

Sally Lever, 2007. www.sallylever.co.uk

Sally Lever is a Sustainable Living Coach who specializes in supporting and inspiring those who are downshifting or otherwise moving towards a more sustainable way of life. She offers one-to-one coaching, teleclasses in “How to step off the Treadmill” and a free email newsletter.

One of the easiest ways to retain learning is through revision. Best regarded as a continuous process of practice rather then that end of term or year rush – or panic! There are a number of great educational games used in school and at now at home and provide a great fun way to revise. Replacing the text book slog, these new games provide a stimulating way of recapping on the facts.

The CD ROM’s by Virtual Image cover a range of subjects and have been developed as a classroom lesson starter or “icebreaker” to get into the swing of the lesson. They are ideal to run through at home where parents, siblings and friends can join in the fun.

The revision game called “Geniass” is a unique and exceptional educational resource in the form of a board game. It is great fun to play, promotes personalised learning and improves exam grades at Key Stages 3 & 4. For 2 to 6 players, aged 11 to 16. There are 1500 questions and answers linked to the National Curriculum. Subjects include Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Religious studies.

They make great practical presents from relatives if you are stuck for ideas. Now if only they had these when I was a lad, I might have fared better in exams myself.

Alistair Owens

www.keen2learn.co.uk

An article in The Education Guardian tells parents that while only one in 10 children has real difficulties acquiring language, the percentage of those starting school who are diagnosed as having “impoverished language” is now 50% and there is clear evidence that this has gone up over recent years. Families, particularly in deprived areas, may spend more time than ever in the same home but they are all too often in different rooms playing with different gadgets, she says.

As part of the course, speech and language expert Beryl Hilton-Downing, a campaigner for improving children’s achievement, gives a hard-hitting lecture to parents of children about to start reception this month at five Gateshead primaries.Hilton-Downing’s talk is not patronising – she says that the complexity of acquiring language is often underestimated and explains how problems can occur with almost identical physical movements used to make “t” and “c” sounds. For English speakers, the difficulty is compounded by a complicated spelling system that has 44 sounds in an alphabet of 26.

Her message is essentially a positive one. None of this is set in stone and motivated parents can make a huge difference. A parent’s own level of education counts for less than what they do with their child.

Frustratingly, out of a potential 300 or so parents and carers, only around 20 have turned out to hear her. Spending some quality time at home with their children supporting their education goals does not require teaching skills. The use of educational English games and educational toys can stimulate the learning process through mutual enjoyment rather than perhaps the indifference of a child completing homework in a separate room.

Back to school, amidst the controversy of children’s performance gradually slipping down in maths and literacy despite £ 21billions spent on the programme to improve things.By Alistair Owens

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