Raising Science and Math Lovers

This article is written in collaboration with the “¡Edúcate, es el momento!” campaign as part of their seven-day event promoting higher education for Latino students across the United States.

Last April, I dedicated a week to Latino students who are interested in pursuing careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) fields.

It troubles me that Latinos only account for 5.8% of the engineering workforce, and young Latinas are virtually nonexistent. Most Latino college students aren't pursuing a degree in any of the STEM fields. But with the U.S. Hispanic poverty rate hovering around 26%, a career in one of these fields has the ability to lift families out of poverty, since STEM graduates could potentially earn a six-figure salary upon graduation.

So why aren't our children excelling in the subjects of math and science? No doubt, it is for many reasons. Our public school system in general, seems to be struggling to produce the next generation of scientists and mathematicians. And low-income schools, which support high concentrations of Latino students, seem to be suffering the most when it comes to providing the resources needed for STEM education. Add to that these reasons why Latino parents oftentimes don't encourage their children to pursue STEM field careers, and we can see why our kids are invisible in this area.

So how can we as parents help our kids to get excited about science and math? Here are five great ways to inspire and support your children in these subjects:

1. GET INVOLVED

Find out what your child is learning in school. Are they studying animal classification? Fractions? The water cycle? Ask your child, or their teacher, what topics they are currently covering in class. Being informed is key and will help you to know what to do next... 

2. GET EXCITED

If your child tells you they're studying patterns in math and you immediately grimace, how do you think your kid is going to feel? So what if you think patterns are boring? Be prepared for your child's answer, control your facial features, and respond with delight. (But don't be overly enthusiastic. Your child is an expert lie detector.)

3. INVESTIGATE & SUPPLEMENT

Once you know your daughter is studying the secret lives of fungi, get to work looking for ways to help her explore the subject. If your son needs help with his algebra homework, check out the Kahn academy to help him understand and to practice.

4. MAKE IT EXCITING

Somehow you've got to figure out a way to make the subject come alive for your child. Try to find ways to relate the issue to their own life. You can also...

• Go to your local library and find books on the topic.
• Explore the web for online games and interactive websites that help to reinforce concepts.
• Buy your own science kits (who doesn't love experimenting?) and make every Friday night a Discovery Night.
• Find local and national contests that encourage your child to problem solve and promote creative thinking.
• Field Trip! Find out what exhibits your local museums/nature centers/zoos are hosting and see if they relate to anything your child is learning about.

5. START WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG

Develop your child's curiosity and critical thinking skills as early as you can. Asking simple questions, such as, "What do you think will happen if I let go of this ball?" or "How many cars do you see on our street?" can help your child learn to wonder about their world and also predict outcomes to specific actions. Supply your child with lots of puzzles and books that center around nature and the environment. And every family should own a set of building blocks so kids can connect with their inner engineer.

6. LEARN ABOUT IT

Who says learning is just for kids? Be a role model for your child and show them that learning is a lifelong process that can bring joy and gratification. Better yet, ask your child to explain it to you. Nothing helps you learn better than knowing you have to teach it to someone else!

My favorite STEM education resources for kids:

• Khan Academy Free, online, world-class education on every subject.
  
  
• TED Inspirational online videos.

Math -

• Prodigy Online math program.
  
  
• Math Playground Online games for children.
  
  
• School Zone Workbooks, flash cards and software.
  
  
• Elephant Learning Math Academy Online math program.
  
  
• Buzzmath Middle school math program.

Science -

• GrowingTreeToys Learning toys for children.
  
  
• MythBusters Science entertainment show that uses experiments to separate myths from reality.
  
  
• NASA Kids' Club An awesome interactive site for children.
  
  
• Curiosikid Science experiments for kids in Spanish!
  
  
• Canopy in the Clouds A bilingual site about the rainforest.

Engineering -

• Design Squad Nation A reality show on PBS where kids ages 6 – 19 design ingenious machines in the hopes of winning college scholarships.
  
  
• Fat Brain Toys They carry an incredible set of engineering toys.

Technology -

• ABCYa.com free educational kids computer games and activities for elementary students to learn on the web.
  
  
• NASA: The Space Place - Also available in Spanish.
  
  
• Technology for Kids A  cool range of experiments, free games, science fair projects, fun quizzes, interesting facts, amazing videos and more!

Con mucho cariño...

Monte Carlo {GIVEAWAY}

This Tuesday, October 18th, the family comedy Monte Carlo arrives on Blu-ray and DVD. A while back I asked if you guys would be interested in movie giveaways, and you replied with a solid YES! So I'm happy to announce that three readers will receive this fun movie featuring actress and pop star, Selena Gomez.

Monte Carlo is about Grace (Gomez), a high-spirited high school graduate looking forward to a vacation in Paris with her best friend Emma (Katie Cassidy, “Melrose Place”), and stepsister Meg (Leighton Meester, “Gossip Girl”). Just as the girls think their trip is ruined when their hyperactive tour guide leaves them behind, Grace is mistaken for a wealthy socialite and the trio is whisked away to Monte Carlo for a thrilling week of glitz, glam, and unforgettable fun. 

Take a look at this clip:

THE GIVEAWAY:

Three lucky readers will receive a DVD copy of Monte Carlo.

To enter, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Saturday, October 22nd. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment! Open to United States residents only. No purchase required.

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1.) Blog about this giveaway and include the link to your post in the comments below.

2.) Tweet the following: Win a copy of Monte Carlo from MommyMaestra.com @LatinMami #giveaway

3.) Follow MommyMaestra on Facebook.


Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

¡Buena suerte!


Disclosure: This is not a paid post. I received a copy of Monte Carlo to facilitate this giveaway.

Thank You for the Nomination

Queridos Amigos,

I just wanted to say thank you.

It came as a complete surprise this week to find out that some (many?) of you had nominated me for the Best Latin@ Education Blogger in the Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) Awards. I am extremely flattered to be simply considered in the same category as Miguel Corona and Amor Montes de Oca, both of whom have incredibly informative blogs. If you are the voting type, I would love your support. You may vote here.

Writing MommyMaestra motivates me and inspires me with my own children's education. I have learned so much from you, dear readers, and from the online education community. I cannot tell you how joyful I am each time I receive a message from a mother or teacher in the community saying how much they get out of MommyMaestra.

Our goal as parents is to raise healthy and happy children. It is also our responsibility to try our best to equip them with the tools they need to succeed in life. And one of the best tools we can give them is a good education.  We have to be cheerleaders, teachers, listeners, mentors, and fighters. Because if we do not fight for our children, then who will?

I have watched MommyMaestra grow into something bigger than I imagined. We have become a group of Latina moms and teachers who know how to work together, help one another, and share our resources so that all may benefit from our own individual experiences.

MommyMaestra would not be what it is today without its readers. You are a wonderful group. I'm happy to have communicated with many of you and look forward to talking - and maybe even meeting! - many more of you in the future.

Un abrazote,

~Monica

Will All the Teachers Please Raise Their Hands?

I believe that every single one of you reading this post is a teacher. Doesn't matter if you are certified and have been to college to get your teaching degree. I have always felt that parents - especially mothers - are a child's first teacher. I think you will all agree with me.

But I have received a lot of emails lately from teachers in public or private schools. This got me to wondering just how many of you are out there reading MommyMaestra? I would love to hear from you. So if you would be so kind, would you please consider leaving a comment either here on this post, or on this thread on the MommyMaestra FB page sharing what grade you teach/what subject/and where in the country? You may post anonymously!

So for example, if I were a public/private school teacher, I'd write:

Ms. Olivera, K-2nd, NC

or

K-2nd, NC

Un abrazo!

MommyMaestra is Now On Pinterest

It's true. I have finally caved and joined Pinterest. I just felt like there were so many ideas that I was losing because I didn't have a way to keep track of them.

Now I'm obsessed. I knew I would be, which is why I tried to stay away. But I have been finding other people's board SO helpful!

So even though I am new and have just started, if you'd like to take a look, you can find me easily...http://pinterest.com/mommymaestra

If you are on Pinterest, please share your handle in a comment below so that I can follow you!

Con mucho cariño...

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with Global Wonders

Rosita y Conchita Book

It's here! I'm so excited to tell you that MommyMaestra now has Rosita y Conchita books for sale.

If you are looking for a great picture book related to Day of the Dead, this is it. You can read the review I did of this book last year here.

To purchase your copy, please click here to order today:

Rosita y Conchita book

Update: I'm pleased to now offer Eric's newest book, Paquito y Abuelito, another story celebrating Day of the Dead created for boys.

Paquito y Abuelito book

Should We Celebrate Columbus Day?

Posthumous portrait of Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo.
There are no known authentic portraits of Columbus.

This weekend, I started out writing an article on lesson plans, activities, and books for celebrating Columbus Day. But in the course of my research of all the different resources available for teachers and students, I began to have second thoughts. Before I knew it, I was learning things about Columbus that really upset me and made me pause and rethink the plans I had for teaching my children about this controversial man.

I have grown up thinking of Columbus the way I - and every student in America -have been taught: Columbus was an intrepid explorer whose arrival in the "New" World eventually led to the colonization of the continent by the Europeans.

The question is: Do we want to teach historical accuracy?

The reality is that Columbus was an atrocious human being. His crimes were well known and documented at the time (yes, there is proof!), and he was even arrested and sent back to Spain for his unforgivable treatment of the indigenous peoples he eventually annihilated. Much of what I learned turned my stomach, and I cannot bring myself to share it here...and I certainly would not teach it to my young children.

So what do we do? Is there a way to teach the real story without making a hero out of Columbus? Yes, I think so. But if you're not sure what to think of all this, take a moment to listen to Celeste Headlee's (The Takeaway) discussion with Bob Peterson, a 5th grade teacher and co-author of Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years, and Scott Richard Lyons, director of Native American Studies at Syracuse University.



While I don't totally agree with everything said in the discussion above, they do make a lot of great points and share some valuable information. I have ordered Peterson's book, and will let you know what I think of it when it arrives and I have a chance to go through it. 

For now, I think that this is how I will present the subject of Christopher Columbus to my own children:

Columbus is an extremely important person in world history. He played a major role in the colonization of the Americas, but it came at a terrible price. Columbus sought to create a new and faster trade route to Asia for Europe, but instead he landed in the Carribean, on an island he called San Salvador in the Bahamas. He was a very cruel and greedy person who had asked King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to pay for his trip and to give him the right govern any new lands, as well as 10% of the profits from his journey. When he could not find any gold to take back to Spain, he instead chose to force the indigenous peoples into slavery and shipped them back to Europe.

I plan to ask them how Columbus could have acted differently upon his arrival and what other things he might have substituted for gold (aside from slaves, I mean).

That said, I do think that the following resources are helpful, depending on how they are used to teach the story:

Teaching Resources Classroom Jr. has lots of great coloring pages. I especially like the individual pictures of the Niña, Pinta, and the Santa María.

Super Coloring also has some good coloring sheets. I like the pages that incorporate a text box so that the kids can add descriptions or stories of their own.

Teacher's Clubhouse offers inexpensive activity sheets for students. If you go to this page and scroll down until you get to the "Explorers" category, you'll find lots of ideas like a minibook, trading cards, journals, and more. I think I would use these to have the children show how Columbus should have acted upon landing in the Americas, by pretending to be him and write their journey down in their own "explorer" journals.

I'll be sure to share my thoughts on the book, Rethinking Columbus, when it arrives.

I'd love to know how you teach your own children about Christopher Columbus, too.

Un abrazo...

Meet Me at the Fair...

It's that time of year again! Starting Friday, I'll be spending time at the State Fair of Texas in the Women's Museum, where my boutique, Latin Baby™, has a booth. This year the museum is hosting the Mundo Latino exhibit, which is celebrating its 15th year at the fair. Each year Mundo Latino features an exhibit highlighting the rich Latino culture. The theme changes from year to year, but it usually includes dance, music, food and educational programs from artists and groups representing the Latin world including Mexico, Spain, Central & South America, and the United States.

This year's theme is Chiles! chiles! chiles! and features features authentic, traditional Latin foods created with the savory ingredients of chiles, spices and products grown in Latin countries. They have cooking demonstrations, too. I can't wait to sample all the delicious dishes they are preparing!

If you are in the Dallas area and plan on going to the Fair, stop by my booth  and say "hola!" I'd love to talk with you! And all MommyMaestra or Latin Baby Book Club readers will get an extra 10% off if you mention that you read this here! We have some wonderful products for sale, including some that were created specifically for the fair. So stop by and see us!

Con mucho cariño...

MommyMaestra Challenge: Read for the Record

Tomorrow, on October 6th, people all around the world will read the same book, Llama Llama Red Pajama, as part of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record.

I have taken the pledge and will be part of the record-breaking reading event, whose purpose is to help set the stage for millions of children to achieve success in school – and in life.

Jumpstart's goal? 2.1 million readers - a new world record. But wait! What's that you say? You don't have the book? No problema. I don't either. BUT, the neat part is that it is being offered to read FREE online in Spanish and English at WeGiveBooks.org.

You know what is even more exciting than setting a world record? The fact that Jumpstart has created a Spanish version of their website to reach out to Spanish-speaking families across the United States...and the world. You can even find their pledge page in Spanish.

Why is this such a big deal? How does reading one little book really make a difference? The fact is that children need to be equipped with fundamental literacy skills, and taking the time to read with your kids is an easy way to ensure they’re prepared. Reading one book on Thursday may lead to reading another book on Friday...or Saturday. And next thing you know, you are creating a learning environment in your home while doing an enjoyable activity that strengthens your bond with your child.

EVERY child deserves the chance to succeed. Doesn't matter what language they speak, where their parents came from, where they live, or how their name is pronounced. And as parents, we already know that our kids deserve the opportunity to learn, explore, and achieve their dreams.
 
So take the pledge and spread the word!
 
I hope you will join my family tomorrow as we Read for the Record.
 
Un abrazo fuerte,
 
~Monica

Recessitate Your Classroom

A few weeks ago, I received a sample of Recessitate, a tool for classrooms. It is a collection of 24 color-coded activity cards in three categories: Calm Down, Gear Up, and Wake Up. The goal of the cards is to help students focus on their work, or to give them a mental break from intense schoolwork.

I wondered how well this product would work for homeschoolers so I decided to try it out on my own kids. All you have to do is pick a card (any card!), then read it and lead your children in the activity. For our first card, I chose this one from the calm down section:

The instructions on the back of the card are:

• Sit down comfortably
• Remember to breathe slowly in and out
• Close your eyes
• Imagine a leaf
• Imagine the twig that holds the leaf
• Imagine the branch that holds the twig
• Imagine the trunk that holds the branch
• Imagine the trunk firmly planted in the ground
• Imagine looking up the trunk to the top of the tree
• Imagine the tree full of branches and full of twigs and full of leaves
• Pause and take a quiet moment to imagine the leaves, twigs, branches and trunk of this beautiful tree
• Open your eyes when ready

I was immediately struck by the idea that basically this was a guided meditation for children. How awesome is that? My kids totally loved the whole experience. (Wow. We get to just sit and imagine?!?) The whole activity lasted just about five minutes, maybe a little less.

And afterwards, they were happy listeners, engaged in our lesson plan.

I don't usually have to 'wake up' or 'gear up' my kids, but I tried the other cards after we've had a particularly difficult math or reading lesson, and they certainly appreciated the break and the opportunity to move. I think it helped to relax and refresh their minds and get them back back into the swing of things. (In fact, I enjoyed it so much, too, that I thought about recording the directions on each card to play back to myself!)

Their website says that Recessitate aims to "engage diverse learners, increase student focus, build rapport, reduce stress, foster self-awareness, and create positive climates for learning." I think this product can do exactly that. I think traditional classrooms especially, could benefit from this tool, as well as homeschooling families.

I've mentioned before that healthy living - including a healthy diet and exercise plan - is essential to successful learning. I appreciate how this product allows children to be aware of their bodies and encourages movement.

If you're interested in learning more about Recessitate, please visit their site.

Con mucho cariño...

Disclosure: I received Recessitate as a review sample. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Take Time to Find the Connection

Last Friday, my daughter woke up sick with a cold. She was groggy and not much into school. We've been pretty good about sticking to our schedule, so I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to take a sick day and let the kids relax and have the day off.

But right about the time we normally start lessons, my son fired up the school computer and asked if he could put in his "dinosaur" CD. Okay, sure, I say, not thinking that it will last long because the material is a little dry. Just picture after picture of different dinosaurs with a few skeletons thrown in. Not in the least bit interactive.

Whoa. Next thing I knew, my sick girl was suddenly off the couch and in the library with us and both kids were carefully drawing the dinosaur they had up on the screen, then carefully looking it up in one of their books to get the name so they could label the picture accurately. And then it was on to the next dino picture.

Somewhere along the line, it occurs to me that I have a dinosaur pack that I downloaded this past summer. After giving the printer a workout, I was rewarded with some excited squeals from my son. Their favorite activity was the spin and graph.

Then out came the miniature toy dinos. And the school camera. My daughter took pictures (see above) while my son set the scene for her.

"You're the best mami!" said my son, followed by a giant hug.

And when I looked down at him, there it was in his eyes. The excitement. The joy. The connection.

Sometimes, we have to find that special thing that makes learning fun. Oh, yeah, it should always be fun, but occasionally we get into a little routine - which is comforting, don't get me wrong! - but maybe we get a little boring. Gasp! No! Did she say boring? Andale, m'ija, homeschooling isn't a perfect little world. But even if you aren't homeschooling. How often does your kid come home excited about what she's learning? Oy.

Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands. And that means sitting down and thinking about what it is that intrigues your child. What sparks their imagination? What puts a smile on their face?

Find a way to help them apply what they are learning in school to the subject that most interests them. If they're studying geometry but they love art, break out the papel picado crafts and challenge them. Or maybe they are science lovers, but cry when you make them read a book. Pick up a copy of Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals and let them discover new countries, animals, and people.

The best part of living is learning something new about the things of which we are passionate. Sometimes we just need a little help connecting it all together.

Con mucho cariño...




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This post was inspired by a bi-weekly blog prompt called #HalbaTalk through Latina Bloggers Connect. Thanks for the idea, mamas!