Skip to main content

Micro-Learning: The new trend

The new buzzword in the education industry is “micro learning.” Even though the term sounds relatively new to many, it has been around for decades. Experts believe that a student has an attention span of about 10-15 minutes. To be able to keep the attention of a student, effective teaching strategy is to “chunk” information into smaller pieces with recurrent but brief breaks. One of the primary reasons why micro learning is gaining so much popularity is because the concept makes it easy for the child to remember what they have been taught. The entire syllabus is segmented into smaller sections, helping them remember things more effectively in comparison to what they would remember if the classes were longer.

Micro learning and our brain:

Consider how children gather information outside of homeschooling. They get it in small snippets. They watch videos, access Facebook posts, Instagram, they talk to friends, check their emails, and the like. Everything is bombarded into the brain very quickly, but in small pieces. An average person’s brain is trained to focus on a specific information for a short period, absorb quickly, and then carry on to another bit of information. Parents must take advantage of this by developing or buying micro-learning modules that offer short snippets of information at recurrent intervals.
How can you use micro-learning?

One of the most innovative ways of teaching lessons is to come up with ways to make education interesting and fun for the child. For instance, you can:

  1. Hold quizzes every week to cross-reference knowledge.
  2. Allow the use of gadgets during study
  3. Encourage special interests
  4. When creating lesson plans, use videos accompanied by small text and occasional info graphics to explain certain elements.

All of these strategies are innovative and have seldom been practiced within the classroom.

The Con: Be careful about the casual ambiance

The model of classroom is based on the fact that children who are learning new subjects need a formal enviroment. This is normally not available in case of micro learning. It is slightly casual, which may make it difficult for the child to learn new things. Hence, it’s very important for parents to be able to maintain the right balance so they can reap maximum benefits.  

In the world of education, micro-learning is a new concept. It has several advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantages, however, outweigh the drawbacks by a big margin. Therefore, the technique is being embraced by homeschooling parents as well as schools to impart education and training to students. However, to make sure it is implemented successfully, it is important for parents to research well and come up with solid study modules.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Does your child have Autism? Homeschooling is the best method

While homeschooling Autistic children takes patience, planning and dedication, it can certainly be one of the best ways to educate them. There are five important reasons why homeschooling is the right option for a child with autism:  One on one time: According to experts, the lower the teacher-to-student percentage, the more successful and helpful the teaching can be. Homeschooling helps the educators to give more attention to the child. This form of instruction is extremely important for kids with special needs as lessons can be modified to the ability of the child in order to increase their progress. The atmosphere can easily be adapted to the sensory needs of the child: It is a lot easier to control the learning enviroment when at home. Unlike a school classroom where other kids can be a huge distraction, homeschooling parents can create an environment that works best to the needs of their child. Whether it is special lighting, a quiet room, background musi...

Strategies that can help new Homeschoolers

Homeschooling can get extremely overwhelming for newbies. Here are six strategies that will help you get started in the right direction.  Research about different types of curriculums. The choices can be overwhelming, so make sure you give yourself enough time to research. Make notes. Join a support group. Do not homeschool alone. If you do so, you may get bored, lonely, and burned out. Stick together with people who have taken the same path as you. There is a lot you can learn from your support group. Attend seminars and conference. Make notes as you listen to inspirational messages and practical advice from experienced homeschoolers. Subscribe to newsletters. Look at the curriculum closely. Follow blogs on homeschooling Canada . From e-books to free printable and newsletters, everything an educator needs is only a few clicks away. Recharge your batteries through blog hopping while your students are out on recess. However, try not to compare your journey with ot...

How to raise a child who is body-positive?

Parents tend to play a huge role in shaping how their children feel and think about their bodies. As a homeschooling parent, encouraging a child’s body image early on, starting from preschool, can make a huge difference in how children feel about themselves while growing up. Here are a few different ways to immunize your little ones against poor body image. Avoid stereotypes - starting from when your children are in preschool, show them movies, TV shows, and other media that display healthy body sizes and steer clear from stereotypical or sexualized story lines. Whenever possible, make sure you use gender-diverse or gender-neutral pronouns to reference animals, characters, and so on. For instance, not every kitten is a "she" and not every dinosaur a “He.”    Challenge assumptions- Ask your children what they think of slim or heavyset toys or characters in movies and TV. Observe if the child has any assumptions about the real people based on their weight o...