Sophie's Blog

Peer Review – Mindfulness and Well being in Children

Link to the reviewed website

https://sites.google.com/view/edci-335-group-1/home

Peer Review of the Mindfulness Website:

Title: Mindfulness for Elementary-Aged Students: A Resource for Educators and Parents

General Feedback: The website aims to provide educators and parents with a resource on mindfulness for elementary-aged students. The content appears well-structured, addressing various aspects of mindfulness for children between the ages of 5-8. The integration of videos, interactive apps, worksheets, and discussions enhances the potential for student engagement. The approach to inclusion and varied assessment methods demonstrates consideration for different learning needs. The use of technology to deliver the course and accessibility options is commendable.

Strengths:

  1. Clear Learning Objectives: Each subtopic includes clear and measurable learning objectives. This approach ensures the content is targeted and relevant, facilitating effective teaching and learning.
  2. Age-Appropriate Approach: The content and activities seem tailored to the target audience’s age range, ensuring that the lessons are engaging and relatable for young children.
  3. Inclusion and Accessibility: The website showcases a thoughtful approach to inclusion by offering adaptations and options for students with diverse needs, promoting a more equitable learning environment.
  4. Use of Technology: The integration of YouTube videos, interactive apps, and other technological resources enhances the potential for student engagement and interactive learning experiences.
  5. Variety in Assessment Methods: The assessment strategies include verbal quizzes, role-play activities, thumbs-up/thumbs-down checks, and other interactive approaches. This diversified assessment encourages active participation and differentiates students’ understanding.

Areas for Improvement:

  1. Interactive App and Worksheet Links: While the website mentions an interactive app and worksheet package, there are no direct links or access points provided. Including direct links to these resources will improve user experience and allow educators and parents to access the materials easily.
  2. Visual Elements: Although the content is informative, the website could benefit from more visual elements like images, infographics, or icons. These visuals can make the content more engaging and appealing to the target audience.
  3. When you simply click on for teachers the page comes up and it says *keep stuff in student first language but make it able to be used by teachers to guide the kids through the course*
    • Change that to Keep the information in students’ first language and allow teachers to guide the students through the course
    • This is a grammar issue
    • There are no newsletters there or any pictures, just blank gray screens
  4. Case Studies or Examples: Incorporating case studies or real-life examples of how mindfulness practices have positively impacted children’s lives could make the resource more relatable and persuasive.
  5. Addressing Potential Challenges: It might be beneficial to address potential challenges or barriers educators and parents could face when implementing mindfulness practices with young children. Providing guidance on overcoming these challenges would enhance the resource’s practicality.

Conclusion: Overall, the website provides valuable content on mindfulness for elementary-aged students. The clear learning objectives, age-appropriate approach, and diverse assessment methods contribute to the resource’s effectiveness. By addressing the areas for improvement mentioned above, such as providing proper citations and linking to the interactive app and worksheet package, the website can be further enhanced to provide a comprehensive and practical resource for educators and parents seeking to promote mindfulness among young learners. The incorporation of more visual elements and real-life examples would also enhance the resource’s appeal and relatability to the target audience

Post #1

My Best Learning Expereinces Number 1: Outdoor School – Grade 6/7 What could possibly be considered one of the best learning experiences? Well for me it was a number of different experiences that I know that I love and why I enjoy learning so much. In Grade 6 I had …

Post #4

Post #4 edci335 – Blog post #4 In today’s digital age, integrating technology into the classroom has become increasingly important to engage and empower students. After exploring the readings in this unit and Chapter 9.6 of “Teaching in a Digital Age,” I have gained valuable insights on how to apply …

Post #3

edci335 – Blog post #3 When considering the learning environment for music therapy in a grade 3 setting, there are several potential barriers that can be reduced or eliminated to provide more pathways for learner success. Here are some key areas to focus on: Accessibility: Ensure that music therapy is accessible …

Post #2

edci335 – Blog post #2 Exploring Direct Instruction in Designing Effective learning environments for Art/Music Therapy  In the realm of educational theory and practice different instructional approaches are utilized to create effective learning environments. By understanding the principles of direct instruction and its implication, we can make informed decisions about its …