We’re interested in all things educational, and if you’re reading this blog then you probably are, too.
Our first blogs will concentrate on telling you how to get the most out of your OTISA subscription. (Check out the resource at http://www.otisa.com.au if you haven’t already.)
Subsequent blogs will bring you news from the world of education as well as classroom teaching tips and info for all those parents who are actively involved in their children’s learning.
If you’re a parent, here are some ways in which you can help your child use OTISA.
- encourage your child to use the grid to select the element they want to learn about. Make sure that they are the ones who choose, so that they are more engaged and interested.
- when your child first begins to use OTISA, it would be helpful if you could be there while they read or listen to the Introduction screens. This will give you the opportunity to make sure the child understands the instructional aspect before they start on the activities.
- do a couple of the activities together. (It may well be the case that your child shows you how it’s done, which is of course very good for their self-esteem.)
- encourage your child to use the following process, which is designed to make them think about their answers and to fix the ones that are incorrect:
a. have a go at an activity
b. select How did I do?
c. If there are errors, go back and try again. If there are no errors, read Check the Explanation. It’s important to do this so that the learning is confirmed. Getting correct answers doesn’t necessarily mean that understanding has occurred.
d. if there are still errors after a second attempt, select Which ones are correct? This helps students to identify where they are wrong and to have a final go at getting the correct answer.
f. After this attempt, whether they still have errors or not, they select Check the Explanation.
Because there are lots of activities of the same kind, students can always have more than one attempt at the learning. - if the child has difficulty with the activities, encourage them to go back to the Introduction and to listen to the instructional aspect. You could also go through the Explanations with them.
- use the resource frequently for short periods of time – say 10 minutes at a time – unless, of course, the child decides otherwise and wants to continue.
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