Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

Students at Sippican School will soon learn the ABCs of self-defense through a training curriculum aimed at providing a holistic approach to self-safety and responding to violence defensively.

The radKIDS program trains children to think about the unthinkable in situations of relational violence, bullying, and resisting aggression in all environments.

The program was brought to Sippican School as an inter-district response to a youth risk survey given to students in grades 7 to 12. Data analyzed by the school districts and the new healthy Tri-Town Coalition prompted concerns about students experiences with relational violence in and outside school, as well as with interpersonal relationships, substance abuse, and depression.

The radKIDS program, says Assistant Superintendent Elise Frangos, will help combat the first aspect: relational violence.

Its a great social emotional program, said Frangos. The key is really empowering kids with what can happen to children off campus or even on campus. This includes, she said, bullying, being met with unkindness, or any physical violence. The program provides children with the tools to know what to do when those situations happen, Frangos said.

Frangos herself is a trained radKIDS instructor, and several Sippican School teachers recently attended the five-day training to become certified radKIDS facilitators as well.

The radKIDS curriculum is a developmental evidence-based curriculum that facilitates self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills.

[It] fosters resiliency, said Frangos. Instead of freezing with fright, students are conditioned to override their fight or flight response a bouncing-back, as Frangos called it. Sometimes when something tough happens to that kid its really hard to get your adrenalin to work for you instead of against you.

Aspects of the curriculum help kids to discover personal empowerment, set boundaries, and critically think about which defensive tools to use in any given situation.

Through radKIDS and its multi-sensory approach, Frangos suggested, The brain helps us think rationally as opposed to just being frozen and what moves to take instead of fight or flight.

Topics of the eight-hour curriculum that will be introduced to students during physical education class include school safety, home safety, bullying prevention, medicine safety, stranger safety, and even addresses topics such as how to approach dogs.

Some statistics on the nationwide outcome of implementing the radKIDS program show an 80% decrease in conflict and bullying in participating schools. Over 300,000 students have been trained so far, and 5,000 radKIDS facilitators are currently certified in the country.

According to statistic provided, radKIDS has helped over 125 trained students to escape attempted abduction, and thousands have escaped abusive situations.

School attendance in participating schools also increased as a result of the training.

Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons and Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee, both trained in the curriculum, have endorsed introducing the program to area schools.

The three principles of the program are: 1. No one has the right to hurt you; 2. One does not have the right to hurt someone else (unless it is in self-defense); and 3. It is not their fault if someone tries to hurt them.

The program will be unfolded in stages, with grade 6 parents first receiving an invitation from the school to attend an informational session about radKIDS.

The program will be implemented this year and information in the form of a safety manual will also be distributed to families.

Next year, grades 5 and 6 will experience the program.

I think this is awesome, said Marion School Committee Chairman Christine Marcolini. This is the stuff that keeps me up at night. I think this is wonderful and it really shows the more advanced thinking that were trying to do with our kids.

Marcolini said she found the statistics presented disturbing.

Our hope is that by the time children leave our school districts theyre really empowered to combat any difficult situation, said Frangos.

The next meeting of the Marion School Committee is scheduled for March 15 at 6:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

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Sippican to Implement 'radKIDS' Defense Program - Wanderer

Terry Grosetti, a trainer and owner of Grosetti Performance in New Castle, believes that regardless of a persons age, a physical training program must be tailored to the individual. A personalized program, he says, helps a person achieve his or her goals and manage their overall training capacity.

Throughout the past three years, Grosetti has worked with the New Castle High School basketball team, as well as other students, administration staff, teachers and parents.

Before developing a training regimen, Grosetti wants his clients to be realistic.

Its important to know the truth, he says. You may need a lot more work than you think. You need to understand where you are and what it takes to get to where you want to be.

This is where accountability begins for the client and the trainer.

Its the difference, especially for students, between I want to succeed and I kinda want to succeed, Grosetti says. As a trainer, Im there to help them.

The training program he develops depends on the client, he says. For athletes, this can involve strength and conditioning to build the speed and power needed to play a particular sport. Reducing the risk of injury while helping the team succeed is most important.

For non-athletes, the approach is similar, but a plan is necessary to meet their specific needs. The person must know, or be taught, how to use ones body weight in positioning the hands, shoulders and feet; and how to perform jumps, push-ups or squat-thrusts the correct way.

A 6-year-old may not know how to run properly, Grosetti says. Or, may not know the proper form to use with exercise. Teach them correctly at a young age as their bodies develop and they will be in a safer position when it comes to injury risk. It also creates confidence.

A client's injury history also factors into developing any training program. Grosetti advises alerting a trainer to any prior injuries so the program excludes exercises that could aggravating the condition.

On the other hand, if the trainee had a hamstring injury, certain exercises can aid in recovery. The program can help build muscle strength and minimize the possibility of re-injury.

In terms of academic acuity, fitness can make a difference.

It definitely helps, he says. It takes the mind off stress so that a student can learn how to better deal with challenges.

Grosetti compares learning a new workout drill to solving a math problem.

It requires a correlation between the body and the mind, he says. A student learns new ways to do things, and can transfer that approach to the real world.

No matter what shape a training program takes, a common denominator is nutrition. Grosetti says exercise and diet are equally important, and breakfast is essential.

You have to get your metabolism going early in the day, Grosetti says. Thats an important way to prepare for a day of success.

Although everyone has a different reason for motivation, Grosetti believes there is no age limit to fitness training. He considers it an investment in self, and compares it to a 401(k) plan.

You invest dollars for whenever you are older, he says. But if you dont take care of your body today, you wont be able to enjoy what youve been saving for. So invest some time and dollars in yourself. Invest in healthier food choices and a daily half-hour workout.

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Personal trainer focuses on client empowerment - Clearfield Progress

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MILCK's flashmob performance of her song "Quiet" at the Women's March on Washington, January, 2017

See MILCK perform at the opening of the Portland Oregon Womens Film Festival (POWFest) this Thursday at 6:30 pm at the Hollywood Theatre.

Vocalist and songwriter, MILCK, credited with uniting women in song after penning and performing what has been called the unofficial anthem of the Womens March on Washington, will be making a special appearance in Portland this week, opening the Portland, Oregon Womens Film Festival (POWFest) as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, this Thursday, March 2nd at 6:30 p.m. at The Hollywood Theatre.

Watch: MILCK perform Quiet with Choir! Choir! Choir! of 1300+

Its fitting that MILCK would choose a womens film festival as one of her first public performances since the March, as it was an award winning film director, bystander Alma Harel, who happened upon MILCKs flash mob of singers and recorded their a capella performance of Quiet as she was trying to leave the March. The video Har'el shared that day amassed over 14 million views on Facebook alone.

The song of empowerment spawned a grassroots movement #ICANTKEEPQUIET that soon spread across the globe. Requests for the sheet music came pouring in, so MILCK shared the arrangements and women began forming choirs and performing Quiet in communities across the U.S. and as far away as Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Italy and France. Individuals have been sharing their personal truths using the hashtag #icantkeepquiet and the artist turned activist is looking to continue the momentum of personal engagement that she started. Keep your eyes open for news on a new initiative that everyone will have an opportunity to take part in in the coming weeks.

In addition to MILCKs performance opening night, POWFest will screen THIS IS EVERYTHING, GIGI GORGEOUS by Academy-Award winning director Barbara Kopple, portraying the intimate journey of Gigi Lazzarato, who began life as Gregory Lazzarato, who posted beauty and fashion videos from his bedroom only to later came out as a transgender female to an audience of millions.

And on Friday, March 3rd, at 9:30 am, MILCK will be participating on an Education Day panel Creating and Maintaining Safe Spaces for Womens Voices, for women in film, publishing, music and theater. Joined by Andi Zeisler, co-founder of Bitch Media; December Carson, co-founder of Siren Nation; and Carolyn Butts, publisher/founder of African Voices; the panel will be moderated by Oregon Music News publisher, Ana Ammann. ($5 or free with festival pass). Location: NW Documentary, 6 NE Tillamook St, Portland, OR 97212

Tickets for MILCK and THIS IS EVERYTHING: GIGI GORGEOUS are $15, admission to the panel is $5 or free with POWFest pass.

Proceeds support the only film festival in Portland exclusively placing a spotlight on women directors with a goal to eliminate the gender disparity that exists for women working in the film industry and educating our next generation of filmmakers.

For more information, visit http://www.powfest.com

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MILCK comes to Portland this week to emPOWer - Oregon Music News

Jonathan Butcher, AZ I See It 5:46 p.m. MT Feb. 24, 2017

The Arizona Legislature is training its sights on the plan to broaden eligibility for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, a school-choice program created six years ago for disabled children. Wochit

Lanae Enriquez and her daughter, Addison.(Photo: Courtesy of Lanae Enriquez)

Two children, born a decade apart, can teach their parents the same lesson. For Lanae Enriquez, her stepsons young life and her daughters bright potential emphasize the value of a quality education starting from day one.

Arizona lawmakers are considering legislation that would give every Arizona child the chance to have this opportunity, regardless of their ZIP code or parents paychecks.

Lanae traces her stepsons current struggles in high school back to his being passed along from year to year in elementary school. He is doing all he can to keep up with his classes now, she says.

We have kept on top of him more (in recent months), so its brought his grades up, Lanae says. Its really concerning because now, I have to think, Do I want that for my daughter? Lanae says, whose daughter, Addison, turns 5 in March.

Lawmakers are considering giving all families access to a flexible learning option that has only been available to certain students since 2011: Education Savings Accounts. With these accounts, the state deposits a portion of a childs funding from the state formula into a private bank account that parents use to buy educational products and services for their children.

The accounts are distinct from other educational options because parents can choose multiple learning services simultaneously for their child. Some parents may choose to hire a personal tutor for their student to help them in math, while others may combine online classes, private schoolingand public school extracurricular activities.

GABRIEL: ESAs are Arizona's best innovation

Arizona pioneered the accounts in 2011 for children with special needs, expanding access to the accounts over time to help children with challenges like those assigned to failing schools, children adopted from the state foster care system, and students on Native American reservations.

Research from EdChoice finds that one-third of participants are making multiple educational choices with the accounts sometimes, but not always, including a new school. A survey of participating families in 2013 found that 71 percent of participants reported being very satisfied with their childs account. No parent reported any level of dissatisfaction.

Parents and students can't wait for the state to straighten out its complex school funding formula. They need options now.(Photo: Michael Schennum/The Republic)

Lanae is one of thousands of Arizonans who are well-acquainted with choosing how and where their child learns when an assigned school is not the right fit. She moved her stepson to a new district school as he wrestled with his studies. Some 200,000 Arizona parents choose charter schools. Scholarship organizations awarded 60,000 scholarships to eligible students this year to attend K-12 private schools. Thousands more move across district lines to choose a different traditional public school.

Lanae considered a charter school for Addison, but the charter schools in their area fill seats using a lottery. These lotteries conjure images of gymnasiums full of nervous parents holding a ticket that may determine their childs academic success or failure. Lanae wants more than just to hope that my child gets in, she says.

DIAZ: Why school choice is an illusion

All parents want their child to succeed from her first day of kindergarten to when she is handed a high-school diploma. If their child is struggling in a local school, some Arizonans can find public schools across town or charter schools with seats available.

But others may not have these options. And for all of us, life happens: Lanae is expecting a baby and had to leave work now that she is well into her pregnancy. Addison was attending a private Montessori school, but times are tight for her family.

Its heartbreaking for us as parents that she is not eligible for an education savings account now, Lanae says, because the account would allow Addison to remain at the Montessori school.

The accounts can help families cross the income divide. Average accounts for mainstream students are worth $5,600, according to legislative analysts. A survey of Arizona private schools finds that about half of private schools have tuition at or below this level, making this option a possibility for more families. Approximately 85 percent of private schools in the state provide tuition assistance to help cover the rest.

Families that want more than just a new school can use the account to buy an online class or even pay for a college class before the child graduates high school. A child with a visual impairment could use their account to buy braille materials to help with schoolwork.

ROBB:Universal vouchers make school choice pretty cheap

All Arizonans care about education. Last year, voters chose to add $3.5 billion to public schools over the next decade. Fiscal analysts report that the education savings accounts awarded to children with special needs save the state $1,400 per student. Arizonas dizzying funding formula also creates a cost savings for students transferring from certain other public schools and creates a cost savings for districts in expenses like transportation and food service.

Lawmakers have worked for more than 15 years at simplifying the states funding formula to make sure resources are used to improve student learning. But a $10 billion education budget has proved hard to steer.

Parents and children like Lanae and Addison cannot wait for a better funding system when Addison can have a chance to succeed now with an education savings account. The same is true for traditional and charter public schools. Ideas to give these schools more flexibility and to help teachers challenge students should not be in a holding pattern while we adjust how tax dollars flow to schools.

For Lanae, and for thousands of parents who want their children to dream big, its not about the money. I would love to have her in the best school that I possibly could. Someplace that could nurture her talents and talents that we dont even know that she has, Lanae says.

Jonathan Butcher is education director at the Goldwater Institute and senior fellow at the Beacon Center of Tennessee.

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Viewpoints: The case for expanding Empowerment Scholarship Accounts - AZCentral.com

Appleholic, (noun), pl-hlk: An imaginative person who thinks about what Apple is doing, why and where it is going. Delivering popular Apple-related news, advice and entertainment since 1999.

Apple continues to create tools that let creative people be creative, with a new album release recorded on an iPhone, edited on GarageBand and made available through Apple Music proving the value of the end-to-end creative ecosystem the company has built.

Grammy-nominated artist, Steve Lacy (also in a band called The Internet), just released a new album project (Steve Lacy's Demo) through Apple Music. The entire project was recorded on an iPhone, edited using Apples consumer-friendly GarageBand, and made its debut on Apple Music this week.

You can hear it here.

I think the release underlines Apples historical commitment to providing creative tools for the rest of us. The complexity of the music helps demonstrate the potential of these tools for unique self-expression.

Lacy spoke with Beats 1 anchor, Matt Wilkinson, about the project and why he chose to work with an iPhone. While he built some drum riffs in Ableton, Lacy pulled all the recordings together in GarageBand. The artist likes that he can record ideas and build new hooks in his hotel room when hes on tour.

The hook on the first track was recorded in a hotel room in Australia, he said, I will record anywhere I get an idea, he said. So shout out to GarageBand for being so mobile and such a good way to get my ideas out.

While its a neat story in technology terms, Lacy is also passionate about the potential for self-expression locked inside devices hundreds of millions of iPhone users already possess. In the right hands these devices are tools for personal empowerment.

To give the message to kids that like, you dont have to be limited to use this equipment to get these ideas out. Cos you know you have like, I feel like theres a lot of kids, or just people in general who are like, I cant do this because I dont have this. You know what Im saying? Yeah, when you have an iPhone, work with what you have. Cos if you have the ideas, its going to comprehend you know what Im saying?

Lacy is one of a new breed of completely digitally savvy artists. He was eight-years old when the iPhone first appeared and five when Apple shipped the first version of GarageBand.

I started making beats on my iPhone because I wasnt about the excuse of oh I dont have this, so Im just not gonna do it, he says.

So I went to this Guitar Center convention and bought this piece called the iRigwhich was $20. Initially I got it just to plug my guitar in my phone and see what apps have cool guitar effects. Then I got this app called Akai MPCand thats where I started chopping all my drums up and doing all my samples, strictly off the iPhone, he said.

Then I made a little more money, got a laptop, and made beats and songs off my laptop, but I still went back to this method. It was just raw and its home, you know?"

Lacy isnt the first artist to record an album completely on an iPhone other artists to have done so include One Like Son and Dan Tedesco. Damon Albarn famously recorded Gorrilaz fourth studio album, The FaIl, on an iPad.

It is all the same worth noting that Lacys album makes its debut during the same month veteran music industry title, Billboard, used a picture taken using an iPhone as the image on its front cover.

Events like these testify to the raw creative power available to every iPhone user.

Ten years since the introduction of the iPhone, these 'computers for the rest of us' reflect Steve Jobs' life's work, from his summer job at HP to the potential for powerful creative expression you hold in your pocket, today.

I cant help but reflect that the fact millions worldwide now have access to these creative tools can be seen as a fitting tribute to Apples Steve Jobs, who would have been 62-years old today.

Google+?If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not joinAppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner communityand join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?

Got a story?Drop me a line via Twitter. I'd like it if you chose to follow me there so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.

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Apple Music just released an album made on an iPhone ... - Computerworld

Transitioning from a credit analyst to a commercial banker with Wells Fargo allowed Hanstad to view the monthly events in a new light.

"I'd moved to Fargo and started this new position and suddenly Women Connect became an opportunity to network with a large group of businesswomen," Hanstad says.

But she wanted an even deeper connection with the women she would meet each month in the large group setting.

That connection came in the form of a program called PUSH, which stands for "Pursue Dreams, Unite Women, Shatter Barriers, Have Heart."

The program is the brainchild of Carrie Carney and Chelsea Monda, two young professionals in the community who met through a mutual friend to discuss women's empowerment programs.

More than a year ago, Carney, marketing director at Eventide, and Monda, a senior client consultant at Sundog, began meeting monthly at a local coffee shop to share expertise and ideas for creating a network of women gathering in a smaller setting.

In January 2016, PUSH officially launched at the Women Connect event and soon after, Carney and Monda began receiving requests from women who wanted to be placed in a group.

Hanstad was one of those requesters. She reached out to Carney for the email addresses of individuals who'd expressed interest in a group, and eventually her group grew to include nine women.

"It was like we were long-lost friends," she says. "We all just got along so well and have connected to one another ... some of my very best friends in Fargo are people I met through this PUSH group."

Hanstad's experience is common, Carney and Monda say. The placement of women in the groups is entirely random, and the ideal size for a group is eight people. The idea of being placed randomly eliminates any preconceived notions so new relationships can be established, Monda says.

Since the program launched last year, 35 groups have been created with more than 200 women participating in them. Additionally, the PUSH Facebook group has nearly 400 members.

Once a group is formed, members are provided with rules of engagement. Monda says the rules are a guideline for helping the group begin developing relationships among the members and not actually rules.

Beyond the initial phrase of providing contact information and guidelines, Monda says PUSH groups are mostly self-managed and become a great outlet for women who want to achieve personal or professional goals.

Carney and Monda have each set and achieved a number of goals since they formed their PUSH group. "I've reached some goals I wouldn't have without this group," Carney says. For example, Monda set a goal to train for and run a 5K, and her PUSH group held her accountable to that goal. Carney changed jobs and used her PUSH group as a sounding board for issues associated with her new role.

Even though PUSH is a sub-committee of Women Connect, you don't have to be a Chamber member to be in a group, Carney says.

Women interested in joining can request to start a new group or be placed in an existing one.

"So many women are going out of their comfort zones and being placed randomly, but they have nothing to lose and everything to gain," Carney says.

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Pushing past barriers: Program aims to foster empowering female relationships - Grand Forks Herald

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 22: Founder of The Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conducted Dynamism in Self and Nation (DSN) Programme earlier known as Divya Samaj Nirman online, which was attended by 8000 plus people across 100 locations pan India and Russia. From AOL centres in Punjab to remotest corners in Tripura and Assam, from Latur in Maharashtra to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and from Jammu to Kanyakumari, the people connected virtually to learn powerful combination of Yoga, group processes and deep spiritual knowledge to break through personal barriers and create personal empowerment spanned over 4 days with Sri Sri with the message Be all that you can be! Be the Movers and Shakers of the World. Change the world with your smile. Dont let the world change your smile, do commitment to contribute to the society to build a better country. Approximately 100 centres across India and Russia had organized The Art of Livings signature DSN Programme with Sr Sri Ravi Shanker. This is the first time Sri Sri Ravi Shanker is conducting this type of programme online since the inception of The Art of Living connecting India virtually online through webcast. In Jammu Region, people from all walks of life and background and religion including AOL faculty members connecting humanity through the power of breath, yoga and spirituality joined at Gian Mandir, Trikuta Nagar. The said programme was locally assisted by Swami Gunatit ji from Art of Living International Centre, Bangalore and organised by other senior faculty members of AOL Chapter along with dedicated team of volunteers, said Ajay Kapoor, State Media Coordinator of Art of Living. The Art of Living DSN course is a rigorous and transformational course, designed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Through a powerful combination of Padma Sadhana, special meditations, breathing techniques, group processes, and deep spiritual knowledge, the DSN course empowers participants to break through personal inhibitions and barriers of all kinds, Kapoor added. Ajay Kapoor also briefed about various benefits of DSN course.

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conducts DSN Prog online - Daily Excelsior

Patch.com

Bloomfield Company Uses Disney Princesses To Promote Female Empowerment Patch.com Martha Peralta, the owner of Bloomfield entertainment company Bella Princess, said that she recently revamped her company's programs to use princess-related imagery to advocate for female empowerment and channel girls' potential for personal growth..

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Bloomfield Company Uses Disney Princesses To Promote Female Empowerment - Patch.com

Jamie Jackson, Your Newsweekly contributor Published 11:36 a.m. ET Feb. 21, 2017 | Updated 15 hours ago

United Against Poverty Executive Director Annabel Robertson (center) accepts a plaque from Carolyn Antenem and Suzanne Bertman (at left) of Impact 100. Joining Robertson are Success Training for Employment Program (STEP) staff Ron Browning (right of Robertson), April McCoy and Canieria Gardner.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED BY DAN LAMSON)

VERO BEACH United Against Poverty of Indian River County recently hosted an open house for Impact 100 members on Feb. 8, at the nonprofit organizations UP Center, located at 2746 U.S. 1 in Vero Beach.

Impact 100 members learned about the Success Training for Employment Program (STEP), which received a $100,000 grant in April 2016 for a project entitled Jump Start Job Opportunities. The Impact 100 grant provided funding to remodel the STEP classroom, underwrite an online job-mentoring platform and to publish the STEP curriculum workbooks, which were written by United Against Poverty staff.

The classroom remodeling project included building permanent walls, carpeting, 20 computer stations equipped with new computers, worktables and seating. Since remodeling the classroom in late 2016, STEP has experienced much greater interest in program enrollment.

Our first STEP class since the renovation enrolled 26 students and had a waiting list of 30, explained Annabel Robertson, United Against Poverty executive director for Indian River County. We know that the increased interest in this program is due to the professional training environment that was made possible through the Impact 100 grant and our programs success in 2016.

In 2016, 100 STEP participants were employed at 60 local employers with a $2.4 million annualized wage impact in the community.

With the classroom remodeling behind them, United Against Poverty is currently working with a professional editor and graphic designer to prepare STEP workbooks for publishing in late spring 2017.

United Against Poverty, formerly Harvest Food & Outreach Center, was founded in 2003 by Austin and Ginny Hunt in Vero Beach. The nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) organization, provides programs that inspire and empower people living in poverty to lift themselves and their families to economic self-sufficiency.

Services include crisis care, case management, transformative education, food and household subsidy, employment training and placement, personal empowerment training and active referrals to other collaborative social service providers. For more information, visit upirc.org.

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Impact 100 members tour remodeled STEP Training Center - TCPalm

My 8-year-old daughter recently became frustrated as she struggled with an assignment that asked her to memorize the location and spelling of all 50 states.

Why do I even need to memorize this? she complained. I can just Google the location and spelling of any state whenever I need it.

I paused for a moment, not entirely sure how to answer the question. She was right. She could Google this information; but there is a greater value to knowing the whereabouts of Americas 50 states. Would she know, instinctively, when it was worth the effort to Google something like the location of a state?

I replied, Anna, what if someone told you that Montana was located next to North Dakota. Would you believe them and simply take what they were saying as truth? Are you going to Google (i.e., doubt) anything anyone ever says to you?

She stared back at me, understanding that relying on Google to determine all facts from fiction quickly goes awry. Google is useful for some things, but isnt practical for all matters.

The question of course goes deeper than something as simple and easily answerable as geography. It becomes much trickier when we are asked to discern real from fake in areas as fuzzy as public sentiment, portrayals of historical events, and conclusions reached by a confluence of research studies.

iStock from Getty Images

How do I help my daughter to ask meaningful questions, seek multiple sources of truth, and acknowledge the real answer, ambiguous as it may be?

I suppose the conundrum is better phrased this way: How will my daughter know when a simple Google search is sufficient? When will she need to seek multiple sources and doubt even her own understanding?

At Yale University, my undergraduate alma mater, there was a popular slogan that read, Yale doesnt teach you what to think; Yale teaches you how to think.

That premise is critical in todays media environment, because rather than accepting what we are told, we need to teach our children to think critically about how to process the information that they hear.

Early Foundations of Knowledge

If we prioritize our childrens ability think critically, then we need to embed the proper building blocks in their earliest education. While they may seem pass and pedestrian, the basics of literacy and memorization are as paramount as ever.

At Istation, the education technology company where I work, we believe that the fundamentals of critical thinking begin with literacy. With the foundations of reading comes logic, memorization, conceptual thinking, and imagination.

UNESCO writes in its Education for All Global Monitoring Report, it is widely reckoned that, in modern societies, literacy skills are fundamental to informed decision-making, personal empowerment, active and passive participation in local and global social community (Stromquist, 2005, p. 12).

Alongside literacy come the basics of memorization. Memorizing the location of all 50 states may not count as true critical thinking, but it forms a building block of knowledge that allows far more challenging questions to be asked. Even the skill of memorization frees up other parts of the brain for more advanced processing.

The Guardian suggests that memorising facts and lists can build the foundations for higher thinking and problem solving. Effectively, we can draw on what we have memorized to create and grapple with more complex topics. For example, my daughter can use her knowledge of the geographical location of the states to begin to estimate if it would take longer to drive from Dallas, Texas, to Denver, Colorado, or to Portland, Maine.

Once one can read and retain knowledge, one begins to gain the skill of writing. Writing allows a person to express her own thoughts on a topic. We become more than just consumers of information; we become organizers of thoughts and ideas. If our writing resonates with others, we gain the important skill of influence.

iStock by Getty Images

For my 8-year-old, most truths remain simple. Eight times eight is 64, and Austin is the state capital of Texas.

As adults, real meaning and authentic truth become much more challenging to discern. What I hope for my daughter and for our nations children is that they learn how to think critically about the information that is given to them; that they understand the limitations of Google; and that they can embrace a narrative that is not one-sided but multi-dimensional.

In our family, we fully embrace the basics of reading and memorization. We read not just from one author, or one publication, or one geography, but try to embrace both our historical narratives and current events through the lens of multiple sources.

For my daughter, I will continue to encourage what may seem like basic skills of reading and memorization. It is not that I want or expect her to consider that a complete education; quite to the contrary: it is through the building blocks of reading and memorization that we begin to be able to question greater truths, recognize inconsistencies, compare disparate ideas and pursue deeper meaning.

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Teaching Our Kids Real from Fake - Huffington Post