Here is a summary of the provided extract, focusing on the key insights for improving student performance, particularly through unconventional methods (such as music) and classroom culture:

- Viewing hard work as a sign of low ability is harmful; instead, effort is essential for learning and brain growth.

Mistakes followed by struggle actually lead to increased learning and future success.

- A supportive classroom community—where students help each other emotionally and cognitively—helps foster motivation and engagement.

- Teachers can encourage student ownership and motivation by allowing choices in projects and letting students pose their own questions about new topics.

- Building a fun and engaging classroom culture—one that students actively want to participate in—can improve retention and performance.

- If students are disengaged, teachers should seek personalized connections with each student to re-engage them.

- Accepting discomfort as part of the teaching and learning process can lead to more authentic and productive growth than trying to control every outcome.

- Regarding unconventional tools: Music that is familiar (such as classical or specifically Mozart) can enhance concentration because predictability reduces distraction.

The idea is that certain music genres may boost productivity.

- Using video games or emerging technologies (VR, AI) in an educational context, despite their sometimes negative reputation, can be harnessed for learning and engagement.

- The importance of teachers asking thoughtful questions and fostering true reflection helps identify areas for improvement and opens minds to deeper learning.

- Allowing students to express themselves through writing and giving them a stake in their educational journey increases their interest and success.

- Emotional states and well-being are critical for student learning; teachers must be attentive to students’ needs and emotional conditions.

Here is a summary of the provided extract, focusing on the key insights for improving student performance, particularly through unconventional methods (such as music) and classroom culture:

- Viewing hard work as a sign of low ability is harmful; instead, effort is essential for learning and brain growth.

Title:

Content: Skip to content
Neuropsych

Stanford duck syndrome: How the myth of effortless genius hurts learning

When we view hard work as a sign of low aptitude, it harms our ability to learn and grow.
Key Takeaways
  • Research shows that like a muscle, our brains really do get "stronger" through effort and hard work.
  • When people work hard to learn something new, they develop more neural connections between different brain regions.
  • Recognizing effective effort can increase motivation and help people overcome challenges, argues Mary C. Murphy in her 2024 book Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations.
Adapted from Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations by Mary C. Murphy. Published by Simon & Schuster. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

Just like a muscle, our brain gets stronger through hard work. The idea sounds catchy, but is it true? After all, our brain isn’t a muscle — it’s far more complex

Hoping to answer this question, a group of researchers placed study participants in an fMRI machine, then monitored their brain activity while they listened to two tones. Their task was to press a button to indicate whether the second tone was longer or shorter in duration than the first. In the “easy” portion of the test, the tones were more clearly differentiated, whereas in the “difficult” portion, the second tone was more like the first. As the researchers dialed up the difficulty, the participants’ brains began to light up: The more challenging the task was and the more effort it required, the more areas of the brain were recruited to help.

Not only was there more activity and connectivity among different parts of the brain during the challenging task, one of the areas that came online during the hard part was the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This part is associated with higher-level executive functions such as our working memory, ability to switch between multiple concepts, and abstract reasoning. The more we’re challenged, the more parts of the brain we call on to help us and that, in essence, increases our overall abilities to meet the goal.

Research also shows that it’s not just any effort that makes us grow new neural cells and pathways, but effort expended in the process of learning — something we call effective effort.

Scientists compared the brains of two groups of “gym rats,” which were put on different physical exercise regimens, with a control group of “cage potato” rats and a group of “acro-rats” who learned to navigate an elevated obstacle course — a task that was mentally, but not physically, challenging. Though both groups of gym rats developed a higher density of blood vessels in their brains than the cage potatoes, the acro-rats developed more synapses per nerve cell than all three other groups. When we’re working hard and learning something new, we develop more connections among different parts of our brain, and that helps us complete tasks more quickly and easily in the future.

The neural pathways we don’t use die off over time. What makes our brains hold on to these pathways — and create more — is not simply repeating the same things we’ve learned over and over again, but continually taking on difficult problems. Just like exercising our muscles or our cardiovascular system, once we’ve got something down so well that we can perform it with little effort, it may boost our ego, but it won’t boost our performance. We’ve got to keep dialing up the level of challenge.

If you’ve heard the advice that the way to keep your brain sharp is to tackle Sudoku or the New York Times crossword puzzle, those activities may serve you up to a point, but only so long as they remain challenging. Spending an afternoon with a Rubik’s cube would make my brain grow (and make me grow plenty frustrated), but not so for mathematician and data scientist Cathy O’Neil, who’s been solving them since she was 14. Neuroscientist David Eagleman says that in order to keep his brain healthy, he constantly invests in challenging activities, such as learning new software programs and wrestling with Mandarin.

Yet if multiple avenues of scientific exploration tell us that it’s only by engaging in challenging tasks that we develop and grow, why does the belief that having to apply more effort means less ability persist? What’s keeping it going?

Fueling false beliefs about effort and ability

You might be familiar with some version of the widely acknowledged “Stanford duck syndrome” — something I experienced personally in grad school. To be successful in the elite, high-pressure educational environment of Stanford, you were expected to glide gracefully across the water, though, beneath the surface, you were kicking like crazy to keep up. Hardship and struggle were expected to simply roll off your back.

In the day-to-day, undergrads, in particular, could be seen lounging around the student union or coffee shops, listening to music or socializing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. No one seemed to have to try hard to make it. By evening, they would begin to hit the books, sometimes studying alone in their rooms through the night in an effort to, well, hide their effort. The price they paid to align themselves with the cultural value of genius was a high one: Exhaustion and psychological distress were common.

Fellow researchers and I saw something similar at Cornell University. Through a series of focus groups with students, Cornell Health Counseling and Psychological Services counselors identified an unusual and disturbing trend. As is typical at many colleges and universities, companies selling a variety of dorm room posters — everything from puppies to popular bands — would come on campus to peddle their wares. During the most challenging times of the semester, such as during midterm and final exams, the most popular poster was one that was supposed to be motivational. It read, essentially, While you’re sleeping, someone else is getting ahead

One could argue that the posters simply encouraged the students to dig in and work hard. When such “motivation” links to a cultural belief system where hard work is thought to signal low ability or talent, it can fuel mental health issues.

These beliefs tend to start young. Kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers attending our summer institute often describe how difficult it is to counter children’s perceptions that if they have to try hard at something, it means they’re not good at it. The teachers, themselves, sometimes harbor these same beliefs. One of the ways we see this is when teachers take our baseline evaluation survey and they give an affirmative response to statements such as, I hate to see my students struggle; Seeing my students struggle makes me uncomfortable; and I am likely to assist right away when I notice my students struggling. However, struggle is a critical element of the learning process.

The idea of errorless learning — the perception that fewer errors on tests means better learning — leads one to assume that getting answers wrong would have a negative impact. In fact, the opposite is true; when we get a question wrong, we’re actually more likely to get it right in the future if we take the time to struggle with it afterward. Struggle enhances learning and recall.

Still, we don’t want to blindly encourage all struggle, but instead emphasize strategies that enable effective effort. It’s critical that we praise effort in the right direction. Research further clarifies that the effectiveness of what we refer to as effort praise is tied to our beliefs about effort and ability. Among students who believe that effort is an important way to increase their ability, having their effort praised boosted their views of themselves and their levels of intrinsic motivation. The stronger their belief, the bigger the boost.

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Mistakes followed by struggle actually lead to increased learning and future success.

- A supportive classroom community—where students help each other emotionally and cognitively—helps foster motivation and engagement.

Title:

Content: Emotions are vital to learning. The way students feel about themselves and about particular educational tasks influences their success. Students tend to avoid tasks they dislike and situations that make them feel incompetent. This avoidance has a spiraling effect that denies kids the opportunity for practice when they most need it. Further, it may be that some learners may not feel sufficiently secure to enable them to make mistakes; hence, they may ignore any errors they make or forget about them as quickly as possible.

Others may refuse to take the risk of responding incorrectly. In either case, the self-monitoring strategies so important to learning are impossible without adequate support. Thus, learners' feelings about themselves and their learning situations can have profound implications for subsequent success.

Classrooms that foster children's learning are places that are emotionally safe and supportive. This is a good place to start children on their success path. Children's varied individual strengths are accepted and celebrated because all members of the classroom community are seen as collaborators rather than competitors. A safe, supportive atmosphere encourages children to take risks, and learning involves risk taking. In such an environment, children know that their "mistakes" will not be seen as a cause for ridicule, but rather as evidence of their effort. Viewed as windows into how a student approaches a learning task, mistakes yield information that may be useful in helping learners redirect their attempts in more effective ways. Children in such classrooms are much more likely to try new things, to monitor their own learning and to seek and give help. They are participants in a classroom community in which all children have the emotional and cognitive support of their peers and their teacher as they learn.

In a positive, low-risk environment for learning, students thrive emotionally and cognitively when the tasks in which they are involved hold meaning for them and where they can see relationships within and across subjects. Thus, purposeful activity and integrated learning experiences foster learning that helps students develop language and literacy and use it to make connections across texts, contexts and content.

Purposeful activity helps students feel good about what they are doing and promotes learning. Learners succeed when they think they can learn, when they want to learn and when they see the purpose for learning. Language learning is embedded in a social and cultural context.

Children learn language because it has pleasant consequences: expressing oneself, enjoying a good story, understanding others and learning about the world. Learning is easier when the content is of interest and importance to the learner and when the learning tasks make sense.

We cannot merely consider the learner's cognitive needs as we attempt to improve learning models, though. Emotional responses precede conscious understanding and are essential for memory and application of learning. Consider the benefits of emotions in the digital age. As reflected in cinema, from “The Matrix” to “Blade Runner” and other popular films, emotions allow us to retain our humanity. They distinguish us from the technology we use and, more importantly, are a springboard to commitment and motivation. In other words, feeling leads to thought, which leads to action. In parallel, positive emotions can be elicited during learning in order to increase motivation. A variety of methods such as creating personal interest in a topic, instilling the confidence that it is possible to meet the objectives, eliminating comparison between learners and making connections to reality are useful for ensuring higher levels of success.

Positive emotions stimulate motivation and lead to higher achievement. Another way that emotions are linked to learning is through emotional intelligence, or EI. Understood as the ability to manage emotions and relationships, EI has a direct influence on student success.

In her article “Emotional Intelligence Is No Soft Skill,” from the Harvard Business Review, Laura Wilcox writes that when compared to IQ and technical skills, emotional intelligence makes up nearly 90 percent of what distinguishes us from others and leads to growth in an educational environment. Every time a student meets learning goals because they followed advice given by a teacher or heard encouraging words from a coach, they experience the benefits of EI. As artificial intelligence increases its presence in learning environments, the need for greater emotional intelligence must be prioritized. Understanding learning as an emotional process is not the opposite of intellect, it is not the triumph of feelings over thoughts. Rather, it creates a unique intersection for both.

Michael Strickland of Pocatello teaches at Idaho State University and Boise State University

- Teachers can encourage student ownership and motivation by allowing choices in projects and letting students pose their own questions about new topics.

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Inquiry Project Part 4 - Bayley Carder.pptx

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Inquiry Project Part 4 - Bayley Carder.pptx

  1. 1. How Can Intentional Teaching Be Applied in an Elementary Classroom? Bayley Carder
  2. 2. What intentional steps do you take to make sure your students are getting the most out of their learning? Through research, it is apparent that there are four key points to intentional teaching; 1. Thoughtful lesson planning 2. Intentional questioning 3. Developing curiosity 4. Promoting intrinsic motivation
  3. 3. Using the proper steps helps ensure that you are intentionally teaching. Lesson Planning
  4. 4. Allow your students to form their own questions over a new topic. This will spike their curiosity. Intentional Questioning
  5. 5. Giving students the opportunity to choose what works best for them, gives them the sense of autonomy, but also allows them to nourish in their own learning. Student Choice Everyone desires a choice.
  6. 6. Allowing students to find their own curiosity and make their own choices, leads them to learn through intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic Motivation
  7. 7. ● Does not add extra steps to your schedule. ● Should become a habit throughout your day. ● Gives your students ownership of their learning. Remember Intentional Teaching…
  8. 8. References Epstein, A. S. (2007). The intentional teacher: Choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Ostroff, W. L. (2016). Cultivating curiosity in K-12 classrooms: How to promote and sustain deep learning. ASCD. [Kindle Version]. Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Wynn, S. R. (2010). The Effectiveness and Relative Importance of Choice in the Classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology. 102(4), 896-915. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019545 Salmon, A. K., & Barrera, M. X. (2021). Intentional questioning to promote teaching and learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity. 40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100822
  9. 9. Images Reference Le Duc, S. (2015). Intrinsic motivation should be known like the back of your hand. https://www.flickr.com/photos/25982074@N00/22460861689 Myznik, E. (2020) Little boy chooses a drink in the vending machine. https://unsplash.com/photos/DRs9XsNlAZw VMFoliaki (2011) Lesson Planning Flow Chart. https://www.flickr.com/photos/58802138@N02/5807299569 WoodleyWonderWorks (2011) Fairness sticks: tongue depressors as math engagement tool. https://www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/6235929403

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- Building a fun and engaging classroom culture—one that students actively want to participate in—can improve retention and performance.

Title:

Content: Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Opinion

How to Get, and Keep, Your Students Engaged

By Larry Ferlazzo — March 29, 2023 14 min read
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We teachers can never get enough ways to help create the classroom conditions for students to motivate themselves.

This post kicks off a series sharing lots of ideas, and today’s contributors also participated in a ten-minute podcast we did together.

‘Build Great Relationships’

Chandra Shaw has more than 24 years of experience in education, as a teacher, reading specialist, instructional coach, and now a literacy consultant at one of her state’s regional service centers. Chandra is a TEDx speaker and amateur YouTuber:

One of the best strategies to create classroom conditions where students are more likely to motivate themselves is to build great relationships with students by making learning relevant, making them feel comfortable, showing how much you care about their learning, and teaching them what they need to know.

One way I did this was to start off the year by asking students to imagine this being the best school year they’ve ever had. I’d ask them to write down and discuss what I would need to do in order for it to be the most successful and best year for them. They’d work in groups and create a list. As they worked, I’d walk around and read through some of the things they’d written, affirming pretty much anything they’d put down by saying, “Oh yeah, I can definitely do that.” Once they’d shared their lists with the entire class, we’d make the class’ top 10 list from the things that had appeared the most on the groups’ lists.

Each year, the students’ lists would undoubtedly include things like, “You need to be nice, provide treats, not show favorites, play games, allow student use of phones in class, and teach them what they need to know to be successful.” OK. That last one is what I’d often suggest as I walked around listening to their groups, and they usually agreed it was important and added it to their lists. At any rate, once the class list was done, and I’d assured them that I would absolutely do everything they’d listed in order to make this year the best year ever, I’d then share MY list of what I needed from them!

Throughout the year, I’d point to the list and ask if I was holding up my end of the bargain. And if they weren’t holding up their end of my list, I’d point that out as well. By returning to our lists again and again, it showed that WE were in this together and all trying to make this the best year. It really seemed to motivate the students when they saw how consistent I was with doing what they needed to succeed.

Asking Questions

Irina McGrath, Ph.D., is an assistant principal at Newcomer Academy in the Jefferson County public schools in Louisville, Ky. She is a co-creator of the ELL2.0 Google site and is a co-director of the Louisville Writing Project (LWP) and a University of Louisville and Indiana University Southeast adjunct professor:

Over the years, I have discovered that certain strategies are more effective than others at getting and keeping students - especially English Language Learners - motivated to learn . One such strategy is simply giving students the opportunity to ask questions and search for answers on their own. Studies have shown the power of asking questions, and some cognitive scientists believe that they are so important that we cannot learn properly until the right one has been asked: If memory does not ask the question, it will not know where to index the answer” (Bain, 2004). By encouraging students to pose their own questions about what they are learning, teachers will be able to help fuel students’ curiosity and promote further engagement in the classroom.

A great way to stimulate question asking is the Read Aloud Response Cards strategy, which teaches students to pay attention to the metacognitive process happening in their heads while listening to a passage being read out loud. The activity involves colored cards indicating tasks for the students to perform based on the card they receive: Those with yellow cards generate questions, green document their connections, red create a summary of the passage, and purple draw images either on paper or in their minds while listening to the passage. When the passage is completed, the students are sorted based on card color and work together to discuss and compare the results of their task, and eventually representatives from each group speak to the rest of the groups about their discoveries and questions during the activity. Ultimately, once posing questions becomes a routine and students realize that they are welcomed and encouraged, ELs’ curiosity will start fueling their learning and desire to discover something interesting and new.

Another strategy that promotes conditions for students to motivate themselves is choice. Students get excited when they are provided with options for books to read, topics to study, assessments of learning, and final product. Every student is a unique learner, and by offering them a choice, we offer an opportunity to build on their interests and talents and take on a new topic in a way that brings joy to learning and gets students excited. For example, if we think about the end of the lesson reflection, there are different ways English-learners can accomplish that when they are provided with choice. Students can either list three or more things they learned that day or create three true statements and one lie about content covered in class. They can also use Vocaroo, Padlet, or any other app/platform to record a note to themselves with advice on how they might approach the lesson’s task differently. Students can even create a two-minute video or a sketch to help classmates understand the lesson’s content better.

Overall, students are more likely to be motivated to learn if given a sense of autonomy and self-derived excitement for a topic. The best ways I have found to help them have confidence and interest is to allow them to pose questions and to give them choices in their projects.

‘Opportunities for Choice’

Meg Riordan, Ph.D., is the chief learning officer at the Possible Zone, a youth-entrepreneurship and work-based learning program with a mission to advance economic equity. She has been in the field of education for almost 30 years as a middle, high school, and college teacher; researcher; leadership coach; school designer; and director for a network of schools:

While many factors influence students’ motivation and engagement, it is central to ignite connection via relationships, share and uphold expectations, uncover and tap into students’ strengths, create relevant learning experiences, and design for choice. Such strategies can unlock students’ motivation for learning that lasts a lifetime.

Prior to the pandemic, a student survey of over 3,000 schools found that motivation and engagement declines as students progress in school; while 5th graders reported their engagement level at almost 75 percent, by 10th grade, students’ engagement hovered at 33 percent. Read that again: 33 percent. Despite this stark statistic, there is hope: two items drive motivation and engagement: 1) when students “strongly agreed” that school was “asset- and strengths-based” and 2) when they affirmed that they had “at least one teacher who made them excited about the future,” they were 30 times more likely to be engaged compared with those who disagreed. Search Institute research corroborates that students are motivated and goal-oriented when they feel a sense of belonging, safety, and acceptance.

Since the pandemic, additional forces amplified students’ lack of motivation: virtual instruction, social distance from peers, economic hardships, and racial reckonings, to name a few. Given these conditions, what strategies can educators employ to create classrooms where students motivate themselves and sustain engagement? I explore ways to motivate, engage, and support learners.

1. Build relationships and seek out students’ strengths

Research shows that young people who experience strong developmental relationships demonstrate increased academic motivation, social-emotional growth and learning, and a sense of responsibility. Developmental relationships are “close connections through which young people discover who they are, cultivate abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to engage with and contribute to the world around them.” In the classroom, this might take the shape in the following ways:

  • Design opportunities for students to show who they are: Kick off the school year with a project in which students take selfies or create profile silhouettes of themselves and share words, symbols, and pictures of things that they value; teachers can connect with and build from students’ assets. Throughout the year, educators can provide opportunities for two-minute interviews in which students speak on a topic they’re passionate about (e.g: the worst pizza in town or why Serena Williams is the best athlete ever); knowing who our students are and seeing their strengths is a powerful driver to build relationships and spark motivation.
  • Provide clear expectations, ask what students expect from you, and strive to uphold and meet expectations: When educators are clear about expectations and invite students to share their needs, the relationship becomes bidirectional and is more likely to offer space to express care and challenge growth, both key aspects of developmental relationships. School designs like EL Education promote co-creation of norms and ongoing opportunities for students and educators to revisit and reflect on owning and meeting shared expectations; this cultivates an environment where voices and actions are valued.

2. Create relevant learning and opportunities for choice

Students experience motivation and engagement when educators help them get excited about the future. To see oneself in the future, it’s important to activate students’ self-concept and create opportunities to develop self-efficacy and agency. Consider these ideas:

  • Create authentic projects for real audiences: Research shows that when students actively pose questions and problem-solve real issues, conduct fieldwork, talk with experts, and produce meaningful work with impact beyond the classroom, not only does engagement soar but so does achievement. While educators may feel constrained by standards, consider small and larger steps to integrate relevant projects. This might include integrating interviews into a unit or, go big, like The Possible Zone, which engages young people in consultancies with local industry partners to solve authentic challenges and present solutions. Schools like High Tech High offer models of projects for inspiration.
  • Embed options throughout students’ learning experiences: Student choice and autonomy develop agency, building decisionmaking skills for careers and lives. In the classroom, this might include entry points such as choosing where to sit, “how” to learn (e.g.: reading, listening to podcasts, interviewing an expert), or choice of topics (e.g.: demonstrating research and synthesizing skills via a topic determined by student interest). When designing—or co-designing—learning environments with students, educators should ask: Where can I offer productive choices? When determining where to sit, for example, a teacher might suggest, “Choose a seat where you’ll be most engaged,” or “Sit where you’re comfortable.” Students can revisit choices and reflect on their predictions.

Classroom Culture

Andrew Sharos is a teacher, administrator, speaker, and author in Chicago. He wrote the Amazon-best-selling book All 4s and 5s, which has become the road map to instructional methods and culture building for gifted and talented teachers. He also co-authored Finding Lifelines, a book for new teachers and their mentors:

Motivation for students really comes back to classroom culture. We hope to create a classroom culture that is so fun, engaging, and magnetic that students actually WANT to be in school. Teachers who engage students are ones who create a unique and different experience for the students every day.

In terms of concrete strategies, I like to have students learn outside the classroom in the halls, courtyard, on the grass, or in the auditorium. The walls of a classroom have limitations, and mixing it up in different spaces keeps the students on their toes.

I enjoy having a theme every day, like Weekend Monday, Positive Tuesday, Thankfulness Wednesday, Joke Thursday, and Cookie Friday. It might waste a few minutes at the beginning of every class, but it is time well wasted if the students are more engaged after we engage in some playful dialogue at the beginning of class. These are hallmarks of the class and moments students enjoy.

When students are not engaged, the teacher has to find ONE thing that connects the student and the teacher. The teacher could, and maybe even should be the reason why the student wants to come to school. This can only be made possible when there is a relationship built on love and trust.

Sometimes, this takes time. One student of mine was impossibly difficult to connect with, or so I thought. I recited a movie line from “Ace Ventura” one day, and she was the only person in the class who “got it.” From that moment on, we connected. We have to keep chipping away at the less motivated. The students don’t have to love the content and skills we are teaching, they just have to feel connected to us to be motivated to learn.

This is the first post in a multipart series.

The question of the week is:

What strategies have you used to create classroom conditions where students were more likely to motivate themselves, including those who didn’t initially seem very engaged?

Chandra Shaw, Irina McGrath, Meg Riordan, and Andrew Sharos kicked off this series today.

Chandra, Irina, Meg, and Andrew were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Thanks to Chandra, Irina, Meg, and Andrew for contributing their thoughts!

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@educationweek.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email (The RSS feed for this blog, and for all EdWeek articles, has been changed by the new redesign—new ones are not yet available). And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 11 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below.

I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column.

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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- If students are disengaged, teachers should seek personalized connections with each student to re-engage them.

- Accepting discomfort as part of the teaching and learning process can lead to more authentic and productive growth than trying to control every outcome.

- Regarding unconventional tools: Music that is familiar (such as classical or specifically Mozart) can enhance concentration because predictability reduces distraction.

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Inicio » English » Inspiration » The Sound of Success: Ideas in Music for Concentration and Productivity

The Sound of Success: Ideas in Music for Concentration and Productivity

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Does music help you concentrate? Since we spend a lot of time in front of computers trying to finish our work, wouldn’t it be nice to listen to some of music to help concentrate? Well, music lovers, it seems like Mozart and Beethoven could actually help you with your productivity. Beethoven once said: «Music is where the spirit lives, thinks and invents.»

This relationship between music and the brain is an area that has been intensively explored in research. Many studies point to the ability of music to help employees be more productive and help children in their learning process more effectively. University research in France found that students who listened to music for an hour while reading, scored significantly higher on a questionnaire compared to a group of students who read without music.

Your attention span is better when listening to music

It seems that music for concentration puts students in a heightened emotional state, so that they can be more receptive to information. «It is possible that music causes a change in the learning environment and influenced students’ motivation to stay focused while reading, which led to better performance on a multiple-choice questionnaire,» concluded the french research team in a recent article.

But before you start playing any type, you have to find the music that works better for the type of work you are trying to carry do. For example, the classic from the Baroque period is said to do wonders for brain activity when you are studying or writing. But not all classical music is created equal, so dramatic changes and complicated fugue changes may not be as conducive as a smooth piano piece. So if you have to choose a composer, we would say Mozart. There seems to be evidence that Mozart’s improves mental performance: it is called «The Mozart Effect”.

Build a harmonious space

If you don’t like classical, the discreet sound found in ambient music may work well for you instead. What is the purpose of this if you are not at the airport, you ask? Well, for creative purposes, it’s better than emptiness and silence. According to one of its pioneers, musician Brian Eno: “Background music must be able to accommodate many levels of attention when listening, without forcing one in particular. It must be as ignorable as it is interesting ”.

In fact, researchers have shown that a moderate level of noise, such as that found in the environment, can actually get creative juices flowing. Music with especially low-lows or especially high-highs should be avoided. Certain types of jazz instrumental melodies can also get your brain working.

Music without lyrics

In general, if you are doing work that requires writing, you should avoid listening to music with lyrics as the words in a song are especially destructive to your concentration. Since hearing words activates the brain’s language center, attempting to perform tasks related to another language would be like trying to have a conversation while someone else is speaking to you. But, if you are a cartoonist, and you don’t deal with sentence construction, hearing letters may not have the same effect.

Finally, studies show that listening to music you’re already familiar with may be better if you really need to focus. New songs take you into the unknown and your brain will want to listen closely to see what comes next. With the music you are familiar with you know what to expect, so it doesn’t distract you from your work. And if you like the tune you’re listening to try not to whistle it while you work, as that will only distract you.

The post The Sound of Success: Ideas in Music for Concentration and Productivity appeared first on Mundo Hispanico

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The idea is that certain music genres may boost productivity.

- Using video games or emerging technologies (VR, AI) in an educational context, despite their sometimes negative reputation, can be harnessed for learning and engagement.

Title:

Content: VR, AI distrupting how a child learns

x
Highlights

Having been through the assembly line approach in education, ourselves, and having experienced unprecedented uncertainties recently, I feel we are all aware that school education needs to undergo a paradigm shift.

Having been through the assembly line approach in education, ourselves, and having experienced unprecedented uncertainties recently, I feel we are all aware that school education needs to undergo a paradigm shift. One major change needed is the incorporation of 21st-century skills and mind-sets. These skills not only include robotics and programming, but also include design thinking, problem-solving, understanding automation, and several others.

While many believe AI and ML should be taught in school as a subject, I personally feel they should be used as a tool to customise each child's learning journey, helping each child to play up his/her strengths, and bridge gaps. Likewise, the use of modern technology like AR and VR should also be mandated to make learning more experiential.

Here is a use case

A child in Kindergarten faces issues in recognising and building patterns. This is tracked using various Montessori games introduced by the teacher in class. The AI attached to the class camera monitors each child's progress with each activity and sends prompts to the teacher to recommend the next level activities to children who are proficient, while recommending gap activities to those struggling with pattern recognition, to ascertain how deep their learning gap is. Strengthening activities and resources are deployed upon children who need to bridge that gap so that they don't struggle with fractions and long division in grade 4.

AI could pave the academic requirement towards customising education for every child, while AR and VR could actually make activities conducted in school, far more interesting and engaging.

VR & AI in education

Imagine, reading about Antarctica, and then watching penguins plunge into the Ocean, navigating icebergs, giving you a complete idea of what the ecology in and around Antarctica is like. One experience that many of us wouldn't ever get to experience in our lifetimes.

They say, when a child reads, he comprehends, when he sees, he remembers, when he interacts he comprehends, enjoys, and remembers. VR brings that experience at your doorstep that cannot be achieved in reality. It offers not just Visual Impact, if paired with AI, it offers customised outcomes that can blow every child's mind.

This is not just about learning, but about learning with context and experience associated with it. If these techniques are adopted wisely, schools wouldn't be just temples of learning and infact would act like simulators - offering a reality like environment.

This would allow children to view facts from a different perspective and would provide stimuli to further their imagination and propel innovation.

Expanded teaching possibilities

Incorporating VR & AI into education not only benefits the students but also helps teachers provide and plan better resources for their class. Although when it comes to the educational industry, virtual incorporation is only at its initial stages and still it has already shown signs of massive improvement in kids who are a part of this futuristic educational curriculum.

Furthermore, this concept eliminates the geographical barriers of education and enables students to access global learning opportunities. In many ways, the introduction of Virtual Reality and Artificial intelligence is disrupting the way kids are learning and preparing them for a world of innovation.

Increased interactivity, engagement and innovation

Students today lack the attention span required to sit through books and traditional teaching. This further decreases their engagement and interaction in class. VR adds a touch of interactive reality to the otherwise monotonous learning experience that helps amp up curiosity within the child.

For example, learning about geography, land planes and soils may get boring when it is done with just words in the textbooks. But, what if the student gets to experience this with VR handsets that help them be in a particular geography (virtually of course). This will help the child understand the concepts much better and also help retain this knowledge for a long time. Institutions thus need to adopt innovative techniques in education.

Additionally, this experience also aligns with the New Education Policy and motivates kids to find independent solutions to what they witness thus empowering a sense of leadership and innovation that prepares them for the 21st Century skills.

Inclusivity

One of the most exciting aspects of VR and AI is inclusivity for all. Every child is capable to change the world and no disability should stop them from getting the opportunity to do so. With the help of technology, schools and teachers are able to create an inclusive environment where students with disabilities are also able to be a part of regular classes and grow in a more supportive environment.

For example, there are gloves that are designed to enable communication via sign language in a VR environment and translate into human speech. Also, there is various text-to-speech software that is being designed, to scan and read product labels, books, signage, and more.

Today, even children are using knowledge gained via robotics, to design sensor-based walking sticks and other innovative gadgets for the differently abled. Such inclusivity and focus on empathy is enabling even children to innovate and bring everyone to the same learning level.

Enhanced learning for all

Both Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence thus offer numerous exciting opportunities for an experiential education system that focuses on program solving and developing 21st-century skills. Incorporating such immersive technologies would be instrumental in overcoming key challenges that the education sector faces, and would immensely help in developing experiential learning with value-driven lessons.

It is through these innovations, that kids will be future-ready and be able to go bullish in a world powered by innovation and evolution.

(The author is the CEO& Co-Founder, STEM Metaverse)

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- The importance of teachers asking thoughtful questions and fostering true reflection helps identify areas for improvement and opens minds to deeper learning.

Title:

Content: Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Opinion

How to Enhance the Craft of Teaching

By Larry Ferlazzo — February 22, 2023 13 min read
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(This is the third post in a seven-part series. You can see Part One here and Part Two here.)

The new question of the week is:

What do you think are the best one-to-three things a teacher can do to improve his/her/their craft?

Carissa McCray, Ph.D., Latrese D. Younger, Kayla Towner, and Verónica Schmidt-Gómez, M.Ed., started this series in Part One.

Carissa, Latresee, and Kayla were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

In Part Two, Aisha Christa Atkinson, M.S., Angela M. Ward, Ph.D., Meghann Seril, and Altagracia H. Delgado contributed their suggestions.

Today, Ron Berger, Nancy Frey, Ph.D., Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., and Mary K. Tedrow continue the discussion.

‘Questions and Responses’

Ron Berger has over 45 years of experience in education, 28 of those as a public school teacher. He is the author of a collection of books on education including Management in the Active Classroom and Leaders of Their Own Learning. He leads EL Education’s vision for teaching and learning:

This is a challenging question. To list a hundred things would be easy; to narrow it to one or two is daunting. One challenge: Which dimension of our teaching craft? Relationships—ensuring that all students are cared for, valued, and inspired? Inspiration—building classroom communities that bring out the best in students? Planning and Instruction—designing and leading learning experiences that are challenging and meaningful? Assessment—building student agency and ownership for growth? And what format for improving our craft? Peer observations? Professional learning communities? Working with a coach?

But the charge here is to be focused and specific, so I will choose one topic: Questions and responses. I am amazed by the power of great teachers to use questions artfully and respond to student answers in ways that open minds and doors. Our craft will profoundly improve if we can all get better at this.

When I observe lessons, most teacher questions are low-level recall questions, regardless of whether it is in a kindergarten or high school classroom (e.g., “The next step in the process is …?”, “And who discovered that?” “We call that a …”). We often don’t even realize this is the case unless we watch ourselves on video with this specific focus. It is a habit we learn as students and repeat as teachers.

But sometimes, I observe classrooms where teachers regularly push students’ thinking and open minds with their questions. They compel students to reflect on their thinking, explain it to each other, and question one another: “You have an interesting hypothesis. Can you explain it to us?” “What evidence would you point to for that?” “It sounds like you disagree with Jalen. Jalen, how would you defend your idea given this argument?” “Katelyn, I don’t think I understand your solution. Can you explain the mathematical steps you took to get there?” Questions like these empower students to own, reflect on, and defend their thinking and then debate it with their peers.

Equally important to how we as teachers ask students questions is how we respond to student questions. We often wait for the “right answer” to appear, and when it does, our faces light up, and we confirm that it is correct. Students know this game; many are passive and wait for a peer to respond. No sense in wasting time thinking or risking being wrong. They attend to the teacher’s words and face to affirm that they don’t have to think—they are off the hook.

But everything changes if the teacher gives a neutral response—an intrigued face that does not telegraph right or wrong: “Fascinating, Susana. Explain why you feel that’s right.” Students will immediately look at the teacher to read her face. They need to know: fascinating as in “correct” or fascinating as in “wrong”? Which is it? If the teacher can keep a neutral face, students have to actually stop, listen, and think. Do they agree with Susana or not? They may have to choose a side. They have to think and understand, and everyone is engaged. A neutral stance can change everything.

I worked with a sparkly-eyed teacher, John Reid, who showed his students strange and puzzling geological scenes in the field or through slides—rocks, rivers, landscapes. He asked them to describe in detail what they saw and explain the story of how they thought those scenes came to be. Every time a student came up with a hypothesis, he asked a series of probing questions, drawing out their thinking and simultaneously teaching concepts via the questions themselves. And then, he named that hypothesis after that student and recruited a different idea from another student. The students couldn’t wait to discover who was right and why, but John was inscrutable. He was excited and amused equally by all the ideas. Sometimes, he even ended a class without closure, and students eagerly rushed to research which hypothesis made the most sense.

This advice also applies to drawing out questions from students. I love visiting classrooms where the walls are covered with student questions that drive learning—anchor charts of “100 questions we have about our classroom snails”; “Questions we have about whose story is not told in our history book”; “Questions we have about the universe.”

Recently, I met with middle school teachers who were implementing “Crew” (EL Education’s name for a daily advisory-meeting structure and school culture that focuses on personal and academic wellness). An excited teacher shared a strategy she used: “I gave my Crew index cards, and they anonymously wrote questions about topics they hoped we could discuss. Their questions dealt with things like mental health, race, gender identity, body image, parents, social media, love, death, bullying. … It was eye-opening. Our conversations have been remarkable, and they really matter to my Crew.” Empowering students through recruiting, respecting, and giving time for their deeper questions can transform classroom culture.

Focusing on questions and responses may seem like a small part of our craft, but doing it well can fundamentally improve learning and life.

‘Professional Generosity’

Nancy Frey, Ph.D., is a professor in educational leadership at San Diego State and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Her published titles include Visible Learning in Literacy, This Is Balanced Literacy, Removing Labels, and Rebound.

Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., is a professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High. He has published numerous articles on teaching and learning as well as books such as The Teacher Clarity Playbook, PLC+, Visible Learning for Literacy, Comprehension: The Skill, Will, and Thrill of Reading, How Tutoring Works, and most recently, How Learning Works:

Educators are knowledge workers, and the currency of our profession is the knowledge we possess. An educated society enjoys more robust economic growth and better health outcomes. Our investment in educators is long-lasting and extends far beyond the schooling years. As educators who are members of our communities, we owe it to ourselves to invest in our own professional knowledge. But to do so requires that we invest in ourselves with intention and don’t leave it to chance. Here are three practices to ensure that we continuously build our knowledge and skills.

Set annual knowledge goals and develop an action plan to attain them. The notion that experience equals skill has a shelf life—while skill development increases rapidly during the early years in the profession, it levels off after five years. A teacher with 17 years of experience isn’t likely to be more skilled than one with seven years under their belt. The difference, however, is knowledge. Teachers who pursue advanced degrees, attain national-board certification, and seek new opportunities to enhance their skills continue to invest in themselves. Take an annual inventory of your own skills and performance. Identify areas where growth occurred as well as where knowledge gaps persist. It can be helpful to meet with a trusted colleague to identify these areas. Once you’re done so, develop an action plan to address your next steps for growth.

Spend time in colleagues’ classrooms and invite them into yours. There’s a real danger in isolating oneself in a single classroom. And there is so much to learn from collegial observations of teaching. In fact, this should be a central feature of professional learning communities. Capacity-building learning walks are not evaluative observations but rather are short, scheduled 10-minute visits through a succession of classrooms. Members of a 3rd grade team may arrange with their 4th grade colleagues to walk classrooms to gain knowledge about expectations for their students next year. Geometry teachers might conduct a learning walk of the classrooms of their Algebra 1 colleagues to gain a better sense of how mathematical thinking is manifested. Schools that regularly conduct teacher-led learning walks enjoy higher degrees of relational supports among teachers as well as an increased collective responsibility for student learning across the building. Importantly, learning walks are a catalyst for the spread of effective instructional practices.

Get involved with school and district organizations and committees. You possess the ability to positively impact the professional lives of teachers through your advocacy and leadership. Your voice is an essential one for obtaining resources, building student learning, and fostering family empowerment. In the meantime, the learning you gain from such experiences is immeasurable as you interact with others on shared goals. The next time you are approached to join a committee, resist the urge to catalog why you can’t and, instead, consider how you might. Your time is precious, to be sure, but must include opportunities to interact with adults to discuss what is central to your professional life—continuous learning.

If you have detected a common thread of professional generosity, you’re right. Doing so means that you are generous to yourself in focusing on what your learning needs are. In addition, it extends to the supportive relational conditions needed for schools to be learning, not just teaching, organizations. And it is further evidenced in an intention to be a part of our institutions’ need to address inequities and gaps. We are knowledge workers—how will you invest in your knowledge this school year?

Annual Goals

Mary K. Tedrow, NBCT, taught in the high school English classroom beginning in 1978, ending her K-12 career as the Porterfield Endowed English Chair at John Handley High School in 2016. She currently teaches and directs the Shenandoah Valley Writing Project at Shenandoah University in Winchester Va. Tedrow is also a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and the author of Write, Think, Learn: Tapping the Power of Daily Student Writing Across Content Areas:

I have benefited from including the following habits into my own teaching practice. Not only have they changed practices, they keep me engaged and growing in my chosen career.

  • Set an annual goal on an aspect of teaching for improvement. I accept this challenge each year and have added the following to my repertoire: How to lead a better whole-class discussion. This led to Socratic Seminars and then to the Harkness discussion model. How to use writing as a tool for learning in the English classroom. This was an ongoing challenge to embed writing to learn language arts concepts. How to build collaboration into class and still meet curricular goals. This challenge forced me to think about student-centered learning and to shift the responsibility for learning over to students. All of these questions arose out of a true reflection on what needed improvement.
  • Take your goals and questions to your professional community. That community could be the other teachers in your building (our resident expert let me sit in on one of her seminars and shared handouts and guidelines), online communities (I learned about Harkness discussions on an Advanced Placement discussion board), or professional books. My favorite professional books are written by teachers who have walked the talk like Nancy Atwell, Kelly Gallagher, and Penny Kittle.
  • Don’t forget to ask the students! If students know your question is an honest overture for input, they will provide valuable feedback. When I am stumped in resolving a problem, I ask students for suggestions. Some of the best changes made came directly from student feedback. In fact, I trusted them so much that the students annually revised our Staff Manual for the Journalism lab. We relied on these guidelines for producing the paper.

Thanks to Ron, Nancy, Douglas, and Mary for contributing their thoughts!

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@educationweek.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email (The RSS feed for this blog, and for all EdWeek articles, has been changed by the new redesign—new ones are not yet available). And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 11 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below.

I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column.

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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- Allowing students to express themselves through writing and giving them a stake in their educational journey increases their interest and success.

- Emotional states and well-being are critical for student learning; teachers must be attentive to students’ needs and emotional conditions.


Here are the key nuggets of information about the importance and spiritual significance of cats in ancient Egyptian culture drawn from your extracts and summarized to around 2000 characters:

**Cats in Ancient Egyptian Culture:**

- **Deep Reverence and Spiritual Roles:** Cats held a uniquely sacred place in ancient Egypt, regarded as mystical animals with strong spiritual and cultural significance.

They were associated with protection, grace, and divine qualities, believed to embody powerful spiritual forces.

- **Deities and Symbolism:** The most prominent cat-associated deity was Bastet (or Bast), a goddess depicted with a lioness’s head or as a domestic cat, who symbolized home, fertility, protection, and motherhood.

Cats were regarded as her earthly manifestations, and thus families kept them as protectors against evil spirits and misfortune.

- **Role in Daily Life:** Egyptians valued cats for their ability to control pests like rats and snakes, protecting food stores and homes.

This practical role enhanced their status in everyday life, weaving them intimately into the fabric of Egyptian households.

- **Rituals and Mourning Practices:** When a family cat died, the household would enter a period of mourning that often included shaving their eyebrows—a dramatic and visible sign of grief and respect.

This act signified the deep bond shared with the cat and indicated the seriousness of the loss, resembling mourning for a human loved one.

- **Mummification and Burial:** Cats were sometimes mummified and buried with great ceremony, either as beloved pets or as votive offerings to the gods.

Cat cemeteries have been discovered, filled with carefully preserved feline remains, indicating their vital religious and emotional role.

- **Legal Protection:** Harming or killing a cat, even accidentally, was seen as a grave offense, sometimes punishable by death.

This strict protection underscores the almost sacred inviolability attributed to cats.

Here are the key nuggets of information about the importance and spiritual significance of cats in ancient Egyptian culture drawn from your extracts and summarized to around 2000 characters:

**Cats in Ancient Egyptian Culture:**

- **Deep Reverence and Spiritual Roles:** Cats held a uniquely sacred place in ancient Egypt, regarded as mystical animals with strong spiritual and cultural significance.

Title:

Content: Home » Celebrating our fellow felines

Celebrating our fellow felines

by admin

Every August 8, animal lovers around the world come together to celebrate International Cat Day, a day dedicated to honoring and recognizing the presence and special role that cats have in our lives, this holiday has become an opportunity to highlight the importance of caring for and respecting our feline friends, as well as to raise awareness of the need to protect and preserve their well-being.

The role of the Cat in the History of Culture

Cats have played a significant role in various cultures and historical moments. From ancient Egypt, where they were considered symbols of divinity and associated with the goddess Bastet, to medieval Europe, where they were considered guardians of homes and farms due to their ability to keep rodent populations in check, cats have been around. present in human life in different ways.

In the Middle Ages, however, cats also faced hard times when they were linked with superstition and witchcraft, leading to persecution and slaughter. Fortunately, over time, the relationship between humans and cats has evolved towards a more harmonious and beneficial coexistence for both parties.

Education and care of cats

Photo: Pet City

Training a cat requires patience, understanding and knowledge. Here are some key tips to ensure your cat thrives happy and healthy.

Provide a suitable environment, make sure your home is safe and comfortable for your cat. Provide places for him to rest and hide, as well as toys and environmental enrichment to stimulate his mind.

Food and hydration, offers a balanced diet appropriate to the needs of your cat. It often provides fresh, clean water.

See also  The Democratic Party of Korea, taking to the streets, "condemns the marine discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima" [뉴시스Pic] :: Sympathy Press Newsis News Agency ::

Litter box, keep a clean and accessible litter box so your cat can eliminate. Clean the box regularly to avoid health problems and bad smells.

Health problems and bad odors. Socialization and Play Interact and play with your cat daily to keep him physically and mentally active. Play with toys and interaction with other animals can be beneficial

Veterinary Care Schedule regular visits to the vet to make sure your cat is up to date on vaccinations and health checks. This is essential to prevent and detect any medical problem in time.

Hygiene, brush your cat’s coat to keep it clean and reduce the formation of hairballs. Also, take care of their oral health by brushing their teeth or providing dental treats.

Respect and love, each cat has its own personality and needs. He respects his space and his quiet times, and show him love and affection according to his preferences.

fun facts about cats

Courtesy Week The sense of smell, although we don’t talk so much about their sense of smell as about their vision and hearing, cats have a highly developed sense of smell. They use their nose to explore and recognize the world around them. They are amazing, they are excellent jumpers and can jump up to six times their length in a single jump. This is partly due to the unique structure of their hind legs, which gives them great power and flexibility. Mysterious purr, cats are believed to purr not only when they are happy, but also when they are sick or injured. Purring could have healing properties and help in the regeneration of bones and tissues. Cats in space, the first cat to travel to space was named Felicette, also known as ‘Felix’. She was launched by the French Space Agency in 1963 and returned safely. Tail Communication Cats use their tails to communicate. A pricked tail usually indicates confidence and happiness, while a wagging tail could mean the cat is excited or agitated. Born hunters, domestic cats retain their hunting instincts. They can hunt insects, mice and other small animals, which is also a form of exercise and mental stimulation. Exceptional night vision, cats have cells in their eyes called rods, which allow them to see in low light conditions. Their night vision is up to six times better than that of humans.

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They were associated with protection, grace, and divine qualities, believed to embody powerful spiritual forces.

Title:

Content: Archaeologists find the body of a child with 142 dogs

The body of a child and 142 dogs, dated from 1st century BCE to the 1st century AD, has been found in Egypt.

A mummy is seen inside the newly discovered burial site in Minya, Egypt May 13, 2017
(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY)

Archaeologists from the Center for Egyptological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences have discovered the body of an eight-year-old child and 142 dogs buried together in Egypt.

The discovery, made near Cairo, was dated to between the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE. During this time, the Romans assumed control over Egypt.

Dogs in ancient Egypt

The dogs, 87% of which were puppies, are thought to have died as a result of flooding. The Archaeologists were able to assess that they died simultaneously, with no violence involved. They also found blue clay on the dogs, which was found in reservoirs during that period, supporting the theory that the dogs had drowned.

Despite ancient Egyptians worshipping numerous animals, dogs were not generally believed to be sacred. They were used as pets and for labor. However, some dogs were mummified and buried with their owners. The ancient Egyptians believed that the dog-headed gods Anubis and Upuat were with the souls of the dead in the afterlife. Some dogs were sacrificed to play the role of an amulet in a burial.

The only case to which similarities can be drawn, is the discovery of a child's body with 12 dogs in a cemetery in Hierakonpolis.

Egyptian mummy. (credit: CREATIVE COMMONS)

It is unknown why the boy was buried there. The current theory is that the boy died while caring for the dogs and was buried with them.

Children in ancient Egypt

It is unlikely that the boy and his dogs were executed. According to Egypt Today, children in ancient Egypt were treated well with access to education and were forbidden to learn a trade.

Adding to the mystery, the boy was found with a linen bag over his head. The only other time a body was found with a linen bag covering the head, the person had been executed by an arrow.

The average life span in ancient Egypt, according to the American Society of Research Overseas, is 22.5-25 years for men and 35-37 years for women.

- **Deities and Symbolism:** The most prominent cat-associated deity was Bastet (or Bast), a goddess depicted with a lioness’s head or as a domestic cat, who symbolized home, fertility, protection, and motherhood.

Cats were regarded as her earthly manifestations, and thus families kept them as protectors against evil spirits and misfortune.

Title:

Content: How Black Cats Became a Symbol of Bad Luck

Famous cat daddy Jackson Galaxy looks into the galvanizing history of black cats, particularly how they became enduring symbols of bad luck and superstition.

It’s true – black cats have been truly vilified throughout our history, from mythology to being burned at the stake as witches to… well every superstition you can think of.

Galaxy recounts how these beautiful cats got such a bad rap. The famous “Halloween Cat” pose, their association with witchcraft, and how the particularly zealous Pope Gregory IV eradicated Europe of all cats.

I gotta say if you gotta blame the demonization the official demonization of cats and especially black cats in the world starting in Europe it would be Pope Gregory IX. Thanks Pope Gregory IX, because in 1233 …he basically called out witches as worshiping a devil that was this shadowy half-man half cat I mean that basically made cats “cattis non-gratis”, especially in Europe.

Sadly, the bubonic plague spread freely across Europe as there were no cats to keep the rat population down.

By the 1300s it’s theorized anyway, that cat numbers were depleted so badly … that allowed the Bubonic Plague to just flourish. …The the more this went on the worse the rap was that black cats had on them.

The demonization got worse with the Salem witch trials and the propagation of superstition throughout history.

There is worshiping and there is vilifying and burning at the stake and all stops in between and that’s what the black cat has represented through time. …The Halloween cat and how badly misinterpreted that body position is. It is a surviving damning vision of the black cat especially when we associate during Halloween a witch and a black cat …These are vestiges of discrimination and wholesale slaughter of an innocent animal.

That being said, black cats are wonderful, sweet animals who, sadly, have a harder time getting adopted.

We gotta spread the word you guys black cats are good luck black cats are righteous … spread the word adopt a black cat today. Foster a black cat today.

- **Role in Daily Life:** Egyptians valued cats for their ability to control pests like rats and snakes, protecting food stores and homes.

This practical role enhanced their status in everyday life, weaving them intimately into the fabric of Egyptian households.

- **Rituals and Mourning Practices:** When a family cat died, the household would enter a period of mourning that often included shaving their eyebrows—a dramatic and visible sign of grief and respect.

This act signified the deep bond shared with the cat and indicated the seriousness of the loss, resembling mourning for a human loved one.

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Tuesday August 08, 2023

Do this to make your kitties happy on International Cat Day

To have happy International Cat Day, you need to have a happy cat and here's how you can make your them happy

By Web Desk
August 08, 2023

Cats are one of the most preferred pets across the globe and there is no denying that fact, given their cute yet whimsical traits and the fact that there is a whole day — August 8 — designated to celebrate cats around the world.

Indeed, International Cat Day exists and is celebrated worldwide, honouring all cats and kittens who teach us to cherish little moments in life and the art of finding happiness in the most ordinary things.

From the ancient Egyptians' adoration of these enigmatic creatures to viral internet videos, cats have held a special place in human history and hearts.

Take the time to reflect on ways to make your little furry friend happy on this special day with the help of the following list of ways suggested by a vet, according to the Animal Hospital of Richboro in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Apparently, health is happiness

You need to prioritise your little furry friend's health if you want them to stay happier and you can do that by providing them with good food and opportunities to get some fresh air.

However, while many cats like outdoor activities, like leaving pawprints on windshields and refusing to come when called, it will be both safer and healthier to stay in.

One of the things that positively affect a cat's health and mood is a clean litterbox. Try asking your vet for tips on caring for your feline friend and it is always better to learn more about cats.

Moreover, remember to regularly visit the vet to make sure your furry baby is in top health.

Keep them entertained with toys or yourself

As they have a natural instinct to pounce or jump on things as they are hunters by nature and it is one of the many things that makes them happy.

Find plenty of fun and easy-to-play toys that your cats can push under the couch or jump at instead of jumping at you. Additionally, toys that also allow you to play with your feline friend are a great way to enhance your bond with them.

Although toys are great, you are by far your cat's favourite form of entertainment and must take a few minutes a day to play with your furry buddy.

Comfy beds and luxuries

The love for comfy beds and luxuries is one of the few things that cats have in common with humans.

Cats are definitely drowsy little furballs so give them a selection of cosy sleeping accommodations for their 32 daily naps.

In addition, providing simple luxuries such as small touches that help them stay content, offering them a comfy window seat to watch birds and squirrels, scratching posts, cat furniture, and regular grooming sessions can help you win feline overlords' hearts.

Things To Investigate

Some of the most viral cat videos that have generated a craze among netizens are the ones where cats are busy investigating something to satisfy their curiosity. While it is an activity that cats love, it amuses their pet parents as well.

If you want to feel happy with your kitten or cat give them things that make them curious which is almost everything. However, it would be better to give them things like cardboard boxes, newspaper tunnels, pet tents, and paper bags.

Attention

All things aside, the best way to make your furry friend happy is by giving them your attention because you are the person they feel the most safe with.

Talk to them and it does not matter if they do not understand you. You paying attention to your pet and throwing a few cuddles in it will ultimately enhance their mood, especially on International Cat Day!

- **Mummification and Burial:** Cats were sometimes mummified and buried with great ceremony, either as beloved pets or as votive offerings to the gods.

Cat cemeteries have been discovered, filled with carefully preserved feline remains, indicating their vital religious and emotional role.

- **Legal Protection:** Harming or killing a cat, even accidentally, was seen as a grave offense, sometimes punishable by death.

This strict protection underscores the almost sacred inviolability attributed to cats.