January 2017 STEM Anchor Skills (1-8) - "Digital Literacy"

In my monthly STEM Anchor Skills Series, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions submitted. To join the newsletter and submit questions, please email me at jgabriella.played@gmail.com.

Digital Literacy

Language learning is tough work. Though I had studied Japanese for many years before moving here, I struggled in my first job. Sometimes I had difficulty understanding my colleagues. More frustrating was my frequent inability to respond effectively to their questions in Japanese. However, nothing was more difficult than learning to read and write. Because Japanese use logographs called kanji borrowed from the Chinese writing system instead of an alphabet, I first had to memorize well over a thousand symbols. Like Japanese elementary school students, I spent hours writing the characters and memorizing the correct stroke orders. I also had to learn Japanese grammar and sentence patterns, which differ considerably from English. Then, I had to learn the process for typing on the computer.

In doing so, I realized that though learning to read and write English was not as frustrating, the process was lengthy and effortful. Like most middle-aged Americans, I learned to print, then write cursive. I proceeded through a series of graded readers, took spelling and vocabulary tests in elementary school. In junior high school, I remember studying literature, and in senior high school, learning how to write essays and drilling English grammar.

Learning to program is a similar process. To effectively train students for careers, schools need comprehensive computer literacy programs. Until they are implemented, parents will have to fill the void. Some suggestions for doing so follow:

1.      Digital natives reared in a world of pc’s, tablets, smart phones and a plethora of other technologies, most children are comfortable using technology. However, if they are not, parents should begin orienting them to devices like smart phones and laptops, showing them how they work. Having elementary students use an online calculator to check homework or conduct searches of topics that interest provide a fun means of introducing them to the digital world

2.      Parents can also show their children how to use common word processing and computational software like MS Word and MS Excel or their Apple equivalents. Similarly, parents can introduce their children to Google and other search engines in addition to teaching them how to use email and social media.

3.      Children can begin to experiment with programming in playful ways using programs including those provided by coder.org, Code Monster, MIT’s Scratch, and Khan Academy, which also offers a range of lessons on topics as varied as algebra, computer science, finance, physics, and medicine.

4.      By the time children are in junior high school, the should learn to code in HTML, used to create web pages, and later, Java Script. Python is another user-friendly language. R, used in statistical analysis, is also an option, especially for those who enjoy mathematics.

5.      As a milestone goal, you children should aim for intermediate-level proficiency in at least one language like Python or Java by the time they complete high school. If they have not already done so, children should join online groups of coders learning the same language to share programs and obtain needed help.

6.      If you do not have programming skills yourself, you might consider hiring a tutor. To learn c language, I hired a Chinese Ph.D. student at the local university. She was as delighted to earn the extra pocket money as I was to receive her able, patient, affordable assistance.

Learning computer languages is arduous work, but like English, they are spoken the world over. Investing in learning them will yield dividends for your children serving them a lifetime. Many of us will learn some useful skills in the process ourselves.

Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA

Founder and CEO, Play-Ed Corporation

Author Profile

Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

STEM Lessons

For a nominal monthly fee, students may enroll in virtual STEM lessons that either I or one of my trained staff will facilitate.

Each week, I will provide one STEM challenge problem for students to solve. Then, through a virtual lesson, I will review key concepts from the problem, respond to questions, and teach students various learning strategies, problem-solving methods, and types of thinking. I will also furnish opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Finally, I will collect feedback from students for use in improving the lessons, making them more fun and didactic.The purpose of this extra-curricular training is to guide students in the application of STEM subjects to real-world problem, thereby preparing them for future careers.

Uncle Joe's Tutoring

For a nominal fee, I will set up four, 30-minute online sessions with students to tutor middle-school and high-school math, science and English each month. Students will participate in sessions with up to four others depending on scheduling. While I plan to tutor as frequently as possible, I also use tutors I have trained, usually career teachers or university instructors. Students will have access to discussion forums where they can pose questions to other students and to me. To maximize learning, I strongly encourage students in the same class to register together.


Contact Dr. Joseph Gabriella at jgabriella.played@gmail.com to register.

© 2016 Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA. All rights reserved.

December 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-7) - "Scaling the Learning Mountain"

In my monthly, five-minute STEM Skill Step Up Letter, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions that you submit. To do so, subscribe to the newsletter by emailing me. I will respond to questions on the Play-Ed Corporation Facebook page when appropriate.

In my monthly, STEM Anchor Skills Series, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions submitted. To join the newsletter and submit questions, please email me at jgabriella.played@gmail.com.

Scaling the Learning Mountain

The study of English is a national obsession here in Japan, where I currently reside. For decades, English courses have been mandatory in junior and senior high school, to which elementary courses are being added. English conversation schools are ubiquitous. Ads for private tutors are too many to count. Strangely, few Japanese speak English well. Why?

I can suggest several reasons. One major factor is cultural: Japanese are shy and perfectionistic. They not only hesitate to talk to people whom they do not know, especially foreigners, but also fear making mistakes. Another major factor is, paradoxically, the English-education system. Their memorization-driven centered techniques are not only ineffective, but also draconian. Many students learn only to loathe English in class.

I know from my own foreign-language studies that American schools and universities achieve better outcomes by blending different teaching techniques. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Learning allows us to understand why. In his now-famous framework, he separates learning into six major levels, each more difficult than the preceding. These levels are summarized below:

Knowledge (Rote Learning) – the learner can reproduce the fact or principle

Comprehension – the learner understands the principle

Application – the individual can apply learning to solve a problem or achieve a goal

Analysis – the individual is able to decompose the principle or idea into parts and explain the                                 relationship between them

Synthesis – the learner can integrate the principle with other principles both internal and external                            to the field

Evaluation – the individual is capable of making judgments and assessments of the principles                                  such as their range of application and limitations.

Mastery of a principle involves reaching the final step in Bloom’s Taxonomy. I have found this framework invaluable not only for language learning, but also for STEM learning. The follow example demonstrates how you could utilize the framework for a STEM concept.

Suppose your physics teacher is introducing the concept of velocity. He tells you that velocity has magnitude and direction. If you remember these facts, you have cleared the Knowledge level of the Taxonomy. If you can explain that magnitude is the speed or rate at which an object is moving, and direction is simply which way, you have demonstrated Comprehension. If you can explain how these concepts are used in the equation distance = velocity x time, and use that formula to calculate that a car moving at a velocity of 50 miles an hour north (velocity) will travel 300 miles (distance) in 6 hours, you have scaled to the Synthesis level of the learning mountain. Then, if you realize that because Miami, Florida is more than 300 miles away from Tallahassee, you will need to plan more time for your trip to the state capitol, you have reached Evaluation, the pinnacle.

Like climbing Mt. Fuji to see sunrise from the summit, applying Bloom’s Taxonomy is tough, but gratifying, work. I urge you to try it on for size.

Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA
Founder and CEO, Play-Ed Corporation

Author Profile
Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

STEM Lessons

For a nominal monthly fee, students may enroll in virtual STEM lessons that either I or one of my trained staff will facilitate.

Each week, I will provide one STEM challenge problem for students to solve. Then, through a virtual lesson, I will review key concepts from the problem, respond to questions, and teach students various learning strategies, problem-solving methods, and types of thinking. I will also furnish opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Finally, I will collect feedback from students for use in improving the lessons, making them more fun and didactic.The purpose of this extra-curricular training is to guide students in the application of STEM subjects to real-world problem, thereby preparing them for future careers.

Uncle Joe's Tutoring

For a nominal fee, I will set up four, 30-minute online sessions with students to tutor middle-school and high-school math, science and English each month. Students will participate in sessions with up to four others depending on scheduling. While I plan to tutor as frequently as possible, I also use tutors I have trained, usually career teachers or university instructors. Students will have access to discussion forums where they can pose questions to other students and to me. To maximize learning, I strongly encourage students in the same class to register together.


Contact Dr. Joseph Gabriella at jgabriella.played@gmail.com to register.

© 2016 Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA. All rights reserved.

November 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-6) - "Rote Learning Renaissance"

In my monthly, five-minute STEM Skill Step Up Letter, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions that you submit. To do so, subscribe to the newsletter by emailing me. I will respond to questions on the Play-Ed Corporation Facebook page when appropriate.

In my monthly, STEM Anchor Skills Series, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions submitted. To join the newsletter and submit questions, please email me at jgabriella.played@gmail.com.

Rote Learning Renaissance

As an undergraduate at a competitive business school, I had to take two semesters of accounting. Fond of math, I presumed not only that I would enjoy this computation-intensive subject, but also that I would ace the class. I was wrong on both counts. I did not enjoy accounting because I had to memorize many rules. Though I could understand why many of these rules and conventions existed, I could not logically deduce them as with math. Loathe to memorize lists of rules, I felt frustrated, as if I were wasting valuable time that could be better spent studying other subjects.

I did not do well in accounting due to lack of practice. If I understood the problem examples and explanations in the text book, I did not bother to solve the practice or review problems. Had I, I would have realized that understanding an example problem and being able to solve it myself are not the same. We can understand how something is done without being able to do it ourselves. Conversely, we can do some things without understanding why or how they work. For example, we all correctly pluralize English words even though most of us do not understand the grammar rules governing when to add the suffix -s (as in books) rather than –es (as is boxes).

To give an example of the former, I wanted to surprise my brother, who likes apple pie, by making an apple strudel for him. To learn how, I watched a YouTube video of a Bavarian pastry chef. Listening to his step-by-step explanation as I observed his demonstration, I completely understood how to make a strudel after viewing the video. However, I was unable to make one myself initially. The first time I tried, I struggled to stretch the dough. Finally doing so, I spread the apples on it, but when I tried to roll it, the dough stuck to everything. I had to practice about five times before I could make a strudel that resembled the Bavarian pastry chef’s masterpiece. Since that time, I have further improved with practice, learning to make more difficult strudels like chocolate custard-filled ones.

Another example of being able to do without understanding is plugging numbers into a formula to compute a result without understanding where the formula comes from, why it works, or how it works. I was a repeat offender of this academic sin when I studied physics, a subject where our observation-based intuitions about the world are often wrong. For this reason, I often did not understand what the answers I derived meant even though I scored well on tests. Ironically, my teacher had the opposite problem. Understanding the principles of physics well, he could effortlessly structure equations to model word and real-life problems. However, inadequately practiced in solving equations, he often made mistakes, and he sometimes was not sure if his derivations were correct when the answer key expressed the formula differently. He often asked me and other students to confirm that the two were the same.

The value of understanding and practicing, that is, rote learning, is manifest in the success of some of my fellow accounting students. A few of the ones who received perfect or near perfect scores often completed two-hour exams in 45 minutes because they did not even have to use a calculator.
Though rote learning still emphasized in Asia is not adequate in and of itself, as my accounting classmates’ performance reveal, it does play an important role in overall learning, especially in STEM subjects. Parents ought to make sure their elementary-age children daily practice basic math operations without a calculator and can comfortably handle conceptually challenging topics like fractions and percentages. Doing so, parents will position their children for success in middle and high school STEM subjects.

Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA
Founder and CEO, Play-Ed Corporation

Author Profile
Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

STEM Lessons

For a nominal monthly fee, students may enroll in virtual STEM lessons that either I or one of my trained staff will facilitate.

Each week, I will provide one STEM challenge problem for students to solve. Then, through a virtual lesson, I will review key concepts from the problem, respond to questions, and teach students various learning strategies, problem-solving methods, and types of thinking. I will also furnish opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Finally, I will collect feedback from students for use in improving the lessons, making them more fun and didactic.The purpose of this extra-curricular training is to guide students in the application of STEM subjects to real-world problem, thereby preparing them for future careers.

Uncle Joe's Tutoring

For a nominal fee, I will set up four, 30-minute online sessions with students to tutor middle-school and high-school math, science and English each month. Students will participate in sessions with up to four others depending on scheduling. While I plan to tutor as frequently as possible, I also use tutors I have trained, usually career teachers or university instructors. Students will have access to discussion forums where they can pose questions to other students and to me. To maximize learning, I strongly encourage students in the same class to register together.


Contact Dr. Joseph Gabriella at jgabriella.played@gmail.com to register.

© 2016 Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA. All rights reserved.

October 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-5) - "Power-Charging STEM Learning"

In my monthly, five-minute STEM Skill Step Up Letter, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions that you submit. To do so, subscribe to my newsletter by emailing me. I will respond to questions on the Play-Ed Corporation Facebook page when appropriate.

Power-Charging STEM Learning

Studying is one of my favorite hobbies. Now that my smart phone allows me to study wherever I go, I have become addicted to this pastime. If only I could fully learn everything I studied. In many cases, my understanding of the topic increases, but I rarely learn the material deeply, and I am unlikely to recall what I have studied a few days later. For many students, whose primary goal is to pass an upcoming test, this approach may work, but is suboptimal. The deep learning process required to fully understand and apply STEM concepts to real-word problems is arduous. Learning can still be enjoyable, but is by no means effortless.

To expedite and ease the process, I urge parents to help their students utilize their preferred learning styles and develop strategies for combining them. While many styles paradigms have appeared in the education literature, I focus on the VARK, developed by Neil D. Fleming, not because it is the best, but simply because it is easily understood. VARK is an acronym formed from visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic, each a different way to learn. According to learning styles theories, individuals learn best if they adopt their dominant style. While statistical studies of styles theories have yielded mixed results, I recommend that you teach children about them because I have personally experienced the power of utilizing a style with which I am comfortable. In addition, I have achieved results with others using different styles.

I am a learning-style mongrel with a particular penchant for visual approaches. Often asking others to draw a picture for me when they are explaining an idea or concept, I draw pictures myself to visualize written explanations. At the same time, I also exhibit read/write tendencies. When I study Japanese or Chinese, I write out the logographs (characters) for new vocabulary. Perhaps because the characters are essentially pictures, they appeal to my proclivity to learn visually. However, to practice using new vocabulary, expressions, and grammar, I will speak aloud, making up sentences. I also use Skype to talk with a Chinese conversation partner, invoking aural and kinesthetic styles.

When I tackle STEM subjects like programming or mathematics, I write programs, solve problems and interact with hardware and other components. Similarly, I enjoy testing ideas and principles that I read in books, garnering a sense of gratification that I can verify or apply my knowledge. I also enjoy models and design my own versions, further applying the information.

Think about how your children study, how they strive to learn. Observe them as they do their homework. If they are struggling to understand the written explanation in their text, suggest online video explanations like those offered by Khan Academy. If they have difficulty understanding aural instructions like my nephew, draw a picture or set of pictures to explain. On more than a few occasions, I have observed his wide-eyed eureka moments analyzing my drawings. Once you have a sense of your children’s learning styles, you can suggest strategies for applying them to different learning tasks. Your children might benefit from applying visual approaches to memorizing spelling words through flash cards. In biology, students might grasp new concepts more easily by drawing pictures and writing explanations.

To better understand your children’s learning styles, you should request feedback from your children's teachers. You could also have you children complete a learning styles survey. In addition to the previously mentioned VARK, Gregorc’s Style delineator, the VAK, and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences are popular.


Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA
Founder and CEO, Play-Ed Corporation

Author Profile
Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

September 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-4) - The Write Way to Learn S.T.E.M.

Dear Parents, Students and Teachers,

In my monthly, five-minute STEM Skill Step Up Letter, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions that you submit. To do so, subscribe to the newsletter by emailing me. I will respond to questions on the Play-Ed Corporation Facebook page when appropriate.

 

The Write Way to Learn STEM

Observing my nephew do his physics homework, I noticed his dangerous habit of skipping steps to save time. Though solving math, physics, and other STEM-area problems often involves performing calculations, they should follow careful preparation that includes writing and even drawing a picture. The problem-solving process I taught to my nephew and other students appears below. Students who have used it repeatedly remark how valuable it is not only for helping them determine how to solve a problem, but also in reducing mistakes in computing the final answer.

1. Draw a picture of illustrating the problem, labeling the picture with the information on the different numbers and variables provided.
2. Write down what you need to find for the problem or solve it.
3. Thinking about the theories and principles you know related to the problem and the information you have, attempt to set up an equation in general terms that includes the quantity you need to determine.
4. Then, fill in the information that you have from your diagram. Be sure that all units are the same. For example, if one quantity is stated in feet and the others in meters, you will either have to convert the latter to the former or vice versa.
5. Think about whether you can solve directly for the solution in one step or whether you need to perform several intermediate steps like substitutions in the process. In the latter case, write out the substitutions you need to make.
6. Solve for the answer.
7. Check your answer by using it in the equation with all of the other given information. If the answer is correct, both sides of the equation will be equal. If they are not, you should repeat the entire process to find your mistake. Confirm the logic of your answer.

The example below illustrates how to use this process to solve a real STEM problem.

Problem:  A 10 meter tree casts a shadow the (horizontal) length of  which is 10 feet. What is the length of the hypotenuse, that is the distance from the top of the tree to the end of the shadow?

Solution:


 

2. I need to find the length of the hypotenuse.

3. The tree and my distance from it form a right angle. The Pythagorean Theorem tells me that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two sides forming the right angle equal the square of the hypotenuse. If I solve for the hypotenuse, that will be the length of the shadow. The equation for this relationship is as follows:
   (Height of tree )² + (Horizontal length of shadow)² = (shadow)²

 4.  Filling in the information, I can write the following equation:
(10 meters)² + (10 feet)² = (shadow)²
Now, I need to convert meters to feet. I know that 1 meter = 3.28 feet. This means, 10 meters = 3.28 feet / meter x 10 meters = 32.8 feet.
Rewriting the equation completely in feet yields:
(32.8 feet)² + (10 feet)² = (shadow)²

5. I can solve directly for the shadow length because it is by itself on one side of equation. I do not have to make any prior substitutions.

6. I will solve the equation.
(32.8 feet)² + (10 feet)² = (shadow)²
1075.84 feet + 100 feet = (shadow)²
1175.84 feet = (shadow)²

shadow =  34.29 feet

7. Check the numbers.
(32.8 feet)² + (10 feet)² = (34.29 feet)²
1075.84 feet + 100 feet = 1175.84 feet
1175.84 feet = 1175.84 feet

The logic is correct, too. The hypotenuse, which should be the longest side of the triangle, is in fact longer than the two other sides.

Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA
Founder and CEO, Play-Ed Corporation

Author Profile
Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

jgabriella.played@gmail.com

August 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-3) - Communication is Critical

STEM Training Subscription 

Begins August 15, 2016

Free, no-obligation trial for first 20 students or parents who contact me. 

For a nominal monthly fee, students may enroll for virtual STEM lessons that either I or one of my trained staff will facilitate. Each week, I will provide one STEM challenge problem for students to solve. Then, through a virtual lesson, I will review key concepts from the problem, respond to questions, and teach students various learning strategies, problem-solving methods, and types of thinking. I will also furnish opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Finally, I will collect feedback from students for use in improving the lessons, making them more fun and didactic. The purpose of this extra-curricular training is to guide students in the application of STEM subjects to real-world problems, thereby preparing our youth for future careers. 

Contact jgabriella.played@gmail.com to register.

August  2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-3) 

Communication is Critical

In my monthly, five-minute STEM Skill Step Up Letter, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions that you submit. To do so, subscribe to the newsletter by emailing me. I will respond to questions on the Play-Ed Corporation Facebook page when appropriate.

Communication is Critical

During career day in junior high, I watched a presentation by two chefs who surprisingly discussed an experiment they had conducted. Believing that people judge the quality of food by its appearance, the chefs prepared two meals. For one meal, the chefs used the highest quality, gourmet ingredients, but exerted little effort on presentation. They simply heaped the different dishes and desserts into serving plates.

The chefs made the other meal from inexpensive, generic ingredients. Concentrating their efforts on presentation, they decoratively prepared and arranged the dishes to maximize eye appeal. After having the same group consume each meal, the chefs measured the weight and volume of waste left in individual dishes and in the serving plates. As the chefs had hypothesized, the amount of waste was much greater for the meal prepared with the gourmet ingredients. Though the chefs did not collect any data from participants on their evaluation of the meal, I suspect the meal using generic ingredients would probably have been more highly rated, too.

As this simple experiment suggests, presentation is important. First, presentation can easily mislead. For this reason, students and adults alike should scrutinize appearances critically. When comparing two products at the supermarket, individuals should not reflexively purchase a famous brand. Reading the label may reveal that a less expensive brand or generic contains the same ingredients. In a few instances, I have found store or generic brands that actually use finer quality ingredients. More critically, presentation can mislead. Business professionals, policy makers, and scientists can use misleading language, questionable data, and visual hocus pocus to market ideas that may only be true under some circumstances, if not at all.

The second reason why presentation skills are vital is the reverse of the first: Used effectively, these skills allow us to broadly communicate our ideas, enlisting support for them. Effective presenters inspire others. They tend be viewed as leaders, too. For this reason, I urge parents and teachers to cultivate children’s presentation skills. Some suggestions for doing so follow:

1. Have students practice. First, they should do short, one-minute elevator speeches on different topics like a general self-introduction that highlights their hobbies and interests, strengths and weaknesses. Then, students should tackle more challenging topics like intended career and goals. Finally, children should practice explaining their opinion on topics like the death penalty or corporal punishment employing data the children collect and other research they conduct.

2. Once students master short speeches, they should learn longer presentation basics. First, teachers should explain the structure: introduction, body, conclusion. Second, students should learn the content of each part, writing sample presentations for practice. Introductions typically include a short speaker bio emphasizing his qualifications; a story, example or other device to rivet attention; and the thesis, main point or topic of the presentation. The body introduces three to five key points, offering examples, data, and explanation to highlight and support the points. The conclusion summarizes key points and may include a call for action or suggestion.

3. Once students have written presentations, students should practice delivering them. To help students grasp how loudly to talk, the teacher should sit in the back of the room, signaling them to increase the volume until he can hear them comfortably. Students may sometimes feel like they are shouting or talking too loudly, but they should be urged to maintain the volume. Students should be instructed on the use of visual aids, hand gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and body movement as devices to involve the audience. Students should also receive instruction on how to employ questions to involve audience members and how to correctly respond to questions.

       4.Teachers should provide instruction on fallacies of logic and literary, argumentative, and                     statistical techniques utilized to mislead. The TED Talk by Dr. Hans Rosling linked                             below provides an entertaining introduction to some of these techniques in addition to serving             as an example of effective delivery.

"How Not to Be Ignorant About the World"

5. Teachers and students should furnish feedback on others’ presentations. If possible, the feedback should be systematically collected using a standard, written questionnaire. Please contact me if you would like a copy of one that I use.

Learning to communicate effectively is demanding, but rewarding, work. Those who invest the time and effort to acquire presentation skills will enjoy greater self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment from communicating their ideas effectively. Most importantly, skilled presenters are empowered for win-win success that benefits others in addition to themselves.



Author Profile
Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

jgabriella.played@gmail.com

July 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-2) - Digital Career Essentials

In my monthly, STEM Anchor Skills Series, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions submitted. To join the newsletter and submit questions, please email me at jgabriella.played@gmail.com.

Digital Career Essentials

In a sense, the Millennial Generation and those following are better positioned to deal with the increasing impact of technological change on their lives. Born into a digital world, they are much more comfortable with the technology surrounding them, and they have fewer old habits to discard for new ones.

On the other hand, younger generations face several difficulties. First, many will falsely believe that because they are deft technology users, they are prepared for 21^st century careers. They may also neglect basic skills like cursive writing and basic arithmetic along with other core sciences,  erroneously convinced they can Google the answer to any questions. In reality, these core skills are critically important because they underlie all the technologies we use. Neither these skills nor the programming skills they will require are easily acquired. Both take years of regular practice.

Likewise, the younger generation will deal with increasing rates of change, a dynamic spawning myriad related problems. One is increased stress and confusion due to options overload. Our youth will have to deal with more choices, explore more opportunities. The second problem relates to the need for constant learning and skills acquisition. Due to increased life spans and labor market changes, young people will likely have two or three different careers during their lives, capitalizing on employment hiatuses to obtain further education. To help children adequately prepare for a technology-charged future, I suggest the following to parents based on my career experience.

Teach children to leverage technology to increase efficiency and employability.

1.       Train typing / keyboarding skills

2.       Teach them Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) to the intermediate level

3.       Show them Keyboard shortcuts (ctrl + s, ctrl + n, ctrl + z, ctrl + v, ctrl + c)

4.       Teach them how to set and prioritize goals.

5.       Show them how to manage time

Emphasize Communication and Etiquette

1.       Teach them proper etiquette for responding to a business phone call or email.

2.       Similarly, show them how to order, eat, and behave properly at a business meal.

3.       Have them practice introducing themselves and preparing one-minute talks describing their hobbies, interests, career aspirations, strengths and weaknesses.

4.       Explain the difference between informal / casual (jeans acceptable), business casual (slacks and a polo or color shirt for men; close-toed footwear); business attire (matching double-breasted suit, starched shirt, tie, and wing-tipped formal shoes). Have young men practice tying ties.

Help them acquire experience and reflect on it.

1.       Have them write a resume by their senior year in high school

2.       Have them create a LinkedIn Profile. Encourage children to join groups of professionals in fields that interest them. Have them ask questions to the group and read published content.

3.       Teach children the importance of exercising discretion in expressing opinions and posting to social media sites.

4.       Have young adults begin writing a blog or create a web page to display digital skills

5.       Urge them to work part-time jobs during the summer while in high school.

6.       During college, students them pursue internships, even unpaid ones, to acquire experience and learn more about fields that interest them. In some instances, they will no longer be interested in the career by the end of the internship. This knowledge is invaluable, sparing them the time, effort, and expense that they would have invested to pursue the career, only to discover it was not a suitable fit.

7.       Talk to children about spending a gap year between their junior and senior year of college. During this time, they could do a long internship or several shorter ones. They could also attend boot camps on web design and coding. This additional experience will distinguish them from job seekers who primarily studied during college.

    Teach No Longer Common Common-Sense Skills

1.      Have children open savings accounts and when they start working, checking accounts. Teach them how to balance their bank book.

2.      Explain your family budget. Teach children to save 10% of their income, avoid debt unless absolutely necessary (e.g., for emergency medical treatment), and have them calculate interest on credit cards.

3.      Teach them to delay gratification and set financial goals. If they want a new tablet pc or car, help them determine the price of a suitable one. Then, calculate how many hours they will have to work at their current pay rate to estimate the minimum amount of time in which they could save the money.

4.      Remind children that technology is obsolescing at increasing rates. They should not rush to purchase the latest smart phone this week because a new, slicker model is likely to appear in two or three months.

Author Profile

Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.

STEM Training Subscription 

Begins August 15, 2016

For a nominal monthly fee, students may enroll for virtual STEM lessons that either I or one of my trained staff will facilitate. Each week, I will provide one STEM challenge problem for students to solve. Then, through a virtual lesson, I will review key concepts from the problem, respond to questions, and teach students various learning strategies, problem-solving methods, and types of thinking. I will also furnish opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Finally, I will collect feedback from students for use in improving the lessons, making them more fun and didactic. The purpose of this extra-curricular training is to guide students in the application of STEM subjects to real-world problems, thereby preparing our youth for future careers. 

Contact jgabriella.played@gmail.com to register.

© 2016 Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA. All rights reserved.

June 2016 STEM Anchor Skills (1-1) Root-Cause Analysis

In my monthly, STEM Anchor Skills Series, I give hints like the following on improving critical cognitive and technical skills for young adults. I will also respond to questions submitted. To join the newsletter and submit questions, please email me at jgabriella.played@gmail.com.

Root-Cause Analysis

When Dad or Mom has asked you why you were late for school, have you ever responded, "Because I missed the bus"? While this response may be accurate, it may does not suggest an effective means of preventing recurrence of the problem. To do so, you need to find the root cause, the ultimate reason why you missed the bus. For example, the bus stop may have moved. Perhaps you overslept. Maybe both were contributing factors.

Repeatedly asking why is an effective means of identifying root causes. Using the previous example to illustrate, Mom could ask the following series of questions:

            Mom (M):  Why were you late for school this morning?

            Student (S):  Because I missed the bus.

            M:  Why did you miss the bus?

            S:  Because I overslept.

            M:  Why did you oversleep?

            S: Because I went to bed at 1 am.

            M:  Why did you go to bed so late?

            S:  Because I was playing video games.

Now that Mom knows the reason why her child was late, she can better design effective countermeasures. For example, she could set a bed time of 10 pm.

Because this simple method is powerful not only to ensure that you are not late to school, but also to solve STEM problems at school and on the job, I urge you to try it out.

Joseph Gabriella, Ph.D., MBA

Founder and CEO, Play-Ed Corporation

Author Profile

Dr. Gabriella is an accomplished scholar and businessman. Ivy-league educated, he has served as a lecturer or professor at universities in the U.S., Japan, and China. Currently, he resides in Japan, where he is a senior manager and active consultant. A former high-school math teacher, Joseph is passionate about teaching critical STEM skills to future generations through his company, Play-Ed Corporation.