As the school year wraps up, it’s time for students to relax and have fun. But it’s also important to keep learning, even during the summer. This helps students stay sharp and ready for the next school year. One way to do this is by focusing on the 21st-century skills known as the 4 Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Let’s explore how you can use these skills to make your summer both fun and educational!
Have you heard of the “summer slide”? It’s a term teachers use to describe how some students might forget what they’ve learned during the school year over the summer break. Research shows that kids can lose up to two months’ worth of learning in reading and math during this time. But don’t worry! You can keep your brain active and avoid the summer slide by engaging in fun activities that focus on the 4 Cs.
Communication is all about sharing and exchanging ideas. You can improve your communication skills by listening to podcasts, watching TED Talks, or tuning into youth radio programs. These resources help you hear different perspectives and form your own opinions. You can also use digital storytelling apps like Toontastic and Shadow Puppet EDU to create your own stories. This is a great way to express your thoughts and connect with others.
Collaboration means working with others to achieve a common goal. You can practice teamwork by creating videos or presentations using tools like Explain Everything and VoiceThread. Try taking on different roles, such as producer, writer, or animator, to create something amazing with your friends. Websites like Wikispaces let you build a website together, even if you’re not in the same place.
Critical thinking involves solving problems and learning from mistakes. Apps like Tinkercad, MIT App Inventor, and Scratch let you use coding blocks to create games, animations, and models. Minecraft is another fun option that encourages you to think strategically and share your ideas with others. These activities help you develop problem-solving skills in a fun and interactive way.
Creativity is all about using your imagination to create something new. There are many tools available for budding artists, such as Canva for graphic design and Paper by 53 for digital sketching. The maker movement encourages hands-on projects, both digital and traditional. Websites like Instructables and DIY.org offer free project ideas that you can explore on your own or with friends, whether online or offline.
By focusing on the 4 Cs, you can keep learning alive during the summer while having a great time. These activities not only help you avoid the summer slide but also prepare you for the future. So, get creative, work with others, solve problems, and share your ideas. Have a fantastic summer full of fun and learning!
Use apps like Toontastic or Shadow Puppet EDU to create your own digital story. Think about a topic you are passionate about and express your ideas through characters and animations. Share your story with friends and family to practice your communication skills.
Gather a group of friends and use tools like Explain Everything or VoiceThread to create a video presentation. Assign roles such as writer, director, and editor, and work together to produce a short film or documentary on a topic of your choice. This will help you enhance your collaboration skills.
Challenge yourself by building a complex structure or solving puzzles in Minecraft. Work with friends to create a virtual world, and use your critical thinking skills to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Discuss strategies and solutions with your team to improve your problem-solving abilities.
Unleash your creativity by designing a graphic poster using Canva. Choose a theme, such as environmental awareness or a favorite book, and create a visually appealing poster. Share your design online or print it out to display at home, showcasing your creative skills.
Visit websites like Instructables or DIY.org to find a maker project that interests you. Gather materials and follow the instructions to create something unique, whether it’s a simple craft or a complex gadget. This activity will help you develop your creativity and problem-solving skills.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Alright, school will soon be out for most Bay Area students. It’s a great time for kids to unwind, have some fun, and learn. It’s important to help kids maintain their academic edge, and there are many ways for parents to inspire learning at home and help students improve on 21st-century skills. These skills include communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Here to discuss ways to prevent the summer slide is Gary Stevens from Common Sense Media.
First, let’s talk about the summer slide. What is it, and how prevalent do you think it is? This time of year, as schools wrap up, there’s a lot of buzz. As a former teacher, I always felt a bit emotional, while kids are usually elated. Teachers often refer to the decline in learning over the summer as the “summer slump.” Research shows that kids can lose up to two months of grade equivalency in reading and math during this time. While I’m not prescribing homework over the summer—it’s a break from school—it’s important to keep learning going. We can enrich the summer with what we call the four C’s.
Let’s start with communication. What can we do at home to encourage that? Communication is all about the exchange of ideas. There are many podcasts, TED Talks, and youth radio programs that allow kids to hear different perspectives and formulate their own ideas. There are also great digital storytelling apps like Toontastic and Shadow Puppet EDU where kids can create stories, which is beneficial for expressing their emotions and connecting with others.
Next is collaboration. What can we encourage kids to do over the summer? Collaboration is about building teamwork skills. Whether it’s video production or using multimedia presentation tools like Explain Everything and VoiceThread, kids can take on different roles—producer, writer, animator—and work together to create polished videos. Websites like Wikispaces allow them to build a website collaboratively, regardless of their physical location.
Now, let’s discuss critical thinking. This involves engaging in trial and error, failing forward, and persevering. There are apps like Tinkercad, MIT App Inventor, and Scratch, which are sandbox tools where kids can use coding blocks to create games, animations, and models. Minecraft is another popular option that encourages strategy and ingenuity while allowing kids to share ideas.
Lastly, creativity is my favorite topic. There are so many resources for budding artists today. Whether using graphic design tools like Canva or digital sketchbooks like Paper by 53, there are countless options available. The maker movement encourages hands-on projects, both digital and traditional. Websites like Instructables and DIY.org offer free ideas for inspiration that kids can explore alone or together, online or offline.
Thanks so much for sharing these tips with us, Gary. I know it was a lot for parents to take in, but we have more information available on our website. It’s important that children’s learning doesn’t fade away during the summer.
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This version maintains the core message while removing any informal language or unnecessary details.
Critical Thinking – The ability to think clearly and make reasoned judgments. – In class, we use critical thinking to solve math problems and understand science experiments.
Communication – The process of sharing information, thoughts, or feelings. – Good communication helps us work together on group projects and understand each other’s ideas.
Collaboration – Working together with others to achieve a common goal. – Our teacher encourages collaboration by having us work in teams to complete our assignments.
Creativity – The use of imagination to create new ideas or things. – We use creativity in art class to design unique paintings and sculptures.
Learning – The process of gaining knowledge or skills through study or experience. – Learning about history helps us understand how past events shape our world today.
Summer – The warmest season of the year, often a time for vacation and outdoor activities. – During summer, I like to read books and explore new hobbies.
Skills – The abilities or expertise needed to do something well. – We practice different skills in school, like writing and problem-solving, to prepare for the future.
Ideas – Thoughts or suggestions about what to do or how to do something. – Sharing ideas with classmates can lead to exciting new projects and activities.
Problems – Situations that need to be solved or dealt with. – We learn to tackle problems by thinking critically and working together.
Teamwork – The combined effort of a group to achieve a common goal. – Teamwork is important in sports and school projects because it helps us succeed together.
