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1. Life-Long Learning


Overview: Becoming A Life-Long Learner

Goal: To acquire and practice traits and skills of a competent life-long learner that will enable an individual, as part of a family/community, to lead a long, healthy, and productive life.


Life Skills
  • Brainstorming
  • Collaboration/Cooperation
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Goal Setting
  • Presentation
  • Problem Solving
  • Reading
  • Research
  • Scientific Process
  • Technology
  • Writing

Developmental Assets
  • Caring Home, School, and Community Climate - Home, School, and community provides caring, encouraging environment
  • Positive View of Personal Future - Student is optimistic about his/her future
  • Planning and Decision Making - Young person has skills to plan ahead and make decisions
  • Creative Activities - Young person involved in three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, sports, or other creative arts.
Assignments for each unit are contained in the Health Links - Assignments and Resources portal.  Students and parents can access the portal using the account login provided to them at the start of the course.  The link below will take you to the portal.
Parent Bulletins (Grades 1-5): Aligned with each two-week unit that Middle School students and parents will be exploring, students and parents in grades 1-5 will be encouraged to explore health related topics and to build family engagement around health issues.  Students in grades 1-5 will receive paper copies of the bulletin, but they can also be accessed (downloaded) from the following page. 
* The content of this topic (life-long learning) and the materials covered in this curriculum should be integrated into classroom instruction across all grade levels.  Teachers can obtain materials and lesson resources for this topic from Mr. Arnold.

Course Instructor

Mark Arnold
Educational Technology Specialist
Deer Isle - Stonington Schools

Mr. Arnold is the coordinator of Educational Technology services for the Deer Isle - Stonington Community Schools.  For the first ten years as a professional educator he taught Social Studies, Physical Education, and coached football, track & field, and volleyball.  Mr. Arnold lives in Ellsworth with his wife Deborah, also a professional educator, and has three wonderful girls (Mallory, Chelsey, and Gabrielle) and a granddaughter (Mercedes).

Originally from Traverse City, Michigan; Mr. Arnold comes from a family of educators.  Both of his parents were teachers and coaches and help to build his passion for learning and instilled in him the importance of life-long learning.  Mr. Arnold moved to Vermont in 2003 to become a Technology Integration Specialist and to work as a consultant on a variety of innovative educational technology projects with universities and schools around the world.  In 2006 he moved with his family to Maine, "to enjoy the ocean, outdoors, and spend more time with my family." 

"It is my work with educational institutions around the U.S. and the world that has helped me recognize the importance of technology in the learning process.  Life-long learning is fueled by advances in educational technology.  Literacy today is tied closely to our children's ability to develop skills and apply technology in ways that enhance learning and communication.  My work and learning is directed at helping students and schools acquire the foundations and practices that will help them establish life-long learning habits."
Resources

Websites
Books
Family Foundations

Examples:
  • Make a effort to read more magazine or newspaper articles in the next two weeks.  Keep a log of the dates, and time spent reading articles.
  • Set a goal(s), as a family, for the next two weeks.  Make a list of those goals and record weather or not you achieved your goal(s) at the end of the two weeks.
  • Make an effort to communicate more as a family over the next two weeks.  Set aside a specific/consistent time to sit down and talk.  Keep a log that shows each day that you stuck to the time you had planned talk.