【推荐1】Your preschooler is painting with fingers. Trying to be encouraging, you ask her, “What are you making with this mix of colors?” and she shrugs (耸肩). Until you mentioned it, she hadn’t given it any though.     1     They love the way it feels when they pour paint on paper, how it looks when they wildly drop glitter, and even the soft sound a brush makes as it crosses the page.

Most preschoolers aren’t self-conscious about what they’re doing or focused on creating a finished product.     2     But letting go — and allowing kids to enjoy the process of creation — can harvest big rewards. Children will be better off in the long run if they’re allowed just to be in the moment and express themselves.

Fostering (培养) creativity won’t just increase your child’s chances of becoming the next Picasso.     3     As kids use a paintbrush, their fine motor skills improve. By counting pieces and colors, they learn the basics of math. When children experiment with materials, they dive in science. Most important perhaps, when kids feel good while they are creating, art helps boost self-confidence.

    4     Set up an art space where your kid can be free to experiment. Throw a drop cloth or a newspaper on top of your kitchen table or in the garage. If weather permits, let kids paint outside. Avoid giving directions. Don’t tell your kid what to make or how to make it. Instead of saying, “Paint a rainbow,” encourage her to “experiment with mixing colors using different types of brushes and paper.” When a child finishes a piece, don’t suggest additions or changes.     5    

【推荐2】If you are a perfectionist (完美主义者), you are probably familiar with the feeling of wanting to get everything just right. You may feel concerned about your papers or projects, and even worry about small mistakes from the past.     1     They often criticize themselves if they believe they haven’t met these standards.

    2     Researchers have found that on the extreme end, perfectionism causes bad effects on people’s spiritual health. In the study, they looked at a total of 284 studies and found that perfectionism was linked to eating disorders, lower spiritual health and psychological (心理上的) diseases.

Researchers also looked at how perfectionism has changed over time. They reviewed information on over 41,000 college students, from 1989 to 2016.     3     They held themselves to higher standards and felt there were higher expectations placed on them. Young adults picked up on more social expectations from their living environment. The researchers think this could be because society is increasingly competitive.     4     They might also pick up on stress from their parents.

Many perfectionists think setting high standards or going for excellence is a good thing. They think of their perfectionism as something that helps them succeed.     5     In fact, mistakes are an important part of learning and growing. So accepting imperfection can actually help us in the long run.

Junior Alvarado, a high school student in the Washington Leadership Academy, often struggled in his math classes and earned poor grades. The teachers at the Washington Leadership Academy used computer programs to identify the areas he was weak in and design a learning plan just for him.

“They explain the problem step by step. It wouldn’t be as fast, but at your speed,” said the 15—year—old, “Now I feel better about my math skills.”

The use of technology in schools is part of a larger idea of personalized learning. This idea has been gaining in popularity in recent years. Personalized learning is away of teaching centering around the interests and needs of individual students instead of entire classes as a whole. It includes flexible learning environments and specially—designed education plans. Students can decide what and how they learn. In that way, they are able to master subjects at their own speed.

Joseph Webb, headmaster of the Washington Leadership Academy, says the digital tools help teachers identify problems students are facing before they become too serious. “We can solve them right then and there; we don’t have to wait for the problems to come to us,” he said.

Still, many researchers say it is too early to tell if personalized learning works better than traditional teaching. A recent study found that personalized learning only led to small improvements. It found only a 3—percent improvement in math and even smaller improvements in reading compared to traditional teaching methods. In addition, experts in children’s health warn that the overuse of technology can damage face—to—face relationships and young people’s interest in physical activity.

Some teachers have their doubts as well. Marla Kilfoyle, a teacher in a public high school, admits that technology can be helpful in the classroom in many ways. But she argues that no computer program should ever replace the personal touch, support and inspiration teachers give their students.

【推荐3】Finding success in blended learning

Blended (混合的) learning offers students flexibility as it is a mixture between remote and face-to-face learning where you can set your own learning pace.  

Instead of doing everything just before a deadline, blended learning models motivate you to set and follow a continual learning schedule.    1     Having an optimized (最优化的) planner allows you to use your time smartly while increasing your productivity, decreasing your stress levels and having more time for yourself.

Once you have a daily planner filled with upcoming assignments and planned lessons, it’s time to apply the ABCDE method. If you have to complete four online assignments before tomorrow, mark the most important tasks with “A”, the second most important tasks with “B”, and so on.

Multitasking can drastically reduce your focus levels and lead to cognitive ability impairment (认知功能障碍). But it can be hard to avoid multitasking, especially when you’re in the middle of an online course, and a notification (通知) pops up.     3    

    4    The blended learning model includes completing a part of your lessons at your own pace, making it easy to lose track of your progress. Track your studying time with a time tracker and, during tracking periods, just focus on the task in front of you.

Blended learning can be stressful and challenging, but it gives you a flexibility that traditional education lacks. It’s essential to focus on all parts of your student life and avoid neglecting some aspects.     5    If so, you’ll have more than enough time to form meaningful relationships, try new hobbies, and find your true passion despite the ongoing pandemic.