Luis von Ahn’s Post

#Grateful Check out our social impact report!💚

For over two decades, my home has been more than just a place to live—it's been a vibrant learning environment where my children have thrived. Instead of adhering strictly to standardized tests and rigid schedules, I've prioritized a holistic approach to education. My focus has always been on nurturing their curiosity, fostering critical thinking skills, and instilling a deep sense of resilience and adaptability. In this ever-evolving world, the ability to navigate complexities and embrace change is paramount. That's why I've dedicated myself to equipping my children with the practical skills and emotional intelligence needed to thrive in any situation life throws their way. Whether it's learning how to problem-solve, communicate effectively, or collaborate with others, my aim has been to prepare them not just for exams, but for the dynamic challenges and opportunities that await them beyond the classroom walls. As a parent and educator, I believe in the power of experiential learning and real-world application. From exploring nature to engaging in community service projects, every experience has been a valuable lesson in itself. By providing a nurturing and supportive environment where my children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and learn from both successes and setbacks, I've watched them grow into confident, compassionate individuals ready to make a positive impact on the world. In a society that often prioritizes academic achievements above all else, I've strived to emphasize the importance of holistic development. While academic excellence is undoubtedly valuable, it's equally essential to cultivate qualities such as empathy, resilience, and adaptability—the very qualities that empower individuals to navigate the complexities of life with grace and purpose. As my children embark on their own journeys beyond the confines of our home, I'm proud to say that they are not just well-prepared for exams, but for the myriad of possibilities that lie ahead. By fostering a love for learning, a spirit of curiosity, and a belief in their own capabilities, I'm confident that they will continue to thrive and make meaningful contributions to the world around them. After all, education is not just about filling minds with knowledge—it's about empowering hearts and minds to create a brighter future for all. #homeschooling #homeschooling #learnlife

Homeschooling is so cool. Why? Because when your kids learn, sometimes you learn too. So how did looking at stars with my 7-year-old turn into a conversation about the M57 Nebula and Milky Way Galaxy? Here's how... Her- "Dad, what is that bright star there?" Pulls out the StarTracker app on iPhone. Me- "That's the M57 Ring Nebula" Her- "What's a ring Nebula?" Me---Goes to Google. "M57, or the Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula. It is the glowing remains of a sun-like star that exploded. The tiny white dot in the center of the nebula is the star’s hot core, called a white dwarf." Her- "OH...so there's no planets there? How many planets are in our Galaxy?" Me---Goes back to google. "There's an estimated 100 Billion stars in our galaxy, so many more planets than that." The conversation went on, and we BOTH learned a lot about our galaxy and the universe. The number of stars and planets in the Milk Way blew my mind! That's just in our galactic neighborhood, which is a speck of sand in the cosmos. What's the lesson? You don't have to have all the answers when you homeschool. Between Google, ChatGPT, and your local Library you can find anything you need to answer your child's questions. You can also find ways to teach the answer to them, and along the way.... do some learning yourself. STOP MAKING IT SO HARD! Homeschooling can be fun, easy, and an incredible bonding experience for you and your family. What lessons have you and your kids learned together recently? ------------------------------------------------ Hi, I’m Cory. I’m a Homeschool Success Coach, and I want to help empower you to Homeschool your children  I offer resources, dedicated support, and personalized 1:1 Coaching all from a Certified Life Coach who understands what it takes to educate your children…. not just as a professional, but as a Father too. #Homeschool #Parenting #ParentingTips #Homeschooling #Unschool

📚✨ Homeschooling offers a personalized education experience, but it's not without challenges. From structure to socialization, here's how to navigate the complexities for a fulfilling journey. 🌟 Establish Clear Expectations: Define goals for accountability and progress. 🌟 Cultivate Routine: Balance learning and leisure for productivity. 🌟 Diversify Learning Resources: Cater to different learning styles. 🌟 Prioritize Socialization: Enhance social skills and emotional development. 🌟 Address Learning Challenges: Adapt teaching methods to specific needs. 🌟 Embrace Flexibility: Explore alternative educational options when needed. Navigating homeschooling hurdles together leads to a nurturing educational environment that fosters growth and potential. Connect for personalized guidance tailored to your family's needs. 🌿🔍 https://lnkd.in/g8jSNZ-F

SEL Apps We Love Review: Nurturing Social and Emotional Growth As we bid farewell to February, we’re happy to share the success of our recent campaign: SEL Apps We Love! Throughout the past month, we curated and celebrated our favorite Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) apps across our various social platforms. Each weekday, we shone a spotlight on an app aligned with one of CASEL’s five domains of social-emotional learning. These domains serve as the bedrock for fostering holistic growth in students: Responsible Decision Making Self-Management Self-Awareness Social Awareness Relationship Skills We loved sharing ways to help teachers and students grow in their SEL skills! We know that SEL is crucial in schools and that it can have lasting impacts on a student’s growth. Below are some of the impacts that good SEL instruction can have on students: 1. Fostering emotional intelligence SEL equips students with the tools to recognize, understand, and manage their emotions effectively. By nurturing emotional intelligence, we empower them to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and empathy. 2. Enhancing interpersonal skills In an interconnected world, strong interpersonal skills are essential. SEL cultivates social awareness and relationship-building abilities, enabling students to collaborate, communicate, and resolve conflicts constructively. 3. Boosting academic achievement When students feel emotionally secure and connected, their cognitive abilities flourish. SEL contributes to improved focus, better decision-making, and enhanced academic performance. 4. Creating positive school environments SEL isn’t just about individual growth—it extends to the entire school community. By fostering a culture of empathy, kindness, and inclusivity, schools become nurturing spaces where everyone thrives. Learn21’s SEL Services: Our team of dedicated educators worked throughout February to offer a range of apps that you can use to leverage your SEL practices. We also offer services to schools and educators throughout the school year. These services are designed to seamlessly integrate SEL practices into the fabric of your school: For more information on our SEL services, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at engagements@learn21.org. We’re here to support your journey toward nurturing social and emotional growth in both students and educators. Remember, SEL isn’t just about skills; it’s about creating a supportive environment where emotional growth flourishes. Let’s continue fostering social and emotional well-being in our students and ourselves! 

Weekends and breaks are crucial for young learners, offering vital opportunities for rest, rejuvenation, and holistic development. These breaks from the school week serve as a crucial aspect of a child's educational journey. During weekends, young learners can step away from the demands of structured learning and benefit in various ways. They get a chance to rest, recover, and reduce stress, which is vital for their overall well-being. Explore interests, hobbies, and passions, pursue activities beyond academic curriculum, and foster imagination and innovation. Family time becomes more accessible during weekends, strengthening bonds and providing emotional support that is essential for a child's development. #weekendvibes #younglearners #holisticdevelopment

🌍💡 Empowering Early Learners with Skills for Tomorrow 💡🌍 In today’s fast-evolving world, equipping our youngest minds with more than just academic knowledge is beneficial and essential. At Dreamkids Kindergarten, we believe in a holistic educational approach where character building, global citizenship, and sustainability are integral to our curriculum. Why? Because these elements are powerful vehicles for cultivating vital skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork among young learners. 🚀 A glimpse into our classroom might give you a clue about how serious we are about this approach. Recently, our children embarked on a project that was as creative as it was enlightening – designing and creating cardboard toilets to tackle a global challenge: sanitation. 🚽✨ This project was not just a creative endeavour but a practical application of the skills our children learn at Dreamkids Kindergarten. It taught them about the importance of sustainable living and empathy, pushing them to think critically about solving real-world problems. Through teamwork, they explored complex concepts and developed solutions that, though simple, carried the profound message of impact and responsibility. Integrating sustainability into early education helps foster a sense of global stewardship, encouraging children to think about their role in a wider context from a young age. 🌐 We are thrilled to witness our young ones not just learning, but engaging, innovating, and contributing solutions to global challenges. By nurturing these competencies early on, we are not just teaching our children to be good students but empowering them to become active, responsible global citizens. Join us in rethinking education. Let’s prepare our children not just for school but for the world. 🌟 #EarlyEducation #Sustainability #GlobalCitizenship #InnovationInEducation #DreamkidsKindergarten

As we celebrate #InternationalYouthDay, we’re highlighting some of the evergreen skills that kids can build to support their success inside and outside of the classroom. Learn more about how our work can help. https://hubs.ly/Q01-5nrv0

I was homeschooled growing up. K-12, all the way to college. This was LONG before it became a trend - in fact it was quite the opposite. I remember the incredulous looks from friends & family when I'd tell them about my school experience. I've heard every rendition of every homeschool joke multiple times. I'd get skeptical questions from time to time: "How do you socialize & make friends?" "Who's your teacher? Your mom!?" "What about standardized testing? Don't you want to go to college? Well, it turned out that homeschooling was actually a pretty good path for me. I got to: - spend as much time as I wanted in areas I was passionate about - interact with people from a wide variety of ages - get individualized teaching & classes - find the best teachers I could in my community - start college early - make tons of friends from across the country - develop my curiosity & insatiable appetite to learn - get opportunities other kids didn't have access to because they were confined in a single space all day Most of all, I got to have plenty of space to explore the world, and craft a unique set of experiences and skills that have helped me tremendously in my career. But nonetheless, misconceptions still exist about homeschooling. It's also super hard to get "onboarded" into the homeschooling experience for new families & find resources to reduce the friction. So my wife (who was also homeschooled!) & I decided to do something about this. We've launched Path of a Homeschooler (@pathofahomeschooler on Instagram) - a platform for families exploring homeschooling or are new and looking for help. This has been a fun side project so far and given me an excuse to keep up my podcasting & writing skills to try to do some good. Never would I have imagined there would be such a demand to hear about my alternative education background. But I'm happy to be helpful! While homeschooling isn't for everyone, if it is something you're thinking about for your kiddos, feel free to reach out and ask any questions you've got. Feel free to follow along on Instagram & subscribe to our podcast/newsletter. It'll be slow going at first, but we're excited to help more people have positive experiences as they forge their unique homeschooling path! #homeschool #homeschooling #alternativeeducation

In the hustle of homeschooling life, I like to take a moment to celebrate the small victories. Whether it's mastering a new skill, overcoming a challenge, or simply sharing a moment of connection, these victories are the building blocks of a resilient, thriving homeschooling journey. Capturing these through photos, audio or journals to reflect back on the learning and progress that has taken place is powerful, especially when having a challenging day. Challenges can vary but may include resistance, behavioural issues, and emotional well-being challenges. I have learnt that these have become integral parts of the homeschooling experience and that embracing the resistance becomes an opportunity to explore new paths, adapt to your child's needs and create a deeper and more meaningful connection with your child. Collaborative decision-making strengthens the partnership, fostering your child's sense of ownership and enthusiasm. The behavioural hurdles do transform into life lessons, urging reflection on underlying causes and uncovering unmet needs or interests. The biggest difference in my homeschool journey has been open communication, it has created space for my child to express thoughts and concerns without judgment, enhancing problem-solving and connection. Integrating learning with daily life erases the boundaries between "learning" and "living," making tasks like cooking and nature walks educational experiences! Having a strong community has been a life changer for me, being able to reach out and share the highs and the lows without judgment. If you want to connect with fellow homeschooling parents, join our Collage community. Share experiences, exchange ideas, and find inspiration. Together, we make homeschooling a little easier. Link below #homeschooling #homeschoollife #parenting