Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Classroom Bobbleheads Make Learning Fun for Teachers and Students

It's late August and that means it's back-to-school time for teachers and students. Nobody argues that teaching is a challenging profession. As a teacher, you’re competing for a student’s attention against multiple distractions and short attention spans. How you decide to present the subject material plays a critical role in sparking their interests and keeping them engaged. Once a student’s engaged in the curriculum, you can begin making a positive difference in their life, which is every teacher’s dream. 

Visual aids and props in the classroom help teachers achieve their goals. They function as a learning tool for children and educators by providing a visual representation of the subject being discussed. Approximately 65% of the population is visual learners (1). This type of learning adds an important element of understanding for students you don’t get with regular text or oral presentations. One study conducted by 3M Corporation even showed visual aids in the classroom can improve learning by up to 400% (2).

Historical Bobbleheads Political Bobbleheads Einstein Bobblehead
Teachers can now bring their subject material to life using historical, political, and presidential bobblehead figures. Discussing the significance of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? There’s a bobblehead for that. Reading one of Mark Twain’s famous novels in class? There’s a bobblehead for that. Studying Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and his accomplishments during Black History Month? There’s a bobblehead for that. Researching war-time heroes such as General George Patton or Ulysses S. Grant? There are bobbleheads for that too.

Bobbleheads are generally thought of in terms of entertainment value but now they have the opportunity to serve a much greater purpose. Used in a visual learning capacity, these figures can help inform and educate America’s youth about the history of our great nation. In today’s society, children are constantly bombarded with information while they’re surfing the internet, watching TV, or playing on their smartphone. Teachers need an edge, something to tip the scales in their favor. Those who think outside the box to make learning fun will find it easier to communicate a valuable message in the classroom. How is your message going to rise above the noise?

Visit Bobbleheads.com for quality historical, political, scientific, literary, military, and religious bobbleheads.

1. “Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking;” David H. Jonassen, Chad Carr, and Hsiu-Ping Yueh; March 1998

2. “Polishing Your Presentation;” 3M Visual Systems Division, 2001

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