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8, Sep
Gutter Maintenance for Different Seasons

We all know that gutters are an essential part of every home. They help to protect our homes from water damage by redirecting rainwater away from our roofs, walls, and foundation. But do you know how to maintain your gutters throughout the year?  

Many homeowners neglect their gutters, causing problems like leaks, clogs, and damage to the surrounding area. In this ultimate guide, Epic Roofing Ltd. will provide you with simple yet effective tips to keep your gutters functioning at their best, regardless of the weather outside. 

1.  Spring cleaning 

After the long winter months, spring is a perfect time to give your gutters a thorough cleaning. Start by removing any debris, leaves, and twigs from the gutters and downspouts. You can do this yourself using a pair of gloves and a ladder or hire a professional. Once you have removed the debris, use a garden hose to flush out the gutters and downspouts to remove any remaining dirt or grime. 

2. Summer maintenance 

During the summer, gutters can become clogged with dirt and other debris, especially in dryer climates. To prevent clogs, regularly inspect your gutters for debris and remove any visible build-up. Additionally, check for leaks, corrosion, or damage to your gutters and replace or repair any damage immediately. 

3. Fall preparation 

In preparation for the fall, you should clean your gutters once again. This is particularly important because falling leaves and twigs can clog your gutters and cause them to overflow, leading to potential water damage. After cleaning your gutters, consider installing a mesh guard over your gutters to prevent debris from collecting and clogging your gutters. 

4. Winter check-up 

During winter, gutters can become vulnerable to ice dams. When snow or ice builds up in the gutters, it can prevent water from flowing away from your home properly, leading to potential water damage. Inspect your gutters during the winter months and remove any build-up that you notice. If the weather is too harsh, wait until the snow or ice has melted.  

5. Regular inspections 

Regularly inspecting your gutters throughout the year is vital. Inspect your gutters visually for any damage or clogs. Run water through the gutters to ensure that they are draining correctly. If you see any signs of damage or clogs, address them immediately. If a minor issue is not dealt with, it could quickly escalate into a severe and costly problem. 

Maintaining your gutters is essential, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. By following these simple yet effective tips, you can keep your gutters functioning correctly all year round, preventing potential water damage to your home.  

Remember to inspect your gutters regularly and address any issues as soon as you notice them to prevent costly repairs in the future. With this ultimate guide, you can feel confident that your gutters are always prepared to handle any weather that comes your way. 

Top Tips for Gutter Maintenance 

As a homeowner, you are responsible for maintaining your property and ensuring that it remains in good condition. Part of that responsibility is taking care of your gutters, which play a crucial role in protecting your home from water damage.  

Gutters help to channel rainwater away from your home’s foundation, preventing moisture from seeping into your walls and causing structural damage. We will share the top tips for gutter maintenance that every homeowner in Calgary should know. 

1. Clean Your Gutters Regularly 

One of the most important things you can do to maintain your gutters is to clean them regularly. Leaves, debris, and other materials can accumulate in your gutters, clogging them up and preventing water from flowing freely.  

This can cause water to overflow and seep into your home’s walls, causing water damage. To prevent this, clean your gutters at least twice a year – once in the spring and once in the fall. You can use a ladder and a scoop to remove debris from your gutters or hire a professional gutter cleaning service to do the job for you. 

2. Check for Leaks and Damage  

As part of your regular gutter maintenance, it’s important to check for leaks and damage. Look for any cracks, holes, or other signs of wear and tear that could affect your gutters’ ability to function properly. If you notice any damage, repair it as soon as possible. You can use roofing cement to seal small cracks and holes or replace damaged sections of your gutter. 

3. Install Gutter Guards  

To make your gutter maintenance easier, consider installing gutter guards. Gutter guards are devices that attach to your gutters and prevent leaves, debris, and other materials from entering and clogging them up. This can help to reduce the frequency of your gutter cleaning and prevent water damage to your home. 

4. Maintain Proper Water Flow  

Another important aspect of gutter maintenance is ensuring that your gutters are properly angled and sloped to ensure proper water flow. Your gutter should slope downwards towards the downspout to ensure that rainwater is directed away from your home. If your gutter is not angled correctly, water can pool in your gutters, causing damage. 

5. Trim Surrounding Trees  

Finally, if you have trees growing near your home, be sure to trim them regularly. Overhanging branches can drop leaves, twigs, and other debris onto your roof and gutters, clogging them up and causing damage. By keeping trees trimmed back from your house, you can prevent this from happening and reduce the amount of maintenance your gutters require. 

Taking care of your gutters is a crucial part of home maintenance that every homeowner should take seriously. With these top tips for gutter maintenance, you can help protect your home from water damage and avoid costly repairs.  

Remember to clean your gutters regularly, check for leaks and damage, install gutter guards, maintain proper water flow, and trim surrounding trees. By following these tips, you can ensure that your gutters function properly and provide the protection that your home needs. 

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15, Feb
How to use brain science to engage students after the holidays

As the holidays come to an end, thoughts of students and lesson plans replace time spent indulging in puddings and turkey. But teachers know all too well that it’s challenging enough to motivate a class on a Monday morning after a weekend, nevermind after a longer breakAs the holidays come to an end, thoughts of students and lesson plans replace time spent indulging in puddings and turkey. But teachers know all too well that it’s challenging enough to motivate a class on a Monday morning after a weekend, nevermind after a longer break.

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15, Feb
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman’s brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our “two minds”—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart.

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15, Feb
Why Atari, EA Founders Are Moving from Pong to Pedagogy

Something special’s brewing in edtech when gaming industry greats make the move from Pong to pedagogy. On January 22nd, 175 educators, entrepreneurs, and investors packed the Cross Campus co-working space in Santa Monica for the “Educelerate: Games and Learning” event. Panelists included Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, Chuck E. Cheese and now BrainRush; Trip Hawkins, founder of Electronic Arts and now If You Can Company; David Lord, President and CEO of JumpStart; and Osman Rashid, Founder and CEO of Galxyz (and co-founder of Chegg). Christopher Nyren of Educated Ventures moderated the discussion.

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15, Feb
What is Education for the 21st Century

In the United States, the development of socio-emotional skills has also attracted interest in the games industry names. The sociologist, historian and American entrepreneur Trip Hawkins, founder of Electronic Arts, producer of the series of football games Madden and FIFA, is the one who decided to devote himself to educational software. In March this year, his newest company, If You Can Company, launched the IF … (If …), game for children aged 6 to 12 years exclusively for the Apple iPad tablet, which has already reached 500,000 downloads in the App Store.

“The power of learning with games always attracted me because you make choices and see the consequences,” says Hawkins. Be indoors or in the company, which produces games that stand out for simulation competition, the competitive environment has always been part of your routine. “Over the last 10 years, worried me think about what legacy my generation would leave for our children. And I decided I wanted to do something about it, “he says.

The turning point came when his daughters enrolled in a school that is dedicated to teach social-emotional skills, such as empathy and compassion, The Nueva School in San Mateo, in the state of California. Gradually, one of his daughters began to correct their behavior. There was born the idea for criarção IF …, whose name is inspired by the poem of the writer Rudyard Kipling .

For the development of IF .., Hawkins said to have used the pioneering plan for socio-emotional education developed seven years ago by the state of Illinois and also schools like KIPP and School Anchorage, Alaska. In addition to former developers from Electronic Arts, are part of the If You Can Company representatives Casel.org site, the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning, founded by former responsible for the pedagogic plan of The Nueva School.

Within the game, the children create an avatar dog and adventure by Ziggurat, world led by energy fields. A guru named YouDog help in resolving questions involving social-emotional skills, such as gratitude, cooperation, patience and teamwork.

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15, Feb
Webinar: How Games Can Help Children with Special Needs Develop Critical Life Skills

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has captured the attention of special educators as a new way to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of “digital natives.” Now, game developers are teaming with SEL experts to become agents of change –using fun, innovative approaches to build skills that help children with special needs to regulate emotions, and to develop social sensitivity, expression, humor, conflict-resolution and collaboration. SEL is a catalyst for making positive change in student behavior, improved social interactions and better academic outcomes. Join a nationwide audience of special education leaders for a lively kick-off to the agents of change series as we unpack SEL and look at IF… The Emotional IQ Game, a critically acclaimed SEL tool endorsed by children, parents, therapists, doctors, teachers, academics and scientists.

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15, Feb
Syllabus

IF… The Emotional IQ Game is designed to provide roughly a dozen chapters of story and gameplay advancement in a one year period that present, teach and assess learning in more than 50 critical lesson plans of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). The scope is derived from teaching standards and from the practices of SEL instruction in leading private schools such as The Nueva School, as featured in Daniel Goleman’s best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence. Our goal is to accomplish as much learning in a year as leading teachers are achieving in the leading schools, and to do it in a similar amount of time (comparable to over 40 classroom hours). Over the course of a year, our students can obtain this knowledge by spending roughly 30-60 minutes per week playing IF…

This Syllabus describes the teaching goals, chapter details, domain analysis, assessment measures and other resources used to create IF… The Emotional IQ Game.

 

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15, Feb
Why Emotional Learning May Be As Important As The ABCs

Thomas O’Donnell’s kindergarten kids are all hopped up to read about Twiggle the anthropomorphic Turtle. “Who can tell me why Twiggle here is sad,” O’Donnell asks his class at Matthew Henson Elementary School in Baltimore. “Because he doesn’t have no friends,” a student pipes up. And how do people look when they’re sad?Thomas O’Donnell’s kindergarten kids are all hopped up to read about Twiggle the anthropomorphic Turtle. “Who can tell me why Twiggle here is sad,” O’Donnell asks his class at Matthew Henson Elementary School in Baltimore. “Because he doesn’t have no friends,” a student pipes up

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15, Feb
IF…The Emotional IQ Game Launches for Apple iPhone

IF…The Emotional IQ Game Launches for Apple iPhone
Praised Toolbox of Social/Emotional Skills Helps Kids of All Ages

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–IF…The Emotional IQ Game is now available on the App Store for all Apple iOS devices, from If You Can Company, the highly-praised learning game startup from Trip Hawkins that uses gameplay to teach children social and emotional learning skills.

“We’re also pleased that the professional community has been effusive with praise. It’s a lot of fun, too. Our team has innovated a new way to learn.”

“Customers love our game and how it is helping their kids in a variety of ways,” said Trip Hawkins, CEO of If You Can Company. “We’re also pleased that the professional community has been effusive with praise. It’s a lot of fun, too. Our team has innovated a new way to learn.”

The game has received high review scores and plaudits from non-profit organizations, including Common Sense Media, The Center for Education Reform, GamesAndLearning.org, The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Ashoka.org, LearningWorks for Kids and many others. Curriculum design was led by Janice Toben, founder of The Institute for Social and Emotional Learning, with additional input and advice from Roger Weissberg, CEO of CASEL.org and Marc Brackett, Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

A chapter-based adventure, IF…The Emotional IQ Game helps children learn a plethora of skills and tools, such as how to succeed in relationships, be mindful and aware of feelings, manage difficult emotions, persevere through challenges, make healthy decisions and show empathy and compassion. The game includes a user-friendly dashboard app for parents and teachers to support their children through the journey. Chapter 1 of the game is included in the free download and additional chapters are available to subscribers. Chapters can be replayed for more learning fun and different children can have their own game accounts on the same device. Several chapters are now available, with more to come.

About If You Can Company

If You Can Company uses gameplay to teach children social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Founded by an interdisciplinary team that includes master teacher advisors and some of the most successful video game creators in history, including Trip Hawkins, the founder of EA and EA Sports, and Ben Geliher, former Product Owner of Moshi Monsters. “IF…” leverages an epic narrative and fun game play to grow and improve key life skills such as listening, awareness, empathy and perseverance. The game aims to improve children’s daily lives – both in and out of school – by building the skills that successfully equip them to handle bullying, managing difficult emotions and academic challenges. The game also features a user-friendly app for parents to support their children for 21st century success. If You Can Company is funded by Greylock Ventures and a number of leading angel investors at major venture firms like Andreesen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Maveron and others. The company is based in San Mateo, California and has its game studio in London, United Kingdom.

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15, Feb
How Does IF… Teach SEL?

Each month, your child navigates a new IF… adventure. We use the power of storytelling and popular game-play mechanics to engage and motivate. What your child is not likely to realize is that she’s learning standards-aligned Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum while playing.

Each of our IF… chapters contains one month’s worth of “in class” lessons. These are lessons that our experts have taught to success in schools for over three decades. The lessons are now delivered through the spoken and written words of IF… characters and vivid in-game experiences.Behind the scenes” we’re assessing each choice against 20 distinct SEL skills. These are the skills we’re working to build in your child. We call these our ExSEL goals.

IF…’s 20 ExSEL goals were derived from the study of state teaching standards for SEL, as well as experts from Yale, CASEL, The Nueva School and KIPP’s Character Report Card.

YouDog is a Zen master and a master of Social and Emotional Learning.

Depending on whether your children choose to be a dog or a cat, they will have a dog-guide or cat-guide to help them along their adventure. If they choose to be a dog, YouDog will be their guide. YouDog is a Zen master of SEL. He’s wise, slow and a bit dramatic, and he cares deeply about helping others. YouDog will help your children unlock the secrets of planet Ziggurat and of Greenberry. He’ll guide them in learning how to use Social and Emotional skills to bring the dogs and cats back into harmony and restore Greenberry to its flourishing state.

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