Education For Live - Masters Of Education

November 29, 2021

A Proclamation on National Physical Fitness And Sports Month, 2021

Despite the unprecedented challenges and disruptions of the past year, we continue to see examples of Americans finding innovative ways to stay active and healthy. Some have moved their workouts into their living rooms or garages. Others have taken up new sports. Many have simply rediscovered the satisfaction of a walk through their neighborhood. Despite this creativity, far too many people struggle to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives. Socioeconomic disparities, lack of opportunities for safe play, and limited access to programs for increased activity are just a few of the inequities that many Americans face — inequities that have been further exacerbated by the pandemic. During this National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we encourage all Americans to stay active for their health and wellbeing. Whether by pursuing a more active lifestyle, making physical activity a priority and an essential part of everyday living, or supporting efforts in local communities that increase access to sports and physical fitness opportunities for all, participating in physical activities leads to a healthier lifestyle.

Physical activity is one of the best tools we have to help combat chronic diseases experienced by over half of all Americans. Even a single session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can boost your mood, sharpen your focus, reduce your stress, and improve your sleep. More regular physical activity — over months or years — can contribute to a reduced risk of depression, heart disease, several types of cancer, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

No matter our age or ability, the more that we can make regular physical activity and participation in sports a part of our lives, the better off both we and our Nation will be. Greater amounts of physical activity can have positive effects in every stage of life and lead to better overall health outcomes for both children and adults, including those with disabilities. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Move Your Way campaign provides helpful tips to encourage children and adults to meet the recommendations from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative provides a blueprint for building active communities to make it easier for all Americans to attain the physical activity they need, with a goal of getting 27 million more Americans physically active by 2027.

By transcending differences and uniting in celebration of physical activity, healthy competition, and shared enjoyment, sports are a fun and engaging way to stay active and keep fit for people of all ages. For our Nation’s youth, playing sports can also help to build confidence on and off the field, while team sports foster the added virtues of service to common causes and communal responsibility — win or lose, every game offers the opportunity to learn something new or hone your skills. Every athletic challenge is an avenue to greater mental and physical resilience. While social distancing has made participation in organized sports challenging, we can use this time to renew our focus on fundamental skills and training in preparation for a return to play, especially for young athletes.

Our Nation can and must do more to make sure that every child has the opportunity to play sports and obtain the benefits that come with play, including greater physical fitness and better health. As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that we ensure equal access to sports and fitness activities for everyone. To that end, my Administration continues to promote programs that provide opportunities for all of our young people to play sports — regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or neighborhood — in support of the National Youth Sports Strategy.

I encourage every American to discover an enjoyable exercise activity that fits into their daily routine. It does not matter how you choose to be active — whether you are trying your hand at a new sport, exploring a local park, or going for a walk or a jog in your own neighborhood, physical activity holds the key to better health and wellness. During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, let us all strive to be more active together.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2021 as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. I call upon the people of the United States to make daily physical activity a priority, to support efforts to increase access to sports opportunities in their communities, and to pursue physical fitness as an essential part of healthy living.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

November 29, 2021

Stafford Elementary School students complete kindness-based fundraiser

From Stafford County Schools:

Students at Stafford Elementary School (SES) recently completed a two-week, kindness-focused fundraising campaign named Raise Craze. During the fundraiser, students showed their appreciation to donors by completing Acts of Kindness for others. At the end of the campaign, the students completed more than 630 acts of kindness and raised more than $16,000.

“Students completed a variety of kindness acts, from picking up trash in their community to writing special letters to teachers at Stafford Elementary School. Some students even made blessing bags for the homeless,” said SES Principal Stefanie Sanders. “In addition to individual acts of kindness, the school hosted a community Chalk the Walk at the school to spread kindness messages and art.”

During the campaign, students signed their name on various sea life and applied it to the Dolphin Kindness Wall after completing an act of kindness. “Kindness is an important part of good citizenship, and we all can learn a lesson from these students about supporting one another with kindness,” said Dr. Stanley B. Jones, SCPS Interim Superintendent. “Every small act leaves a ripple of joy in the community. I encourage all of us to go out and do something nice for someone today. You never know how large an impact one small act, such as a letter of support to a child’s teacher, will make.”

As the culmination of the campaign, school administrators, with the support of the SES PTA, created a surprise Magical Celebration day on Friday, November 19. With support from the SES PTA, each grade level hallway was immersed in a different Disney movie theme. Teachers, administrators, counselors, and staff dressed as characters from the movie, enhancing the magic. “We wanted a fundraiser that meant something. The kids were so excited to complete their acts of kindness and see how being kind can make a BIG difference,” said Kathleen Meade, Stafford Elementary PTA President.

The students also were surprised with two kindness assemblies. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Department provided several displays from the special operations unit which included the SWAT Team, the K9 Unit, and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team. Guest speaker Lieutenant Diggs delivered an inspiring message addressing the importance of kindness. Stafford County Fire House 4 conducted the second assembly, providing a 100-foot fire truck. The students watched as Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Hardman, the school administrators, were raised into the air above them to read “Be Kind” by Pat Zietlow Miller.

“These two organizations are a large part of our community,” said Sanders. “They have always done kind things for us, so having them deliver a message about kindness was very powerful for our students. We hope our students remember how everything begins with just one small act, and that the message of kindness resonates with them all year.”

Photos courtesy Stafford County Schools

November 28, 2021

How COVID-19 has changed academic life

It is almost two years since COVID-19 made us dramatically evaluate our normal academic practices and go online.

In the best-case scenarios, the teaching was halted for a couple of weeks to reboot. In extreme cases, lectures and tutorials had to be moved online within a few hours of scheduled classes. For a while, Twitter had been bursting with war stories from the frontlines. A quick search of #learningandteaching provides us with a glimpse of late nights, blurry eyes, and tired eardrums.

Higher education can take away some positive lessons from the pandemic. Credit:Wayne Taylor

As an educational designer, operating in third space (with both academic and professional credentials), this has been an incredible change to witness from the inside. Week after week, my colleagues and I worked closely with academics on aspects of learning design that we never thought would be possible on such scale within such a short time.

There has been an incredible kindness amongst the learning and teaching community. People have opened their subject/course designs and shared their hopes and uncertainties for their teaching practice. Tips about teaching Zoom/ Microsoft Teams/ other video-based platform classes were regularly provided on social media. Free webinars and support trainings were offered globally. Stories from teaching sessions were shared, both successful and failed ones.

The most beautiful aspect was the sharing of a very vulnerable face of academics. In the tough competitive world, this side is often encouraged to be kept hidden. However, perhaps the susceptibility of life itself allowed us to show our exhausted, smiling, hangry, lost, and honest face.

Kids threw up on laptops; partners brought food and drinks, and might have occasionally done chicken dance in the background; a few people broke down during Zoom classrooms because they lost loved ones, attracting empathy and stirring emotions; some people were seen in their jammies; discussion about death and illness was de-tabooed; pets routinely made an appearance, sometimes as a cameo, other times as the lead participant; blatant racism was called out; internalised racism was reflected on; and empathy and sympathy was offered. COVID-19 also exposed injustices and inequalities within and at times, due to our educational systems.

There were those amongst us who wanted to keep talking about their high productivity. These individuals were universally considered as spawn of evil and shall not be discussed here.

A shout out to all the incredible educational technologists, curriculum designers, e-teaching advisers, pedagogy consultants and other third-space academics who literally held the hands of teaching staff and led them through a rather blind tunnel.

November 28, 2021

Former California mom enjoys homeschooling here

Admittedly one to always be involved in her community, Lisa Cruz has begun a Little Free Library in her front yard.

This love of books springs from her childhood, where her parents weren’t as involved as she is today in her own kids’ lives. Rather, she says she lived with an abusive stepfather for 10 years; she and a sibling, then teenagers, were sent to foster care.

“So, my childhood wasn’t full of books,” Cruz said. “If there had been little free libraries, I would have loved it because nobody took me to the library.

It was time spent with her paternal grandmother that encouraged Cruz to love books when she was very young.

“Reading somebody’s story helps you understand yours better,” Cruz said. “When you’re a child and you read a book, it’s like going into another world. It’s not escapism… it’s a distraction from pain.”

Now Cruz, through the Little Free Library, gets to relate to other people among the community through the Lending Library.

One mother approached her through the Lending Library community about what books she should give her new foster child.

Cruz, who knows what it’s like to own only “a trash bag full of clothes,” said, “When she comes, you take her somewhere… let her pick out the books she wants. They don’t have choices in their lives for very many things. Let her control what she can.”

For the love of family

This love of books and community has served Cruz well as she homeschools her kids…. which she said will change you and your kids’ lives.

“Because not only do the kids slow down, but you do to,” she said.

The Census Bureau recently reported that the number of households homeschooling their school-aged children nearly doubled between the spring and fall of 2020, growing from 5.5 to 11.1 percent. That, in large part, was due to COVID-19, according to the Institute for Family Studies. But many families are choosing to maintain homeschooling, the report said.

For Cruz, the decision to homeschool her kids sprang from wanting to be involved in her kids’ lives.

“The main thing is I can control the influences in their lives. And that’s huge because I think the majority of problems parents are dealing with, especially with teenagers, is the negative influence of certain kids,” Cruz explained.

Homeschooling helps take out the peer pressure and comparisons many students face at school. And when Cruz and her family made the move to Shelbyville from the Los Angeles, California area, the adventure just began.

“I knew when I had kids, I was going to do it all up―the holidays, books, toys, Mommy and Me―the things I didn’t have.”

From city to farm

Cruz and her husband, a retired Los Angeles police officer, have five children, ranging from 16 (the twins) to 32 years old.

They also have seven dogs and a multitude of sheep, turkeys, cows, and rabbits on their 29-acre homestead in Shelbyville.

Cruz said California was a great place to live in the 80s and 90s. But after the Reagan era, she said things turned for the worse. Her LAPD husband witnessed firsthand more crime in the city, while businesses became regulated and housing expensive.

When her husband retired in 2017, they made their plans to get out of the state and buy a farm.

“There are so many people in those states who are stuck there who don’t want to bring the same sort of things to this state. They want to escape it,” Cruz said.

The family decided on the Volunteer State, bought their 1900s farm home virtually, and packed everything up. Using an old RV and two trucks, they made it to Tennessee in five days that July of 2019.

“We really pushed,” said Cruz.

Now settled into their homestead, Cruz has her home already decorated for Christmas while her two teens finish schooling for the semester.

Homeschool life

Homeschooling is an intimidating undertaking, Cruz said. But it’s doable.

“When you think about it, you as a parent are a teacher. You teach them to talk, walk, to have manners, affection, right from wrong.” You are a teacher. And it’s a God-given right to teach your kids, Cruz said.

“I’ve always tried to be involved in my kids’ schooling. And whatever community I was in, I tried to be involved.”

Her three older kids were in public school back in California and she was involved then. But Cruz soon realized she didn’t know what her kids were being taught. And when a student brought a gun to school, that was it.

“It is overwhelming and it’s not something I ever thought I needed to do because I was just trusting the school system to do what they needed to do for the kids.”

Cruz went online, talked with other moms, and studied.

“I just did it,” Cruz said. They do follow an umbrella school, which provides what the state requires as well as what requirements need to be met for college or trade schools.

Living on a farm helps, too, as “There’s more than one way to learn.” And with online resources available like never before, Cruz finds material for her kids beyond a textbook.

They also find the time to go out to church or the recreation center with friends so they can have continuing involvement in the community.

And for her kids, Cruz says she teaches them accountability for their own futures.

“I tell them ‘It’s up to you’…You find your niche…And we kind of wing it,” Cruz joked.

Where her kids were usually withdrawn after attending a regular public school day, they are now closer, and find more time to relax and de-stress from the “go-go-go.”

Now, Cruz says, “We’ve had a much better relationships.”

November 28, 2021

Chaos to Clarity: Teaching Kindergarten Online

Online classes have been painful for every student around the globe, but it has been even more problematic for kindergarteners and, of course, their families and teachers.

A five-year-old sitting in front of her computer screen during class time and crying in frustration has been a daily scenario in most households and children who are enjoying the online classes and also at a loss, since they have very little to no practical knowledge at all.

The most important thing is to know if the children are in clarity or chaos.

Hassle for teachers:

It is definitely not possible for teachers to teach and give 100{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} knowledge during online classes. Conveying a lot of things during online classes is hard and often not possible.

Teachers and their kindergartners can watch teaching videos and discuss, but that needs focus and young students often do not care about focus.

However, kindergarten teachers can help students develop literacy skills as well as things that can only be learned once in a lifetime, such as vocabulary and background knowledge during online classes.

Kindergartners usually need a lot of movement and exploration, and these are the things that you can’t really do remotely, especially having to sit and stare at the screen.

The good thing is, young teachers use various methods to help their younger students get to know each other through distance learning.

This year and in the future when children are unable to attend schools due to the pandemic, it is important for kindergarten teachers to view their students as parents and give them their respective time to understand things.

A kindergarten teacher, Monisha Arora, says, “when such young students are made to study and understand things online, it poses greater difficulty for teachers to make them understand.”

She believes that technical issues can hamper concentration and interest in children. Students need to invest a lot of interest in understanding in online classes. Hence, teachers have to put in extra effort.

Children psychology during online kindergarten classes:

The biggest problem about missing kindergarten in person is the least emotional growth. It is impossible for them to learn to work in a group, make friends or be socially acceptable.

Children’s psychologist, Kiran Yadav says that everyone has been affected by the current pandemic but it is affecting kids even more. They are missing the playful environment which is very important for their growth.

She also believes that staying at home can badly affect their mental and physical growth equally. They become less interactive, lack of concentration, become frustrated, deal with social anxiety, low self-esteem and nervousness.

Approaches that can make online kindergarten teaching better:

But it is said that necessity is truly the mother of invention. Faced with the imperative of teaching kindergartners online, the teachers have learned, adapted, innovated and transformed the e-learning experience for KG students.

The new paradigm has now moved from chaos to clarity through various measures and reforms.

Dhwani Jaipuria, Director, SRJ Edu Services, says that kindergarten education is aimed at initiating life skills in children, such as linguistics, logistics/mathematical, spatial, bodily, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalists, and teachers, students and parents should do that even during online classes.

She also says that active learning, student engagement, proper comprehension, peer bonding, a good learning environment and making e-learning at home interesting can solve all issues faced by such young students during online classes.

Parent’s take on online kindergarten class:

Having a parent or guardian to assist kindergarten children with online learning makes a big difference.

Children with such support are more likely to do well with remote instruction, while those without it are more likely to struggle.

Visual distance learning is a way to help families teach their children at home. Students learning at home need projects, large displays and a good sound system to record teachers’ voices and peers in the classroom.

Ankita Balkrishna Sharma, who is a mother of a kindergartner, believes it is important to keep the child engaged during the whole session.

She says the teachers help with making classes more interesting for our child and we do not encounter any difficulties when it comes to maintaining focus during classes because we as parents are equally involved and keep a check every now and then.

What schools can offer:

Schools are tasked with figuring out how to maintain a sense of normality for students and teachers are the first line of defence when it comes to implementing it.

The lessons children learn should guide them when it comes to the future of schools and work to ensure that students learn.

Today, preschool teachers have covered a lot of ground in streaming online kindergarten teaching.

The main aim has been to keep the children curious to explore fresh ideas and learn new concepts through oral lessons, activities and role-playing.

A special emphasis is also being laid on their health and physical fitness. Baby yoga sessions and workout workshops are becoming a big hit among the little ones.

Do It Yourself (DIY) online activities nurture life skills in them and help to develop their fine and gross motor skills.

Virtual groups and games have led to the resumption of peer bonding.

It is true that only kindergarten education can never be a substitute for in-person teaching, but it has acquired a lot more finesse and clarity to optimize children’s learning outcomes in today’s exceptional times.

– Vaishnavi Parashar

READ 43{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} teachers unhappy with online mode of teaching in pandemic: Survey

READ Covid-19 impact: How online classes are becoming the new normal

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November 28, 2021

21 Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Toy Deals (2021): STEM Toys and Tech for Kids

The shopping event of the year is upon us. With shipping delays wreaking havoc over the holiday season, it’s best to buy now. The best STEM toys encourage the kids in your life to develop their interests, skills, and creativity. But why would we want to limit ourselves to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? Let’s say “STEAM toys” and include the arts too. We’ve curated the best Black Friday STEM toy deals. We plan to update this story regularly as more bargains emerge.

Updated November 27: We’ve added a few more deals, like Kinetic Sand and Snap Circuits.

WIRED’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday Coverage

We test products year-round and handpicked these deals. Products marked ~~(Sold Out)~~ are sold out or no longer discounted as of publishing. We’ll update this guide throughout Black Friday weekend.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

Toy Deals

Lego Classic Bricks and Plates

Photograph: Walmart

This might be out of stock depending on your location. When your kids are old enough (Lego suggests 4 years and up), there are few toys that offer such unbridled creativity. This Classic set includes 1,500 pieces in all with four base plates and a range of colored bricks that can be built into anything your little ones can imagine.

This selection of cute animal figurines comes with special non-toxic washable markers, so your kids can develop their art skills by drawing designs on them. When they get bored with the current look, they can simply wash the colors off in the sink and start again. My daughter loves these and spends hours scribbling new designs and playing with them.

Colored sand that can be molded into different shapes is fun for kids aged three years and up, and both of my kids enjoyed playing with it. This set includes a range of plastic tools to help them sculpt the sand into interesting patterns and structures. The only thing that might give you pause? The sand tends to get everywhere.

Kohls, ~~Best Buy (Expired)~~,

Both my kids played with this sturdy table that has room inside to store the large bricks. This is a great toy for toddlers who aren’t ready for anything too small or fiddly yet, and it will encourage their inner architect. The legs lock into place for play and can be folded away when they’re done.

Hobby Deals

National Geographic Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit

Photograph: National Geographic

Interesting rocks can be found just about anywhere, and budding geologists will get a kick out of this National Geographic tumbler, which turns rough rocks into dazzling gemstones. It comes with some rough rocks, grit, a strainer, and jewelry settings. It is a bit noisy, so you may want to keep it outside. Target is also offering 30 percent off a wide range of other National Geographic science activities and kits.

Packed with different circuits that can be snapped together, this is a great way for kids to learn about the basics of electronics and get a taste for putting things together. There are more than 60 parts including resistors, a microphone, a slide switch, and wires that can be used to create a lie detector, AM radio, and more.

Game Deals

Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad

Photograph: Osmo

Target, Amazon, Best Buy, PlayOsmo

Blending the digital and physical worlds, Osmo’s innovative kits appear in our Best STEM Toys guide. Kids mount their iPad or Fire tablet on the special stand and engage in educational puzzles and games by interacting with pieces on a tabletop. Your tablet’s camera picks up on the action and provides onscreen and audio feedback. Games develop skills like adding and multiplication, spelling and vocabulary, puzzle-solving and physics, learning to draw, basic coding, and more. There are fun and imaginative kits for different ages, from preschoolers up to 12-year-olds.

Target, Best Buy ($56)

For newcomers to Osmo, a starter kit is the best way forward as it includes a base for your iPad or Fire tablet. The Little Genius Starter Kit is for preschoolers.

Target, Amazon

One of our favorite family board games, Ticket to Ride challenges you to plot rail routes across North America. It’s recommended for kids aged 8 years and up, as there’s a lot of strategy involved and some math, but it doesn’t take too long to play and is a lot of fun. Ticket to Ride Europe is also on sale for $18.

Creating matching groups of tiles to get the maximum possible score from your game board sounds simple, but Azul has enough strategic depth to challenge your kids’ math, planning, and puzzle-solving skills. This is another one of our picks for the best family board games.

Target, Amazon

We have all had enough of the actual pandemic, but the board game is a family favorite. The beauty of this one is that it’s cooperative, as you adopt different roles and work together to beat the deadly viruses scouring the globe.

Tablet and Kindle Deals

Kindle Kids Edition (2019, 10th Generation)

Photograph: Amazon

For reading, devouring educational apps, playing games, or watching documentaries, a tablet can be an excellent buy for kids. While you can read on tablets, e-readers are more comfortable for the eyes and allow parents to ensure their kids are reading rather than gaming. Check out our guide to the Best Kids Tablets for more options.

Amazon, Target

A portable tablet with a protective bumper, a year of Amazon Kids+ subscription, and a two-year worry-free replacement guarantee adds up to a great deal for families with young kids (8/10, WIRED Recommends). There are lots of educational apps and games, videos and books, and solid parental controls.

Amazon, Best Buy, ~~Target (Sold Out)~~

If your kids are getting a little old for the “baby tablet” with the rubber bumper, this is an upgrade they won’t mind being seen holding. It offers all the same benefits as the smaller HD 8, including educational content from the likes of National Geographic, Rabbids Coding, and LEGO. And there’s still a protective case, though it’s a bit sleeker and has a handy kickstand.

This small, lightweight ebook reader (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the perfect size for kids and comes with a folding cover, a year of Amazon Kids+, and a promise that Amazon will replace it if it breaks within two years. It’s easy to load up ebooks, or just check them out from the local library.

Amazon, Best Buy

An upgrade on the basic Kids Kindle above, the Paperwhite boasts all the same benefits but also has a backlit screen for reading in low light or at night and the ability to withstand a short dunk in water.

Subscription Deals

Looking for more discounts on subscription services? We’ve rounded more up here.

Yousician Premium for iPad

Photograph: Yousician

Learning to play an instrument is a worthwhile pursuit for any child, and this clever app uses the built-in microphone on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to provide feedback as they play. Check out our guide to the Best Sites and Apps to Learn Music for more information.

Little Passports (Enter Code GIVEJOY at Checkout)

With a range of themed packages for different age groups, these play-based science and geography kits are packed with toys and activities that are delivered monthly. Each contains art and science activities to get stuck into, from deep sea and dinosaurs for wee ones to a road trip around the USA for older kids.

Speaker Deals

Amazon Echo Dot Kids (4th Gen)

Photograph: Amazon

The Kids version of the Amazon Echo Dot gets a cute animal makeover as a tiger or panda. It’s a full-fledged smart speaker that enables children to ask Alexa questions, play music, listen to audiobooks, and even try educational skills. Like the rest of Amazon’s Kids range, it comes with a year of Amazon Kids+ subscription ($3 per month after), solid parental controls, and a two-year worry-free guarantee.

This might be out of stock depending on your location. With songs and stories featuring some of your kids’ favorite Disney and Pixar characters, this durable kid-friendly speaker is a great alternative to screens. Children place a plastic figurine, like Woody from Toy Story, on top of the speaker to trigger related content. Additional packs with other character tie-ins are available for everything from Disney princesses to Sesame Street characters. You can also record your own stories and songs or have grandparents record so they can read to your little ones from afar. The basic Toniebox Starter Set is also on offer for $70 ($30 off) at Amazon.

Other Deals

Photograph: SBenitez/Getty Images

This tempting Target promotion allows you to pick three items from a wide selection of books, video games, and board games, but only pay for two. There are a few educational options in there and lots of things to encourage creativity and puzzle-solving.

Got a Yoto Player (7/10, WIRED Recommends)? It’s a cute-looking speaker that kids can insert cards into to play stories and podcasts. The speaker itself isn’t on sale, but Yoto is offering 10 percent off cards and accessories, which can be handy if your kid needs a batch of new content.

More WIRED Black Friday and Cyber Monday Coverage

Retailer Sale Pages and Coupons

Want to browse the Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 sales yourself? Here are a few places offering deals. Be sure to check out our many buying guides and gift guides for additional ideas.