It's not everyone who dreams of building a pinhole camera out of an old van, and perhaps fewer who would go to the effort of applying for a Lilly grant through the Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship program to do it. However, Nicole L. Croy, Carroll High School's photography teacher, did.
Much to her surprise and delight the Lilly Foundation thought it was a great idea, too.
Croy was recently awarded a $10,000 grant to make her dream a reality.
Every year the foundation awards a maximum of 100 grants of $10,000 each to Indiana teachers through their fellowship program for professional renewal projects.
Croy said she first became interested in building pinhole cameras 10 years ago. A pinhole camera is much like any other camera except a person can use any type of a light-tight container, from a pop can to an oatmeal container. A “pinhole” is then poked in one end, which serves as the lens. Photographic material, either film or light-sensitive paper, is placed at the other end. A piece of black tape, or any other lightproof substance can be placed over the hole when the camera is not in use. When in use the tape is removed from the pinhole and the film or light-sensitive paper is exposed.
It takes a little trial and error to figure out the correct exposure, and the smaller the hole the longer the exposure takes. The tradeoff is the smaller the hole the sharper the image. Just like F stops on a lens, the smaller the aperture, the more light it takes to expose the photo and the greater the depth of field, or area of the photograph that is in focus.
Croy has built pinhole cameras out of everything from cigar boxes to 50-gallon drums.
The drum, Croy said, is a panoramic pinhole camera. It has five holes around the outside. Two large sheets of photographic paper are wrapped around a piece of PVC pipe on the inside, placed in the center.
The only problem with the camera, said Croy, was she kept getting herself in the photo. Short of climbing on top of the drum, it can't be avoided. Her solution was to run around in circles, which adds a “ghosting” image in the photograph. So, somehow, it seemed like a normal progression to think about a van.
“I can drive to my location. Then literally climb into the camera to take the image,” Croy said.
With a pinhole through the back of the van and a very large sheet of film or paper stretched across the back wall she can watch as the image appears. She's not sure how long it will take for the exposures, which means she could be sitting in the van for up to two hours. She is planning on painting the van to make it look like a giant camera. She wants people to have an inkling of what she is doing when she drives up, parks and then climbs into the back of the van for two hours, sometimes with her 9-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son.
“I don't want people to think something “creepy” is going on,” Croy said with a laugh.
She said it could be that her images turn out to be a montage of people coming up to look at the van. Right now she is thinking less about content and location and more about the process of taking the photos and processing the large prints.
“The cool thing is to be inside the camera and watch it expose,” Croy said.
To develop the oversized, 4-by-8-foot images she will either use a long, oversized trough to roll them in the chemistry or possibly on the floor of her art room with a mop. Down the road she would like to do a show and a workshop and, of course, use the van as a teaching tool for her photo students at Carroll.
“I love being a teacher more then being an artist. If you were going to pay me $100,000 to do one or the other I would choose teaching in a heartbeat,” Croy said.
Croy has grown the photography program at Carroll from a single introductory-level class to five levels. Croy, a Snider High School graduate, got her undergraduate degree in photography and art education at Ball State. A few years ago she got her master of fine arts in photography at the University of Saint Francis.


AVT 494:Teaching Critical Responses to Art Jenna Rinalducci Liaison Librarian firstname.lastname@example.org or 703-993-3720 http://infoguides.gmu.edu/art March 26, 2012
Library Resources http://library.gmu.edu• Library catalog: books, e-books, DVDs, CDs• Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC)• InfoGuides & Research Portals• Research Databases
Guides Created Just for You!• Art InfoGuide: http://infoguides.gmu.edu/art• AVT 494 InfoGuide: http://infoguides.gmu.edu/avt494• Art Education Research Portal: http://gmutant.gmu.edu/arted
Research Databases• Art Full Text• Art & Architecture Complete• Art Bibliographies Modern• Design & Applied Arts Index (DAAI)• International Bibliography of Art• Bibliography History of Art (BHA)• Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
More Databases• JSTOR• Humanities International Complete• Academic Search Complete• ERIC• Education Research Complete• Education Full Text• ARTstor• Art Museum Image Gallery• Oxford Art Online
The Research Process (Formally speaking)• Define Your Topic (Identify main concepts; Narrow or broaden topic; List of search terms )• Determine Your Information Needs (how current, specific publication type)• Locate and Retrieve Relevant Information (search strategies)• Access Information using Technology (catalog, databases, web)• Evaluate Information (print & electronic)• Use Information Ethically (cite sources)
The Research Process (More practically speaking)1. Pick a topic2. Where to search (databases)2.3.3. How to search (keywords)4.4. How to get it (find the article)5.5. Is what I’ve got any good?6. Write the paper, project, etc.
Search Strategies: The Starbucks Syndrome• Keyword:– Simplest search– Looks for records that match the words typed but not ideas represented by the words• Controlled Vocabulary (Subjects):– Uses subject headings for more refined results– Looks for book/article records that match your focus & then check out the subjects attached– Terms are standardized– Often active links• Keyword: Mary Cassatt VS Subject Heading: Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926• Keyword: Shroud of Turin VS Subject Heading: Holy Shroud
Example:John F. Kennedy, 1963Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989)Oil on canvas262.9 x 115.6 x 6.4cmNational Portrait Gallery, SmithsonianInstitution
Brainstorm• John F. Kennedy OR John Fitzgerald Kennedy OR Jack Kennedy OR JFK• Elaine de Kooning OR De Kooning, Elaine• Women artists• Oil on canvas OR Oil painting• Presidential OR President or President of the United States• Portrait OR Portraiture• Nineteen sixties OR Sixties OR 1960s OR 196*• Washington, D.C. OR Massachusetts
Example:Juliette Gordon Low, 1887Edward HughesOil on canvas167 x 130.8 x 10.2cmNational Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Brainstorm• Juliette Gordon Low OR Low, Juliette Gordon• Edward Hughes OR Hughes, Edward• Oil on canvas OR Oil painting• Girl Scouts OR Girl Scouts of the United States of America• Portrait painting OR Portraiture• William Mackay Low (who commissioned the painting)• Nineteenth century• Savannah, Georgia
Evaluate Your Sources• Evaluate the sources you find!• Print AND Online• CRAAP Test: • Currency—Is the information out-of-date? • Relevance—Is the information on topic? • Authority—Who wrote the information? • Accuracy—Is the information correct? • Purpose—What is the information intended to do? Educate? Persuade? Entertain?
Questions?• Visual Arts Liaison: Jenna Rinalducci – email@example.com – 703-993-3720• Stop by the Reference Desk• Ask-a-Librarian: IM, Email, etc. (http://library.gmu.edu/ask)• Call the reference desk or your liaison• InfoGuides (http://infoguides.gmu.edu/art)• Make a research appointment


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The Art Gallery of New South Wales is an expansive art museum located in the heart of Sydney, Australia. It operates as the official gallery for the state of New South Wales and is primarily supported through government-held trusts. Some of the more popular collections include the museum’s expansive stock of aboriginal artwork, as well as its galleries devoted to Victorian English and other Western European works. The museum supports a robust educational agenda and regularly hosts a number of school groups, informational seminars, and free or low-cost lecture series.
One of the founding aims of the Art Gallery of New South Wales was to make art and art education available to all residents of Sydney, as well as attracting art lovers from other parts of Australia. The New South Wales government established what would be the precursor to the museum when it formed the New South Wales Academy of Art by executive charter in 1871. Some art classes were offered at the academy, though lectures and informational exhibits were the primary focus.
The state government purchased the initial exhibition pieces from Europe. For a time, the academy was focused exclusively on English and Western European masterpieces. As the collection grew, however, it slowly began to include a number of local artists’ work, as well as work donated by wealthy or well-traveled patrons. By 1895, the gallery was expansive enough to move to its own permanent location, and for the first time it was formally called the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The academy continued to persist independently for several years, but was completely subsumed by the gallery in the mid-1900s.
Owing in part to this academic connection, art education and cultural literacy remains one of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ top agenda items. Gallery curators put on a wide variety of seminars each month, and regular lecture series both for and by artists are usually just as frequent. Museums and kids go particularly well at the gallery, as well, with a number of school groups enjoying exclusive curricula and tailored tours. Most of the permanent collections have been digitized and can be freely accessed from any Internet connection. Though the museum regularly attracts art lovers from across the globe, visiting Australia is no longer required to view the museum’s masterpieces.
The museum boasts one of the largest collections of permanent art of any Australian museum. It maintains the core of European art upon which it was founded, but also includes expansive collections of aboriginal, Australian colonial, and Asian art, particularly Asian religious icons. Modern and contemporary art is housed on a rotating basis in the temporary exhibition space. Each year the museum also sponsors a seasonal collection showcasing the best of studio artwork produced by Sydney-area graduating high school students.
Most of the museum’s acquisitions and operating expenses are government-funded, which is common amongst Australian museums, particularly those designated as official state galleries. A 1980 law, the “Art Gallery of New South Wales Act,” provides for a government trust and structured endowment to support the museum’s mission into perpetuity. This law is an update of an act of the same name that was originally drafted in the 1950s, at about the time when the New South Wales Academy of Art merged completely into the art gallery. Some funding also comes from private donations and charitable gifts, though the law often dictates how these outside contributions must be allocated.
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To become a clarinet teacher, it is necessary to have experience and skill with the clarinet in addition to training in musical pedagogy. The requirements to become a clarinet teacher vary, depending on how and where someone wants to teach. A career in teaching music requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as music teachers work with a variety of different people in the course of their work. A love for music is also, of course, critical whether someone chooses to focus on classical or modern music.
If one's interest lies in private instruction, the primary qualification needed is skill. Private instructors are skilled clarinet players who usually have positions with bands or orchestras, or have experience in such positions. People with credits, such as recordings, are more likely to find clients and can charge higher fees for their services. Private instructors may offer instruction in their homes and studios or travel to the homes of students for sessions. A person who wants to become a clarinet teacher offering private lessons may pursue a degree in music or music theory along with professional experience in order to be appealing to students.
Music teachers who teach in public schools are also required to have teaching certificates. If someone intends to become a clarinet teacher who works in a school environment or thinks that such an environment might be of interest, a bachelor's degree in musical education is required at a minimum. Obtaining a master's degree will provide more job opportunities, as well as more in-depth training. Since music education programs require students to complete auditions, experience and skill with the clarinet is also required.
Once a prospective clarinet teacher has graduated from college, an examination can be taken to receive a teaching certificate. This qualifies the teacher to work in the schools. People who are qualified in the schools can also provide private instruction. The primary benefit provided through certification is job flexibility. Once someone has become a clarinet teacher with a teaching certification, it is possible to teach anywhere.
The most qualified clarinet teacher in the world will not succeed without networking and establishing a client base. Teachers who want to work in the schools need to be able to successfully complete interviews and maintain a high standard of behavior and teaching quality to retain their jobs. A clarinet teacher who offers private instruction needs promotional skills in order to reach clients. A person who wants to become a clarinet teacher should think about how to attract and retain students in order to make the job sustainable.
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Are YOU a Bass Player?...
What is StudyBass?
- FREE bass lessons, tools and resources.
- Lessons are based on my tens of thousands of hours teaching hundreds of students over 20 years.
- Start from zero and learn step-by-step. Lessons are highly-organized so you don't get lost.
The StudyBass Approach
StudyBass is for bass creators—bassists who want to use the bass in a creative, original way.
Anyone can learn to play other peoples' basslines and bass solos. Does learning to recite a poem make you a poet? No! And, that's where StudyBass is different...
The goal of StudyBass is to educate you on how music works and how to create your own basslines and solos, not just to parrot those of others.
Bass—The Misunderstood Instrument
Bass is a unique instrument. Unfortunately, it is often taught the same way as other instruments causing lots of needless confusion for the student.
Don't waste years of precious practice time learning the wrong things.
Even good lessons are ineffective when presented to the student in the wrong order or at the wrong point in his or her development.
On StudyBass I've organized and paced my bass lessons based on seeing hundreds of students learn to play the bass.
What Does StudyBass Cover?
Technique, Harmony, Rhythm, Music Reading, All Styles, Fretboard Note Names, and there's lots more on the way.
I've been teaching private bass lessons since 1993.
I've taught tens of thousands of lessons to well over 2000 students.
In 2003, I started developing StudyBass—my dream of the best bass lessons on the net.
Everything you see on StudyBass was created by me. I think you'll see my passion and commitment to help you become a great musician and bassist.
I love music. I love the bass. And, I love teaching it to you.
First, read over the using the site page. That will help you understand how the site's features work and how I expect you to use it.
Next, go to the bass lesson study guide and get started with the lessons. Even if you feel like you know the contents of a lesson already, go through it anyway. Most of the lessons build on prior lessons. If you skip ahead, you may end up lost.
Recent StudyBass Interview
I did a fun interview with Smart Bass Blog discussing StudyBass, me, music education, and more.
Check it out!
StudyBassers Are Saying:
Man since I have been studying your course it has made a huge impact on my playing. I have spent hundreds of dollars on bass guitar programs but I have never seen anything that can compare to the bass lessons that you have written.
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In a nut shell you start out presuming I do not know a thing about the bass or music (true) and build a foundation from that perspective. Thank you.
I want to thank you for all your effort into this website. I think it's fantastic. I've learned a ton about music in the past couple months. From knowing next to nothing on the bass, I'm already in a band and getting better every week. Keep it up!


“Given sufficient attention and support, young people can have the chance to grow up healthy and whole both in body and in mind. What is at stake are not only the precious individual lives of our young people but our national health and our future as a nation.” - Fred M. Hechinger
At Amy Biehl High School, freshmen are required to take one semester of Fitness. This class is a comprehensive Health and Physical Education class that addresses Wellness, Integrated Skills, Drugs and Medicines, Human Relationships and Sexuality, Motor Skill Development, and Fitness. Students learn that good health is necessary for effective learning. The curriculum not only prepares them to be better students, but it will help them become more productive community members by reinforcing The Amy Biehl High School Habits of Heart and Mind. Students gain an understanding of these habits, while obtaining critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, cooperative and collaborative qualities, self management skills, and communications skills. Upon completion of this course, I believe that our students will be happier, healthier, more confident. PE provides instruction and development of skills in human movement, physical activities, and physical fitness.
Amy Biehl High School also has several after school sports teams including volleyball, basketball and soccer. For details, contact Maribeth Dvorak at firstname.lastname@example.org.


Reading inventory shows SSISD students on track
100 percent of Lamar Elementary second graders at recommended level by end of the year
By FAITH HUFFMAN, News-Telegram News Editor
June 22, 2008 - How well do your first and second graders read? Are there techniques they need a little extra help to master?
At least twice a year, teachers across the state are required to administer tests designed to answer those questions. The Texas Primary Reading Inventory is administered at the beginning and end of the school year to first and second graders to see just how they're doing, how much progress they've made, if they're reaching targeted goals and if they read as fluently as they should.
"It's a diagnostic [tool] where we evaluate their skills and individuals and figure out what they need to work on, who to pull out in small groups for help, things like that," said Connie Mabe, Sulphur Springs Independent School District director of elementary education, who recently presented overall TPRI results to school trustees.
Each test is divided into three parts, phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge and reading comprehension. Phonemic awareness checks how well the student blends word parts and detects initial and final sounds. Graphophonemic knowledge includes initial and final consonant substitution, middle vowel substitution, initial blending substitution and blending in final position. Reading comprehension gauges reading accuracy levels or rate of fluency, and handling of explicit and implicit questions.
Any student rated as "still developing" on any of the three skills areas at the beginning of the school year received accelerated reading intervention with literacy support teachers.
While it may seem redundant to test both at the beginning and end of the school year, there's a definite benefit. Not only does it show current results for new students for whom no data may be available, but it also shows how well the material was maintained over the summer, or if student's reading skills regressed.
According to the data, first graders (not including bilingual students) showed significant gains in reading levels. When the 2007-2008 school year began, only 143 of the 268 first graders tested were "reading at instructional or independent level." At the end of the school year, 255 of the 268 first graders tested had met the mark.
The majority of SSISD second graders -- 240 of the 264 tested -- were already reading at or above a second grade level when the year began. At the end of the year, 245 of the 253 tested (some moved out of the district) were reading at the targeted level.
Lamar Elementary School's second graders and their teachers should be applauded -- all students tested were reading at the recommended level at the end of the year. It was the only SSISD campus to reach 100 percent.
Bilingual students also showed good progress. At the beginning of the year, only 11 of the 47 bilingual first graders tested on both the English and Spanish reading exams were "reading at instructional or independent level." By the end of the year, 36 of the 46 bilingual first graders tested were reading at the recommended level.
Bilingual second graders did a bit better at the beginning of the school year, with 24 of the 36 students (67 percent) taking both tests meeting expectations. At year's end, 31 of the 39 bilingual second graders (80 percent) tested had met the recommended standards.
Other data show SSISD first graders did better at meeting fluency standards than second graders. Overall, 117 of the 268 first graders tested were able to read 60 or more words per minute by the end of the school year. Only 67 of the 253 second graders tested were able to read 90 or more words fluently per minute.
"Fluently" is an important consideration, because there's more focus on comprehending groups of words -- sentence, paragraphs, etc. -- for second graders, Mabe said. In essence, second graders in the spring are introduced to harder stories with more difficult questions.
"The stories have more difficulty," Mabe noted. "It helps with their level of comprehension if what they are reading is not broken down into individual words and pieces of words, or fragments, instead of whole sentences."
The scores help determine which students need more instruction in summer school.
"A lot digress in the summer," Mabe said. "Maybe they don't pick up books to read. This will help them."
The curriculum is designed to begin preparing the students for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test they will be required to take during spring of following year as third graders.
At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, third grade teachers will look at the data for each second grader and conduct another student assessment to decide which students need additional help from reading intervention teachers.


Selecting And Utilizing Recreational Reading Materials For The Middle School Classroom
Reading is a necessary and critical skill one needs to develop to communicate effectively in today's highly advanced and ever changing society. It is imperative that teachers around the world understand the importance of literacy development for struggling readers and aim to better understand their students' individual needs and abilities. More specifically, it is important that teachers provide equal access to reading opportunities and make an effort to provide appropriate
and interesting reading materials in the classroom setting.
The purpose of this study was to determine the reading attitudes and interests of middle school students and to assess how well these interests were being met through the use of recreational reading practices in the classroom, as well as the available reading materials accessible to them in the classroom. A student reading survey was administered to middle school students in suburban elementary school classrooms in Northwest Ohio. A semi structured informal interview was conducted with the classroom teacher.
This study identified three main findings that are of significance to literacy instruction in the middle school grades. First, there is a disconnect between student and teacher opinions on the effectiveness of classroom library materials meeting the reading interests of middle school students. Whereas teachers claim their classroom libraries are adequately supplied with a variety of materials that are engaging and of interest to students, students are claiming they are dissatisfied with the materials and tend to spend more of their time and efforts seeking reading materials from alternative sources. Second, students are showing interest in spending 30 or more minutes reading each day in school. This positive stance regarding reading needs to be encouraged by providing multiple opportunities for reading a variety of text. Lastly, there is a significant difference in how different teachers approach the use of classroom libraries. Each teacher maintains a different purpose for the classroom library and the role it plays in daily reading instruction, therefore playing a large role in students' reading experiences.
School:Bowling Green State University
School Location:USA - Ohio
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:classroom libraries book selection boys motivation to read recreational reading materials
Date of Publication:01/01/2009


Child Development: A Starter List
Albrecht, K. M., & Miller, L. G. (2001). Infant & toddler development. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House.
Written for teachers beginning their teaching careers, and those who want to expand on what they need to know to work more effectively with infants and toddlers.
Call# 305.232 A341i
Berk, L. E. (2006). Child development. Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Comprehensive textbook on child development. Includes research, social issues, cultural influences, biology and environment, and milestone charts.
Call# 305.231 B512c7
Berk, L. E. (2005). Infants, children, and adolescents. Boston MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Another book by the author above with a similar layout but includes adolescents.
Call# 305.231 B512i5
Cohen, D. (1972). The learning child. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
Focuses on child development, elementary education, and parent participation.
Call# 372.01 C678L
Cole, M., Cole, S. & Lightfoot, C. (2009). The development of children. (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth.
Popular classic textbook on child development.
Call# 155.4 C689d6
Fogel, A. (2009). Infancy, infant, family and society. (5th ed.). Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY: Sloan.
Discusses theories of infant developement, and stages from birth to thirty-six months
Call# 305.232 F655i5
Miller, K. (2001). Ages and stages: Developmental descriptions and activities, birth through eight years. West Palm Beach, FL: Telshare.
Primary focus of this book is on how developmental stages and behaviors show up in group child care situations. A very readable book.
Call# 155.4 M647a 2001
Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks: Children in the classroom, ages 4-14. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children
A good starter book. Each year has it's own chapter and handy reference charts on growth patterns, what each year is like in the classroom, and pointers on curriculum.
Call# 305.231 W874y3


by Patricia Hughes
Your baby is just about ready to be born. The lungs finish developing this month. When they are developed, they release a substance called surfactant. This helps the baby breathe at birth. Recent research suggests this substance may have another purpose. It is believed it may signal the mother’s body to begin the labor process.
The baby is settling down into a fetal position. As the baby moves lower in the pelvis, breathing may become easier. This is called lightening. The baby rolls and moves, but kicks are lighter. You may notice more regular pattern of sleeping and waking. Some mothers say their newborns continue these patterns after birth.
Keep in mind that your due date is only an estimate. Babies can be born any time between thirty seven and forty two weeks. You should be ready to go to the hospital. If you haven’t packed your bag yet, now is the time. Finalize all plans for child care for your older children, if this is not your first pregnancy. Good planning will help make things smoother when the big day arrives.
The baby is full grown this month. He is gaining about a half a pound each week. The baby will be born weighing between six and ten pounds. About seven and a half pounds is considered average. The average length is between eighteen and twenty two inches in length.
After the thirty sixth week of pregnancy, you will have weekly visits at the doctor’s office. At thirty eight weeks, some doctors and midwives do an internal exam. This is to look for any changes in the cervix. Keep in mind that this isn’t an exact science. Many women have had a visit that showed no changes in the cervix, only to go into labor that night. Don’t be discouraged if the cervix isn’t dilating at this visit.
You may notice your Braxton Hicks contractions are coming more frequently. They may be stronger as well. As they get stronger, you may wonder if labor is approaching. If you aren’t sure, drink some water and lie down. This change of positions is often enough to stop Braxton Hicks contractions. Real labor would continue to progress even after you lie down.
Talk to your doctor about labor. Ask about the protocol in that office. Each doctor handles this differently. Ask when you should call the doctor. Should you call first or go straight to the hospital. Most doctors tell patients to come when the contractions are at least five minutes apart, lasting for one minute and have been that way for an hour. If you have had a fast labor in the past, you may be told to come in sooner.
For many women, the last month of pregnancy is the most difficult. Backache is very common during the last month. You may be very tired. Frequent trips to the bathroom and difficulty in getting comfortable can interfere with sleep. Try to rest during the day to make up for lost sleep at night. Keep in mind that the pregnancy is quickly coming to an end. You will be holding your new baby very soon.
Patricia Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four. Patricia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. She has written extensively on pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding. In addition, she has written about home décor and travel.
No part of this article may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express permission of More4Kids Inc © and All Rights Reserved


You can give a boy a doll, but you can’t make him play with it
Anthony Pellegrini, a professor of early childhood education at the University of Minnesota, defines the kind of rough-and-tumble play that boys favor as a behavior that includes “laughing, running, smiling, jumping, open-hand beating, wrestling, play fighting, chasing and fleeing.” This kind of play is often mistakenly regarded as aggression, but according to Pellegrini, it is the very opposite. In cases of schoolyard aggression, the participants are unhappy, they part as enemies, and there are often tears and injuries. Rough-and-tumble play brings boys together, makes them happy, and is a critical party of their social development.
Researchers Mary Ellin Logue (University of Maine) and Hattie Harvey (University of Denver ) agree, and they have documented the benefits of boys’ “bad guy” superhero action narratives. Teachers tend not to like such play, say Logue and Harvey, but it improves boys’ conversation, creative writing skills, and moral imagination. Swedish boys, like American boys, are languishing far behind girls in school. In a 2009 study Logue and Harvey ask an important question the Swedes should consider: “If boys, due to their choices of dramatic play themes, are discouraged from dramatic play, how will this affect their early language and literacy development and their engagement in school?”
What about the girls? Nearly 30 years ago, Vivian Gussin Paley, a beloved kindergarten teacher at the Chicago Laboratory Schools and winner of a MacArthur “genius” award, published a classic book on children’s play entitled Boys & Girls: Superheroes in the Doll Corner. Paley wondered if girls are missing out by not partaking in boys’ superhero play, but her observations of the “doll corner” allayed her doubts. Girls, she learned, are interested in their own kind of domination. Boys’ imaginative play involves a lot of conflict and imaginary violence; girls’ play, on the other hand, seems to be much gentler and more peaceful. But as Paley looked more carefully, she noticed that the girls’ fantasies were just as exciting and intense as the boys—though different. There were full of conflict, pesky characters and imaginary power struggles. “Mothers and princesses are as powerful as any superheroes the boys can devise.” Paley appreciated the benefits of gendered play for both sexes, and she had no illusions about the prospects for its elimination: “Kindergarten is a triumph of sexual self-stereotyping. No amount of adult subterfuge or propaganda deflects the five-year-old’s passion for segregation by sex.”


Mr. Michael Delahunt
Graphic Design 1 & 2
Deadline: Wednesday, December 12th.
Stationery is every company's way of telling others who they are. Often, designers and clients underestimate the power they have over the perception of others when they create an organization's stationery. Rather than thinking in terms of producing stationery that reflects the way a company sees itself, think along the lines of "How do they want others to see them?"
It's considerably easier to push the associations between perception and reality with stationery than it is in real life. Someone who is part of a two-person company who shows a well-designed business card can leave its recipient with the same (or better) impression than someone else who shows a card from a multimillion-dollar corporation.
Search for the best possible visual layout with color, imagery, typography, and paper to tell the world who the client is.
Assignment: Choose one of the companies for which you designed a logo in the previous assignment. Now, incorporating their logo, design three different layouts to propose for each of these three elements of the company's stationery:
1. letterhead -- 8.5 inch x 11 inch sheets for letters
2. business-size envelopes -- 4.125 inches x 9.5 inches
3. business card -- 2 inches x 3.5 inches
- You must use Adobe Illustrator to produce the final image of each design proposal.
- You may use PhotoShop to create parts of what you produce in Illustrator.
- Pay attention to where you place the address, email, Web URL, and telephone information in relationship to the logo.
- Make room for and suggest a "tag line" (also called the company's "slogan") on every letterhead and business card design. An example: "Our customers are our top priority."
- One of the letterhead designs must employ a 5-30% gray screened image of the logo or a part of the logo in the background.
- One of the letterhead designs must include a list of ten members of the company's board of directors (use greeking).
- At least two of the letterhead designs must employ asymmetrical balance.
- Indicate the space where the letter will be typed in with three different means, such as surrounding it with a line, or an area of a different color, or a different texture.
- Print the final proposals at actual size, paperclip them together in the order listed above. Each sheet must be marked on one edge of its front side with your first and last name, and class-period number. Hand this in to Mr. Delahunt by the end of class on the due date.
Complete and hand in your 3 letterhead designs, 3 business-size envelope designs, and 3 business card designs, as specified above by: Wednesday, December 12th.
Return to Graphic Design Course
ArtLex has thousands of articles about art terms used in art production, art criticism, art history, aesthetics, and art education. I created ArtLex for my students, to help them increase their understanding of art concepts, readings, writings, and conversations. Some of the hyperlinks found on the pages about my elementary art program will take you to ArtLex articles about terms on these pages.
I have taught art at three elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified School district (northeastern Phoenix and north Scottsdale) from 1986-. I began publishing information about my classes on the Web in 1995. I taught at Pinnacle High School during the 2001-2002 school year, and posted these lessons that year. I will maintain them as time permits.
Please send your comments to
Copyright © 2001 -Michael
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Media Arts is a part of Art and Design Education. The rationale for it to have it’s own page is rooted in the ever-changing access and utilization of technology and processes to create, communicate, and investigate art.
Wisconsin continues to be vigilant in its pursuit of effective arts practices and resources to assist in the growth of students in the arts. Media Arts programs, as in Art and Design Education, include Visual Thinking in the areas of:
- Design (Utilitarian Art through environment design like architecture, landscape, urban planning, interior design, etc.; object design like products, furniture, transportation, fashion, appliances, etc.; information design like publications, websites, video, film, photography, etc.; and experience design like interactive exhibits, toys, games, events, theme parks, etc.)
- Visual Communication (Information Art involving maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, media tools etc.)
- Visual Culture (Everyday Art exploring one’s own and other’s culture which may involve crafts, festivals, costumes, mascots, lawn decorations, folk art, etc.)
- Fine Art (Professional Art through drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, media arts, and so on)
Specific media arts information is available within portions of two publications - Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Art and Design (2000), and A Guide to Curriculum Planning in Art Education. You may purchase each guide at DPI Publication Sales or 800-243-8782. An updated version of Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Art and Design Education is anticipated to be released at the end of 2012.
- 21st Century Art Skills Map
- Art Education 2.0 community arts site
- National Education Technology Plan
- Envisioning the Future of Education
This page is a work in progress, focusing on tools, resources, and effective educational strategies, and examples that support media arts and technology use in the arts. For further information about media arts in Wisconsin, follow the links on the left of this page.
If you have any questions or wish to share your ideas about media arts and technology use in the arts, please contact Julie Palkowski (608) 261-7494.


Links to other pages on this website:
TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO LIFE
IEP Checklist iphone application
The IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides that children with disabilities will be served from birth through 21 years old. The ESE (Exceptional Student Education) Department of the School District of Palm Beach County provides these services from age 3 through the school year of a student's 22nd birthday. The child moves from a Family Support Plan to an IEP, Individualized Education Plan. This transition from receiving therapies to writing goals related to educational objectives is challenging at times and families should educate themselves on the differences and how they may affect their child.
Benefits of Preschool Inclusive Services
Early Childhood Learning Info from Florida Center for Inclusive Communities
Florida Center for Parent Involvement
Gold Coast provides training opportunities for families whose children will be transitioning to preschool or kindergarten. The trainer discusses the differences between services in early intervention, preschool, and kindergarten, the IEP process, what to expect, and how to prepare. Educational Advocacy is a project of the organization. Families may be supported through the IEP process with information and training. The IEP document, developed through a partnership between school and home is driven by a student's present level of performance and indicates the point at which to develop goals that will lead to academic and social success. A student will have an IEP as long as they are receiving special education services. Your child has the right to go to school and the right to have a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). For more information about the law go to www.wrightslaw.com
IEP GOAL BANK
IEP SPEECH GOAL BANK
NDSS Elementary and Secondary Education Information
NDSC Position Statement on Quality Education for Students with Down syndrome
NDSC Position Statement on Inclusive Education for Students with Down syndrome
Families have discovered that the education of a child with Down syndrome is positively impacted when parents participate in the process with school as an equal partner. This means communicating with your child's teachers, working with your child at home on all aspects of education: academic, social and behavioral; and knowing what your child is currently able to do at the time the IEP is written. Often this is accomplished by keeping records (data collection) at home.
Children with Down syndrome want to be independent just like their typical peers and it is important that parents provide learning opportunities to move in this direction. Parents often report that they feel unequipped to "teach" their children so we will use this webpage to list links to various education related websites. Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization wants to help you work with your child at home to achieve their greatest success in a home/school partnership and open doors in the community. Please let us know of more links to post here. Contact us at email@example.com or by phone 561-912-1231.
Links (some of these resources are available in our lending library):
The Learning Program
Tag Reading System
Magic School Bus Interactive


By Jan Baumel, M.S.
The goals of reading are to understand written text, integrate new ideas, and generalize from what is read. As a parent, what should you know about reading comprehension to help your child improve his skills and achieve those goals?
Your child can't understand what he's read unless he has a way to figure the words out. Research has shown that poor readers "guess," an inefficient way to approach new text. Good readers, however, use decoding skills.
Phonemic awareness precedes learning to read print. Your young child needs to be able to hear speech sounds of the language and tell them apart, isolate sounds, and break words up into separate sounds.
In order to build decoding skills, your child needs to be able to match those sounds to letters of the alphabet and blend the sounds to make words. This is phonics instruction.
If your child struggles as he sounds out each word, he'll have trouble remembering what he's read by the time he comes to the end of the sentence or paragraph. So once he's learned how to decode words, he needs to read quickly and fluently to remember and understand what he's read.
In order to achieve this goal, he requires many opportunities to read out loud. Research has shown that practice in oral reading, not silent reading, makes the process of reading effortless. So take time to listen to him read aloud and help him through the difficult words.
Expand oral language.
For most kids, listening comprehension develops at a faster speed and remains at a higher level than reading comprehension. Your child can't understand what he's read unless he understands the material when it's read aloud to him. In order to decide whether reading makes sense, your child needs well-developed oral language skills, including:
Learning the meaning of new words.
The larger his vocabulary becomes, the easier it will be for him to relate words to the context of the sentence, paragraph, or story. His vocabulary continually increases in complexity as he converses and reads. You can help by introducing new words and explaining the words he doesn't know.
Studying word parts and changes in the inflection of words.
If your child knows the meaning of a root word ("kind"), then he'll know what the new word means when the prefix ("un"/not) or suffix ("ness"/state of being) is added. He also needs to see that meaning changes when word pronunciation changes, e.g., "I took a birthday present to the party, and I will present it before the cake is served."
Understanding meanings and relationships between words.
Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings ("bucket/pail"), and antonyms are opposites ("good/bad"). Your child may need help learning figures of speech, such as, "It's raining cats and dogs," in order to understand what he's reading.
Knowing the rules for putting words into meaningful sentences.
Different languages follow different rules. For example, in English, the adjective precedes the noun (blue water), whereas in Spanish the adjective follows the noun (water blue). In a sentence, subject and verb need to agree. Making a statement into a question requires changing the order of the subject and verb, such as, "That was a good story." "Was that a good story?"
Having background knowledge.
Your child needs some idea of the subject he's talking or reading about, or he won't be able to gain meaning from it. For example, if you're talking about the beach, has he been there? Seen pictures of one? Watched a program about it on TV?
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Stereotypes 'makes teen feel they're in the minority'
- 19 February 2014
- From the section Front Page
More than two thirds of 14 to 17-year-olds think their job prospects are affected by negative stereotypes.
That's according to think-tank Demos which surveyed 1,000 teenagers in England and Northern Ireland.
Of the 1,000 teenagers questioned, 85% said stereotypes in the media are affecting their chances of getting a job.
They were also worried about the way they were portrayed by politicians.
The report also polled 500 teachers who said teenagers today care more about social issues and are more likely to volunteer for charities compared to previous generations.
Becky Brunskill, 18, member of Youth Parliament for Liverpool
"At the moment they [teenagers] feel like they're in the minority really, they're always the one to get bad press.
"Young people out there are doing good things for the community but there's always the stabbing, the hoodie or gun crime that's always on the news but we're not all like that.
"We need to show businesses and the media that young people are passionate and want to get involved and make a change."
She said that negative coverage of young people could be damaging their chances of getting work.
"Maybe they're [businesses] a bit put off because maybe they think we'll bring trouble to their business," said Becky.
"Working for the NCS (National Citizen service), The Youth Parliament and the British Youth Council I'm a much more confident person and I want to go into a business and give them my skills that I've got."
Liesl Smith, Federation of Small Businesses
The Federation of Small Businesses has said the biggest barrier facing teenagers from getting jobs is a lack of skills rather than their image.
"Members are telling us, these are people who run small and medium sized businesses, that young people do not have the right skills for going into the workplace," she said.
"We know that around a third don't have the right numeracy skills for example and almost half don't have the right literacy skills.
"Young people are not really prepared for the workplace when it comes to team work or communication so they really need to have more of an understanding of the business community and what it means to work and they're just not delivering that."
Jess and Tommy, 16, from Liverpool
Tommy said: "It's not just young people, old people are stereotyped all the time.
"I feel a bit annoyed when people are scared to walk past me on the street, that doesn't usually happen but when it does I'm like 'You don't know me - why are you like this'."
Jess added: "I get annoyed by it because everyone listens to the negative and not the positive in the media."
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter


College of Education & Human Sciences
If you are interested in teaching students in grades K-8, you have come to the right place! We hope you find the answers to your questions, but please feel free to call Ms. Kessa Cockrell, 662-329-7191 for more information.
To successfully complete the Elementary Education Degree a candidate will need to take the following courses and select 2 areas in which to complete 21 hours of course work. Choices for concentration hours include English, Mathematics 7-8 or 7-12, Social Studies or Science. See an advisor for specific coursework necessary to complete these concentrations.
Suggested eight semester degree completion plan for Entering Freshmen >
Suggested four semester degree completion plan for Transfer Students >
Teacher Candidates who successfully complete the Elementary Education Degree Program will be successful in the following Student Learning Outcomes which are the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) 2011 standards.
The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
Department of EducationDr. Monica RileyChair
EDHS Building Phone: (662) 329-7191
1100 College Street Columbus, MS 39701phone: 662.329.4750 or 877.462.8439


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Local education authorities (LEAs) are the local councils in England and Wales that are responsible for education within their jurisdiction. The term is used to identify which council (district or county) is locally responsible for education in a system with several layers of local government. Local education authorities are not usually ad hoc or standalone authorities, although the former Inner London Education Authority was one example of this.
England has several tiers of local government and the relevant local authority varies. Within Greater London the 32 London borough councils and the Common Council of the City of London are the local authorities responsible for education; in the metropolitan counties it is the 36 metropolitan borough councils; and in the non-metropolitan counties it is the 27 county councils or, where there is no county council, the councils of the 55 unitary authorities. The Council of the Isles of Scilly is an education authority. Since the Children Act 2004 each local education authority is also a children's services authority and responsibility for both functions is held by the director of children's services. There are 152 local education authorities in England.
In Wales the councils of the counties and county boroughs are responsible for education. Since 5 May 2010, the terms local education authority and children's services authority have been repealed and replaced by the single term 'local authority' in both primary and secondary legislation.
Local education authorities have some responsibility for all state schools in their area.
Until recently, local education authorities were responsible for the funding of students in higher education (for example undergraduate courses and PGCE) whose permanent address is in their area, regardless of the place of study. Based on an assessment of individual circumstances they offer grants or access to student loans through the Student Loans Company.
The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902 (2 Edw.7, c. 42). The Act designated each local authority; either county council and county borough council; would set up a committee known as a Local Education Authority (LEA). The councils took over the powers and responsibilities of the school boards and technical instruction committees in their area. Municipal boroughs with a population of 10,000 and urban districts with a population of 20,000 were to be local education authorities in their areas for elementary education only. The LEAs' role was further expanded with the introduction of school meals in 1906 and medical inspection in 1907.
In 1904 the London County Council became a local education authority, with the abolition of the London School Board. The metropolitan boroughs were not education authorities, although they were given the power to decide on the site for new schools in their areas, and provided the majority of members on boards of management.
The system continued unchanged until 1965, when the London County Council was replaced by the Greater London Council. The twenty outer London boroughs became local education authorities, while a new Inner London Education Authority, consisting of the members of the GLC elected for the inner boroughs covering the former County of London was created.
In 1974 local government outside London was completely reorganised. In the new metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan boroughs became LEAs. In the non-metropolitan counties the county councils were the education authorities, as they were throughout Wales.
In 1986, with the abolition of the Greater London Council, a directly elected Inner London Education authority was formed. This, however, only existed until 1990, when the 12 inner London boroughs assumed responsibility for education.
A Local educational authority award is an award given to the local educational authority, as opposed to an award given by the LEA.
There are currently 152 local education authorities in England and 22 in Wales. Below they are listed alphabetically by region.
|Yorkshire and the Humber|


The Utah Reading Endorsement Program offers teacher candidates and practicing teachers in both elementary and secondary education the opportunity to certify as reading specialists. The purpose of this program is to strengthen reading achievement of Utah's school children by providing their teachers with additional skills and knowledge for augmenting classroom reading instruction.
Basic Reading Endorsement
The Basic Reading Endorsement Program concentrates on such topics as assessment, phonetics, comprehension, remediation, writing process, content-area reading and writing, use of age-appropriate literature and informational texts, and foundations of reading.The Basic Reading Endorsement is earned via a two-year program. Cohorts, which are preserved throughout the program, are divided up into elementary and secondary endorsements.
- Foundations of Literacy (TEd 620 - 3 credits)
- Assessment of Reading Processes and Remediation of Reading Difficulties (TEd 625 - 3 credits)
- Early Literacy Instruction/ Advanced Early Literacy (TEd 622 - 3 credits)
- Writing as a Process (TEd 624 - 3 credits)
- Children's/Young Adult Literature (TEd 621 - 3 credits)
- Reading and Writing in the Content Areas (TEd 603 - 3 credits)
- Advanced Reading Comprehension/ Understanding and Supporting Literacy Development (TEd 623 - 3 credits)
This endorsement is offered primarily to school districts participating in the BYU-Public School Partnership (Alpine, Jordan, Nebo, Provo, and Wasatch). Participation from districts or schools not in the Partnership will be on a space-available basis. Please contact the CITES office with any questions.


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Other titles in the Publications of the Early Music Institute series:
Music Education in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (Publications of the Early Music Institute)by Russell E., Jr. Murray
Synopses & Reviews
What were the methods and educational philosophies of music teachers in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance? What did students study? What were the motivations of teacher and student? Contributors to this volume address these topics and other--including gender, social status, and the role of the Church--to better understand the identities of music teachers and students from 650 to 1650 in Western Europe. This volume provides an expansive view of the beginnings of music pedagogy, and shows how the act of learning was embedded in the broader context of the early Western art music tradition.
. This volume provides an expansive view of the beginnings of music pedagogy, and shows how the act of learning was embedded in the broader context of the early Western art music tradition.
About the Author
Russell E. Murray, Jr. is Professor of Music and Associate Chair at the University of Delaware.
Susan Forscher Weiss is Chair of Musicology, The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.
Cynthia J. Cyrus is Associate Dean and Professor of Musicology at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Reading and Writing the Pedagogy of the Past / Russell E. Murray, Jr., Susan Forscher Weiss, and Cynthia J. Cyrus
1. Some Introductory Remarks on Musical Pedagogy / James Haar
Part 1 Medieval Pedagogy
2. Guido d'Arezzo, Ut queant laxis, and Musical Understanding / Dolores Pesce
3. Some Thoughts on Music Pedagogy in the Carolingian Era / Charles M. Atkinson
4. Medieval Musical Education as Seen through Sources Outside the Realm of Music Theory / Susan Boynton
Part 2 Renaissance Places of Learning
5. "Sang Schwylls" and "Music Schools": Music Education in Scotland, 1560<N>1650 / Gordon Munro
6. A Proper Musical Education for Antwerp's Women / Kristine K. Forney
7. Juan Bermudo, Self-instruction, and the Amateur Instrumentalist / John Griffiths
8. The Humanist and the Commonplace Book: Education in Practice / Anthony Grafton
Part 3 Renaissance Materials and Contexts
9. Musical Commonplaces in the Renaissance / Peter Schubert
10. Music Education and the Conduct of Life in Early Modern England: A Review of the Sources / Pamela F. Starr
11. Vandals, Students, or Scholars? Handwritten Clues in Renaissance Music Textbooks / Susan Forscher Weiss
Part 4 Music Education in the Convent
12. The Educational Practices of Benedictine Nuns: A Salzburg Abbey Case Study / Cynthia J. Cyrus
13. Nun Musicians as Teachers and Students in Early Modern Spain / Colleen Baade
Part 5 The Teacher
14. Isaac the Teacher: Pedagogy and Literacy in Florence, ca. 1488 / Blake Wilson
15. Zacconi as Teacher: A Pedagogical Style in Words and Deeds / Russell E. Murray, Jr.
16. The Good Maestro: Pietro Cerone on the Pedagogical Relationship / Gary Towne
17. You Can Tell a Book by Its Cover: Reflections on Format in English Music "Theory" / Jessie Ann Owens
What Our Readers Are Saying
Arts and Entertainment » Music » General


HOW well are your skills rewarded? There is surprisingly little research on that question, and what does exist is pretty much entirely focused on America. A new paper* from the OECD, a rich-country think-tank, tries to fill this gap.
The research uses survey data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), released only a few months ago. The database is a big improvement on what has come before: not only does it look at people of all ages but the sample size is large. Over 150,000 people in 24 countries were interviewed: respondents were given numerical, literacy and problem-solving tests. (The results were then standardised on a 500-point scale.) The same survey asked people about their work.
The raw results of the PIAAC survey are fascinating. South Korean high-school graduates have better numeracy and literacy skills than Italian university graduates. Younger folk in Finland do substantially better than their elders.
Overall, the effect of skills on earnings (what economists call “returns-to-skills”) is unsurprising. The authors focus on numeracy and show that people with more skills earn more. A one-standard-deviation increase in numeracy skills is associated with an 18% wage increase among “prime-age” workers (workers between 25 and 54).
But there is massive variation in returns-to-skills:
Why? The authors conduct a series of regressions and, some would argue, show the limitations of social-democratic policies:
[R]eturns to skills are systematically lower in countries with higher union density, stricter employment protection, and larger public-sector shares.
The analysis shows, for example, that a 25% point increase in union density (the difference, say, between Belgium and the United Kingdom) leads to a 3.5% point lower wage increase for each one-standard-deviation increase in numeracy skills.
But free-market types should not gloat. Pretty much unexplored in the paper is the question of whether high returns-to-skills are a good thing. Highly skilled people might simply be extracting “rents”—economists’ shorthand for earning more than they would need to continue doing what they are doing. And when the skilled do extremely well, dystopian predictions like those discussed by Tyler Cowen in a recent book are never far away.


July Early Literacy Tips from Browser:
Talking is very important for early literacy development. Talking helps children understand words and concepts and helps the to build a large vocabulary.
Children learn about language by listening to and talking with their parents and caregivers. There are multiple opportunities throughout the day to talk with your child. Take advantage of bath time, diaper changing time, meal times and any other time of the day when you have your child’s attention.
Books are great conversation starters. When you read a book to your child, take time to talk about it. Talk about the pictures, places, and things in the book. Talk about how the characters feel and what they might do next. Make predictions about what might happen next or what might have happened if things were done differently. Be sure to ask open ended questions and give your child time to respond. Remember there are no correct answers.
Tell your child stories about your life. They love to hear stories about when you were a little boy or girl. Discuss how things were alike and different from the way they are now. Tell them stories about other family members and things you have done and of places you have been before they were born.
Before you read a book, take a “picture walk”. Talk about what might be going on in the pictures before you read the story. Then, read the story and see if you are right. After you read a book, have your child retell the story. You can do this using props or puppets to make it even more fun.


The idea of not just copying another culture's art is really quite
important - I just held a teacher's workshop at the museum on this
topic in conjunction with an exhibition of Native American Art from
the Santa Fe Indian Studio School.
One point speaker made is - children copying Kachinas which are not
part of their culture would be like someone drawing Christ on the
cross without understanding what they are doing. Cultural objects
are often laden with meaning and are sacred to a particular group.
They are not just designs or patterns.
Looking at and UNDERSTANDING (why was it made, where was it made, how
was it used, who used it) the objects of another culture is an
important part of multi-cultural art education. Recreating or
copying these objects is a different matter.
The suggestions had been made for the children to draw parallels to
their own lives. For example, if you were looking at storyteller
"dolls", who tells the stories in this particular child's life.
Chances are it is not an Indian grandmother!
When we worked with the paintings from the Studio School - we wanted
the children to understand what the students were doing. The
subject matter was required to be of the Indian students
culture/daily life. It was not appropriate for our student to copy
pictures of Kachina dancers. On the other hand, they could do
paintings of daily events or special ceremonies in THEIR own lives.
In most cases, with some careful thought, a teacher can help students
understand cultural objects and create new/original objects
that reflect the cultural objects usage within our societal context.
Sorry for the longish post.
Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University


This raining rainbow cloud in a jar not only makes it rain, but it makes a hurricane! A simple STEM project for little ones (and older kids love it too!)
Science can be super complicated. Just the other day, we did a full-blown energy efficiency experiment with control groups, recording, measuring, variations, and the whole nine yards. That was really cool, but, we don’t always have time for such complicated and involved science lesson.
Little kids, too, love discovering science and experimenting but they’re not ready for complicated projects.
If you’ve ever had a kid ask you how rain works, you can show them easily with this simple science lesson!
The raining rainbow cloud in a jar (our version was a hurricane!), shows kids how clouds hold on to moisture until it gets too heavy, then, it releases it all in a big gush of rain!
Find out how to make your own cloud in a jar below:
Easy Science for Kids: Raining Rainbow Cloud in a Jar
This project is appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers (as long as they don’t try to eat the shaving cream).
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you for your convenience.
What you’ll need for your raining rainbow cloud in a jar:
- Shaving cream
- Mason jar
- Food coloring in as many rainbow colors as you can find (we found red, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
Fill your jar mostly full of water. Fill the top of the jar with shaving cream. Don’t make the shaving cream layer too thick if you have impatient kids or they will get bored before the liquid travels all the way through the shaving cream.
Drop the food coloring on the surface of the cloud in a rainbow pattern. We wanted to see if we could actually get the clouds to rain a rainbow shape, but that didn’t quite work out.
But we were left with some pretty, swirly colors!
Keep adding colors a bit at a time until your whole jar is a hurricane of swirling color.
Watch our cloud in a jar in action!
More Weather Activities for Kids
Weather Unit Study
Puffy Paint Cloud Types


Revised Guidelines for implementation of The ‘National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL)’ as a component of the scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
- The Government has approved a new programme called ‘National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL)’ as an amendment to the scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for providing additional components for education of girls at elementary level. The NPEGEL will form part of SSA and will be implemented under the umbrella of SSA but with a distinct identity.
- The scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was started in the year 2001-02 with the objective of universalisation of elementary education. It is an attempt to provide an opportunity for improving human capabilities to all children including the girl child, through provision of community-owned quality education in a mission mode. However, as SSA has limited financial provisions for girls’ education in the form of “innovations” at district level and free textbooks, and thus there is a need for an additional component.
- Accordingly, NPEGEL has been formulated for education of under privileged/ disadvantaged girls from class I to VIII as a separate and distinct gender component plan of SSA. The gender component is necessary to achieve UEE for girls in educationally backward areas
The scheme would be applicable in the following areas:-
- Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) : EBB means a block where the level of rural female literacy is less than the national average and the gender gap is above the national average.
- Blocks of districts which have atleast 5% SC/ ST population and SC/ ST female literacy rate below 10% shall also be taken up under this programme
- Selected urban slums.


The Works of Phillis Wheatley and Albery A. Whitman. New York: 3m IM Press, 1969. Wheatley, Phillis, 1753?-1784.
MIC FLM PS 866 W5 1969 1 reel. 35 mm.
This reproduces copies of works by two major early Afro-American poets now located in the Schomburg Collection of the New York Public Library.
Phillis Wheatley was born in Senegal and brought to the United States as a slave in 1761. She was purchased by a Boston tailor, John Wheatley, whose name she later took, and was given a strong classical education. She began writing poetry, basing her work on British models, and became the "best known American poet" of her day.
Albery A. Whitman (1851-1901) was born a slave in Kentucky. Orphaned after the Emancipation, he worked as a farm boy. He received about seven months of elementary education, and studied for six months at Wilberforce University, where he began writing and publishing poetry. Although he became the "leading Afro-American poet of his day," his long narrative poems were "essentially imitative," following the models of Byron and Tennyson.
I. Phillis Wheatley.
A. Prayer, June 13, 1779.
B. An Elegiac Poem on the Reverend and Learned Mr. George Whitefield. Boston, 1770.
C. Poems on Comic, Serious, and Moral Subjects. London, 1787.
D. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. London, 1816.
E. Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley. Boston, 1834.
F. Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley. Boston, 1838.
G. H. Wilson Armistead. "Phillis Wheatley." Liverpool, 1905.
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A. Not a Man, and Yet a Man. Springfield, Ohio, 1877.
B. The Rape of Florida. St. Louis, 1884.
C. Twasinta's Seminoles. St. Louis, 1885.
D. An Ikyl of the South. New York, 1901.


Block play: Building a foundation for literacy
- Judith E. Stroud Ed.D.
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The role of block play in the development of reading and writing is presented and discussed. A literacy-enriched block-play center is described, and accompanying tables identify books and additional literacy materials suggested for integration into a block-play area. Additionally, children's use of literacy props in a block-play area is presented through observations made in two preschool classrooms. Samples of children's writing produced during spontaneous block-play sessions are included to support examples given in the text.
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- Block play: Building a foundation for literacy
Early Childhood Education Journal
Volume 23, Issue 1 , pp 9-13
- Cover Date
- Print ISSN
- Online ISSN
- Kluwer Academic Publishers-Human Sciences Press
- Additional Links
- block play
- preschool children
- Author Affiliations
- 1. Department of Elementary Education, Ball State University, 47306, Muncie, Indiana


Deep into the 20th century, Qataris had only traditional schools, available for both boys and girls. Although instruction was basic, it covered several subjects, not only Islam and Arabic.
Today, the education system is well developed, and schooling is free for all citizens, from kindergarten through to university; and compulsory from primary through to secondary. Still, many Qataris do not consider public school as good as Western-style schools. Great efforts have been put into developing a high quality educational system, but the country is still only in the process of achieving these goals.
Schools in Qatar are sex-segregated, all they way through to the university.
Expenditure on education was estimated at 3.3% of GDP in 2005, which by 2008 corresponds to $3,300/capita.
Official programs to fight adult illiteracy were launched already in 1954, although the first centres for women were opened first in 1976. These programs were far more ambitious than in many other Middle Eastern countries, as 4 years of elementary education was given.
The programs, plus the advancement of ordinary schools, were quite successful, especially for women, where literacy rates have gone up from 82% to 89%. Figures suggest however that literacy rates for men have gone down, from 91% to 89%.
Kindergartens are both governmental, as well as private, then usually meeting the needs for expatriates.
Primary to secondary education
The school system of Qatar is divided into 3 stages: primary; intermediate; and secondary.
Primary education, or the Elementary Stage, takes 6 years. English is about to become part of the curriculum at this level.
Intermediate education, or the Preparatory Stage, follows directly from the Elementary Stage, and takes 3 years.
The Secondary Stage takes 3 years, and is divided into an academic branch preparing for studies at university level, and a vocational, praparing for work life.
Foreign children attend international schools, with a different curriculum. These outnumber the government schools. The international schools are co-educational. In addition to Western and various Asian schools, there are also schools for other Arab nationals, like Lebanese, Jordanian and Sudenese.
The University of Qatar, in Doha, opened in 1973 and had about 8,200 students in the academic year 2008/2009, ca. 75% were female. It remains an institution with two campuses, one for each sex. With the exception of engineering, all subjects are available to female students too.
In addition, Qatar has granted scholarships for higher education in other Arab countries, Britain, France and USA, to about a considerable number of its citizens.
The Education City is a specially designed district of Doha, covering 14 km², designated for modern higher education facilities. 6 US universities have satellite campuses here, together with 3 national insitutions. The Education City is projected to become a leading centre of learning and research in the Persian Gulf.


Help music students learn more in less time, reach higher goals, and become active participants in their education. An extremely beneficial text for band, choir, orchestra and general music that provides the steps needed to create an effective music education curriculum for you, your school, and your district. A sequenced music curriculum gives direction to your teaching, builds cohesion among your colleagues, engages students and parents in goals you set, and builds awareness and support from your school's administrators. Contents include: overview of the national and state music standards; aligning district standards to the national or state standards; suggested activities for each national standard; designing an organized curriculum of lesson plans; assessments; organizing assessment documentation; student involvement; curriculum sample with resources and websites. A must for all music educators!


Vodacom Mobile Education Training Programme
To help improve the quality of secondary school education for teachers at all school levels, with particular emphasis on Mathematics and Science teaching in Grades 10 to 12, the following training programmes have been identified:
ICT Literacy Development for Teachers
The Microsoft Partners in Learning training programmes for educators and principals and Intel Teach are made available to the districts through a SchoolNet Train the Trainer programme that includes ICT Skills for Teachers, Student Helpdesk, Sizanani ICT Skills for Community Members, Peer Coaching and Innovation courses.
Maths and Sciences Teacher Development Programme
Each participating DBE district selects 20 schools, with four teachers per school, and identifies the learning needs of the Grade 10 to 12 teachers in these schools. The Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Education (Casme), a non-profit education development agency, provides a Mathematics and Sciences training programme that combines content knowledge and methodological and pedagogical skills, and integrates the use of ICT tools in the teaching these subjects. The programme will be hosted in the ICT resource centres and participating schools will receive a laptop with internet connectivity, an interactive whiteboard and a data projector to enable to replicate what they learnin the classroom.


How Parents and Schools Can Help Build Kids’ Emotional Strength
By Matt Levinson
For parents, the pre-teen and teenage years can be overwhelming, disorienting and puzzling. Students encounter the tangled web of changing hormones, shifting social dynamics, entrée into social media, the desire for greater independence as well as the need for emotional safety.
Many parents can feel at a loss as to how to communicate and connect with their child during this period. This is where schools can play a key role. Schools have the data point of hundreds of children over many years, and with the benefit of this broad perspective, can help parents make sense out of the social and emotional issues that come up.
Communication between parents and schools can provide a frame of reference for parents to put things in perspective, and to break the isolation that many parents feel when trying to work with and understand their child. This can happen through parent education programs and gatherings where parents share their questions, struggles and concerns and receive reassurance and guidance from skilled and trained teachers, who can place these issues in a larger perspective. This can also happen through phone calls to the school to talk through a thorny situation, to just see if what is going on at home is in the realm of the developmental stage that the child is going through.
In order to form this relationship between schools and parents, here are some ideas that have proven to work well.
- PARENT GROUPS. A well-coordinated advisory group built on the developmental needs of each grade level, with communication to parents about the goals of the advisory program, built on the foundational skills of social emotional learning (SEL). Schools can develop advisory programs using SEL themes particular to the developmental needs of the grade level and host parent education evenings or morning coffees centered around some of these themes.
- ORGANIZED PROGRAMS. Advisory programs can incorporate the rating scale or check in as a part of regular practice. Janice Toben and Rush Sabiston, who run a summer workshop for teachers on SEL, have refined the rating scale and have introduced it to many school communities. On a scale of 1-10, students rate their mood that day, with 10 being the most positive feeling and 1 being the least. This challenges the other students to demonstrate empathy and connection with the way the student leading the check-in has organized the scale. The rating scale also provides a safe way for middle school students to let an adult know how he/she is feeling. Instead of asking a student, “How are you doing?” to which the response is most often “fine,” the check-in creates a space to signal feelings, moods and emotions through metaphor. If a student checks in at a very low number, the opportunity is there for the teacher to follow up with the student and the family if necessary, thus further cementing the home-school connection.
- STUDENT TRAINING. A separate Social-Emotional Learning class that provides the opportunity for students to share their worries, concerns and anxieties, coupled with the skill-building strategies to talk about and cope with these challenges. Toben and Rush, for example, have developed Open Session as the framework for kids to communicate with each other in the SEL or advisory classroom setting. In open session, students anonymously share an issue or concern on a 3×5 notecard. The teacher collects these cards and then uses the cards to generate a student led discussion around problem-solving, empathy, listening and connection. The cards also provide the teacher with the “inside” view of what middle school students are thinking about and can compile the cards to make sense of grade level themes and issues, which can then be used at parent evenings and coffees to discuss developmental stages of pre-teens.
- OPEN COMMUNICATION. When problems and issues arise, the school communicates closely with parents to work with them in the solution-building process, using SEL tools, to illustrate modeling for students.
- DESIGNATED ADVISER. With the help of a skilled teacher, which could be a dean of students or an adviser, students seek the support and guidance of this teacher to help work through challenges. This teacher can also bring together groups of students to sort through challenging social situations and have students practice the skills of SEL to work to resolve. Communication home happens as a follow up, to reinforce the SEL skill building.
Prioritizing social and emotional learning in schools, and building bonds between students, parents, and schools is crucial in creating a safe learning community. These non-cognitive skills help students build capacity for emotional connection and investment that makes school a more gratifying place to be.Related


Northern Colorado Africana Studies professor offers new perspective on Black History
The campus community recognized the beginning of Black History Month Thursday with a speech by Hermon George, a professor of Africana Studies, followed by a reception at the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center.
An audience of about 30 people gathered in the Columbine Suite at the University Center to hear George speak about black history in America, a speech offering a compelling alternative to the skewed American history indoctrinated in the masses.
With unadulterated objectivity, George spoke candidly about the shortfalls of the Emancipation Proclamation and the untold bigotry of famous Americans such as William Faulkner, Union General George Custer and Abraham Lincoln - an outspoken separatist prior to the Civil War.
For many people in attendance, George's speech painted a new picture of American history.
"I really like what (George) had to say about Lincoln," said Megan Erlich, a freshman speech pathology major. "I had no idea. It definitely brought a whole new perspective to things."
Erlich wasn't the only one coming away with a new perspective about America's past.
"I had no idea Thomas Jefferson owned slaves," said Ben Brown, an art education major.
In 1926, black historian Carter G. Woodson, along with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, designated the second week of February as "Negro History Week." Woodson's hope was that a week of recognition would eventually end the dichotomy of black history and American history, as people would come to recognize them as one and the same.
In 1976, the federal government formally recognized "Black History Week" and extended it to a full month. It seems the best way for any person to observe Black History Month is by taking the time to learn the true history of race in America.
"From my experience, I wasn't really taught African-American history," said Ty'Ray Thompson, director of the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center. "There were so many African-American people who did a lot of great things, and I didn't know about them."
Throughout George's talk, he emphasized how much black people have shaped the United States over time.
"I think that (Black History Month) has grown to represent the central role that African-Americans played in the founding of this country," he said. "And all the questions associated with that are still important, still needing to be addressed, still deserving of an airing and accounting by the nation."
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 and again 2012 was a historic step toward overcoming racial inequality in America. Still, the road to true equality stretches on.
"If Americans open their eyes, they will see that there is a lot of work to be done," George said. "After all, when the Civil Rights Movement destroyed Jim Crow, it was not one person. It was not Lyndon B. Johnson, it was not Rosa Parks, it was not Dr. King. It took a movement to do that."
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Early intervention and education is critical to preparing children to be school ready and establish a life-long love of learning. Through partnerships with the Maryland State Department of Educationís Early Childhood Division, the Maryland Family Network, the Maryland Family Support Centers, HIPPY International, the Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood and Family Education Centers, and HeadStart, MAEC has gathered evidenced-based best practices and developed programs to help train early childhood education providers, childcare providers, and families to promote healthy child development, school readiness and ease the transition from preschool/home/childcare to kindergarten. MAEC delivers these services through the following programs:
The IPSC curriculum is especially geared to culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse families to promote healthy, early childhood development, provide information on choosing child care, and offer general parenting information for parents of children ages birth through five years. The curriculum is a trainer-of trainers model and is designed to serve as a tool for agencies, early childhood educators and child care providers to use in a manner appropriate to their program and the families they serve. The curriculum is divided into age groupings (0-6 months; 6-12 months; 12-18 months; 18 months-3 years; and 3-5 years) and also into four developmental areas: physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and language and literacy. The training includes a trainer’s manual, handouts, illustrated brochures, and activities that parents/caregivers can do to promote healthy early childhood development and school readiness. The curriculum is available in five languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mandarin (Chinese). You can find out more information about it here.
One of the most critical transitions young children make is the transition into Kindergarten. Parents of young children are naturally involved in their children’s early schooling, but as they
enter Kindergarten, family engagement in education lessens. This trainer-of-trainers curriculum offers schools and transitioning families an opportunity to build foundational skills to ensure family
engagement in their children’s education throughout elementary school. The curriculum includes: a trainer’s manual, handouts, PowerPoint slides, and resources to help preschool or elementary
school transition teams ease the transition into kindergarten. The five, 90 minute sessions cover information about: childhood development, establishing good study routines, navigating the school
system, the importance of family engagement in education, school culture, creating welcoming schools, parent advocacy and leadership, communication and discipline, communication between parents and
teachers, literacy and planning for transitions. The training guide and materials are available in English and Spanish. You can find more information about it here.
For more information, please contact:
Nora Morales, Vice President


A doctoral in special education enables individuals to become national leaders and conduct thorough research in the field. The program is also designed to prepare students to become professors at colleges and universities. It is designed so that students develop, assess, and spread the expertise, needed for sustainable practices in special education. The program will enable students to discover practices that could help special children and adolescents live independent lives.
During a doctoral program in special education, students will evaluate current research in the field. They will examine different areas such as assessment, instruction, technology, and service delivery. Students also acquire knowledge to develop, evaluate, or extend current practices in the field. Individuals with a doctoral degree prepare teachers who value and make use of evidence based practices, and use these to meet the needs of students in special education. Students are trained to become leaders in the field of special education within higher education institutions. A major goal of the program is to equip graduates with the necessary skills that are needed for special education in higher education institutes.
Admission requirements for a doctoral in special education
will vary among institutes; however, applicants normally need to have a master’s degree in special education or a related field such as psychology, school psychology, school counseling, communication disorders, elementary education, secondary education, or educational administration. It is also preferred that applicants possess competencies in special education, and know about related laws, policies, and beliefs. Some years of teaching or administrative experience may also be required from applicants. The admissions of students are finalized after making use of multiple sources of information. Schools and universities offering the program may use GRE scores, college transcripts, work experiences, interests, and recommendation letters to help determine admission.
The coursework offered by institutes for a special education doctoral may vary. Many institutes will offer similar core courses that teach topics like research design in special education, disability and social policy, current issues faced by special education leaders, and social justice education. Other important topics covered in the doctorate program may include statistics and measurement, research design and evaluation, qualitative data instrumentation, and analysis. Some schools may give doctoral candidates the opportunity to participate in professional development activities in a number of areas: college teaching and practicum supervision experiences, professional writing for refereed journals, grants, and conference presentations, and service to the profession.
Students who are unable to attend classes on a campus may choose to study in an online special education doctoral program. Online programs have several advantages over campus based education. Online program offer flexibility to students in terms of class schedule and deadlines, and they are also relatively cost effective. Online students have the opportunity to create their own study schedule and learn at their pace. Students may be able to reduce their education cost as they are not required to pay for costs related to commuting, textbooks, or dorm room accommodation. Tuition fees for online programs may be less than campus based programs, and this may be due to the cost efficient setup of online education.