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HiTech, the Road to a STEM Career
Howard County Library System, MDGo to Website
HiTech, Howard County Library System’s STEM digital media lab for teens, delivers cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education via hands-on video, music, game app, and e-book projects. Leveraging technology and experts, HiTech incorporates an innovative methodology that blends instruction with experiential learning and peer to peer communications.Innovation Leader:
Angela Brade, Chief Operating Officer - Support Services, email@example.com
As home to a number of major STEM-oriented employers and higher education institutions, Howard County is uniquely positioned to provide opportunities for students desiring to learn about careers and opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math. The community surrounding the HiTech site has more than 3,000 youth of various economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds. Many are on free or reduced lunch and do not have digital resources available at home. High-school students from the neighboring area visit the Savage Branch each day after school and on weekends, and in the last decade, the area has seen a significant increase in use and demand. This increase is fueled by growth in both transient and non-transient populations due to the tremendous development of single and multi-family housing, and the multiple-year U.S. Army’s Base Realignment and Closure relocations. Youth who are connected to knowledgeable adults gain information and skills, and increase their access to community resources. HCLS recognizes the importance of orienting the youth in the community toward the skills needed to pursue these careers of the future. HiTech will be instrumental in enhancing technical knowledge, encouraging independent learning, and supporting youth in pursuing higher education opportunities and/or jobs close by.
HiTech’s curriculum comprises four modules. The first three modules deliver guided, self-paced learning opportunities, while the fourth incorporates more structure. 1) Interact: Students experience music, video, computer games, and mobile apps by listening and playing. 2) Improvise: Students experiment in hands-on fashion with digital music, video equipment, and professional grade software. 3) Invent: Students learn specific STEM professional methodology and terminology in conjunction with products. 4) Instruct (Academy): Students complete three tracks over six months: (a) six interactive classes that teach skills within the disciplines, (b) site visits to STEM work environments, and (c) participation in a higher education STEM-based camp. The HiTech Academy will enable teens interested in pursuing higher education in the areas of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics to learn basic technology and engineering skills. Students will collaborate with other teens interested in similar subjects, and benefit from hands-on exposure to in-depth STEM educational opportunities. The Academy will immerse students in an educational journey that will include: Six interactive classes that cover foundational skills within the disciplines—taught by HCLS Instructors, HiTech partners, student mentors, and consultants on the following topics: 3D, CAD, and Animation; Python, PHP, and JAVA Programming; Cybersecurity; Innovative/Green Energy; Nanotechnology; and Robotics. Site visits to STEM work environments. Attendance at college-sponsored STEM camps. A HiTech Board of Advisors, comprising professionals from the school system, local colleges and universities, Maryland State Department of Education, game developers, cybersecurity firms, and engineering firms.
Since HiTech's launch, more than 2,000 students have participated in such classes as Robotics, Mobile Games, Nanotechnology, Technology of Fashion, and Sound Effects. Over the course of a six-week period, students created a mobile game, Escape! from Detention, which was released in January 2013 and has been downloaded 5,000 times in every continent (except Antarctica) to date. Students are also working on a Choose Civility e-book featuring their own stories and photos. HCLS has been certified as an Apple iOS Enterprise Developer and Google Certified Developer and been featured in articles in American Libraries, The Baltimore Sun, and The Business Monthly. HiTech Academy students who complete five of the six classes and fully participate in the site visits and camps will receive a HiTech Academy Certificate of Completion.


Sub Categories: » HOMEPAGE / LIFE/ ARCHAEOLOGY/ TASTE OF THE PAST
Tuesday, September 13 2011 , Your time is 15:58:00
NIKI GAMMHürriyet Daily News
GenIn addition to general music education in the Ottoman, efforts aimed at teaching particular instruments including the ud, pan-pipes, zurna, drum, saz, kemance and zither.
We take music in our lives for granted today, but the radio only started audio broadcasting in the early 20th century. The phonograph was invented in the 1870s. Before then, and even long afterwards in some areas, either you made your own music or you went where music was being played. The Ottomans made their own music.
Ottoman classical music was nurtured at Topkapı Palace, although it was widely known that earlier the court at Edirne was deeply involved in music and musical theory. And before the rise of the Ottomans there were several different courts holding sway around Anatolia that fostered music. The Janissary military band, apparently, was created in the 15th century, before the conquest of Constantinople. It was significantly influenced by music that came from Iran and Central Asia, like many of the Ottoman arts in the classical period, which began with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and continued until the death of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman in 1566.
The Ottoman court enrolled young boys and girls for education, where anyone who showed musical ability would be trained. The teachers were often professionals on the Ottoman payroll and would have their own private students during the hours they were not at the palace. Even the sons and daughters of the sultans were required to undergo musical training if they showed an aptitude. Several of the sultans composed music, such as Yavuz Sultan Selim. In one of his best known pieces written just before a battle at Isfahan in Iran in 1514, he exhorted his veteran troops to fight.
In addition to general music education, efforts aimed at teaching particular instruments. These included the ud (an early form of the lute), pan-pipes, zurna (a kind of simple clarinet), drum, saz (similar to a guitar), kemance (a string instrument played like a viola) and zither (a picked string instrument played on the lap). The musicians were part of the entertainment put on for the benefit of the sultan and the harem members, either individually or in ensemble. It is also not unusual to find miniatures that portray the musicians playing for dancers.
Turkish classical music expert Ersu Pekin has pointed out that we do not really know what many of the Ottoman compositions sounded like until the beginning of the 18th century, when work by Prince Dimitrie Cantemir in developing a type of notation allowed 350 compositions to survive until today. There have been numerous recordings in recent years of Ottoman classical music. For example, the Association for the Protection of Turkish Historical Houses hosts concerts once or twice a month and certain types of classical music like fasıl are performed throughout the year, but especially at New Year’s time.
Music was an oral tradition among the Ottomans. The system was one in which the composition would be passed down from master to student orally. While the words were written down and memorized, the melody itself would be sung by the master and repeated by the student, until the master was satisfied that it had been learned. This is why we do not know today how many compositions actually sounded.
Ottoman vs. Western music
Ottoman music is monophonic, which distinguishes it the most from music of the West. It has a single melody line played or sung in unison. In that sense anyone who has heard very early church music will find it familiar. Later Western music became polyphonic. Ottoman music is based on units similar or varying in length, but when combined make up the whole of the composition called a makam. The makam also determines the tone of the composition from start to finish.
Ottoman classical music was not affected by Western music until quite late. We do not know what the reaction was to the organ that Thomas Dallam set up in Topkapı Palace in 1599 to 1600 as a gift from Queen Elizabeth I of England to Mehmet III who was the sultan at the time. A harpsichord brought from Paris in the first half of the 18th century did not meet with favor because it could not reproduce the tones the Ottomans were used to. It was not until the second half of the 18th century that Western music began to make its way into Ottoman consciousness and favor
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We offer a multitude of learning opportunities throughout the year to help K–12 educators integrate the arts into their classrooms for successful learning. Most workshops are approved by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented.
For more information, contact 713.639.7590 or email@example.com.
2016 Programs for Educators
- Saturday, January 23 | Master Class for Educators
- Thursday, January 28 | Hearst Foundation Educator Preview
- Saturday, February 6 | Master Class for Educators
- Saturday, February 13 | Learning Through Art at the MFAH K–8 Educator Seminar: Techniques for TEKS
- Saturday, April 2 | Learning Through Art at the MFAH K–8 Educator Seminar: The ART of Problem Solving
- Tuesday–Thursday, June 7–9 | Learning Through Art K–5 Summer Institute
- Tuesday–Thursday, July 12–14 | Learning Through Art 6–8 Summer Institute
- Tuesday & Wednesday, July 26 & 27 | Summer Mini-Conference for Teachers
- Monday–Friday, August 1–5 | Special Topics in Art Education Stay tuned for registration info!
LTA/MFAH Workshops for Teachers
Learning Through Art at the MFAH (LTA/MFAH) connects the Museum's collections of world art into classroom curriculum for art, language arts, math, science, and social studies. LTA/MFAH bridges disciplines and curriculums to enable students to explore key concepts in the real world context of the art museum while teaching literacy and writing skills, math, science, and social studies. Use the Museum’s elementary and middle school curriculum to integrate higher level cognitive skills, such as observing and organizing information, making predictions, and communicating ideas and thoughts with art inquiry methods to ultimately promote the students’ development of 21st-century skills that are needed to succeed in the world.
Through discussions on works of art from the MFAH collections and hands-on art projects using everyday materials, LTA/MFAH teacher training introduces TEKS and STAAR-aligned lessons that use the visual arts to teach students how to think critically and creatively as well as encourage self-confident, self-motivated, and self-disciplined learners.
► List of LTA/MFAH Workshops
Workshops can be customized to address specific content areas, STAAR, etc. To discuss your needs, contact firstname.lastname@example.org or 713.639.7588. All "Learning Through Art" workshops are G/T approved.
Summer Mini-Conference for Teachers
Tuesday & Wednesday, July 26 & 27, 2016
At this annual event, teachers attend sessions presented by artists and art educators on art making, art history, and art education. Each session is based on works from the MFAH art collections and includes a studio component.


In general, parental involvement/engagement has lots of positive social, emotional, cognitive, and academic effects for a child's development. Some evidence suggests that the positive effects of relatively general factors like improved parent-child relationship, increasing motivation and (positive) expectations, etc., are stronger than the specific benefits of learning particular educational material. Based on this, I would say that if you and your daughter enjoy doing these learning to read activities, then they will have positive effects because they will teach your daughter that reading is important and that her parents care about her and her intellectual/academic development, whether or not your daughter specifically learns to read from this DVD.
On the specific subject of reading, it is important to keep in mind that the vast majority of children will learn to read regardless of the particular method of instruction. Phonics-based methods (which emphasize letter-sound correspondences) are generally thought to be more effective than whole-word methods, especially for children at risk for reading disability/dyslexia. However, even the most die-hard phonics supporters acknowledge that phonics needs to be embedded within a comprehensive reading instruction program that makes reading fun and meaningful. In other words, phonics is the best method, but any fun reading activities that you do at home to get her interested in books will have positive effects.
A few references:
Nokali, Bachman, & Votruba-Drzal (2010). Parent Involvement and Children's Academic and Social Development in Elementary School. Child Development, 81(3), 988–1005.
Senechal & LeFevre (2002). Parental Involvement in the Development of Children's Reading Skill: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study. Child Development, 73(2), 445-460.
Rayner, K., Foorman, B. R., Perfetti, C. A., Pesetsky, D., & Seidenberg, M. S. (2001). How Psychological Science Informs the Teaching of Reading. Psychological Science in the Public Interest Monograph, 2, 31-74.
Ehri, Nunes, Stahl, & Willows (2001). Systematic phonics instruction helps students learn to read: Evidence from the National Reading Panels meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 71, 393–447. [Note: there has been some statistically complex back-and-forth regarding this report, but I believe the original finding still stands.).


The Hazen Memorial Library is committed to making storytime enjoyable for your preschooler. Children learn best when they enjoy what they are doing. Storytime is open to preschool children aged 3 to 5.
We present fun and interactive storytimes that engage children and help them to love books and libraries. Our storytime program typically includes a combination of books, music, dance movements, puppets, action rhymes, fingerplays and a craft. The children are surrounded with stimulating speech and interesting topics, creating a language and literacy experience beneficial to children's development.
Parents are invited to observe their children's interest and excitement and enjoy together what the Children's Librarian presents. They are also encouraged to help their child when needed with the craft. See the library's online calendar for our Storytime schedule.
What parents can do!
It's never too early to read to your child. Recite the stories and rhymes you remember from your childhood; nursery rhymes, lullabies, poems and stories.
Children's brains are wired to learn language from birth. They are programmed to process language and THEY HEAR EVERYTHING! If an active toddler does not want to sit on your lap, read to him while he is engaged in another passive activity. Reading stories at bedtime or anytime, is a great way to form a reading habit to last a lifetime.
What is emergent literacy?
Emergent literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. Young children's emergent literacy skills are the building blocks for later reading and writing. Children learn these skills before they start school, beginning in infancy. From birth throughout the preschool years, children develop knowledge of spoken language, the sounds that form words, letters, writing and books. This is the beginning of the abilities that children need to be able to learn to read and write in school.
Our library is filled with great books for the young library patron. Keep reading and sharing Fun books with your children. Rhyming books are important so that children learn to hear that words are made up of smaller parts. This helps them when they later try to sound out words to read. Once children are familiar with a story, let them tell you what happens. This improves their narrative skills, or the ability to retell events. Developing this early literacy helps later with reading comprehension, vocabulary, letter knowledge and phonological sensitivity, in addition to print motivation.
It is the responsibility of the library staff to communicate to parents/caregivers their key role with their children in early literacy development, including providing information and the tools to assist them. Use the books from the list (below) as a guide to select and share good picture books with your child.


The simple answer is yes! The period of early childhood development is unique - physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially. The human brain achieves approximately 85% of its adult size by age 2 and 90% of total growth by age 3. This period of growth corresponds to a young child's attainment of important developmental milestones, including emotional regulation and attachment, language development, and motor skills.
Early literacy theory and research emphasizes a natural unfolding of skills through the enjoyment of books, the importance of positive interactions between young children and adults, and the critical role of literacy-rich experiences.
By focusing on the importance of the first years of life, we give new meaning to the interactions young children have with books and stories. Looking at early literacy development as a dynamic developmental process, we can see the connection (and meaning) between an infant mouthing a book, the book handling behavior of a two-year-old, and the page turning of a five-year-old.
We can see that the first three years of exploring and playing with books, singing nursery rhymes, listening to stories, recognizing words, and scribbling are truly the building blocks for language and literacy development.
Children whose parents read to them become better readers and perform better in school. Other family activities, such as telling stories and singing songs, also encourage children's acquisition of literacy skills. Children's early experiences with books are among the most significant indicators for their success in learning to read in school, and supportive efforts that begin very early in life are the most successful.
In 2013 Cannon Falls schools now offers All Day Every Day Kindergarten (ADED) for our students as well as an option for ADED preschool. I am also pleased to say that our preschool program is completely full with a waiting list to get in. The best news is that our legislature also agreed with the importance of early literacy and development, passing a bill that pays for ADED programming, in 2015.


Artist Mark Cooper aims to change the way you think about making art with kids.
Working with schools around the country, Cooper has brought together scores of teachers and hundreds of children to make remarkable collaborative art that has enlivened classrooms and public spaces and been displayed in the nation's most prestigious museums.
In this inspiring, practical, idea-filled book, Cooper shows how any teacher—not just art teachers—can imagine and execute similar projects in their own classrooms.
But more than that, Cooper transforms our sense of possibilities, arguing for a new view of art in schools. Making Art Together is a book about art education structured around big ideas: that adults can flourish in the role of Master Artist, that the perspective of contemporary art offers liberating possibilities for rethinking art in schools, that art can and should be about the larger world, and thus naturally ties in to all areas of the curriculum.
Most of all, Cooper shows us the power of collaboration. From mammoth, freestanding sculptures to billboards against violence to maps of the world, the projects here are all planned, designed, and completed by children themselves. The resulting artwork is complex and ambitious on a scale that would be out of reach for any individual child. Working collaboratively, using a distinctly democratic model, kids actually think and work like adult artists throughout every stage of the project. Together the sky's the limit—the artistic and educational opportunities are boundless.
Making Art Together is a bold, beautifully illustrated book that could—at a time when art budgets are being slashed—revitalize our sense of what art in schools can accomplish.
About the Author
Mark A. Cooper was born in London and moved with his wife and son to the U.S. in 2003. When his 12-year-old son's grades improved after reading the "Harry Potter "series, Mark decided to encourage literacy with his own novel. He self-published "Fledgling: Jason Steed "and the novel has enjoyed huge success and a devoted following on the web.
Making Art Together is a book that is both practical and revolutionary. Using the latest knowledge on holistic learning, Cooper shows how an art project can educate on a multitude of levels and unify classrooms and whole communities. Among other things, the book is a kind of bible of differentiated instruction, guiding the reader through the process of making art that challenges and appeals to many different learning styles. We also see how collaborative art-making can teach the democratic importance of mutual understanding and respect and serve as a source of great pride for individuals and communities. Making Art Together should be required reading for all elementary and secondary school teachers.—John Laughton, composer, professor, and former dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
"Every teacher, artist, or parent should have this book for their work with kids."—Henry Horenstein, professor of photography, Rhode Island School of Design, author of Beyond Basic Photography
"Brings an exciting new perspective to the dialogue on the role of art in education." —Education Review
"Students don't have to paint like da Vinci to make worthwhile art, and teachers who have never picked up a paintbrush can still use collaborative art projects to enrich their teaching and the world at large . . . that's the upbeat message of this humane book . . . illustrated with more than 90 photos of wonderful sculptures, murals, and billboards Cooper helped students and teachers across the country create . . . 'The thrill and aha! of thinking creatively, so central to any artistic endeavor, is also essential to education,' the authors proclaim. People need to hear this more than ever now." —Howard Good, Teacher Magazine
"What sets Cooper's ideas apart are his emphasis on democratic decision making throughout the collaborative art process and his ability to make that process accessible to teachers and students alike . . . From the looks of the results, it's worth the journey." —Gwenn Mayers, National Art Education Association News


The Free Realm of Musical Creativity
the Play of Freedom
The True-to-Life Form of the Music of Our Future
The Path from Homophony
The Baton of the Conductor-Gladiator in the Conventional Performance
New Tasks for Music Education from the Polyphony
In the system of polyphony, on the other hand, homophony is only one of infinitely many possibilities, and it represents the totally unreal, the nonmusical case in which time is fixated and its flow constant.
Thus homophony, as opposed to polyphony, represents every kind of heavyness.
Polyphony, however, fulfils all requirements for the freedom of musical creativity. It is the realm in which the motifs, under the motherly guidance of the sequence-technique, can unfold into infinite multiplicity and expand throughout all the musical sound-spaces, thus structuring and enlivening the world of music in the same way as children fill the home of the family with life.
In polyphony the musician finds a manifold world of mental- spiritual freedom that freedom which in a free play structures the inner world of man and thus is the world of beauty, the world of great orders.
Polyphony is the ancient, immortal, lively form of music, the true-to-life form of the music of our future. It means freedom for the paths of the motifs, for the unfoldment of the melodies, for the leadership of the sequences.
The great classical forms of music distinguish themselves by striving with great impetus from homophonic towards polyphonic forms, thus inspiring man to greater personal and social freedom of unfoldment. Quotation
Having brought to perfection the side-by-side playing under the baton of the conductor, the conventional practice of performance is, as far as inner-human values and education are concerned, very little prepared for the free world of polyphony and thus for true music. In terms of polyphonic performance, consequently, entirely new tasks emerge for the music education.
Genuine musical performance finds it fulfilment, when true musicians glorify each other by harmoniously playing together without a "gladiator" at the conductor's podium enforcing monotony.


Increasing the literacy rates of America’s children has always been the main aim of Reading is Fundamental campaign. To that effect, the group is launching a new campaign with a goal to inspire a generation of children with the love of reading by melding together two seemingly-separate fields: arts and STEM. The campaign launch is timed to coincide with the release of RIF’s 2012-13 Multicultural Book Collection made up of 40 children’s books that cover topics falling under the STEAM-themes of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
Carol H. Rasco, President and CEO of RIF, knows what kind of child she is looking to inspire. She is looking to hook the kids that could become tomorrow’s innovators like Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook. By seeking to engage with a child’s natural curiosity at a younger age, books can impart skills that will be essential to tomorrow’s pioneers in the fields of both arts and science.
Rasco added, “This initiative is about inspiring the innovators of tomorrow early with engaging books and resources that connect the dots between science, technology and the arts from broad-ranging cultural perspectives. From DaVinci to Madame C.J. Walker to Steve Jobs, our greatest innovators are those who are as creative as they are precise, as imaginative as they are methodical. STEAM-based learning aims to nurture every facet of innovation.”
RIF’s library will come with a free downloadable collection of related activities that will help parents and educators make strides in children’s literacy development. The activities adhere to Common Core Standards, which have been adopted by more than 45 states.
A great deal of thought and effort goes into selecting books for RIF’s yearly releases. Each candidate is thoroughly reviewed by the Literacy Services team using guidelines set out by the Literature Advisory Board and Multicultural Advisory Committee made up of educators and other industry experts in the literature aimed at children.
“What makes this collection unique is our insistence that each book present diverse characters and stories,” Dr. Judy Cheatham, RIF’s vice president of literacy services. “When children see themselves in the books they read at a young age, they are motivated to read more books and read more often. Books are powerful mirrors and windows for all of us.”
The effort to raise the interest in reading among U.S. kids could not be more timely in light of the fact that the U.S. ranks 14th out of 30 developed countries in reading according to findings in the Program for International Student Assessment and the National Assessment of Education Progress reports. There also exists a substantial literacy gap between white and Asian-American students and their African-American and Hispanic peers.
“Our focus on STEAM literacy ultimately supports a national priority to ensure all American students receive the skills and knowledge required for success in the 21st century workplace.”


ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Teacher Resources by Grade
|1st - 2nd||3rd - 4th|
|5th - 6th||7th - 8th|
|9th - 10th||11th - 12th|
Whole-to-Parts Phonics Instruction: Teaching Letter-Sound Correspondences
|Grades||K – 2|
|Lesson Plan Type||Standard Lesson|
|Estimated Time||Two 30-minute sessions|
This lesson uses whole-to-parts phonics instruction as an approach to beginning reading. Letter-sound correspondences are taught within a meaningful context in an explicit, systematic, and extensive manner. This lesson uses onset-rime analogy to present word families and spelling patterns. An onset is the consonant letter before the vowel in a given word or syllable, and a rime is the vowel and consonants that follow the vowel in a given word or syllable. Thus, in the word bill, the onset is the letter b and the rime is the letters ill. Furthermore, this lesson supports cooperative and integrative learning where students and teacher learn together and carry out tasks collaboratively.
Moustafa, M., & Maldonado-Colon, E. (1999). Whole-to-part phonics instruction: Building on what children know to help them know more. The Reading Teacher, 52, 448–458.
This article presents whole-to-parts phonics instruction as an instructional strategy for teaching letter–sound correspondences. Moustafa and Maldonado-Colon state that whole-to-parts phonics instruction differs from traditional parts-to-whole phonics instruction in several ways:
- It grounds instruction in letter-sound correspondences in a meaningful context.
- It builds on the spoken language children already understand rather than on letter-sound correspondences they don't yet understand.
- It teaches the parts of the words after a story has been read to, with, and by children, rather than before the story is read.


WASHINGTON, D.C. — Television for children has always generated controversy and debate. A new Reading Rockets webcast will examine the current state of children’s growing use of television, video games and computers, drawing upon the expertise of a researcher, an education journalist and a teacher in the field.
“Young children are using technology more than ever,” says Noel Gunther, executive director of Reading Rockets. “The question is how to harness the power of screen time to help children learn.”
The new webcast, “Educational Media: Screen Time and Literacy,” will premiere November 30, 2009, on www.ReadingRockets.org. The webcast will examine the questions raised by the new and growing field of educational media and discuss the latest research findings, cover practical solutions and explore lingering questions. Experts include:
• Deb Linebarger, Ph.D., is assistant professor of communication in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the director and principal investigator of the Children's Media Lab. Linebarger’s research focuses on the relationships among children's developmental status, their use of media, and their larger social worlds. Her work has been presented at numerous conferences and published in psychology, communication, education, and pediatric medicine books and journals.
• Lisa Guernsey, the author of "Into the Minds of Babes: How Screen Time Affects Children From Birth to Age 5." She is also a senior policy analyst at New America Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank and incubator for explanatory and investigative journalism on pressing policy issues, and a regular contributor to the Early Ed Watch blog. Guernsey has been writing about education for nearly 15 years and has worked for various publications including the "Chronicle of Higher Education," the "New York Times," and "The Washington Post."
• Marnie Lewis, the Instructional Technology Coordinator at Tuckahoe Elementary in Arlington, Virginia. Lewis evaluates educational sites and software to enhance instruction and works directly with staff to integrate technology into lessons. She received a B.S. in elementary education from Northeastern University, completed graduate work in instructional technology through George Mason University, and has taught in classrooms for over 10 years. She is also a PBS Teacher, a Smart Exemplary Educator, and a Discovery Star Educator.
Children are watching more TV than ever, according to the latest Nielsen figures. A recent article in the "Los Angeles Times" pointed to new statistics that show screen time is at an eight-year high. The figures indicate kids ages 2 to 5 watching the screen for more than 32 hours a week on average and those ages 6 to 11 watching more than 28 hours. Besides television, kids six and under are increasingly using computers and video games.
Reading Rockets is a national, multimedia initiative that provides information on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle. The project is a service of public broadcasting station WETA in Washington, D.C., and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
The 45- to 60-minute webcasts are available for viewing anytime on ReadingRockets.org. “Educational Media: Screen Time and Literacy” is the 17th webcast in the Reading Rockets professional development series.
Reading Rockets is a part of a bigger Learning Media project at WETA. Sister sites include LDOnLine.org, the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD; ColorinColorado.org, the first major, comprehensive bilingual website for Spanish-speaking families and teachers of English-language learners; and AdLit.org, a literacy website for educators teaching adolescent children from fourth through 12th grades. The latest project is BrainLine.org, a new resource for preventing, treating and living with traumatic brain injury.
WETA Television and Classical WETA 90.9 FM are public broadcasting stations serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia with high-quality programming. WETA Television produces the "PBS NewsHour"; "Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal"; history films by Ken Burns such as "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea"; and performance specials from the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO of WETA. For more information on WETA and its programs and services, visit weta.org.
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Your students, our students – both pre-service and in-service teachers – are entering the field or currently teaching during a time of rapid change and uncertainty. Increasingly rigorous standards, high-stakes assessment, technological advancements, shrinking budgets, and the ever-changing demographics of schools are just some of the variables today’s teachers must learn to negotiate and manage. Whether they’re implementing the English Language Arts standards of the new Common Core State Standards, or some future iteration of standards, today’s teachers need to be able to translate theory into practice, meet the diverse needs of students from a wide variety of backgrounds, and accelerate growth and learning so children can meet increasingly robust expectations. As teacher educators, we’re forced to rethink our practice in the context of these realities, and within our own changing contexts, too. We frequently wonder, what is it teachers really need to make informed and thoughtful decisions in their classrooms both today and in the future? What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are critical to keeping them engaged and committed to teaching and learning, as well as impervious to the whims and vagaries of policy, politics, and ideology?
By teaching our students how to teach literacy from a developmental perspective, we believe we’re providing them with a theoretical and pedagogical “home” or “safe harbor.” From this more secure perspective, they will be better positioned to respond to students’ needs, knowing not only what to teach, but how, when, and why. These insights are guaranteed to outlast whatever cultural, political, or technological shifts teachers will encounter throughout their careers.
So what is “the developmental approach” to literacy?
The developmental approach builds on the understanding that children follow a predictable pattern or continuum of literacy development. This pattern is expressed in five stages of development: emergent, beginning, transitional, intermediate, and skillful. Within each stage, children display discernible characteristics at the early, middle, and late phases of the stage, and these characteristics signal what they know and can do independently, what they’re experimenting with (their instructional zones,) and what’s beyond them at this time, their frustration zone. When teaching in children’s instructional zones, or “zones of proximal development,” learning advances more readily and with better results.
The authors of the Common Core State Standards recognize these developmental differences in two critical places in the document: “No set of grade-specific standards can fully reflect the great variety in abilities, needs, learning rates, and achievement levels of students in any given classroom” (p. 16). Therefore, “Instruction should be differentiated… The point is to teach students what they need to learn…to discern when particular children or activities warrant more or less attention” (p. 15, emphasis added). They also acknowledge the critical role and importance of the classroom teacher in planning effective instruction: “The Standards define what all students are expected to know and be able to do, not how teachers should teach” (p. 6).
Understanding the developmental approach provides practical answers to the questions pre-service and experienced teachers so often ask, such as “How can I address grade-level standards with students who are below grade level?” “How can I support English learners learning to read and write in English?” and “How can I organize and manage differentiated, student-centered instruction in my classroom?”
With your help and insights, aspiring teachers and seasoned experts can use their understanding of literacy development to anticipate, respond, and meet the diverse needs of their students both today and in the future.
Our next post will briefly introduce the developmental model, addressing how 1) word knowledge is highly correlated with and predictive of other literacy skills, and 2) how their understanding of literacy development helps teachers prioritize and differentiate instruction.
Shane Templeton and Kristin M. Gehsmann are authors of a new literacy methods text, Teaching Reading and Writing: The Developmental Approach (PreK-8). Visit us online for more information about this text.


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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known colloquially as The Met, is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, United States, North America. It has a permanent collection containing more than two million works of art, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, often referred to simply as the Met, is one of the world's largest art galleries; there is also a much smaller second location in Upper Manhattan, at The Cloisters, which features medieval art.
Represented in the permanent collection are works of art from classical antiquity and Ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from nearly all the European masters, and an extensive collection of American and modern art. The Met also maintains extensive holdings of African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine, and Islamic art. The museum is also home to encyclopedic collections of musical instruments, costumes and accessories, and antique weapons and armor from around the world. A number of notable interiors, ranging from 1st century Rome through modern American design, are permanently installed in the Met's galleries.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens. The founders included businessmen and financiers, as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day, who wanted to open a museum to bring art and art education to the American people.


1.Topic: A Comparative Study of the Implementation of Elementary Student’s Awareness on Sexual Abuse in Canada and the USA
Premise: Cases of sexual abuse are growing in number. What are the measures conducted both in Canada and the USA to at least decrease (if not
eradicate) the incidence of sexual harassment. The study will show if Canada, which patterns its educational system in the USA, still follows the non-academic areas of teaching particularly the issue on sexual harassment.
2.Topic: Inclusion of Sexual Abuse Education in Elementary School: Boon or Bane?
Premise: Children are young enough to be exposed to sexual abuse education. However, due to the escalation of sexual abuse cases, isn’t it the opportune time for the students to be aware of this harrowing reality that confronts the community where they live? Would the sexual abuse education bring good or negative effects on the way of thinking of the children?
3.Topic: What are the emotional, mental and physical aftermaths if the sexual abuse education will be implemented on the elementary education?
Premise: How would the children respond to the “new subject” which their teachers will teach them? The study will include surveys and scientific studies
conducted in line with sexual abuse education on children. What future awaits the children if they’ll be exposed to this? How would their perspectives in
life be affected with this kind of education?
4.Topic: Wanted Teachers: Sexual Abuse Education on Children
Premise: The wide scope of this study is focused on the extent of the education to be taught. Should the children be already exposed to critical issues on
sexual harassment? What are the approaches the teachers ought to practice? How would they relay to the students the act of the abuse?
5.Topic: The Role of Broadcast Media in the Teaching of Sexual Abuse Education to Grade School Children
Premise: Apart from school, children are exposed to the influential broadcast media. Is the broadcast media helping the children’s awareness on sexual abuse or is it negatively affecting the children’s view on this matter? The study will include interviews from personalities from the broadcast media and some
experts on this matter.


Dr. Dale Misenhelter, associate professor of music and coordinator of the music education program is hosting educators from fives states for a two-week Orff Training Workshop.
What is Orff? Orff’s approach, developed for children but latterly used also with adults, was based on his belief that the easiest method of teaching music is to draw out the student’s inherent affinities for rhythm and melody and allow these to develop in natural ways,leading the child by his or her intuition from primitive to more sophisticated expression through stages parallel to western music’s evolution. Orff accomplishes this by means of a carefully planned program, beginning with speech patterns, rhythmic movement, and two-note tunes, then moving logically into pentatonic melody. Adult pressure and mechanical drill are discouraged. Improvisation is encouraged. Major and minor melody are introduced as the final stage of the program.
Orff designed a special group of instruments, including glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones, drums, and other percussion instruments to fulfill the requirements of the Schulwerk courses.


West Australian Education Minister Peter Collier suggested last month that parents weren’t putting in the time with their children at home and this was being reflected on school entry testing.
According to Mr Collier, there are increasing numbers of children starting school who lack basic skills such as being able to count, paint and hold a pencil.
The implication is that increased use of technology at home is impacting not only on the development of fine motor skills but also according to a report by Dr Jennifer Buckingham, the capacity to build language through conversation with adults and other children.
It highlights a need for researchers, politicians, parents and educators to re-visit the what, why and how of schooling in today’s world. What does it mean to be school ready in today’s world? In ten years from now, will it be necessary for young people to know how to hold a pencil? And what will it mean to be literate in an online world?
If literacy and numeracy are foundational skills (and they are), how are these skills developed in changing home/school environments alongside increasingly adaptive learning technologies? And at what stage in a child’s development do we begin nurturing new ways of thinking, working, using tools and social responsibility?
If parents are being urged to do more educating at home, then what is needed are clear frameworks (of 21st century skills) for parents and teachers. This needs to clearly articulate the qualities and skills required in today’s world and the ways in which these are developed and assessed in each child.
One of the most common complaints I hear from parents is the lack of communication around what their child is learning in class, how it’s being taught and why it’s necessary.
In the context of a changing world we all need to be asking important questions about basic skills.


"Teaching English-Language Learner Students: Professional Standards in Elementary Education in Central Region States"
A new report offers some guidance for classroom teachers working with English-language learners in seven states in the central part of the United States, where the number of students learning English is climbing steadily.
The report, released last week by the Institute for Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, focuses on Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
It spells out what K-8 general education teachers are expected to know and be able to do to teach ELLs and notes where some states' teaching standards fall short in addressing topics that research has shown to be key to improving achievement for English-learners.
The guide was put together for the institute by the Regional Educational Laboratory Central in Englewood, Colo.
Vol. 31, Issue 23, Page 5


Music has ties to every human endeavor and contributes to our daily well-being throughout our lives. It marks the special events and adds a special dimension to the quality of our lives that cannot be obtained from any other source.
The trained musician can distinguish the pitch, duration, intensity, tone, and color of sound. Music professionals understand the structure of music, as it is found throughout the world and have a perspective on its many centuries of development. Recognizing that today's musicians must be equipped with an understanding of a full range of diverse styles, an innovative, comprehensive musicianship program is now incorporated into the curriculum of all music majors at San Diego State University. The music program has received national attention and is regarded as being a strong program that teaches every student to function as a conductor, a performer, a coach, an editor or an arranger. The music program includes hands-on experience in five other world music cultures and provides students with training to sight-read, sight-sing, improvise, compose music, and use computer technology.
The music curricula are designed to fulfill the needs of all students with an interest in music. Comprehensive musicianship, the history of music, private studio instruction, composition (both traditional and electro-acoustic), piano, and ensemble performance are required. Other program features include vocal and instrumental literature, vocal and keyboard pedagogy, class voice, fundamentals of all the instruments, conducting, teaching techniques, and world music.
The Bachelor of Music program is for those students who have professional ambitions in music or seek a foundation for graduate study leading to teaching in a college or university setting.
For students who are interested in preparing for a career as a music specialist in elementary or high schools, the School offers a Bachelor of Music in music education which prepares them for the required state credential. Students are strongly encouraged to include a second major or a minor in this program.
The Bachelor of Arts in music is a liberal arts degree. The course work has less emphasis on the rigorous demands of performance and enables students to obtain a broad understanding of music. Students are strongly encouraged to include a second major or a minor in this program.
- Student organizations such as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (professional), Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma (band service), Sigma Alpha Iota and the Music Educators National Conference student chapter (music education professional) are open to music majors.
- Facilities - The 78,000 square-foot music building, completed in 1970, includes a 300-seat recital hall, rehearsal rooms for instrumental and choral organizations, an electronic music studio, 24-station multi-media computer lab, three computer/internet-connected class piano labs, a listening library of over 14,000 titles available for faculty/student study, 54 individual practice rooms, approximately 160 pianos and 800 other musical instruments.
- All music students have access to the Multi-media Interactive Fine Arts Technology laboratory, linked to students and faculty in art, dance, drama, film and music.
- Students may participate in numerous performance opportunities. There is a wide variety of instrumental ensembles from which to choose: a symphony orchestra; six bands; jazz ensembles, percussion ensembles, piano ensembles, woodwind, and brass chamber music ensembles; guitar ensemble; new music ensemble and world music ensembles.
- There are also opportunities to participate in vocal ensembles such as the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Opera Theatre.
- Undergraduate and graduate scholarship awards are available to qualified new students determined by auditions each year. The amounts of the scholarships vary from half to full tuition in addition to awards. Applications may be downloaded from The School of Music and Dance Web site.
The need for trained musicians is more easily understood when we consider the many avenues of activities open to them. For a list of possible career opportunities, visit the Careers Services Web site.
One hundred percent of our graduates with a Bachelor of Music in music education and the single subject teaching credential are placed in teaching positions within one year of graduation.
You can view more complete information regarding the Music program in the General Catalog. All students are responsible for reading and knowing the information pertinent to their areas of study available in the General Catalog. It contains requirements for all academic majors, course descriptions, policies, and regulations governing progress at the university. Catalogs are distributed at all New Student Orientation programs. To order a General Catalog, call (619) 594-7535.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Guide to the Education Scrapbook, 1892-1896
Consisting of newspaper clippings, pedagogical articles, and an administrative report, the Education Scrapbook, 1892-1896, chronicles the methods by which reading was taught in Texas schools during the late 19th century. Loose articles from newspapers as well as the Texas School Journal and Proceedings State Teachers’ Association includes poetry and also concerns a variety of educational issues such as textbooks and music education. The scrapbook proper contains articles on the most effective way to teach reading, a report from the superintendent of Houston schools on the results of a reading exam and poems.
This collection is open for research use.
Education Scrapbook, 1892-1896, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.


A special education teacher often has students with varying learning, mental, physical and emotional disabilities. Teachers whose students have mild to moderate disabilities may work with the children in a regular classroom alongside the classroom teacher. In other situations, the special education teacher may have her own classroom. Some special education teachers teach lessons similar to those of regular education students, while other special education teachers teach students independent living skills.
A special education teacher must have a bachelor’s degree and a state license to teach in any of the states. Certification varies by state and by subject taught. Some states require special education teachers to have training in general studies, such as elementary education, while other states allow special education teachers to have a major in a content area, such as communication arts. As part of the training to become a special education teacher, a student spends at least one semester in the classroom learning the responsibilities of a special education teacher.
Special education teachers must be mindful of the rules and regulations imposed on them and their school district by federal laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, of 2004. Special education instructors must also protect the privacy of their students under the guidelines of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, FERPA. Each special education student in the district has an individualized education plan, or IEP, customized to his disability. The special education teacher serves on the IEP team, along with parents, administrators and other teachers, to see that the IEP’s goals are met.
Resource Room Teacher
The special education teacher’s primary task is to meet each of the goals established in his students’ IEPs. The teacher who works with special education students in a separate classroom creates lessons geared to meet those objectives. The classroom setting, which is sometimes call a resource room, also provides the teacher the chance to work with his students on life skills and behavior modification techniques.
In most instances, IEPs seek to place special education students in regular classrooms as much as possible. In that situation, the special education teacher attends classes with her students. She gives her students modified homework that covers the same topics covered in the daily lessons. The special education teacher may work with small groups of students who may or may not qualify for special education, and she may team-teach the entire class with the regular classroom teacher.
- Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images


Teachers and students will love the way Gamester makes learning the letters of the alphabet fun and easy for even the youngest of learners.
Provo, Utah (PRWEB) September 29, 2011
To help parents and teachers provide engaging educational activities for children of the digital age, Imagine Learning, developer of the award-winning children’s language and literacy software program Imagine Learning English, has released its second mobile learning application, Gamester. The app, which is compatible with iOS devices, is now available as a free download in the iTunes store.
Gamester features three interactive kids’ games designed to help young learners master the letters of the alphabet:
- In “Free the Aliens,” players race against the clock to identify letters and free aliens trapped in a crater.
- In “Build a Monster,” kids create their very own monster or robot by choosing the correct letter of the alphabet.
- In “Letter Shapes & Sounds,” young readers learn the shapes and sounds of new letters.
Gamester is designed for both home and school use. “This would be an excellent addition to any early literacy curriculum,” said Clydie Wakefield, executive director of curriculum development at Imagine Learning. “Teachers and students will love the way Gamester makes learning the letters of the alphabet fun and easy for even the youngest of learners.”
While Imagine Learning is best known as the company behind Imagine Learning English, an engaging language and literacy software program that helps students read at grade level, the company has also produced successful mobile apps. Bookster, the read-along storytelling app from Imagine Learning, was recently updated with new books and features. The company sees mobile apps as another way to deliver effective reading instruction to children.
“Kids growing up in the digital age need educational activities that are also engaging and interactive,” said Susan Preator, president and CEO of Imagine Learning. “With Gamester, children can have fun learning critical early reading skills anytime, anywhere.”
Additional games for the app are in development. The company appreciates feedback from parents, educators and kids who use the app. Consumers are encouraged to download Gamester and submit reviews to the iTunes App Store or to apps(at)imaginelearning(dot)com.
About Imagine Learning
Imagine Learning is the company behind Imagine Learning English, an innovative language and literacy software program designed to meet the needs of four key student populations: English learners, struggling readers, students with disabilities and early childhood education students. With first-language support and continual assessment, Imagine Learning English gives students one-on-one instruction and scaffolded support while keeping teachers abreast of student progress through real-time reports.
Visit http://www.imaginelearning.com to find out how Imagine Learning English gives students, parents and teachers essential tools for language and literacy development.


Toys can teach us lots of important life skills: how to run a household, how to change a diaper, and even how to delicately remove a wish bone. While kids are busy playing, toys simultaneously aid fundamental cognitive and motor skill development. As Mr. Rogers once said, “Play is really the work of childhood.”
For some kids with physical or mental disabilities the benefits of play can be harder to come by. Often, store-bought toys don’t accommodate for special conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, Spina Bifida and muscular dystrophy. Enter the Adaptive Toy Project, an initiative through the University of North Florida’s (UNF) Neurodevelopment Systems course that modifies toys for children with disabilities, allowing ease of play. Student teams at UNF have retrofitted motorized toys with adaptive technologies that were custom designed with a specific child in mind. Know a child that would benefit from one of these custom cruisers? Referrals to the Adaptive Toy Project can be made through a licensed physical therapist.
Photo: Courtesy of University of North Florida.


Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the modern India. According to him Truth is God and God is Truth. His life was an experiment with truth and he had strong faith in peace, truth and non-violence. Basic education was his brainchild and its principles were based on his philosophy of life. He was born on 2nd October, 1869 at Porebandar, Kathiabad, Gujurat and breathed his last on 30th January, 1948.
Principles and Objective of Gandhian Education
Although Gandhiji was never a teacher nor he established any school, he is regarded as one of the greatest teachers of mankind. His thoughts on education are quite relevant to the life, needs and aspirations of the society.
According to him, education means "an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit". He viewed education as a means of promoting truth and non-violence.
Gandhiji laid stress on economic activities in education. Self- efficiency was the acid test of success of his educational system. He was therefore in favour of introducing crafts as a source of income and as a means of vocational training.
Gandhiji aimed at education as an agency of character development. Spiritual development was an important aim of his education. Self-realization was the main objective of Gandhian education. Gandhi viewed well of the state as a means of well- being of individuals. He wanted that every school should be a community centre where all facilities are to be made available for development of the society as well as of all individuals.
Content and Methods of His Education
Gandhiji aimed at the development of the all-round Personality of children. That is, he sought to develop physical,mental, social and spiritual powers of the child through education. He also emphasized the education of 3H's - head, heart and hand in addition to 3R's. Thus, he insisted on the development of their mental, emotional and manual powers along with knowledge in arithmetic, writing and reading.
The contents of Gandhian education were as follows:
(i) A craft suiting to the local needs and conditions, (ii) Mother tongue, (iii) Arithmetic, (iv) Social studies, (v) General Science, (vi) Art work, (vii) Music, (viii) Domestic Science for Girls in place of General Science. All subjects were taught through a basic craft. Mother tongue occupied and important place as a subject of study and as the medium of instruction.
Gandhiji's method of teaching had some peculiar features. He did not like the traditional passive and verbal methods of teaching. He introduced craft as the centre of teaching-learning process and laid stress on close relation between the teacher and the taught. The methods of teaching were mostly activity centred and dynamic in nature. Mahatma Gandhi took craft as a means of production and as a source of recreation as well as character-building. He emphasized the principles of cooperative activity, planning, accuracy, initiative and individual responsibility in learning.
Gandhiji's Craft-centred education has a great similarity with the modern concept of work experience of Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW). Universalization of elementary education and development of all-round personality of the child were the main objectives of the Gandhian Education.
Gandhiji was dreaming to set up Ramarajya a nonviolent and democratic social according to his own values and vision of life. Gandhiji's land of dreams was a Sarvodaya Samaj based on social justice, peace and nonviolence. Gandhi believed in the essential nature of goodness in man and learning by doing. He hoped that through his desired education the Ramarajya, the land of his dream can be established not only in this country, but also in the whole world.


From a Creighton Student's Perspective
February 29, 2012
Sophomore, Elementary Education Major
In today’s first reading, on the second Wednesday of Advent, we see Jonah warning the people of Nineveh that in forty days, “Nineveh shall be destroyed.” (Jonah 3:4) In this season of Lent, we also see this theme of 40 days, which can be found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It rained for 40 days and nights when Noah was in the ark, Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days, Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, and the symbolism goes on and on. Just as Noah, Moses, and Jesus had 40 days to spend with God, Lent should be a time for us to also spend 40 days with God.
Whatever method we choose to use to grow closer to Christ during this time, whether that is through fasting, prayer, or anything else, Lent is an incredible opportunity to step back for a second, and watch Jesus work in our lives and the lives of others. One of my personal favorite Lenten practices is to try to go to daily Mass. Having the opportunity to attend Mass every day is something that I find myself taking for granted, but during Lent, I try to go as often as I can. Every time at Mass, during the consecration, when Jesus becomes truly present in the Eucharist, there truly is “something greater than Solomon here.” (Luke 29:31)
Collaborative Ministry Office Guestbook


The estimated cost of illiteracy to the UK economy is £81.312bn each year, according to a new report.
The interim report, released by the World Literacy Foundation, provides a snapshot of illiteracy as well as its causes and consequences in the UK.
The report highlights the statistic that at least six million adults in the UK are functionally illiterate, meaning one in five adults struggle with illiteracy.
It is individuals and businesses who suffer, losing about £58bn through lower wages or business earnings due to poor literacy.
In addition, this does not include the opportunity cost of individual wealth creation or entrepreneurship lost because a significant proportion of the population struggle to read and write.
Also the report adds an illiterate adult will earn an income at least 30% less than a literate person.
World Literacy Foundation CEO Andrew Kay called for a greater level of action from the UK Government to address the literacy crisis.
"The issue of illiteracy affects over six million people in the UK and almost 800 million worldwide," he said.
"One of the best things we can do to stamp out poverty in the world is to improve literacy. This is the key to getting people into jobs, increasing their income and enabling them to take part in society."
The final report, titled "The Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy" will be released at the World Literacy Summit in Oxford in April.
"This is the first time ever a conference has been dedicated to addressing the problem of world literacy and its link to poverty," he said.
"Leaders and experts from the literacy community in the UK and around the world will attend this conference to build a collective plan of action to make inroads into wiping out illiteracy."
World Literacy Summit Committee Chairman Dr Anthony Cree said literacy is "vital" for the economic success and community prosperity of the UK.
"The UK is missing out on an injection of funds into its economy worth billions of dollars," he said.
According to Cree, low levels of literacy can be a predictor of poverty, unemployment, poor health and crime.
"If a person does not have the solid base of literacy and numeracy skills that so many of us take for granted, their opportunities in life are more limited.
"Many higher-paying job and training opportunities are closed to them, they are more likely to turn to a life of crime," he continued.
"In addition, the children of illiterate people are also more likely to be illiterate and follow this same vicious cycle of poverty and disadvantage."


THE N.E.A. COMMITTEE OF TEN
In the late 1800's the question of the purpose of the American high school was divided between two main philosophies. Traditional educators saw high school as a college preparatory institution. This divided students into academic versus terminal students, often based on economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds. Others believed the high school should serve more as a people's school, offering a range of practical courses. The National Education Association addressed this issue by appointing a Committee of Ten in 1892 to establish a standard curriculum. This committee was composed mostly of educators and was chaired by Charles Eliot, the president of Harvard University. Eliot led the committee to two major recommendations. The first was earlier entry of some subjects. The second was the teaching of subjects for both college-bound and terminal students.
The Committee of Ten recommended eight years of elementary education and four years of secondary education. It defined four different curricula as appropriate for high school. The first two followed a classical trend: classical and Latin-scientific. The second two were more contemporary: modern language and English. Courses that are now considered basic like foreign languages, mathematics, science, English and history were included in each curriculum.
The significance of the Committee of Ten was its contribution towards liberalizing the high school by offering alternatives to the Latin and Greek classic curricula and the belief that the same subjects would be equally beneficial to both academic and terminal students. The goal of high school was to prepare all students to do well in life, contributing to their own well-being and society's good, and to prepare some students for college.
Ornstein, Allan C. and Daniel U. Levine. FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION. 5ed. Boston: Houghton, 1993. pp174-5.
Meyer, Adolphe E. AN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. 2ed. New York: McGraw, 1967. p. 408.
Prepared by Linda Weidner


Sure, lasagna is usually made with layers of noodles and sauce, but your child can create something unique by using flour tortillas instead of noodles, and salsa instead of tomato sauce! The finished result is a tasty and healthy dinner for the whole family!
What You Do:
- Start by inviting your child to gather all the ingredients needed to create this healthy and tasty dinner. She can place the uncooked chicken breast in a saucepan with the water and cover, bringing everything to a simmer.
- While the chicken is cooking, encourage your child to prepare the other ingredients by grating the cheese and dicing the vegetables. Using kitchen tools are a great culinary learning experience, but do need adult supervision! Offer help as needed.
- Once the chicken has simmered for at least 10 minutes, invite your child to turn off the top stove heat, and preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Next she’ll begin assembling the tortilla lasagna. She’ll be using the flour tortillas in place of lasagna noodles! Tell her to place a small amount of the salsa in the bottom of the pie pan and spread it around. Then place one of the tortillas on the salsa.
- Invite her to remove the chicken breast from the hot water and carefully dice with the knife. The chicken may still be hot, so work carefully!
- Now she can sprinkle the lasagna ingredients over the tortillas and layers any way she likes! Each layer could have a different ingredient, or could be covered with a little bit of each item!
- Once she has layered the tortillas and all her ingredients have been used up, she can add a final sprinkle of cheese as well as an additional dollop of salsa.
- Now cover the tortilla lasagna with tin foil and place in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Once the time is up, carefully take out the lasagna and remove the tinfoil. Then place it back in the oven until the top is bubbly hot and browned.
Serve the tortilla lasagna with a side of rice, salsa and sour cream!
Did You Know:
The tortilla dates back the ancient Aztecs, over 600 years ago! They were created by grinding corn, adding animal fat, and then pressing flat.
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


A Historical Introduction and Study of the
Music Program at the Kentucky School for the Deaf
Cristina Soares da Silva, M.A.
Chairperson: Dr. Wesley Roberts
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the history and current methods of music education to elementary-level students at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville, Kentucky. The Kentucky School for the Deaf is the oldest public institution of its kind in the United States, and has been offering instruction to the deaf since 1823. It has used both oralism and sign language as methods of instruction since its early years of existence.
This study is organized into chapters examining the history of the Kentucky School for the Deaf, various educational methods for teaching deaf students, the development of American Sign Language, and music classes at the school. The struggle to establish a viable educational method of instruction is described with reference to developments in the United States, Sweden, and Brazil. A description of current music classes at the Kentucky School for the Deaf is provided with observations on instructional techniques and student responses to music. The parameter of vibration used to perform music activities and psychomotor aspects are discussed.
Comments from interviews with personnel at the Kentucky School for the Deaf are integrated into the thesis. The study is accompanied by a conclusion and bibliography.
Posted on Mon, October 14, 2013
by Cristina Soares da Silva filed under


ERIC Number: ED281957
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1986
Reference Count: 0
Black Girls and Women in Elementary Education. History of Black Women's Education in the South, 1865-Present. Instructional Modules for Educators, Module I.
Ihle, Elizabeth L.
The quality of elementary education has been highly dependent on factors beyond a child's control--sex, race, economic situation, geographical location, and time in history. It is also shaped by the people who control the education--the teachers, administrators, and governing officials--and by the goals they design. This module explores these variations as they have affected the elementary schooling of black girls and women in the South since 1865. It is the first of four modules designed to help educators learn more about the double bias that has faced southern black women in American schools since the Civil War. The following topics are discussed: (1) education during reconstruction; (2) the decline of public support for black education from 1877 to 1900; (3) women's life and teaching in late 19th century black classrooms; (4) interest in designing an appropriate black education, 1900-30; (5) early 20th century school life; and (6) school experience in the mid-20th century. Sidebars include excerpts from the diary of a New England teacher; excerpts from other texts showing the role of women in the 19th century; an interview with an urban black girl at the turn of the century; a description of rural school life, 1914-15; questions for discussion; activities for enrichment; and a bibliography. Several black and white photographs are included. (PS)
Publication Type: Guides - Non-Classroom; Historical Materials
Education Level: N/A
Sponsor: Women's Educational Equity Act Program (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA.
Identifiers: Black Womens Studies; United States (South)
Note: For the other modules in this series, see UD 025 515-516. Photographs will not reproduce clearly.


Use these lesson plans, activities, and ideas to give students a wealth of words to use as they express themselves.
- Grades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12
Includes vocabulary activities for two commonly taught short stories The Gift of the Magi and The Interlopers, which can be adapted to any short story to help identify and understand irony and conflict and to use fiction for increasing student vocabulary.
An interactive whiteboard mini-lesson on vocabulary excerpted from Writing Lessons for the Interactive Whiteboard by Lola M. Schaefer.
Quick and easy ways to infuse your entire day with vocabulary instruction.
Organize your vocabulary instruction with these lesson plans and activities from professional books for teaching vocabulary.
These vocabulary activities help students to learn definitions and also to use and apply the vocabulary words in various contexts.
Vocabulary boosters for teaching Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.
Vocabulary Boosters for teaching Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet.
List vocabulary words featured in the book A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin. Use them for your class's weekly list, daily word study, or spelling exercises.
Vocabulary Boosters for teaching Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
Introduce these vocabulary words before teaching From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg in your classroom.
Vocabulary builder for The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson.
You may wish to review the following words with students before assigning the book.
Vocabulary Building Strategies
Words and their meaning are the building blocks of literacy development. Neuman offers ideas on how to create a world of words in the classroom
The top five word lists recommended by Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer and publisher of primary programs for Scholastic Education. Use them for vocabulary instruction in your own classroom.
If you can't tell a lame duck from a rubber chicken, here's a guide to help you understand the language of politics.


April 1, 2010, Education becomes a Fundamental Right
On April 1, 2010 India joined a group of a few countries in the world, with a historic law making education a fundamental right of every child coming into force.
Making elementary education an entitlement for children in the 6–14 age group, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 will directly benefit close to one crore children who do not go to school at present. As per the Act, private educational institutions should reserve 25 per cent seats for children from the weaker sections of society.
The Centre and the States have agreed to share the financial burden in the ratio of 55 : 45, while the Finance Commission has given Rs. 25,000 crore to the States for implementing the Act. The Centre has approved an outlay of Rs. 15,000 crore for 2010-11.


ERIC Number: ED467567
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 2002-Aug
Reference Count: N/A
El recreo en la escuela primaria: Que indica la investigacion? (Recess in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say?) ERIC Digest.
Jarrett, Olga S.
Compared to the rest of the school day, recess is a time when children have more freedom to choose what they want to do and with whom. In light of the current climate of school accountability, this Spanish-language Digest discusses research on recess and its relationship to learning, social development, and child health, as well as research on related topics that have implications for recess policy such as the need for breaks and physical activity. The Digest reviews the relationships between recess and learning, recess and social development, and recess and child health noting that available research suggests that recess can play an important role in these three areas of development. The Digest calls for further research to assess the effects of "no recess" policies, how often recess breaks should occur, and how much involvement/guidance is needed from adult supervisors. (HTH)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Childhood Needs, Elementary Education, Elementary School Students, Multilingual Materials, Performance Factors, Physical Development, Play, Recess Breaks, Social Development
ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Children's Research Center, University of Illinois, 51 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61820-7469. Tel: 800-583-4135 (Toll Free); Tel: 217-333-1386; Fax: 217-333-3767; e-mail: email@example.com. For full text: http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/spanish.html.
Publication Type: ERIC Publications; ERIC Digests in Full Text
Education Level: N/A
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Champaign, IL.
Identifiers: ERIC Digests
Note: For English version, see ED 466 331.


You’ve likely heard the saying “two heads are better than one” used in support of collaboration. Besides the increase in brainpower, the availability of different perspectives and experiences also contributes to the value of working together. On Sesame Street, this adage is embodied by the Two-Headed Monster, who literally puts his heads together to solve problems and explore the world:
While we at the Cooney Center fancy ourselves a bit more civilized than the Two-Headed Monster, we also recognize the value of multiple heads when trying to understand and address problems. Especially when thinking about the uses and possibilities of digital media in education, sharing the load with many other smart, dedicated people and organizations working in this area seems like a wise choice. Throughout its existence, the Center has consistently partnered with universities, not-for-profit, and industry groups: In late 2011, we began a new collaborative relationship with the Annenberg Innovation Lab, housed at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California—and I am just lucky enough to be one of the heads involved in this partnership.
The Annenberg Innovation Lab is involved in a number of different projects related to innovation in media technology and communication practices. Among the numerous research and design tracks supported by the Lab is Children, Youth, and Media (CYM), which focuses on understanding participatory practices and transmedia storytelling in relation to learning. CYM is also dedicated to designing tools (ranging from high- to no-tech) for extending such practices and learning opportunities to youth in different settings, including both formal and informal educational spaces. The Children, Youth, and Media research-design track, supervised by Principle Investigator Henry Jenkins and Research/Creative Director Erin Reilly, continues research conducted through Project New Media Literacies at MIT.
As a Research Associate for the Children, Youth, and Media research-design track, I am currently working on two projects that blend the research interests of the Cooney Center and the Innovation Lab. Both of these projects are linked to current and completed research from the Center and Children, Youth, and Media. I’ll dig into the projects in more detail in future posts. For now, here are short summaries of each project:
PLAY! (Participatory Learning and You!) for Elementary: This project aims to understand how concepts of participatory teaching and learning operate in elementary education. The elementary level project is an offshoot of a larger research initiative that has been under way at the Lab since summer 2011. In this research, I’ll be working with elementary school teachers to design and test out “challenges” (participatory activities) created specifically for elementary school teachers and students.
Transmedia Storytelling and the World Wide Telescope: This pilot study aims to understand how principles of transmedia storytelling can support elementary school students’ learning about science. The study will utilize the World Wide Telescope, tool developed by Microsoft Research to engage students in telling and sharing stories about space.
As mentioned, more information on both of these projects will be coming in future posts. In the meantime, if you’re an elementary school educator in the Los Angeles area and want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!


Basedow, Johann Bernhard (yōhänˈ bĕrnˈhärt bäˈzədō) [key], 1723–90, German educator, b. Hamburg, educated in Hamburg and at the Univ. of Leipzig. Later he taught in Denmark (1753) and Germany (1761) but became involved in controversies aroused by his unorthodox religious writings. In 1774 his Elementarwerk was published with funds raised by popular subscription, and Basedow opened at Dessau a school called the Philanthropinum, where the methods of elementary education outlined in this text were employed. Drawing upon the writings of Comenius, Locke, and Rousseau, Basedow emphasized realistic teaching and introduced nature study, physical education, and manual training. He resigned in 1778 because of disagreements with his staff, and the school closed in 1793. His reforms were widely influential, however, and similar institutions were established throughout Germany and Switzerland.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.


Writing professional standards for music teachers
In June 2002, the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) endorsed a project to develop professional standards for Australian music educators. A draft version of the standards has been widely distributed throughout the profession to stimulate discussion. The project team, drawn from the ASME National Executive, consists of Dr Amanda Watson (Secretary), Associate Professor David Forrest (Publications Editor) and Dr Neryl Jeanneret (President).
A priority of the ASME project has been to involve and include music educators who work in all contexts, categorised in Australia as classroom music, instrumental music in schools and studio music teachers.
Background: the wider drive for teaching standards
The impetus for this project came from recommendations of A Class Act: Inquiry into the Status of the Teaching Profession (Senate Employment, Education and Training References Committee, 1998). The development of professional standards for Australian music educators builds on the major work undertaken in the disciplines of English and Literacy, Mathematics and Science.
Between 1999 and 2002, the relevant professional teaching associations representing these disciplines were funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to develop professional standards and performance assessments. The long-term goal of each project was to support the development of a national voluntary system to provide professional certification to teachers whose practice has attained high standards as set by the profession in each of the three disciplines. A wider context of this work has included improved career paths for teachers, clearer long-term goals for professional development and greater responsibility within the profession for quality assurance.
It was also significant that at the time of writing the first draft of professional standards for Australian music educators, the Australian Joint Council of Professional Teaching Associations (AJCPTA) published a paper supporting this type of work by professional teaching associations. Titled Submission: Establishing the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership (February 2004), it stated that:
The AJCPTA is supportive of the research work conducted by professional teaching associations in the area of teaching standards … Their collaborative approach to the work has created a strong trust with those involved and has earned them respect from teachers and other professional associations.
The first stages of the ASME project consisted of a paper that included an extensive literature review. The project team also consulted widely with members of the profession. A forum was convened at the ASME National Conference in Darwin in July 2003. A two-day summit was held in Melbourne in February 2004. The first draft of the professional standards for Australian music educators was then developed.
The draft drew on the professional standards written by teachers of English and Literacy, Mathematics and Science, and also used advice regarding structure of professional standards published in A National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching (MCEETYA, November 2003).
In adapting these guidelines to the context of music education, the ASME draft revised terminology at a number of points. The term ‘accomplished’ was a requirement of the standards in the other disciplines, but in music ‘accomplished’ is specifically reserved as a description of a performing musician. The terms ‘excellence’ and ‘outstanding’ also have links to the performer and a performance. After consideration, the term ‘expert’ was chosen as being more appropriate for the teacher of music in a number of educational contexts in Australia.
The ASME standards are presented in four domains, each with three subheadings (indicated in brackets, below):
The project team has also been aware of the future need to build in a form of assessment to make the professional standards meaningful and serve a practical purpose.
It is proposed that the professional standards for Australian music educators will be launched at the ASME XV National Conference in Melbourne in July 2005.
Australian Joint Council of Professional Teaching Associations. (2004). Submission: Establishing the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership. Leichhardt: Author.
MCEETYA. (2003). A National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching. Canberra: Author.
Senate Employment, Education and Training References Committee. (1998). A Class Act: Inquiry into the Status of the Teaching Profession. Canberra: AGPS.
Key Learning AreasThe Arts
Subject HeadingsTeaching and learning


Early Life of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was born in 26th September 1820 in a small village called Birsingha, which is in Paschim Midnapore district of West Bengal. His father was Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and mother was Bhagavati Devi. Little Ishwar completed his elementary education from a pathshala in his village. But it was observed that Ishwar was a very brilliant student and has a very sharp mind. So his father took him to Kolkata for better education and he completed his schooling from Kolkata. He worked very hard during his school days and was awarded with a number of scholarships for his great academic performance. Ishwar Chandra successfully passed his Law Examination in the year 1839.
Teaching Career of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
In the year 1841 Ishwar Chandra joined the Fort William College as a Head of the Sanskrit Department. At that time his age was only twenty-one years. In the year 1846 he joined Sanskrit College as Assistant Secretary. In the year 1849 he left the Sanskrit College due to some disagreements with College Secretary Rasomoy Dutta and in the same year he rejoined the Fort William College as a Head Clerk. But later in the year 1851 he again joined the Sanskrit College as a Professor of Literature and afterwards became the Principal of that College.
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar acting as a Social Reformer
Vidyasagar worked desperately to uplift the status of women in whole India. He introduced the concept of Widow marriage in Hindu Society and for this he has got moral support from other reformists also. He also raised his voice against child marriage in Hindu Society. He really felt for the girls, women in the Hindu society and to eradicate these evil traditions from Hindu Society he organized various seminars, discussions. In the year 1856 British Government legalized Widow Marriage.
He also noticed that there is no importance given to the Women Education in Hindu Society. He slowly established many schools for Girls. He worked tirelessly for educating the Girls in Bengal. He used to visit each and every girl child's house to educate their parents and feel them believe the importance of women's education in those days.
Kind Hearted Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was famous for his kind-hearted nature and shouldered his hand to each and everyone who will be asking for help. He was called as "Daya-r-Sagar" for his kind heart. During his college days he spend part of his scholarship money to help the poor and save them from distress. Not only with money, he also used to nurse the sick people, patients.
More articles: Bengal personalities


Explicit instruction of graphic organizers as an informational text reading comprehension strategy: Third-grade students' strategies and perceptions
The purpose of this case study research was to explore the effects of explicit instruction of graphic organizers to support students' understandings of informational text. An additional purpose was to investigate students' perceptions of using graphic organizers as a comprehension strategy. ^ Using case study methodology, this study occurred during 6 weeks of instruction in a third-grade classroom in a suburban school outside a large metropolitan area. The teacher-as-researcher applied purposeful sampling to obtain 6 students. Over the course of the study, the teacher-as-researcher provided daily 45-minute literacy lessons including social studies content, reading comprehension strategies, think-aloud strategies, and teacher modeling of compare/contrast graphic organizers. After whole-class lessons, students worked independently or in small groups to learn content and to practice using reading strategies and think-alouds. ^ For each of the 6 case studies, researchers collected and analyzed the following: (a) student work samples, including graphic organizers, (b) students' responses to open-ended interviews probing about graphic organizers as a comprehension strategy, (c) student reflective journals, and (d) think-aloud protocols. ^ Data were interpreted in a manner to illustrate both a "big picture" (macrostructure) and a critical analysis of individual students (microstructure). The major findings of the present study were that students seem to find graphic organizers useful, that they are able to independently use them, that they face some obstacles using them, and that they learn new concepts about informational text as a result of using graphic organizers. The case study students reported that the graphic organizers helped them to determine important information in the text. Furthermore, students pointed to graphic organizers as providing instructional strategies that assisted them in becoming diligent and purposeful readers. ^ Thus, this research adds to the body of growing evidence showing the instructional benefits of graphic organizers as a means to scaffold and support students' understandings of informational text. As such, this study extends the promising findings about the use of graphic organizers from middle schools and high schools to the elementary level. ^
Education, Elementary|Education, Social Sciences|Education, Reading
Erin Marie Fealy,
"Explicit instruction of graphic organizers as an informational text reading comprehension strategy: Third-grade students' strategies and perceptions"
(January 1, 2010).
ETD Collection for Fordham University.


London’s newest (academic) supergroup
Exercise is effective in fighting demntia, says a new report. REUTERS
Western University’s Brain and Mind Institute and the nearby Don Wright Faculty of Music have started to jam; call it the academic equivalent of the Traveling Wilburys.
For the record, the new partnership — formerly called Musical Learning Across the Lifespan (MLAL) — is more about brain development than it is Grammy nominations. But if you’re at all curious about how music and the brain intertwine, you’ll want to keep an eye on this new supergroup.
The two main players are the University of Edinburgh’s Katie Overy, a visiting professor in music education at Western, and Jessica Grahn, a cognitive neuroscientist that was, in 2012, awarded a grant from the Gammy Foundation for her research into the links between music and movement.
Similar to a program set up by Overy at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Grahn said Western’s version will have many benefits for both music and neuroscience researchers.
On one side, Grahn said there is huge interest from the music education community in applying what we’ve discovered about how the brain learn things and how that changes in people as they get older. Not only does Western have a large number of music majors, they also host programs such as New Horizons Adult Band, which is for adults who want to begin learning how to play music.
On the neuroscience side, Grahn said researchers will benefit from access to the brains of these musically inclined students and eager adults as they learn.
“It’s not often you get to look at people who are doing a brand new, very complex, difficult, cognitively demanding task (such as) learning a new musical instrument, especially not in large numbers,” she explained. “Music education majors need to learn new instruments so they can teach on these different instruments, so there’s some new opportunities there to look at how musical learning may change the brain and what we can learn about how people learn at different stages of life.”
As an example, some research suggests that older adults who have musical training are better at things like hearing speech in noisy environments, something neuroscientists might be interested in deconstructing. Grahn also said the new partnership may also connect to her research in how music could help people with brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
“The research that’s been done so far confirms that for some patients, a steady beat really seems to help, but for many of them, it does not,” Grahn said. “So one of the things we’re interested in is using the musical knowledge that is represented here (to ask), ‘how can we break down music into important relevant components so we can test these for what’s important to the Parkinson’s patients we see?’”
Music is also becoming a larger part of therapy for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, as highlighted by the 2014 documentary Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory.
Grahn said she is currently overseeing a post-doctoral student researching music and memory.
“Often for patients with dementia, including Alzheimer’s, music seems to be one of the last things to go, which is useful clinically because it turns out music can be great for regulating mood,” Grahn said. “But it’s also interesting (because it might tell us) us how memory in the brain works; why is it that music seems to be preserved when these patients are no long recognizing their own children or their partners?”
Grahn, who holds a double degree in music and neuroscience from Northwestern University, arrived at Western about five years ago. She said she hopes Musical Learning Across the Lifespan might also encourage Western to offer double degree programs between music and science.


Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve had a pretty exciting week here at Imagine Learning as we’ve brought you recaps from days one, two, and three of the National Title I Conference in Tampa, thoughts on Utah’s immigration stance and the Utah Compact, and a printable activity for Black History Month.
But don’t worry, the excitement will continue next week with free Imagine Learning valentines, an introduction to our new webinar series, and other exciting posts. So stay tuned.
Before we sign off for the weekend, here are a few links that caught our eye this week:
- Challenging the Gifted A look at one amazing program that’s keeping gifted students challenged and engaged.
- Research Finds Text Messaging Improves Children’s Spelling Skills A new study found that text messaging did not hinder kids’ literacy development; in fact, just the opposite.
- Rote Memorization: Overrated or Underrated? If nothing else, click over to this article to watch a 3-year-old recite Billy Collins’s “Litany.”
- Bending and Stretching Classroom Lessons to Make Math Inspire This article links to another great video–Vi Hart’s popular youtube clip about doodling in math class.
- 25 Comical Quotes about the Confusing English Language If you work with English learners, you’ll want to check these out–twenty-five wonderful and hilarious ways the English language confuses us all.