Common Core CurriculumResources
for English Language Arts
CJUHSD CCSS/RCD Units:
Our ELA Curriculum can now be accessed on Google Drive! Every unit has a one-page curriculum resource that has links to everything you need:
If you are not ready for Google Drive yet, don't worry! All CC units can still be accessed in School Loop under Groups, Common Core Resources - ELA, and by grade level.
Our workshops have provided the opportunity to collaborate upon and share develop resources district-wide. Click the Google Folder to see shared resources. You will need to be logged in to your Google Drive with permission to access the folder:
English I - Honors Folder
English II - Honors Folder
AP English Language/English III - Honors Folder
AP English Literature Folder
What's the difference between CAASPP and SBAC? The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) system is the new student testing system that replaced the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) system. All state tests will now be under CAASPP. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is the group that designed the Smarter Balanced Assessment System. The Summative Assessment that 11th graders take and the Interim Assessments that all students can take are part of that system along with the Digital Library.
The California Department of Education (CDE) has housed all pertinent state-related assessment information for CAASPP and SBAC on one page.
The Oregon Dept. of Education has disseminated all the released sample questions for SBAC into an easily decipherable list.
Where can teachers go to access what they need? CAASPP.org is the best place to start. It contains all things Smarter Balanced.
The CJUHSD Instructional team has also created a folder of Interim Assessment resources for teachers in the district. The video below provides teachers with an introduction to some of the resources available.
Strong ELA Sites:
The Master Teacher Project: A Comprehensive Site of Teacher Lessons and Units
Tim Shanahan, noted reading specialist and former president of the International Reading Association, provides a myriad of articles and presentations on adolescent literacy and how to engage students in literacy development.
Jim Burke's site provides "links that seem most useful to us in our work to understand, implement, and teach the Common Core State Standards in the year[s] ahead."
Brian Jeffrey compiled his site well before CC implementation, but his strategies are strong and still effective in the classroom.
OnFiction "has the aim of developing the psychology of fiction. Using theoretical and empirical perspectives, we endeavour to understand how fiction is created, and how readers and audience members engage in it."
For Achievement Teams, Steve Ventura's site is where you can download all of the resources and information you need.
Sites for ELA and Technology Inspiration:
English Teachers who use technology and innovation to implement the CCSS in their classrooms:
"Educator Nadia Kalman suggests a few 'anti-social skills,' like eavesdropping and muttering to yourself, that can help you write an effective dialogue for your next story."
Evaluate Sources worksheet for Students. Use with sites & articles.
Some intriguing ways to begin and end each class! The 8 Minutes That Matter Most | Edutopia
5 Things You Did Not Know About Google Forms
"Future jobs will look more and more like science fiction." What work will be like in the future.
What Students Can Learn from Giving TEDx Talks
Teaching Kids to Write Super Sentences
How do you collect instant feedback from students? Digital Exit Tickets.
Not Just Group Work -- Productive Group Work! Succinct summary with links to strong resources!
3 Strategies for Building an Authentic Audience for Your Student’s Work
"Reading Resuscitation: Reaching Struggling Adolescent Readers -- A Workshop for Teachers"
Skills Practice | Socratic Seminars Using Informational Text
"The first way to meet a metaphor is to see the world through it's eyes" -- a lovely lesson in metaphors, TEDEd
A Guide to Using Webb's DOK with CCSS by Karen Hess and published by the Common Core Institute
We know we should include visual rhetorical analysis, but what does that look like? Purdue Owl has created a strong resource for teachers.
"Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning"
"8 Strategies for Teaching Academic Language"


Theory of knowledge - theoryofknowledge.net. Risk-taking: What does it mean to you? IB World magazine asks teachers how they encourage students to become confident in taking risks and students share how this has helped them develop lifelong skills The IB Learner Profile aims to develop students who are risk-takers.
This means guiding students to explore new ideas and innovative strategies, challenging their ways of thinking and encouraging them to be confident in those decisions. This lifelong skill requires students to step out of their comfort zone and become courageous in their choices and actions. But, there is a hint of uncertainty and failure attached to the idea. How can teachers successfully encourage students to take risks and be resilient in the face of challenges? Brian Kerekes, IB mathematics HL teacher at Celebration High School in Florida, US, believes risk-taking is crucial to academic success and development.
“For many students there is almost an inherent fear of failure,” Kerekes explains. Nnenna leads by example. The ways students maintain a healthy study-life balance. Last month, IB World magazine spoke to teachers about how they maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Now, we’ve asked IB Diploma Programme students how they divide their time between studies and a social life… They say school years are the best years of your life. For IB students, it’s a time when they make friends with people from all over the world and learn about how they can make a difference. It’s also a time when they discover how to balance time pressures with mounting workloads, activities and life outside the classroom. The IB Learner Profile encourages students to achieve balance. New maths qualifications to boost numbers studying maths to age 18. New high-quality maths qualifications will allow thousands more pupils to study the subject from age 16 to 18, Education Minister Elizabeth Truss today said.
She said the new core maths qualifications would give young people the numeracy skills they needed to compete for jobs and high earnings, and would ensure future generations were strong in maths - a subject vital to so many careers. The Department for Education will spend £20 million from 2014 to 2016 on a programme to support schools and colleges to develop teaching for the new courses. To guide exam boards in developing new core maths qualifications, an expert panel convened by the Advisory Committee in Mathematics Education (ACME) has published guidelines today on what the courses should cover. The new core maths qualifications will suit students who achieve a B or C in GCSE maths - usually around 50% of pupils every year, the vast majority of whom currently drop the subject afterwards.
Elizabeth Truss said: Prof. Manual de procedimientos. The Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme (henceforth “handbook”) is mainly for Diploma Programme coordinators (henceforth “coordinators”).
However, it is essential that subject teachers, extended essay supervisors and examination invigilators receive a copy of sections that are relevant to their role in the Diploma Programme. Teachers can access relevant sections of this handbook on the online curriculum centre (OCC). In order to teach each subject, administer the programme requirements for creativity, action, service (CAS) and theory of knowledge, and know how to supervise candidates for their extended essay, additional publications will be required.
IB publications can be purchased through the online IB store found on the IB public website. Part A of this handbook concerns the general administration of the Diploma Programme, while part B is group/subject specific. Throughout the handbook latest arrival dates are shown in bold. IB%20Coordinator%20job%20description%20jan%202010.doc. Prized_Writing_2014_screen_version. Tedibcoordinator.wikispaces. 5 Ways to Survive the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Steps Method 1 of 5: Deciding that this is really for you 1If you haven't decided to take the IB yet, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.
Talk to all the tutors and teachers of the subjects you wish to do. Make sure this is definitely what you want to do. If you have an issue, see your IB coordinator. Method 2 of 5: Getting your mindset in order 1Stay organised. 2Make the most of your classes. Method 3 of 5: Staying committed. RiverstoneIBCoordination - IB Coordinator-What I Do & How I Can Help You.


- 経済学史研究 (ISSN:18803164)
- vol.52, no.1, pp.20-34, 2010-07-26
The purpose of this article is to examine the changes in the role played by the government in the market according to the theories of the French political economy from the 1780s to the 1830s. These theories are generally regarded as the precursors of "economics." This article reveals that these theories attempt to use the market politically aiming to develop the people's "well-being" or "happiness," and to redefine the government's role in the market. At the beginning of nineteenth century, J. B. Say and C. Dunoyer emphasized the political significance of a free industrial market. According to them, it enables the people's "moeurs" to be independent and self-disciplined, so as to establish a post-revolutionary political order. Some contemporary political economists such as J. Droz and M. T. Duchatel doubted the compatibility between the accumulation of wealth and the development of "happiness" of the people. They asserted the need for elementary education as it leads to the redistribution of "new wealth." Moreover, social economists from the 1830s, such as A. de Villeneuve-Bargemont and E. Buret, emphatically discussed the perverse effect of industrialization, stating that the concentration of capital inevitably caused the pauperization of most of the people. They believed that the new role of the government should be the "moralization" of the poor through the organization of intermediate groups such as religious associations, saving associations, charity groups, mutual societies, and patriarchal families.


Hobbies Playing Music Overcoming Dead and Muffled Guitar Strings How to Get the Clearest Sound out of Your Guitar Share PINTEREST Email Print Nine OK/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images Playing Music Playing Guitar Basics Tutorials Tab, Chords & Lyrics Music Education Playing Piano Home Recording By Dan Cross Dan Cross is a professional guitarist and former private instructor who has experience teaching and playing various styles of music. our editorial process Dan Cross Updated March 08, 2019 Guitar beginners often complain that their guitar strings are producing dead and muffled sounds. There could be an issue involving finger placement with, for instance, the G major and C major chords where the index finger always seems to touch the string below it. A straying finger prevents the string from giving you a clear ring. This is a prevalent beginner problem, and it is often the result of poor hand positioning on the fret. To try and correct this problem, pay attention to the thumb on your fretting hand (the hand that holds down notes on the fretboard). Let's look at this in depth. 01 of 03 Correcting Improper Guitar Chord Finger Positioning Dan Cross, Thoughtco, 2017. Here is an example of the wrong way to position your hands to play basic guitar chords. Notice the thumb on the fretting hand is resting on the top of the fretboard. This changes the entire position of the fretting hand. When this happens: The palm sits underneath the fretboard, which decreases mobility and the ability to stretch.The fingers flatten out when playing notes on the sixth and fifth strings. As a result, fingers will likely come into accidental contact with the wrong strings, causing muffled notes or so-called "dead strings." Please note that at some point in the future, you may use your thumb to wrap around the neck of the guitar to fret notes on the sixth string. You may also notice that some of your favorite guitarists grip the neck like the way illustrated here. It is a hand position that can be effective in the proper situation, but it will make learning the guitar much more difficult. For now, avoid it. 02 of 03 Proper Guitar Chord Finger Positioning Dan Cross, Thoughtco, 2017. The image accompanying this slide illustrates the proper way to grip the neck of your guitar. The thumb should rest gently at the center of the guitar neck's underside. Your hand position should be curled so that fingers approach strings at approximately a right angle, using the tips of the fingers to make contact with each string. This will help to avoid accidentally touching two strings with one finger, and it will go a long way towards eliminating muffled notes. 03 of 03 A Final Check to Correct Problems If you're still having issues with muffled notes, then isolate your problem, and try to come up with a solution. For example, if you notice that your G major chord isn't ringing clearly, then play each string in the chord, one by one, noting which strings do not ring. Next, identify why the string isn't ringing. Are you not pressing the strings hard enough? Is one of your fretting fingers not curled enough, and is it touching two strings? Is an unused finger lazily touching the fretboard? When you've isolated the problem or problems, try to correct them, one by one. Chances are the same problems are occurring whenever you play that chord. Divide and conquer.


It’s tough to say exactly what the requirements are for a career in computer science, simply because there are so many careers in the field. Occupations within computer science include web developers, computer programmers, data analysts, software engineers, and many other specialized roles.
These occupations do have a few consistencies. For one, almost all computer science jobs will require at least a bachelor’s degree. We’ve put together a ranking of the Best Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science Degrees to help you meet this requirement. For the computer science jobs that require a master’s degree, we offer a ranking of the Best Online Master’s in Computer Science Degrees.
There are some general skills and personality traits that will come in handy for a computer science career. Strong mathematical skills are a must. Almost all computer science programs will include courses in applied calculus and discrete mathematics, so be prepared to work with a lot of numbers.
Analytical skills and logical reasoning are also necessary to a successful career in computer science. It’s important that CS professionals are detail-oriented and able to identify and correct issues. Critical thinking and solid problem-solving skills will be a key requirement of nearly any CS occupation.
Many computer science careers will require working in teams, either with other CS professionals or with a client (or both). CS degree programs reflect this by requiring frequent teamwork and collaboration. Students with good communication skills will have a head start for these collaborative projects.
There are a number of certifications that you can earn to prove your mastery of these languages. For example, Oracle offers certifications in Java (as well as cloud computing and databases). Udemy offers a whole collection of programmer certifications, with courses for Python, C#, C++, Bootstrap, and more.
Many other certifications are available outside of programming languages. Simplilearn, a website similar to Udemy, provides courses and certifications in big data, operating systems, software development, mobile applications, cloud computing, and much more.
Some certifications that are not designed specifically for computer science or information technology can still be valuable in these fields. The Project Management Professional certification, for example, is a very highly respected distinction. This certification can be awarded to project managers in any industry—computer science included.
Keep in mind that these certifications aren’t necessarily required before you find a CS job. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science, that may be enough to prove your mastery of foundational skills.
But it’s never a bad idea to earn one or more of these certifications. This is especially true if you don’t have a formal degree or if you’ve been out of school for a while. Even if they’re not required by your employer, a standalone course can keep your skills sharp. They’ll help you stay up to date with the latest technologies and make you more valuable as a computer science professional.


Curriculum – Number Sense and Numeration
For students to begin to develop an understanding of numbers using concrete materials to explore and investigate counting, quantity, and number relationships.
Students and the teacher begin by sitting in a circle with a working mat in front of them and a collection of small wooden cubes in the top left-hand corner. The teacher begins by explaining the wooden cubes are in their “starting corner” and that the opposite side is their “take away corner.” The teacher explains that students will be using the cubes to represent a number of different items in the story.
- Working mat for each student
- Small wooden cubes or small manipulative
- The teacher begins by telling a story. For example:
My brother loves to have candy. For his upcoming birthday, I went to the store and bought him his favourite candy. I bought two lollipops and four sour keys. Can you show me these candies using your cubes? How many pieces of candy did I buy altogether?
- At this point, the teacher gives students an opportunity to count the pieces and raise their hand when they have an answer.
- Students are asked not to shout out so that all students have an opportunity to count up the pieces.
- Students will share their answers one-by-one and then students will count their cubes altogether.
The teacher may also ask how students arrived at their answer (by counting, adding, etc.).
- Initially, this may need prompting, such as “I saw you touching each cube and counting.”
- The teacher continues with the story…
When I got home, I made sure to hide the candy so that my brother would not find it and eat it! Then I went out for a run and when I got home three candy pieces were gone! Can you move those pieces to your takeaway corner? How many pieces do I have left to give to my brother as a present?
- Once again, the teacher gives students an opportunity to count the pieces.
In order to share different strategies, the teacher can ask students how they arrived at their answers.
- The story continues and is adapted depending on the students’ needs and abilities.
*A script for each story problem is available – click here to view.
Extension Lessons and Activities
Increase the numbers you are working with
- Teachers can increase the number students are working with as students become more sophisticated in their numeracy skills. For example, working with a total number of 10 or 13 instead of 8 or 9.
Make the story more complex
- The story can be more complicated. For example:
– I saw two dancing cows. How many legs were dancing?
– Different people came to visit me on varying modes of transportation. There was one bicycle, and one wagon parked on my lawn. How many wheels were parked on my lawn?
Use story problems to teach comparison
- For example:
– There were a group of little bears that wanted to go on a picnic. There were seven little bears, and two parent bears. How many bears were there altogether?
– Before they left to go on their picnic, they had to pack some sandwiches. Five bears wanted honey sandwiches and four bears wanted honey. How many more bears wanted honey?
- Take note of where students are in their learning and alter the story to fit their needs. Similar stories may need to be repeated before moving on to the next story.
- Children should be encouraged to arrange the manipulatives in a way that makes sense to them.


"Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere." Franklin D. Roosevelt
Cultural Conservation: Preserving the African American Experience
Bringing to life the African-American experience for all people deepens our understanding of American history while inspiring future leaders. As Brent Leggs of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said, “Preservation contributes much to a forgetful or distracted society. It empowers black youth by revealing historical themes beside slavery, including entrepreneurship, civil rights, entertainment, sports, education, and political activism.” Apply for a grant
Safeguarding Human Dignity: Counteracting Human Rights Injustices
Human rights know no borders. Trafficking, homelessness, and injustices in one country permeate and infiltrate even the most just societies. That is why Fund II Foundations seeks to counteract human rights violations wherever they happen – at home and abroad. We work from the bottom-up – through raising awareness, training, advocacy and legal support – and the top down – changing incentive structures, influencing money flows and impacting policies. Apply for a grant
Environmental Conservation and Education that will Provide the Healing Experience of the Outdoors
We are dedicated to protecting the environment, increasing knowledge of nature, expanding access to parks, and connecting young people to beneficial outdoor activities. Research has shown that there are numerous psychological and physical benefits of bringing people closer to nature, for example:
- Spending time outside raises levels of Vitamin D, helping protect children from future bone problems, heart disease, diabetes and other health issues (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009)
- Exposure to environment-based education significantly increases performance on critical thinking exams (Environmental Education Research, 2004)
- Nature increases one’s kindness, enhances social interactions, and improves one’s value to his or her community and close relationships (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2009).
- The Foundation seeks to fund projects that increase biodiversity. One of our key goals is to expose vulnerable and minority populations to the benefits of outdoor experiences. For example, research shows that outdoor programs for military veterans, which brings them to peaceful outdoor environments to support their physical, emotional, and spiritual rehabilitation, helps both veterans and their families to heal from traumatic experiences.
Music Education to Nourish Talent and the Soul
Captivating the interest of young people in music and the arts while providing them with a channel for self-expression offers them an alternative to the idle time and disconnectedness that can often lead to negative peer influence and crime. Studies abound on the benefits of music education for students, from increased achievement in all academic subjects to boosting critical thinking skills. Music education and practice also improves students’ patience, persistence, collaboration, creativity, and the application of math principles, as well as fosters their pride in, and reverence for, the music that has shaped our culture. The discipline, commitment and inspiration music provides are at risk as music education is often cut from public curricula or is cost prohibitive due to the expense of lessons and instruments. We invest in music education to nurture talent and create dreams – it’s a powerful way to inspire our young people to elevate their lives and reach their goals. Apply for a grant
Sustaining American Values
Entrepreneurship, empowerment, innovation and security create the platform for all Americans to conceive and realize the American dream. We have harnessed technology to solve our most intractable problems, helped drive greater access to opportunity and information, and reignited the belief that with hard work and dedication, anyone can succeed. To sustain this momentum, and continue America’s leadership in the global knowledge economy, we seek to support programs that:
- Bridge the digital divide by targeting technology training to vulnerable youth and veterans to help them find jobs. By 2020, there are estimated to be 1.4 million new jobs created in the technology field
- Increase diversity in the STEM-based workforce
- Raise awareness and build the thought leadership capacity to ensure sustainable policies and regulatory frameworks to continue America’s leadership in the technology revolution.
Applying for a Fund II Foundation Grant is Easy
If our work and areas of focus seem like a good fit for your organization, we’d love to hear from you. Apply Now


Second Grade Common Core Math Worksheets
Above is the Second Grade Common Core Math Worksheets section. Here you will find all we have for Second Grade Common Core Math Worksheets. For instance there are many worksheet that you can print here, and if you want to preview the Second Grade Common Core Math Worksheets simply click the link or image and you will take to save page section.
Editable Mon Core Foundational Skills Word Work Phonics Worksheet Ideas Ccss2nbt41a Worksheet Ideas Oa Worksheets 3d Grade Math Worksheets – Findpage Worksheet Ideas 2nd Grade Math Mon Core State Standards The 2 Digit Plus 1 Digit Addition With Some Regrouping A 4th Grade Math Money Worksheets – Appliedprint Ela Mon Core Worksheets 5th Grade – Lagunapaper Math Reasoning Worksheets 2nd Grade Two Step Word Problems 2nd Grade Worksheets Basic Math Word 2nd Grade Mon Core Math Worksheets Math Worksheet For Kids Plot Diagram Map Ela Literacy Rl 7 3 Reading Literature 013 20multiplication Division Worksheet Generator Lovely 1st Grade Grammar Worksheets Education Fun Kids Second Grade Worksheets Thanksgiving For E2 80 93 6th Grade Math Word Problems Worksheet – Jakejamesub.


The Influence of John Dewey
With the support of prominent music educator, Mrs. Johnnie V. Lee, Samuel A. Floyd Jr. entered Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Carbondale, Illinois, in 1964, and he completed a Master of Music Education (MME). He also established a percussion studio in the basement of his home, where he taught the techniques of the concert marimba. His passion for teaching young people prompted him to investigate the science and philosophy of education so that he could become a more dynamic and effective pedagogue. By the mid-1960s, SIU had begun to host a number of visiting professors, whose research was at the forefront of America’s overarching shift in educational strategies, and the university sought to build one of the nation’s most robust programs in education, complete with relevant archival collections and research centers. Curiosity led Sam to spend countless hours poring over the papers at the Center for Dewey Studies, whose namesake–John Dewey–had been a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Dewey’s pioneering work in experiential learning and pragmatism earned him the reputation of America’s premier scholar of education. His idea of the use of education to cure social ills immediately resonated with Sam. Sam enrolled in courses taught by George Counts and Theodore Brameld, who were striving to expand Dewey’s work and provide opportunities for new scholars to consider the application of Dewey’s educational philosophies to other subjects. Over the next few years, Sam worked toward a PhD in the philosophy of education and wrote his dissertation on Dewey’s notion of “appreciation” as applied to music, earning his degree in 1969.


A recipient of Padma Vibhushan, Binod Bihari Mukherjee was an artist with diverse interests. His creativity was so intense that it found its way of expression not only in form of paintings but he also murals and sculptures.
Born in a highly literate family, Binod was unable to pursue a systematic form of schooling when an early childhood illness affected his vision. However, his own interest and talent for art and literature was soon recognized and he spent most of his former years of learning at Shanti Niketan, a world-renowned university for art and literature.
Binod's style of work was simple and ideological. In his work, he renounced overt symbolism of mythological descriptions. Instead he turned to simple representations of his immediate surroundings.
Binod's perception of the landscape of Shanti Niketan and the life within the campus has been very artistically represented by him in the form of compositional calligraphic paintings. His expression through his drawings and sketches, are full of life. Soon, he diversified his form of expression to mural paintings. Murals, he felt were more intricate and descriptive, inspiring him to present his vision of the world more comprehensively.
The first of his more significant murals is the representation of the local landscape he painted on the ceiling of the hostel dormitory of Shanti Niketan in the year 1940. In this mural he gathers his experience of the local villages in a continuous web of intricate images and unfolds it around the central pond to the four corners of the ceiling, constantly shifting the perspective and focus of the viewer.
Binod travelled widely to capture the various forms of nature into his work. He accepted the position of a Curator at the Nepal Government museum in Kathmandu. During his short stay in Nepal, he understood and captured Nepal's rich art and craft heritage in a series of drawings and watercolours, adding a new dimension to his work.
On his return from Nepal, in 1952, Binod settled down in Mussouri, at the foot hills of the Himalayas. Landscape once again became his major subject. This time capturing the more transient aspects of nature, by painting the mountains engulfed in the heavenly mist.
All these years, Binod had been gradually loss of eyesight. He became completely blind by the time he was 50. But, this, in no way diminished his creative urge. Directing himself into new areas and drawing upon his inner resources he started making drawings and small sculptures, based upon figural images he made by folding papers.
Binod was perhaps the most informed Indian artist of his generation. While teaching courses in Indian art history at Shanti Niketan, he shared his deep interest in the subject with his students. Binod took to writing seriously after losing his eyesight, using it as a tool not only to express his personal views on art but also to give literary expression to his experience. Besides writing on history of art education he also wrote a series of incisive studies, which were posthumously collected and then published as a book.
Binod preferred to work in a self imposed seclusion but his great artwork and his literary contribution to the world could not go unnoticed. In the year 1973, Satyajit Ray a well-known film director made an exclusive documentary on his work and called it 'Inner Eye'. Binod was also awarded the Honorary Doctorate degree by Vishva Bharti in 1977. What brought Binod definitive recognition as a modern writer in Bengali was the collection of his autobiographical pieces called Chitrakor. This describes his aesthetic sense through his vision of art. Here, he also outlines the context of his early life, his experience of blindness and his attempts to come to terms with it. Chitrakor, won Binod two literary awards - the Rabindra puraskar and the Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad Award in the year 1980.
Binod Bihari died at the age of 76, leaving behind a legend of modern Asian Art. This was the time when his influence on Indian art scene was at its peak, and connoisseurs across the world had started taking greater notice of his works. Binod's visual impairment followed by complete loss of eyesight was never a problem for him. He was always able to bring out his creative and literary skills for which he is remembered even today.


Learn English through music
Learn English Through Music. Reyna Gordon of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Tennessee, US has rightly said in his article published on the 7th...
Reyna Gordon of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Tennessee, US has rightly said in his article published on the 7th November that music education could improve grammar skills. Of late many schools and colleges have adopted “music in the classroom” strategy to teach English, especially where English is taught as second language. It has been experienced that the students acquire embedded language contents: vocabulary and grammar skills unconsciously through this method.
Further students acquisition of spellings and linguistics skills has been improved to a greater extend. Since singing songs and listening to music are pleasurable activity it not only lessens student’s inhibitions about acquiring second language but also increases span of attention making students more receptive to learning. Thus song and music exposes students to authentic examples of second language and they are perhaps the strongest motivational factors.
As part of social skills singing songs in unison produces a sense of community feelings, increases students’ confidence in the language learning and evokes positive emotions that can lower the effective filters and bring about effective language acquisition.
Elvis Presley’s “Are you lonesome tonight” is a perfect example to teach question structure and simple present tense. Almost all the Boney M songs can be used effectively. Many worksheets can be had from www.tuneintoenglish.com to teach English through music in classroom where the students enjoy learning.


Philip Duker, University of Delaware; Kris Shaffer, University of Colorado–Boulder; Daniel Stevens, University of Delaware
Problem-based Learning (PBL) is an inquiry-driven pedagogical practice in which students learn course content by thinking through real-world problems. PBL turns on its head the “textbook” approach to knowledge acquisition, whereby students learn incrementally more difficult concepts and build finally to more challenging and open-ended applications. A significant downside to the incremental approach is that students only gradually perceive the significance of their learning and its relevance outside the classroom. By beginning with problems that are both within their cognitive grasp and yet evade easy, definitive answers, students are motivated by their natural sense of curiosity to discover the terminology, knowledge, concepts, and skills required to address the problems and to apply their learning through a process of critical thinking and creative problem solving. In short, PBL offers teachers and students a space in which learning can engage every level of Bloom’s cognitive domains from the start, such that the relevance, meaning, and applicability of course content is clear at every stage. (For more on Bloom’s taxonomy in music education, see essays by Kevin R. Burke and Enoch S. A. Jacobus in the first volume of Engaging Students.)
In the three essays that follow, Daniel Stevens, Philip Duker, and Kris Shaffer provide a rationale for adopting PBL, suggestions for its implementation, several example problems, and ideas for assessing PBL activities. PBL can be adopted to a wide variety of learning outcomes, teaching styles, and course schedules. While PBL complements flipped classrooms, offering instructors productive learning activities for in-class meetings, PBL can be adapted to fit a variety of learning environments, lesson schedules, and curricular goals. At the same time, PBL also challenges teachers to revise course learning outcomes to include both lower-order learning like mastering facts (“spell a D-major triad”) and analytical techniques (“apply a Roman numeral to this chord in G major”) and the higher-order skills (creative application, critical thinking, group-based problem solving) that empower students to use their learning in ways that are personally meaningful and that impact the community. Since new outcomes call for new approaches to assessment, this chapter will conclude with some ideas about how to assess and grade PBL work.
Part 1: Problem-Based Learning in the Music Classroom, A Rationale, Daniel Stevens
Part 2: Applying Problem-Based Learning, Philip Duker
Part 3: Assessing Problem-Based Learning, Kris Shaffer


Resources › For Educators 5 Steps to Building a Student Portfolio Tracking students' work with portfolios can help them focus Share Flipboard Email Print Aleff Gripp / EyeEm/Getty Images For Educators Secondary Education Grading Students for Assessment Lesson Plans Becoming A Teacher Assessments & Tests Elementary Education Special Education Teaching Homeschooling By Janelle Cox Education Expert M.S., Education, Buffalo State College B.S., Education, Buffalo State College Janelle Cox, M.S., is an education writer specializing in elementary school education. our editorial process Janelle Cox Updated July 03, 2019 If you're looking for a great way to assess students while keeping them aware of the work they produce, having them compile portfolios is the way to go. A student portfolio is a collection of a student's work, both in and out of the classroom, and it enables you to monitor students' progress and achievement over time. 01 of 05 Set a Purpose for the Portfolio First, you need to decide what the purpose of the portfolio is. Is it going to be used to show student growth or identify specific skills? Are you looking for a concrete way to quickly show parents student achievement, or are you looking for a way to evaluate your own teaching methods? Once you have figured out how the student will use the portfolio, you can start helping them build it. 02 of 05 Determine How You Will You Grade it Next, you will need to establish how you are going to grade the portfolio. If your school district doesn't require portfolios, would the student receive extra credit for it, or can you otherwise incorporate it into your lesson plan? Are all your students going to create portfolios, or just those seeking extra credit, or who want to track their work? Determine what criteria you'll use to grade the portfolio, too, such as neatness, creativity, completeness, etc. Then you can use these criteria to decide how much each aspect will be weighted when computing the student's grade. 03 of 05 Decide What Will be Included There are three main types of student portfolios: Assessment portfolios, which usually include specific pieces that students are required to know, such as work that correlates with the Common Core Learning Standards Working portfolios, which include whatever the student is currently working onDisplay portfolios, which showcase the best work the student produces If you want the student to use the portfolio as a long-term project and include various pieces throughout the year, be sure to assign it early enough in the semester. 04 of 05 Choose Paper or Digital Digital portfolios are great because they are easily accessible, easy to transport and easy to use. Today's students are tuned into the latest must-have technology, and electronic portfolios or personal websites are part of that. With students using an abundance of multimedia outlets, digital portfolios seem like a great fit for their natural talents and inclinations. However, you may opt for a paper portfolio because of the potential challenges and distractions of the digital medium. When you pick a portfolio medium, be intentional about your choice. 05 of 05 Factor In Student Involvement How much you involve the students in the portfolio depends upon the students' age. While older students should be able to follow instructions about how to build their portfolio and what's expected, younger students may need more guidance and reminders. To coach the students about what they want to include in their portfolios, ask them questions such as, "Why did you choose this particular piece?" This dialogue will help students craft a portfolio that truly represents the work they've completed.


This was the best day ever!
Such an exclamation is frequently heard in the kindergarten classrooms in Frazer Hall. Kindergarten students still have the enthusiasm and willingness to get messy and explore the world through play, while also reaching critical academic milestones. In many ways kindergarten is the sweet spot of Lower School. Here, students are developing skills that will forever change the way they interact with the world, such as reading, writing and adding. At the same time, Episcopal kindergarteners still have the opportunity to play and have fun while learning.
Recently, students in Sara Henderson’s classroom began putting books in their book box. The excitement for such an occasion is obvious in the wide grins on students’ faces. Students, teachers and parents have every reason to be excited about what is happening in Frazer Hall. Students may begin the school year only knowing letter sounds or recognizing the letters of their name, but by May they are reading. Kindergarten provides a tremendous transformation for these little Knights and it’s something Henderson is delighted to be a part of even after 17 years of teaching.
Kindergarten students are five or six years old. They are still filled with the wonder of exploration and discovery. They are eager to learn and eager to share what they have learned. Henderson and her fellow teachers, Maria Campbell and Erin Dufour, recognize this and intentionally make learning fun. “We try hard to balance between academics and play,” says Henderson. A sight word hunt, learning stations or pumpkin game day are examples of that balance. Students are having a great time on these adventures while also learning new skills.
"Let them be little."
Henderson says it’s important to remember that kindergarten students are still trying to make sense of their world. They may become overwhelmed with busy schedules and “big kid” expectations that are placed upon them. Allowing kindergarteners to be little and learn in age-appropriate ways helps them develop a love of learning that will serve as a solid foundation for their educational journey. For example, playing something as simple as Uno can be a great learning opportunity for kindergarten students. The classic card game helps them think strategically while also helping them with color recognition and fine motor skills. The same thing happens when they play with Legos, paint or make up performances in the puppet center.
Kindergarten is also a time when students are learning how to work with each other. Henderson says social/emotional learning is a big component of kindergarten learning. One example of this is the All About Me project in which students participate at the beginning of each year. Students share information about themselves and truly get to know each other. This helps them build a community and develop friendships with their classmates. Henderson says they use the responsive classroom approach to boost that sense of community throughout the year. Episcopal kindergarteners also have the opportunity to be a part of the larger school community. Each year, students are partnered with a senior as part of the senior buddies program. Senior students participate in special events with the kindergarteners, such as a Halloween party or the annual kite fly. The senior buddies program is one of Episcopal’s most beloved traditions with alumni remembering their buddy even after graduation.
Fundations, project-based learning, responsive classroom.
The kindergarten team is using best practices to help these little Knights reach their academic goals. The best part is that the teachers are staying true to the students’ age and tailoring the lessons in a way that resonates with five and six year olds. Whether students are making sets of ten using pumpkin seeds or visiting the band room to learn about sound, they are developing a true love for learning. Ultimately, the kindergarten adventures set the students up for continued success as they transition to first grade and beyond. They will be well prepared for adventures such as the first grade triathlon, the third grade vocabulary parade and the fifth grade global marketplace. These little adventurers are tomorrow’s leaders and we look forward to seeing where they go.
Are you looking for the right early childhood learning opportunity for your little adventurer? Episcopal is now enrolling for the 2020/2021 school year. Join us for a Lower School mini open house event on November 19th or December 3rd from 8:30 am to 10:30 am to learn more about the Episcopal experience. You can also contact our admission office at 755-2684, email@example.com or https://www.episcopalbr.org/admission.html for more information or to set up a campus tour.


Music At Stuart Hall
The music program at Stuart Hall provides students with a well-rounded experience in all facets of music education. The Lower School focuses primarily on music literacy with performance opportunities, and the Middle School applies literacy skills and performance techniques to real-life opportunities. The Upper School curriculum offers students the opportunity to explore and sample performance practices through participation in music ensembles, and further development of music literacy.
Beginning in PreK, students take music classes every week. The program includes: singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music appropriate to grade level, performing on various instruments, music history, fold dances and songs from various countries, music literacy, composition, and improvisation. Performances opportunities occur in school assemblies and at all school programs. Students in grades 3-5 also participate in chorus.
6th Grade Band
Students focus fundamental technique of playing flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. Students combine these skills with learning to play in an ensemble, making musical decisions, and playing with dynamics,
proper articulation, and phrasing. Students learn to read standard musical notation for their instrument and perform at least twice per year. This class is “split-block” where students take band for 40 minutes. For the remaining 40 minutes, students take Art during the first semester and Theatre during the second semester.
7th and 8th Grade Band
Following the successful completion of the 6th Grade Band class, students in the 7th & 8th Grade Band continue to build on basic music literacy by reading and analyzing music written in standard notation. Students study fundamental music theory. Students perform at least three concerts per year.
Music classes are open to all students. Music classes include:
- Introduction to Music: This course focuses on the fundamentals of music such as pitch and rhythm notation, triad and seventh chord construction, rhythm and meter, intervals, scale construction, analysis of scores through form and function, Roman Numeral Analysis, secondary chord functions and beginning composition. This course
also introduces aural skills such as sight-singing, ear training, and basic keyboard and guitar harmony.
- AP Music Theory: The ultimate goal of AP Music Theory is to develop a student's ability to recognize,understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a musical score.
Upper School students have multiple opportunities to participate in musical ensembles. Ensembles include:
- Upper School Instrumental Ensemble
- Chamber Ensemble - an auditioned ensemble held after school
Extra-curricular opportunities in music include District V chorus and band auditions and events, Senior Regional Orchestra auditions and events, All-State auditions, Divisional and National ACDA Honor Choirs, and events and competitions as appropriate.
Middle School and Upper School students have multiple opportunities to participate in musical ensembles. Chorus is open to students grades 7 through 12, and provides extended technical training in the choral arts, as well as
teaching and supporting applied understanding of music fundamentals. Additionally, students may audition for opportunities in our touring choir (destinations announced at the beginning of each year), the Select Chamber Choir, and Fermata the Blue (a cappella).


Hillside School provides specialized instruction for students from first grade through high school in a supportive environment. We enable students with dyslexia and other learning differences to reach their academic potential and become capable and confident learners.
Key components of Hillside’s program
Small Group Setting
Core Teaching Practices
Academics at Hillside
Every group at Hillside receives remediation from a highly-trained, experienced, and certified teacher in the areas of reading, written language, and math, broken up into three fifty-minute sessions.
Orton-Gillingham Based Instruction
Hillside provides daily skills practice in phonological awareness, decoding, spelling and fluency using strategies from a variety of evidence-based teaching methodologies, including Orton-Gillingham, to best meet the learning needs of each student.
Reading Comprehension and Written Expression
The application of literacy skills is developed through structured vocabulary instruction, examining text structure, and oral and written language activities. By explicitly linking reading comprehension and written composition in an ordered, consistent format, students deepen their understanding of written language.
Multisensory instruction aligns with the Common Core standards as appropriate for each student. An individualized plan is developed with primary goals of building foundational skills and ensuring mastery of concepts at an appropriate pace. Conceptual understanding of math foundations are developed through building models and drawing representations to support the rote application of algorithms.


Motivated by a desire to understand the world around them and a love of learning, the child between the ages of three and six years experiences a dynamic curriculum in an environment that fosters independence, concentration, order, creativity, grace and courtesy.
The children’s house classroom offers long-blocks of concentrated academic time for students to work at their own pace with the right amount of challenge. Teachers carefully design a comfortable and calm classroom with the structure, order, and freedom that allows the child to move, touch, create, discover, and question.
Montessori materials invite activity through the hand, each lesson developing creative problem-solving and conveying abstract concept with concrete manipulatives. The children are able to work purposefully and productively with minimal adult interference as they perform independent tasks beginning with the simplest and moving toward the more complex. In doing this, they are able to gain a true sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Although individualized instruction is emphasized at this developmental age, group collaboration and cooperative learning are also encouraged, and children often engage in spontaneous, small-group work. The kindergarten students are afforded a balance of instructional time within their multiage classroom along with kindergarten group lessons in the areas of writers’ workshop, science and nature. From this early experience, the young child is prepared for the social and academic challenges of the elementary program.
Elementary-age children have limitless intellectual curiosity and are capable of great effort, concentration, and academic achievement. The lower elementary level is designed to utilize and strengthen these natural interests and energies within an environment that educates, inspires, and satisfies the desire to explore complex concepts and pose challenging questions.The Montessori curriculum is an integrated thematic approach that ties the separate disciplines together into studies of the physical universe, the world of nature, and the human experience.
Dr. Montessori’s term for her approach to elementary education is called “Cosmic Education”. The basis of this method yields to the young child’s developmental discovery of the greater world beyond themselves and the need to intellectually explore and understand the interconnectedness of all things.How the students learn in a Montessori classroom is as important as what they learn. Cosmic Education is rooted Five Great Lessons, which are stories that span the enormity of time and space.
These stories appeal to the child’s imagination and provide the framework from which all instruction in the subject areas emanates: 1. The Story of the Universe 2. The Coming of Life 3. The Coming of Humans 4. The Story of Communication in Signs. 5. The Story of Numbers. Each story provides a broad overview, each lesson and activity that follows invites new learning, provokes new thought, and refines each skill. Because subject matter is not taught in isolation, the aims of the curriculum are direct: question, research, investigate, analyze, refine; and they are also indirect: the assimilation of new knowledge from the content areas into theory and practice.The central theme of Cosmic Education answers how the world came to be, how life developed over millions and millions of years and then how humans came to be and learned to fulfill their needs. The Great Lessons are intended to give the students a perspective to understand their own place in the world.
The multiage elementary classroom resembles both a family and a work group. Together, students create a welcoming and accepting atmosphere while developing considerate and cooperative relationships. As they study the fundamental needs of humans in the curriculum, they are actively participants in the social progress of their own classroom, investing in one another, and challenging themselves. As they developmentally grow towards cognitive and personal organization, the students prioritize, plan, and manage their time in both their daily work and with long-term, independent projects. What they learn during this stage of development helps them as they continue on in the Upper School and into the real world.
For more information about Harborlight Montessori and our infant/toddler, preschool, elementary, or middle school programs, please make an appointment to visit our Beverly, Ma campus. You can contact us here


The third grade teachers put a lot of emphasis on creating self-directed learners in the classroom. Building a desire to be lifelong learners is also a priority for the third grade teachers. Mrs. Nakata hopes to develop good readers by creating a climate that engages students as a community of literacy learners by providing opportunities for children to read critically, examine and respond to texts and use writing as a tool for thinking, learning and communicating. Mr. Omine would like to try and make math meaningful and provide different strategies to solve problems. I want the students to be self-motivated and have the desire to be lifelong learners. Overall, the third grade teaching team would like to see all the students feel excited about their curriculum and to strive to reach their maximum potentials as students.
The Momilani Grade 3 class is a very unique class due to the open room layout and simultaneous teaching that occurs. Students at Momilani are used to having more than one teacher throughout the course of the day and become very good at “switching gears” between their curriculum subjects. Both teachers teach a separate group of students in the classroom although there is no separating wall or partition between the two homerooms. The students learn to adapt to this open room structure and are very good at learning how to focus their attention where needed.
In terms of the third grade curriculum, the Grade 3 teachers truly feel that the third grade is a critical year in their elementary school careers. It’s considered a transition school year considering that it’s the first year that the students go from a 20 to 1 student/teacher ratio to a 30+ to 1 student/teacher ratio. With a total grade roster of over 60 students, there are many new challenges, experiences, and expectations that students face during the third grade year. In addition to the increased class size, the third grade year is also the first year for the students to participate in the standardized Hawaii State Assessments. Clearly, the third grade year is an exciting and critical year for the students.
Meet the Team
Mrs. Linda Nakata
Mrs. Nakata has been teaching with the DOE since 1995. She Graduated from the University of Hawaii with a B.A. in Asian Studies and a Professional Diploma in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career at Ewa Elementary as a classroom teacher in Grade 3. During her 13 years at Ewa Elementary, she also taught grade 2 and was a Literacy Resource teacher. In 2011, Mrs. Nakata had the opportunity to relocate to Japan where she was a Substitute teacher at Ikego Elementary School in Zushi, Japan. Upon her return back to Hawaii in 2014, she has been a Substitute Teacher, Part Time Teacher, Half-Time Teacher and 3rd Grade classroom teacher here at Momilani Elementary School. Mrs. Nakata’s goal is to educate the whole child by fostering emotional, social as well as academic growth and to instill the love of learning in her students so that they can become life-long learners.
In her free time, Mrs. Nakata loves to read and spend time with her family (Husband Grant, sons Brennan and Bryton) going camping, boogie boarding and swimming at the pool or at the waterpark. She also loves to spend time with her 2 rescue dogs, Cocoa and Lilo who are part of the family.
Mr. Ryan Omine
Mr. Omine started teaching at Momilani Elementary in 2005 before moving to Hawaii Island in 2008 where he taught at Mountain View Elementary. He has taught grades Kindergarten through 4th grade, as well as 7th and 8th grade at Highlands Intermediate. He received his Master’s of Education in Teaching from the University of Hawaii in 2005. Mr. Omine believes in not only the value of academics, but the value of being an all around good hearted person. He also feels that character education is equally important as academic education, and parental involvement is a key component for a child’s success in life. He hopes to inspire his students by pursuing their passions in life and achieving their goals.
In his spare time, Mr. Omine really enjoys going to the beach and spending time with his family. He enjoys camping, fishing, free diving, and longboarding. He is very frugal with his time and money and his lifelong dream is to retire when he is 40 years old. Alas, Mr. Omine is still trying to make his dream come true.


The saying ‘it takes a village’ has never been more applicable than in life today. The rising cost of living means it is no longer possible for a primary caregiver to spend all a child’s early years at home. And even for non-working mothers, the busy life of a modern family means that mamas need support!
However, the first five years are critical for a child’s early literacy development, and the primary caregiver is the most important teacher in that growth. So how do you ensure that these early literacy needs are being met when you can’t always be at home?
For many families, regular care for young children now falls to retired grandparents. In a 2014 study, the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Childhood Education and Care Australia report found that 836,000 Australian children aged 0–12 years were cared for by a grandparent for an average of 10 hours per week.
And this cross-generational care is a wonderful way for children to expand their vocabulary. By bringing it back to basics with songs and stories children might not always hear, and simply having the time to chat without the demands of everyday parenthood, grandparents are becoming instrumental in their grandchildren’s early literacy development.
Here are a few ideas to help grandparents get involved:
Children love to listen to stories and grandparents have a wealth of experience and knowledge to impart. Whether it’s orating a story they knew as a child, telling stories about themselves when they were little or making up stories, hearing lots of words is essential to early literacy development.
With dinner to organise and lunchboxes to pack (and let’s not mention the chaos of bath-time!), early evening is often the hardest part of the day for parents. Yet this is also a great time for kids to wind down with a story. Thankfully, grandparents can get involved– even those that don’t live nearby – by sharing a story with their grandchildren every evening over Skype or Facetime. It frees up parents to get through the household requirements and gives the grandparents a wonderful opportunity to create lasting bonds and memories.
The grandkids are the perfect audience for Grandad’s record collection, and it’s a great way to introduce some words they might not hear every day! Many children nowadays don’t get to hear old music from other generations; whether it’s the Beatles, ABBA or Bananarama, kids love to hear and learn new songs.
Buying books for birthday or Christmas and adding an inscription provides a child with a beautiful memory to treasure, especially when they grow and become parents themselves. This tradition can then grow as the family grows, where members continue to not only share the story, but also the memories attached to it.
If Grandma and Grandad love sewing, knitting, gardening or woodworking, these are all invaluable skills to share. Many traditional ‘maker’ skills are being lost, so grandparents are often the best people to teach the younger generation.
Whistling, snapping fingers are all fundamental skills that need to be taught, and grandparents are the perfect teachers! The kids will be so proud to show off their new-found skills, and Grandma will be very proud too!
Children love nothing more than being involved in whatever you are doing. Whether it’s shopping, gardening or household maintenance, kids are fascinated and dying to learn new things. Everything they are involved in, you are talking and helping to expand their vocabulary.
A trip to the library is so much fun for the little ones, and provides a free, fun and magical time shared with Grandma or Grandad. Today’s libraries are a treasure trove of activities for kids, with cosy reading areas, and toys and games to spark their language. If Grandad wants to sit back and let someone else read the story, the library also hosts Rhymetime and Storytime sessions every week.
Above all, grandparents just need to spend quality time talking, singing and playing with the grandkids. Children thrive on that one-on-one conversation, and every time you chat with them or play with them, you are helping them have the best start in life.


Date of this Version
The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of students with special needs in the instrumental musical ensemble and to examine the effect of selected educator and institutional variables on rates of inclusion. An online survey was designed by the researcher and distributed electronically to 600 practicing K-12 instrumental music educators in the states of Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Rhode Island. While 13.6% of the total school-aged population nationwide received special education services, demographic data provided by respondents revealed that students with special needs accounted for 6.8% of all students participating in bands, orchestras, and other instrumental musical ensembles. The relationship between the rate of inclusion and selected educator variables (gender, age, level of education, special education coursework, primary teaching area, and teaching experience) and institutional factors (geographic location, community setting, institution type, and student population) was examined using multiple regression with backward elimination. The institutional factor ‘student population’ was found to be a significant predictor of inclusion; as the overall school population increased, the rate of inclusion among students with special needs in instrumental music classes decreased. Respondents also indicated that instructional and administrative aspects of teaching (scheduling, funding, allotted planning time, etc.) played a limited role in their ability or inability to include students with special needs. In the observations and experiences of instrumental music educators, special education students were most accomplished in the areas of public performance, exhibiting acceptable behavior, and movement, while the ability to sight-read, perform and/or read rhythms, and memorization were more problematic. Although 42% or respondents had no college coursework in special education, 97% were currently teaching students with special needs and most were willing to provide students with a variety of accommodations.
Advisers: Brian Moore and Glenn Nierman
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Research on Teaching Method Reform of Design Art Education*
Available Online 14 February 2020.
- https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.191217.146How to use a DOI?
- design art education, curriculum construction and reform, teaching methods
- On the basis of analyzing the characteristics of the teaching activities of design art education, it is necessary to optimize the teaching means and methods, stimulate students’ innovative ability and practical ability, and use the digitized construction of teaching media resources, the modernization of teaching environment and teaching equipment to cultivate students’ professional innovative ability, teaching reform and the research of teaching methods and methods.
- Open Access
- This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.
Cite this article
TY - CONF AU - Wanli Gu PY - 2020 DA - 2020/02/14 TI - Research on Teaching Method Reform of Design Art Education* BT - 6th International Conference on Education, Language, Art and Inter-cultural Communication (ICELAIC 2019) PB - Atlantis Press SP - 358 EP - 360 UR - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.191217.146 DO - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.191217.146 ID - Gu2020 ER -


"I am philosophically opposed to jumping on the bandwagon of the next great thing that's going to teach every child how to learn to read," said Stacy Reeves, an associate professor of literacy. "Phonics for me is not that answer."A NY Times essay summarizes:
Reeves said she knows this from her own experience. In the early 1990s, before she started her Ph.D., she was an elementary school teacher. Her students did phonics worksheets and then got little books called decodable readers that contained words with the letter patterns they'd been practicing. She said the books were boring and repetitive. "But as soon as I sat down with my first-graders and read a book, like 'Frog and Toad Are Friends,' they were instantly engaged in the story," she said.
What have scientists figured out? First of all, while learning to talk is a natural process that occurs when children are surrounded by spoken language, learning to read is not. To become readers, kids need to learn how the words they know how to say connect to print on the page. They need explicit, systematic phonics instruction. There are hundreds of studies that back this up.Educators ignore this research, and always talk about the importance of reading to kids, instead of teaching kids to read.
This seems scandalous, but it is not news. It was all explained in a best-selling 1955 book.


You are here
The Power of Music - Professor Susan Hallam
This study, published in 2016 examines the elements which make up a holistic and high quality music education for Children and Young People. It echos the very bedrock of Cymaz Music, which is around young people at the centre and the belief that music has wide and far reaching benefits. For a music education which matters, we believe that the personal and social elements are vital.
Professor Susan Hallam, MBE said: "The research shows there is compelling evidence for the benefits of music education on wide range of skills including: listening skills which support the development of language skills, awareness of phonics and enhanced literacy; spatial reasoning which supports the development of some mathematical skills; and where musical activities involve working in groups a wide range of personal and social skills which also serve to enhance overall academic attainment even when measures of intelligence are taken into account.
"The benefits are greatest when musical activities start early and continue over a long period of time. The teaching of music must also be of high quality for the benefits to emerge. If the quality is poor then the benefits will not be evident."
Read the full report here.


School, Community Backing Bolsters Immigrant Students
Every morning, 3-year-old Keerthika Gnaneshan visits the Crescent Town Public School, located on the southeast side of this city, where she plays games, sings songs, and participates in other activities that build her reading and numeracy skills.
She comes with her mother, Sri Lanka native Sithra Gnaneshan, who says she knows it is critical for her children to learn English. Gnaneshan also took her older daughter, who now attends Crescent Town, to the same literacy program a few years ago.
The school serves an economically disadvantaged and diverse population of students who speak more than 50 different languages. The Gnaneshan family's first language is Tamil.
"They have to learn everything in English in school, and to communicate," the mother says. "They know the mother tongue [but] they can't do it here. ... It's the main thing for them, the language."
The center, which encourages parents to use those activities with their children at home, is characteristic of how Canada works with immigrant students and their families. The country is one of the few where immigrant students have access to at least the same or greater resources at school as do native students.
Canada's immigration policies encourage educated professionals to come to the country. And, because Canada admits immigrants to fill specific economic needs, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted in a 2011 report, they generally aren't seen as a threat. For them to thrive means Canada thrives. The country, historically a blend of English- and French-speaking cultures, has opened its doors to new arrivals from other backgrounds.
Terry Cui, 13, immigrated to Canada with his parents as a child from Chengdu, China. He attends the high-performing David Lewis Public School in Toronto. Many of his classmates are Chinese immigrants or the sons or daughters of immigrants.
Terry speaks Mandarin at home, and he says his English skills have steadily improved over the years, thanks to increasing doses of English-language training he received, and through conversation with classmates and teachers. Today, he speaks in English with confidence and clarity.
Terry said his parents didn't have the same opportunities he did. He's in the school math club, on the volleyball team, and plays with a school rock band. He wants to attend the University of Toronto, or McGill University, in Montreal, and become a cardiovascular surgeon. He says his parents encourage his ambitions.
"They say anything is fine as long as I'm successful," Terry says. "They say that back in their day, they couldn't do anything like that."
Vol. 31, Issue 16, Page 26Published in Print: January 12, 2012, as School, Community Backing Bolsters Immigrant Students


RS2 Foundational Skills Guide Preview
Foundational Skills Guides
Expertly developed Foundational Skills Teacher’s Guides are designed to help teachers develop students’ foundational phonics skills so students emerge as fluent readers fully in the alphabetic stage of literacy. These guides offer evidence-based instruction that develops students' letter-sound correspondence knowledge, phonological awareness and phonics skills, decoding strategies, high-frequency word recognition, ability to connect high-frequency words to meaning, understanding of spelling conventions, ability to connect spelling of word parts to meaning, and understanding of syntax, all of which will be applied during multiple rereads to connected authentic Reading Series Two decodable texts.
The Post-Reading section of each Foundational Skills Guide offers a Progress Monitoring and an Oral Reading Fluency assessment. These assessments are designed to be brief and to be administered upon completion of each book’s Foundational Skills and Close Reading Guide instruction. Student performance on these assessments enable you to track students’ progress and provide appropriate support or instructional adjustment.
The first formative assessment is a pre-test to assess what students know when they enter Reading Series 2. (It is the same as the Post–Reading Series 1 Assessment.) Following that, the assessments are designed to be administered at three specific points in the Reading Series 2 scope and sequence: (1) after completion of the consonant digraph books (following instruction of Interesting Elephants); (2) after completion of the Long Vowels with Silent e books (following instruction of Amazing Snakes!); and (3) after Single Long Vowels & Patterns & Soft c and g and r-Controlled Vowels books (following Pearl Learns a Lesson). The formative assessments are designed to help you evaluate what students have learned in foundational skills and close reading instruction—how well they are reading real and nonsense single-syllable and multisyllabic words, high-frequency puzzle words, and multi-paragraph passages—and ultimately assess students’ readiness to exit Reading Series 2 and transition to reading vowel digraphs, variant vowel digraphs, and diphthongs in Flyleaf Publishing’s Decodable Literature Library Reading Series 3. There are two versions (A and B) of each formative assessment, allowing you to retest as necessary. Assessment A has a narrative passage and Assessment B has an informational passage.


The following areas of study are offered in grades K-4:
Curriculum and educational program choices are teacher-directed, developmentally appropriate, differentiated and grounded in research. All components will be evaluated regularly and modified as needed based on student performance and ongoing success. Lessons will be delivered at an individualized pace for the student to ensure mastery at every level. Best teaching practices for beginning learners will be incorporated in reading, math, science and social studies instruction. Writing will be used throughout the school day.
The reading curriculum will include the use of flexible reading strategies, written response, and meta- cognitive modeling. This curriculum will allow students to reflect on reading strategies and monitor their comprehension while they read literature, narrative, and expository texts. Math will incorporate direct instruction, guided practice, structured review and continuous assessment with ample opportunities for problem-solving and real-world connections.
Social Studies courses will utilize inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and research as students link the past to the present. In Science, students will use the scientific method, inquiry, research, and in class “lab” experiences to explore life, earth, and physical science. Social studies and science concepts will be taught simultaneously with English/Language Arts Skills to support ongoing literacy development and English Language/Reading proficiency.
Ample opportunities will be provided for students to delve into cross-curricular topics through an integrated curriculum approach so that students recognize that subject areas do not stand in isolation from one another.


Grade Level Expectations K-2
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for English Language Arts (ELA) define literacy expectations per grade level. In grades K-2, students read literature and informational text while learning foundational skills including phonics, word recognition and fluency. Students explore writing opinions, informative, and narrative texts. The standards engage students in expectations surrounding vocabulary acquisition, speaking, listening, and conventions of Standard English.
As our foundation, the NJ SLS for ELA are the basis of our curriculum. The curriculum includes Units of Study for both reading and writing. Teachers utilize the resources from Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Units of Study series published by Heinemann to prepare lessons. Throughout the year, our literacy consultant from Gravity Goldberg, LLC provides instructional coaching to reinforce instructional practices.
Daily classroom practices utilize the components of balanced literacy model of instruction that allows teachers to instruct students in a range of skills across reading, writing, listening and speaking, and word study. Teachers use data to make instructional decisions to meet student needs via direct and indirect instruction. Students engage in Reading and Writing Workshops, small group work, individual conferences, shared writing, guided reading, among other components.


Evaluating Ocean Literacy of Elementary School Students: Preliminary Results of a Cross-Cultural Study in the Mediterranean Region
A good understanding of the role and function of the ocean seems to be of paramount importance in recent years, constituting the basic tool for the promotion of healthy and sustainable marine environment, and a target area of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this study, the content knowledge of elementary school students (grades 3–6) in regards to ocean sciences issues was examined. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1004 students participating in a cross-cultural study from three Mediterranean countries (Italy, Croatia, and Greece). The results of the study indicated a rather moderate level of knowledge in the total sample, while slight differences were recorded among the three countries revealing common knowledge gains and misconceptions. Rasch analysis was applied to further evaluate the validity of the results, while the influence of certain demographics on students’ knowledge level was also investigated. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications on national curriculum development in elementary education level, in order to promote ocean literacy and to ensure protection and conservation of the Mediterranean Sea.


The total personality of the child.
Our primary aim is to develop and guide the child’s personality towards understanding and a sense of correctness. The child is accepted respectfully as he is: he is trained, taught and guided. The individual child’s well-being always takes precedent and school and parents work hand in hand to educate and train the child.
Every effort is made to develop the child’s talents as far as is possible. Emphasis is placed on continuous, worthwhile work. We undertake to teach the child good social skills, a high moral standard, a wide range of academic and practical skills and pastimes. And all of those through the medium of the Irish language.
We endeavour to give the child a natural facility in both spoken and written Gaeilge so that he can effectively express himself and all that interests him. Fundamental skills in English are focused on: comprehension, oral expression, reading and writing.
We aim to stimulate a lively interest in mathematics and lay a strong foundation for understanding its basic principles. We hope to stimulate in each child an interest in acquiring knowledge, to provide opportunities for physical development though physical education and to foster in him an interest in the Arts.
It is proposed that these aims be met through implementation of the Primary School Curriculum but the Irish language will always be placed first and foremost.
All aspects of Gaelic, Celtic and Irish culture are promoted as an intellectual store for the pupils: music, song, games, literature, history, geography, science, way of life, folklore, and the positive relationship our country had and has with other countries.
The culture as a living heritage
It is not as an indulgent conservation of an extinct entity , without addition or subtraction, that that culture will be cultivated but as a living heritage from which we benefit and which we will pass on to the next generation with our own stamp on it.
Children who attend the school will understand that they are growing up in Ireland as apart from in any other country. Love of country and pride of race will be fostered appropriate to our times.
He will get a taste of Gaelic erudition and he will understand that he, his school and his family are part of the Gaelic Revival. Armed with this self-confidence, he will be equipped to go forth to learn European and other languages with willing ease.
As his respect for himself grows, so too will his respect and understanding of other people and other races, including those who have religious, cultural and social background different to his own.


Take a look at these 50 sites for serious and educational games you can play.These educational games can enhance your learning or help you teach others. Graduating Debt-Free; Financial Aid Resources for Hispanic Students; This game allows health care professionals to practice rare, complex, or high-risk procedures virtually, rather than.
Free Online Games; two player games and solitaire games online. Educational value in a fun environment. Arrange the numbers in a row to match the game rule. Fraction HiLo. Hi-Lo guessing game with fractions Featured Games on This Site. Diamond Slide. .
Sep 17, 2017 · When people start talking about educational video games, chances are they’re talking about kids games. I bet the first thing that came into your head when reading that was something like Reader Rabbit, Jumpstart or The Oregon Trail, right?The thing is, a game doesn’t have to be labeled educational to teach something worthwhile, nor does it have to make it boring or repetitive to do so.Author: Courtney Ehrenhofler.
Educational Games for Kids. Get your students excited about learning with our collection of teacher-designed educational games. With activities suited for preschool through 5th grade, your students will build foundational skills in everything from counting to reading comprehension, fractions to .


Wordplay is a blog project featuring posts from students enrolled in ENG 320 Grammar and Linguistics (Fall 2019)
Grammar Instruction in the Classroom
by Shauna Coburn
Have you ever thought about the grammar instruction you were given as a child? Were you taught countless rules that you could never remember, or were you taught simply the basics? I know that I was taught more grammar rules than I can even remember. There are some rules that stick with me when I am writing things in daily life, but there are other rules that seem new to me when I hear them now. There are also rules that have changed since I was first learning them. The Oxford Comma for example was always used when I was younger, but now it is optional. Since I grew up using the comma, I am stuck using it forever, because for me it is wrong to skip that comma. The things that students learn about grammar when they are growing up can impact their writing and way of thinking long term. So, what should be taught to young individuals about grammar? This blog takes a look at the perspective of educators who teach grammar in their classroom.
The idea of teaching grammar in the classroom used be very obvious to teachers. Teachers felt that students benefitted from the formal instruction, and they learned it along side writing and reading. However, studies have been done now that show that students’ writing hasn’t necessarily been affected by grammar instruction in a positive way. Because there were so many teacher and students uninterested in the grammar instruction, they were happy to find that they may not need these dull lessons any longer. However, this new found idea of not teaching grammar was met with challenges because teachers are still expected to correct their students’ writing. Some teachers turned to idea of teaching grammar when it could be shown in contexts to students, rather than having a formal lesson about grammar concepts.
The question remained of whether the grammar instruction was needed in the classroom. Some schools chose to drop the formal grammar instruction, but other schools felt that it was necessary for their student’s success. I wasn’t really surprised to read that most all teachers felt that grammar still needed to be taught in some way. Students will eventually run into situations where they will need to know some of the grammar basics, and if they don’t learn it when they are young, then it will be more challenging for them when they are older.
The article that I read about explains why there could be differing opinions among teachers and researchers on the topic of grammar. There are most certainly different definitions of the word grammar. So, the research that is completed could be based on different uses of grammar within the classroom. Teachers know that there must be some form of grammar teaching, because without it, students writing wouldn’t be at an acceptable level.
I think that some level of grammar is necessary for students to understand the basics of writing. I think that each teacher should be able to determine the level of grammar taught within their classroom, and they should be able to pick how they present that knowledge to their students. The article that I read has interesting viewpoints from teachers that have had years of experience and have been able to see the research done over the importance of grammar. I think my favorite aspect of this article is when it discusses how some of the research could have been looking at grammar exercises, and how the exercises are perhaps not that helpful. I like the idea of teaching grammar in context. As a future educator, I think it is important to keep all of the important aspects of learning in mind.
Petruzzella, B. (2019, November 10). Grammar Instruction: What Teachers Say. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/820510
Shauna Coburn is a junior at Chadron State College. She was born and raised in Rushville, NE. She is studying Elementary Education and would love to teach in the lower elementary grades one day.


WHAT IS VCAL?
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a practical option for Year 11 and 12 students. VCAL gives students practical work-related experience, as well as literacy and numeracy skills and the opportunity to build personal skills that are important for life and work. It can be commenced in Year 11 or 12 at the level best matched to the student’s needs and abilities. Students are at school three days per week, while completing a VET certificate and a day of work placement on the remaining two days.
Fully accredited modules and units are selected for four compulsory strands, including:
- Literacy and Numeracy Skills
- Industry Specific Skills
- Work Related Skills
- Personal Development Skills
The VCAL is accredited at three levels: Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (Foundation), Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (Intermediate), Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (Senior).
The three qualification levels cater for a range of students with different abilities and interests. They also provide a progression of skills, knowledge and attitudinal development.
At this level the focus is on knowledge and employability skill development, supported by a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills and preparatory learning. Foundation students receive a high level of teacher support.
At intermediate level, the focus is on knowledge and employability skills development that leads to independent learning, confidence and a higher level of transferable skills. Intermediate students receive some teacher support but there is an expectation that students will demonstrate independent learning.
At this level the focus is on knowledge and employability skills that lead to a high level of interpersonal skills, independent action and achievement of tasks that require decision making and leadership. The demonstration of knowledge and skills which apply directly to the workplace or further training is also important. Senior students are expected to work as independent, self-directed learners.
Students who choose VCAL are most likely to go on to training at TAFE institutes, start an apprenticeship or get a job after completing school, rather than applying for university, although a move into the VCE is not out of the question for students who change their mind. Any VCE units or intermediate or senior VCAL units completed as part of VCAL may count towards VCE completion. If your child wants to move in the opposite direction, satisfactory completion of any VCE units can be credited towards VCAL.
The VCAL curriculum is based on outcomes (like VCE), but is assessed by demonstrating competencies (rather than exams). These competencies are assessed through projects and practical applications at school and within industry training.


Anyone can sing a nursery rhyme and let that activity suffice for music education, but if you’re looking for something more exciting, consider some hands-on music activities for preschool kids. Some musical activities also incorporate art or exercise, and this multidisciplinary approach will likely engage children of all interests and abilities.
Most people have seen a young child bang on his mother’s pots and pans as drums, so why not let your preschool students make their own instruments? Consider building a toy drum or maraca, as these percussion instruments are often easiest to create. Fill a plastic bottle or empty coffee can with beads, beans or popcorn kernels -- replace the lid on the container and you have an instant maraca. You can also let the preschoolers decorate the container with construction paper, paint or other art supplies before filling it with the noisemakers, or leave the beans out of the coffee can and turn it into a drum. Also, you might want to glue the lid shut to prevent your preschoolers from opening the maraca or drum. Watch your preschoolers closely, as objects like beads can be choking hazards.
Dancing With Props
Young children often have extreme amounts of energy, so use their momentum to your advantage. Find songs that instruct kids to jump, spin, hop on one leg, march, twist or twirl, and lead your preschoolers through the motions of the song. You can also give them scarves or wrist ribbons to dance with or even let them play handheld percussion like drums or bells to the beat of the song. Also try a freeze dance -- when the music stops, instruct your preschoolers to freeze in place, but they can dance again when the music restarts.
Follow the Leader
Most kids don’t think of their body as an instrument, but you can teach them how to create “body percussion” by clapping, snapping, stomping or tapping their legs. Improvise rhythms with your body percussion or instruct your preschoolers to perform a particular set of sounds, such as two stomps and a clap. Let each preschooler take a turn as the leader, and the rest of the group mimics his beats.
Jammin’ Rock Band
If you ever want to discover how much young children love musical instruments, put together a miniature rock band. If possible, use child-size guitars, mini amplifiers, small drum sets, keyboards or other instruments preschool kids can hold. Put a song on the radio and let them jam to the music. Also try playing to the tune of “Old MacDonald Had a Band” -- instead of making farm animal sounds, your preschoolers will play the instrument that is called.
- Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images


Class 9 is a Year 5+6 class. In the morning, Literacy and Numeracy are taught taking objectives from these year groups alongside tailor made teaching to fit individual learning needs. Literacy is generally taught based on a class text. In the autumn term it is ‘How to train your dragon’ and in the spring we will be reading ‘There’s a pharaoh in my bath’ by Jeremy Shrons. Interventions take place using Rapid Reading, spelling, phonics, handwriting and Earth Programme.
In the afternoon, lessons are taught using a topic approach. In autumn we are studying Basic art skills and Landscapes in art and vikings in history. We will also be looking at travelling around the world. Spring Term we will be studying The Victorians Summer term we will be studying Crime and Punishment. History, Geography, Art, Design Technology, Science and Computing are taught through these topics. Where links cannot be made to the topic, for example programming in Computing, these are taught discretely. Alongside these topics, extra time will also be given to improving Literacy and Numeracy skills before the forthcoming SATs tests. For more information on this, click on the curriculum link.
P.E. is taught on a Monday. Two half terms a year, children attend swimming lessons on a Friday morning. This is done on a rota basis. On a Tuesday morning we have a time slot in the school kitchen. The children have an active role in deciding which food we will make. Children cook a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes which they can then take home with them.
Every effort is made to make the curriculum as creative and hands on as possible. To support this, a variety of school trips are planned which are designed to stimulate children’s learning, develop their team work and promote new experiences. Please click on our gallery to see what we have been up to.
Miss V Bourne – Class Teacher
Mr I Nicholson – Support Assistant
Miss Horner – Support Assistant
For further information about our curriculum or long term plans please visit the curriculum section of our website.