Chowan University offers a specialized curriculum to prepare students for successful careers in Music Education, for teaching both instrumental and vocal music in grades Kindergarten through 12. Music Education students take courses that include:
Instrumental Techniques (Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Strings)
Elementary Music Teaching Methods
Secondary Music Teaching Methods
Marching Band Techniques
Since you will be training to be the head of your own classroom, you will also learn conducting for instrumental and choral engagements including score reparation, rehearsal techniques and concert development. Chowan University’s Music Education program also concentrates on the study of specific techniques and materials for classroom music teaching and for general music teaching in elementary and secondary grades, which includes first-hand work in the field.
Music Education students will also gain and hone skills in real world experiences, learn to respond to a variety of students’ needs, and learn the art of working with parents, other teachers and the community.


Evidence and the Advocate teaches each rule of evidence using a three pronged approach: (1) a treatise-like explanation of the rule, its purposes, exceptions and foundations; (2) cases, discussion questions and hypothetical problems related to the rule; and (3) an application section in which the students must prepare a courtroom exercise putting the rule into action. This approach forms a teaching template for each rule of evidence.
Each application exercise stands alone and has been designed to illuminate the rule being taught. The application exercises range from simple form-of-question drills to full-fledged evidentiary hearings. Some require minimal preparation, and others require significant out-of-class research and preparation. In the exercises, students serve as attorneys, witnesses, judges, and, in the more involved exercises, as a court of appeals. The exercises build on each other. The initial exercises focus on fundamental advocacy skills such as conducting a direct examination or laying the foundation for an exhibit. Later exercises incorporate these foundational skills for more complicated tasks such as writing a motion, impeaching a witness, or conducting a Daubert hearing on the reliability of expert testimony.
This book also is available in a three-hole punched, alternative loose-leaf version printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with wider margins and with the same pagination as the hardbound book.
If you are a professor teaching in this field you may request a complimentary copy.


Presenters: Julie Schrock, Steven Benko & Cece Tool
Time: Thursday, October 12
Collaborative learning has come to be a widely touted strategy in higher education classrooms. Collaborative learning involves students participating in group oriented activities that require joint intellectual efforts by students and/or students and teachers. Instructors may be unsure of how to develop and implement collaborative activities in their courses, particularly those who did not experience collaborative learning as students in higher education. Instructors interested in implementing collaborative learning need to know: What types of collaborative activities are appropriate for which instructional purposes? How can collaborative activities be structured to help ensure equitable participation by group members? How can collaborative learning activities be implemented in time-efficient ways? How can collaborative learning activities be assessed? Participants in this workshop will engage in a variety of collaborative learning activities. Participants will leave with knowledge of a variety of collaborative learning techniques and the skills for implementing them successfully in their courses.
Presenter: Tamara Goldbogen – Distinguished Fellows Outstanding Presentation Award
Time: Friday, October 13
In this interactive workshop participants will learn about the Creative Processes in the Elementary Classroom course at Weber State University, engage in drama-based instruction activities, learn about strategies and materials for teaching drama-based pedagogy, and discover benefits of teaching drama-based pedagogy to elementary education students.
Presenter: Christian Rogers
Time: Saturday, October 14
There are many ways to teach something and many tools that you can use to help you create and deliver it. There are websites, learning management systems, apps with multiple methods of communication, delivery of content, interactivity and ways to assess. Sometimes we have to step back and think like our learners. So, how do we do that? How do we create an experience that will inspire, challenge and entertain without giving up content? Using the process behind user experience (UX) and learning experience (LX) we will attempt to unlock the magic and appeal of Disney and translate what we learn into the creation of entertaining learning experiences. We’ll start with the story of bloated interfaces and boring delivery and engage in a group activity to redevelop a lesson that informs and entertains.
Presenters: Allison Buskirk-Cohen, Elizabeth Carpenter & Aria Plants
Time: Saturday, October 14
Student success has become a hot topic on campuses across the country. Research on retention and persistence has included both systemic and individual factors. This workshop will focus on individual factors related to student success- particularly those that are learner-centered and fit with small, teaching-focused institutions. During Part 1 of this workshop, participants will review a research study investigating students’ sense of belonging, dispositional optimism, grit, and experiential learning styles. Participants will review questionnaires used in the study, and discuss potential applications for their own institutions. In part 2, participants will learn about several strategies implemented in a first-year college writing course designed to increase student engagement, success, and retention. In addition to experiencing some of the strategies firsthand during this session, participants will also explore ways they, too, can use these strategies in their classrooms.


Phonics: Fun on Farm, a new release from 22learn, is a strong app for guiding reading readiness or beginner readers, as its focus is on traditional educational standards for phonemic awareness. The app is geared towards beginning readers ages 3-7 and rests on a comprehensive foundation, as supported by its content throughout.
22learn has modeled Phonics: Fun on Farm after the solid research-supported techniques for high-quality phonics instruction and includes a total of 12 unique reading games. For parents and teachers, there is a sense of security knowing that essential reading sub-skills are covered in this app to include phoneme recognition, letter sounds, letter writing, spelling and reading words in simple sentences, encoding, decoding, sight words, and reading fluency development. In addition, profiles can be created for multiple children with tracking of individual reading progress.
There are choices galore for the child playing and learning to read! Each letter sound is introduced gradually and divided into six levels. The skills are introduced in a natural progression and build on one another. This makes it possible for the child to learn the first five letter sounds and move into reading simple words and captions. There is joy and motivation building from this early success. It is apparent that these developers did their homework.
There are six levels to choose from, depending on what the child is comfortable with. After choosing a level, there are 12 variations on the game utilizing the letters chosen. There is Word Bingo, Tracing Letters, Flash Cards and Matching Sounds, just to name a few. The player is rewarded with stickers and progresses steadily to another scene where those earned stickers can be played with.
Each participant is mastering reading basics all while having fun on the farm! Feeding the animals, building your barn and, our favorite, feeding the frog lip-smacking flies!
•12 fabulous games that teach essential reading skills.
• Complex reading instruction that includes the development of phonemic awareness, letter-sound relationships, writing and letter recognition, spelling, and reading fluency.
•Letter-sound relationships for the sounds of the most common consonants and short vowels.
• Over 250 decodable words, 100 captions and sentences, and the most frequent sight words.
• 6 scenes with hundreds of motivational stickers that allow children to build their own farm.
• Multi-user customization and performance analysis.
• Great preparation and practice for Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade children
Phonics: Fun on Farm is closely aligned with Common Core English Language Arts Standards and teaches foundational skills for K-Grade 1 children.


Definition and background:
The fundamental latticework of music notation, upon which symbols are placed. The five staff lines and four intervening spaces correspond to pitches of the diatonic scale - which pitch is meant by a given line or space is defined by the clef. With treble clef, the bottom staff line is assigned to E above middle C (E4 in note-octave notation); the space above it is F4, and so on. The grand staff combines bass and treble staffs into one system joined by a brace. It is used for keyboard and harp music. The lines on a basic five-line staff are designated a number from one to five, the bottom line being the first one and the top line being the fifth. The spaces between the lines are, in the same fashion, numbered from one to four. In music education, the mnemonic "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" is used to remember the value of each line from bottom to top. The interstitial spaces are often remembered as spelling the word "face" (notes F-A-C-E).
Select from a letter above to find a music term in the Artopium index, or enter a music term below to search the entire index using Google Search.
This is a collection of over 7,000 music terms and definitions used for music theory, composition, instruments and more; a dictionary compiled by Artopium.com as a resource for all musicians everywhere, but especially for Artopium.com member artists. Artopium is a consignment website dedicated to promoting and selling the works of independent artists, musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers and authors from around the world. After looking up your music term and definition, if you have't already, please peruse the thousands of titles listed on Artopium by selecting from one of the categories above (Art, Music, Fashion, Video and Books). Or if you're an artist, sign up today for free and start selling your work immediately!
Wikipedia - Glossary of Musical Terminology
Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary
ORB -- Medieval Music Glossary


- Family and Parenting»
How to Help Your Toddler Develop a Tripod Pencil Grasp
Most people use the tripod grasp when writing but teaching a toddler this technique can sometimes be easier said than done. If your child is having a hard time mastering the tripod grasp there are ways to help them.
Small Pieces of Crayons
One technique that is used to help toddlers properly hold a pencil is to give them smaller pieces of crayons to use for drawing. By drawing with smaller crayons it forces the child to hold the crayon with their fingers instead of holding it with their whole hand.
There is an assortment of different types of pencil grips on the market that help your child to use the tripod grasp while writing. It is important to choose a pencil grip that can be used with all types of writing instruments such as; pencils, crayons, markers, etc. The pencil grips help by designating the area in which their fingers need to be placed while writing.
The writing noodle simply slides over the pencil to make it wider. This allows your toddler to easily hold the pencil with the three finger that are used with the tripod grasp. The writing noodle is a soft, cushioned material and it is comfortable to use. It can also be used with crayons and markers.
The Pencil Trick
My husband and son show you how to use the "Pencil Trick" in my video. I will outline the steps below:
- Lay the pencil on a flat surface with the point towards your child.
- Have your child grasp the pencil near the bottom at the point side.
- Instruct your child to pick up the pencil and flip the eraser side up and towards them.
- Begin writing!
Fine Motor Skill Development
Fine motor skills need to be developed in order for your toddler to use the tripod pencil grasp. Fine motor skills are the way we use our finger, hands, and arms. They include reaching, and manipulating objects and using objects such as crayons and scissors. Fine motor skill development is often overlooked when a child is an infant or toddler because we do not emphasize the tasks of printing, coloring, and cutting until a child is of preschool age.
Fine motor skills begin to develop at birth just as gross motor skills also begin to develop.
Development of Fine Motor Skills
0 - 4 Months
Your child will develop the ability to move their eyes and head in a coordinated manner from side to side. This Skill is required to further develop his/hers fine motor skills.
4 - 12 Months
Voluntary movements begin and your child will be able to grasp and hold objects. At 4 months they will only be able to hold objects in a closed fist. At around 6 months of age your child will be able to pick up smaller items such as cheerios or raisins. By 12 months your child will be able to pinch and hold small objects between their thumb and index finger the same way adults do.
1 - 2 Years
Your child can now sit without using their arms for support. By 2 years of age they will start demonstrate a favoritism for one hand although from time to time they may alternate hands. The will hold crayons with their fist while drawing.
2 - 3 Years
Hand dominance will continue to emerge but not yet be established. Your child shoud be capable of drawing lines and circles after watching someone else draw them. Your child will hold the crayon with fingers pointing down but still with the entire hand. The position is called the pronated pencil grasp.
2 - 4 Years
At this point your toddler should be able to use the tripod pencil grasp. The child will have a strong preference for a dominant hand and when drawing the lead hand will hold the pencil while the other hand is stabalizing the paper.
Just remember that each child is an individual and not all children develop at the same rate. If you have a concern that your child is not developing as he/she should be please contact your family doctor with any questions you may have.


http://www.throughtheflower.org/ Through the Flower is a non-profit Feminist art organization founded by Judy Chicago in 1978. Their mission is to educate a broad public about the importance of art and its power in countering the erasure of women's achievements.This web site includes "The Dinner Party Curriculum Project." Judy Chicago states "Although there are many ways of approaching The Dinner Party, it is important to note that The Dinner Party is built on a solid foundation of research into history, art history, feminism, and the obstacles women faced (and continue to face) as they struggled to participate fully in the societies in which they lived. The Curriculum is structured in a sequence that is intended to help students gradually develop a consciousness about gender along with a deep understanding of women's history, women's art, and women's achievements. The Curriculum consists of a series of downloadable pdf files; teachers may pick and choose among the fourteen Encounters, selecting those that seem most appropriate to their classrooms, grade level, and goals." http://judychicago.arted.psu.edu/dpcp/intro.php
CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES TO REVOLUTIONIZE CURRICULUM
http://gclass.org/ Founded in 1977, the New Museum (at 235 Bowery, New York, NY 10002 212.219.1222) is a leading destination for new art and new ideas. It is Manhattan’s only dedicated contemporary art museum and is respected internationally for the adventurousness and global scope of its curatorial program. See the curriculum under the "Learn" tab, for the THE GLOBAL CLASSROOM, (g.class)http://gclass.org/ G:Class "provides the tools necessary for high school teachers to utilize the cultural and educational resources of the New Museum, to incorporate contemporary art into the curriculum, and expand learning beyond the classroom. Lesson plans are designed to incorporate contemporary art into the classroom, and are developed in collaboration with the New Museum’s school partners to address both Museum exhibitions and New York City class curricula. The core of each lesson plan is designed to use observational and interpretive activity through inquiry and extended peer discussion to foster an informed, critical understanding of art, culture, current events, and their relationship to students’ own lives and the world around them."
SOCIAL THEORY & ART EDUCATION to REVOLUTIONIZE CURRICULUM
http://cstae.org/ The CSTAE is launching an e-portfolio digication web page on the NAEA web site. You are invited to submit your lesson plans, unit plans and syllabi that embrace social justice approaches and pedagogy that advance social theory


Theses / Dissertations >
College of Arts and Social Sciences >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Title: ||Pattern drafting in tailoring|
|Authors: ||Klutse-Banini, Simon Dzidzor|
|Issue Date: ||3-Sep-1993|
|Series/Report no.: ||2003;|
|Abstract: ||Practical activity is an important ingredient in the training of the child to be able to fit into the adult working society very effectively. Tailoring provides this industrial training just as done by the creative art in the public school curriculum.
As a skilful subject, tailoring provides a systematic training towards aesthetic education of the student. It involves a critical observation of shapes and analysis of human characteristics. It also synthesizes these factual characteristics and provides clothes in accordance with the facts
observed about the figures. Clothing in its strictest sense involves three major processes - pattern designing, drafting and sewing. It is an exciting activity, simple if basic principles are learnt thoroughly and when the student is sensitive to the changes in shapes as demanded by fashion.
Pattern Drafting is a means of achieving a shape around the body so that although the body remains constant; any student studying old magazines or costume books becomes aware that the outline of clothes often changes dramatically in different periods of fashion. It forms an integral part of tailoring on which the success of the trade depends. It is as important to a tailor as a building plan to an architect. Since each figure requires some adjustment in the general procedure of drafting, pattern drafting cannot be seen as a simple graphical representation of structures and their component parts. It is a process that requires intellectual reasoning creative thinking, socio—economic, cultural as well as emotional knowledge to achieve the full aesthetic value of the finished garment. It follows that Pattern Drafting provides aesthetic education.
In Ghana, despite the advantages tailoring enjoy as explained earlier, the New Education Reform Programme did not fully embrace the subject as essentially as it deserves. Very little was done on the development and inclusion of tailoring in the school curriculum due to lack of personnel and equipment. Lack of personnel emanates from the fact that over the years tailoring has been left in the hands of local craftsmen who acquire their training through apprenticeship. This
unfortunate situation creates the erroneous impression that tailoring or sewing in general is not an intellectual activity.
Latest development with the New Education Reform Programme reveals some interest being generated in the acquisition of marketable skills. This is evidenced by the recent courses being organised for the Post Junior Secondary School graduates. It is hoped that since sewing defines the utilitarian value for weaving and makes it more meaningful to the consumer, more attention will be turned to tailoring in the near future. It is in this vein that the need for the development of pattern drafting cannot be over-emphasized.
This document affords teacher-tailors the encouragement, expertise and enthusiasm necessary for handling the subject of tailoring in a more efficient manner in our schools and colleges. The research is also seen as a relief to students of fashion design, who have to waste more time to train at the local tailor’s shop in order to be fully equipped to establish a shop of their own. It would also provide the needed confidence and clear the confusion often associated with students of practical examination questions.
Finally, the research will promote the development of the sewing industry in Ghana as younger elites will be attracted to join hands in the trade with more innovative ideas.|
|Description: ||A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Art Education, 1993|
|Appears in Collections:||College of Arts and Social Sciences|
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Skimming through some videos on ‘Right to education’, I fell upon a few really amazing ones. One which particularly caught my attention was this one by UNICEF.
An idealistic video that truly fulfills the purpose of advertisement and is extremely inspirational. But how far has the implementation of Right to education been really successful and does it paint that pretty a picture as the video suggests? Are the (economically backward) parents themselves, leave alone the whole village eager to send their kids to study? They always see their kids as breadwinners…in fact that’s the main motive behind having kids at the first place.
I still remember the heart wrenching story of 10 year old Sumit Jotra, who had auditioned for Dance India Dance. He would work as a shoe-shiner rather than study to earn for his family. This is just the story of one child but? How many more have I missed?
The highlights of the act:- 1.It makes education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 and specifies minimum norms in elementary schools.
2.It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children from poor families.
3.It also prohibits all unrecognized schools from practice, and makes provisions for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission.
4.The Act also provides that no child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education.
5.There is also a provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age.
Let’s concentrate on the first three points first and reflect on how practical they are. Will the economically disadvantaged children really be able to cope up with the rest of the counterparts? How can one ignore the psychological trauma which even though minor can have a deep impact? Secondly, as much commendable the efforts on the part of the government seem, at a closer glance it is evident that they have clearly kept the whole situation skewed especially after refusing to reimburse the private schools yet making it compulsory for them to follow the guidelines. The quality automatically takes a backseat thus. Free Education at What Cost? The teachers too face a backbreaking and uphill task training the lesser competent students with meager facilities. While there might be a case of success or two, there are many that seem to be suffering a great deal.
Thus the whole act will affect the quality as much as it will enhance the quantity. I feel that concentrating on the qualitative aspects by keeping a special remedial coaching for these lesser fortunate students and reimbursing themselves rather than laying the burden on the already burdened private schools, improving the rural teacher training, the assessment patterns, regular and rigorous inspections and the media influence will truly make the RTE act flourish in a much more better way.
It’s important to realize that the act implementation is not just about cute kids, loving and patient teachers and schools surrounded by beautiful landscapes as shown by the advertisements…
They’re about many more things.


The latest OECD Survey of Adult Skills (SAS) generated much commentary on the relatively poor level of adult skills in England – particularly the revelation that on both literacy and numeracy tests young people scored no better than older generations and worse than their peers in all other countries except Italy and Spain. There was less discussion about how skills are spread around the population, but this is just as important. On this dimension the news is no better, because the distribution of adult skills in England is very unequal.
There is a larger gap in literacy and numeracy scores between the highest and lowest achievers than in most other countries and the impact of parental background on skills attainment is stronger than in most countries. Despite some evidence of a narrowing in the dispersion of skills in England over the last 16 years, the skills of the youngest cohorts are still more unequally distributed than in almost all other countries.
Difference in Average Numeracy Scores of Top and Bottom 20 Percent of 25-29 Year Olds
There are large gaps in the skills of the 16-65 year olds, particularly in numeracy. Scores in SAS are measured out of 500 but the actual range of scores is much lower. In England the average score in numeracy of those in the lowest-scoring 20 percent is 153 points below the average score of those in the highest scoring 20 percent. The gap in literacy scores is somewhat smaller at 134.3 points. Only two countries, France and the USA, are more unequal in numeracy and in literacy only Finland and Canada are more unequal. However, the situation for the younger age groups is even more alarming. For the 25-29 year olds there are no countries with more unequal skills distributions in either numeracy or literacy. England is also the only country where skills are as unequal amongst the younger age groups as the older ones.
England also does relatively badly on equality of opportunity – in terms of the degree to which social background influences skills attainment. The only country where the parents’ level of education has a greater effect on children’s skills attainment in literacy and numeracy is the Slovak Republic. Young people with graduate parents are likely to score 67 points higher in numeracy and 58 points higher in literacy than those whose parents only have GCSE level qualifications. English-speaking, ‘liberal’ countries generally show less equality of opportunity than other countries, and England and the USA the least.
Inequality of Opportunity in Numeracy Skills for Younger and Older Age Groups
Inequality of Opportunity for Numeracy and Literacy for 16-24 Year Olds by Country Group
Why are adult skills in England so much more unequal than in most other countries? Some possible explanations can be ruled out. Differences between age groups play no part in England since the skills levels of younger age groups are much the same as for older age groups. Inward migration seems to contribute a small amount to adult skills inequality in England but no more than in most countries and rather less than in some. Adult learning does not appear to play a greater role in exacerbating the skills inequalities amongst adults in England than in other countries.
However, there is one likely explanation and that has to do with initial education. Skills and educational qualifications are very closely related. In England, each of the different age groups has a very high level of inequality in education qualifications compared with other countries. Since most qualifications are achieved before the age of 25 this implies that the initial education system has been producing very unequal outcomes going back to the 1950s. Our research (pdf) concludes that the primary cause of adult skills inequality in England is the exceptionally unequal skills outcomes of the initial education system sustained over a long period, fuelled and supplemented by an especially strong influence from social background.
The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Grant Number: ES/J019135/1
This blog post first appeared on The Conversation


Inclusive education is concerning the integration strategy of the disabled learners in schools. Establishing routines and procedures and investing the time and energy to ensure that they’re practiced and working smoothly MAKES OUR JOBS A COMPLETE LOT SIMPLER! In some countries like Kenya, the training coverage is an solely one-sided coverage and fails to fulfill the wants of the challenged learners in inclusive education association. In the Department of Particular Education, we value intensive and various fingers-on experiences for our instructor candidates. Extra minors include applied behavior analysis, autism, and early childhood special training.
Make no mistake about it, those with degrees in particular schooling know full well that inclusion is not the one-measurement-matches-all solution for kids with special wants. Try and bе а robust devoted teacher for them, it wіll gо а long wау in boosting thеir confidence and independence beсаusе іf yоu present thеm thеy саn bеliеve іn themselves, it makes them stronger. While working on their doctorates, college students may also full the necessities for the Director of Special Schooling (DOSE) Program The program is at the moment offered on campus and for off-campus cohorts. Our college students may choose to specialize within the schooling of these with hearing impairments or early childhood students with special needs. Even now in our society many employers refuse to supply them jobs due to their disability.
This isn’t to say that we bought her in an everyday schooling classroom with no hiccups. There are one hundred fifty students and put up-graduates enrolled in North Florida School of Special Training for the 2016-2017 faculty 12 months. We also work with the Division of Elementary Schooling on a dual main for many who want to blend elementary education with particular training. The mission of North Florida Faculty of Special Schooling is to improve the lives of students with gentle to reasonable mental disabilities via the achievement of educational, vocational and social expertise. The culminating capstone expertise is an individualized medical expertise that allows the coming into trainer to demonstrate core competencies as they relate to their current caseloads and classroom.
More of an effort ought to be made to extend the availability and effectiveness of public particular teaching programs throughout the nation. At North Florida Faculty of Particular Schooling, our college and employees are dedicated to offering a comprehensive, individualized education plan for every pupil that meets his or her needs and sets realistic goals for fulfillment primarily based on their required degree of support. Special education academics require thе capability tо connect easily and understand thеіr college students wіthout a lot difficulty. If the trainer is hesitating, unorganized, and flustered, the students will reap the benefits of the opportunity to create chaos.
And at Ball State, you will have opportunities to enhance your schooling past the classroom. I’ve a masters degree in Special Education, simply graduated really, & my professors talked Loads about routines, procedures, and the right way to get the scholars focused. In the three years my son obtained early intervention providers in the Napa Valley, no early education skilled ever uttered the phrase inclusion.


Music & Movement for Children
From the moment they are born babies can listen to music. Being sung to helps your child develop a sense of melody and rhythm. It also teaches them a love of music and musical expression.
Additionally, music is an important part of ear training and plays a valuable part in a baby’s development. Early exposure to singing, listening to and playing music, research has shown, can enhance a whole range of educational skills such as language and numerical skills, fine motor skills and an awareness of space and one another.
Babies flourish in a stimulating musical environment. Whether through singing, dancing, cuddling, talking or clapping you can encourage the pathways of your baby’s brain to make new connections.
There are several different choices here in Kelowna if you would like to take your infant to a music class.
Music for Young Children - Teacher Leanne's Music Studio
Courses available are:
Music Pups: A fun, informal music and movement program for infants & toddlers ages 0-5. Music Pups is a music program that nurtures young children by motivating parents to engage in musical activities with their child. The Music Pups experience creates students who more fully develop their pitch and rhythm skills and are more responsive to music in general. Come have fun singing action songs, dancing with scarves, and playing different rhythm instruments!
Sunrise: Sunrise is an exciting and innovative pre-school music program for children two and three years old. The program has a flexible format that allows adaptation to a variety of age and environmental situations including daycare and nursery school centers as well as home studios of certified Music for Young Children Sunrise teachers. Children receive instruction in singing, rhythm, and ear training with teddy bears being one of the learning "tools". This specially developed music curriculum includes stories, songs and games.
Sunshines: This program, for three and four year old beginners includes large muscle experiences in beat and rhythms as well as fine motor experiences in rhythm instrument ensemble playing. By the end of the first year, Sunshines are playing in C major and middle C positions and are reading from the staff. Pre-reading experiences – such as like and different sorting, looking for patterns with colorful visual aids, gluing and coloring -- are part of the program.
Sunbeams: The program for kindergartners and first graders provides “big kid” lyrics to introduce concepts, finger numbers and keyboard geography. Songs and games are used to encourage and reinforce listening.
Moonbeams: For the older beginner, ages seven through nine, the program lasts three years. Our Moonbeams want “quick results” and the songs, ensembles and keyboard repertoire are designed to support their growing sense of independence. The listening activities for this age group keep the “ears open” even as reading becomes the primary focus for gathering information.
Also available are:
Private Piano Lessons: One-on-one time with the teacher learning some theory & playing various styles of music.
Private Voice Lessons: Learn to sing well and have fun. Focus on proper vocal technique, sight-singing, & solfege
Instructor: Leanne Moyer (Kantymir)
2170 Brentwood Road, Kelowna
Music and Movement for Children
Crystal Doughty, Babies & Toddlers Music Specialist
Music and Movement for Children offers programs for children between the ages of 6 months and 8 years. The classes are divided by age, but they also offer a Family Class for those who are looking for an activity for 2 or 3 children. Each class is designed and constructed by the teachers to allow flexibility and a great balance between structured and non-structured activities. With a maximum of 10 children per class, the group dynamic also allows room for personalized attention for each students.
Classes do fill up quickly so contact them soon to register
Piano Lessons and Music for Young Children by Mila
Teacher Mila is a private piano teacher, accompanist and improviser who offers private piano and Music for Young Children lessons out of her home studio. She teaches private and small groups piano, keyboard and music lessons and works with children as early as 2.5 years old to young adults.
Mila’s style of teaching is very diverse – from classical and RCM to popular, as well as music for fun and theory. Classes are run from her home in the Glenmore area of Kelowna.
Mila offers her friendly personality and expertise as well as reasonable rates. Over the 30 years that Mila has been teaching private piano lessons for children and young adults she has become certified in numerous children’s music programs, including Kindermusik, Musicgarten, Suzuki and MYC.
She also completed a Master’s Degree in Music and has over 16 years of music education.
Please call if you are interested in discovering the joy of music.


Feb 14, 2012
Irresistible Ideas is an amazing blog with hundreds of ideas for PBL in too many categories to mention here. Mostly focused on early elementary education many of these projects can be altered for older children, used by teachers as display pieces in their classrooms or as a way to connect a field trip back to the classroom.
The blog is well written, beautifully photographed and contains so many links to other amazing PBL blogs and websites it is easy to get lost in the ideas. I love the dot mad challenge. It could be used to learn about predicting, finding patterns or having a discussing about randomness. It's a simple, inexpensive project that can scaled up or down based on number of students, length of time or age. The dramatic-imaginative section of the blog has a few great ideas about how to create dramatic centers in the classroom. A home center is great for dramatic play and is usually what you see in a pre-school and kindergarten setting but if you are looking for something new or different check out this section and read about the camping and hospital centers.
PBL can take lots of time and preparation to set up but the rewards for the students are huge. Teaching students to share, to work together, to realize their own and other people's strengths, these are just the beginning of a list of skills PBL help teach.
How do you use play-based, problem-based and/or project-based learning in your classroom?


Welcome September and the beginning of a new school year! Each month I’ll be updating you about fun activities, what we’ve been learning about, and I’ll give you a peek at the theme for next month.
I love the gradual change in seasons from summer to autumn.
The days grow shorter, and the air grows cooler. My favorite is the change in crafts and activities. We spent our summer collecting shells from the beach and turning them into preschool beach crafts, swimming, and picnicking. It’s time to get back into a school routine and I welcome the change with a new learning unit each month.
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This month we’ve been learning our colors and animals in homeschooled preschool.
I like to start each year with a month or two of the basics. Colors, shapes, and later I’ll add letters and numbers. Science activities will also get more complex as the year goes on, but let’s remember, preschool is all about learning through play! September is also a great time of year to learn about animals because trips to the zoo and farms are usually less crowded than summer months, and the weather is beautiful!
I teach my two preschoolers a couple of times a week while the older two kids are at their enrichment classes. We start with morning circle, read a book about the weekly theme, and look out the window to see the weather. The kids have several books about color. Our favorites this month are Fairy Colors and Beginning Colors from the Beginning Board Books. These are both simple books, and can be used to teach color to toddlers and preschoolers.
Fine Motor Skill Activity-Pom Pom Pick Up
I bought tweezers for kids at a dollar store, and got out the pom-poms and construction paper. I placed the pom-poms into a pile in the center of our activity table, set out coordinating pieces of paper, and had the kids sort colors using the tweezers. It turned out to be a great fine motor skill and grouping activity.
Once the colors were sorted I gave the kids glue to make pom-pom caterpillars. Again, they strengthened their fine motor skills gluing and placing the pom-poms on the paper.
Craft Stick Sorting
Our second color sorting activity used the craft sticks and colored plastic cups. If you don’t have plastic cups in colors that go with the sticks, tape a small piece of construction paper to each cup to show the kids where each color goes. My kids really loved this activity!
We used the craft sticks later in the same way we had the pom-poms; glueing like colors to construction paper. Again, fine motor skill development and learning to group.
Science for my two older children this month included learning about living creatures, habitats, and animal behaviors. To keep with the animal theme I spent time teaching my preschoolers about zoo animals. My kids LOVE play dough, home-made or store-bought. I bought the Play Doh Make ‘n Mix Zoo set. The set includes animal shaped cut outs and rollers to add animal textures to the dough! We created groups of animals based on their textures, just like we had grouped colors.
Earlier in our homeschooled preschool I created a Zoo Animal Sensory Activity, where the kids were able to feel the different textures of animals at the zoo.
To go along with our zoo animal science unit we read some books about Sloths for International Sloth Day, and took a field trip to the zoo. While there we learned about animal environments, and saw animal textures and colors up close.
Next month we’ll be trying out some fall activities, including spooky crafts, science and a field trip!


Each April, we celebrate National Poetry Month— the perfect time to explore the fun and benefits of poetry with children. Kids are naturally inclined to embrace the bouncy rhythms and repetitive sounds found in poems of all kinds, which speaks to the timeless appeal of nursery rhymes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “The Cow Jumped Over the Moon.” By playing with the smallest sounds in words, poetry helps little learners develop phonological awareness, one of the six foundational skills needed for early reading. Poems also pique literary interest in older kids with fun vocabulary, silly humor, and vivid imagery.
The Library offers dozens of picture books that pair the lively language of poetry with engaging illustrations. Stop in to any location to sample the smorgasbord of rhymes and verse, and check out one of these excellent titles to share the magic of poetry with kids.
Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver
This collection of bite-size poems for babies (and their grown-ups) is accompanied by illustrations from the great Tomie dePaola. Playful pieces like “In My Stroller” and “My Daddy’s Beard” explore the wonders of babyhood with simple language to learn and recite throughout the day. My favorite is “The Kitchen Drawer,” which celebrates a familiar past time of crawlers:
“Watch me scoot across the floor./ I’m heading for the kitchen drawer/ To knock the pots and pans around/ And throw the dish towels on the ground.”
Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown
This treasure trove of poems was recently unearthed from the estate of Margaret Wise Brown, author of beloved stories like Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Brown’s cozy, lilting lullabies are paired up with gorgeous artwork by a roster of world class illustrators to create a patchwork of whimsical worlds. The book even includes an audio CD so you can hear the lovely language with musical accompaniment.
Poem Runs by Douglas Florian
As baseball fever takes hold, Poem Runs is the perfect picture book to share with sports lovers. With paintings in grassy greens and dusty yellows, Douglas Florian’s poems explore the game, player by player, with rhymes like “Catcher:”
“I can catch curve balls/ I can catch heat./ I can catch sliders/ With gloves or with feet./ I block with my belly./ I nab with my knees./ Throw me jars of jelly./ I’ll grab them with ease.”
Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko
With selections from masters like William Carlos Williams, Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson, Firefly July celebrates spring, summer, autumn, and winter through poetic morsels and bright artwork by Melissa Sweet. The familiar imagery will appeal to all children, making this an excellent and accessible introduction to the classics.
-Maggie, Youth Services Librarian, CLP- Carrick


Phonics: Research Adapted from National Reading Panel Report, 2000
Phonics instruction teaches children the relationship between the letters(graphemes) of written language and the individual sounds(phonemes) of spoken language. It teaches children how to use these relationships to use and write words. Phonics instruction teaches students how to use the relationships between sounds(phonemes) and letters to decode unfamiliar words in text. It involves teaching students the basic correspondences between letters and sounds, how to blend sounds together to produce words, and how to use these phonemic decoding skills while reading text. Phonics instruction that is systematic, explicit, and incorporates appropriate guided and independent practice activities typically leads to higher achievement in word recognition and spelling. Phonics instruction and skills become more complex as students progress from learning simple blends and various vowel combinations, and finally to larger “chunks” of letters in words. Good readers will be able to fluently apply phonemic decoding skills to help them identify unfamiliar words they encounter in text.
Research on phonics and phonics instruction is long and robust. Despite the pendulum swings that the U. S. educational system has taken regarding the teaching of phonics, the research on phonics consistently points to its critical importance in learning how to read. For example, after an extended and detailed analysis of phonics studies, Chall(1967) concluded over thirty years ago that children should learn phonics in order to learn how to read. Chall concluded that early and systematic phonics instruction produced better readers than later and less systematic phonics instruction. After their review of the research on phonics, Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson(1985) concluded the same thing. Adams(1990), in her extensive analysis of beginning reading research, concluded the same thing.
If researchers clearly agree that phonics instruction is better than no phonics instruction, then, what does the best phonics instruction look like? Three key words frequently associated with phonics instruction are explicit, synthetic, and systematic (Chard, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1998; NRP, 2000). Explicit phonics instruction means that instruction should include naming the individual sounds in letters, even though the sounds sometimes vary depending on their position in the word, the dialect of the user, etc. Teachers should teach that the “m” in the word man names a short /a/ sound. Teachers should assist students in isolating the individual sounds in words – e.g. “Do you hear the /aaaaa/ Sound in man? Say all the sounds with me as I point to them on the chalkboard, “/mmmmmmmm/ /aaaaaaa/ /nnnnnnn/. Now let’s blend the sounds together.”
Blending the sounds in words together refers to synthetic phonics, another important component of instruction in phonics. Thus, for example, when children come to the word sit, they should have the knowledge of each of the letters and each of the sounds those letters make, and they should be able to blend the letters together to come up with the word sit. This synthetic method of instruction is different from decoding by analogy, for example, where children learn to pronounce the word “sit” by matching the “it” to the end sound in “fit” and then substituting the /s/ sound for the /f/ sound at the beginning of the word. It is also significantly different from “embedded” phonics or a whole language approach(Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).
Phonics instruction should also be systematic. Systematic instruction is not random and does not occur on an “as needed” basis. Systematic phonics instruction does not stop after teaching children to identify the beginnings and ends of words. Effective phonics instruction teaches children the whole array of letter-sound relationships.(Adams, 1990; NRP, 2000). For example, a systematic phonics program teaches students the different grapheme patterns representing the sound of long /e/, including ea, ee, ei, ie, and CVCe. Further, systematic phonics instruction is planned and includes a sequential set of phonics elements taught explicitly. For example, all the blends are covered; all the consonant digraphs are covered – not simply “as needed,” but in sequence, with forethought and with explicit instruction.
Key findings from evidence-based research:


Dillon Sedar of Akron has been hanging out with fifth- and sixth-graders at Sts. Phillip and James Catholic School in Canal Fulton the past six weeks.
Sedar has been teaching students a thing or two about art and how it can be used to understand science.
Using Model Magic dry clay, students in Lisa Montgomery's fifth- and sixth-grade classes learned about sculpting, shading and lettering while diagramming and labeling the parts of plant and animal cells through hand-sculpted, three-dimensional animal cells and painted plant cells on display in the hallway outside their classroom. The students then created their favorite animals using the art skills they learned in Phase One of their projects.
"Visual, hands-on art is such a great way to teach," said Montgomery, who teaches science to fifth- through eighth-graders. "This has been so worthwhile. I think the kids really grabbed on to the lesson because they lived it."
Of course, the students are quick to say all of the teachers at Sts. Phillip and James go out of their way to make learning fun.
"Most of the teachers here make learning fun, because they make our lessons into games," said fifth-grader Sydney Aman of Canal Fulton. The 12-year-old said she's enjoyed working with clay since her grandmother got her a clay set. "I was the first one to fold my cell to give it a three-dimensional shape, then I used my favorite colors to form the different parts of it."
Once fifth-grader Luke Liptak of Canal Fulton started working on his project, "I learned all the parts of a cell," the 11-year-old said. "I am making a snake eating a rat to go with my cell."
Across the table was Haley Hatfield of Canal Fulton, another fifth-grader, who was making a giraffe as Phase Two of her project.
"This was so cool," she said. "Dillon is one of the coolest teachers. He really made this class fun."
SmArts is Arts Integration
The SmArts Grants Program encourages kindergarten through grade 12 classroom teachers in all disciplines to integrate the tools and processes of the arts into daily learning. SmArts encourages educators to reach out to the arts community as a resource. The focus of the ArtsinStark SmArts program is to engage students and allow them to find meaning and make linkages across content areas. SmArts is not just arts education — it is about using the arts in unison with traditional education.
To be involved, teachers must first identify curriculum areas where students are struggling and then select an arts partner/teaching artist to work with them. The pairs collaborate to design units and lesson plans to meet Ohio's curriculum standards.
Sedar is one of the teaching artists working with ArtsinStark. He received his bachelor's degree in art education from Kent State University. After graduating in 2013, he illustrated a book titled "Olympic Hero: Lennox Kilgour's Story," about an Olympic weightlifter for the country of Trinidad in the 1950s. He teaches Saturday classes at the Akron Art Museum. He started teaching Fall 2013 in Akron Public Schools, where he taught art for two years and with a colleague started an art program at the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center to provide art classes once a week to incarcerated youth.
"Learning should be all encompassing, making connections between all of the subjects," he said. "There have been several studies done but I always reference back to (Benjamin) Bloom's Taxonomy, where he talks about the levels of learning. Knowing is at the bottom and creativity is at the top. When you are creating, you are taking knowledge and using it rather than just filling in the information."
"I have used the arts in my classes before, but never in this depth," said Montgomery. "All students learn differently, but at this age, hands-on learning is so important."


Scholastic FX Books is a collection of 24 high-interest, age-appropriate texts for struggling readers and English-language learners in middle and high school who need to practice and review essential phonics concepts.
Practice Essential Decoding Skills
Scholastic FX Books target important phonics patterns in sequential order. These patterns — called the FX Factor — are listed on the inside front cover of each book. As students engage in the text, they practice the FX Factor, build fluency, and vocabulary.
The Teacher’s Guide provides supplemental activities to help students practice the targeted phonics patterns while building fluency, vocabulary, and confidence.
Easy-to-Use Instructional Support
The Teacher’s Guide provides comprehensive support for phonics instruction, student activities, and other valuable resources.
Teacher materials include:
Student Activity Sheets
Teaching Routines for Vocabulary Instruction
High-Frequency Vocabulary Word List
Download Entire Scope and Sequence (PDF)
A teaching plan for each FX Book presents instructional support for teaching the targeted phonics patterns.
Teachers can use this proven-to-work teaching routine for introducing new vocabulary to students.
300 High-Frequency Words
The Teacher’s Guide includes a list of high-frequency words that teachers can use with students to build and assess fluency.


TEACHING BABY THE MOTOR SKILL OF STANDING
QUESTION FROM A MOTHER IN CLASS:
My pediatrician recommended that we now set my 10 month old son’s toys up on the seat of a chair instead of on the floor in front of him so he will learn to pull and stand. But, when I do that, he gets frustrated because he does not know how to get back down. What should I do?
STELLAR CATERPILLAR’S ANSWER:
REVERSIBILITY OF THE MOTOR SKILL OF STANDING
He is still learning to crawl on his hands and knees, so he is not quite ready to stand up. When a baby learns to stand up, he must be able to reverse himself by returning to a hands and knees crawling position or a sitting position as he goes back down onto the floor. If those positions are not familiar to him he may feel a bit of panic. Wait a couple more weeks before encouraging the motor skill of standing. This will allow him time to crawl on his hands and knees which he is learning. You can discuss this with your pediatrician as well. Read some of our posts on cruising to see some videos of babies pulling up to stand, cruising, and then sitting back down on the floor again.
ALIGNMENT OF THE MOTOR SKILL OF STANDING
The hands and knees position also teaches his nervous system to place his legs under his hip joints. This develops excellent alignment. When he stands up his legs will be more stable because they will be more under his hip joints. You can also play a game with him where you place a box in front of him that is turned upside down. Put baby on his knees in front of it and teach him to play it like a drum. He will enjoy the game and it will be giving his system a clear feeling of placing his knees on the floor. This increases the familiarity of the position through which he will pass when going up and coming down from standing up.
BABY INDEPENDENCE AND MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
He is only 10 months old. Many babies do not walk until they are 14 or 15 months old. He still has time. What is important is that he has time in each developmental milestone so he can benefit from what each motor skill teaches his body. Then when starts standing up he will be stronger, have improved alignment, feel more stable, and be more emotionally confident that he can get in and out of that postion on his own. This is independence.


The Art Education – Sculpture major combines the organizational and social skills of a teacher with the technical and conceptual skills of a sculptor. In addition to the classroom-centric classes all Art Education majors take, these students focus on exploring new media in the world of sculpture.
Moving far beyond simple formed clay, our program reaches across disciplines and incorporates all sorts of materials including wood, fabrics, metals and ceramics. You’ll also become well-versed in unconventional approaches to art: installation, interactivity, conceptual projects, and performance art. Your sculpture classes will cover explorations of the creative process, sharpening your visual thinking skills, understanding real-world exhibition concerns, and of course, creating art with a whole host of traditional and contemporary materials.
These skills, combined with your classroom experience, prepare you for a successful future split between two passions: teaching and art.
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art Education - Sculpture - Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design


What will it be about? The first unit study on Indiana history will be all about the Prehistoric Peoples of Indiana, beginning with the arrival of the Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago, and on up through the Mississippian peoples who made this area their home. As part of my research for the study, I have visited sites such as Mounds State Park in Anderson, Koteewi Park in Strawtown, and I have future plans to visit such places as Angel Mounds in Evansville, and a big trip to Cahokia Mounds in Illinois. The unit study will include vivid photographs from my trips, accompanying field trip tips to those sites, and of course, exciting history all about the peoples who called the Midwest and specifically present-day Indiana home, tailored for a 4th grade student beginning their study of Indiana history.
|The Great Mound at Mounds State Park, Anderson, Indiana|
I have a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and have taught in schools, but am relatively new to homeschooling. My daughter went to a charter school for Kindergarten, but we decided to transfer her to home school for 1st grade on. My son is two, and loves having his big sister home to learn alongside her. I develop unit studies especially for my daughter, mostly focusing on Language Arts. She is a very inquisitive little girl and I often let her decide what she wants to study. We just finished a three-week study on Space, and this week we switched gears and are doing a little study on Native Americans. For this, we went to Koteewi Park in Strawtown and went on a little walk (their Taylor Center for Natural History was unfortunately closed). But as we were walking the grounds and talking about the people who lived there, I realized something. I have the perfect co-writer. My daughter! I realized again just how creative and inquisitive she is, and concluded she just must do my research with me, and write my Indiana history unit studies along with me. It needs a child's touch, after all.
I'll be launching an author website in the near future, and keep in touch - I'll also be posting free lesson and activity ideas on this blog and that website, designed by my daughter and I. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!
|White River, or Wapahani, at Mounds State Park|


Join us as we STEAM into an exciting, integrated journey through science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics! We’ll make meaningful, real-life connections with math as we interpret science and technology through engineering and the arts. We’ll explore how these disciplines “talk” to each other as we work collaboratively to solve challenging problems; make sense of 3-D and 2-D models; investigate binary code, bit vs. bite; and enjoy hands-on physics concepts using fundamentally sound mathematics principles. Finally, using reality-based learning, we’ll apply the math back into the science to understand how math and science work together as a “team!” Requirements: Bring a snack and a water bottle for breaks. BIO: Matt McCracken teaches 5th grade at North Star Elementary School. An APS teacher since 2001, he spent the 2012-13 school year on loan to the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) to teach a Department of Defense outreach program called Starbase. He is a National Board Certified Teacher, and he holds a TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the State of New Mexico. A graduate student at New Mexico Technology Institute, Mr. McCracken is focusing his studies on STEM education in schools. He holds a B.S. in elementary education (with an endorsement in earth and planetary sciences) from UNM.


Canadian parents and caregivers are being encouraged to find a fun way of spending 15 minutes of learning time with their children Monday, the 16th annual Family Literacy Day.
“It’s really important that families enjoy literacy activities together and find a playful way to engage children in literacy activities,” says Sheri Brattston, a child literacy expert with Decoda Literacy Solutions, a B.C. non-profit agency that supports 102 community literacy groups.
This year there will be thousands of events taking place across Canada in public libraries and schools and within community organizations. An estimated 1.5 million Canadians have participated in events since Family Literacy Day was inaugurated in 1998.
Literacy development affects every area of a person’s life, said Decoda spokesman Mike Leland.
“Health, employment, economic status and life chances are all impacted,” Leland said.
“Engaging in daily family literacy events and taking time to read every day is crucial to a child’s development. Even 15 minutes a day can improve both family member and children’s literacy skills dramatically,” he said.
For the Brattston family, having literacy fun is a way of life.
“It’s something we do every day,” said Brattston, who has two children, Emma, 9, and Ben, 5.
“It’s as simple as waking up in the morning and finishing off a letter we’ve been writing to a grandparent or making up a grocery list,” she says.
“Even on our walks we talk about the signs we see and what we notice in the environment and then we do a story time at night.
“I would encourage parents to play games with their children. Singing is a huge part of the foundation of literacy — those chants and rhyming games children love. Searching the Internet together to find out about things, oral storytelling, making cards out for people — it doesn’t always have to be reading books.
“All of these are valued practices,” she says.
At what age should parents begin the process?
“You can’t really put an age to it,” she says.
“Some people say it’s something that should happen from birth — some say even before birth — but certainly the early preschool toddler years are the times when you can have those rich family experiences and make literacy a part of everyday life.”
So what will her family be doing to mark the day?
“We’ll be carrying on with our normal events but will make a conscientious effort to play more games and maybe go to the library and pick out some of the children’s favourite stories they can bring home.
“We’ll definitely cuddle up together and of course my husband, Darren, will be making up his ridiculous oral stories that they love. So I hope he’s got some good ones tucked away for us.”


THE WELSH INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION ACT OF 1889 ONCE the 1870 Elementary Education Act began to be implemented, the more perceptive educational reformers in Wales, as in England, turned their attention from elementary education to secondary and higher education. During the '70s attempts to re-organize individual grammar schools, under the Endowed Schools Act of 1869, aroused interest and controversy throughout Wales.1 The extent of the deficiency in the provision of secondary education was, however, not fully appreciated until the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (founded in 1872), began to function. The college came into being largely because of the enthusiasm of a group of London Welshmen.2 From the beginning its existence was in jeopardy: there were just not sufficient grammar schools in Wales to provide it with students. This was the burden of a speech by H. Hussey Vivian in the House of Commons in July 1879, drawing attention to the 'deficiencies of higher education in Wales'.3 Welsh politicians of all parties immediately seized upon this as a promising national issue, and during the election of the following year every candidate in Wales pledged himself to press the government to consider the matter. Gladstone was reminded of this by Lord Aberdare a few weeks after he was returned to office.4 The Prime Minister had already declared his sympathy with Welsh national and educational aspirations during the 1879 debate, and he readily agreed to Aberdare's suggestion that a committee be set up to investigate the provision of 'inter- mediate' and higher education in Wales and to make recommenda- tions for its improvement. Appropriately, Lord Aberdare was appointed the committee's chairman. 1 J. R. Webster. 'The Place of Secondary Education in Welsh Society. 1800 to 1918' (unpublished Ph.D. thesis. University of Wales, 1959). chs. IV and V. E. L. Ellis. 'Some Aspects of the Early History of the University College of Wales'. Transactions of the Cymmrodorion Society, 1968. p. 203. 3 Pari. Debates, 3rd Series. 247. p. 1142 (1 July 1879). Lord Aberdare to Gladstone, 10 May 1880. in Sir Ben Bowen Thomas. "The Establish- ment of the "Aberdare" Departmental Committee, 1880. Some Letters and Notes'. Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, XIX. pt. iv (May 1962). There was some confusion in the use of the terms 'secondary' and 'intermediate' educa- tion in the latter part of the nineteenth century. 'Secondary education' was first used officially in Britain in the Taunton Report (1868)to describe those schools which lay between elementary schools and the major public schools. It was Matthew Arnold who introduced the term to the Taunton Committee, and it was he who was later responsible for popularizing it. To Arnold, secondary education was essentially middle class education, although later it was to lose this meaning. 'Intermediate education' was a neutral term and was useful to describe all types of school falling between elementary school and university. It was, however, never really accepted, and after the 1902 Education Act it fell into disuse.


If you're OK at maths, you're more likely to be well off.
That's the conclusion of a study by the US think tank Rand Corp, which found that couples who scored well on a short test of math skills accumulated more wealth by middle age than couples who scored poorly.
Researchers found that when both spouses correctly answered three math questions, family wealth averaged $US1.7 million ($1.72 million). That compared with $US200,000 ($202,531) for households where neither spouse answered any question correctly.
Household wealth increased sharply as scores of either the husband or wife rose, the study said.
The study found "a simple test that checks a person's numeracy skills was a good predictor of who would be a better family financial decision maker", said James Smith, distinguished chair in labour markets and demographic studies at Rand and co-author of the study.
Choosing the wrong person as a family's primary financial decision maker can have negative consequences, researchers found.
"While families choose the less-numerate spouse less than 20 per cent of the time, when this does happen, total household wealth is lower," the study said.
The study relied on a sample of married couples from the Health and Retirement Study, a national survey of Americans at least 50 years old that is funded by the National Institute on Ageing.
Skills needed to make successful investment choices are among the most cognitively demanding that a family has to make, especially as people age and assume greater control of decisions about their wealth, pensions and health care, Rand said.
The study also examined the impact that memory, mental status and other cognitive skills may have on household finances, finding that they had far less influence than maths skills.
Among other findings:
- As the maths score of each spouse rose, the per cent of a family's portfolio held in stocks rose.
- A man was the financial decision maker in 62 per cent of the households studied.
- Even when a husband scored zero (out of a possible three points) in his numeracy test, there essentially was a 50-50 chance that he was the financial decision maker. The male bias was smaller among younger couples in the study's 50-and-up age group.


Citation: Cherner, T., Dix, J., & Lee, C. (2014). Cleaning up that mess: A framework for classifying educational apps. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 14(2). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol14/iss2/general/article1.cfm
Reviewed by: Michelle Yeung
Cleaning Up That Mess: A Framework for Classifying Educational Apps
Currently, educators must rely on online lists to find academic apps on mobile devices appropriate for their classrooms. The authors propose a framework for choosing educational apps based on purpose, content, and value.
The researchers began by reviewing educational taxonomies, software and frameworks from 1988 to present. 92 free apps were qualitatively and selectively reviewed out of 20,000 available pre K-12 educational apps from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. These included apps centered on English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, though some were found to be multi-subject matter, or teacher resources. In categorizing apps, three questions were essential to the authors, and a Pearson correlation coefficient was also calculated during analysis:
- What is the primary purpose of this app?
- What does this app require users to do?
- How could teachers use this app in their classrooms?
The resulting classification framework resulted from the authors’ analysis of the 92 apps:
- Description: Apps that use recall, rote memorization, and skill-and-drill instructional strategies to build students’ literacy abilities, numeracy skills, standardized test readiness, and subject area knowledge.
- Bloom’s Taxonomy Implications: Remembering and Understanding
- Description: Apps that give students access to vast amounts of information, data, or knowledge by conducting searches or through exploring pre-programmed content.
- Bloom’s Taxonomy Implications: Applying and Analyzing
- Description: Apps that assist students in transforming learned information into usable forms.
- Bloom’s Taxonomy Ranking: Evaluating and Creating
Educators are encouraged to create subcategories for each of the areas within the framework. An example given for a Literacy Skill-Based App are subcategories of: Fluency, Grammar, Handwriting, Language Acquisition, Spelling, and Vocabulary.
The proposed framework can advance and inform teachers and teacher candidates how to select appropriate apps for the classroom, even as new apps are released onto the market. In addition to TPACK (Koehler & Mishra, 2005, 2009), these tools can save time, school budgets, align the app to a planned lesson in the classroom.


We’re not exactly what you would call a “musical” family. But over the years, my husband and I have tried to include music in our daughters’ lives. Baby Mozart was bathtime music. We had toy musical instruments accessible. Raffi, nursery rhymes, Disney princess tunes and the like were played and sung on a regular basis. We have seen some musical theater performances. And now they’re (sigh) into their ‘tween music artists – downloading their music, and singing and dancing along to their songs.
But one area we haven’t ventured into yet is actual music lessons. “It’s not too late!” said one of our local music teachers. In fact, it’s great to get started at any age – and the younger, the better. There are wonderful long-term benefits for who are consistently exposed to music and who also take formal music lessons.
“The Wheels on the Bus” and Beyond
One of the greatest and probably the most obvious benefits of music is its relaxing effect. I suggested to my fourth grader, who was overwhelmed with the number of math problems she had for homework, to turn on some music while she does her math. She instantly found it helped – it relaxed her and put her into some kind of rhythm as she did one problem after another.
In addition to acting as a pleasant, energizing accompaniment, music also serves as an important developmental tool. Young children who simply listen and sing to music can improve vocabulary development, speech enunciation, listening abilities and even memory. You may think that “The Wheels on the Bus” played 10 times in a row in the car is just your child trying to torture you, but it truly does serve an important purpose.
Then beyond just listening to music, taking music lessons can be a great learning opportunity. Through musical education, kids not only acquire a skill they can enjoy through adulthood, but also gain advancements that spread beyond the music lesson itself. Formal music training seems to be strongly linked to better performance in non-musical skills, such as reading, mathematics and spatial intelligence. In fact, according to the National Association for Music Education, kids with a background involving musical instruction score higher on the SAT than their non-musically trained counterparts – actually, 56 points higher on the verbal portion and 39 points higher on the math portion of the test.
In addition to the academic benefits, learning to play music is a great way for kids to express themselves and gain self-confidence. As they play the piano, for example, they will have an outlet for how they’re feeling – melancholy, happy, lively, angry. Then simply the act of being able to learn and play musical instrument, along with your support and encouragement, is incredibly satisfying and confidence-building.
What to Do
I know one of our early impediments to having our daughters take music lessons was the cost. One acquaintance warned us that we’d practically have to take a second mortgage out to afford them. Although this was a bit of an exaggeration, it can be costly, especially when you have more than one child. However, after some research and asking around, I found there are actually some affordable options. For example, our neighborhood school offers after-school violin lessons in which the violin is even supplied. Other reasonable options are group lessons as well as courses given through the city and at city recreation centers.
While deciding on music lessons, also remember to help your child choose an instrument that fits their personality and interests. They’ll be more likely to stick with it if it’s something they truly enjoy.
In addition to the actual music lessons, you can expose your child to a wide variety of music through local performances at schools, theaters and community centers. At home, from the radio or from CDs from the library, play a variety of music for your child. They can then learn about different cultures and earlier periods of time in history.
And remember to simply enjoy music together – from playing a Baby Mozart CD during bathtime and listening to your child play an instrument to singing and dancing. We’ve found that music is just another terrific way to bring us closer as a family. So I try my best (not always successfully) to not make comments or contort my face when my daughters turn on their ‘tween tunes. I’ve even been known to hum or sing along from time to time.


Kindergarten teacher job description to adapt for your own use. Practical description of the tasks, responsibilities and competencies required for successful job performance as a kindergarten teacher.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment of kindergarten teachers is projected to grow by 12% from 2012 to 2020. Growth will result from increased enrollment numbers and an expected decline in student-teacher ratios. However the demand for kindergarten teachers will vary by state and region.
Revise this job description sample to meet the needs of your particular kindergarten teaching job.
Teach basic skills including letters, numbers, elemental natural and social
science, music, art, literature and behavioral skills to children in the
kindergarten phase to advance their physical, mental, and social development and
maximize their potential in a positive and safe environment.
Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities
- plan a program that helps each student achieve learning objectives and
- prepare lesson materials and resources
- select and use instructional methods and materials appropriate to the
students and learning activities
- utilize games, music, books, art, technology and other resources to
teach basic skills and foster student development
- adapt standard teaching methods to meet different student needs and
- create a positive and appropriate classroom environment that is
conducive to learning
- develop and implement a suitable classroom management system.
- establish and effect rules for acceptable behavior
- apply and follow up on approved disciplinary interventions
- make referrals for assistance where necessary
- instruct children on personal hygiene practices and self care
- encourage cooperative social behavior through games and activities
- observe, evaluate and record children's social and academic progress
- provide constructive feedback to parents, guardians and administration
- prepare and distribute written reports
- plan and order classroom equipment and supplies
- ensure equipment and facilities are clean and safe
- collaborate with other staff members to promote the general health of
- perform required administrative duties including attending staff
- uphold the school code of conduct and all school policies, rules and
procedures in a supportive and positive manner
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in elementary education or equivalent
- certification or license as required by relevant State
- First Aid and CPR certifications an advantage
- previous teaching experience preferred
- understanding and proficiency in relevant technology
- knowledge of current educational and instructional methodologies and
- knowledge of theories and practices of early child development
- knowledge of State, local and Federal regulations that apply to students
- communication skills
- planning and organizing
- problem-solving skills
- patience and stress tolerance
- adaptability and flexibility
- team member
Use this kindergarten teacher job description to draft a comprehensive and practical job description for your teaching position.
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Learning Design and Technology
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Link to Curriculum Vitae
Professor Ertmer's scholarship focuses on the impact that student-centered instructional approaches and strategies have on learning. Activities that support this focus include research on the impact of case-based instruction on higher-order thinking skills; the effectiveness of a student-centered, problem-based learning approach to technology integration and STEM education; and strategies for facilitating higher-order thinking and self-regulated learning in online learning environments. Additional efforts are directed toward helping students become expert instructional designers through the use of case- and problem-based learning methods.
In 2014, Professor Ertmer was recently flown to George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch to be interviewed in the latest video from his nonprofit organization, Edutopia. As the founding editor of the Interdisciplinary Journal of PBL (Problem-Based Learning), she is a leading expert in this emerging field. In the video she outlines The Five Keys to Problem-Based Learning: real-world connections, core to learning, structured collaboration, student driven, and multi-faceted assessment.
Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, Purdue University, 1995
M.A. in Special Education-Learning Disabilities, Cardinal Stritch College, 1976
B.A. in Elementary Education, University of Denver, 1973
Ertmer, P.A. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration? Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 25-39.
Ertmer, P. A., Quinn, J. A., & Glazewski, K. D. (2014). The ID CaseBook: Case studies in Instructional Design (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Ertmer, P. A., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., & Tondeur, J. (2015). Teacher beliefs and uses of technology to support 21st century teaching and learning. In H. R. Fives, & M. Gill, International Handbook of Research on Teacher Beliefs. Erlbaum (pp. 403-418). New York: Taylor & Francis-Rutledge.
Ertmer, P. A., & Koehler, A. A. (2015). Facilitated vs. non-facilitated online case discussions: Comparing differences in problem space coverage. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 27, 69-93. DOI 10.1007/s12528-015-9094.
Ertmer, P. A. (2015). Technology integration. In J. M. Spector, T. Johnson, D. Ifenthaler, W. Savenye, & M. Wang (Eds.), Sage Encyclopedia of Educational Technology (pp. 747-750). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346397.
Professor, Curriculum & Instruction in Educational Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Associate Professor, Curriculum & Instruction in Educational Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Assistant Professor, Curriculum & Instruction in Educational Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Adjunct Professor, Instructional & Performance Technology, Boise State University
Visiting Assistant Professor, Curriculum & Instruction in Educational Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Visiting Assistant Professor, Educational Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Educational Computing and Instructional Development (ECID), Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Learning Disabilities Teacher (K-6), Fremont Re-1 Schools, Canon City, CO
Educational Diagnostician (K-6), Arapahoe County Public Schools, Littleton, CO
Learning Disabilities Teacher (K-6), Milwaukee County Public Schools
Elementary Classroom Teacher, Holy Rosary Elementary School, Milwaukee
Contributing Editor, Educational Technology Magazine
Founding Editor, Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning


Primary School Curriculum
The Primary School curriculum is well balanced and academically challenging.
A strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy serves to build a solid educational foundation for reading, writing and mathematical development.
The Primary School follows an approved and regulated curriculum, and students are exposed to a variety of subjects covering the nine key learning areas of: English, Mathematics, Science, Society & Environment, Technology (Computing), Personal Development (Health & Physical Education), Language Other Than English, The Arts, Christian Life Skills.
Starting with Reception and continuing through to Year 6, the Primary School provides an education designed to stimulate the discoveries of learning.
One key feature Cedar College introduces in the Primary School is the progressive and gradual change from home room teacher to specialist subject teachers. Alongside this structural change is the progressive development of teaching context and methods, which adjust to the needs of the students as they move from being children to adolescents.
Realising that the early school years set patterns for a child’s latter years, Cedar College seeks to expose students to God’s truth as it applies to their learning both in and out of school, including home and Church.
Pastoral care is an important part of the Primary School ‘Home-Room’ environment. Teachers interact with students on a caring and personal level as they mentor students in both academic and social skills.


Alphabetic Understanding, Phonics, and Spelling
Have your youngsters reading in no time with with collection of literacy activities and lessons. Starting with a basic understanding of the alphabet, this unit progressively builds students' phonemic awareness and ability to decode and...
Pre-K - 1st English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
Grade K Literacy in Social Studies: Thinking About Families
Family is a wonderful subject for little learners to get excited about. Family is also the theme for a social studies unit that uses literacy standards throughout. The guide outlines approximately three weeks of instruction and breaks...
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Essential Reading Strategies for the Struggling Reader
Beneficial for beginning readers, struggling readers, and those in need of review, a set of language arts activities is a great addition to any foundational reading unit. Focusing on phonological awareness, fluency, instructional...
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New Review Phonological Awareness: A Sound Beginning
Looking for ways to spice up your phonics instruction? Choose from a variety of phonological activities to complement a reading lesson. The guide goes through the basic components of good phonics instruction focusing on sound types,...
K - 2nd English Language Arts CCSS: Adaptable
Capturing and Sharing Language Acquisition
Practice language development and linguistics with a instructional activity featuring audio recordings. As kids record the ways they pronounce words and sentences, they learn to upload and organize their audio files into iTunes.
K - 3rd English Language Arts
A Research Toolkit of 12 Reading Strategies for the Foreign Language Classroom
Learning to read is not a simple task, but there are methods for assisting pupils as they develop literacy skills. The first four pages of this resource include information about language development and reading development, as well as...
1st - 12th English Language Arts
Study Life Cycles with Butterflies
All living things grow and change throughout their lives, but few as dramatically as the monarch butterfly. Explore the interesting life cycle of this insect as children collect caterpillars, create habitats, and observe the incredible...
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Universities are ancient institutions. The first university was founded in Bologna, Italy in 1088 and is still in existence. The first universities grew out of monastic schools and catered to the medieval fascination with learning that had been nurtured in monasteries. Bologna University began by teaching law and its application to solve the problems facing society.
Surprisingly, student protests are almost as old as universities themselves. The first record of student unrest comes from the University of Paris in 1229 and led to the institution being closed for more than two years.
The university, founded under church patronage, enrolled students at age fourteen and the curriculum lasted between six and twelve years. Most students came from the aristocratic classes of Europe as tuition fees, lodging and travel costs were beyond the reach of the poor.
The Paris strike of 1229, was in response to excessive force used to quell a pub riot caused by drunken students during a pre-lenten carnival. The students were under church protection. City guardsmen called in to enforce discipline, killed several students; some of whom had not been involved in trashing the pub. The resulting strike saw all tuition stopped for two years and students had to relocate to other universities at Rheims, Oxford or Toulouse. Only the intervention of Pope Gregory IX, an alumni of Paris University, saw classes resume in 1231.
Classically a university was where students went to read and learned how to apply their minds. Universities produced thinkers.
With the rise of the industrial and technical age and recently, the electronic, digital and informational age, new skills were required to keep technology functioning. A new form of technical education institution arose: the polytechnic or technikon. This form of education was significantly different. Technikons produced technicians and engineers who could maintain and service the technology in operation. In recent decades the line between universities producing thinkers and technikons producing technicians has blurred. In South Africa the merging of technicons and universities in the 2000’s was driven by skill shortages caused by a rapidly growing post-sanctions economy.
The nett effect of these dynamics has been that a tertiary education degree or diploma is now regarded as a ticket to a job. That may be a misperception. Statistics SA reports that in the first quarter of 2016, 33,7% of unemployed Black South Africans were graduates, (28,3% of Coloured, 59,7% of Indian and 40,3% of White unemployed)
Underpinning student demands, International Law regards a university education as a universal human right.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 26.1 “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.”
So if merit and not entitlement is the global criteria, the challenge facing South African universities is how to give meritorious students access to the money.


Now showing items 1-10 of 29
Teaching English Language Learners in Low-Incidence Settings
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Keeping the Dream Alive: Resource Guide for Undocumented Students
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Strengthening Latino Families: Best Practices from the 2004 NCLR Family Strengthening Award Winners
Summary of best practices of award-winning NCLR Affiliate programs that strengthen the Latino family.
Raising the Bar: Implementing Common Core State Standards for Latino Student Success
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America’s Future: Latino Child Well-Being in Numbers and Trends
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Raising the Bar: How AmeriCorps Members Are Increasing Literacy Rates in Latino Communities
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View our curriculum subjects in the right-hand navigation of this page.
At Key Stage Three, students follow the National Curriculum as well as PSHCE and Learning Skills courses. We provide a broad and balanced curriculum that aims to provide students with the skills they need as learners and to prepare them for GCSE courses. This is supported by a focus on creating an excellent learning experience for all students with a range of learning activities that engage and enthuse.
In Year 9, students choose the subjects they wish to continue with at GCSE. Our GCSE provision is supported by alternative education courses which provide a more vocational approach to learning for those students who struggle with more academic courses. The majority of our students will study 10 GCSE courses in total. Students are able to study the English Baccalaureate if they choose to do so and all of our GCSE courses are accredited as true GCSE courses and not GCSE equivalent. This means that the GCSEs your child studies will count when it comes to finding post-16 courses or employment.
Post-16, we offer a wide range of A Levels as well as some Level 2 options. These are enhanced by an enrichment programme that runs for Year 12 students which offers them the opportunity to learn new skills and prepare them for life as an independent adult.
Higher order thinking skills are embedded throughout the curriculum across all key stages. Students are taught independent learning skills and challenged to achieve at their highest possible level. Students’ literacy and numeracy skills are developed across the curriculum and this is re-enforced through activities in the tutorial programme too.
We have a rigorous quality assurance system to ensure that students are able to achieve the best that they possibly can. Curriculum Leaders regularly analyse the progress that students are making and we have a well-developed training programme for staff that runs throughout the year so that all staff are highly skilled in planning and delivering lessons of the highest quality. A member of the Senior Leadership Team also patrols the school every lesson to check that the ‘climate for learning’ in each classroom is of the highest possible standard.
Curriculum Information Booklets:
To view our Sixth Form AS/A2 subject information, please visit the Sixth Form page.
If you require any further information about the curriculum our school is following, please feel free to contact one of the relevant subject teachers who will be happy to provide you with more information.


MUSC350. Percussion Techniques
Three hours laboratory (1)
Introduction to basic percussion instrument performance techniques.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
The content of the course provides students a basic understanding and development of basic performance abilities with percussion instruments. The instruments covered in this class are snare drum, bass drum/cymbals, keyboard mallet instruments, timpani, small accessory percussion instruments, marching band equipment, and drum set. Each instrument will be discussed with an emphasis on correct performance techniques, teaching methods and materials, field experiences, and proper care and/or tuning of the instrument(s).
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Students will be required to purchase a text to be used as a source for performance and reading exercises. One pair of snare drum sticks will also be needed with a practice pad. All other mallets for the other instruments will be provided to the students. Students will begin by learning a proper grip and set-up. Detailed attention to the snare drum rudiments will then comprise approximately one-quarter to one-third of the semester depending on the ability levels of the students. Performance techniques on the other instruments will be similar to snare technique, therefore the greater portion of the semester focuses on snare drum technique. A pedagogical approach will be used so that the students will be able to teach others what they learn.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
At the conclusion of the course, the student will have developed basic pedagogical and performance skills on all of the percussion instruments used in class. The students will be able to demonstrate that ability. Students will assemble a database of percussion music literature in a wide range of genres, styles, historical periods, and cultures (Western and non-Western) appropriate for use in school instrumental programs at beginning and intermediate levels. Students will address state and national standards through percussion instruction.
Grades are based upon two written exams during the semester, one of which is a cumulative or non‑cumulative final exam. A grade will be given for each of five different playing skills tests. Students will be given a minimum metronomic marking for each of the skills required and will need to demonstrate those skills to the teacher.
At least 2 hours of observation/participation in public school settings is required for Music Education majors.
Other Course Information
The use of alcohol or drugs prior to concerts or rehearsals is prohibited. By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of academic integrity will not be tolerated. This class will be conducted in strict observance of the Honor Code. Refer to your Student Handbook for details.
Approval and Subsequent Reviews
DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
Revised April, 2009