Introducing your child to music education at a young age offers an incredible array of developmental benefits. more
Learning styles in children
Understanding how your child learns can make their education a better experience for all. Learning and school is not a one-size fits all. Children have different ways of learning which the education experts have roughly grouped these into three basic styles – auditory, visual and kinaesthetic.
When parents know their child's best way to learn, they can help their child learn more effectively. And part of this process is for parents to understand their own learning style, because we tend to teach in that style.
To find out what type of learner both you and your child are, read on. But before you pigeonhole yourself or your child, it’s worth remembering that while you may have a dominant style of learning, everyone borrows a little bit from all the styles to learn about the world around them.
Learning styles explained
Auditory or language learners
These types learn through listening to what others have to say and talking about what they’re learning. They’re also more likely to:
- remember information by talking aloud
- need to have things explained orally
- may have trouble with written instructions
- talk to themselves while learning something new
- enjoy discussion groups over working alone.
Worth noting: auditory learners might look like they’re not paying attention when you talk to them, but their listening skills are more developed than their visual skills.
As their name suggests, these people learn through watching. It’s believed to be the most dominant learning style and many traditional classrooms are geared towards the visual learner. For their learning to make sense they need to be able to see, visualise and illustrate their knowledge skills and concepts. Visual learning characteristics include:
- remembering visual details
- preferring to see what they are learning
- needing to have paper and pens handy
- doodling while listening
- liking to write down instructions or see them demonstrated.
Worth noting: Telling these learners how to do something may not make sense to them at all – they need to see it.
These learners like to be actively involved in the learning process, and learn best through hands-on activities and movement. Other kinaesthetic characteristics are they:
- want to actually do whatever is being talked about or learned
- like to move around while listening or talking
- often “talk” with their hands
- like to touch things in order to learn about them
- remember events by recalling who did what rather than who said what.
Worth noting: These types of learners can be misdiagnosed as ADHD or troublemakers because the more tradition visual or auditory learning styles just don’t work for them.
Is there a fourth style?
While the above three are the major styles discussed, some experts talk about logical or analytical learners. These learn through exploring patterns and understanding how things relate to each other. These learners also:
- love knowing how things work
- are capable of quite logical thinking at a very young age
- ask a lot of questions so they can understand how things interrelate
- show an early aptitude at solving mathematical problems
- can grasp strategy games at a young age.
Finding out which learning style your child responds to
The above checklists can help you work out which style you and your child/children respond best to. There are also quite a few online tests you can do simply by ticking a few boxes – but these are more fun than scientific. Try this one at Scholastic .
Find more study tips:
- Understanding learning styles
- Auditory learning style
- Kinaesthetic learning style
- Visual learning style
- Preparing your child for school success
- Does your child need a tutor?
- Fostering curiosity - how to engage your child in education
- How to get kids off the internet and into their school books
- Study tips for kids
- Creating motivation for school work
- Why extra-curricular activities boost study skills
- Reducing exam stress
- Going to high school
- School readiness
- Easy homework ideas
- 5 ways to keep kids organised at school
- The great homework debate
Discover more School Zone
This story was written by Fiona Baker for Kidspot, Australia’s leading education resource from sources including Kids Life


Digital Technology and the Study of Music
Brown, Andrew R. (1995) Digital Technology and the Study of Music. International Journal of Music Education, 25(1), pp. 14-19.
This paper examines three functions of music technology in the study of music. Firstly as a tool, secondly as an instrument and lastly as a medium for thinking. As our societies become increasingly embroiled in digital media for representation and communication, our philosophies of music education need to adapt to integrate these developments while maintaining the essence of music. The foundation of music technology in the 1990s is the digital representation of sound. It is this fundamental shift to a new medium with which to represent sound that carries with it the challenge to address digital technology and its multiple effects on music creation and presentation. In this paper I suggest that music institutions should take a broad and integrated approach to the place of music technology in their courses, based on the understanding of digital representation of sound and these three functions it can serve. Educators should reconsider digital technologies such as synthesizers and computers as music instruments and cognitive amplifiers, not simply as efficient tools.
Impact and interest:
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|Item Type:||Journal Article|
|Keywords:||music, sound, education, technology|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING (190000) > PERFORMING ARTS AND CREATIVE WRITING (190400) > Musicology and Ethnomusicology (190409)|
|Divisions:||Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Creative Industries Faculty|
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 1995 Sage Publications|
|Copyright Statement:||Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.|
|Deposited On:||14 Feb 2007|
|Last Modified:||09 Jun 2010 12:37|
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Neurogames by Dr. Jonathan Reed presents a great fun numeracy game based on the concept of 'error-free' learning.
This bright and vibrant game provides a fun and rewarding way for your children to develop their numeracy skills.
Focusing on 5 main numeracy skills:
With three difficulty settings it is great for beginners and older children to use, as you progress through the game each correct answer receives a seed as an award. This can then be planted in the garden to create a rich and full living world, all based on how well you do within the game.
The whole game has easy to follow instructions and voice overs from Belinda the Bee who will talk you through every aspect of the game. This allows for the app to be used without adult supervision, as all the help the child needs is right there on screen, in a fun and informative way.


An education background opens many doors to employment opportunities. With a degree in education and teaching credentials, you can hold teaching positions in both public and private schools. Other career options include guidance counseling, school social work, library science, and administration. With post-graduate degrees, you can choose to go into adult education and teach at colleges and universities. You might even venture out into the world of business or government, becoming a trainer, human resource specialist, manager or planner.
- Public school teachers must be licensed, which typically requires a bachelor's degree and the completion of an approved teacher education program; private school teachers do not have to be licensed but may still need a bachelor's degree.
- Washington States offers an alternative licensing program to attract people into teaching, especially for hard-to-fill positions.
- Teachers must have the ability to communicate, inspire trust and confidence, and motivate students, as well as understand students' educational and emotional needs.
- Job prospects are best for teachers in high-demand fields, such as mathematics, science, and bilingual education, and in less desirable urban or rural school districts.
In order to improve your chances of getting into a four-year univerity or college of education, and ultimately a teaching position, volunteer in your community and observe in actual classrooms. Programs such as Junior Achievement give you experience as a group leader, tutor, teaching assistant or mentor. Volunteering in the public schools can gain you invaluable experience in preparation of bulletin boards, charts, posters, and in computer applications and in other instructional communication technologies. It is important for you to develop solid communication skills, particularly writing and public speaking. Elementary education is looking for generalists with a variety of knowledge and skills to teach elementary students. Crafts, hobbies, sports and musical abilities can be strong assets to draw upon in the teaching profession. Secondary education is looking for specialists with expertise in disciplines offered to secondary students.
Inside the Elementary Education Curriculum Guide is a description of some of the requirements for teacher certification programs at several universities. You will also find an outline of the general requirements of the Associate in Arts and Sciences - Transfer. Within that degree, we recommend that you include Education 202 (Introduction to Education), Education 250, 251, 252 (Education in Action observation series) and Education 256 (Education in Action Seminar), and CMST 103 (Public Speaking for Educators). Other courses like Education 170 (Education Portfolio), Education 190 (Education Controversies) and Education 210 (Education Philosophies) are also recommended as "B' electives.
Check with the Career Center, Third Floor, Parks Student Union, for additional information on career options and considerations. You can also find information in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.


International Perspectives on the Design of Technology-supported Learning Environments
Edited by Stella Vosniadou, Erik De Corte, Robert Glaser, Heinz Mandl
Routledge – 1996 – 408 pages
In recent years, the use of technology for the purposes of improving and enriching traditional instructional practices has received a great deal of attention. However, few works have explicitly examined cognitive, psychological, and educational principles on which technology-supported learning environments are based. This volume attempts to cover the need for a thorough theoretical analysis and discussion of the principles of system design that underlie the construction of technology-enhanced learning environments. It presents examples of technology-supported learning environments that cover a broad range of content domains, from the physical sciences and mathematics to the teaching of language and literacy.
The emphasis in this book is not on the design of educational software but on the design of learning environments. A great deal of research on learning and instruction has recently moved out of the laboratory into the design of applications in instructional settings. By designing technology-supported learning environments instructional scientists attempt to better understand the theories and principles that are explicit in their theories of learning. The contributors to this volume examine how factors such as social interaction, the creation of meaningful activities, the use of multiple perspectives, and the construction of concrete representations influence the acquisition of new information and transfer.
"…introduces the reader to some of the key international developers who are designing instructional settings to improve education and add to our knowledge of instructional-learning theory….through the many applications presented in the 18 chapters, the reader can appreciate the bidirectional effect of research on new developments in both practice and theory….this book is full of new approaches to learning and instruction and is an important addition to your personal library."
—Journal of Computing in Higher Education
"The editors of this fine book have been working cooperatively on topics in instructional psychology and technology for a long time. I recommend this book for use in seminars dealing with instructional design and technology. Each chapter presents foundational information that is valuable for the novice reader while presenting case studies for the advanced scientist. As such, the book serves as a reference guide for the international instructional design field."
—Journal of Educational Computing Research
"There is much here that is of interest, importance, and relevance for a wide range of educationists and researchers….it is likely to that many of those involved in the design and use of technology-supported learning environments will find useful reading here."
—British Educational Research Journal
Contents: Preface. R. Glaser, E.L. Ferguson, S. Vosniadou, Introduction: Cognition and the Design of Environments for Learning. Part I: Representation. S. Vosniadou, Learning Environments for Representational Growth and Cognitive Flexibility. J. Bliss, Externalizing Thinking Through Modeling: ESRC Tools for Exploratory Learning Research Program. R. Kozma, J. Russell, T. Jones, N. Marx, J. Davis, The Use of Multiple, Linked Representations to Facilitate Science Understanding. B. Schwarz, M.J. Nathan, L.B. Resnick, Acquisition of Meaning for Arithmetic Structures with the Planner. K. Reusser, From Cognitive Modeling to the Design of Pedagogical Tools. E. Lehtinen, S. Repo, Activity, Social Interaction, and Reflective Abstraction: Learning Advanced Mathematical Concepts in a Computer Environment. E. De Corte, Changing Views of Computer-Suppported Learning Environments for the Acquistion of Knowledge and Thinking Skills. Part II: Social Interaction. M. Scardamalia, C. Bereiter, Adaptation and Understanding: A Case for New Cultures of Schooling. P. Dillenbourg, Distributing Cognition Over Humans and Machines. G. Kanselaar, G. Erkens, Interactivity in Cooperative Problem Solving with Computers. J. Torney-Purta, Conceptual Change Among Adolescents Using Computer Networks and Peer Collaboration in Studying International Political Issues. Part III: Meaningful Contexts and Multiple Perspectives. J.D. Bransford et al., MOST Environments for Accelerating Literacy Development. S.R. Goldman et al., Anchoring Science Instruction in Multimedia Learning Environments. Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, Multimedia Environments for Enhancing Learning in Mathematics. H. Mandl, H. Gruber, A. Renkl, Learning to Apply: From "School Garden Instruction" to Techonolgy-Based Learning Environments. P. Mendelsohn, Mapping Models of Cognitive Development to Design Principles of Learning Environments. Part IV: Principles of System Design. A. Collins, Design Issues for Learning Environments. G. Salomon, Studying Novel Learning Environments as Patterns of Change.


"Toddlers learn from toys that let them problem solve, construct, sequence and create," says pediatrician and author Ari Brown, MD, a contributor to MommyMDGuides.com. "It doesn't have to high tech. Look for toys that let your child use his brain." Here are a few that will give your toddler a chance to learn while having a blast:
These fun tables offer visual stimulation and motor skill development while playing a catchy tune. Some offer ample opportunity to learn about letters, numbers and colors as kids bounce to the beat of learning.
Toys that teach him about letters and letter sounds will keep him ahead of the curve. Bonus: Toys that attach to the fridge keep your tot entertained while you're making a meal.
These soft singing and flashing toys are sure to be your little one's new pals. In a variety of animals and features, many offer entertainment through songs coupled with exposure to shapes and colors.
Wooden, plastic, foam or paper, blocks will expand your toddler's imagination and help him develop his motor skills.
Stackable, interlocking bricks -- perfectly sized for a toddler's hands -- can open the floodgates of your child's imagination. Whether soft and flexible or plastic, building toys will help develop his motor skills while he has tons of fun.
Wooden puzzles can help develop your toddler's concentration, fine motor, problem solving, hand-eye coordination and abstract thinking skills as she figures out which shapes fit where.
What toddler doesn't like to fill things up and dump them out? This fun learning toy comes in a broad variety of shapes, sizes and features, teaching your little one about shapes, sorting and colors.
Whether in the tub or on dry land, nesting toys such as stacking cups are great for teaching your kiddo about counting and object permanence while developing basic motor skills.
Your little tyke will step up the learning and fun when he interacts with classic refrigerator magnet letters. Work together to optimize learning and to ensure letters don't become a choking hazard.
These colorful rings will stimulate your tot's senses, help develop his motor skills, and advance his cognitive abilities, just as they did when you were a kid yourself!
Toys can help toddlers learn as they play, but the way you interact with your child is just as important as the toy with which he's playing. So, remember to get down and play with your youngster; you may be surprised to see what you learn!
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Although many fans of electric-guitar god Jimmy Page only know the mandolin as the high-pitched, plucky sounding background instrument in Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore,” the mandolin was largely responsible for the spread of the guitar in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was itself a major musical phenomenon. The craze began in the 1880s, when a group of Spanish musicians took Boston and New York by storm playing bandurrias, an instrument that resembles the mandolin in several respects.
The mandolin was an easy instrument to popularize, given the role of music in society at the time. In an era before iTunes, CDs, 8-track tapes, vinyl records, or even radios, being able to play an instrument was a highly desirable social skill—those who could play at home would be able to entertain friends and family without having to go to an expensive show or concert.
People who grew up without a music education in working- or middle-class families knew that instruments like the piano and the violin required an early start, so they largely resigned themselves to musical illiteracy. The mandolin, however, promised a way out. Mandolin manufacturers like Gibson sent representatives called teacher agents out into towns to stir up interest. The teacher agents would find a few people who already played the violin and would teach them to play the mandolin, since the two instruments have the same tuning.
Teacher agents would then organize a performance to be given by those they had taught. These concerts were generally fairly impressive, which allowed the representatives to pitch the mandolin to audience members as something they, too, could learn—these performers had only been playing for a few weeks, and look at all they could do!
Soon, mandolin orchestras performing popular classical songs were widespread. These orchestras often included up to 50 or 60 pieces, including mandolins, guitars, mandolas (the mandolin equivalent of the viola), mandocellos (the mandolin equivalent of the cello), and mando-basses. In fact, one of these orchestras was still active in New York City into the 1950s.
For collectors today, mandolins made by Gibson are by far the most desirable. While still owned by Orville H. Gibson himself, Gibson began manufacturing mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1894 with great success, and in 1898 he received a patent for a mandolin design.
Gibson sold his company in 1902, but the Gibson Mandolin and Guitar Company (as it was then known), continued to manufacture mandolins. Instruments made from the 1890s to the late 1900s are most prized by collectors, though many musicians consider them lacking in volume and tone. For such aficionados, the 1909 Gibson F-style mandolins are the first ones with a good, “modern” tone...
The absolute zenith of mandolin design came in the 1920s, thanks to an acoustic engineer at Gibson named Lloyd Loar. His F-5 model is considered the best mandolin ever produced, and those with Loar’s signature on the label inside command the highest prices of any mandolins on the market, thanks both to their superb construction and their selection by the pantheon of famous American mandolin players, including the legendary Bill Monroe.
Aside from the F-5, Gibson’s F-7, F-10, and F-12 from the 1930s are rare, too, though less valuable. Gibson also manufactured mandolas, mandocellos, mando-basses, and even mando-lutes. Mandolas and mandocellas are quite rare, and collectors tend to value them more than their equivalent mandolin models, with the exception of Loar-signed mandolins.
Martin and Epiphone also produced mandolins, mandolas, and mandocellos, many of which were high-quality instruments and are quite sought after today. Martin’s Style 20 and Style 30 are rare and well made, but still not as collectible as the Gibsons. No company in the United States in the early 20th century could challenge Gibson’s dominance in the mandolin market.
Throughout the 1920s, though, even as Gibson was producing some of the best mandolins ever made, mandolins were falling out of favor. Once the accessible instrument of choice, the mandolin began to be replaced in the national spotlight by an exotic new instrument that was even easier to play—the ukulele.


EDUCATORS FROM CHEROKEE ELEMENTARY GO BACK TO SCHOOL
Educators from Cherokee Elementary go back to school Twenty-four educators from Cherokee Elementary School recently went back to school themselves for instruction on the Common Core State Standards at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) in Cullowhee. Their training included two professional development seminars in which teachers learned how to implement the Common Core State Standards, which replace the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in mathematics and English language arts. The Common Core State Standards reflect the knowledge and skills that are essential for the 21st century, and help prepare students to be career and college ready. Maura Colvin, fifth-grade music education teacher from Cherokee Elementary School, described how the NCCAT training provided teachers with engaging activities to bring back to their classroom. "We learned many hands-on activities during the seminar. For example, we took a storybook, and fleshed out all the different ideas in the book. After doing that, we created a scavenger hunt through the Common Core documents to find where each element of the story was related," Colvin said.


SHAMROCK GARDENS "NEW BALANCED LITERACY LAB"
Balanced Literacy incorporates all reading approaches realizing students need to use multiple strategies to become proficient readers. It provides and cultivates the skills of reading, writing, thinking, speaking and listening for all students. Balanced literacy is not merely a philosophy but rather a cohesive approach to teaching literacy. A balanced approach to literacy instruction combines language and literature-rich activities associated with holistic reading instruction with the explicit teaching of skills as needed to develop the fluency and comprehension that proficient readers possess. Such instruction stresses the love of language, gaining meaning from print, and instruction of phonics in context. The Balanced Literacy approach to reading instruction incorporates many reading strategies in order to meet the varying needs of all students. Some of the components of the approach include phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, reading aloud to children, independent reading, guided reading, shared reading and literacy centers for independent practice. Balanced literacy cultivates the skills of reading, writing, thinking, speaking, and listening for all students. It allows for flexibility within the classroom giving teachers the tools to meet each child where he/she is and move him/her forward in the manner and time best suited to the individual.
At Shamrock Gardens our Literacy lab gives teachers access to authentic literature, guided reading books, professional learning materials, and the Leveled Literacy Invention program developed by Fountas & Pinnell, and much more to help guide and develop a LOVE of READING for all students at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School.
Below are pictures of the NEW BALANCED LITERACY LAB at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School.


Art Teaching Ideas for Primary Teachers Lesson plans and resources for 5-11 year olds.
K-6 Arts Lesson Plans
Arts Education K-6 Visual Art Lessons
ArtsEdNet This section of ArtsEdNet includes a variety of teaching and learning materials, including many art images.
Sorted by Grade Level
Lesson Plan links Lesson Plans for the Arts
Lesson Ideas Lesson Plans for the Arts
ArtsEdge Lesson Plans The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge Marco Polo
Fine Arts Arts Lessons Plans
Elementary Educators Lesson Plans About.com Lesson Plans
Arts Ed Net Highlights lesson plans, curriculum ideas, and art exhibitions from the J. Paul
Getty Museum and Arts Education Web Site
Heartland Curriculum Resources Listed here are several curriculum companies linked to their web sites. They are arranged by subject within levels.
Lessons Plans Page Terrific resource of lesson plans in art as well as all fields.
Crayola This jam-packed art site has something of everyone. For teachers there are excellent lesson plans, techniques, product information, newsgroups, grants and more.
Crayola Lesson Plans
Favorite Art Lessons Art Teachers Lesson Plans
Art Lesson Plans Links
The Art of Teaching Art CSG Publications - downloadable lessons
Art Studio Chalkboard lessons on drawing, painting
Art Takes Time This site contains lessons that meet the following National Standards for Visual Arts Education.
Art Teacher on the Net
ArtsEdge Instructional Resources for teaching the Visual Arts. Curriculum units.
Art Dictionary! ArtLex
AskERIC Lesson Plans ARTS
Awesome Library links to tons of Art lessons K-12
CanTeach Visual Arts - Lesson Plans for Elementary
Collaborative Lesson Archive K-12
Computer Art Lessons
Crayons and Computers
Daily Lesson Plan from The New York Times’ Teacher Connections, art lessons for grades 6
Digital Photography online lessons
Drawing in One Point Perspective - an online lesson
Education World - lesson planning center, archives: the arts
Eyes on Art
Fractals- A Fractals Unit for Elementary and Middle School Students
Free Art Lessons online - this is oil painting from1art.
Free Lessons - Bright Ring Publishing - Sample lessons from MaryAnn Kohl's art books you can buy.
The Gateway to Educational Materials PreK – 12
Imagination Factory - recycled art ideas Lessons - by category
Incredible Art Department Favorite Lessons - early childhood through undergraduate lessons, plus tests
Investigating the Renaissance Web Site Shows how computer technology can be used to examine
K-12 Lesson Plans
Kaleidocycles lesson by Woody Duncan - Great visuals!!
Kaleidoscope for Kids KODAK; grades K-6
KidsArt Art Education
KinderArt Welcome to the largest collection of free art lessons and art education information on the Internet.
Lesson Plans for Art from Going to a Museum - Teacher's Guide
The Lesson Plans Page all subjects
Origami Web Resources for Students
Sanford and a Lifetime of Color's Art Education Resources and ArtEdventures
Woody Duncans' Taospaint - Middle school lessons and links for printmaking
Teacher.Net Lesson Exchange - art lessons for pre-school, elementary, middle, and high.
Teacher.Net - Lesson Ideas – Art
Teachers helping Teachers - The Arts -Brief lesson plans
Virtual Curriculum - Elementary Art Education This site is designed to aid teachers in the art education of elementary aged children. Many lessons have been written and gathered on various topics, historical time periods, and cultures throughout the world. Each section will display lessons and links devoted to a particular concept. The lesson plan will include the concept, objectives, vocabulary, materials, procedures and evaluation.
Artlex Art Dictionary
Arts Education Links
Art Education- Curriculum Lesson Plans Perspective/Drawing
Art Criticism Fine Art Images Art History Timelines Color Theory
Art Links Art/Technology Art Careers Education Resources
Mary Cassatt Portfolio and bio. Find out more about Mary Cassatt
Women’s History Month Lesson Plans
Women Artists on the net includes some lesson plans
Lessons Plans Georgia O’Keefe
Columbus Museum of Art Lesson Plans
Frida Kahlo: Mi interpretación Lesson Plan


May 1, 2014
11:19 AMMK Memo
When Does Gender Become an Influential Factor in Education?
In recent years, there has been much attention paid to the benefits of single-sex education, especially in the case of girls. Findings from major research projects show time and time again the overwhelming benefits for girls-only classrooms beginning in puberty, when girls become acutely aware of their body image and care deeply what others think of them. Though both boys and girls go through a transition period in adolescence, American Association of University Women research shows that it is a significantly more difficult time for girls. Studies continually find that girls of this age flourish in a single-sex environment, with particular benefits in the areas of self-esteem, leadership skills, academic achievement and a more positive attitude toward learning.
After examining a wide range of research, it is believed that boys and girls at this stage of development benefit by learning together, not apart, for several reasons. First, child development experts have long realized the benefits of valuable interactive play and shared learning at this age. Through working together in play and learning situations, boys and girls gain social maturity, which is an essential part of their development. Whether on the playground, in the cafeteria, in gym class or in cooperative learning groups in the classroom, coeducational experiences foster the development of the whole child. What they learn in these years they will carry with them throughout their lifetimes.
Another significant rationale for keeping boys and girls of this age together points to the area of brain research. We now know for sure that girls and boys are "wired" differently from the beginning, with structural, hormonal and functional differences. As one example, males tend to have more development in certain areas of the right hemisphere of the brain, providing them with better spatial abilities, while females tend to have better verbal abilities using the left hemisphere. Because of these differences and others, boys and girls will choose activities based on their natural tendencies. IGGS educational research suggests that at a time when brain development is crucial, both boys and girls may benefit from choosing "against the grain gender experiences to help create a well-balanced brain, better equipped to handle the range of tasks and challenges a person will face throughout life."
Research about the benefits of single-sex education generally relates to adolescence, when so many other factors come into play. Until then, it is believed that boys and girls should learn together as they grow and develop in a safe and supportive environment.
Karen Carter, a Kindergarten teacher for 29 years, has a BS in early childhood education from the University of Delaware and an MEd in elementary education from Wilmington College. She teaches at Ursuline Academy, a 120-plus-year-old school in Wilmington, DE, that provides a coed education from age 3 through grade 5, at which point the academy becomes a single-sex educational setting for young women in grades 6 through 12. This article was compiled from key research done by Jo Ann Deak, Ken Rowe, M and D Sadker and the AAUW (American Association of University Women).


Cabrini’s core curriculum, Justice Matters, develops a common core of knowledge and connects the theory and practice of social justice to each student’s major
Justice Matters includes a sequence of developmentally linked, writing-intensive courses taken in the first, second, and third years, as well as a capstone project in the major during the fourth year.
It defines the contemporary Cabrinian education through academic excellence, social justice, and transformational learning.
Students learn skills that will advance their careers and that can be used for the benefit of their communities, linking theory to practice in the world, preparing them for professional careers through a rigorous liberal learning experience.
College 101 - A College Success Seminar that prepares students for the Cabrini College experience.
Engagements with the Common Good - A four-year, four-course sequence that raises awareness of social problems, explores their root causes, involves students hands-on in social justice issues, and connects the theory and practice of social justice to each student’s major.
The Explorations – A range of courses that provides a broad exposure to various disciplinary experiences. In particular, these courses teach students to understand themselves as products of - and participants in - institutions, creative traditions, the historical process, and value-driven decision making.
The 21st Century Literacies - Foundational skills and general knowledge in information and technology, foreign languages and culture, mathematics, science, and religious studies.
Students should consult the Undergraduate Catalog for the year they matriculated at Cabrini for core curriculum and major requirements.


Turn pumpkins into science for kids
Watching jack-o'-lanterns decompose in our front yard is an annual family tradition. This year we have a head start. One of our pie pumpkins was mysteriously stabbed, and the culprit has yet to confess.
I gathered the rotting pumpkin and some other biological specimens on our coffee table, then I surrounded them with science books. Setting up a learning table right in our living room is an easy way to get kids interested in science.
It's also a good lead-in for when we go to the Life Sciences Research Weekend at the Pacific Science Center.
From Nov. 1 to 3, real scientists from all over Puget Sound are coming to meet families, lead demonstrations and talk about how scientific research impacts our everyday lives. Entry to the event is included with an admissions ticket.
Both of my kids love science, but finding time to set up experiments at home is hard. Some of the things we've done in the past include building atoms with marshmallows, discovering osmosis with food dye and experimenting with desalination.
If I was a cooler mom, I'd be setting up a science experiment for my kids to do each week. Until I find time to do that, we'll make a trip to Seattle for some Pacific Science Center inspiration.
Most recent I Brake for Moms posts
- Trying to survive the family festival of winter sickness Jan. 18
- Treasurer’s job is so much harder than just counting pennies Jan. 11
- Becoming a published author takes perseverance Jan. 4
- Suffering from EADD — Exercise Attention Deficit Disorder Dec. 28
- Discovering the magic of Disney through kids’ eyes Dec. 21
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As we head towards the end of the first decade of the new millennium, high expectations have been set for schools to meet the needs and demand of highly creative, curious and techno savy twenty-first century learner. To give some perspective on this, it is worthwhile to explore the trends that are emerging, that will leverage technology and that have the potential to genuinely transform education in substantial, meaningful and sustainable ways.
In order to improve the quality of education a humble attempt is made in the present book Emerging Trends in Education to deals with the current problems and the future strategies in the context of innovative methods and approaches, creative and collaborative learning, use of information and communication technology, modern concepts of education, values, constructive pedagogy, quality of elementary education, improvement of standards and curriculum changes which would gear the system more to productivity each sector of education has its on unique features and hence there are so many issues with regards to new innovations in every sector of education which are critically examined, discussed and highlighted in this book.
ICT is the major revolutionary application of present time. Its application from primary to higher education has changed the entire scenario of education. The potential use of this resource depends upon the creative ability of the individual teachers. ICT is more critical to education now than ever before and likely to increase in its importance. Today, computers, software and the Internet aren’t simply part of the educational process, they are embedded in it. With the emergence of increasingly robust connectivity infrastructure and cheaper computers, school systems around the world are developing the ability too provide learning opportunities to students anytime, anywhere. ICT has already transformed how we access information and that has in turn transformed the skills our educated people require.
ICT can be utilized in innovative way. A highly imaginative involvement of an author, illustrators and educators together in a digital environment may prepare innovative coursework in the unstained manner. Computer based recording and editing of sounds may be applied in new learning opportunities for the teachers in the teaching music, physics and mathematics and can explore pupils’ creativity. This method assumes that children need to be involved through a range of communication styles and sensory stimuli which go beyond the textual or verbal dimensions, usually favoured in schools. The authors of this book have presented their diverse and innovative views regarding the needs and ways of implementing new trends in education and specially ICT. This book present a context and framework within which teachers and school leaders can re-imagine what technology might make possible for schools in the future.


Over the next five days I will post on each of The Duchess of Cambridge’s chosen patronages; providing background on the organization and highlighting Catherine’s interests in regards to the cause. Today, let’s take a closer look at The Art Room.
As described on its website, The Art Room is ” a charity based in Oxford aimed at 5 – 16 year olds who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.” Currently, there are five Art Rooms in both London and Oxford which provide art therapy to the cities’ youth. The purpose of art therapy is to increase children’s overall self-awareness, strengthening their self-esteem, confidence and general independence.
As state above, The Art Room targets children ages 5 – 16 who need the opportunity to learn and expand upon their skills outside of the classroom. These children experience learning hardships in school, whether it be due to a learning disability, emotional difficulties or perhaps they have just arrived in England and need assistance adapting. The Art Room descibres the students as having an “interrupted education;” they may be disruptive in the classroom, withdrawn from lessons and activities and even bullied by their classmates. Students are admitted into the program by way of recommendation from a teacher, the school system, psychologists or social workers and even by their parents and guardians.
Why is The Art Room of Interest to Catherine?
The Duchess of Cambridge has always had a deep-routed passion for the arts. Catherine graduated from St. Andrews University with a degree in History of Art. After graduation, Catherine continued to stay involved with the arts, from painting to photography. While visiting Los Angeles in July, 2011, Catherine, along with her husband Prince William, visited Skid Row – an impoverished community in the city – and painted with the children. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Inner-City Arts, a non-profit which provides free art education to the youth of Skid Row. The visit further fueld specualtion that Catherine would soon undertake an arts program as a chosen patronage. The Art Room is the perfect combination of both her love for art and desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.
The Art Room is always looking for financial donations to enable the continuation of the program. If you would like to donate to The Duchess of Cambridge’s chosen patronage, please visit http://www.theartroom.org.uk/8-02-donate.html. You can also learn about fundraising events here: http://www.theartroom.org.uk/8-04-fundraising.html.
If you are on Twitter, please follow the organization @TheArtRoomUK.
To see The Art Room’s official announcement of the patronage announcement, please visit: http://www.theartroom.org.uk/7-20120105-patron-announcement.html.


Enrich Learning with Discipline-Based Art Education
The aim of art education in the public schools is not to make more professional artists but to teach people to live happier, fuller lives; to extract more out of their experience, whatever that experience may be.
-- Grant Wood, "Art in the Daily Life of the Child"
"Be Smart, Include Art," encourages the National Parent Teacher Association with its program by that name.
"Learning about the visual arts gives students a window onto the rich and interesting world around them, teaching them about their own history and culture, as well as those of other people." Plus, the PTA reminds us, it's a visual world out there. "In a world in which ideas and information are often delivered visually, children need to learn how to analyze and judge the meaning of images and how to use them to communicate their own ideas."
Still, most schools have seen their art programs slashed to ribbons over the past decade. What's a teacher to do? Make a tapestry! Using discipline-based art education, weave art throughout the curriculum for a richly textured educational experience.
Discipline-based art education, advocated by the Getty Education Institute for the Arts, is an approach to instruction rather than a specific curriculum.
"As more and more business leaders are coming to realize, rote memorization and multiple choice answers do not adequately prepare students for the global marketplace," says Leilani Lattin Duke, director of the institute. "Art is a subject that encourages children to think critically, solve problems creatively, make evaluations, work within groups, and appreciate different points of view. These skills are particularly suited to the complex challenges of the contemporary workplace."
Integrating art education into the curriculum also provides opportunities for students whose visual skills are stronger than their verbal abilities, says award-winning art educator Mary Parks, a teacher in Naperville Community School District 203 in Naperville, Ill.
"When I was in elementary school, my illustration for a book report was a much more personal response to reading than anything I could write," Parks says. "Since all of our students learn and express themselves in various ways, we need to provide opportunities in our classrooms for all learners."
Parks advocates art centers in the classroom as a "neat way" to integrate the arts throughout the curriculum while meeting the needs of tactile and visual learners.
Incorporating arts education into the curriculum is also in line with Goals 2000, a national education initiative that provides grant money to states for local school improvements. More than 100 national organizations are participating in the Goals 2000 Arts Education Partnership to promote the arts as a pathway to improving education. For information and assistance, write: The Goals 2000 Arts Education Partnership, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Room 515, Washington, D.C., 20506.
Lesson Plans & Curriculum Ideas
Article by Colleen Newquist
Copyright © 1997 Education World


Many music educators (us included) use the Kodaly Method when teaching young children to sing. This teaching style, named after Hungarian composer and philosopher Zoltan Kodaly, directs us to introduce skills based on a child’s abilities and continue to build as the child masters each skill set.
Zoltan believed, “Singing is the instinctive language of the child.” And I couldn’t agree with him more! I would also add that when we guide children in exploring their voices, the journey can be a lot of fun.
As caregivers and teachers we have this amazing opportunity to enable exploration of singing while remaining wonderfully childlike, playful, imaginary and fun. It’s important for children to explore their voices, make different sounds and learn how our voices are musical instruments. Here are some of our favorite activities you can do with your child to unlock the world of vocal exploration.
- Children LOVE recording their voices and hearing themselves played back! Remember how surprised you were the first time you heard your recorded voice? How different your recorded voice sounds from what you hear in real time?A great and easy way to record your child’s voice is to use a mini-recorder or you can upload a program called Garage Band for FREE on your computer. Have your child sing any song or even just talk into the microphone and play it back for him to hear. Then sing a song together and play it back.
- Another great activity is “singing shapes.” On a dry-erase board or a big notepad, draw any shape you want and have your child sing it. When your shape is low, then you sing low, if it goes up higher, sing higher. This is an opportunity to explore the range of your voice and learn low and high while exploring different vocal sounds.
- Show your child how the vocal cords work, using a balloon to demonstrate it. Blow up a balloon and let the air out without pinching the balloon opening. The balloon makes no sound. Then, blow up the balloon again, and this time pinch the neck of the balloon so the balloon makes squealing noises as air is released. That’s how your vocal cords work! Cool, huh?
Teaching young children to sing is more than just singing. Using the Kodaly Method, we at Little Wing have many fun activities to introduce kids to the skills necessary to sing on pitch and in tune. And we have a lot of fun doing it.
If you’d like to explore an in-person young rocker program please call 952.934.7625 for more information on Little Wing, where your preschooler will learn the fundamentals of singing as part of an early music education curricula.
Leave a Comment July 29, 2012


Using computers in the music classroom
Brown, Andrew R. & Purcell, Kevin (1987) Using computers in the music classroom. In ACC '87, Schools' Congress Proceedings, Australian Computer Society, Melbourne, pp. 15-23.
Computers are now being widely used in the making of music and the extent of computer use in the music that we hear is farlarger than most people realise. This paper will discuss how computer technology is used in music, with particular reference to music education.
Impact and interest:
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These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
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|Item Type:||Conference Paper|
|Keywords:||music, computer, education|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > TECHNOLOGY (100000) > COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES (100500)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > EDUCATION SYSTEMS (130100) > Secondary Education (130106)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING (190000) > PERFORMING ARTS AND CREATIVE WRITING (190400)
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 1987 Australian Computer Society|
|Copyright Statement:||General permission to republish, but not for profit, all or any part of this matter is granted provided that the Australian Compter Society's copyright notice is given and that reference is made to the publication, to its date of issue, and to the fact that republishing priviliges were granted by permission of the Australian Computer Society.|
|Deposited On:||26 Jun 2011 23:21|
|Last Modified:||26 Jun 2011 23:36|
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CLIFTON, Debbie, editor. 1992. READ 27.2.
- A discourse-word-letter method for teaching reading, by LINDRUD, Eivor; LINDRUD, Stellan, authors.
- Literature based reading programmes for Papua New Guinea: Practical and enjoyable activities for village classes, by WATERS, Glenys, author.
- Primers: Can we do better?, by KREKEL, Cathy, author.
- Report on a literacy method used in Kol Prep schools, by LINDRUD, Eivor; LINDRUD, Stellan, authors.
- The five components of a literacy programme, by LAWRENCE, Marshall, author.
- The relationship of teachers’ reading habits and functiuonal literacy development in Nigeria, by OLAOFE, Isaac A., author (Nigeria).
- Towards an integrated strategy for translation and literacy work in SIL fieldwork and an analysis of Whole Language techniques, by JESUDASON, Daniel, author.
- Why the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea teaches oral language, by DOMMERHOLT, Annie, author.
- You mean to say that literacy workers need to know something about translation?, by SPEECE, Richard F., author.


Robot Alphabet Cruncher
Learn letters and letter sounds while you feed the robot to keep him happy.
How We Did It
Fold the ends of a toilet paper tube in and tape them closed.
Draw a robot face on the front of the tube. We even included an on and off button (red and green).
Cut letters from a magazine. The different fonts as well as exposure to capital letters and lowercase letters are great for your child's literacy development!
It's time to feed the robot! Pick a letter. Name the letter, say the letter sound, and feed it to the robot.
Feeding the robot is such a fun way to work with letters! Keep the letters in the toilet paper tube to store it. It is the perfect activity to throw in your bag for a road trip or a short wait in the waiting room.


Prenatal Exposure to Common Household Chemical Increases Risk for Childhood Eczema
Phthalate Commonly Used in Vinyl Flooring Is Found in Nearly 100% of Mothers Studied
Prenatal exposure to a ubiquitous household chemical called butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) can increase a child’s risk for developing eczema, according to research conducted at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health.
Widely used in vinyl flooring, artificial leather and other materials, BBzB can be slowly released into air in homes.
Details are published in the advance online edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Eczema, which is characterized by dry, itchy red skin on the face, scalp, or extremities, is common in early childhood. “While hereditary factors, allergens, and exposure to tobacco smoke are known to contribute to the condition, our study is the first to show that prenatal exposure to BBzB is a risk factor,” says Allan C. Just, PhD, first author on the Mailman School study and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The study looked at 407 nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women and their children in New York City. Exposure to BBzB was measured through a urine test during the third trimester of pregnancy. Following birth, the mothers were asked if their child had been diagnosed with eczema. The result: onset of eczema by age 2 was 52 percent more likely in children whose mothers had been exposed to higher concentrations of BBzP, compared with those whose mothers had been exposed to lower concentrations. All but one of the women in the study showed some level of exposure to the chemical.
How BBzP might induce eczema remains murky. To explore that question, the researchers looked at allergies as a possible mechanism. Children were tested for three common indoor allergens: cockroaches, dust mites, and mice, as well as for total IgE, a biomarker for an immune response to all allergens. But they found no evidence of a link between BBzP exposure and allergy.
“We know allergies are a factor with some childhood eczema, but our data suggest that is not the case when BBzP is involved,” says senior author Rachel Miller, MD, Director of the Allergy and Immunology fellowship program and Associate Professor of Medicine (in Pediatrics) and Environmental Health Sciences, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center; and a Co-Deputy Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health. “However, these are important findings, given that eczema is a common and uncomfortable disease of early childhood.”
The researchers also found that while African-American mothers in the study were twice as likely as their Dominican-American counterparts to report that their child had been diagnosed with eczema, both groups had a similar association between BBzP exposure and the disease.
Previous research by study co-author Robin M. Whyatt, DrPH, Professor of Clinical Environmental Health Sciences and Co-Deputy Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, found that exposure to BBzP and other phthalates was shown to delay motor skill development in young children and to increase risk for behavioral problems. Phthalates are also known to disrupt the body’s endocrine system.
The research was supported by funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grants R01 ES014393, R01 ES013163, P01 ES09600, R01 ES008977 and P30 ES009089), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (grants R827027, RD832141, RD834509 and EPA STAR graduate fellowship (FP-91712001 for ACJ), the John and Wendy Neu Family Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, New York Community Trust, Educational Foundation of America, and Millstream Fund.
The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest.
June 26, 2012


Elementary Education Course Description
EC 106. DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OF FAMILY.
The major focus of this course is to understand this unique world of the family as we examine a different set of concepts, such as generational alliances, differentiation of self, emotional triangles,developmental tasks analog messages, boundaries, emotional distance, family paradigms, and experiential aspects of mothering. (3)
EC 200. ORGANIZATION THEORY AND PRACTICES.
Theory and practices related to organizational structures will be the focus of this course.(3)
EC 205. NUTRITION FOR THE YOUNG CHILD.
Nutrition information related to both growth and development and also normal and abnormal conditions in infancy and childhood will be the focus of this course. Methods and criteria for recognizing nutrient needs of young children, food patterns, current issues related to the development of food patterns for young children and behavior modification will also be examined.(3)
EC 308. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.
Provides foundations and strategies for facilitating language development in infants, toddlers, and young children.(3)
EC 309. CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
Students consider the diverse cultural, developmental, and learning of young children as they investigate the philosophical and practical aspects of curriculum development, assessment, and social issues relating to young children, ages birth through eight. (3)
EC 310. PRINCIPLES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
Presents an overview of fundamental education principles, teaching techniques, learning theory, and curricular designs unique to the young child. This course requires 20 clock hours of field experience. (3)
EC 311. DYNAMICS OF PLAY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
Theoretical approaches to play,developmentally appropriate practices as related to play, and practical applications of play principles will be discussed in this course. (3)
EC 313. CHILD CARE ADMINISTRATION.
Policies and procedures for administering a child care program and other community agencies. (3)
EC 314. DAYCARE PROCEDURES.
Course directs student in actual designing and implementing a daycare setting. (3)
EC 316. GUIDANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
Principles of managing the learning environment, strategies for developing appropriate social skills, and procedures for developing appropriate behaviors will be included. (3)
EC320. PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE
Students are engaged to field experiences through several settings for children of age’s birth to eight.Candidates are required to complete 70 clock hours in a child care setting. (3)
EC 400. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:PRESCHOOL EDUCATION.
Study of appropriate methods for preschool programs. Design and application of creative experiences and activities for preschool children in early childhood settings are also studied.(3)
EC 402. SCIENCE AND NUMBERS.
This course is designed to provide an understanding of children’s development of math and science skills in Pre-K through third grade. It explores methods, trends, and materials for effective instruction in these areas, and emphasizes connections in learning processes,and utilizing an integrative approach to instruction. Milestones in the child’s development of mathematical concepts are linked with those in the developmen tof the science process skills.(3)
EC 404. CREATIVE ARTS FOR CHILDREN.
Course designed to acquaint prospective teachers with various art media that can be used in pragmatic teaching situations. Demonstrates how to utilize resources in the areas of fine arts, dance, theater, music, and art for classroom use. Creative dramatics, role play, song and dance for children will be discussed as it relates to the overall development of the child.(3)
EC 463. PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE.
Students are engaged in supervised observation and participation in a Child Development Center. Scheduled critiques and planned evaluations are done with students, supervisors, and teachers. Students must complete a minimum of 100 clock.(3)


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4-H Virtual Farm
[ Kids/Teens ] - Online tours of wheat, dairy, fish, beef, and poultry farms.
Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (AIPL)
[ Kids ] - Learn about the lab and find facts about cows and dairy products. Includes games.
[ Kids/Teens ] - Explores the prairie, pioneer farming, the story of corn, and the future of farming.
Death of a Dream
[ Kids/Teens/Mature Teens ] - Explores the rise and fall of Midwestern farmhouses, and the literature they inspired. Also examines the cost of advances in agriculture. From PBS.
[ Kids/Teens/Mature Teens ] - Learn about life on the farm by watching videos, taking a short trivia quiz, and a virtual tour of an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.
Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
[ Kids ] - Includes safety tips, coloring pages, print-and-color brochures, and interactive quiz.
Farm Service Agency for Kids
[ Kids ] - Coloring, games, puzzles, animal photos and agriculture trivia.
Farming in Alberta for Kids
[ Kids ] - Learn about different farm animals in Alberta, Canada. Some activities are provided.
Food and Agricultures of the World
[ Teens/Mature Teens ] - Covers topics such as the history of food, nutrition, and agriculture as well as current farming practices across the globe.
Friends of the National Zoo: Kids' Farm
[ Kids ] - Learn what farm animals are at the zoo, how to take care of them, and how to grow pizza.
The Great Corn Adventure
[ Kids/Teens ] - An animated history about corn, where it came from, how it is grown, what it is used for.
Harvest of Fear
[ Kids/Teens ] - Reports on the risks, benefits, hopes, and fears of genetically modified food crops. Includes interviews with scientists, food industry representatives, farmers, and critics. From PBS.
Harvest of History
[ Kids/Teens ] - Explore a virtual village and see videos about how food production has changed over the last hundred years.
Healthy Farm Practices
[ Kids/Teens ] - Presents facts about organic dairy, cows and milk, as well as instructions for homemade dairy projects.
Illinois Department of Agriculture Kid's Page
[ Kids ] - Explains what happens on the farm and how food gets from the farm to the table.
John Deere Kids' Corner
[ Kids ] - Interactive story and coloring books from equipment manufacturer.
[ Kids/Teens ] - Interactive guide to life on the farm. Includes pictures, animal sounds, and related links.
Kid's Field Day
[ Kids ] - Helps children understand the importance of agriculture in everyday life through information on soil, crops, weather, and equipment.
[ Kids ] - About animals, plants, activities and people who live and work on ranches on the western slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
[ Kids/Teens/Mature Teens ] - Learn about cows, milk, and the dairy industry through fun facts, games, recipes, and a virtual tour.
Pod to Plate
[ Kids/Teens ] - Learn about soybean production. Includes fact sheets, games and videos. From the Illinois Soybean Association.
Science For Kids
[ Kids/Teens/Mature Teens ] - Offers news about plants, animals, and other agricultural issues. Also includes pop quizzes, and pictures. Site is available in Spanish.
The Story of Florida Orange Juice
[ Kids/Teens/Mature Teens ] - Describes the process of quality testing, harvesting, storing, labeling, and juice extracting of this healthy beverage. Includes related photos of the process.
Tiki's Guide to Food
[ Kids ] - Explains what food is, where it comes from, and how it is made.
[ Teens ] - A day in the live of Kansas wheat farms with virtual tours and trivia.
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Math education in the United States remains resistant to systemic change, and our country pays the price. Stemhagen's article "Democracy and School Math" further confirms this trend. Despite repeated calls for reform, decades of research on how people learn, millions of dollars invested in teacher professional development, and years of politicized debate, the math wars rage on—between those who believe students have the capacity to construct their own mathematical ideas and others who insist mastery of the traditional canon must come first. Meanwhile, algebra failure among secondary students remains rampant and elementary education majors report the greatest rates of math anxiety of any college major. Adults and children alike joke about being terrible at math, seemingly unaware of the extent to which this innumeracy serves as a barrier to full participation in democracy as well as to the realization of their individual goals, hopes, and dreams. In the math education community itself, there is little discussion of the unique role mathematics can play in preparing students for democracy. In this short paper, I offer a more detailed conceptualization of democratic mathematics education and discuss the role of constructivism in bringing these ideas to fruition. I suggest that a shift in the power dynamic that characterizes most mathematics classrooms will be a key component in moving beyond the gridlock.
Response to Article
Allen, K. C.
Mathematics as Thinking. A Response to “Democracy and School Math”.
Democracy and Education,
(2), Article 10.
Available at: http://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol19/iss2/10


Homeschool & Science Projects - Environmental Education
Order Code: 3604-01
The LaMotte Acid Rain Study Outfit includes dependable tools necessary to make surveys of acid precipitation, and determine the pH levels of local ponds, lakes, and streams. This complete outfit includes a durable, tapered rain gauge; an easy-to-use pH test kit; study guide; and activity sheets.
Order Code: 3-5886
Students will have fun analyzing sample water for eight different test factors: pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, temperature, turbidity, nitrate, phosphate, and coliform bacteria. This complete kit includes a manual with step-by-step, diagrammed instructions; an easy-to-use laminated color chart, and all the necessary apparatus and non-hazardous TesTabs® to test ten water samples (three samples for coliform).
Order Code: 5911
A modification of the popular Low Cost Monitoring Kit, the Estuary Kit is specifically designed to provide simple, affordable and non-hazardous methods of testing saline and brackish waters for coliform bacteria, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, pH, phosphate, temperature, and turbidity.
Order Code: 5906
Elementary Education Watershed Field Trip helps to explain the Watershed and provides guidelines on taking a field trip, conducting water quality tests, and data sheets for collection and interpretation of data.
Order Code: 5418
The Tapwater Tour is an exciting investigation of water quality examining the chemical properties of water directly from the tap. Each student on the Tapwater Tour completes several units while conducting his/her own water quality tests using safe, simple TestTab® reagent tablets.
Order Code: 5872
Use the CD to plan and implement a special long-term service project, community outreach program, environmental course, and classroom and field trip pre-lab activity to test water quality in rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and other natural bodies of water.
Order Code: 5918
This kit provides a hands-on introduction to the basic concepts of water chemistry and environmental awareness in urban areas. All of the necessary equipment is included to test for the following test factors using our non-hazardous Testab methods - Chlorine, Copper, Iron, Hardness, Nitrate, pH, Phosphates, and Temperature.
Order Code: 5914
Explore what's coming out of your funky faucet! Test tap water for pH, chlorine, hardness, copper, and iron. Learn while you laugh with Just for Fun activities including Make Your Own Lava Lamp and edible experiments like the Pollution Parfait.
It's that time of year again! You have to do a project for the science fair... but don't panic.The Science Project Kits will guide you through the entire project from choosing a subject, doing the research, collecting the data, and finally displaying the results.TesTabs, test tubes, and project ideas are included!
Order Code: 5950
A creepy, crawly, wet investigation of the health of streams, ponds, and other freshwater environments. Following the easy-to-read BUGKIT manual, one to two students learn to collect, observe, sort, and identify aquatic insects as a tool for measuring water quality.
Order Code: 5882
Students will learn to design, implement, and analyze a scientific investigation while discovering the value of aquatic macroinvertebrates as living indicators of water quality. The kit is reusable and flexible, adaptable to varying time contraints, number of students and grade levels, and it is geographically friendly, and complete.
Order Code: 5425-01
The Topsoil Tour is an investigation into the physical and chemical properties of soil. Each student on the Topsoil Tour completes seven units while conducting his/her own soil tests for soil texture, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium using safe, simple TesTabs® reagent tablets.


Get Your Teaching Credential
Teaching CredentialGeneral requirements for teaching credentials include obtaining your Bachelor’s degree and completing a teacher education program. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require their teachers be licensed to teach in public schools. However, the specific requirements for teacher certification vary on a state-by-state basis. The rules for licensure are set by each states’ board of education, and while most states require the completion of a standardized test (such as the Praxis Exam) to demonstrate subject competency and mastery of basic skills, other requirements are highly individualized. Some states require their teachers to have a degree in the subject they wish to teach. Others require teachers to receive certification for each individual subject they teach or even certification for the specific grade they plan on teaching. Teachers can be licensed in early childhood education (preschool through third grade), elementary education (first grade through sixth or eighth), middle school (roughly grades five through eight), secondary education (usually a specific subject area from seventh through twelfth grade) or a specific field, such as reading, writing, English as a second language or special education. Many states also require teaching experience as a student teacher under the supervision of a licensed teacher, which is often incorporated into a teacher education program. Most states have reciprocity agreements that recognize portions of a teacher’s licensure from other states, allowing educators a greater degree of flexibility in moving from place to place for work.
National Board Teacher CertificationNational Board Certification is a way for teachers to demonstrate exemplary knowledge of their field beyond that required for a license. Teachers can become National Board Certified in many different subjects. Many schools even offer benefits to National Board Certified teachers, including higher salaries, compensation for continuing their education and greater opportunities for advancement. Board Certified teachers are more easily able to become administrators, counselors and specialists, and the certification is offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Alternative LicensureStates offer alternative licensure programs for teachers who do not have the experience required for a traditional license. Teachers in these programs typically have their Bachelor’s degree, but may have not taken the necessary education courses to pursue standard teacher certification. These programs are ideal for recent college graduates who didn’t decide to become teachers until after they graduated, as well as for people changing careers. Most alternative licensure programs consist of working immediately in a classroom under the supervision of a licensed teacher, while simultaneously taking the appropriate education classes. Teachers in these programs work for about one or two years before they receive their teaching license. Alternative licensure programs are in place to compensate for shortages of teachers in certain subjects or to qualify more people to teach in high needs areas that have difficulty attracting and retaining teachers.
This is a general overview of the most basic requirements for becoming a teacher in the United States. All U.S. public school teachers must be licensed, and many teachers can become licensed even if they did not initially plan to become teachers. However, each state has its own very specific guidelines, and if you want to become licensed as a teacher, it is important that you know the exact requirements of your state. For a complete breakdown of each state’s individual teaching requirements, visit our teaching credential state pages


Mask created by Helen (xothique.deviantart.com)
Level: Middle School
Grades: 6-8 | Age: 11-14yrs | Written by: Mark Scira
[Mark has a BA fine and applied arts-Geneseo and an MS art education - Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY. He taught at Hanby Middle School for eight years and is an art advocate.]
Learn how to make gargoyle masks using paper!
What You Need:
Go to the hardware store and pick up wallpaper paste, and/or ART glue. Next, go to the insulation department and find Greenstone brand insulation (there are no additives - it's just ground newspaper) You will also need sand, a container for mixing and a paper mache form (can even be a small cardboard box).
What You Do:
- In a large tub, add dry insulation and half a cup of sand for texture. Blend a little.
- Now add the wet wall paper paste (mix according to box instructions) to the dry ingredients.
- Begin blending until it is a clay-like consistency.
- Lay over a dry, pre-glue moistened paper mache form in layers.
- The thicker the layer, the longer it will take to dry so keep the "stone" layer to about 1/2".
- You can sculpt noses and eyes etc., but make sure to bond well to 1/2" layer (treat it just like real clay and score with glue to attach)
- Allow to dry in well ventilated place.
- It takes a mask about a week to two weeks to become hard as stone and fire resistant.
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Allies of World War II, Archibald MacLeish, art, Art Deco, Charlie Hebdo, Cubism, Ernest Hemingway, Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy: A Lost Generation Love Story, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fernand Léger, France, Frank Bestow Wiborg, French Riviera, Gerald and Sara Murphy, Islamic terrorism, left wing politics, Libération, New York, New York City, Painting, Paris, Saranac Lake, World War II
Today is the 134th birthday of the French artist Fernand Léger. His developed style of painting is distinctively his own. I see a combination of Picasso and Rivera cubism and the linear Art Deco formality. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.
NAME: Fernand Léger
BIRTH DATE: February 4, 1881
DEATH DATE: August 17, 1955
EDUCATION: Paris School of Decorative Arts
PLACE OF BIRTH: Argentan, France
PLACE OF DEATH: Gif-sur-Yvette, France
BEST KNOWN FOR: French painter Fernand Léger created the abstract painting series “Contrast of Forms.” His work blended elements of Cubism with his own unique style, “tubism.”
Fernand Léger was born to a peasant family in the rural town of Argentan, France, on February 4, 1881. Léger’s father was a cattle dealer who hoped his son would follow in his footsteps and choose what he deemed a practical trade. Although Léger was initially discouraged from becoming an artist, his father became supportive once he recognized Léger’s gift for drawing.
With his father’s approval, Léger enrolled in architecture school and accepted an apprenticeship under an architect in Caen. In 1901, upon completion of his two-year internship, Léger moved to Paris, France, where he worked as an architectural draftsman.
Wishing to further pursue his art education, Léger applied to the prestigious École des Beux-Arts and was unfortunately rejected.In 1903 he stated attending the Paris School of Decorative Arts instead, while also being unofficially mentored by two École des Beux-Arts professors who recognized his potential. Up until this point, Léger’s painting style blended Impressionism with Fauvism. In 1907 he attended a retrospective of Paul Cézanne’s work. From then on, Léger’s work took on more elements of Cubism, but with his own unique style of slicing forms into tubular cylinders, casually referred to as “tubism.”
In 1913, he started a series of abstract paintings called “Contrast of Forms.” A year later, he put his art career on hold to serve in the French army during World War I. In 1916, he was gassed at Verdun. Having incurred a head injury, he was sent home and hospitalized until 1917.
After the war, Léger continued to paint but also tried his hand at other mediums, including book illustrations and set and costume designs for the theater. In 1924, Léger ventured to make his first film, Ballet Mécanique. That same year, he opened his own school of modern art.
As Léger’s work matured in the 1920s and ’30s, he increasingly incorporated elements of modernism—particularly representations of machinery and human figures expressing speed and movement. His notable paintings from this period include “The Mechanic,” “Mona Lisa with Keys,” “Adam and Eve,” and “Composition with Two Parrots,” among others.
With the arrival of World War II, in 1940, Léger temporarily relocated to America. During this time, he produced a series of paintings called “Divers,” noted for its unique use of large patches of color that overlapped outlines to portrayed stylized figures of swimmers diving off docks in Marseille. This series was followed by two others also portraying human figures in motion: “Acrobats” and “Cyclists.” In 1946, Léger went back to France, where he revitalized his art school and became active in the Communist Party. In the 1950s, Léger’s work focused on the theme of the common man, and further expanded to include tapestry, pottery, stained glass and mosaics.
Léger died on August 17, 1955, in Gif-sur-Yvette, France.


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As a child in Spain, Picasso showed exceptional artistic gifts that were recognized by his father, a professor of drawing. After encountering contemporary art in Barcelona, Picasso moved to Paris and soon made his mark as a daring innovator. Compulsively creative, he developed the concept of Cubism, which challenged not only current styles but also notions of realism. Picasso surrounded himself with writers, admirers, lovers, and dealers, and by the 1920s had emerged as one of the most famous artists in the western world. His later work ranged from near-abstraction to returns to figuration and often involved pictorial “dialogues” with his great forebears.
Born in Paris, Degas had a conventional art education based on traditional techniques and subject matter. In his late twenties he began painting city life, and he soon become a leading figure in the Impressionist group. His work was innovative and experimental, and he was criticized at the time for his candid scenes of popular entertainment, such as ballets and nightclubs. Though Degas could be severe in his judgments, he was loyal to close friends and generous to younger artists. In his later years, when Picasso first visited Paris, Degas was becoming more reclusive while his drawing, painting, and sculpture achieved an expressive breadth that was dramatically revealed after his death.
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Pumpkin Fishing Activity
Looking for a fun activity for a crisp Autumn afternoon? Need a kid-friendly idea for a Halloween or Thanksgiving celebration? Try Fishing for Pumpkins! This simple idea uses the bounty of the harvest to entertain your Little Pnuts and can be adapted for various ages and developmental levels.
What You Will Need:
- A large plastic container
- A variety of small pumpkins & gourds
- Assorted kitchen tools for scooping pumpkins (we used small mesh strainers, liquid measuring cups and large spoons)
How to Play:
Place your container on a low table or on the ground where your Little Pnuts can access it easily. Place your pumpkins and gourds in the container and add enough water to make them float. Show your Little Pnuts how to use the kitchen tools to scoop out the pumpkins. Be sure to provide language modeling by describing the pumpkins/gourds as you go – talk about the different colors and textures that you encounter, compare the different sizes and shapes of the pumpkins, etc.
Younger Little Pnuts will enjoy simply scooping out the pumpkins and exploring their colors and textures. Make the activity more exciting for older children with one or more of these adaptations:
- Make it a listening comprehension game by describing physical attributes of specific pumpkins for them to scoop (i.e. “Scoop the small bumpy gourd” or “the green and white striped pumpkin”). Adjust the complexity of the directions based on your Little Pnuts developmental level.
- Blindfold your Little Pnuts and see how many pumpkins they can scoop without using their sense of sight
- Grab a timer and see how many pumpkins each child can scoop in 30 seconds. After everyone has had a turn, the child with the most pumpkins scooped within the allotted time is the winner.
This activities focuses on the following Developmental Milestones for your Little Pnuts:
Fine Motor Skill Development, Hand/Eye Coordination, Focus & Concentration, Vocabulary Development, Listening Comprehension—Stephanie Haass, Little Pnuts Early Childhood Activities Expert & Blogger, www.two-daloo.com


Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
Interpreting Sandy Skoglund's
Maybe Babies Through Beliefs About Religion
Department of Art Education, Ohio State University and
Visiting Scholar, Getty Center for Education in the Arts
Creation Stories and Maybe Babies
A creation story is a cosmogony narrative that describes the original
ordering of the universe. The word cosmogony derives form the Greek
words kosmos, meaning order, and genesis, meaning birth. Virtually all
cultures have creation stories.
(The following are excerpted from A Dictionary of Creation Myths ,
David Leeming with Margaret Leeming, 1994)
Osage Creation Story
The Osage are a Midwest native culture who were forced to migrate to
the Great Plains.
In the beginning the People lived in the sky. When their parents, the sun
and moon, said it was time for them to go down to the earth, they floated
down to the earth; but they couldn't land since there was only water.
Finally, an elk answered their cries for help. Elk let himself fall into the
water and called upon the winds to blow away the water and reveal the
land beneath. He rolled in the mud and all the plants and trees grew from
some of elk's loose hairs that remained. Some say that the first people
came from a union of two animals, Beaver Boy and Snail Boy. The
couple produced a son and daughter that were neither snail nor beaver,
but Osage. These first people naturally made their houses to look like
Bagobo Creation Story
The Bagobo people live on Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
In the beginning the creator, Melu, made the earth and two small people
from his dried skin shed through his constant polishing. However, the
two people lacked noses and Melu reluctantly allowed his not very smart
brother to make them. He made the noses upside-down and when it
rained the two people almost drowned. To save themselves, they stood
on their heads under a tree until Melu asked what they were doing. He
saw the upside-down noses, turned them around and everything has
been all right ever since--at least with noses.
Efik Creation Story
The Efik tribe lives in Nigeria on the African west coast.
Abassi, the creator, made two humans, but afraid of their ambitions, he
reluctantly gave into the intercession of his wife, Atai, and permitted the
humans to live on earth. To keep the humans under control, Abassi
required them to eat all their meals in heaven and each day he rang a bell
to call them for their meals.
Abassi forbid the humans to hunt, grow food or procreate. Soon,
however, the women began growing food and before long, there were
children. The earth people quit going to heaven for their meals.
Abassi blamed Atai who said, "Don't worry," and sent down death and
discord to keep the humans in their place.
Munduruc Creation Story
The Munduruc Indians live in the western hemisphere in Brazil.
The creator, Karusakaibo, was angry because he suspected that there
were humans living below the earth. He and his friend, Daiiru and
Armadillo, made a beautiful cotton rope; they tied Daiiru to the end and
dropped it into a hole in the earth. Daiiru showed the people under the
earth how to climb out, but so many hung on that the rope broke and half
the people had to stay in the underworld where they are today.
Everything in the underworld is the opposite from the world we know.
The sun goes in the opposite direction and it is day there when it is night
Can you imagine and write a creation story based upon Maybe
Babies? If you do, please send it forward to the discussion group:


Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Journal > The Reading Teacher
Singing Across the Curriculum
by William Bintz
|Grades||K – 5|
This article describes one attempt to use singing as an instructional strategy to help all students learn across the curriculum. It begins with background on the author's early experiences with singing. Then, it shares professional literature on the relationship between singing, song, and literacy development. Next, it describes singing as an instructional strategy and share samples of students' work that resulted from this engagement. It ends with lessons learned from the whole experience. The aim of the article is to describe an instructional strategy that can help students use reading and writing as tools to learn across the content areas. Teachers can use this strategy in their classrooms to help their students, like the author helped his, engage in meaningful learning experiences across the curriculum.
Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
"Bessie bird lives in a barn" in this lesson in which students create alliterative animal songs to help them learn letter names and consonant sounds and build phonemic awareness.


South Sudan: An education system in crisis
More than half a million children have fled their homes in South Sudan since conflict first broke out in December 2013. Most have stopped going to school and aid groups have warned of the long-term consequences of a continued disruption to education.
In Mingkaman, Awerial County, in Lakes State for example, many displaced children are out of school. They are among about 92,000 people who have settled in Mingkaman – the largest concentration of internally displaced people in South Sudan. Most fled here following fighting in neighbouring Jonglei State.
Humanitarian organizations are running emergency education programmes comprising life, psychosocial, literacy and numeracy skills.
Crowded classrooms, few teachers
In Awerial County, the international NGO Plan International has set up seven temporary learning spaces in four primary schools.
“While each [learning] space is designed to support 50 children in each session, they are crowded with over 200 children per session,” said Gyan Adhikari, Plan International’s South Sudan Country Director.
“Overcrowding and a lack of learning materials and teachers are big challenges in Awerial and in most parts of the country.”
Volunteer teachers are playing a key role in these emergency education centres.
Parach Mach is a volunteer who teaches English at the Mingkaman 1 Primary School. “The classes are congested. Even writing on the blackboard is a problem,” he said. “Some of the children are traumatised and they do not concentrate in class. Some are aggressive too.”
This is an increasingly common observation. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), many children have been separated from their parents and families. Many more have witnessed atrocities. An estimated 9,000 children have been recruited into armed groups.
Asked why he volunteers his teaching services Parach speaks of his hope for his country. “I do it to help the people. I may one day teach someone who will become important in South Sudan,” he said.
So far, about 110,000 children have been reached with emergency education. Aid groups are looking to tackle the teacher shortage, including by providing incentives to volunteer teachers. But these efforts are hampered by a lack of funding.
Education is the second poorest funded cluster in South Sudan’s 2014 Crisis Response Plan. As of 31 May, the cluster was 33 per cent funded.
“If education is not reprioritized immediately there is an ample chance of a generation of children missing out on education,” warned Plan’s Adhikari. “This will be a loss for the new country’s plans for development and peace.”


In discussing life benefits of music study, the authors report, “The most heavily reported life preparation skill was self-discipline, with respondents acknowledging that the hard work and dedication that are integral to participation in school music groups teach the valuable lesson that if ‘you stick with something and practice,’ the rewards will be bountiful. Other students conceded that the concentration required for learning music and the process of memorizing music pieces had honed those skills in other areas of their schoolwork.
“Music was frequently described as a force for building one’s character, and many students expressed their belief that music was capable of directing them in shaping their broader sense of self, who they were becoming, and how they might succeed in the world. The respondents highlighted confidence, responsibility, compassion, pride, patience, and respect as aspects of their character they feel they owe, at least in part, to music.”
Patricial Shehan Campbell, Claire Connell, and Amy Beegle (2007), “Adolescents’ Expressed Meanings of Music in and out of School,” Journal of Research in Music Education, 55(3), p. 229.


English as a Second Language/English Literacy Development
What is English as a second language/ English literacy development?
The Peel District School Board offers classes to help people learn English and upgrade their academic and English language skills.
Who can take English as a second language/ English literacy development
The Peel board provides ESL/ELD support for:
- students born outside Canada from a non-English speaking country
- students born in Canada who speak a second language or dialect
- recently arrived students who need to upgrade or develop their academic and language skills
How is English as a second language taught?
- In elementary schools, ESL/ELD teachers work with students either in a specific ESL/ELD class or a regular classroom. Programs are developed with the regular classroom teacher based on each student's needs.
- In designated secondary schools, students can take up to five ESL or ELD courses towards their diploma. Beginning students can take ESL classes in different subject areas.
How to register students for programs
You can get information about elementary ESL or ELD programs at your local elementary school. After talking with you, the school staff will discuss your child's needs and suggest an appropriate program.
Information on elementary and secondary school ESL or ELD programs is available at the We Welcome the World Centres.
If needed, the school can arrange for an interpreter to assist you in parent-teacher interviews or to discuss your child's progress.
For further information
If you need more information, you can talk to the ESL/ELD coordinator at the HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario Street, Mississauga or call 905-890-1099, ext. 2531.
English as a second language for adults
Through our Community Education area, we provide ESL classes for adults in Peel. These classes are offered during the day, nighttime and weekend and cover the following topics:
- adult basic literacy
- adult ESL
- citizenship preparation
- English for work with computer training
- improving classroom communication for foreign trained teachers
- language development at the computer
- secondary student language support
Child care is provided at some locations.
For more information on adult ESL classes:
Mississauga - call 905-270-6000 and press #3
Brampton - call 905-791-6700


The Kauffman School is committed to transparency in reporting on the academic progress of its students – we will "show that we know." The results reported here reflect scores from students enrolled at the school when end-of-year testing was administered.
The school's testing results in 2012 and 2013 indicate significant academic growth in Reading, Math, and Science. The overall results in our school’s first two years indicate students should be on pace to meet the three-year goals we've established for academic advancement.
Please click the “Academic Results” tab to view our most recent data.
How the Kauffman School Measures Student Performance
The Kauffman School measures academic performance using three key assessments:
• The Missouri Assessment Program (MO-MAP)
Required state assessment administered by all district and charter public schools in the state.
• The Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA-MAP)
Nationally norm-referenced, growth-measured exams administered at the beginning and end of each school year – used to assess student academic growth over the course of a single school year.
• Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress (STEP) Literacy Program
Literacy development program and assessment tool designed to target individual student literacy needs, develop skills, and track literacy growth over time.


Early Childhood Music Initiative
About the Early Childhood Music Initiative (ECMI)
The Early Childhood Music Initiative (ECMI) at Duquesne University strives to provide meaningful musical experiences for young children in underserved preschools throughout Pittsburgh. ECMI was designed in 2010 to inform and educate preschool directors, teachers, and early childhood caregivers about ways to incorporate music into the daily lives of children while also allowing future music teachers (undergraduate music education majors) to gain experience teaching music to children in real-world settings.
Under the direction of Dr. Rachel Whitcomb, Assistant Professor of Music Education, ECMI is underway for the 2012-2013 academic year through generous funding from The Pittsburgh Foundation.
During the first year of the project, ECMI served the early childhood education community in the Pittsburgh region by placing undergraduates in seven preschools to teach weekly music classes. More than 240 preschool children actively engaged in these activities, and 40 preschool teachers became familiar with developmentally appropriate musical activities each week. A Lesson Collection was written by experts in early childhood music and shared with over 125 preschool teachers, directors, and caregivers at the first ECMI Professional Development Conference in June 2011. Conference attendees were invited, free of charge, to attend educational sessions focusing on teaching techniques for incorporating music into preschool instruction.
Currently, ECMI is serving the following five preschools in the Pittsburgh region by providing weekly musical instruction:
• Angels' Place
• Beulah Christian Preschool and Child Care
• Hilltop Community Children's Center
• JLC Daycare
• Righteous Beginnings Learning Center
ECMI also offers a lending library of musical instruments and lesson materials for preschools interested in including music during daily instruction.


WASHINGTON - Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should eat at least 12 ounces of fish and other seafood a week because the benefits for infant brain development outweigh any worries about mercury contamination, a group of US specialists said yesterday.
The recommendations contradict US government warnings that these women should consume no more than 12 ounces of fish and other seafood weekly due to concerns that mercury, which can harm the nervous system of fetuses, might exist in trace amounts in this food.
But the group of 14 obstetricians and nutritionists said the threat of mercury poisoning remains only theoretical, while the warnings have scared many pregnant women into not eating fish at all, robbing them and their babies of vital nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, known to help brain development.
The recommendations were issued in partnership with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, whose members include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agriculture Department, the March of Dimes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and others.
The nutrients in fish and seafood are important for brain and motor skill development in children and can help prevent postpartum depression in mothers, the specialists said.
The coalition said it received $60,000 from a seafood industry trade group, but the specialists defended the independence of their work.
"There has been no case of fetal mercury toxicity due to fish consumption reported in the United States," said Dr. Ashley Roman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University Medical Center, who is involved in the research.