Curriculum Tools | News
K-5 Readers Get New Common Core-Compliant National Geographic Program
- By Dian Schaffhauser
A division of Cengage Learning has released new K-5 reading curriculum that uses material from National Geographic and aligns with the Common Core. National Geographic Learning has put together a reading program titled, "Reach for Reading," which uses multiple types of content and technology to get students to read. The new program includes the pairing of content, such as fiction with articles developed by National Geographic, along with access to other content, such as videos.
The programwas built around Common Core State Standards, which were implemented as a way to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students nationwide are expected to learn. The standards call on students in these grade levels to be able to interpret informational text, such as that found in articles, as well as other kinds of reading, such as fiction, poems, blogs, and fantasy.
Schools that use Reach for Reading will have access to National Geographic texts as well as videos and a digital library with images from the organization through a myNGconnect portal. The feature also provides students with digital editions of the texts, vocabulary games, a word builder app, and a vocabulary notebook.
Instructors gain access to a teacher site with a digital library, lesson planner, and interactive whiteboard activities. A teacher's edition at each grade level allows the instructor to automate the weekly planning process by clicking on a lesson, choosing a unit, and specifying a timeframe for the lesson. The teacher can print out the lesson, share it, or make it accessible to others, such as a substitute.
"The adoption of the Common Core State Standards raises the bar for reading instruction in elementary schools," said Nancy Frey, one of the authors of the new program and a professor of literacy in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. "The standards have resonated with educators and curriculum developers nationwide and presented a challenge: How best to staircase literacy learning in order to meet the college- and career-ready goals articulated throughout? Elementary education is the first step on that staircase, and educators need comprehensive curriculum that addresses the shifts in practice that Common Core requires. The Reach for Reading program was explicitly designed with these shifts in mind."
According to Vincent Grosso, vice president of National Geographic Learning, the Common Core Standards require that reading instruction contain a balance of literary and informational texts. "But recent studies have shown that over 75 percent of titles used for reading were narrative. With Reach for Reading, we are incorporating content and imagery from National Geographic to help prepare children for the world of informational texts. Students will be reading about animals, places, and other topics, while seeing vivid photos and labeled diagrams that correspond with the text, which results in a much more engaging experience."
Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at email@example.com.


Language Development: Foundations, Processes, and Clinical Applications, Second Edition provides an accessible overview of language development covering the typical course of language development within the clinical context of language assessment and intervention. The Second Edition examines the biological, developmental, and environmental systems of neurotypical children, and the role of these systems as linguistic input in the child’s environment contributing to language development. This comprehensive resource, written and contributed by over 20 experts in the field, provides students with an understanding of the foundations of language development in terms of each individual child’s communication needs. With case studies woven throughout the text, students are able to follow the progress of children with normal language development as well as those showing signs of problems. These cases and clinical practice applications will help students prepare for the clinical challenges they will face in their professional careers.
Every year, new information, new theories, and new evidence are published about development to explain the complexities that create and facilitate the language acquisition process. The authors who have contributed to this text provide the latest research and perspectives on language development among neurotypical children. This valuable text bridges biological, environmental, technological, and professional venues to advance the development of professionals and children alike.
What’s new in the Second Edition?
• New chapter on syntactic development including morphology
• New chapter covering school-age language
• New case study highlighting school-age language
• Expanded content on morphology including morphological analysis
Instructor Resources: PowerPoint Presentations, Test Bank
Student Resources: Companion Website
Companion Website*, includes:
Over 300 flashcard terms
*Each new text includes an access code to the companion website. Electronic formats and eBooks do not inlcude access to the companion website. Access may be purchased separately. See Student Resources tab above.
Chapter 1 Language Assessment and Intervention: A Developmental Approach
Chapter 2 Historical and Contemporary Views of the Nature–Nurture Debate: A Continuum of Perspectives for the Speech-Language Pathologist
Chapter 3 Child Development
Chapter 4 Gesture Development
Chapter 5 Hearing and Language Development
Chapter 6 Comprehension of Language
Chapter 7 Social–Emotional Bases of Pragmatic and Communication Development
Chapter 8 Early Semantic Development: The Developing Lexicon
Chapter 9 The Development of Grammar: Morphology and Syntax
Chapter 10 Speech Sound Disorders: An Overview of Acquisition, Assessment, and Treatment
Chapter 11 The Transition to the School-Age Years: Literacy Development
Chapter 12 School-Age Language Development: Application of the Five Domains of Language across Four Modalities
Chapter 13 Multicultural Perspectives: The Road to Cultural Competence
Chapter 14 Children with Language Impairment
Chapter 15 Communication Development in Children with Multiple Disabilities: The Role of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Nina Capone Singleton, PhD, CCC-SLP-Associate Professor Department of Speech-Language Pathology School of Health and Medical Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, Associate Editor, Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research
Brian B. Shulman, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, BRS-CL, FASAHP-Dean, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Seton Hall University
Dr. Brian B. Shulman is Dean of the School of Health and Medical Sciences at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. Dr. Shulman received his Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts degrees, both in Speech-Language Pathology, from Bowling Green State University (OH). His Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology is from the State University of New York College at Cortland. Dr. Shulman holds the rank of Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology. He is a Board Recognized Specialist in Child Language (BRS-CL) as conferred by ASHA’s Specialty Board on Child Language. A Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Dr. Shulman has made numerous invited presentations to professional groups at international, national, state, and local levels. Dr. Shulman has served in a number of leadership positions within ASHA as Chair of ASHA’s Board of Division Coordinators (BDC). He also served as a member of ASHA’s Council for Clinical Specialty Recognition and served as co-chair of two ASHA annual conventions. Dr. Shulman recently completed a three-year term as ASHA’s nationally elected Vice President for Speech-Language Pathology Practice. In that role, he identified national issues, monitored the emergence of new areas of practice, addressed concerns of the work setting, and monitored and facilitated Association activities designed to promote all practice settings. Dr. Shulman has also been named a Fellow in the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP.)


The Music Education program integrates courses and field experiences that will prepare you to teach music in kindergarten through 12th grade in a variety of urban and suburban education settings, including public and private schools.
You will learn educational theories and effective teaching techniques, observe professional music educators at DePaul and in the Chicago community, and student teach.
As a Music Education major, you will acquire:
- An understanding of educational theories
- The ability to use rehearsal techniques, principles and strategies for teaching voice, instruments and ensembles
- A familiarity with appropriate literature for various levels of orchestra, band, chorus and music classes
- The ability to create effective lesson plans
The Music Education program curriculum includes courses in:
Clinical experiences with children and youth
Human growth and development
Instrumental methods and lab
Music methods and lab
Vocal methods and lab
Prior to graduation, the School of Music's Office of Career Planning and Placement will work closely with you to prepare a file that will be used in your job application process. Upon graduation, you will receive the Illinois K-12 Music Teacher Certification.


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When it comes to making decisions that benefit the environment, too many college-age people believe that. So a group of West Chester Honors College students set out to change their minds.Stephanie Eckman, a junior majoring in Spanish and international relations, took the green initiative to heart. She and her colleagues created a way for students to learn quick and easy lifestyle changes based on sustainability.
"A lot of students find it hard to make eco-friendly decisions," Eckman explains. "Many think they can't tackle such a large topic as global warming and think their efforts doesn't matter. We wanted to show students that they can make small changes and have a big impact. It's bare bones, the small things. If enough people are doing that, we can change the world."
By taking a look at everyday tasks through a green filter and using WCU mascot Rammy, the students hope the suggestions are memorable enough to incorporate into daily routines.
The initiative debuted as a three-minute video shown at summer orientation for honors students. Plans call for a longer version (8:36 minutes) to be available on the University's sustainability website this fall. Right now, it's on YouTube: WCU Project Green Promotional Video
"We wanted it to be memorable," says Eckman. "The only part of my freshman orientation I remember is a video about the proper way to sneeze so you don't spread infections. That's the type of video we tried to do, and having Rammy in it really made it special."
The video takes Rammy through a day with one of the other students in Eckman's group – Andres Wewer – making suggestions about things Rammy could do differently. For example, Rammy could choose free-range eggs at breakfast, take less food at the cafeteria and create less waste, carry a refillable metal water bottle, take shorter showers, and so on.
“It’s changed me to know these things,” Eckman says. “I was one of the ‘global warming is a hoax’ people and this project made me think. Like the processes behind producing a plastic water bottle: how much energy is used, how much water – a non-renewable resource – is needed to produce the bottle itself. It’s enlightening.”
This summer, as a children’s activities director for a hotel in Wildwood, N.J., she’s more aware of sustainability, such as noticing cardboard that can be recycled. And she knows she has a golden opportunity to influence those young people with her actions.
“Being green seems elementary to me since I was raised to be green. But I was shocked to see how many people don’t practice it, like recycling.”
The assignment was part of the honors course called Technology and Environment taught by Joan Welch and Joy Fritschle. Although the students did not choose their topics, “We wanted to make this a useful project for the campus community. We all bring our strengths to the group,” says Eckman, who took on the role of cheerleader. The other students contributing to the project included Wewer, a junior majoring in anthropology and sociology; Annie Koempel, a junior majoring in history and anthropology; Rebecca Young and Elizabeth Mallozzi, sophomores majoring in music education; and Andrew Szypula, a sophomore music education and percussion performance major.
The project itself is sustainable since Wewer and Koempel are carrying it forward as their capstone project, with plans to expand upon Project Green next year. The expansion may include a training and informational program for students to attend to become “allies” of the environment. But it won’t include a printed guide, Eckman notes: “That would be environmentally unfriendly.”


Maths skills add up to higher earnings, study finds
- 8 March 2013
- From the section Education & Family
People who were good at maths as young children go on to earn more than other similar children by the time they are 30, a study has found.
How well children do at school and early reading skills are already widely known to be linked to higher earnings.
But researchers claim there is an especially strong link between early maths skills and future pay.
They found children who were good at maths at 10 went on to earn 7% more at 30 than an "otherwise identical" child.
The government-funded study was carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
One of the authors, Claire Crawford, said: "Our research shows that maths skills developed during primary school continue to matter for earnings 20-30 years down the line.
"Moreover, they seem to matter more than reading skills, and over and above the qualifications that young people go on to obtain. This highlights the importance of investing in skills, particularly maths skills, early."
The researchers looked at data on children featured in the British Cohort Study - a large group of people born in April 1970 - to look at the link between reading and maths scores at age 10, and earnings at ages 30, 34 and 38.
The children had all taken particular tests at 10.
Maths lessons overhauled
The researchers say that once they had taken in to account other factors which can affect educational achievement and earnings and the individuals' highest qualifications, there was a link between maths and pay.
They confirmed reading skills at 10 were also important, but said this was less so than maths. Children who had the highest scores in reading at 10 went on to earn about 2% more per year than a similar child who had a middle-ranking score.
The study's authors said they did not know why this was the case, but suggested employers seemed to value maths skills and were willing to reward them with higher wages.
The government in England is overhauling the maths curriculum for primary schools. And it has said from September, teenagers will keep studying maths until they are 18 if they have not passed a GCSE in the subject at grade C or above.
At primary school, it says there should be more emphasis on arithmetic and that some topics, such as the calculation of fractions, volume and area should be covered earlier. It is also banning calculators from national maths tests (known as Sats) taken by 11-year-olds.
Schools Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "This research clearly shows why mastering the basics in maths at primary school is so important.
"That's why our draft maths primary school curriculum focuses on raising standards in arithmetic, including efficient calculation methods such as long and short multiplication and division, and fractions."


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.
Henry Moore was once asked by a puzzled neighbor, "Mr. Moore, what use
is what you're doing?" Moore replied, " Art hasn't any practical
value. All it does is to help us to live a full human life."
Question: When did you first realize you wanted to be a sculptor?
Moore: I knew I wanted to be a sculptor when I was seven or eight. At
the elementary school, the lesson I looked forward to most wasn't
arithmetic, it wasn't algebra. It was a drawing lesson in the last
half hour on a Friday afternoon, when the teacher was tired and
everybody was looking forward to the weekend. For me it was the one
lesson of the week that I enjoyed most. And it was the same when I got
to grammar school.
Question: What [other] works of art move you deeply?
Moore: . . . For me, really great art enlarges existence into something
more significant than everyday life, giving some kind of importance to
it, a monumentality and grandeur. Cezanne has done it in painting a
basket of apples. He gave monumentality to it.
Question: What advice would you give to people who want to experience
art more deeply?
Moore: You just can't give them specific advise. You must influence
people gradually by being sympathetic. If a young person came to me
and asked what advice I'd give him, I'd tell him to see as much of past
sculpture as he could, from primitive times to the present day.
Perhaps more important, I would tell him to spend years and years
learning to draw. You learn to draw because drawing makes you look.
You may do a very bad drawing, but if you try to draw something, you
look much more intensely than if you just look. And this is its value.
I would make drawing a part of general education for everybody. . .I
mean we teach music in school. And yet using your eyes is just as
important as using your ears and using your brain for words and using
your body for playing games. Trying to live a full human life means
using all one's senses, and that's what the arts are for. To make life
richer than it would be without art.
Question: Why does the artist do it [make art]?
Moore: To express himself. To learn. I do it to learn more about
nature and life though my eyes and hands. To learn more about the
world, more about form, more about anything, whatever it is.
Other significant quotes from Moore:
Understanding the human body should be the basis of understanding all
other form. I can find in a tree trunk very human qualities.
The purpose of art is not to make money. It's not for anything
practical. It's to make us as human beings understand. particularly
through our senses, what a wonderful world we live in.
Art is to help people get a wonderment--it isn't just pleasure. It's
more than pleasure when you really see a great work of art. When one
first sees Chartres Cathedral, it's something much, much more than
pleasure. It's a wonderment, it's an uplift in life. And people ask
what use is it. Art isn't any use in the sense that we can eat it.
CRAIG ROLAND. Associate Professor-Art Education.
School of Art and Art History, FAC 302,
University of Florida, Gainesville Florida.
32611-5801. (352) 392-9165 - Art Ed Office (352) 392-8453 - Fax
new email address: rolandc


I have been invited to write a chapter for an upcoming textbook on art education. One of the topics my publisher wants me to cover is "Gender Diversity" as it relates to boys and girls in K-6 grades.
Is there really a difference in how boys and girls develop in art? I see more differences in my students by their own particular ability and experience with media, not in typical gender differences. I know my son didn't gain fine motor skills until later, and girls in his Kindergarten and first grade class seemed to be able to do this earlier than the boys...but that was 20 years ago and maybe he is not "typical" of the stereotype my publisher is suggesting. I couldn't find any references to gender diversity in young children's art development on the Internet.
Could someone please address this? (Am I opening a 'can of worms'??)


“I have worked hard and applied myself wholeheartedly as a painter can when he loves his art, is totally absorbed by it and makes it the purpose of his life.” (1901)
Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté was a painter, sculptor, and church decorator. He is regarded by many as French Canada’s most versatile artist. Known for his landscapes of the thawing winter rivers of Arthabaska, his topics also include genre, history, portraits, and the female nude.
Suzor-Coté showed a talent for drawing from an early age. As a young man, he apprenticed with painter-decorator Joseph-Thomas Rousseau. Together, they created intricate decorations in several churches in and around Arthabaska. Looking to further his art education, Suzor-Coté made his first of many trips to France in 1891. He took lessons in rendering the human form at the École des Beaux-Arts and began to sketch the countryside en plein air.
Inspired by French painters like Jean-François Millet, Suzor-Coté began to focus on local farmers in paintings such as Return from the Harvest Field
, 1903. He began his sculptural work in 1907, where he continued the theme of daily life, as in Caughnawaga Women
, 1924. In 1909, he received a commission to paint the portrait of Sir Wilfred Laurier. Suzor-Coté received many awards and distinctions, including the bronze medal at the 1900 Paris World Fair. He was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Photography: M.O. Hammond Collection, National Gallery of Canada Archives
Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté
Born in Arthabaska, Quebec, 06 April 1869
Died in Daytona Beach, Florida, 29 January 1937
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- Literacies and Three Women's On-Going Stories to Shift Identities: A Narrative Inquiry
- Jack-Malik, Sandra
- Literacies, Identities, Women, narrative inquiry
- Jan 25, 2012 3:56 PM
- Adobe PDF
- 12072888 bytes
- This study is a narrative inquiry. The study follows a recursive, reflexive process which allowed me to move between telling, retelling and reliving of stories while engaging alongside relationships. The participants and I created a variety of field texts and then moved to interim and finally research texts. I used the commonplaces of temporality, sociality and place which afforded me a conceptual framework to inquire into, and write about, our stories of experience. Having inquired into my narrative beginnings I came to understood I wanted to deepen understandings of how literacies less than a woman desires shapes, her identities and to understand how and if shifts in literacies would influence identities. Therefore, this study involved an intervention carried out over 6 months. The participants and I met 3 times per week for 90 minute. During this time I tutored the women in English Language Arts. There were two participants; two women for whom English was the language of instruction at school and who knew and named themselves as wanting to improve their literacies. Before beginning the tutoring we engaged in research conversations. We did this in efforts to know and name identity threads. Throughout the tutoring we met once a month for research conversations where I asked the women to share stories of how the tutoring was influencing their lives. I have written narrative accounts for each of us. These accounts tell remembered stories and they tell stories of our shared experiences. In laying our stories side by each, I pulled forward narrative threads which reverberated across the accounts. The first thread was the importance of living alongside relationships as we struggled to shift our identities while maintaining narrative coherence. Next, was the importance of inquiring into stories from our early, pre-reflective landscapes. A third thread was the importance of place in our efforts to shift our identities and the final thread was the ongoing efforts to live, retell and relive our stories to live by. In the final chapter I noted the significance of this work and I also outlined wonders which continue to linger with me.
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Department of Elementary Education
- Spring 2012
- Clandinin, D. J. (elementary education)
Foster, R.(Educational Policy Studies )
McGarvery, L, (Elementary Education)
Johnston, I.(Seconday Education)
Butler-Kisber, L (Education, McGill University)
Theses and Dissertations Spring 2009 to present
Department of Elementary Education
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From the dress-up corner to the senior prom : navigating gender and sexuality diversity in preK-12 schools
- Bryan, Jennifer, 1961-
- Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield Education, c2012.
- Physical description
- xxvi, 354 p. : ill ; 27 cm.
LC212.9 .B79 2012
- Unknown LC212.9 .B79 2012
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-354).
- Foreword Introduction Chapter One: Gender and Sexuality Diversity at School: What Educators Need to Know and Then Some Section I: GSD: Developmentally Appropriate Practice Section II: (Biological) Sex: Defining the Terms-- Learning the Language-- Grasping the Concepts Section III: Gender: Defining the Terms-- Learning the Language-- Grasping the Concepts Section IV: Sexuality: Defining the Terms-- Learning the Language-- Grasping the Concepts Chapter Two: Heteronormativity at School: Questioning the "Natural Order" of Things Chapter Three: A Framework for Engaging GSD at School: Educational Mission-- Best Pedagogical Practices Section I: Educational Mission Section II: Standards of Good Practice Chapter Four: GSD at School: Understanding What You See-- Thinking Critically About What You See Section I: What We See-- How We See Section II: GSD at School Chapter Five: GSD Professional Development: "Learnings" that Lead to Best Practices Section I: Critical Approaches to GSD Professional Development Section II: Creating the Context for Learning Section III: Program Evaluation: What Did I Learn? What Should We Do Next? Chapter Six: GSD in Early Childhood and Elementary Education: Strategies, Application and Curriculum Section I: Communication Strategies Section II: Developmental Tasks, Units of Study, GSD Lessons Chapter Seven: GSD in Middle and High School Education: Development, Safety, and Curriculum Section I: Developmental Considerations Section II: "Safety" for GLBTQI Students at School Section III: Curriculum Integration Chapter Eight: Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Providing Foundations for GSD Literacy Chapter Nine: Leadership, Policies and Programs: Supporting GSD Education at Schools (Not for Administrators Only!) Section I: The Challenge of Effective Leadership Section II: Policies and Philosophies Section III: Creating and Implementing Policies Section IV: Programs that Support Gender and Sexuality Diversity Education Chapter Ten: Personal and Professional Identity in GSD Education: Teaching as a "Whole Person" Section I: Teacher Identity Development: Where Professional and Personal Meet Section II: The Visibility Dilemma Section III: GLBTQI Educators and Simple Visibility Section IV: The Role of Not-GLBTQI Educators References.
- (source: Nielsen Book Data)
- Publisher's Summary
- Very few PreK-12 teachers are adequately trained to address the gender identity and sexual identity of their students in a developmentally-appropriate and pedagogically-sound manner. Yet responsible adults-parents, educators, pre-service teachers, coaches, religious instructors, camp administrators and school counselors- must help children navigate the inherently diverse, increasingly complex world of gender and sexuality in the twenty-first century. From the Dress-Up Corner to the Senior Prom is a practical, forward thinking resource for anyone involved in educating children and adolescents. Jennifer Bryan takes readers into classrooms, administrative meetings, recess, parent conferences, and the annual pep rally to witness the daily manifestations of Gender and Sexuality Diversity at school. She provides a coherent framework for understanding what readers "see, " and invites them to use a contemporary, heart/mind perspective as they consider the true developmental needs of all elementary, middle, and high school students. The book features thoughtful questions, models of dialogue, accessible lesson plans, and many pedagogical strategies. At the heart of this book, though, are the evocative stories from teachers, students, and parents that Bryan has listened to over the span of her career. These personal anecdotes bring the comprehensive explorations of this seminal work to life.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
- Publication date
- Jennifer Bryan.


Inclusive Early Childhood Education
The Inclusive Early Childhood Education Program (IEC) at Bowling Green State University is a revolutionary program in the state of Ohio that will prepare undergraduate teacher education candidates for employment in inclusive early childhood learning environments.
The Inclusive Early Childhood Education program leads to a Bachelors of Science in Education degree. This is the first program in Ohio where undergraduates earn multiple credentials:
- Early Childhood Education license for pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade.
- Early Childhood Intervention Specialist license for pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade.
- Birth to Age 3 Early Intervention Specialist certificate through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to work with infants and toddlers who have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.
BGSU graduates of the program will be able to teach young children
with and without disabilities in inclusive settings.
The IEC program blends the best practices from early childhood education with early childhood special education. It addresses the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to meet the needs of each child. Graduates are prepared to provide differentiated, evidence-based instruction to young children from birth through grade 3. The program is committed to the development of partnerships and scholarly endeavors that reflect the University’s professional values of justice, fairness, and equity.
National education associations support inclusionary practices, and young children across the county are reaping the benefits by experiencing success in inclusive settings. BGSU’s Inclusive Early Childhood Education program involves professionals from diverse disciplines working together to address the complex learning needs found in all classrooms. We support parents, community members, teachers, and paraprofessionals as partners in the educational process, and each child is a respected member of the learning community.
Faculty from both early childhood education and special education bring knowledge and strong backgrounds to help students gain a diverse and well-rounded foundation for inclusive early education. This professional collaboration includes co-planning and co-teaching courses, modeling recommended practices in early childhood and early childhood special education classrooms today.
BGSU Resources to Support IEC Students
Candidates in BGSU’s teacher education programs enjoy a variety of useful resources that include the Technology and Resources Center and the Reading Center in the Education Building, as well as the Curriculum Resource Center in Jerome Library. Education-related clubs and organizations, including Bowling Green Student Council for Exceptional Children, and Early Childhood Organization, complement social groups, such as Greek Life. BGSU’s Teacher Job Fair, sponsored by BGSU’s Career Services, is one of the largest in the entire country.
All Inclusive Early Childhood Education majors take a combination of classes from across the university: science, math, arts & humanities, and social & behavioral sciences. Courses in the major are taken in three primary areas: Human Development and Family Studies, Intervention Services, and Teaching and Learning. In addition to the coursework required, the Ohio Board of Regents requires all licensure candidates to successfully pass the appropriate Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) content specialty test, as well as the appropriate OAE Assessment of Professional Knowledge test. Candidates must apply for the two exams, as well as apply for their teaching licenses.
Special opportunities exist for students entering teacher education degree programs at Bowling Green State University. These include: (a) Educators in Context and Community (ECCO) learning community, (b) studying abroad in Keele, England, or (c) student teaching with our school partners in Aldine, Texas.
The Inclusive Early Childhood Education program at Bowling Green State University is an NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Nationally Recognized Program. It is fully accredited by the Ohio Board of Regents. All Teacher Education programs at BGSU are fully accredited by NCATE (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education).
Graduate Programs, Endorsements, and Certificates:
- School of Teaching and Learning Graduate Opportunities
- School of Intervention Services Graduate Opportunities
Kimberly A. Christensen, Programmatic Co-Coordinator
403 Education Building
College of Education and Human Development
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403
Students interested in enrolling in the Inclusive Early Childhood
Education program at BGSU-Firelands should contact:
Anne Leser, 419-372-0968, firstname.lastname@example.org
or Katharine Dailey, 419-372-0664, email@example.com
BGSU-Firelands, Huron, Ohio 44839-5560


High School Art Teacher: Job Description and Education Requirements
High school art teachers must have some formal education. Learn about the schooling, job duties and licensure requirements to see if this is the right career for you.
High school art teachers instruct students on drawing, art history and painting. They use class time to help students build skills and show personal expression through art. At the bachelor's degree level, candidates for this job study the arts, art history and education. Public high school art teachers must be state-licensed; the following article explains this process in further detail.
|Other Requirements||State license required for public school positions|
|Projected Job Growth (2012 - 2022)*||6% for secondary school teachers|
|Median Salary (2013)*||$55,360 annually for secondary school teachers|
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job Description for High School Art Teachers
High school art teachers oversee basic, intermediate and advanced art classes for teenage students. These courses include basic drawing, painting and ceramics projects that allow participants to build a portfolio of work. High school art instructors might also teach art history lessons and critical thinking skills. In addition to teaching their elective, high school art teachers might be called on to monitor hallways and lunchrooms or to oversee homeroom classes.
Becoming a high school art teacher requires completing a bachelor's degree program in art or art education along with classes on general education. All secondary school education programs, regardless of the major, require the completion of a teacher assistant internship. They often allow students to specialize in the grade levels they wish to teach, such as K-8 or 5-12. Participants study human development, learning issues, classroom management, curriculum development, pupil assessment, critical thinking and teaching resources. In an art or art education program, students take studio classes to practice in areas such as sculpture or painting. They are expected to develop an art portfolio.
All teachers working in public schools are required to be licensed by the state in which they intend to teach. Prerequisites vary by state, but common requirements for teacher licensure includes completing an accredited teacher education degree program and taking skill-assessment tests. Candidates must typically take the PRAXIS I test and submit those scores as a part of the licensure process. Scores from the PRAXIS II test, which is taken upon graduating from a teacher-education program, must also be submitted for licensure. Aspiring high school art teachers commonly take the PRAXIS II-Art Content Knowledge exam; some states might also require licensee prospects to pass the PRAXIS II-Art Content, Traditions, Criticism and Aesthetics exam.
Employment Outlook and Salary Information
In 2013, secondary school teachers, including art teachers, earned an annual median salary of $55,360. At that time, the highest paying states included New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Alaska. The BLS predicts that employment growth for high school teachers will be slower than other areas of education, with only a 6% increase from 2012-2022. The best opportunities may be found in the West and South of the U.S., and in rural or urban areas, the BLS suggests.
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BEMIDJI, Minn. — The Bemidji State University Department of Theatre presents “The Sophie Scholl Project,” an original work based on records of the life, interrogation, trial and execution of University of Munich student Sophie Scholl during World War II. The production was written, directed and performed by the members of a theatre seminar course taught by Assistant Professor of Theatre and Communication Arts Pat Carriere. It opens on Thursday Nov. 15 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 17. Shows begin at 7:29 p.m. nightly during the three-day run.
Sophia Magdalena Scholl, the daughter of Robert Scholl, was born May 9, 1921. Sophie joined the Hitler Youth in 1933, and at first was enthusiastic about the organization. But influenced by the views of her father, she became increasingly critical of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi government.
After leaving school in 1940 she became a kindergarten teacher, followed by six months of auxiliary war service as a nursery teacher in Blumberg. In May 1942, she entered the University of Munich and became a student of biology and philosophy.
Scholl was a member of a group called White Rose, formed by students at the University of Munich in 1941. It is believed that the group was formed after August von Galen, the Archbishop of Munster, spoke out in a sermon against the Nazi practice of euthanasia — the killing of those considered by the Nazis as genetically unsuitable.
Members of this anti-Nazi group included Sophie and her brother Hans, their sister Inge, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, Willi Graf and Jugen Wittenstein. Kurt Huber, a philosophy teacher at the university, was also a member of the group.
In 1943, Sophie and her brother Hans were arrested for distributing leaflets on the Munich campus, and Christoph Probst was later arrested in connection with the production of the leaflets. The three members of the White Rose group appeared before the People’s Court judge Roland Frieisler on Feb. 20, 1943 and were executed hours later after being found guilty of sedition.
Sophie Scholl will be played by Mallory McKay, a sophomore in elementary education from Rochester, Minn. Also in the cast are: Erik Bergsven (freshman in music; Bemidji, Minn.) as Johann Reichardt, Inspector Robert Mohr and Judge Roland Frieisler; Ramey Nordby (fresman in creative and professional writing; Grygla, Minn.) as Christoper Probst; Thomas Bauer (senior in history; Owatonna, Minn.) as Hans Scholl; Sarah Bull (junior in theatre; Bemidji, Minn.) as Traute Lafrenz and Else Gebel; Kayla Hinkemeyer (sophomore in elementary education; Kimball, Minn.) as Gisela Schertling and Magdalena Scholl; Jamie Lim (junior in psychology from Melaka, Malaysia) as a guard and Carriere as Robert Scholl.
The Sophie Scholl Project will be held in the Black Box of the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, located on the campus of Bemidji State University. Tickets are $8.00 for adults, $4.00 for students and senior citizens. BSU students are admitted free with a valid ID. Seating in the Black Box is limited, so interested patrons are encouraged to buy tickets in advance.
Tickets are available in the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex box office, located in Bangsberg 127 on the BSU campus. Tickets are available by telephone reservation only, and will not be available for walk-up purchase; call (218) 755-3863 to reserve.
For more information, please contact Patrick Carriere at the Bemidji State University Department of Theatre at (218) 755-3901.


Raise a Child Who Loves to Read How do kids really learn to read? And how can you encourage interest in reading and writing from the start? In Raising Confident Readers, based on the five phases of literacy development, Dr. J. Richard Gentry provides fun and easy ways to teach your child to read and write successfully. When it comes to language, the most critical brain growth happens in early childhood. Raising Confident Readers shows you how to activate and accelerate this capacity for learning: The key is to introduce the right activities at the right time. Whether your child is a baby or toddler, in preschool or kindergarten, or first or second grade, Dr. Gentry helps you identify your child's literacy phase and take the next steps to build writing, reading, and spelling skills. You'll discover: How your child's brain learns to read--and why encouraging drawing and scribbling is as essential as reading aloud The best at-home activities to develop literacy early, naturally, and joyfully Recommended children's books for each phase Strategies for overcoming dyslexia, delayed reading, and other challenges Checklists and a milestones diary to celebrate your child's progress As your child moves through the five phases, they'll soon be sounding out and spelling words correctly, reading chapter books independently, and writing creative stories on their own. Complete with samples of children's writing throughout, Raising Confident Readers is an essential resource to foster your child's lifelong love of reading.
Help your child build reading and writing skills by learning the phases of literacy.


Modern Technology Helps WPI Professors Teach Music History Or What Happened To Your Turntable
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/
Contact: WPI Media & Community Relations
WORCESTER, Mass. - "Really, Mom and Dad, I AM doing my homework. It's for a music history class - I'm listening to Vivaldi on my computer, brushing my teeth and talking on the phone to you, all at the same time."
Professors in Worcester Polytechnic Institute's music program were facing two problems. First, with the addition music majors and minors at the University and the growing popularity of the school's music education and performance programs, enrollment in courses in music history and theory were growing steadily. Second, the growing enrollments were taxing the limited audio playback equipment (including aging turntables and tape players no longer being maintained). Professors who require students to listen to musical selections as part of their courses were in a quandary.
"I could throw a fit, or I could use my head," said Louis Curran, professor of music, who teaches several music history courses, including a course in music from the Baroque period. "So I used my head."
The solution sprang from WPI's Glee Club, which Curran directs. The club had been invited to perform with the Concord (Mass.) Orchestra on short notice. The group had just three rehearsals to learn the music, which has German lyrics. Curran asked Glee Club member Jeffrey Hayes if he could put a recording of the composition on the Web to allow further individual practice. It worked so well that Boston Globe reviewer Richard Dyer praised the resulting performance, noting the WPI singers "pumped out sound of ringing quality in comprehensible German."
Curran realized the same technique could solve the problem with required listening. So he hired Tom Hall, a WPI senior and long-time tutor in music theory, to help. Hall, assisted by WPI Web Coordinator Amy L. Marr, used Blackboard CourseInfo, a software package WPI purchased to help faculty members develop online content for distance learning and on-campus courses.
He created a site for the course and placed recordings for students to listen to there. To play the music files, students simply downloaded an electronic music player, for free, over the Internet. Students in the course listen to the files on their personal computers or go to a multimedia lab on campus.
Hall and Curran took measures to make sure their use of recorded music in the course met the requirements of the Fair Use Doctrine of U.S. copyright law. For example, they placed the recordings in a password-protected site, open only to those enrolled in the course, put a copyright notice and disclaimer on the site, and removed the material when the course was over.
The online music offerings for Curran's course will become a model for similar sites for other music courses offered at WPI, Curran says. In addition, both he and Hall say they see limitless potential for using the Web in music instruction. Hall recently scanned in sheet music for class use, and he envisions links to music videos, information about composers and much more.


For Source information, return
to Why Music? Links and Info Page
- New Studies Support Original Findings
Music Lessons Help Improve Math Skills
- New research continues to show music lessons, especially
lessons, can help elementary school students score higher on
- math tests.
- In a 1999 report, Dr. Gordon Shaw of the University of
- Irvine studied three groups of second graders. One group
- piano lessons and used a special mathematics computer
- Another group used the mathematics program and also
- English training. A third group received only standard
- After four months of this training, the second-grade students
- group that received piano lessons and used the math
- program scored 15 percent to 41 percent higher on tests of
- and fractions than the students in the other two groups.
- In a 2000 report, Dr. Shaw studied the math test scores of a
- of second graders from inner-city Los Angeles who were
- piano lessons twice a week for a year. Shaw compared the
- scores of this group to the scores of elementary school
- affluent Orange County who did not receive piano lessons.
- The second graders from Los Angeles scored as well as
- graders from Orange County. Half of the second graders in
- study scored as well as fifth-grade students in Orange
- The study of music and improvement in math seem to be
- connected. These new studies add credibility to the results of
- research, when a specific link between music and math was
Sharon Begley, "Music On the Mind," Newsweek, July 24, 2000.
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Engaging Musical Practices
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Engaging Musical Practices offers valuable guidance to both the experienced educator and the pre-service educator for a variety of active music teaching strategies applicable to the 21st-century middle school music classroom. Chapters on such topics as guitar, drumming, world music, and composition provide exciting avenues for music exploration for today's middle school students. The book most definitely takes the 'general' out of 'general music.' — John Kratus, Ph.D., Professor of Music Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Suzanne Burton brings together 14 authors who address issues relevant to middle-school music teaching, learning, and learners. Authors present information about and suggestions for performance ensembles at the middle-school level and (perhaps most importantly) alternative music learning opportunities for those students who are not in performance ensembles. Each chapter includes hands-on, practical classroom suggestions for middle-school music educators as well as those who might not have had training in adolescent musical development. Burton and the contributing authors present viable means for bridging the gap between school music and 'real' music by offering best practices for working with teens in engaging, creative, and musical ways. — Jody L. Kerchner, Ph.D., Professor of Music Education, Oberlin College/Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, OH. These fourteen authors offer an inspiring collection of creative, diverse and musical approaches to teaching secondary general music. Their ideas are practical, classroom-tested, and actually enjoyable to read. — Ann Marie Stanley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY Secondary general music has recently gained a new vitality, leaving behind yesterday's filmstrips and cardboard keyboards in favor of flexible student-oriented offerings with rich educational possibilities. Reflecting this development, Engaging Musical Practices provides teachers with inspiration and new ideas from leading thinkers in the field, making this volume a valuable contribution to any library. — Matthew D. Thibeault, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education and Education (Affiliate) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and author of the “Secondary Scene” column that appears in General Music Today.


Teacher Translator (B)
In every profession there are terms, phrases, and abbreviations that are common knowledge only to insiders. For the rest of us, the lingo can be very confusing. This glossary is intended to offer simple explanations of what are sometimes complex issues in education. It is far from complete but may help you better understand important trends and topics. Bear in mind that the meaning of many of these terms may vary, even from school district to school district.
The Balanced Reading approach recognizes the need for intense phonics instruction and immersion in the printed word (whole language). Teachers using a Balanced Reading approach recognize that some children learn better using one method rather than another and that some words can be sounded out while others must be memorized. A Balanced Reading instructor would use all five commonly used methods to help children to learn to read. (See Direct Instruction, Decodable Text, Phonics, Sight Words, and Whole Language.)
Basal textbooks are those most parents are quite familiar with from their own school experiences. These are the basic textbooks that are used in the classroom, but this term is usually reserved for the basal reading textbook, which contains a collection of systematically arranged stories intended to gradually introduce new skills and more difficult reading material. Most teachers supplement their basal textbooks with a series of literacy magazines such as Storyworks or class sets of "trade books," those books that are available in any bookstore.
Students in U.S. public schools speak more than 150 different languages. The best method to teach them all English has been a source of great debate. In bilingual education, children are taught all subjects in their native language until they learn English. Then they switch to English-only classes. The premise behind this is that children will learn to read easier in their familiar tongue. The downside is that these children are slower to assimilate into society because they are slower to learn English. (See ESOL and LEP.)
Recommended Products for Your Child Ages 8-10


Picasso was born in 1881 in Spain. Picasso’s father was a painter and sculptor and began Picasso’s art education at an early age. Picasso lived in Paris for much of his life where he lived passionately until his death in 1973. His art grew and changed throughout his life and he was key in forming several important artistic movements. I could and will write posts on each of Picasso’s “periods,” as they are called.
Music influenced many of Picasso’s pieces, including his collages. Today’s post will be on these musical collages.
Picasso used wallpaper, cloth, and sheet music in his musical collages as well as paint. He used wallpaper most often to create the background and then cut the sheet music, cloth, paper scraps, and newspaper into the shape of guitars or pieces of guitars. Then he combined the shapes on the collage to represent a guitar.
Look at the collages shown below and think about what you might want to use in your own collage. Tomorrow I’ll post a Picasso inspired collage project.
Glass of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar, and Newspaper:
Guitar, Sheet Music, and Wine Glass:
Guitar and Sheet Music:
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That's how davidkremers, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Distinguished Conceptual Artist in Biology, describes his work-in-progress. Kremers, who has dropped the use of capital letters to follow the egalitarian 1920s Bauhaus tradition and "smashed" his name together because there are so many Davids, is collaborating with molecular biologists to make transgenic zebrafish sculptures. He expects the "living sculptures" to be ready this spring, in time to be swimming around in a fish bowl at an exhibit entitled "The Art and Landscape of Nature," which will be on view at de Verbeelding in Zeewolde, The Netherlands, from 24 January through September 2001. The goal, says Kremers, speaking by telephone from his studio in Pasadena, is to construct fish that, as well as being aesthetically pleasing, will also contain science that is "good enough to become journal papers."
And Kremers should, by now, have some idea of the kinds of data scientists need to produce publishable papers. Although he describes himself as working full-time as an artist since age 5, Kremers, born in Colorado in 1960, hails from a long line of scientists on his father's side--starting in the 16th century with Gerherd de Kremer, otherwise known as Mercator--and physicians on his mother's side. Add "an 18th-century art education" to get the current mixed bag of influences.
Kremers first started incorporating science into his art when, by accident, he met Air Force operations personnel who were struggling with space station design. Kremers, who was studying architecture at the time, says he became intrigued by what was considered an organic failure of the design: The stations should have been growing like coral reefs in space, but they weren't. Kremers worked on the project between 1983 and 1985, but it all came to a halt, he says, after the Challenger explosion.
Serendipity also led to Kremers's next foray into the realm of art-meets-science when, while out dancing, he met molecular biologists who invited him to visit their laboratory. While looking at protocols for genetic research, Kremers says he recognized "at once" that they could be used to make paintings. In 1992, he created his first living paintings from genetically engineered bacteria.
Kremers's work with basic research scientists led to his association with Caltech's Biology Division in 1992, where he has been officially on staff since 1999. Though based in biology, Kremers collaborates with computer scientists and aeronautical engineers and says he has the freedom to work with anyone at Caltech.
Kremers believes that good art is as rigorous as good science. And, although he says he has been described as "a visitor from the future," he is hard at work on what he calls "the fluid problem," a fundamental conceptual conundrum that he sees as "the biggest problem" currently faced by scientists. The fluid problem arises, says Kremers, when scientists need to analyze "something that is alive and growing," which, as Kremers points out, is as much a qualitative as a quantitative analysis.
He also believes that "art is good at capturing qualities, such as light on an apple," and that traditional techniques used by artists have much to contribute to solving problems at the frontiers of science. As an example, Kremers points to a current collaboration where, using techniques from Impressionist painting, he and his colleagues are inventing new ways to analyze MRI readings in several dimensions. Here, as in many other instances, Kremers--as an outsider--seems to have the facility to see where the puzzle piece fits in, often more quickly than those who have been deeply involved with the problem for a long time.
Kremers's work frequently appears in exhibits of digital art, and it can be found in permanent collections, including those at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Denver Art Museum, and the Hammer Museum/Greenwald Center for the Arts at the University of California, Los Angeles. His own Web site is a work of art in itself.


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Energy (5TH 13 Edition)by Roger Hinrichs
Synopses & Reviews
What is the impact of such energy issues as global warming, radioactive waste, and municipal solid waste on the individual and society? ENERGY: ITS USE AND THE ENVIRONMENT answers these questions, emphasizing the physical principles behind energy and its effects on our environment, and explaining the basic physical principles behind the use of energy, including the study of mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, and atomic and nuclear physics. By placing energy issues within the context of everyday examples and asking you to define and support critical arguments, ENERGY: ITS USE AND THE ENVIRONMENT offers a provocative approach to this crucial issue.
About the Author
Roger Hinrichs has been Professor of Physics and department chair at SUNY-Oswego, where he taught energy related courses for over 25 years. His training is in experimental nuclear physics, and his research involves studies of trace materials in environmental and biological samples using PIXE with Oswego's Van de Graaff particle accelerator. He has an interest in energy use in developing countries, and spent time in Kenya and India as well as a year as a Fulbright Scholar in the sultanate of Oman. He co-directs the Institute in Energy Education, a program for secondary school science and technology teachers. In its 20 years, this program has impacted over 500,000 students and has won numerous awards. Dr. Hinrichs also supports active inquiry-based learning in the classroom; some of the activities in this text come from, or are part of, his course "Physics for Elementary Education Majors." He has worked as a consultant at local, state, and national levels on matters of energy policy and energy technologies. Presently, he is a visiting professor at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. Merlin H. Kleinbach received his Bachelor's degree from Westmar College, IA; his Masters degree from Colorado State College, 1955; and a doctorate in education from the University of Missouri in 1959. He has taught high school science and industrial arts in Colorado, and college courses in woodworking technology, metals technology, and basic electronics as well as Professional Education graduate courses for seven years at Wayne State College in Nebraska. Given an opportunity to teach and travel overseas, he took a position at Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for four years (1966-1970), assisting in developing a teacher education program to prepare technology teachers for the newly developed comprehensive school program there. The University employed faculty from several dozen different countries from around the world, providing real insights into other cultures, their concerns, and potential. During this period, he and his family traveled extensively to countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction. 2. Energy Mechanics. 3. Conservation of Energy. 4. Heat and Work. 5. Home Energy Conservation and Heat-Transfer Control. 6. Solar Energy: Characteristics and Heating. 7. Energy from Fossil Fuels. 8. Air Pollution and Energy Use. 9. Global Warming and Thermal Pollution. 10. Electricity: Circuits and Superconductors. 11. Electromagnetism and the Generation of Electricity. 12. Electricity from Solar, Wind, and Hydro. 13. The Building Blocks of Matter: 14. Nuclear Power: Fission. 15. Effects and Uses of Radiation. 16. Future Energy Alternatives: Fusion. 17. Biomass: From Plants to Garbage. 18. Tapping the Earth's Heat: Geothermal Energy. 19. A National and Personal Commitment. Appendix A: Units of Measurement and Powers of Ten Notation. Appendix B: Conversions and Equivalencies. Appendix C: Home Heating Analysis. Appendix D: Insolation and Temperature Data for Selected U.S. Cities. Appendix E: World Energy Consumption, 2009. Appendix F: U.S. Consumption of Energy by Source, 1949-2009. Appendix G: U.S. Energy Intensity, 1970-2009. Glossary. Index.
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Third Grade Science: Fun Science for Kids
The third grade is the beginning of a lot of fun science for kids. By this grade level, they're already familiar with several science topics, and definitely know how science is different from their other subjects. Because of this understanding and prior knowledge, the topics in third grade science opens up a lot of new project possibilities for your child.
Fun science for kids in third grade life sciences includes the parts of living things. Third grade students will familiarize themselves with the basic parts of animals as well as of plants, but they will also begin to look at the parts of basic plant and animal cells in order to compare the two. The names of male, female and child animals are also studied in the third grade (ex. bull, cow, calf.) Along with this, habitats are discussed in order for children to better understand the environment in which plants and animals live in as well as how animals adapt. During the fall, your child's teacher is likely to discuss photosynthesis and the changing colors of leaves.
Earth science in the third grade is really a fun science for kids. They will be studying the stars and constellations, and what stars really are. This will probably tie up with their history or literature class, as some teachers may discuss the stories or myths behind the constellations. Apart from just the stars, your child will also be studying the weather, looking at types of clouds, learning about precipitation, and discussing temperature. In the projects section of the site, the third grade earth science project teaches you how to help your child make their own thermometer. Finally, third grade earth science ends with a discussion on the rock cycle and fossils, which can be a lot of fun science for kids!
Last but not least, physical science for children in the third grade begins introducing them to mixtures, and the specific uses for energy. In the projects section, you'll find a combined classic project that explains both these science topics pretty well. As part of fun science for kids, it is every child's right of passage to create a volcano that erupts. The mixing of vinegar and baking soda shows your child how some mixtures can react while other mixtures don't have any visible reactions. The creation of the volcano also gives teachers and parents a chance to discuss geothermal energy, as the volcanic eruption is a clear example of the heat energy found deep inside the earth. A discussion on geothermal energy will also help transition into a discussion of the environment and clean and renewable forms of energy.
Remember that apart from just learning science, our children also have to understand at an early age how to sustain the planet and its resources. After all, they are inheriting this planet from us, and it's a good idea for them to get to know how to take care of it early on.


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Teaching Children’s Literature in an Era of Standards presents a realistic, positive, and proactive approach to using the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and 21st Century Learning Standards as the basis for teaching children’s literature in kindergarten through eighth grade, addressing the caveats and issues involved in implementing the standards. This new text encourages teachers to value children’s books for both enjoyment and learning, suggests teaching strategies matched to the specific grade levels and skills defined by the CCSS, and provides examples of excellent children’s books as resources. Suggestions and advice for integrating new technologies into children’s literature instruction are emphasized in conjunction with traditional teaching methods. Topics include responses to literature, teaching strategies for the focused use of children’s books, supporting literacy development, fostering a love of reading, and chapters devoted to the major forms and genres of children’s literature: picture books, poetry, traditional literature, fantasy and science fiction, contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, and nonfiction.
Amy McClure is the Roderfer Endowed Professor of Education at Ohio Wesleyan University where she has taught courses in children’s literature and literacy for over thirty years while also directing the university’s Honors Program. She is a co- author of Living Literature and Sunrises and Songs as well as editor for several books and author of numerous articles. Dr. McClure is the past president of the Children’s Literature Assembly, Children’s Literature and Reading SIG, Ohio Council of the International Reading Association, and President Elect of the Ohio Association of Teacher Educators. She has served on numerous book award committees, most notably the 2013 Newbery Medal Committee.
Janice V. Kristo serves as Associate Dean and a professor of literacy at the University of Maine. She is a co-author of Living Literature as well as several edited texts about sharing literature in the K-8 classroom. She is particularly interested in nonfiction; she has numerous publications focused on nonfiction as a genre as well as ways to teach children how to read and write nonfiction.
Abigail Garthwait teaches graduate courses in instructional technology at the University of Maine. She has also taught young adult and children's literature classes for the past eight years. She is a co-author of Living Literature and has published articles in research journals about computer and technology use.
Table of Contents
Brief Table of Contents
PART I: Foundations
Chapter 1: Knowing Children’s Literature and the Common Core State Standards
Chapter 2: Literature Engagement and Response
Chapter 3: Strategies for Sharing Literature
PART II: The Forms and Genres of Children’s Literature
Chapter 4: Picture Books
Chapter 5: Poetry
Chapter 6: Traditional Literature
Chapter 7: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Chapter 8: Historical Fiction
Chapter 9: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Chapter 10: Nonfiction
Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature (Chart)Index


Tags: Enrichment, In This Issue, Infant & Baby, Kids, Parenting, Toddler
Introducing Your Child to the Arts
This summer, 6-year-old Uma Manning and her brother, 10-year-old Jackson, took a week-long art camp at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Uma's teacher was so impressed with Uma's work that she pulled her parents aside to tell them. "We were very pleased with the news, but initially we thought that's what is said to every parent," Uma's dad, Scott, said. "However, when we saw Uma's work at the end of the week, we knew that Uma had a gift. We were aware of her talents as she is always drawing at home, but this was the first time she was able to explore with acrylic paints, and she took to it very well."
Even if your child isn't the next Monet, the introducing them to the arts is still so important. It allows children to flourish, both mentally and emotionally. "Allow your child the freedom to experiment and the ability to express themselves without the pressure to be perfect or to fit into a mold," Carole Eney, preschool mixed media instructor at the Indianapolis Art Center, said.
Visiting museums or other venues that offer arts programs, visual or otherwise, can stimulate creativity and curiosity by encouraging young people to wonder and discover. According to Preston Bautista, Director of Audience Engagement at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, these experiences can provide an early foundation for understanding how the arts and creativity can be a lifelong resource for learning and inspiration.
"I believe that listening to music, attending a play or going to an art museum can inspire children in a way that few other things can," said Hillary Blake, Director of Education at Meridian Music, whose arts specialty is in musical training and performance. "When I ask parents why their child chose to learn a specific instrument, parents will often say it is because the child became fascinated when they saw and heard it being played well live."
There are also ways to introduce children to the arts and express creativity at home. All children have a creative side, so parents should expose them to whatever is available – even if it is dancing around the house or singing in the car. Then observe what children enjoy doing at home so you know which arts-related activities to focus on, suggested Dr. E. J. Choe, director of IUPUI Music Academy and Assistant Professor of music and piano. Do they sing or dance to a beat they hear on a TV commercial? Do they show interest in an instrument by banging on a piano or beating on pots and pans? These are all indicators of potential performing-arts interest!
Stephanie C. Fuhrmann, President of Central Indiana Dance Ensemble Board of Directors, said to expose Kids to as many different artistic areas as early as possible. These could be art classes (playing with Play-Doh, clay, paint), music classes (singing, rhythm, instruments like bells or shaker eggs that are easy to use and grasp), dance and theatre. "You will find that your child will naturally navigate toward and repeat those items that interest them, even at a very early age," Fuhrmann said.
Andy Nathan, father to 4-year-old Jesse and 9-month-old Ian, said he always keeps instruments out at home just so his kids can get their hands on them at anytime. "When our sons see an instrument, they are more inclined to play with it and engage with music," Nathan said.
Lesley Semo, mom of 3-year-old Claire, agrees that it is never too early to start your kids in the arts. "I was still taking ballet class until about a month before I had Claire, so even though she was in the womb, she could hear the music and feel how I moved to it," Semo said. "My friend, who was my ballet teacher during my pregnancy, is convinced that is why Claire just loves to dance. Claire dances in grocery stores, at restaurants, anywhere she hears music. I truly believe it is her first love."
"Having access to art education both in school and at the Indianapolis Art Center has given my children so much joy and helped to build their own confidence," Patrick Flaherty, parent to 6-year-old Emma and 3-year-old Claire, said. "Whether or not they choose to work in the arts or become artists is entirely up to them, but wherever their stories take them, their experiences with art will serve as one of the many foundations on which to build a successful and healthy life."


Core to the Museum’s mission are our education programs, innovative conservation work, unparalleled scientific research, and extraordinary collection of nearly 25 million objects and artifacts. Opportunities for various program support are outlined below:
The Field Museum offers over 12,000 education programs annually to more than 350,000 participants. These include adult, youth, and family programs, both on and off-site.
The Field Museum’s Playlab is an early childhood learning center for children ages 2-6 focused on helping our youngest visitors develop a lifelong love for science and the natural world. Themed learning areas throughout the PlayLab – from dinosaurs to music and archeology- create experiences that help children explore the world around them.
These educational overnights at the Museum provide children (ages 6-12) and their chaperones with an opportunity to explore the Museum after hours with special access to the Museum’s exhibitions, collections, and scientists.
The Science Action Center has blossomed into a team of scientist-explorers expert in translating museum knowledge into lasting results for sustaining the earth’s rich biological and cultural diversity in South America and the Chicago region.
The Museum’s Calumet Environmental Education Program (CEEP) is a unique program that translates science into action for 2,700 students and 100 educators annually from over 20 Chicago public schools. Students participate in a consecutive ladder of conservation education programs, linking and building skills and knowledge grade level upon grade level. The three conservation education programs, Mighty Acorns (grades 4-6), Earth Force (grades 7-8), and Calumet Is My Back Yard (grades 9-12), engage disadvantaged youth in scientific, hands-on learning about biodiversity and conservation, resulting in action projects in their own community.
The Field Museum houses and maintains an encyclopedic collection of more than 25 million cultural artifacts and scientific specimens.
The Museum is initiating a large-scale effort to digitize more than half a million specimens in order to increase access to our valuable collections for students, researchers, and scientists around the world.
The Repatriation Program responds to repatriation requests, requests for information, and provides indigenous communities access to the Museum’s numerous collections. In conjunction with thorough anthropological, historical, ethical, and legal analyses, communication with descendent communities is the foundation of each domestic and international repatriation claim. Outreach, relationship building, and collaboration with Native peoples are intrinsic to the repatriation process at the Field Museum. For more information, please contact Helen Robbins at firstname.lastname@example.org or (312) 665-7317.
View our achievements from this past year on our 2012 General Operations Report, or view our latest Economic Impact Statement. For more information, please contact June Hou at email@example.com or (312) 665-7120.


Foundations of Music Education
The Philosophy of Music Education
Syllabus Course Outline Links
'The History of Western Philosophy in Under 5 Minutes' (YouTube)
Well, what did you think? There are lots of ways to explain life's difficult questions.
Three come to mind:
answers based upon faith
These do not have to be based upon religion. We have lots of beliefs that we take for granted, that are not based upon empirical evidence and that have not been subjected to systematic inquiry.
answers based upon empirical evidence; direct observation and measurement
You do not have to spend your time in a lab to generate findings. We observe and measure things all the time.
answers based upon reasoning from systematic inquiry
Philosophies are also common. We look for rational explanations and patterns.
"Philosophy searches for consistent relationships of truth, reality, and value in a general inclusive sense" (Schwadron, 1984).
| || |
The trouble starts when we try to combine these processes
The trick is to be able to recognize the difference between beliefs, finding, and philosophies.
Here's an example:
If you are making a bookcase
Belief: "I can 'eyeball' this length because I have faith in my ability to judge the size I need."
Finding: "I have measured this carefully and have cut the board to my exact specification."
Philosophy: "Measure twice; cut once."
Are there other ways to explain life's questions?
OK, now back to music education!!
What does the philosopher really know about the practical matters of teaching?
We all have philosophies that we live by. They are inextricably woven into who we are, and therefore what and how we teach.
We transmit to our students (whether we know it or not!)
a set of beliefs about music (and other things!)
value judgments about music and about the cultures that produce music
attitudes about music and its function in our society
For example, there was an interesting study on students' beliefs regarding why some succeed and some fail in music (Asmus, 1986). This is important to know because their beliefs about what causes success or failure in musical endeavors will influence how they approach the task next time, or if they even try.
Here's what they found out:
The students who believe that if they try hard, they will be able to improve are more likely to practice and more likely to improve
The students who believe that musical success requires innate ability ("talent") are less likely to practice, and less likely to improve
The greatest influence on this belief was teacher influence
The older the student, the more likely they were to believe in the innate ability theory
The younger students were the most positive about their own abilities!!
So, no pressure, but the success of your students may depend upon your beliefs and your philosophies with regards to music education.
Here's a link to the study if you'd like to read it for yourself.
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Now read this article linked below:
"Considering Beliefs in Learning to Teach Music"
Your text describes a philosophy as
"general notions about the environment and how it operates" (Labuta & Smith, 1997).
Here are some of the difficult questions that philosophy seeks to answer about music:
What is music?
What purpose(s) does it serve?
How should music be judged?
Is music necessary?
What does music mean?
How does music affect feeling and emotion?
What is the value of music?
Why must we defend music?
At this point, read Chapter 2 in your textbook: "Philosophies of Music Education"
Here is a great link to compare the Aesthetic Philosophy and the Praxial Philosophy of music education.
Asmus, E. P., Jr. (1986). Student Beliefs about the Causes of Success and Failure in Music: A Study of Achievement Motivation. Journal of Research in Music Education, 34(4), 262-278.
Labuta, Joseph A. and Deborah A. Smith. 1997. Music Education: Historical Contexts and Perspectives. Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Schwadron, Abraham A. . 1984. Aesthetics: Dimensions for Music Education: Aperture.
Thompson, L. K. (2007). Considering Beliefs in Learning to Teach Music. Music Educators Journal, 93(3), 30-35.
Created and maintained by Vicky V. Johnson


Staff Spotlight: Kari Reckart
Art teacher, Russell Cave Elementary
I challenge my students to explore their individual ideas and encourage them to pursue their dreams and goals. All students are capable of learning, and all students have something to contribute in the classroom environment.
As an art teacher, I aim to explore art as an expression of culture, time and individual identity. My goal as an educator is to assist each student in finding his or her own talents and to teach them new techniques to build higher skill levels and expand their creative capability.
Fostering the creative spirit of a child is essential in art education, so the classroom environment should include opportunities for students to explore and discover. Because art is a hands-on experience where students apply knowledge through their own creations, students must first gain a sound understanding of the basic principles of art.
It's our responsibility as educators to prepare and cultivate life-long learners who will become self-disciplined, independent and creative individuals. Education should build the foundations of responsibility, respect and determination while empowering students to achieve academic success. In my mind, every child has talents, and I hold the responsibility of cultivating an atmosphere for them to flourish.


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to regulate the largest remaining source of uncontrolled toxic air pollution in the United States: coal- and oil-fired power plant emissions. The new rules -- 20 years in the making -- will affect 1300 power plants, half of which lack modern air-pollution controls.
Most power plants affected by the rules were built in the 1970s, before clean-air technologies were developed that capture, or "scrub," smokestack pollutants, notably mercury from burning coal, before they are released into the air.
Mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause severe birth defects and impair cognitive and fine motor skill development in children.
The new EPA rules require the dirtiest power plants to reduce emissions of mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel and acid gases by more than 90 percent within the next three-to-four years or be shut down.
Retrofitting old power plants with smokestack "scrubbers" will also significantly reduce the amount of black particulate matter, or soot, released into the air. Soot has been linked to higher rates of asthma and heart disease.
EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, who chose to announce the new regulations at a Washington, D.C. children's hospital, said the new air-pollution limits will protect the health of all Americans.
“When we talk about cutting hundreds of thousands of cases of respiratory symptoms, we’re talking about young people who can go outside and be with their friends without the worries that they will be struggling to breathe," she said. "When we talk about reducing mercury levels in our environment, we’re talking about lower amounts of mercury in the fish that Americans eat every day. We’re talking about the fact that coming generations will grow up exposed to lower amounts of toxic pollution in the air they breathe.”
The EPA rules could cost the power industry upwards of $10 billion dollars, and many companies will have to decide whether to comply or shut down their old coal- and oil-powered plants.
Misty Allen is a spokesperson for GenOn (JEN-on) Energy, a company based in Houston, Tex., that operates both natural gas and coal-fired power plants that were built in the 1970s. Allen says her company will be directly affected by the new EPA rule.
“At this stage we are still evaluating the rule and evaluating which technologies are appropriate or whether or not individual units would retire or shut down," she said. "So, that’s still under consideration by the company."
Asked whether consumers will end up paying higher electricity bills because of the EPA rule, Allen has a ready answer.
“As with everything in the market, yes.”
Most environmental groups have praised the EPA ruling. One leading organization, the Union of Concerned Scientists, is hailing the agency's move, saying the benefit to public health in limiting smokestack emissions far outweighs the price tag for the pollution controls. But the group adds that the new pollution controls were long overdue.


Can Mozart Really Make Your Child Smarter?
- Music Education for Kids: Does Music Make Kids Smarter?
- Make Some Music With Your Family
- Can Exercise Make Your Child Smarter?
- Can Playing Music Make Your Child Smarter?
- How Music Can Help Your Child Learn
- Can Smartphones Make Kids Smarter?
Does musical genius start in the womb? The makers of “Baby Mozart” would argue yes. It seems that every classical musician has a hand in making baby toys these days. Every store greets you with a different product for playing Beethoven, Bach, or Hayden, and famous tunes stream out of most children’s musical instruments with the push of a button.
This fairly widespread trend of incorporating classical music in baby toys and products can all be blamed on “The Mozart Effect.” In modern parlance, The Mozart Effect stems from the theory that listening to music, especially of the classical genre, improves intelligence. This concept, believed to have been around for centuries, has apparently been proven by dozens of studies conducted by those who, surprise surprise, would wholeheartedly promote the boom in classical toys.
More music, higher test scores, right? Too bad the truth isn’t so cut and dried.
So what is the truth? The first studies began 1993, when Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw, and Katherine Ky published an article in Nature magazine about their research at the University of California at Irvine. In the study, college students were asked to listen to a Mozart sonata, a relaxation tape, and then silence, for ten minutes each. Directly afterward, the subjects were given a test on spatial reasoning. The results were astounding. Students scored much higher on the tests after listening to the Mozart than after the relaxation tape or nothing at all.
Naturally, the results took popular media by storm, with the Boston Globe coining “The Mozart Effect.” After all, if we could all improve our IQs by cranking up the Chopin, why wouldn’t we? And why not improve our kids’ chances by pumping classical music into the nursery as well?
But the road to Mensa is not so easily attained. What the original study didn’t seem to account for were the long-term impacts of music on a child’s brain. According to Dr. Rauscher, there were three limitations to the study that weren’t taken into account:
- It only tested the impact for a limited amount of time—about ten minutes after listening. In fact, later research showed that the effect lasted only for ten minutes.
- The researchers only tested the subjects’ spatial intelligence, which is relevant in areas such as architecture and visual arts, but cannot be a representation of overall intelligence.
- The subjects in the study were not infants, but college-aged. Dr. Rauscher maintains that the results can’t be applied to young children because the music only seems to increase spatial intelligence when the subject listens carefully and actively, which young children often don’t do. (In the original study, the students were even made aware that they would be tested after the listening session.)
Evidence in favor of The Mozart Study was faltering. Since then, a recent study in Australia, published in Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal in 2006, looked at the effects of pop music on 136 fifth graders. The process was similar to that of the original 1993 study, and concluded no evidence of The Mozart Effect in the children.
In 2010, a team at the University of Vienna ran a meta-analysis of 40 international studies and concluded that there was no proof of The Mozart Effect. While this doesn't prove that there are no positive long-term benefits to music listening, it does mean that wafting The Nutcracker Suite into your infant’s crib can't guarantee admission into an Ivy League college.
But don’t throw the baby out with the musical bathwater! Dr. Rauscher still concedes that research has demonstrated that playing a musical instrument can lead to improved spatial reasoning. What has not been proven is that passively listening to music, especially at a young age, has any long term effects on cognition. And if you still spring for the trumpet that blasts “What A Wonderful World”, well, we won’t blame you. Because that toy is plain cool, and you don’t need a scientific study to prove it.


Educators now have a new online tool to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of young New Zealanders.
The ‘Youth Option’ for the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool, the key diagnostic tool of literacy and numeracy competency for adults, is specifically for those learners between 15 and 25 years.
Steven Joyce, the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, and Employment, launched the tool this week at the National Symposium for Literacy and Numeracy for Adults.
“The tool will help educators improve the literacy and numeracy skills of young learners, including the increasing numbers of young Māori and Pasifika learners participating in tertiary education through programmes such as Youth Guarantee and Māori and Pasifika Trades Training,” Steven Joyce says.
The new Youth Option will assist with lifting adult literacy and numeracy, getting at-risk young people into a career, and boosting achievements for Māori and Pasifika, three of the key priorities of the Tertiary Education Strategy, says Joyce.
“As the New Zealand economy recovers, it is crucial that all New Zealanders have sufficient skills to take up opportunities and succeed in the modern labour market,” he says.
“Improving literacy and numeracy for young second-chance learners is an important part of lifting their confidence and their participation in New Zealand’s economic recovery.”
Further adaptations are planned for the Assessment Tool. Government-funded enhancements targeting Māori learners and learners with English as a second language are expected to be available in 2015.


Education In Japan Structure
A selection of articles related to education in japan structure.
Original articles from our library related to the Education In Japan Structure. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Education In Japan Structure.
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Education In Japan Structure is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Education In Japan Structure books and related discussion.
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- Japan; World data on education, 2010/11; 2011
- 7th edition, 2010/11. Structure and organization of the education system. Japan: structure of the education system.
- Principles and general objectives of education Current educational
- Structure and organization of the education system. Japan: structure of the education system. Pre-school education.
Suggested Web Resources
- Music Teacher Education in Japan: Structure, Problems, and
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- JAPAN'S MODERN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
- Japanese Students Studying Abroad and Foreign Teachers in Japan. (2) Elementary Education b.
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
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From simple projects to mega-messy experiments, science for kids isn't just a "school thing". Ever since my son's toddler days, I have thoroughly enjoyed trying a variety of science explorations with him at home. Science has the remarkable ability to get a child interested in the world around him and help him to learn about concepts that range from protecting our planet to chemistry and physics.
If you are looking for an entertaining and educational way to spice up a blah day at home, I highly suggest trying out one of these faves:
Reused and Recycled Art:
Pairing art and science together is a fun way to spark your little one's imagination, while helping him to learn about topics such as our planet, colors and shapes. When my son was younger, we started a reused objects bin. This science/arts collection included washed and dried plastic bottles, yogurt containers, old fabric scraps, pieces of newspapers, and gift wrap. Talk to your child (even preschoolers can understand basic science concepts) about why recycling and reusing is important to out planet. Turn the items in your own bin into plastic bottle animals, abstract sculpture,s or any other type of art by adding some tape, glue, and paint.
Straight from the Dr. Seuss title, my son first brought this states of matter experiment home from preschool. He had so much fun getting messy and feeling how the "ooblek" changes textures that we did this one weekend after weekend for months on end. Simply mix one cup of water with one to two cups of corn starch. Have your little one mix the water and corn starch in a big bowl with his hands. The amazing ooblek turns into a solid when held, then back into a liquid as you release it. Do this experiment over the kitchen sink or cover your work space to reduce the mess.
The Bouncy Ball:
What kid doesn't love a bouncy ball? Mine certainly couldn't get enough of them (and still can't)! Use a simple bouncy ball along with a few other ones such as a basket ball, kick ball, tennis ball, whiffle ball, or soccer ball to illustrate how gravity works. For this easy physics science for kids activity, just drop and/or bounce the balls and observe how they move differently. Ask your little one why she thinks that one ball might bounce higher while another just lands on the ground.
What is your favorite kids' science experiment to try at home? Tell us below in the comments section!


Wow! I just checked their site and now they have a
"new to me" program:
IMAGINE AND ME
Innovative instructional material introducing art,
drama, music and dance within a basic KINDERGARTEN
Imagine and Me uses an interdisciplinary approach that
brings together four disciplines in art education -
art, drama, music and dance . Children learn about art
and they learn fundamental concepts through art.
Teachers who use Imagine and Me do not have to be art
specialists. The program has been developed to provide
teachers with everything they need to introduce this
material to children.
Imagine and Me is a core program that fulfills the
following educational objectives for preschoolers: -
Know themselves and know others - Establish
relationships with others - Respect themselves and
others as well as ideas, gestures and differences -
Interact with their environment - Integrate in the
school environment and in society - Express themselves
- Become familiar with their immediate surroundings -
Open up to the world and to other cultures - Develop
fine and gross motor skills - Demonstrate visual and
auditory discrimination - Concentrate, listen and
solve problems - Be creative and use their
imaginations - And much more.
Go to Art Image Publications and check Catalog.
Go to What's new and see sample lesson plans for Early
Years. The lessons are so thorough - One does not need
to be certified in art to teach them.
If anyone purchases - or has purchased "Imagine and
Me" for Kindergarten, please post a review. I will try
to get more on this to link to Early Childhood.
Looking at art and reading art gets the students ready
Deanna, I am saving your posts.... we will "talk" more
this summer and add a lesson ideas page to Incredible
All of the research shows that it is the ARTS that
help students succeed....all of the ARTS.
Comprehensive is the way to go.