Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in (a) social communication and (b) restricted and/or repetitive behaviors or interests that varies in severity of symptoms, age of onset, and association with other disorders. Although motor impairment is not a part of the diagnostic criteria for ASD, research suggest that many children with ASD experience delays in motor development. Gross motor skills are fundamental skills necessary for movement competence and considered the basic building blocks for more complex motor skill development. When present, gross motor problems may interfere with performance in many developmental and functional domains across home and school contexts. Consequently, researchers are increasingly considering the importance of motor function in the assessment and treatment of children with ASD.
A study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Behavior focused on assessing the gross motor skill performance of 21 children with ASD (M=7.57 years) and 21 age matched typically developing children (M=7.38 years) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). The TGMD-2 is a norm and criterion-referenced test that measures performance of 12 gross motor skills. Scores are recorded on two subtests, locomotor subtest (run, gallop, hop, leap, jump, and slide) and object-control subtest (strike, dribble, catch, kick, throw, and roll), An overall gross motor quotient score (combination of all 12 gross motor skills) can also obtained. Scores are described as very superior, superior, above average, average, below average, poor, and very poor. The researchers hypothesized that children with ASD would show motor delays in overall gross motor quotient scores, and locomotor and object control standard scores when compared to their age matched typically developing children as measured with TGMD-2.
Statistical analysis revealed a significant performance difference between children with ASD and typically developing children on the TGMD-2. For the locomotor subtest, 67% children with ASD received poor standard scores and 40% of scores were very poor. Approximately 60% children with ASD had poor standard scores and 33% of scores were very poor on object control skills. For overall gross motor quotient scores, 81% children with ASD were below 79 and classified as poor, and approximately 76% children scored below 70 and received very poor ratings. Children scoring at or below the 30th percentile were considered developmentally delayed as indicated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Based on this criterion, 91% of children with ASD in the current study were considered developmentally delayed in terms of their gross motor skill performance and in need of early supportive interventions. In contrast, the majority of typically developing children’s standard scores (96%) fell in the average or higher range
According to the authors, the results of this study have several important implications for educators, therapists, and practitioners and the design of effective early intervention programs for children with ASD. For example, locomotion and object control skills are fundamental motor skills in which children interact with their environment and other children. Developing a therapeutic intervention that includes these gross motor skills may have a positive effect on children’s cognitive functioning, language development, social communicative skills, and contribute positively to daily life skills. Consequently, it is vital that we understand the gross motor performance of children with ASD. Finally, the significance of motor proficiency for children with ASD should not be overlooked in assessment practice. Clinicians and practitioners should give increased attention to the assessment of motor skills and their impact on the adaptive behavior and well-being of children with ASD. A comprehensive discussion of assessment domains (e.g. communication, social, motor, sensory, academic) can be found in A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools.
Liu T, Hamilton M, Davis L, ElGarhy S (2014) Gross Motor Performance by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Children on TGMD-2. J Child Adolesc Behav 2: 123. doi:10.4172/jcalb.1000123
Lee A. Wilkinson, PhD, CCBT, NCSP is author of the award-winning book, A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. He is also editor of a recent volume in the APA School Psychology Book Series, Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Evidence-Based Assessment and Intervention in Schools and author of the new book, Overcoming Anxiety and Depression on the Autism Spectrum: A Self-Help Guide Using CBT.
If you enjoy reading my articles, you can click on "subscribe" at the top of the page to receive notice when new ones are published. You can also follow me at http://bestpracticeautism.com.


Motor Development 0-18 Months -- Ainsworth's Phases of Attachment -- The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale -- Drawing Sequence / Evolution of Spontaneous Abilities -- Erick Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Dilemma -- Selman's Role-Taking Levels -- Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development -- Language Development -- Parten's Play Stages -- Piaget's Cognitive Stages -- Piaget's - Cognitive Operations -- Contrasting Characteristics of Prenatal and Postnatal Life -- Stages of Prenatal Development
- A focus on grades K through 3 for Art Education
FOUNDATIONS - Developmental Characteristics of Children in a Developing Social / Cultural Environment
THE CONCEPT OF CHILDHOOD - Notes From: Zigler, Edward F. and Matia Finn-Stevensen, Yale University. Children, Development and Social Issues, D.C. Heath and Company, Lexington, MA & Toronto, 1987.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD YEARS - Notes From: Zigler, Edward F. and Matia Finn-Stevensen, Yale University. Children, Development and Social Issues, D.C. Heath and Company, Lexington, MA & Toronto, 1987.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT - The following Notes are from: Coon, Dennis [Dept. of Psychology, Santa Barbara City College, California]. Introduction to Psychology, Exploration and Application, Fifth Edition. St. Paul, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco: West Publishing Company. 1989.
FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS:
The Brain, Biology, and Behavior
Sensation & reality
Perceiving the World
States of Consciousness
LEARNING & COGNITION:
Conditioning & Learning
Cognition & Creativity
MOTIVATION, ADJUSTMENT, AND HEALTH:
Health, Stress & Coping
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONALITY:
Theories of Personality
Dimensions of Personality
From Birth to Death


- 1 School Improvement Partners (SIPs) e-newsletter: Autumn 2009
- 2 Primary: Use of key mathematics materials
- 3 Primary: Supporting SIPs to challenge and support improvement in the EYFS and key stages of transition
- 4 Primary: Using CLLD resources to support self-evaluation
- 5 Primary: Launching 'priority learning' local authorities
- 6 Secondary: The role of the SIP in specialist school re-designation
- 7 Secondary: Assessing pupils' progress in ICT
- 8 Secondary: Delivering the behaviour challenge
- 9 Secondary: Modern Foreign Languages – the role of SIPS
- 10 Cross-phase: Addressing disproportionality in school attendance
- 11 Narrowing the Gaps for underachieving, disadvantaged children
- 12 What Works Well
- 13 SIPs and pupil referral units
- 14 RAISEonline: new reports to support the 2011 target setting process
- 15 Narrowing the Gaps: Targeting the underachievement of vulnerable groups
- 16 Masters in Teaching and Learning
- 17 Key events
- 18 Key resources
- 19 Information, advice and guidance
Primary: Using CLLD resources to support self-evaluation
Headteachers are finding that many of the tools and resources within the Communications, Language and Literacy Development (CLLD) programme are particularly useful in supporting robust self-evaluation and clear evidencing of impact. Key resources include the:
- phonics tracking sheet and assessment guidance supporting judgements about how well children are doing (A2 level). These resources also help schools to judge if assessment is robust and moderated in schools and whether data is being used to identify children at risk of underachievement.
- audit tools and the prompts for the evaluation of teaching and learning of early reading and writing that help schools to evaluate the provision for the teaching of early literacy (A3 level). These resources also help schools to evaluate to what extent the school is building on internal and external good practice to sustain improvement.
All these resources, and other materials and guidance to stimulate development and improvement in relation to early literacy, can be found on the CLLD section of the National Strategies web area.
- What does phonic phase-tracking tell the school about current pupil progress in foundation stage and Key Stage 1?
- Is the leadership and management of the early reading agenda supporting schools' capacity and ability to sustain improvements?


Blood sugar control related to math, not African-American race
Diabetes management can be severely hampered if the patient is not good at math, according to a new Vanderbilt Medical Center study published in the September 2009 issue of Diabetes Care.
The findings from Chandra Y. Osborn, Ph.D., M.P.H., lead author of the paper and an assistant professor of Medicine in the Center for Health Services Research and Prevention and Control Core of the Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC), may also help explain some racial differences in diabetes control.
African-Americans have been found to have worse blood sugar control and higher rates of complications, such as heart disease and kidney failure, than whites do, and Vanderbilt researchers now report that it is a diabetes-related numeracy issue as much as a racial difference.
“We were looking to see, first and foremost, whether or not there was an association between African-American race and poor glycemic control, which is a finding that has been consistently shown,” Osborn said.
“Once we did that, we wanted to see whether or not one’s health literacy skills, general numeracy skills, and/or diabetes-related numeracy skills accounted for that relationship. This has never been looked at before. Based on our findings, I would say that knowing how to use and apply numbers to manage your diabetes is more important than your race.”
Vanderbilt researchers administered a diabetes-related numeracy test to 383 adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to gauge their ability to interpret nutrition labels, count calories and carbohydrates and keep track of medication doses.
They found that patients with the strongest diabetes-related numeracy scores also had better results on their A1C test, which estimates a patient’s average blood sugar level over the past three months.
“If you have diabetes there are certain skills that you need,” Osborn said. “You need to be able to know ranges of numbers, you need to be able to know that a blood glucose level of 120 is less than 150, you need to know how to count carbohydrates, calculate portion sizes, read food labels.”
“It really requires basic skills, add and calculate … and even, oftentimes, multiplying numbers to be able to know exactly, based on the portion size amount, how many carbohydrate grams are in that serving of food.”
Russell L. Rothman, M.D., M.P.P., and colleagues in the Prevention and Control Core of the DRTC have created a numeracy sensitive diabetes education toolkit that aims to help individuals learn how to control their portion sizes, learn how to count carbohydrates, and learn how to read food labels at a very basic mathematical level.
“We haven’t tested whether or not the toolkit reduces disparities in blood sugar control, but potentially, given what our finding was in Diabetes Care, this would suggest that if we are able to overcome the barrier of poor diabetes-related numeracy then this actually would be able to minimize the disparity that we see between African-Americans and whites in their blood sugar control,” Osborn said.
“If we develop tools geared toward overcoming that barrier, simplifying that information and the numerical demands on patients, or educate them in a way that math doesn’t become a barrier to understanding, then it would make sense that we would be able to reduce that disparity.”


A case study: tracing the development of emergent literacy in a Grade R class
The purpose of this study was to trace and document children’s emergent literacy development in a Grade R class over a period of two months. More specifically, the intention was to investigate whether it was possible for trained, motivated teachers who have access to everyday resources in otherwise ordinary South African schools, to achieve the Assessment Standards set out in the NCS for Home Language in Grade R. In this school-based case study, the sample consisted of 4 children from 1 preschool in Queenstown, South Africa. The participants were selected according to gender and language because these appear to be significant factors in literacy development. The interpretive approach was used to collect and analyse data. Data were gathered from three main sources; (1) a research journal, (2) semi-structured interviews with the parents of the 4 participants, and (3) samples of the participants’ spontaneous writing. These were then triangulated to give credibility, objectivity and validity to the interpretation of the data.
The findings revealed that: (1) Social class, language and to a lesser extent gender emerged as factors which impacted significantly on the children’s literacy development, resulting in some children progressing more quickly than others. In South Africa, language is an indicator of social class. The English-speaking children had a socioeconomic and language advantage which enabled them to make considerable strides in their literacy development. In contrast, the Xhosa-speaking children were disadvantaged by their socioeconomic and language circumstances, which made their literacy progress much slower. (2) The disparities between the English and Xhosa-speaking children in terms of the stability and structure of their families, had a considerable impact on their literacy performance. (3) Finally, teachers in English medium classes need to be aware of these factors. They need to design strategies and interventions to help those children who are learning in their additional language to achieve at similar levels to their English-speaking peers. If this is not done, the gap between the literacy achievements of the English-speakers and speakers of other languages will get wider and wider as time goes by.
School Location:South Africa
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Date of Publication:01/01/2007


Often, it is assumed that a student is able to read a school text well. Frequently, students are expected to understand all the readings assigned too. It can be a mistake to make this assumption. No matter the child’s age, taking time to clarify the content, specifically the vocabulary and its proper usage, is often a good use of time. There are several efficient ways to do this, but two strategies are favored. First, provide reading tips while reading and secondly, provide some choice in the material being read.
Provide tips and hints while reading to help students’ reading comprehension.
While most people besides English teachers would not want to devote lots of time to reading comprehension, it is reasonable to assume that taking a few moments to go over subject specific vocabulary and provide some time to clarify greatly benefits the students. Implementing reading comprehension strategies in every area of study does not mean giving up on learning content. For example, it’s possible to find science or math based articles that are on topic and relevant. It is a good use of time to read an article on mathematics because it will help develop a well-rounded understanding of the content and help build reading skills.
Students learn more when they are reading about topics they enjoy.
Most students love having some say regarding what they learn about and also what they read. Any teacher, parent, or tutor can provide opportunities for students to read on their own something that interests them, perhaps from a short list of readings related to the class content, and then submit an assignment or assessment over that selection. Providing this little bit of choice can go a long way to building self-esteem in a reader of any age. Finally, to make all of this stick, consider developing an activity or assignment that would allow the student to showcase what they are learning, connect it to their world or to any previous knowledge they have on the subject. The exact benchmarks may change over a child’s education, but developing confidence in reading will always be beneficial, no matter the direction the student may choose to take his or her educational career.


H.Con.Res.380 - Recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education.108th Congress (2003-2004)
Concurrent ResolutionHide Overview icon-hide
|Sponsor:||Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5] (Introduced 03/10/2004)|
|Committees:||House - Education and the Workforce | Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions|
|Latest Action:||05/05/2004 Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.|
|Major Recorded Votes:||05/04/2004 : Passed House|
This bill has the status Passed House
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Passed House
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Summary: H.Con.Res.380 — 108th Congress (2003-2004)All Bill Information (Except Text)
Passed House amended (05/04/2004)
Declares the sense of Congress that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school.
Recognizes the International Music Products Association (also known as NAMM) for its efforts to designate a Music in Our Schools Month in order to highlight the important role that school music programs play in the academic and social development of children.


Caroline Lucretia Herschel was a German astronomer who lived between 1750-1848. Caroline moved to England so she could get a music education. She ended up working with her brother, William Herschel, doing astronomy.
discovered three new nebulae and eight comets. She also wrote astronomy books.
Caroline Herschel lived a long time. She was 98 years old when she died.
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MARKING THE ROLE OF HORSES DURING WAR - Tuesday, 3 June 2014
A First World War 18-pounder, quick-firing field gun makes its first public appearance following its complete restoration and overhaul during the Weald and Downland Museum’s Horses at War event this weekend (June 7 and 8).
Royal Armouries will be showcasing the gun and its limber – now restored to its original First World War colours – courtesy of Robert Sampson and his splendid horses, along with a detachment of volunteers from Ubique Right of the Line.
The “living history” event commemorates the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, as well as the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. For more event information, please visit www.wealddown.co.uk
Part of Royal Armouries’ national collection, this gun is no stranger to publicity and was used in Neil Jordan’s 1996 film Michael Collins, starring Liam Neeson as the Irish patriot and revolutionary. It has also made several television appearances.
Royal Armouries’ Keeper of Artillery Nicholas Hall said, “We are delighted to be supporting the Weald and Downland Museum event, which promises to give an exciting and innovative look at the role of horses in war.”
He explained, “Artillery was by far the greatest cause of casualties during the First World War: British 18 pounders fired nearly 100 million rounds between 1914 and 1918.”
“The 18 pounder was introduced in 1904, after British experiences during the Boer War revealed that the Army was falling behind in the arms race to produce a true quick-firing gun, vital in modern warfare. The 18 pounder was the result of rapid development combining the best features of designs from Vickers and from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
“It could fire eight rounds per minute and was intended for the rapid action fought largely in the open in South Africa. It was therefore designed to fire only shrapnel shell at troops within sight. The ammunition was ‘fixed’ that is the shell was fixed to the cartridge containing the cordite [propellant] and primer and loaded as one, making it quick to fire. But to be able to fire the sustained barrages of high explosive demanded during the First World War, as the opposing armies dug into their deep trenches, the 18 pounder had to be modified, as in our example, which is dated 1918.
The 18 pounder was one of the most powerful and effective field guns on the Western Front, but also saw service further afield, notably in Mesopotamia.”
The 18 pounder’s overhaul was carried at Fort Nelson, home to one of the world’s finest collections of artillery and guns, from across the ages and from all corners of the globe.
In 2011, this unique heritage attraction underwent a major redevelopment to create a museum for the 21st century, supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, complete with new galleries, state-of-the-art education centre and visitor facilities, including a café with views over Portsmouth Harbour.
For more information and the latest news about Fort Nelson and the Royal Armouries:
Notes to editors
- Royal Armouries is the national museum of arms and armour and has sites in Leeds, HM Tower of London, Fort Nelson and Louisville, Kentucky. It is the first British national museum to open a permanent presence in another country
- Admission to the museum is free. However, there may be a small charge for some special events.
- Open all year daily, 10am-5pm. Closed 24-25 December
- Information Line: 0113 220 1999
- Website: www.royalarmouries.org
- The Royal Armouries Museum should not be confused with Royal Armouries International plc, the private sector corporate hospitality business.
- Background – Standing high on Portsdown Hill near Fareham, Fort Nelson showcases one of the world’s finest collections of artillery, down the ages and from across the globe. In 2011, this unique heritage attraction underwent a £3.5m redevelopment to create a museum for the 21st century, supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, complete with new galleries, state-of-the-art education centre and visitor facilities.


Q: Is Phonics-Rich Instruction, as Pushed by the White House, Needed in U.S. Classrooms? YES: The Fad of Whole-Language Teaching Has Led to Widespread Illiteracy among U.S. Students
Byline: C. Bradley Thompson, SPECIAL TO INSIGHT
For the last 20-plus years America's schools have been a battleground in an all-out war over how to teach children to read. Initially, the principal combatants were professors of education, teachers and parents. Today, however, the battle has spilled over into local, state and national politics. The stakes are high: Billions of dollars in federal money are up for grabs, not to mention the future of our children.
To receive federal money, school districts must follow President George W. Bush's Reading First initiative, which requires children to be taught to read with scientifically proven methods of instruction. And that's where things get interesting. The two sides in this war advocate very different approaches to reading instruction. The first approach (approved by the Bush administration) is the traditional method known as phonics, and the second (supported by the education establishment) is commonly referred to as the "whole-language" method.
Learning to read is a profoundly important event in a child's life. At first, written English to a child is indistinguishable from Egyptian hieroglyphics or Chinese characters. The child only sees unintelligible black marks on a page. The great challenge is to teach children how to convert the letters and then the words they see on a page into the language that they hear and speak every day.
Written English is based on a relatively simple alphabetic code that represents spoken English. The process of learning to read is straightforward: "Learn the code, learn to read." Phonics teaches children the code and then how to decode written English by sounding out and blending the letters that make up words in a specific sequence, from the simple to the complex. Generally speaking, the phonics approach follows a logical two-step process. Children are first taught phonemic awareness that is, they learn the 44 phonemes or sounds of the English language. Once a child learns the discrete sounds associated with the letters "b"-"a"-"t" he can blend the sounds and read the word "bat." The child then advances to the second stage, which asks him to break down multisyllabic words into their discrete sounds and to reconstruct them into the full written word.
Phonics is the proper method for teaching children how to read because it is the only approach that is consonant with the nature of the English alphabet and with the requirements of human cognition. English is an alphabetic language, which means that different letters represent different sounds. Each letter is an abstraction that denotes countless instances. Thus, once a child has mastered the 44 phonemes and their relationship to the 26 letters of the alphabet and a few letter combinations (e.g., the sounds "ch" or "sh"), the sound-letter correspondence becomes a stable principle in a child's mind that can be used to decode hundreds of thousands of words.
The virtue of phonics is that children can decipher virtually any word and can understand as many words as they have in their spoken vocabulary. That's why children have been successfully taught to read, spell and write for centuries using the phonetic approach. All the legitimate scientific research developed during the last 30 years demonstrates conclusively that phonics is the best way to teach children how to read.
America's education establishment rejects phonics. Ken Goodman, for instance, has written that "Matching letters with sounds is a flat-earth view of the world, one that rejects modern science about reading." Many educators find phonics instruction artificially regimented, stultifying and boring. Phonics, they say, deprives children of the opportunity for individual self-expression.
The favored method of America's teacher educators is the whole-language approach. Whole language has been around for a very long time, but its proponents launched a massive insurgency to acquire power and academic hegemony in the early 1980s. …


The duties of a quantity surveyor is to manage all costs relating to a building project across newly built premises, renovations or maintenance work in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
The responsibilities of a quantity surveyor are to conduct fee studies on projects and work out ways on how to minimise costs of the project whilst enhancing value for money. Quantity surveyors also need to ensure that they are meeting legal and quality assurance requirements of the project.
The typical duties of a quantity surveyor may include:
- Conduct studies of feasibility to estimate costs relating to materials, time and labour.
- Prepare, negotiate and analyse costs relating to tenders and contracts
- Prepare and advise on legal and contractual issues
- Value completed project work
- Arrange for payments on completed project work
The Qualifications of a quantity Surveyor:
A quantity surveyor must have a professional qualification or be degree qualified and accreditation is required. The most relevant degree qualifications may include surveying, construction, civil engineering and structural engineering.
Being a quantity surveyor takes not only skill and qualification but it also takes methodical thinking techniques. Working in construction a quantity surveyor is required to have a strong knowledge of the construction sector, you are required to be a strong problem solver, excellent with financial and numeracy skills and have outstanding communication and negotiating skills.
After gaining experience in the industry a quantity surveyor can work in specialised areas such as advising on property tax, post occupancy advice, facilities management, life costing advice as well as construction projects, maintenance and costing.


The problem with music education in U.S. public schools, some musicians say, isn't that there's not enough of it but that there's not enough of the right kind.
That's why Steven Van Zandt, lead guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is starting what he calls an unprecedented project to change music education in schools across the country through rock-and-roll.
"We had the wonderful opportunity to see rock-and-roll being born, and we grew up with it," said Van Zandt, 57.
"It opened up my intellectual and emotional life," he said on a recent trip to Washington to launch Little Steven's Rock and Roll High School, a music education program designed to trace the history of rock and highlight its cultural impact. "We want to make sure that opportunity is passed along to the next generation and generations to come."
Van Zandt said his program, which is being written with help from the National Association of Music Education, is different from other music programs. Traditional music education emphasizes chorus, marching band and orchestra. His curriculum would teach students about U.S. history through music they appreciate.
"Rock-and-roll is a uniquely American art form," he said. "We receive emotional information as well as intellectual information from it."
Music producer Quincy Jones agrees. U.S. students, he said, are rarely taught the history of their own music, adding that Europeans, Japanese and others around the globe "know more about our music than we do."
"Our schools have an obligation," he said. "The culture is the soul of a country, and they aren't teaching the music which has helped mold the culture."
Jones, who created the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, a charity that connects students with technology, education, culture and music, said he would like to see every school in the nation teach students about culture using both music and sociology. They would learn about the history of jazz and blues and how one artist and genre influenced another.
"How did Stravinsky influence Debussy?" said Jones, who also writes a column for the music education magazine Music Alive!
"Who did Debussy influence? What is the difference between classical and other forms of music?"
They would also learn how to play modern forms of music, including hip-hop. "Have a marching band play hip-hop," he said. "Let's experiment."


Music lessons really are for all ages! Don’t believe us? Think you’re too old to learn? Read on as Dayton, OH teacher Mike H. explains why this is far from the case!
Studies have shown that the younger a child is, the better the chances of starting a successful music education. Children as young as 2 start learning under the Suzuki method and most children have a “window” of opportunity that opens around age 3. Sadly, that window closes around age 10, well past the age where most public schools now begin their instrumental music programs.
But what if you’re an adult who never got to learn the instrument of your dreams? I have talked to people over the years who were trying to encourage their own children to take the opportunities they had not. They were encouraging their children to learn music from a perspective of missed opportunities and the thought that it’s too late for them but not for their child.
Well, it’s never too late to learn a musical instrument! Adults may not realize that now that they’re fully grown with life experience, they are capable of learning an instrument despite the perceived setbacks. They often become bogged down with work schedules, family life and the delicate balance of life. But music lessons later in life have suggested a number of extra benefits such as:
- It can be relaxing and a great way to de-stress.
- Music lessons can help with organization and planning skills.
- Music can enhance your ability to do math and logical calculations
- There are more opportunities than you might realize for public performance
- Learning an instrument later life can act as an obstacle to Alzheimers
I’d like to start at that top of that list and discuss the relaxation benefits of taking music lessons and illustrate a few examples of what that might look like. If you’re like most adults, you already have some sort of activity you enjoy when you get the time whether that be a hobby, or a simple afternoon nap.
Listening to your favorite music has a calming effect. Your blood pressure will drop slightly and your heart rate will actually pace itself to the beat of the song. This is why you prefer hearing up-tempo music while exercising but not necessarily while trying to sleep. But what about playing an instrument? In my experience, this effect is heightened a bit more than just listening, which alone is often done in the background of other activity. In that case, it’s not likely to work at all. When you concentrate on the notes of a melody of a familiar song while playing it yourself, you can hear it come to life and the satisfaction from the hard work and perseverance is more rewarding than simply listening to the song on an iPod. The skills you pick up learning an instrument pay off huge dividends and you may find it’s easier than you think to get started. So drag out your guitar or dust off your old piano and take the first step!
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Mike H. teaches drum, guitar, piano, music recording, music theory, percussion and songwriting lessons in Dayton, OH. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Wright State University, and has over 11 years of experience teaching music! Mike joined the TakeLessons team in December 2012. Learn more about Mike, or search for a teacher near you!
Photo by Tulane Public Relations


Curriculum and Instruction
What Can I Do With A Major In Curriculum and Instruction?
Students in the Elementary Education and Secondary Education program learn to work with children of all abilities. Coursework and experiential learning prepare them to work in a variety of educational settings. Elementary education graduates find teaching opportunities in K-8 schools throughout the United States and across the globe. Secondary education graduates similarly find teaching opportunities in grades 5-12. Once in the schools, many elementary and secondary education graduates pursue further specialization in counseling, administration or curriculum development.
A career in education was once exclusively a career in teaching, usually in an elementary or secondary school or in a college or university, or to a lesser extent in a church or synagogue, or other religious institution. Today it is a much broader enterprise. Most educators are still teachers, but many specialty areas have developed, i.e. reading teachers, guidance counselors, librarians and other media specialists, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, business managers, computer experts--to mention a few. It can be said that teaching is the central career in education. All other educators exist to support teachers in one way or another.
In the public schools the most prevalent career route is a result of training in an approved program which leads to state certification. Other institutions and programs may consider a candidate without certification, but necessarily with a strong educational background and strong commitment.
Though teaching is still the career of choice for teachers, training, education and skills allow one to consider alternative career choices. These are wide and varied, occurring in different settings and with titles other than "teacher" (see Related Occupations).
The related occupations listed below are just some of the possible choices for teachers.
A Sample of Related Occupations
- Admissions Counselor
- Adult Education Instructor
- Career/Employment Counselor
- College Recruiter
- Continuing Education Program Planner
- Corporate Trainer
- Curriculum Development Specialist
- Education Professor
- Government Agency Administrator
- Human Resources Administrator
- Human Resources Specialist
- Kindergarten and Elementary School Teacher
- Non-profit Administrator
- Overseas Teacher
- Parks & Recreation Instructor
- Pre-School Director
- Prison Facility Instructor
- Private School Instructor
- Promotion Specialist
- Public Lecturer
- Public Relations Specialist
- School Administrator
- School Counselor
- School Psychologist
- Social Services Director
- Social Worker
- Technical Writer
- Textbook Editor
- Youth Center Director
- Zoo Education Director
- 4-H Agent


Use acceptable in a sentence
- The national banking system is proving to be acceptable to capitalists and to the people.
- In such a case the only acceptable prayer is to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings.
This page helps answer: how do I use the word acceptable in a sentence? How do you use acceptable in a sentence? Can you give me a sentence for the word acceptable? It may also be related to learning academic, English help, elementary education, high school education course, become a teacher education resources, coaching, and training.
Example sentences with the word acceptable, a sentence example for acceptable, and acceptable in sample sentence.


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


1st - 4th Grade
The 5 main steps of The Scientific Method are explained in a black and white worksheet for your students. I've included a fun experiment called "The Runaway Pepper Experiment" that can be used to illustrate The Scientific Method. The only materials you 'll need for the experiment are water, pepper and soap. It has a great WOW factor, my students love doing this one! Pepper experiment student worksheet and answer key are provided.
Thank you for taking a look at my Science for Kids Store!
Page 1 - The 5 Steps of The Scientific Experiment, student worksheet
Page 2 - The Runaway Pepper Experiment - materials and method
Page 3- The Scientific Method, Runaway Pepper Experiment, student worksheet
Page 4 - Answer Key


Boston Children's Museum has been creating curriculum, activities and other resources for educators and parents for 100 years. These resources are used in every state in the United States and in over 100 countries around the world, and are rooted in decades of understanding how children learn most effectively, and how adults can best support that learning.
The resources below include the multiple–award winning "Beyond the Chalkboard" website, which was named "Best of the Web – Education Website" and is used by tens of thousands of afterschool professionals all around the world; the STEM Sprouts Teaching Guide, which offers ideas and activities for early childhood educators who teach science, technology, engineering and math; guides for afterschool educators working with English Language Learners and children with autism; and BCM Home Edition – a book of 26 activities that families can try together at home. Each of these resources is available for free to any parent, teacher or other caregiver that wishes to use them. Click on the links below to find out more.
Voted "Best Education Website" by Museums and the Web, Beyond the Chalkboard is the world's first free, online multidisciplinary curriculum created specifically for afterschool educators. The hundreds of activities on this site cover a range of subjects including science, literacy, culture, art, health, math, and engineering in ways that support what's learned during the school day. Most importantly, by promoting critical "21st century" skills like problem solving, communication, and working collaboratively with peers, we believe the activities, teaching techniques and resources of this curriculum can help prepare kids for life.
Beyond the Chalkboard is being used in every state in the United States and in over 100 countries (and counting!) around the world, by tens of thousands of educators reaching hundreds of thousands of children. Such a broad community gives us all an opportunity to communicate, share and learn from each other. Click the link below to visit this website and join this growing community!
Boston Children's Museum developed the Including Children With Autism in Afterschool Settings Guide alongside experts in Autism, Out-of-School Time (OST) professionals who run inclusive programs, and parents of children with autism to help afterschool staff better support children with Autism Spectrum Disorders at their sites. As the frequency of diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders steadily increases, this Guide can serve as a platform for enriching professional growth and relevant dialogue for a wide spectrum of OST staff and administrators.
Click below to download two free PDFs: the Including Children With Autism in Afterschool Settings Guide and an accompanying document that includes examples of tools you can use with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in your afterschool program.
Working closely with the Latino After School Initiative, Boston Children's Museum developed this guide to help Out-of-School Time (OST) staff better support any and all English Language Learners at their sites. As the ELL and bilingual student populations steadily increase at both the state and national levels, we envision this guide serving as a platform for enriching professional growth and relevant dialogue for a wide spectrum of OST staff and administrators. Click below to download this free PDF.
The STEM Sprouts Teaching Guide is the product of collaboration among National Grid, Boston Children’s Museum, and WGBH. The goal of this guide is to assist preschool educators in focusing and refining the naturally inquisitive behaviors of three- to five-year-olds on science, technology, engineering, and math. It includes general information on how young children explore science topics as well as specific activity suggestions that align with the Massachusetts state guidelines for STEM teaching in early childhood. Click below to download this free PDF.
Boston Children's Museum's mission is to engage children and families in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning. But these kinds of engaging experiences don't only happen at the Museum…they can happen at home as well. BCM Home Edition was created to encourage families to explore, learn and grow together through activities that are fun and inspiring and that any family can try at home. Click below to download this free PDF and bring the Boston Children's Museum home with you!


SRU's College of Education going 'green'
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Students in Slippery Rock University's elementary education and early childhood program are going "green" through a newly adopted sustainability initiative.
"It's a program that is returning to its roots," said Robert Snyder, associate professor in the department and a leader in bringing sustainability practices back into teacher education. The goal is get graduates to take "green" learning and teaching skills into their classrooms when they begin their teaching careers.
"We have started the program in the College of Education and have a website for our science methods course. We have added programs and course work that lets our students learn about sustainability and energy issues so they can go out and teach it to elementary-level students," he said. "As a large university there are many ways to make our campus sustainable, and we are taking giant steps to achieve just that."
The SRU program is already expanding to the early childhood program for those who will teach in kindergarten through fourth-grade programs.
"We begin the program in our student's junior year, helping them complete certification through Pennsylvania and the Project WILD program. They will become trained in teaching the activities of sustainability through the Project Wild program," he said.
Project WILD is a wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 educators and their students. It is one of the most widely used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school.
The program is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about the natural world. A national network of state wildlife agency sponsors ensures that Project WILD is available nationwide and is training educators in the many facets of the program.
The new emphasis will apply to all SRU students enrolled in the elementary education program - approximately 60 to 70 students each semester.
"It's a new emphasis on sustainability," he said.
"We are seeing that young students need more 'Green Education.' Projects like planting a seed, seeing it grow, being able to measure root growth and understanding how much soil and nutrients are required is important in understanding science and nature," he said.
Schools across Pennsylvania are emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas - STEM - and the type of high-level thinking and real-world applications fit conveniently into Green Projects. They also fit with the new core curriculum Pennsylvania schools are in the process of adopting.
The program will make use of the Project WILD training and the Growing Up WILD version for younger children, he said.
"We will have pre-service teachers going out to schools with that training under their belts," Snyder said. "They will have gotten some practice by working with the children in our SGA Child Care Center where they will practice their teaching skills. It is a win for the center's children since they will be learning the ideas and concepts behind sustainability."
"The child care students will visit the SRU Science Center to see insects, learn about tree diversity as well as other 'green' topics. The SRU students will have the chance to test run their teaching methods at the same time," he said.
Snyder, who joined the SRU faculty in 2001, said he learned about sustainability as part of his own interest and through Project WILD certification training.
"I have been using the information in my classes for about 10 years, but with support of my dean, we are extending the topic across the department as well as through the Early Childhood Club and a number of planned workshops," Snyder said.
Keith Dils, SRU's College of Education dean, has endorsed the program and said it ties to SRU's overall efforts in sustainability not only on a universitywide basis, but with other programs offered by his college, including work with local Girl Scout Brownie troops, and science student visits to museums and science and technology centers that offer information about sustainability.
"We ran this idea past faculty, and they liked it. We want to use McKay [Education Building] to expand the Green School Initiative program," Dils said.
He said SRU's College of Education initiative could be expanded to a service-learning project in which SRU education students analyze the building both structurally as well as its relationship to sustainability.
"They could collect the rain water, see if solar panels are a possibility or if the windows being used are energy efficient," he said. "We can literally turn our building into a laboratory related to sustainability so that our students better understand the importance. They might later share that learning with schools where they teach."
"They may also learn how to write grants to someday help their school's sustainability projects," he said.


Have you ever wondered how music might affect our health?
Music is capable of a number of health benefits including lowering stress levels, raising states of consciousness, changing moods, accessing different states of mind, developing the brain and is useful in meditation. The fact is, there isn’t a single human culture on earth that has lived without music! Many have said music heals the soul, and it appears that they were right!
1. Improves visual & verbal skills
Several studies have shown that music education at an early age stimulates the child’s brain in a number of ways that helps to improve verbal skills, communication skills and visual skills.
A study that looked at 4 to 6 year olds who were subject to one month of musical training that included training in rhythm, pitch, melody, voice and basic musical concepts resulted in enhanced ability to understand words and explain their meaning.
A study using subjects that were 8 to 11 year olds found that those who were involved in extra-curricular music classes were developing higher verbal IQ’s and their visual ability was greater than those who were not receiving the training.
Even children as young as one year old who participated in interactive music lessons with their parents had a greater ability to communicate, smiled more frequently and were showing greater signs of sophisticated brain responses to music.
2. Keeps an aging brain healthy
Research has shown that having musical training and listening to or playing music in old age can help keep the brain healthy especially as it ages. Since listening to music is like exercising the brain, one can expect the benefits of better memory and mental sharpness as they age.
Even people who have some form of brain damage can regain partial or full access to memories (depending on severity) by listening to music, as listening can help draw on old memories and neurological patterns due to the fact that the rhythm and sounds of music stay within the core of the mind for a long time.
3. Music makes you happier
Music has the power to do so much. It can make you feel happy, sad, excited or even pumped up. Listening to music that hits you in a special way causes your brain to release dopamine which is known as a feel good chemical. It causes us to feel emotions like happiness, excitement, joy, etc. Listening to music provides us with the same burst of happiness that we would get from eating a piece of chocolate, sex or certain drugs.
Another study showed that music with a quick tempo played in a major key made people feel happy, while music with a slow tempo in a minor key more easily led to feelings of sadness.
4. Reduces heartbeat, pulse rate & blood pressure
Studies have shown that music strengthens the heart and improves the recovery time of patients who were suffering from heart disease.
Regardless of the genre of music, listening to your favorite music releases endorphins in the brain that help to improve vascular health. It has been seen that both men and women who listened to music soon after cardiac surgery were much less anxious and even reported having less pain as opposed to those who rested quietly.
5. Improves sleep quality
Some of the most common things to interfere with sleep are stress and anxiety (heart rates.) Since music has the ability to affect both in a positive way, research has found that listening to music at various times promotes better sleep patterns for people and even created more restful sleeps. In some cases music might even be able to be used to effectively treat insomnia.
6. Boosts your immune system & reduces pain
Research has shown that music is capable of reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is responsible for weakening the immune system, increasing risk of heart disease, interfering with learning and memory, lowering bone density, blood pressure, etc. Research found that by listening to just 50 minutes of uplifting music the levels of antibodies in the human body increases. While different types of music were not studied, it is important one listens to music they enjoy as personal preference of music does have an effect on overall physical effects.
7. Reduces depression & anxiety
Music can have positive effects on the psyche, mood, pain and quality of life as well.


Fields Medal is Nobel Prize of mathematics, and Maryam Mirzakhani is the first woman and the first Iranian, to win this prestigious prize.
Congrats to Maryam Mirzakhani, who is the first woman to win the Fields Medal! Basically the Nobel Prize of mathematics, the honor has gone to 56 men since it began back to 1936.
Born and raised in Iran, Mirzakhani studied at Harvard (ironically, President Larry Summers made his infamous comments about how women are naturally bad at math just a year after she finished her degree) and is now a professor at Stanford who works on ”the geometry of moduli space, a complex geometric and algebraic entity that might be described as a universe in which every point is itself a universe,” which I’m sure would sound even more impressive if I understood what it meant. At her girls high school in Tehran, she convinced her principal to start math problem-solving classes like the ones being taught at the boys high school so she could make Iran’s International Mathematical Olympiad team. She went on to be the first Iranian student to achieve a perfect score in the competition.
As Quanta notes, the gender imbalance in Fields Medal recipients probably reflects both the general gender gap in mathematics as well as the fact that the award is for mathematicians younger than 40, “focusing on the very years during which many women dial back their careers to raise children.” But Mirzakhani expects many more women will follow her. “There are really many great female mathematicians doing great things,” she said.
This is great news and I congratulate Maryam Mirzakhani. However, while feminist bloggers are focusing on the woman side of the issue, (and rightfully so), let me focus on the Iranian side of it.
It’s incredibly hard for Iranians to leave Iran and study abroad. There are many obstacles inside, like those studying in public universities need to pay a hefty amount of money to have their certificates and official transcripts, but the main obstacle is from the outside, as the consequence of the sanctions, and the unfriendly relationships between the two countries.
It’s very expensive to apply to American universities, because of the price of dollar, and because of the banking sanctions it’s very hard to make that money reach the university (often increasing the costs), and the there is all the problems of travelling, and then there’s this very tough interviews in the embassies for VISA which causes many students to be rejected after spending so much money and going through so much trouble to be accepted somewhere.
Mirzakhani’s success shows that Iranian students coming to USA have a lot to offer and might enrich the academic environment of USA considerably. I think this is good case to show that we need to soften some of the most draconian sanctions against Iran, especially those that mainly target academics and don’t harm regime officials, and also to work hard for amending the relations so that there are less obstacles before Iranian talented people who want to come to USA and contribute to it.
If she could never leave Iran, a position many Iranian students end up this day, she would never win Fields Medal, and remember, that is a prize which predicts excellence in future as well as rewarding it in the past.
Normalizing relationships and opening the doors is in the interest of both nations.


While there's nothing new about kids loving music
, science involving music and the brain proves that learning music early in life enhances brain development.
In the fantastical Freddie the Frog® 4-book series (hardcover with companion CD; $23.95 each) detailed below, preschool through elementary-age children learn musical concepts while they are duly immersed in Freddie's colorfully illustrated adventures.
Now a nationally beloved fictional children's book character, Freddie the Frog has become the mascot of music education for kids. Developed and authored by music teacher and speaker Sharon Burch, these books and companion CDs provide an accessible, entertaining and highly effective form of literature-based music education that kids absolutely love.
"Nothing compares to music in brain stimulation and development," notes Burch. "The plethora of music and brain research findings are clear - music training profoundly affects brain development and music education benefits every child. The Freddie the Frog books were purposely developed to make learning music easy and fun!"
The Freddie the Frog 4-Book Series Includes:
Book/CD 1: Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the Night
This book introduces emergent readers to fundamental music concepts in a fun and exciting way. In it, Freddie is a frog who lives with his parents on Treble Clef Island. He is awakened in the middle of the night by a strange thumping noise. Frog-eating crocodiles, a swinging rope bridge, and a humongous gray monster are all part of Freddie's adventure
as he explores the island in search of the thump. Through Freddie's adventures on the island, the reader is introduced to the treble clef staff as a map of where Freddie lives. Readers are captivated as the staff comes to life with the combination of illustrations and enclosed CD narration and music. A bonus of two sing-a-long songs, Froggie Went A-Courtin and Eli's Hokey Pokey, sung by Freddie and his friend, Eli, are included on the CD.
Book/CD 2: Freddie the Frog and the Bass Clef Monster
In this adventure, Freddie awakens from hibernation to discover he is not on his beloved Treble Clef Island. Freddie's search for home leads him through Frog Land, a strange place full of bizarre creatures all pointing him to the Bass Clef Monster who "loves frogs." Discover the dancing bees, a moonlit cocoon garden, the fire-breathing dragon, and dare to meet the Bass Clef Monster. Building on the first book Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the Night that introduces readers to the treble clef, the Bass Clef Monster introduces nine notes of the bass clef simply by playing the CD and turning the pages. The lines and spaces represent each part of this eerie adventure and the sound effects and music bring it to life. Sing-a-long songs included too.
Book/CD 3: Freddie the Frog and The Mysterious Wahooooo
In this book kids discover the tempos, rhythms, and beats of Tempo Island with Freddie and his best friend Eli the Elephant. It guides kids in playing rhythm instruments to the rhythm and beat along with Eli and Freddie who find themselves stranded on a nearby island. They follow the mysterious "Wahooooos" through the jungle and try to communicate with the purple elephant in charge. Will he help them return home? Echo, chant, and play along with Freddie and Eli to learn the beats and rhythms of Tempo Island. The audio CD includes the dramatized story, sing-a-long songs, and jam tracks to play your own created rhythm. Ages 4-9.
Book/CD 4: Freddie the Frog® and the Secret of Crater Island
This book teaches six note names and completes the treble clef staff that the first book in the series, Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the Night, introduced. Freddie and Eli discover a buggy world under the azaleas. The two friends join the Blue Beetle Bugs in their quest to find the secret on Crater Island, (middle C)! The Secret of Crater Island includes peek-through pages and the enclosed audio CD includes the dramatized story, sing-a-long songs, and jam tracks to play along with the 12-Bar Blues. Ages 4-9.
to learn more.
Merilee Kern is JustLuxé.com's "The Luxe List" Executive Review Editor. She scours the luxury marketplace for new and captivating product, service and "travel musts." Submissions are accepted via e-mail at Merilee@JustLuxe.com. View all of Merilee's Luxe List articles from here (scroll to page bottom) and follower her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/LuxeListEditor.


How Children Learn Music, Grades 58
The period represented by grades five to eight is especially critical in students musical development.
The music they perform or study often becomes an integral part of their personal musical repertoire. Composing and improvising provide students with unique insight into the form and structure of music and at the same time help them develop their creativity.
Broad experience with a variety of music is necessary if students are to make informed musical judgments. Similarly, this breadth of background enables them to begin to understand the connections and relationships between music and other disciplines.
By understanding the cultural and historical forces that shape social attitudes and behaviors, students are better prepared to live and work in communities that are increasingly multicultural.
The role that music will play in students lives depends in large measure on the level of skills they achieve in creating, performing, and listening to music.
Source: National Standards for Arts Education, published by Music Educators National Conference (MENC). Copyright © 1994 by MENC. Used by permission. The complete National Arts Standards and additional materials relating to the standards are available from MENC, The National Association for Music Education, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191, telephone: 800-336-3768.


The Nature of Geoscience
One of the foundational papers in the nature of geoscience was written in 1890 by Thomas Chamberlin, founder of the Journal of Geology, entitled "The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses" (Chamberlin, 1890 ). Chamberlin writes, "The effort is to bring up into view every rational explanation of new phenomena, and to develop every tenable hypothesis respecting their cause and history," and describes how this approach is particularly amenable to the nature of questions and observations of Earth, which have complex causes.
In 1963, the Geological Society of America published a collection of essays entitled The Fabric of Geology ; this collection covers many aspects of the philosophy of geoscience and is an excellent resource for learning more about the philosophical underpinnings.
More recently, philosophers of science and geoscientists have focused on the nature of geological reasoning and geology as an interpretive and historical science. These include:
- Carol Cleland, a philosopher of science, focuses on the nature of geoscience, debunking the myth that descriptive sciences aren't falsifiable in her talk entitled Common Cause Explanation and the Search for the "Smoking Gun".
- Kip Ault, a professor in teacher education, focuses on the importance of time as a unifying concept for understanding the nature of geoscience in his talk Teaching the Geosciences as a Subversive Activity: It's About Time.
- Robert Frodeman, a philosopher and geoscientist, describes the nature of geological reasoning in his paper 'Geological reasoning: Geology as an interpretive and historical science' (Frodeman, 1995 ).
Resources for teaching about the nature of geoscience
- Barry Bickmore describes how he approaches teaching the nature of science and geoscience to elementary education majors in his Earth Stories course at Brigham Young University.
- Jeff Thomas teaches a History and Nature of Science course for secondary science teaching majors that includes a component of the history and nature of geoscience.
- Exploring the nature of geoscience describes an interactive activity in which students must develop an explanation from an incomplete dataset, allowing for explicit discussion of many aspects of the nature of knowledge in the geosciences.
- The Cube Exercise and the Methods of Science compares and contrasts the descriptive and experimental methods and can launch a discussion about the unique aspects of the nature of geoscience.


Posted by admin | Posted in Character Education, Foreign Language, Geography, Interactive Whiteboard, Knowledge (remember), Language Arts, Math, Middle/High School, Primary Elementary, Science, Secondary Elementary, Spelling, Teacher Resources, Web2.0, Websites | Posted on 01-02-2013
What it is: Holy cow, I am SO excited! Today registration is open for World Education Games!! If your students have never participated with World Education Games (like World Math Day), this is the year. They will thank you for including them in this fun world wide contest. February 1st, that’s today, registration is open and the official warm-up training period for students begins. On March 5h students can participate in World Literacy Day, March 6 is World Math Day, and March 7 is World Science Day. March 22nd Global award presentations begin with the Official World Education Games Awards. The World Education Games is an annual global online olympics to get students from age 4 to 18 excited about learning. The fun comes in the friendly competition between countries as students compete to represent their country in the games. There are 3 days of games focused on literacy, math and science. The games are a great way to help students in speed, accuracy and general fluency in core computation, number and spelling skills. World Science Day has been designed to encourage curiosity and excitement in science while helping them answer knowledge, application and reasoning questions. Each game (a competition against other students from around the world) lasts just 1 minute. Students can go head to head as often as they would like, but only the first 50 games are counted toward the competition point tally. World Math Day was launched in 2007 and my students have taken part in this fun competition each year. Since then, Literacy and Science day has been added to the games. SO much fun!
How to integrate World Education Games into the classroom: World Education Games are such a fantastic way to encourage students to practice foundational skills. In the past, I have hosted an “opening ceremonies” at my school and done it up like the Olympics with flags, songs, etc. We go over what the World Education Games are and then make a big deal about the handing out of usernames/passwords (like lighting the torch) and then we kick off our training portion. Students get excited about participating in this fun day and we get lots of “training” in before the big day. On the actual day, we wear red, white and blue and play against kids from around the world. This is great fun in a one-to-one setting or a computer lab where all students can participate simultaneously. Don’t have that option? Because the games are 1 minute long, students can play 5 games each on classroom computers in a rotation.
Since your students are competing against students from around the world, why not use the competition to practice using a map and identifying countries? Since we have a one to one iPad program, we do this digitally with a Google Map. Each time a student competed against a country, they would come up to the board and put a “pin” in the map. Don’t have devices for each student? Use an interactive whiteboard or the paper map and actual pins on a class bulletin board, these options are just as fun!
Don’t forget closing ceremonies at the end of World Education Games. Make up fun medals and give them out to top performers, hardest trainers, etc. Think outside the box on these. Not all kids are speedy in their fact recall…find a way to honor their participation and hard work…did they see huge improvement or growth? Honor those achievements!
The World Education Games are available for free on any internet-connected computer and as a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10 app.
Check out the Resource page for teacher and student guide, a world map, a poster, and for School-in-a-box information.
Tips: Schools participating in the World Education Games can also work toward giving other children the opportunity to start school. World Education Games has partnered with UNICEF to make this happen. During the games, host a fundraiser to purchase “School-in-a-Box” Each $236 donation is enough to send 80 kids to school! What a great way to help kids understand what a privilege education is and model compassion and empathy for others.
Leave a comment and tell us how you are using World Education Games in your classroom.


Digital Approach to Art Ed. Gains Momentum
Although digital media have become more common in art education, such forms of art are still new and many educators have yet to embrace them.
“I don't think that, in general, many schools have quite woken up to the revolution that is happening with video and other forms of digital art,” says David S. Gran, the art teacher at the Shanghai American School in China, a 2,600-student K-12 school for students from about 40 countries. “But I would say that they are mediums that are gaining momentum.”
Some educators may be hesitant to teach digital media simply because of a lack of familiarity with such approaches, says Melanie L. Buffington, an assistant professor of art education at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.
Because digital video as an art form is relatively new, it may not have been included in many art teachers’ training, she says.
“If it wasn't around when you were trained, you might not feel as knowledgeable as you are about paintings or sculptures,” Buffington says, and unless teachers seek out their own opportunities for professional development, they may not feel they have the skills to teach digital video.
Kristine Fontes, an art teacher at Union City High School in Pennsylvania, warns against the dampening effect such teachers can have on students.
“Many art teachers are stuck in the old-school curriculum of teaching the elements and principles of art via drawing, painting, and ceramics,” she says. “They unintentionally discourage many students who may not appear to be artistic—because they can only draw a stick figure—from taking art.”
Craig Roland, a professor of art education at the University of Florida and the creator of Art Education 2.0—a social-networking site for art educators—recognizes the tension between teachers who use more-traditional art materials in their classes and those who have welcomed new forms of expression.
“Artists have always been on the cutting edge of technology,” he says, citing tubes of paint, the pencil, and the camera as examples. “We’re using that technology to create meaning, to express ourselves, to communicate. We’re always looking for new ways to do that.”
‘Thinkers and Inventors’
But teaching traditional art is also very important, says Roland, and ultimately, he thinks the best approach is a combination of the new and the old.
“The more technologies and the more materials we can use in the classroom, the better the chances are that each child will find a medium to express themselves,” he says. And although digital media aren’t as widespread as other forms of art, Roland says he has noticed a steady increase in the number of teachers using digital animation and video.
While teachers such as David Gran and Kristine Fontes both agree that traditional and digital art complement each other and should be taught in tandem, they also think teaching students to make and critique digital media provides this generation of students with essential knowledge they will need whether or not they decide to pursue careers in art.
“Video certainly overshadows other art forms in the public arena,” says Gran. As a result, he argues, it’s important for his students “to develop critical-thinking skills about all the information that comes at [them] on a daily, if not hourly, basis from the mass media.”
Fontes agrees. “I am arming the students with the skills they will need to compete in a global workforce,” she says. “They are the thinkers and inventors of the future.”
Vol. 01, Issue 04
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|Born||Oct. 10, 1738
|Died||Mar. 11, 1820 (at age 81)
|Works||View Complete Works|
Known as the father of American painting and the Raphael of America, Benjamin West (1738-1820) created an iconic style in his paintings of historical, landscape, and religious subjects. West was the first American artist who was able to gain international fame from his classical, high style, large-scale, historic paintings in oil on canvas. Although his subjects and style were somewhat controversial to some people of his time, West’s art and respect for antiquity became admired, studied, and imitated in later times.
Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, Benjamin West was the tenth child of a Quaker innkeeper and tavern proprietor. Having a talent for the art of sketching, West was a self-taught artist with very little formal education. He learned by doing and listening to other artists. The Native Americans first showed West how to paint by mixing clay from the river bank with bear grease. West began his career in Pennsylvania painting portraits from 1746 to 1759.
William Henry, an American gunsmith and delegate for the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, took an interest in West, and encouraged him to design the painting Death of Socrates. The chancellor of the College of Philadelphia, William Smith, saw this painting and offered West an art education and connections to very wealthy patrons. West later met John Wollaston, a painter from London, and refined his techniques of producing shimmering effects with paint and almond-shaped eyes, characteristic of his subjects.
In 1760, William Allen (a wealthy merchant, Chief Justice, and Mayor of Pennsylvania) and William Smith sponsored West’s travel to Italy, where he learned the painting techniques of the masterful Italian artists Titian and Raphael. While living in Italy for the next three years, he became acquainted with neo-classical influences before settling in London in 1763. In 1764, West placed his first painting done in England, Angelica and Medoro, and his Rome painting, Cymon and Iphigenia, in an exhibition in Spring Gardens, where they gained much attention. The following year, he married Elizabeth Shewell, a fellow American.
In 1768, King George III became a patron of West’s. They had discussions about how to promote the creation and appreciation of the visual arts through education, leading to the establishment of a Royal Academy of Arts in London. In 1792, West became the president of the Royal Academy, and he was also the historical painter appointed to the court as well. Benjamin West died in 1820 at his Newman Street home in London. He was later buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral. His revered works of art are today displayed in fine art museums in Philadelphia, London, Brooklyn, and Chicago.
The Death of General Wolfe was one of West’s most famous and influential works of art. Painted in 1771, it depicted the British General’s death during the Battle of Quebec, in 1759, during the Seven Years’ War. In 1806, West painted The Death of Nelson, commemorating Horatio Nelson’s death, at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. During the 1770’s, West painted eight large canvases in oil, depicting scenes from the life of Edward III for the Windsor Castle.
West used expressive composition, colors, and figures in a large scale, which he termed epic representation. This was to help the viewer of his art to identify more with the scene and the monumental time in history.


Difference Between CST and EST
CST vs. EST
“CST” and “EST” are common abbreviations that are used among people and travelers within the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is a common understanding that due to the alignment of the Earth with the sun, there are various time zones throughout the world. “CST” and “EST” are two abbreviated time zones that are in the Eastern half of the United States. The time zone difference means that there are certain states and cities that are experiencing one time, for example, 8:00 p.m., which in the next time zone over there are other places that are at 7:00 p.m. Time zones are typically studied in elementary education. However, for those who do not have an understanding and knowledge of CST and EST, it can be rather confusing.
“CST” is the abbreviation for “Central Standard Time” zone. This time zone is one of four in the United States and covers states like: Alabama, Louisiana, Michigan, and most of Texas. Central time zone is also observed in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, most of Ontario, and parts of Nunavut and Saskatchewan. Some Mexican provinces included are Oaxaca, Durango, Chiapas, and Veracruz.
“EST” is the abbreviation for “Eastern Standard Time” zone. This time zone is another one of the four in the United States; however, it covers states like: New York, Maine, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The Eastern Time zone is additionally observed in parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Nunavut, and Quebec. In Central America, the island of Panama and some countries in the Caribbean still utilize Eastern Standard Time as well. Central Standard Time zone is considered six hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time, and is affected by daylight savings times throughout parts of the year. Eastern Standard Time is considered five hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time and is also affected by daylight savings time. The Eastern time zone is the earliest time zone in the United States. It is before both the Central, Mountain, and Pacific Time zones. This Central Time zone is located one hour behind the Eastern Time zone, one hour ahead of the Mountain Time zone, and two hours before the Pacific Time zone.
In Spanish, Central Time is “Tiempo Central Estandar” (CST) and in French it is called “Heure Normale du Centre” (HNC). In Spanish, the Eastern Time zone is called “Tiempo del Este” (ET), and in French it is called “Heure Normale de l’Est” (HNE).
1.“CST” and “EST” are both abbreviations for time zones in North America. Central Standard Time is CST and Eastern Standard Time is EST.
2.CST is one hour behind EST. The Central Time zone is six hours behind Coordinated Universal Time, and Eastern Time zone is five hours behind.
3.Places like Alabama and Louisiana are in the Central time zone along with Canada’s Manitoba and Mexico’s Veracruz. 4.Places like Florida and Maine are in the Eastern time zone along with Quebec in Canada and southern areas like Panama and parts of the Carribbean.
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Overview of CAS Gen Ed Curriculum
The college’s General Education Curriculum has seven goals:
- Read, understand, and analyze texts
- Communicate effectively in speech and writing
- Understand and use quantitative reasoning to solve problems
- Locate, evaluate, and synthesize information in the construction of knowledge
- Explore and connect fields of knowledge in the liberal arts
- Develop facility for moral reasoning and examine the moral and religious dimensions of human experience
- Develop capacities for responsible citizenship and leadership in diverse communities
Purpose of the Curriculum
This curriculum teaches students the value of broad intellectual inquiry and fosters the resilience and inventiveness essential to success. At the same time, it helps students build foundational skills so that they can excel in advanced study and learn to become leaders.
Studies show that the first year of college is most critical for sustained success. Trinity’s First Year Experience sustains and nurtures students through their most vulnerable year, in the following ways:
- All first year students participate in assessment of their skills before classes begin. Students are then placed in courses that fit their abilities and needs.
- Each new student will join a “learning community” course with others who share her academic interests.
- The learning community professor will also be the student’s advisor for the whole first year.
- Learning communities link students’ classroom experiences with co-curricular programming, including visits to the theater and field trips relevant to students’ interests.
- Upon completing the First Year Experience, students will be ready to apply their foundational skills to any discipline.
Preparing for the Workplace
Trinity believes in preparing students for professional success as part of the undergraduate experience. The Gen Ed curriculum prepares students for reflective, responsible leadership through application of liberal learning to real-world experience, by helping students to engage in internships, peer mentoring, public service, and other experiential learning projects.


By Rachael Carnes
Every person can learn from dancing. Not everyone will grow up to perform dramatic leaps in a corps de ballet or to shuffle off to Buffalo with the Rockettes, but every child deserves the opportunity to dance. For babies and toddlers, creative movement offers a range of experiences that facilitate natural, easy play and proper development of alignment, neurological coordination and a fundamental exploration of baseline concepts that are the building blocks for future learning. For preschoolers, children about 2 1/2 to four, movement play in a creative dance setting can help to provide an essential educational experience. Through movement, songs, games and rhymes, children not only flex their muscles as they gain strength and endurance, but they challenge themselves emotionally and cognitively as well.
Creative dance for small children approaches many ways of learning. Inherently kinesthetic, a solid creative dance class should be appealing to both boys and girls, offering ample opportunity to hop, bound, run, dive, leap, jump, turn, kick, and stretch. Kids, of course, love to move. As an educational model, dance uses rhythm, honing children's aural skills, and giving them a chance to approach conceptual ideas through their bodies. Creative dance also relies on linguistic play like rhymes and games that involve the use of fun new language and vocabulary. Academically speaking, in a ten-week session of creative dance for preschoolers, your child can and should be exposed to most of the basic academic bases they'll climb to in their elementary education. But they'll tackle these new ideas not through tests and standards, but through fun, playful and engaging activities.
When children dance together, something amazing happens. Creative dance is a tremendous learning modality for the individual, but what's thrilling to see as a teacher and parent is the way children begin to embrace new ideas that foster community building and social connections. Under the care of a dedicated teacher, even the tiniest dancers can look at and appreciate each other's choreographic efforts, applaud each other's determination and zeal and work together to solve problems. While they're just having a great time singing and dancing and being silly, they're also addressing important meta-cognitive learning needs. Simply put, these small dancers can begin to see the differences in the way they think and feel compared to other people, to accept and celebrate these differences, and to have the necessary vocabulary to sort out their experiences. This level of objectivity about other people is something that will serve any child well as he or she encounters the larger classes and variety of experiences that loom in early educational experiences. The creative dance method offers children and their caregivers tools for learning for a lifetime.
As with any enriching educational activity, consistency is key. You and your child can play at the pool once or twice over the course of a few months, and have a great time. But if your goal is to have your child become safe and comfortable in the water, you're probably going to want to take regular lessons. That's why it's recommended that children be involved in a regular creative dance class, so they can get to know the teacher and his/her classmates, so they have the chance to build on the conceptual vocabulary that has been worked with in previous weeks and so they can gain a greater understanding of the material. But most importantly, consistency and the repetition and affirmation it affords will provide your child with a wider launch pad for their own creativity both in and out of class.
Here are a few of the benefits of Creative Dance for preschoolers:
- Increased body awareness, kinesthetic comfort and ease
- Improved alignment, flexibility and neurological patterning
- Emotional and social growth and development
- Greater self-esteem and autonomy
- Linguistic and aural (listening) skills enhanced
- Beginning understanding of academics such as math, reading, spelling and science
- Approaches 'classroom skills' necessary for school experiences, such as taking turns, following directions, listening, sharing and communicating needs and feelings
- Develops an early creative spark in individuals and groups
For more information on the benefits of dance and other art forms on early childhood education, please refer to this website's links to other organizations dedicated to improving children's learning experiences.© 2003-2008 Rachael Carnes


Handwriting requires the integration of many skills. A child must be able to sit upright, pay attention, hold the pencil correctly, hold the paper with the non-dominant hand, understand the direction of letters and words, accurately form the letters and words, and use appropriate spacing. This is only a portion of what is required for handwriting! These skills can require the integration of all seven sensory systems. However, the visual, vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile systems are the primary systems involved in handwriting.
The integration of the vestibular and proprioceptive senses is required for a child to be able to have the appropriate postural control to sit upright, and have the stability in the shoulder to control his hand. These sensory systems also help the hand to coordinate and plan the movements necessary to form letters. Visual processing is necessary for the child to perceive what he is seeing and to know how to reproduce the same figures on his paper. Additionally, he must have tactile and proprioceptive awareness to have an adequate grasp and pencil pressure.
At Leaps and Bounds, a child is assessed to determine which sensory systems are impacting his handwriting. Therapy focuses on improving foundational skills and abilities. These areas are addressed through fun, playful activities that improve sensory processing, postural control, fine motor strength and coordination. As the child develops these underlying skills, he will make improvements without the frustration of practicing handwriting. Tasks that were previously insurmountable will now become easier and more fun.


Music Advocacy's Top Ten for Directors
- In a 1995 study in Hamilton, Ohio, string students who participated in pullout lessons
averaged higher scores than the non-pullout students in all areas of the Ohio Proficiency Test.
Sixty-eight (68) percent of the string students achieved satisfactory ratings on all sections of the
test, compared to fifty-eight (58) percent of the non-pullout students.
- Michael D. Wallick, "A Comparison Study of the Ohio Proficiency Test Results Between Fourth-Grade String Pullout Students and Those of Matched Ability," Journal of Research in Music Education, 1998.
- According to a 2000 survey, eighty-one (81) percent of people responding believe that
participating in school music corresponds with better grades and test scores. This is an
increase of fourteen (14) percent over the 1997 results for the same question.
- Attitudes, NAMM (International Music Products Association), 2000.
- More music teachers are role models for minority students than teachers of any other
subject. Thirty-six (36) percent of surveyed minority students identified music teachers as their
role models, compared to twenty-eight (28) percent for English teachers, eleven (11) percent
for elementary teachers, and seven (7) percent for physical education teachers.
- "Music teachers as role models for African-American students," Journal of Research in Music Education,
- Only thirty-one (31) percent of teenagers and adults in a 2000 survey who do not play an
instrument feel they are too old to start learning.
- Americans Love Making Music – And Value Music Education More Highly Than Ever, American Music
- Researchers at the University of California and the Niigata Brain Research Institute in Japan
have found an area of the brain that is activated only when reading musical scores.
- "Musical Brain – Special Brain Area Found for Reading Music Scores," NeuroReport, 1998.
- In the 1998 federal study Gaining the Arts Advantage, music teachers in many of the
strongest arts programs nationwide are encouraged by their schools to perform in their
communities and to improve their own performing skills.
- Gaining the Arts Advantage, The President's Council on the Arts and Humanities, 1998.
- Ninety-two (92) percent of people who play an instrument say they were glad they learned
to do so, according to a 2000 Gallup Poll.
- Gallup Poll Shows Strong Support for Putting Music in Every School's Curriculum, Giles Communications,2000.
- In academic situations, students in music programs are less likely to draw unfounded
- Champions of Change, Federal study, 1999.
- The scores of elementary instrumental music students on standardized math tests increased
with each year they participated in the instrumental program.
- "Music Training Helps Underachievers," Nature, May 26, 1996.
- Nine out of ten adults and teenagers who play instruments agree that music making brings
the family closer together.
- Music Making and Our Schools, American Music Conference, 2000.
- Carl Hartman, "Arts May Improve Students' Grades," The Associated Press, October, 1999.


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Horses, Hitches, and Rocky Trails: The Original Guide to Packing, Camping, and Getting Along with the Wildernessby Joe Back
Synopses & Reviews
Horses, Hitches, and Rocky Trails is the most complete presentation available of the method of packing for the wilderness. The full treatment is amplified by the brilliant drawings by Joe Back, a most-able artist, as well as a man who knows what he is talking about from personal experience. Black includes step-by-step instructions on not only how to prepare for heading out into the wilderness, but also how to cope with the elements.
Some of the lessons taught in this book include:
Be better equipped for what the outdoors has to offer.
About the Author
Joe Back was born in Ohio in 1899 and moved to Wyoming when he was a teenager. He served as machine gun instructor during World War I and then took up trade as a cowboy, guide, and packer. While art education changed his life and although he went back to packing and guiding, he also became nationally known as a sculptor. Joe Back died on September 7, 1986, at the age of eight-seven.
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Students have high levels of reading literacy and become independent, life-long readers
Reading is a window to the world. Reading is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment. The degree to which students can read and understand text in all formats (e.g., picture, video, print) and all contexts is a key indicator of success in school and in life. As a lifelong learning skill, reading goes beyond decoding and comprehension to interpretation and development of new understandings.
[From: Standards for the 21st Century Learner. www.ala.org/aasl/standards ]
Blachowicz, Camille and Ogle, Donna. Reading Comprehension: Strategies for Independent Learners. 2nd Ed. New York: Guildford Publications. 2008.
Research-based approaches to comprehension instruction, designed to help K-9 students compare and evaluate print and online sources, build study skills, and become motivated readers.
Farstrup, Alan E., Samuels, S. Jay. 2002.
What Research has to say about Reading Instruction.
International Reading Association, 2002.
International Reading Association (IRA)
Nnonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. IRA supports literacy professionals through a range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities. Members promote literacy for all by:
- Improving the quality of reading instruction
- Disseminating research and information about reading
- Encouraging the lifetime reading habit
Marcoux, E., and D. Loertscher. The Role of a School Library in a School's Reading Program.Teacher Librarian 37.1 (2009): 8-14.
Moreillon, Judi. Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago, Ill.: ALA 2007.
Research shows that collaboration between classroom teachers and teacher-librarians improves overall effectiveness in increasing student's reading comprehension and achievement. This resource shows how to develop these co-teaching strategies.
Moreillen, Judi. Position Yourself at the Center: Co-teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies.Teacher Librarian 35.5 (2008): 27-33.
New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy (2012)
American Association of School Librarians. Position Statement on the School Library Media Specialist’s Role in Reading.2010. http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/resources/statements/reading-role .
American Association of School Librarians. School Library Media Specialist's Role in Reading Toolkit. 2010. http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/tools/toolkits/role-reading .
Adolescent Literacy Walk-Through for Principals (PDF 307 KB)
(A Guide for Instructional Leaders)
Web site looks at three categories of literacy; visual, media, and information literacy. Children are exposed to imagery that they must constantly process and interpret. Literacy has come to mean much more than the ability to read. http://ccb.lis.illinois.edu/Projects/youth/literacies/lit_home.html
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) guide presents practical
strategies that classroom teachers and specialists can use to help
students in grades 4 to 12 refine and build upon their reading skills.
Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and
Intervention Central - multiple grade levels, multiple subjects, resource for progress monitoring, RTI interventions and differentiated instruction;
Reading Next: A Vision For Action and research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York
Reading Rockets: Web tools to support elementary, reading;
Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Writing Next: Effective Strategies to improve Writing off Adolescents in Middle and High Schools: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York
[Photo credit: New York Library Association]


Back in July of 1973, David H. Ahl changed the programming world by publishing his landmark BASIC programming book for DEC called "101 Basic Computer Games Book". Five years later David would re-publish the work as BASIC Computer Games - The Microcomputer
Edition. For many of us old programmers, we still remember staying up all night typing in the BASIC games listed out in each of his wonderful books. Now you don't have to re-type these classic games into the computer yourself, you can just "cut and paste"
the Small Basic source code right out of this Small Basic Computer Games E-Book. The "Basic Computer Games - Small Basic Edition" eBook is a Small Basic translation of the original "BASIC Computer Games" book originally edited by David H. Ahl (with permission).
Click on the small basic links below to see the first 10 classic BASIC computer games re-written in Microsoft Small Basic.
Excerpt © Copyright 2010-2015 by Kidware Software LLC All Rights Reserved. Computer Science For Kids, the Computer Science For Kids logo, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Kidware Software LLC.
Philip Conrod & Lou Tylee have co-authored dozens of books and tutorials for beginning Microsoft Basic, Small Basic, Visual Basic, and Visual C# developers of all ages for over 25 years.