It goes by many names. "Summer slump" and "summer brain drain" are popular. Regardless of the name, "it" refers to the learning loss students experience over summer vacation. According to research, teachers spend between four and six weeks re-teaching material that kids forget over the summer.
But there are ways to avoid the summer slump.
1. Get Out of the House
Look for outlets that keep the kids busy and their brains functioning. Check with your town's parks and recreation departments, churches, community centers, and other family-friendly organizations for day camps and week-long summer camps.
Visions of summer camps include arts and crafts, swimming and overnight adventures. But camp activities have expanded. Sports camps, music and drama camps, art camps, and science camps — just to name a few. In one summer your child can learn a soccer player's moves, a guitarist's chords and a detective's crime solving abilities.
Visit museums and zoos, many of which also offer summer camps, too. Children's and science museums provide hands-on exhibits. Zoos encourage a love of nature and animals.
Summer's the best time for a crash course in physical education. Swimming, biking, and hiking are just three examples. A playground's swings, slides and jungle gyms provide a great workout for little ones. The bonus is the opportunity for quality family time.
When the temperature soars and the air quality sinks, head indoors to your local library. From reading clubs and story hours to fun interactive presentations and activities, community libraries offer a variety of kids programs for all ages, and most are free!
2. Get Creative With Little Ones
Brainstorm ideas for teaching elementary education topics. The key? Activities so fun the kids won't know they're "at school."
Reading experts recommend that reading 20 minutes each day keeps kids reading skills progressing. Set aside time during the day for kids to find a spot on the couch or under a tree to read. Don't limit reading material to picture and chapter books. Magazines and newspapers work great, too. Gather the other neighborhood parents to start a book club, or ask your local library for book club and reading program options.
Suggest that your child keep a journal over the summer, writing about vacation and adventures. Another option to keep the penmanship pretty is to handwrite letters to relatives or friends from school.
Use activities around the house to encourage use of math skills. Give an allowance and help kids keep track of earnings. Spend some quality baking time in the kitchen — practicing fractions in the process.
Summer is all about nature, and nature is all about science! Plant a vegetable garden, hang bird feeders and houses, and go for nature walks.
A visit to your local craft store will reveal hundreds of summertime art activities. At the very least, grab a box of sidewalk chalk and start drawing!
Attend free summer community concerts. Sit down at the computer and create a "Summer Fun" playlist. Trade in the car DVD player for music.
Computers shouldn't be banned from June through August. Lots of cool websites encourage learning while kids have fun. PBS Kids is a great example. Help your child create fun posters for their rooms using clip art and fonts of different sizes and colors.
3. Get Your Teens Involved, Too
Encourage your older child to get a part-time summer job. Doing so teaches skills he'll use throughout his life — and puts some summer spending money in his wallet.
Many teens turn to malls and fast-food restaurants for summer jobs. This is fine, but look for other employment outlets. Examples include pet sitting, babysitting, being a camp counselor, and lawn maintenance.
If a part-time job isn't appealing, talk about volunteer opportunities. Community organizations from food pantries to churches to animals shelters always need volunteers. Volunteering develops a sense of self and the world around you.
4. Get Serious About Monitoring Electronics
Before summer begins, call a family meeting and set the summer ground rules for computer, cell phone, television and video game usage. Outline consequences to expect if the rules are broken.
If necessary, take advantage of your parental right to exercise control over the household electronics. Hide the power chords (shortening a computer's lifespan) and block mindless television channels.
5. Get Everyone on Board
As with any approach, the best-laid plan involves all family members. Talk about constructive family summer plans over Sunday dinner. Brainstorm ideas and encourage even the youngest members to offer suggestions.
But most importantly, set an example. Turn off the television and open a book. Take the dog for a walk and invite your child along.
The summer slump often seems inevitable. But with proper planning and a family effort, your child can stay engaged and excel in the next school year.


Welcome to Focus Education’s Preschool Programs. We currently offer two programs. Program 1 and Program 2. Program 1 is outlined below. Program 2, offers all of program one’s content and structure but also introduces your child to multiple-intelligences. We believe we are unique in offering this cutting-edge content. It is designed so that your child is empowered and expanded into the world of multiple-intelligences. Skills and familiarity with multiple-intelligences provide your child with essential collaborative, cohesive leadership skills.
This program commences in both May and July each year and is proving very popular. There are two programs. The first program commences in May and is 9 months in duration. The second program commences in July and is 6 months duration. Our May program, enables the students to acquire more in-depth literacy and numeracy skills, extending and enriching their readiness for school.
The program provides pre-school children with a sound introduction to basic literacy skills and lays an effective platform for easier entry into ‘big’ school.
The classes are conducted in small groups allowing children to develop appropriate confidence in speaking and listening skills, together with advanced social skills like taking turns, listening to the teacher and following sequential instructions.
Each child involved in the program is assessed to gauge their basic phonic, visual and auditory perception skills. Any possible learning barriers are detected and addressed.
Some of the content covered in the program is:
- Knowing and saying the alphabet
- Recognising and saying the appropriate sound for each vowel & consonant.
- Basic syllabification skills ie the parts of words, beginning, middle and ending
- Word Families and rhyming words
- Reading two-letter and three-letter words
- Reading and Writing letters of the alphabet
- Recognising counting numbers to 10
- Working with numbers 1 to 10
- A short list of common sight words
- Reading, listening and re-telling of short stories.
This program is fun and interactive. It includes exposure to skills and structures within four multiple-intelligences. We are all aware of our IQ, Intellectual Intelligence but are often less familiar with other equally important ways of successfully operating in our world. The program focuses on ALL of the content in Program 1, together with developing skills in EQ ( Emotional Intelligence), SQ (Social Intelligence ) and PQ ( Physical/Health Intelligence).


Models for reflection and learning : a culturally inclusive response to the infomation literacy imbalance
Hughes, Hilary E., Bruce, Christine S., & Edwards, Sylvia L. (2007) Models for reflection and learning : a culturally inclusive response to the infomation literacy imbalance. In Andretta, Susie (Ed.) Change and challenge: Information literacy for the 21st century. Auslib Press, Blackwood, pp. 59-84.
Administrators only | Request a copy from author
This chapter focuses on an apparent information literacy imbalance between many university students’ well developed digital skills and less developed critical awareness. The adverse effect of this imbalance on their learning may be intensified by students’ differing cultural, linguistic and educational experiences. In addressing this imbalance we propose an information literacy approach, underpinned by a series of conceptual models, which fosters the reflective use of information for learning in a dynamic and culturally diverse higher education context. The models presented in this chapter combine principles of reflective practice, action research and information literacy in a framework that provides a sound theoretical base for fostering a critical approach to information use for learning. They are intended to be used both with and by learners and they have an inclusive orientation that accommodates cultural, linguistic and educational differences. Information literacy educators may find them useful as a basis for analysing learners’ needs and for designing and implementing evidence-based information literacy responses. Learners may use the models to scaffold their ongoing information literacy development or to monitor their research progress.
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from and citation databases.
Citations counts from theindexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
|Item Type:||Book Chapter|
|Additional Information:||For more information about this book please refer to the publisher's website (link above) or contact the author: email@example.com|
|Keywords:||Information literacy, Information use, Internet searching, Reflective learning, Conceptual models, HERN|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES (080000) > LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES (080700) > Librarianship (080706)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES (080000) > INFORMATION SYSTEMS (080600)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > EDUCATION (130000) > SPECIALIST STUDIES IN EDUCATION (130300) > Specialist Studies in Education not elsewhere classified (130399)
|Divisions:||Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Education
Past > QUT Faculties & Divisions > Faculty of Science and Technology
|Copyright Owner:||Copright 2007 Auslib Press Pty Ltd.|
|Deposited On:||18 Apr 2007|
|Last Modified:||22 Aug 2012 14:05|
Repository Staff Only: item control page


For the month of April my students will be journeying into the world of imagination with our focus being on Fairy Tales. I am super excited about this because our last two themes (Ocean and Dinosaurs) were informational in content. The reading, writing and other follow-up activities in this theme will allow my students to be more imaginative and creative.
Common Core Implementation
In creating the common core “I Can Posters” I have become very familiar with the outcomes. When preparing my plans for next week, I was surprised at how many of these outcomes (in language arts) were covered in just my weekly plan. To be honest, I have taught for so many years that I don’t get fixated on meeting outcomes; my main focus is making my lessons engaging for my students. I have even been known to abandon a few outcomes as they were not developmentally appropriate (don’t tell anybody). The video above outlines my weekly lesson in language arts, I am really excited to see what my students create in their written retelling of “The Gingerbread Man”. I will post some of their work when they complete it.
The plan shown in the video addresses the common core outcomes outlined below:
RL.K Strand – Reading Literature
All of the RL.K outcomes would be met except for RL.K.5
RF.K. – Reading Foundational Skills
Many of these could also be met but this would depend on which skill you would like to focus on when using the emergent reader. Many of these skills are introduced within the reader but practice is done during Literacy Center time. “I can identify all letter names and sounds of upper and lower-case letters” is ongoing throughout the year but some letters would be reviewed within each lesson. This would be an outcome that would be addressed each day because daily review is necessasry (certainly for my learners). This would also be the same with sight word recognition.
L.K. – Language Standards in Both Writing and Speaking
Many of these outcomes could be met through through the writing activity and acting out the story. The ones that would be difficult to meet are: L.K.1c, L.K.1d, L.K.1e, L.K.4a, L.K.5a, L.K.5b
W.K. – Writing Standards
The writing activiity would address many of the W.K. outcomes except for: W.K.2, W.K.3 and W.K.5.
SL.K. – Listening and Speaking Outcomes
All of these outcomes could be addressed through the weekly lesson because it is reliant on group participation.
Conclusion, My Opinion and Thoughts
It was interesting to discover how many outcomes could be addressed just from one weekly lesson (about 75% -80% of the outcomes were addressed). I did not do this intentionally because my outcomes are different. In conclusion, it appears to be more worthwhile to plan a lesson that you feel will be engaging for your students and then decide what standards it aligns with. It has been my experience, when planning a lesson around a specific outcome (more in Language Arts) that the lesson becomes disjointed and you do not realize the possibility of how many other outcomes could be addressed in a single lesson. However, addressing math outcomes can be different. In math, it may be necessary to focus on a specific skill but problem solving should always be integrated.
What Are Your Thoughts and Opinions? Post a Comment!
Receive Updates by “Liking Us on Facebook”.


Test scores and music education
Despite glitzy talent shows like “The Voice” or “American Idol,” music is less a road to riches and fame than it is a path to real learning for countless kids in communities across the nation.
When children study music, they are developing the part of their brains they use for language and reasoning. Music education is linked to spatial intelligence and creativity. It requires listening, then learning how to weave disparate ideas. Again and again, research shows music education is a critical component of the overall learning process.
At New Haven Community Schools, we’re seeing firsthand how music is helping our students learn and achieve.
This is happening as too many policymakers and communities are forced to treat music education as a luxury in times of tight finances and budget cuts in the classroom. To protect core academic programs, local public schools must make tough choices every day. Music is often the first to go.
Four years ago, New Haven was in that position. Much loved as it was, our music program could not escape the difficult cut.
Then something extraordinary happened. People in the community stepped forward and began working with New Haven Community Schools to bring the music back. They dug up old sheet music. They donated old clarinets, flutes, guitars, drum sets and more that had been gathering dust in attics, spare bedrooms and garages. In addition to musical instruments, the community gave our students their time and financial support.
We heard the same chorus again and again: These community residents, many of them products of New Haven Community Schools, kept saying how music had been such an important part of their education, how music had helped them become who they are today.
Our community came together with educators and students to help provide a solution to a challenge all public schools in Michigan face, and that was how to save a program the community wanted but could no longer afford.
Today, what had been an abandoned music room at the high school is alive with music, transformed into a space for learning where music and ideas are being harmonized and shared.
When New Haven was recognized nationally in 2014 for our commitment to music education by the National Association of Music Merchants, that award validated our community’s support and our commitment to musical education. Our children are not only better learners, they are more attentive and creative ones. They are solving problems, collaborating with one another and learning life skills with help from music.
Music education has been linked to so many singularly successful people that its impact cannot be ignored. Google co-founder Larry Page (high school saxophone), former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan (clarinet), Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (guitar), former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (piano) and so many other highly successful individuals credit their music education for giving them the courage to create, to collaborate for success, to see solutions where none may be immediately obvious.
Test scores are important. So are music and other forms of learning that may not appear on a standardized exam. Music is not on the MEAP, yet our experience in New Haven leads us to believe that musical education should be offered in all schools across Michigan.
Music may not make every child the next Bruce Kovner, Juilliard-trained pianist and billionaire investor behind Facebook. But what it can do is give all Michigan kids a better opportunity to succeed as learners.
Keith Wunderlich is the superintendent of New Haven Community Schools.


Joachim, Joseph (1831-1907) Violinnist.
Generally regarded as one of the finest violinists of his generation. At thirteen he took London by storm, a city he was to visit frequently in the following years. He was later to form a particular friendship with Brahms who acted as his accompanist. The benefits were mutual, Joachim advising Brahms on violin technique when he composed his Violin Concerto. Joachim's advocacy of Beethoven's Violin Concerto was also responsible for establishing the work in the standard repertoire.
Born in the part of the world we now know as Slovakia, Joseph Joachim's immense talents as a violinist were noted at the age of six, and he made his public debut at the age of eight. That year he was sent to study in Vienna, entering the Leipzig Conservatory at the age of twelve. He was guided through a general music education by Mendelssohn, and during his first year made his Leipzig concert debut with Clara Schumann and Mendelssohn.
Reports on his playing have at times
been in conflict. In his later years he became particularly interested
in teaching, devoting much of his life from 1868 to the Hochschule in Berlin.
As a conductor he was also admired, and it was under his baton that the
First Symphony by Brahms was introduced to England. As a composer he learnt
much from Mendelssohn, though time prevented more than a modest catalogue
of works, though he added to his opus through much of his life.


Educational Curriculum Center
Do you need the “big picture” of what you want your students to know at the end of the semester or school year?
Curriculum bulletins will give you those answers. The Kraus Curriculum Development Library is a collection of curricula from all over the country. Most (1983–2000) are available in microfiche format, but with the 20th edition (2001) the curricula are available full-text online. If the curriculum is not available full-text, the document number of the fiche is provided and can be located in the ECC on the first floor of Rosenthal Library (Room 109B). Fiche reader/printers in the adjoining Media Center are available to take notes and photocopy.
All recent New York State materials can be accessed and downloaded.
Some New York City resources can also be accessed and downloaded.
How to get your students to that big goal at the end of the year?
Look at a Teacher's Edition from the 4th floor Textbook Collection. The big goals will be broken down by grades into thematic units and lesson plans. See the Textbook Subject List for call numbers.
Do you want your thematic unit or lesson plan to incorporate children's literature?
This 4th floor collection can support a broad range of projects. It is arranged like the public library, using the Dewey Decimal classification of subjects with solid sections of folklore, biographies, poetry, and non-fiction.
Here are some sites to help you make selections:
- The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database
- The Database of Award Winning Children's Literature
Ready to be a little more creative?
Many web sites offer lesson plans that allow you to design your own thematic unit. Here are a few to get you started:
Looking for some “props” to avoid becoming a “talking head” teacher?
No need to make or buy all your own materials. To browse a variety of resources:
- Go to the CUNY Catalog on the Library Homepage
- Click on Command Search.
- For teaching aids, type wcl=eta & click Search.
- For educational multimedia, type wcl=emed & click Search.
- For educational videos, type wcl=evid & click Search.
- For educational CDs, type wcl=ecd & click Search.
- For educational CD-ROMs, type wcl=ecdr & click Search.
Need to design a bulletin board to back up your thematic unit?
No need to cut up all your own magazines! Browse the oversized drawers in the ECC for a wide assortment of pictures that MAY be borrowed. The subjects covered can be seen here.
Pictures that can be downloaded are available from the following sites:
Surprise! These MAY be borrowed from the ECC. They are on the shelves to the left of the entrance. Many have additional activities & ideas that can be used in your thematic units.
The following databases have some full-text online magazines for children and young adults:
If the full text article omits pictures, check the CUNY Catalog to see if the ECC has a hard copy you may borrow.
Here are a few guides for popular curricular subject resources:
- Children's Literature Resources in Queens College Library
- Elementary Music Education Resources
- Elementary Social Studies Resources
- English & Language Arts Resources
- Mathematics Education Resources
- Science Education Resources
- Second Language Education Resources
For more information contact:
Prof. Suzanne Li


Matter exists in three basic states: solid, liquid, or gas. Try this science project to see how it is possible to change the state of a particular solution or compound using several methods, from very simple to extremely complicated.
1Place a small open container of water in the freezer compartment of a class or home refrigerator.
2Leave the water there for several hours or overnight.
3Remove from the freezer and note what has occurred. Water changes state from liquid to solid when it reaches a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a simple example of changing from liquid to solid, or freezing.
1Dissolve granular or table sugar into a jar of water until no more will dissolve (about one cup of sugar to one half cup water). You have created a solution. This is a combination of more than one compound.
2Place a piece of string in the solution, with one end taped to the rim of the jar.
3Put a lid on the container, and store it somewhere it will not be disturbed. After several weeks, you will find crystals growing and attaching themselves to the string, which is the process of crystallization.
1Purchase a small epoxy glue kit or a fiberglass repair kit. This activity should be supervised by an adult.
2Either discharge the epoxy mixing syringe or pour the fiberglass (polyester) resin into a can or other metal container, and mix the hardener (catalyst) thoroughly using a disposable utensil. In a few minutes, the liquid will begin to get warm, and depending on temperature and the product you are using, it should harden in less than an hour.
1Dissolve table salt in water. Several tablespoons of salt in about one fourth cup of water should work.
2Pour the solution into the shallowest container you can find and put it somewhere uncovered where it will be undisturbed for several days, preferably outdoors if the weather is sunny and warm. When the water has evaporated away, the salt will return to its solid state by a process called evaporation.
How could baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap erupt?wikiHow ContributorBaking soda is a base and vinegar is acid so when mixed a reaction occurs. The 'fizz' is carbon dioxide being released from the reaction. The dish soap is to make it look better.
- Patience will help you succeed with these experiments.
- Polyesters and epoxies are poisonous chemical compounds, read the instructions with the product you are using, and avoid contact with skin and avoid inhaling vapors.
Things You'll Need
- Suitable containers for each experiment.
- Chemicals (ingredients) for each experiment, including water, sugar, salt, epoxy glue like "4 minute epoxy" or fiberglass resin and catalyst.
== Related wikiHows ==
Categories: Science for Kids
In other languages:
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 58,613 times.


Liverpool, NY – Bridges are made to be broken at Liverpool Elementary.
As part of a class project, students in Patti Bonesteel’s sixth-grade class were asked to form their own construction companies, research bridge designs and then try their hand at building their own bridges.
Just like a real company, the students created blue prints and used their $1 million budget to purchase materials, such as toothpicks, glue and cardboard, from a supply company run by their teacher. Throughout the project, they were asked to fill out order forms, write checks for their purchases and make a spreadsheet to keep their company’s finances balanced. The sixth-graders also created newsletters that showcased their company’s philosophy and the role of each team member.
After several weeks of hard work, the sixth-graders presented their bridges to four judges who evaluated their creations during the school’s annual Bridge Breaking Ceremony. Liverpool Central School District Superintendent Richard N. Johns, math helping teacher Kathy Krell, Director of Elementary Education Ellen Kuno, Toothpick City I & II creator Stan Munro, who brought some of his toothpick creations for students to look at, and Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement Maureen Patterson served as judges for the competition.
Once judging was complete, each company tested their bridge’s structure by having retired science helping teacher Bob Bonesteel suspend metric weights from their bridge. Overall winners were determined using two factors, the cost of the bridge divided by the weight the structure could hold. Teams also received awards for aesthetics and compliance.
The project integrated the sixth-grade social studies, science, technology and language arts curriculum.


The following are excerpts from a recent article in The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA) about progress made in closing the achievement gap in a local school district. Cedar Falls School District noted that there is an achievement gap and with No Child Left Behind they are focusing on closing the gap even more.
"Students in the Cedar Falls School District scored well on standardized tests taken last fall, according to data the School Board reviewed Monday.
"Students showed a slight increase in proficiency in reading, math and science over the previous year's scores. All together, 90 percent of students in fourth, eighth and 11th grades were proficient in reading, math and science ."
" New federal requirements on sorting testing data by demographic groups have revealed notable differences among groups.
"For example, students from low-income families were less likely to score well on the tests. Some 71 percent of fourth-graders on free or reduced-priced lunches were proficient in reading, compared to 87 percent of other students.
"Before you said, Oh, yeah, everyone's doing fine. Now, they're looking specifically at what are the skills," said Clark Goltz, director of elementary education.
"Another disparity exists with students in special education. Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, districts are responsible for bringing special-needs students up to proficiency in core subject areas . Dan Conrad, director of secondary education, said educators have been heartened by modest gains in the scores."
"Special needs is, of course, the area that we're most concerned about, he said. The trend in the past has been that the gap (in scores) gets larger (through school), and we're starting to address that ."
"Goltz said the district can be proud of its progress. He noted Cedar Falls students are averaging 1.4 years of academic growth in one year's time. It indicates there is growth, he said. You will see some dips, but you have to look at it over time.
About Extra Credit
NCLB Extra Credit is a regular look at the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush's landmark education reform initiative passed with bipartisan support in Congress.
Subscribe to get the Extra Credit emailed to you.
Unsubscribe to stop receiving Extra Credit.


Thursday, December 09, 2010
Teacher’s Institute in Sandusky, 1845
The main speakers of the Teachers’ Institute were Salem Lord, a teacher from New York State, Asa Lord, and M.F. Cowdery, who would later serve as Superintendent of Sandusky’s school system. Asa Lord was a teacher of mathematics, while M.F. Cowdery specialized in geography. Over ninety Ohio teachers attended the Teacher’s Institute. The Catalogue of the Instructors and Students of the Teachers’ Institute held in Sandusky, Ohio in 1845 was printed by W. S. Mills and Sylvester Ross. Sessions continued for two weeks, with instruction during the day, and lectures and general discussion held during the evening hours.
The names of the teachers who attended the Teachers’ Institute were listed in the Catalogue. Usually known as Rush R. Sloane, Mr. Sloane’s name was given as Richard Rush Sloane in the catalogue. Rush Sloane became well known as an abolitionist and served as Mayor of Sandusky from 1879 to 1880. Daughters of another Sandusky Mayor, Foster M. Follett, also attended the Teacher’s Institute. Helen and Sarah Follett worked along side their parents in attending to the sick during the 1849 cholera epidemic in Sandusky. Sarah and Emily Townsend were daughters of pioneer Sandusky resident, William Townsend. Sadly, Sarah Townsend and both her parents died in the cholera epidemic in 1849.
Several resolutions were adopted at the closing of the Institute. One encouraged the continuation of Teachers’ Institutes so that teachers could obtain practical instruction on subjects connected with teaching and governing schools. Another resolution demanded that the business of teaching be made a distinct profession. A significant resolution recommended “the introduction of vocal music into the Common Schools of this state, as an aid in mental and moral improvement, and an agreeable relaxation from study.” Paul D. Sanders wrote about this early support of vocal music education in Ohio in an article in the October 2001 issue of the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education. (subscription required)


June 24 2010
Carrie L. Lukas
Congress is considering legislation to establish regular "workshops to enhance gender equity" in the hopes of remedying the supposed "gender gap" in math and science education.
However, despite conclusive results of German, Swedish, and Australian researchers as well as a 2005 study by the RAND Corporation indicating that the alleged "gender gap" is an exaggerated non-issue, legislation to "close the gender gap" remains on the table.
As Congress debates the dubious gender issues, an even bigger "gap" is emerging...
According to recent studies and widely accepted statistical results, it is the men who are lagging in everything from elementary education, to college, to today's job market.
Women have quite simply been out-performing men at home, school, and work - an unavoidable fact that many seem to overlook in their crusade for "gender equality."
In April of 2007, well before Congress' proposed science "workshops" and Obama's signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Krista Kafer of the Independent Women's Forum asserted that
[B]oys... are more likely to be suspended or expelled, need special education, smoke, drink and do drugs, repeat a grade, commit suicide, become incarcerated, leave school without attaining literacy, drop out of school or be unemployed. Marginal advantages in math and science for boys pale compared to the sheer advantage girls enjoy throughout school.
However, while politicians and educators have joined forces to ensure that these boys' "marginal advantages in math and science" are reduced, there has been little-to-no effort made on a national level aimed at improving boys' lagging, precarious performance.
This reluctance to help men is not due to mere oversight or unwillingness to consider unavoidable facts. It is due to women's status as a pseudo-protected class and fear on the part of both men and women. Men do not want to seem sexist in advocating improved standards for boys and women fear that if they "give an inch, they'll take a mile."
Promoting gender equality is not a zero-sum game. That is to say, women's success does not necessitate men's simultaneous failure.
The radicalized bra-burning, shoulder-pad-wearing, men-hating feminists of the 1970s and 80s were a necessary force in the women's movement, willing to go to extremes to challenge the male-dominated status quo. However, a steadfast adherence to the feminist dogma of previous generations - a dogma that regarded men and the institutions they monopolized as "the enemy" - will only inhibit the maturation of the women's movement and imminent establishment of true equality.
Modern women cannot continue a crusade against men, nor can they reject women such as Nikki Haley or Sarah Palin for not heeding the traditional pro-choice, work-first-babies-later feminist manifesto.
To be truly equal to men is to promote their success as equally as we women would our own, rather than continue to feel threatened by the virile "enemy."
As society progresses and we move out of the industrial, manufacturing era, "we have seen a decline in the overall welfare of males," claims Carrie Lukas of the Independent Woman's Forum. In an interview with FrumForum, Lukas affirms that while there are a host of opportunities offered to women, "it is bad news for women if men aren't succeeding."
In the African-American community, women are excelling leaps-and-bounds beyond men - a phenomenon that has posed a host of counter-intuitive issues for women who increasingly find themselves unable to relate to the enormously less successful majority of African-American males.
"It is time to end this concept of us versus them... we want to see our husbands, sons, and brothers succeeding right along with us," rightfully asserts Lukas.
An unwillingness on the part of politicians, employers, and men and women alike to acknowledge women's unthreatened, growing success will not only negatively impact men, it will eventually hurt the establishment of equality ... which is - and always has been - the ultimate goal.


Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) February 12, 2014
ArtSchools.com, the leading directory of art colleges, discusses how artists are encouraging schools to teach students more about music and other forms of art.
In a February 3rd article posted on The Spectrum titled, “Artists Encourage Music Education in Schools,” members of the Utah Opera are giving presentations in schools to help promote arts education in the classroom. The musicians hope to introduce the arts to students in ways they have never experienced before.
The article says that five members of the Utah Opera are a part of a program that helps educate school students of the different areas of the arts. The program, funded by the Utah State Legislature, is designed to help children build character and learn how to express their feelings. The article says the artists involved in the program are from all different disciplines and want children to see how valuable the arts can be.
Andrew Girard, a representative for ArtSchools.com, a directory of art colleges, says that this arts program should be a model for schools around the country. “Education of the arts is key in the success of children. The arts offer a way for children to express themselves that is hard to do otherwise,” says Girard. “Programs like this offer a way for new, blossoming artists to see the value of their craft. These programs introduce children to new forms of music and art that they would probably have otherwise seen.”
Girard also says art education can help people become more accepting of other cultures. “By exposing children to the arts at a young age, we, as a society, can become more receptive to other cultures and histories. The arts offer a way of expressing new ideas and views. It’s an essential portion of education that should not be excluded from any curriculum.”
ArtSchools.com is a comprehensive directory of art degrees, art schools and art-related programs listed and maintained by Monster.com, the leading platform for job seekers. ArtSchools.com is dedicated to assisting prospective artists, teachers, and students find schools, jobs, and programs best suited for their preferences. Whether you’re looking for a new job, a new school or a new direction, the ArtSchools.com directory offers insight into top degree programs in a variety of fields, including graphic design, fashion design, interior design, game design, web design, photography and film.
ArtSchools.com is an affiliate of CookingSchools.com, a similar directory featuring the best culinary colleges.


Sorry, the eBook that you are looking for is not available right now.
We did a search for other eBooks with a similar title, however there were no matches. You can try selecting from a similar category, click on the author's name, or use the search box above to find your eBook.
Learning to talk, read and write fluently are the most important skills in which a child must engage during their primary years, and are the key to the rest of their school curriculum. This book focuses on contexts for and approaches to the teaching of primary English at Key Stage 2, in the light of the New National Curriculum. Through a series of guided activities, teachers are encouraged to examine their own classrooms as environments for language and literacy development and to reflect upon particular teaching strategies and activities. Key issues covered by the units include an analysis of language and literacy; the processes of language and literacy; the use of topic work; a critical look at classroom environments; an examination of the texts which children read and write; and a discussion of the role of the teacher.
Published: 16th November 1995


Looking for some fresh ideas for utilizing your interactive whiteboard in the classroom? Then be sure to check out the Interactive Whiteboard Workbook listed below created by Simple K12. Even if you do not have an IWB in your classroom, many of the ideas suggested can still be utilized by projecting the resources from your computer to a TV and/or screen.
Not only does the workbook provide 24 real-life examples of how teachers have successfully integrated the IWB into classroom activities across the curriculum, but it also lists ten free web tools that can be used to create more engaging 21st Century lessons for your students.
For example, one really neat resource mentioned is a grouping animals activity for elementary education. Once you arrive on this page, you will notice that in addition to this activity, there are a variety of others that can be used in the science classroom as well. Plus, if you check out the info listed under the tabs located at the top of the page (i.e. Early Years, Key Stage 1, etc.), you will find additional resources for other content areas such as literacy, numeracy, history, geography and Spanish to name a few. Many of the suggested sites—Crickweb—are set up in this manner, so be sure to explore each link to find activities that best suit your curriculum and grade level.
You can access the Interactive Whiteboard Workbook using the link provided below—or you can register with Simple K12 to obtain your own personal copy of this digital booklet. (A link is provided in the Interactive Whiteboard workbook.) By doing so, you will also begin to receive daily email updates from this ed tech organization. These messages include valuable technology integration tips and resources as well as free webinars on a variety of topics. I highly recommend becoming a member of this community!
But wait… There’s more! Here are a few of my favorite web resources containing cool interactive whiteboard activities. Be sure to check them out!
Utilize the interactive whiteboard resources to create more engaging and hands-on lessons for your students. These activities can also be used to enhance the 21st Century classroom experience.


Let's look at polygons. The word itself means 'many angles', and every polygon has the same number of angles as sides. Have a look around the room and see if any of our charted shapes jump out at you. Print the chart and post it up to keep kids referring back and discovering.
What you need:
computer with internet access
There is a misconception amongst some parents that mathematics education does not seriously begin until the first formal year of schooling. In fact your pre-kinder student has already begun developing a range of mathematical behaviours which will support their numeracy development.
These emerging numeracy skills, like all milestones, will develop within the context of opportunity and repetition at the individual pace of your child.
Shapes are the base of many mathematical activities and to identify these shapes, it is important for kids to see examples and learn the differences between them. Our simple, printable charts will help your kids better understand the differences between polygons.
Print the full polygon chart and thefull polygon table to help your kids learn the differences in numbers of sides and angles with a visual aide to follow.


Sites with materials and information to be used for classroom instruction or coursework in art. This could include such things as worksheets, teacher tips, directly applicable classroom situations, and/or teaching methodologies.
Related categories 5
Activities for Children
References and resources for art projects.
Directory of links to art education resources, including history of art, philosophies of art education, discipline-based art education, lesson plans, art materials, job openings in American schools, and other information.
Offering an array of content and performance programming from the visual arts, dance, music, theatre, literary and film disciplines.
News, teaching materials and professional resources from organization established under a cooperative agreement between the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Orange is Tertiary: The Theory of Colour
How to teach and understand colour.
Tennessee Arts Academy
Intensive week-long training sessions offered in the summer in Nashville for K-12 arts teachers, supervisors and principals. Topics include theatre, visual arts, music, and administration.
Last update:September 3, 2015 at 10:54:08 UTC


Childhood Music Education in the New Millennium
by Ken Guilmartin
Importance of Music in Early Childhood
by Lili M. Levinowitz
Music-Movement Connection in Early Childhood
by Jill M. Davis
What do parents think of the program?
What should I expect of my child?
What should I expect of myself?
What about practicing at home?
Center for Music and Young Children (CMYC)
Appreciation: A Universal Language for All Ages
From the National Association for the Education of Young Children
Babies: Can Classes Really Create Mini-Maestros... or Even Help
Kids to Read?
by Michael Barry
Helping Children Cope with Disaster
Jane M. Farish / The National Association for the Education of Young


A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how many of us differentiate between “real music” and “educational music.” I questioned why we need to make such distinctions and how such labels can lessen the appreciation of excellent music that has such a label. However, from the responses received, it seems that many feel that most educational music deserves such a distinction. Indeed, I was even sent an article that questioned whether most educational music should even be called music.
Okay. So let’s wave “Hi” to the elephant in the room and concede for the moment that a lot of educational music out there is truly junk. So then, what is causing this low level of quality fare? Indeed, what is it that makes “educational music” not music?
Some posited that much of what our students learn today is a poor quasi-imitation of some particular composer’s style, rather than being in some style. The pieces are dumbed down, and in the process, lose whatever original character and life found in the music from which it was modeled.
Others say that it is because of the pressures put on our music programs to integrate other subjects’ curricula into the musical literature. Thus, we get the “Pocahontas Theme” with the clarinets wailing like Indians and the parents in the hall cringing like they are about to see the dentist.
Others say it is because of the educational music publishing business. They suggest that these companies try to make the music for young bands and orchestras into a product that can be copied and marketed on a mass scale. Thus, we have at music education conferences kiosks with publisher reps all pitching essentially the same band piece with the same type of form and orchestration, but with a few changes and different titles.
Then, there are those of you that say that educational music attracts a class of composer that does not have the chops nor the talent to write “real music.” Indeed, in the article I was sent, the columnist Stephen Budiansky wrote in The Washington Post:
None of these pieces could find an audience outside the captive market of the school curriculum. None of these composers could make a living in the real world.
(Well, actually, most composers regardless cannot make a living in our American world, but that is another discussion.)
So, what gives? We lament that there is no attention given to the quality music that is available for young players, but then we also tend to act dismissively of music that has been labeled under the umbrella of educational music. How can we approach changing the system and our biases without throwing out the baby with the bath water?


Music Games Disguising Core Curriculum. Composed by Nicole LeGrand. Classroom Music, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies. Games, Reproducible. Heritage Music Press #30/2647H. Published by Heritage Music Press (LO.30-2647H).
Item Number: LO.30-2647H
Grades K-6 - Up-and-coming writer and educator Nicole LeGrand combines her experience as a classroom teacher with her current role as a music education instructor in this unique collection of reproducible worksheets specifically created to integrate core-curriculum standards in the music classroom. These worksheets are designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and do double duty as they address math, science, language arts, and social studies along with music concepts such as form, instrument recognition, multi-cultural and historical instruments, expression terms, intervals, and pitch and rhythm identification. Finding ways to connect music to core-content standards couldn't be easier!


Young minds display their work at Primary Science Fair
Published 21/01/2014 | 05:32
PUPILS from a Fingal primary school were among 120 class projects that displayed their work at the 2014 RDS Primary Science Fair, which took place alongside the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
The creative minds from Garristown National School submitted a project entitled 'Does the colour of light affect plant growth?'
The fair is not a competition, the emphasis of participation is on the development of children's core scientific skills as set out in the primary science curriculum i.e. 'working scientifically' and 'designing and making'. Through working together to question, observe, record and then make sense of what they find, students develop core life skills which provide them with a strong foundation for their future path in life.
It also aims to support teachers to develop their confidence and skills in teaching STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) using an inquiry-based approach. Feedback from teachers who have been involved in the Fair indicates that, through the process of their scientific investigation, students can also develop their literacy, oral language and numeracy skills.
Students work as a class under the supervision of their teacher on a project which should seek to pose and answer a question.
Other Fingal schools that participated were: Balbriggan Educate Together NS with their project 'Does water purity affect plant growth?'; Balscadden NS with their project 'By how much can we increase the distance we throw a stick by designing and making and atlatl?'; Holmpatrick NS, Skerries, and their project 'What would happen if the moon disappeared?'


- Arts and Crafts
- Activities and Games
- Classroom Decorations
- Furniture & Equipment
- School Supplies
- Browse by Subject
There will be many challenges for the instructor teaching first grade, as is true for instructors of all grades, certainly. In teaching first grade, your curriculum most likely requires that the children accomplish much through reading.
I believe that reading should be top priority for anyone teaching first grade, in almost every subject. Reading should be done both in the classroom and at home as homework for your students. The more the children read—the better they will be able to read and comprehend what they read as they get older. Of course—“textbooks” are not quite what we want to use when teaching first grade. Here are some examples of reading lessons and how to incorporate them with your lessons in other subjects:
· Group reading:
One thing to do when teaching first grade is group reading. The children will read one book, all of them situated as a group. Use a story that is printed on what will look like a large easel pad. There will be colorful pictures and the words of the story will be printed on the bottom of the page. Use your pointer to follow (underline) the words as the students read them aloud. Then have the students take turns reading, each reading one page at a time. Your history lessons and other lessons can be taught this way if you can find the books. If not, you can use an overhead projector to have the students read the lesson all together in a group.
The best thing about reading homework is that those students who excel in reading can advance without interrupting the progress of the other children. First, for reading homework you will want to have each child select a book either from the classroom or from the library. They will first have some “quiet time” to read their book in class. They can raise their hands if they are having trouble. Then they will keep the book to take home. Instruct the parents to have their children read the stories aloud and give them as little help as possible. The children should stay with the same book for awhile, unless they are more advanced and then you should have them read more than one book—to challenge them. When the students have had their books for a week or so, have them stand before the class and summarize the book aloud.
Students should have a lot of time to interact with each other in class. Social skills are developed at very young ages and this will help them learn how it is appropriate to behave in class, how not to behave in class, how to behave at recess etc. They will begin to understand the differences between social behaviors if you use a lot of interaction in teaching first grade.
Mathematics is not possible to teach by reading. Usually a visual aid or interactive aid that is best to use would be something like a wooden horizontal post with ten balls. This teaching device looks very much like a toy and the initial learning of mathematical skills will feel to the children more like a game than a lesson. If possible, get a small version of one of these for each child. By now the children already know how to count to ten. So let’s say we’ve put three balls on one side of the post and we want to add two. The child can move two balls over to the other side and count that there are five balls there. The same can be done with learning subtraction.
By the end of the first grade, students should be able to understand
and use the basic concepts of ones and tens in the place value number
system. The students should all be able to add and subtract small
numbers with ease.
Discuss teaching ideas,
lesson plans, classroom strategies
and more on our teacher forum!
Browse worksheets, projects, lessons, books, activities and other teaching products by grade level:
Homeroom Teacher has the best selection of Teaching First Grade at the lowest prices!
Teaching writing to young children – ideas and activities to encourage children to leaern how to write.
First you must establish a basis for more advanced learning by building vocabulary and grammar skills.
Music education and its importance in an elementary school curriculum.
So, you are thinking about becoming a teacher, eh?


Rafael Trujillo’s Early Years
Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina was the third of 11 children, born to lower-middle-class parents in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, on October 24, 1891. After receiving an elementary education, he worked as a telegraph operator and a guard on a sugar plantation.
During the United States’ occupation of the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924, Trujillo joined the Constabulary Guard and was trained by U.S. Marines. His military career quickly progressed and by 1927 he was named commander in chief of the National Army.
Trujillo’s Absolute Power
In 1930, a group of rebels under the leadership of Rafael Estrella Urena planned to overthrow Dominican President Horacio Vasquez for disregarding the constitution by extending his presidential term. General Trujillo, with whom Urena had previously made an arrangement, held his troops back as the revolution unfolded, maintaining his neutrality. With Vasquez in exile and the power of government up for grabs, Trujillo eliminated his political rivals through intimidation or force and won the next presidential election unchallenged, ushering in the “Era of Trujillo.”
Within months of taking over the presidency, the capital city of Santo Domingo was virtually destroyed and 2,000 people were killed by a hurricane that ripped through the Dominican Republic in early September. Trujillo responded by placing the country under martial law and quickly began to clear the debris and rebuild the city. Six years later he renamed the capital Cuidad Trujillo in his honor, along with thousands of other streets, monuments, and landmarks throughout the country.
During his oppressive dictatorship Trujillo was credited with improving sanitation, constructing new roads, schools and hospitals, and increasing the general standard of living for the Dominican people. But his practice of securing kickbacks on all public works contracts and monopolizing a vast array of lucrative industries ensured that the increased economic prosperity was disproportionately distributed to his family, supporters and military personnel.
Trujillo’s Brutal Regime
Despite the fact that he technically ceded the presidency to his brother Hector in 1952 and 1957 and installed Joaquin Balaguer in 1960, Trujillo retained ultimate control over the Dominican Republic for 31 years. The secret police force he established included a widespread network of spies that was used to censor the press and to threaten, expel, torture or kill dissenters in orchestrated accidents or “suicides.”
Before a definitive border had been established in 1936, disputes between the Dominican Republic and neighboring country of Haiti had persisted for centuries. Trujillo feared the “darkening” of Dominican people and publicly promoted anti-Haitian sentiments. In October 1937, amid reports of Haitians stealing cattle and crops from Dominicans along the northwest border, Trujillo ordered the massacre of an estimated 20,000 Haitians. Punishment for the atrocity amounted to an agreement in which a paltry US$525,000 was paid to the Haitian government.
The Era of Trujillo Comes to an End
Years later, after discovering that the Venezuelan government led by President Romulo Betancourt had sponsored a plot to oust him, Trujillo retaliated by sending agents to assassinate Betancourt in Caracas on June 24, 1960. News of the failed assassination attempt infuriated world leaders and prompted the Organization of American States (OAS) to dissolve diplomatic ties and impose economic sanctions on the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, underground resistance movements had arisen in opposition to the dictator since the 1940s, but they were often swiftly suppressed, as was the case with the three revolutionary Mirabal sisters who were notoriously killed by Trujillo’s henchmen in a purported car accident in 1960. On May 30, 1961, however, Rafael Trujillo was ambushed while traveling home in his car and gunned down by seven assassins, some of whom were members of his own armed forces.


By By LINDA KELLETT/For the Recorder
How can we make a difference in the world?
For Amsterdam middle schoolers Jonathan Perez, Cameron Hughes, Thomas Ryan and Ira York, the answers were varied: They could make a difference by recycling, volunteering at the library, cleaning up the street, being helpful to other people, showing caring to others, making their school a better place, and donating toys, clothes and “lots of stuff” to worthy causes.
They came up with their responses on Saturday, four days after the actual birth date of Civil Rights activist, minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr.
King, a believer in the use of nonviolent means to bring about change, was recognized during the inaugural teen and pre-teen program at the Amsterdam Free Library.
As noted by Library Youth Services Specialist Katie Capel, the kickoff program had an emphasis on personal and social responsibility.
She said, “These are ‘my kids’ who come every weekend. This is the first Saturday that we’re trying to do something formal like this. Since Martin Luther King Day is Monday, we read a story about him: “Martin’s Big Words,” by Doreen Rappaport.”
An educator with a master’s degree in elementary education, Capel said she mimicked an activity she did with her students while student teaching. “I familiarized them with an information sheet, then we stopped and talked about different parts of the story. Martin Luther King Jr. was one man who made a huge difference in the world. After the story, we brainstormed some ideas about how we can make a difference.”
As part of the Helping Hands project, the students traced their hands onto colored paper, wrote their comments on the cut-outs, and tacked them to the bulletin board in the library’s second-floor student education center. Cameron, whom Capel said is “very good on the computer,” created the heading for the display.
Other activities for program participants included coloring pages and a word search about the African-American leader.
When asked what drew them to the library on Saturdays, Cameron said, “The resources are useful. I like to read and use the computer.”
Thomas said he likes to use the computer and talk to Ms. Capel.
Ira said he likes to listen to music; and Jonathan said he likes to “use the computer, look around and read some books.”
All were enthusiastic about next week’s program, which library Trustee Thom Georgia said will feature a presentation by the Walter Elwood Museum.
Museum representatives “will be joining us next Saturday to do Inuit art,” he said.
As noted in a news release from the library, the Jan. 19 event will begin at 10:30 and will feature native Eskimo art during a celebration of national “Inspire Your Heart with Art Day” at the library.
“Robert Frothingham’s collection of Alaskan artifacts gives us a snapshot look into the life of a locally born collector, traveler, hunter, outdoorsman, writer and mentor of Walter Elwood, the museum’s founder,” the release notes. “Enjoy an up-close view of items from his travels to the North Country and beyond. After strolling through the life of an Eskimo, ice fisherman and Arctic hunter, we try our hand collectively at Alaskan Inuit art.”
John Boschi of Amsterdam, the president of the Friends of the Library group, also highlighted other upcoming events.
He said the spring book sale, which normally takes place over two days, is scheduled to be held for a full week in mid-April in connection with National Library Week.
Planners are thinking about offering daily discounts during the week-long event. For example, mysteries might be discounted one day, while sports or history books, children’s and families’ books or books about science and education might be discounted the next.
Because of the extended period of the sale, he suggested organizers might even feature discounts on particular styles or authors of general fiction books.
“You don’t often get a chance to play around with different ideas,” Boschi said.
Other upcoming activities sponsored by the library include the spring segment of the Amsterdam Reads program and the kickoff of the library’s 110th anniversary in September.
Boschi said the library’s official opening date was Nov. 3, 1903.


Introduction to Seismic Refraction
Stephen K. Boss
University of Arkansas
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This activity has benefited from input from faculty educators beyond the author through a review and suggestion process.
This review took place as a part of a faculty professional development workshop where groups of faculty reviewed each others' activities and offered feedback and ideas for improvements. To learn more about the process On the Cutting Edge uses for activity review, see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This page first made public: Jul 5, 2007
Used this activity? Share your experiences and modifications
First exposure of students to manipulating seismic refraction/reflection principles to developing a very simple model using spreadsheet software. Emphasize computing and numeracy skills and learning to use spreadsheets for data analysis and graphic display.
This is one of the earliest lab assignments in an first course in geophysics for undergraduates (mainly seniors).
Designed for a geophysics course
Integrates geophysics into a core course in geology
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
It is a very simple assignment designed to help students learn to manipulate simple equations governing seismic refraction/reflection using spreadsheet software. In effect, they are creating a simple numerical model upon which later labs will build.
How the activity is situated in the course
This an early lab exercise given during the first two weeks of the semester. At this stage, students are still quite apprehensive of geophysics in general and quantitative aspects in particular. It is a stand-alone exercise, though students will be able to build on their work in succeding exercises.
Content/concepts goals for this activity
Primary goal is to aid students learning to use spreadsheet software for the first time (in some cases). Students must learn to program equations in the spreadsheet, create a spreadsheet where variables can be altered to derive different results, students must be able to plot results using graphic display capabilities of the spreadsheet, students must be able to discriminate data points resulting from direct arriving p-waves (i.e surface waves in this case), reflected p-waves, refracted p-waves on their plots; students must be able to describe why plots of these different phases look the way they do; students must be able to manipulate variables in Snell's Law; .
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
students must learn to plan their actions in constructing the model; students must be able to correctly program equations in the spreadsheet; reflection and refraction equations are relatively complex when programmed in Excel; students learn to carefully step through equation programming and check their output to ensure model is working properly; students must be able to convert data from degrees to radian measure; students must be able to determine why their final plots look the way they do and relate these plots to the simple schematic of their Earth structure; students must be able to derive trigonometric relations from the schematic for the lab.
Other skills goals for this activity
Description of the activity/assignment
Please refer to uploaded file.
Addresses student fear of quantitative aspect and/or inadequate quantitative skills
Determining whether students have met the goals
All students are given the same initial data, so all students should produce the same results. These are compare to my key.
More information about assessment tools and techniques.
Download teaching materials and tips


Browse recordings: livestream.com/educon6
- Session Two: Saturday 1:00pm–2:30pm
- Room 300
- Jeremy Brueck
- Affiliation: University of Akron
- Conversational Focus/Audience:
- Elementary School
- Conversation Description:
e-Books for young children are proliferating, and are increasingly viewed as an appropriate source for early exposure to books and reading, especially by parents. Yet we know relatively little about what makes an e-book a good e-book for early literacy experience, particularly in relation to preschool literacy development and education.
What makes for a good, workable, instructive, enjoyable e-book for young children? Certainly the established criteria of quality childrens literature apply to e-book texts. Strong features of good storybooks over the ages are likewise the features of enduring e-books into the future: age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, satisfying plots, and rich expressions of human values, traits and struggles (Norton, 2007). In this respect, e-books are just like traditional books, and their literary or informational content can be judged by the same general criteria.
However, standards of performance and design in e-books have not been established and are the subject of considerable debate in the book industry. Where do educators factor in this discussion? Join us and begin to define our role in shaping the future of the e-book. Come ready to discuss the design of a prototype tool for evaluating the e dimension of the early childhood e-book. We will explore a matrix that provides a framework for organizing the tool (categories & elements) and specified criteria for judging the electronic reading environment.
- Conversational Practice:
- With the electronic book a rapidly growing alternative to the traditional book, there is an increasing need for classroom-based tools that support e-book pedagogy in early childhood settings. In this conversation, we'll examine a variety of e-books designed for the iPod Touch and iPad. Participants will learn interactively during a focused and intense conversation about what makes for a good, workable, instructive, enjoyable e-book for young children. We will explore how e-books are fundamentally different in that they are electronic which means information can be communicated multi-modally (audio, video, text) on the screen page. The presenter will provide a classroom set of iPod Touch and iPads to be used to examine several popular early childhood e-books. In small groups, well aim to apply an e-book Quality Rating Tool to an e-book and then share with others the merits and limitations of using that particular e-book for instructional purposes.
No comments have been posted yet.


Carl Orff (1895 - 1982)
The German composer Carl Orff is widely known for his work in music education, particularly in exploration of the connections between music and movement.
In his compositions Carl Orff found a similar connection between the dramatic and the musical, couched in his very personal style of writing, with its insistent, repeated patterns of notes and compelling rhythms. Carl Orff studied at the Munich Academy and later, in 1920, with Kaminski.
In 1924, with Dorothee Günther, he founded a school for gymnastics, music and dance, and out of this came his later activity in providing materials for young children to make music, using their voices and simple percussion instruments.
Carl Orff's adult works also seek to make contact with primitive kinds of musical behaviour, as represented by ostinato, pulsation and direct vocal expression of emotion; in this he was influenced by Stravinsky ("Oedipus rex", "The Wedding"), though the models are coarsened to produce music of a powerful pagan sensual appeal and physical excitement.
All of Carl Orff's major works, including the phenomenally successful "Carmina burana "(1937), were designed as pageants for the stage; they include several versions of Greek tragedies and Bavarian comedies.
The best known of all Carl Orff's works the "Carmina Burana", is a large scale work making use of the medieval Latin and Old German lyrics found at the monastery of Benediktbeuern.The work has become even more familiar to unmusical audiences by use of elements from it in advertising and in films.
"Carmina burana " is generally performed only as a form of secular oratorio, in the concert-hall, rather than on the stage, as is "Catulli carmina "("Songs of Catullus"), again intended for theatrical use.


By: Sabrina Barekzai
As new technology continues to revolutionize the way children learn in schools, the power of one subject remains the same: music education. Music education in schools has proven to be an enriching and fundamental part of learning. Research has proven that music training helps the brain to process words in spoken conversation, meaning children with disabilities can improve their reading ability. And that’s just the beginning. Music education provides dozens of benefits for children.
Not only are we big music people at Salesforce, but we believe strongly in the power of music education in the classroom. Naturally, we’re taking that passion one step further. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Little Kids Rock for The Night Before; a spectacular concert at San Francisco’s AT&T Park on February 6th the night before the big game. Little Kids Rock promotes music education in the classroom and beyond. Join us in helping to power the next generation of rock stars by donating now!
Read some even more amazing facts about the amazing benefits of music education below and donate to support Little Kids Rock!
● Music education boosts test scores: Students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs. (Source)
● Music helps you learn: Music enhances the process of learning. The systems it nourishes, which include our integrated sensory, attention, cognitive, emotional and motor capacities, are shown to be the driving forces behind all other learning. (Source)
● Abstract learning through music: Research into the connection between music and intelligence concluded that music training is far greater than computer instruction in improving children’s abstract reasoning skills. (Source)
● Higher GPA: High school music students have been shown to hold higher grade point averages (GPA) than non-musicians in the same school.(Source)
● Languages: Mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to a greater understanding of language components. (Source)
● Improved school attendance: Schools that have music programs have an attendance rate of 93.3% compared to 84.9% in schools without music programs. (Source)
● Better classroom vibes: With music instruction in schools, teachers found that students were less aggressive. (Source)
● Helping underachievers: Students lagging behind in scholastic performance caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22% when given music instruction over seven months. (Source)
Why do you support music education? Use #Rock4Kids and tell us why music education is important to you!
Support music education, support Little Kids Rock! Donate now.


Breast milk is the healthiest food a mother can give her baby. It has all the nutrients, calories, and fluid a newborn needs for the first six months of life!
Research shows that by talking, reading, and singing with infants and toddlers from birth, parents and caregivers have the incredible power to help form new neural connections and build a young child’s vocabulary.
Learning to read and write doesn’t start in Kindergarten, it begins at birth! The first year of your baby’s life is a critical time for learning. Through positive interactions like talking with your baby about the things you see around you and cuddling up to read a book together, you are strengthening your baby’s early literacy skills.
Soft pillows, cozy blankets, and a warm comforter – sounds like the perfect sleeping environment, right? While these things may make a bed comfortable for you, they are unsafe and can even be deadly for your infant.
Placing your baby in a crib with soft blankets or covering him or her with a comforter can raise chances of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – one of the leading causes of infant death in the United States.
Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a group which represents 62,000 pediatricians across the country, released a policy statement recommending that pediatric providers promote early literacy development during visits starting from infancy.
The statement specifically recommended that during visits pediatricians should advise parents that reading aloud with young children can enhance parent-child relationships, guide parents toward reading activities to enjoy with their child, and provide developmentally appropriate books for high-risk, low-income children (by lerma).
Dr. Pamela High, the lead author of the statement, said the recommendations aim to help parents “immunize their children against illiteracy.”
Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring,” – noted sociologist Dr. David Popenoe.
Fathers play a key role in raising healthy children. From birth, children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident in exploring their surroundings, and have better social connections with peers. They are also less likely to get in trouble at school and at home.


Txting Cld Help Kids Read Reg Eng
Will children who grow up in the age of excessive text messaging see their spelling and reading skills suffer as a result?
Not necessarily, according to a new study from the British Academy. In fact, in an examination of schoolchildren’s texting habits, the kids who used more “textisms”–abbreviations such as “plz” (please) and “l8ter” (later)–showed higher scores on some spelling, phonetics, reading comprehension and other English language competency tests.
“We have found no support in our research for the negative media and public speculation surrounding mobile phone use, text language and its effects on literacy development,” wrote study authors Beverly Plester and Clare Wood, both psychology professors at Coventry University in the United Kingdom.


ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Teacher Resources by Grade
|1st - 2nd||3rd - 4th|
|5th - 6th||7th - 8th|
|9th - 10th||11th - 12th|
Beyond History Books: Researching With Twin Texts and Technology
|Grades||4 – 8|
|Estimated Time||Ten 30- to 60-minute sessions|
Pairing fiction and nonfiction books on one topic (twin texts) has been shown to build background knowledge, boost comprehension, and increase motivation. Informative and interactive websites further enrich such literacy experiences. In this lesson, students explore a historic event in depth by reading fiction and nonfiction literature. Then, to enhance and extend the reading experience, students participate in website exploration and virtual field trips. Throughout the process, students gather facts and relevant information, which they later organize and present to the class. This lesson is easily adaptable to accommodate a wide range of historic events, instructional objectives, and grade levels.
Twin Texts and Technology Topics: This printout offers suggestions for fiction and nonfiction books and relevant websites relating to four different topics (the American Civil Rights Movement, the Holocaust/World War II, the Irish Potato Famine, and the history of inventions).
K-W-L Creator: Create savable K-W-L Charts for whole-class knowledge collection.
Castek, J., Bevans-Mangelson, J., & Goldstone, B. (2006). Reading adventures online: Five ways to introduce the new literacies of the Internet through children’s literature. The Reading Teacher, 59(7), 714–728.
- Through participation in Internet activities, students engage in critical thinking and acquire new skills and strategies needed to take advantage of today’s information and communication technologies (ICTs).
- When teachers use the Internet in their classrooms for teaching and learning, they extend opportunities for developing new literacy skills.
Labbo, L.D. (2005). Books and computer response activities that support literacy development. The Reading Teacher, 59(3), 288–292.
- Linking story time to computer time can motivate children to learn more about literacy by drawing attention to big ideas, new vocabulary, thematic connections, and innovations in text.
- The Internet provides students opportunities to build background knowledge, gather information, gain knowledge, and exchange ideas.
Soalt, J. (2005). Bringing together fictional and informational texts to improve comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 58(7), 680–683.
- The use of both fiction and nonfiction texts can activate background knowledge, build vocabulary in authentic contexts, and motivate students to think deeply.
- Incorporating multiple texts on the same topic helps students become sophisticated readers who make connections between diverse texts and gain knowledge from a variety of genres.


Information about implementing Early Head Start–Home Visiting is included in the Head Start Program Performance Standards and in resources included on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) website.
Service Delivery Forms
No information is available.
Although Early Head Start does not require the use of a specific assessment tool, each Early Head Start program must implement a process for ongoing assessment. The Head Start Program Performance Standards require that programs perform or obtain screenings to identify concerns regarding a child’s developmental, sensory, behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, perceptual, and emotional skills. Early Head Start recommends that programs implement screening procedures that are sensitive to the child’s cultural and linguistic background and that the screening be done in conjunction with the child’s parent.
Early Head Start-Home Visiting programs are not required to follow a specific curriculum. Rather, the Head Start Program Performance Standards stipulate that programs select an in-home and group-based curriculum that encourages the development of secure relationships, trust and emotional security, and opportunities for each child to explore a variety of sensory and motor experiences, and that supports other aspects of social, emotional, and physical development. The curriculum must be based on sound child development principles about how children grow and learn.
Because programs select their own curriculum, they can select materials in the languages appropriate for the families they serve. All Early Head Start-Home Visiting programs are required, through the Head Start Program Performance Standards, to work with families in their primary, or preferred language.
According to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, Early Head Start-Home Visiting programs must establish and implement procedures for the ongoing monitoring of their own operations, as well as those of each of their delegate agencies. At least once every program year, Early Head Start-Home Visiting programs must conduct a self-assessment of their effectiveness and progress in meeting program goals and objectives and in implementing federal regulations. Early Head Start-Home Visiting programs are monitored for compliance with the performance standards every three years by a team of external consultants. The review teams use a monitoring protocol developed by the Office of Head Start to review programs.
All Early Head Start-Home Visiting programs must follow the relevant Head Start Program Performance Standards as outlined in 45 CFR Parts 1301, 1303, 1304, 1305, 1306, and 1308.
The information contained on this page was last updated in April 2013. Recommended Further Reading lists the sources for this information. In addition, the information contained in this profile was reviewed for accuracy by the Office of Head Start on April 8, 2013. HomVEE reserves the right to edit the profile for clarity and consistency.


Grade Your Child's School Music Program
Brought to you by MENC: The National Association for Music Education.
You want your child to be exposed to the best music program possible, but how can you tell if her school is making the grade? These simple checklists take the guesswork out of evaluating a school music program.
1. Does every student in the school have access to music if they want it?
2. Is there a written curriculum based on local, state, or national standards?
3. Are the facilities adequate for the needs of the music program?
4. Is the program fully funded or must the teacher and students engage in fundraising to meet basic needs?
5. Is there obvious administrative support for the growth of the music program?
6. Are there public performance opportunities for parents and others to enjoy?
7. Do students study a variety of music styles?
8. Are the music courses taught by qualified teachers?
9. Is there parent, student, and community support for the music programs?
Do all children receive about 90 minutes of instruction per week?
Do the students engage in activities such as singing, listening, and playing instruments?
Do the students have a chance to create music?
Do students learn basic music notation?
Are there performing groups for children to join if they wish?
Does the school offer opportunities to learn band instruments, orchestra (string) instruments, or choral music? Is general music class a part of the school schedule?
In schools not using block scheduling, are there at leat eight periods in the day for instruction so that students have sufficient time to pursue an interest in music?
Do students study a variety of music?
Is music required of all students through grade eight?
Are there adequate facilities, equipment, and performance opportunities for students in performing groups such as band, orchestra, and chorus?
Is the school schedule rich enough and structured so that every student can take music during their high school career?
Are bands, orchestras, and choral groups offered during the day for credit?
Are courses such as music theory, music appreciation, general music, and guitar/keyboard classes offered during the day for credit?
Does the school have equipment and facilities good enough to support high-quality music instruction?
Does competition and traveling to special events, and fundraising, take up a reasonable amount of time in the course of a year?
Source: "Opportunity to Learn Standards," Published by MENC.


Shakespeare had a way with words, particularly in "Hamlet" as the character Rosencrantz reports, "... many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come thither."
Oh, the power of the written word.
In the last several years, the term "written" has taken on a new meaning that is closer to "printed." Some school boards and administrators are grappling with whether or not to do away with cursive writing instruction since it is not a required standards-based course.
What a shame. I remember thinking how exciting it was learning to write the "grown up" way.
In second or third grade, depending upon the district, teachers taught their students cursive writing. It was a big deal because you no longer wrote like a woodpecker, picking up your pencil after every stroke. You could curl and sweep and slide through the words, and how beautiful it was!
Best-selling author James Patterson still uses it. He writes in longhand on a legal pad. In a recent "Parade" interview, he said his penchant for paper and pencil drives his son crazy, "but I've been pretty successful with that little pencil."
I suspect Patterson's son sees it a huge waste of time to scratch a lead stick across yellow lined paper when it's so much faster to let your fingers fly over the computer keys.
But writing is the way Patterson writes. It's the way his brain transfers his thoughts to a battery of other writers who flesh out his outlines and ideas. I'm not here to tout the man and his authorial approach, but rather, his method of pencil/pen on paper. The way he makes a sensory connection with the art, using fine motor skills.
Some occupational therapists today believe too much computer screen time adversely affects children's motor skill development. Michelle Yoder of Touchstone Therapy in North Carolina predicts that fine motor skill development as supported through instruction, such as cursive handwriting "helps ingrain skills and information in the brain." The jury is out until a generation of non-cursive writers enters the adult world, but Yoder predicts trouble.
I remember how surprised I was as a child to see my rough farmer grandfather's beautiful flowing script. My handwriting is nearly illegible by comparison because I'm in too big of a hurry. The world I live in is in too big of a hurry, and that's why cursive writing is falling by the wayside.
But it's not the only thing slipping away from our children.
When I taught sixth-grade in California, our grade level math teacher complained that students did not know their math facts, so she started in on the forbidden "D" word: drills. The children loved it, and rose to the competitive challenge of out-answering their classmates in a quick flash-card game of Around the World. Until the principal came into class and saw the students doing something that was not a state standard.
My fellow educator was warned to not let it happen again. Students didn't need drills; they had calculators.
Experience in the form of repetition is a great teacher. Doing something over and over wears a path in the brain, according to Dr. Kathy Mann Koepke of the National Institutes of Health. An NIH study provided evidence that learning math facts by rote helps skill development in other areas, Koepke said.
It would be a shame to let standards and technology cost our children the art and skill of working their brains and fingers.
Imagine a former President of the United States printing his name on an important document.
Imagine the Declaration of Independence without those uniquely bold and significant names inked onto its parchment.
If we lose something as simple as cursive handwriting, we would lose our signatures. And if we lose our signatures, isn't that like losing a little bit of ourselves?
Email Davalynn at email@example.com.


Child Development: Two Year Olds Learning Fine Motor Skills
Your two-year-old has just started enthusiastically running, jumping and -- yes -- saying "No!" Running and jumping are good for their development. It is important to recognize the the need for fine motor skill development -- especially young boys who tend to have difficulty sitting still to color. Fine motor skills include precise thumb, finger, hand, and wrist movements that are practiced through tracing, scribbling, painting, cutting and pasting.<
"Often parents overlook the need to help their children develop their fine motor skills," says Dr. Andrea Pastorok, educational psychologist.
"At this stage, parents should be enjoying reading to their toddlers and playing ball at the park. These activities help develop their child's vocabulary, hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills; but it is also important to take some time to do crafts together to help develop their fine motor skills."
Hanna Otero, editorial director for Flash Kids Publishing says, "My daughter has shown real improvement in her drawing and coloring skills after using Let's Color!
"She feels a sense of accomplishment being able to hold her crayon, draw and color the shapes and images she creates."
Let's Color! is one of four titles in Kumon Publishing's First Steps Series. This new workbook series is designed specifically to help children develop fine motor skills. By breaking more complicated skills into simple and enjoyable art projects, these books help children learn how to master pencil and crayon control without becoming frustrated.
The small size and simplicity of the First Step workbooks make them very child-friendly. "Gradually building your child's confidence is important," says Dr. Pastorok. "These books do not push children, they prepare them -- so that down the road, they will be able to use a pencil with ease."
More Parenting Tips for 2 Year Olds
Child Separation Anxiety
Toddler Temper Tantrums
Toddler Won't Eat? Try These Healthy Toddler Treats and Meals for Toddlers
Homemade Baby Food
Finger Food Mania
Textures Baby Food
Introducing Solid Foods
Healthy Toddler Treat: Blueberries N' Banana Cream
Toddler Meal:Cranberry Dip
Healthy Toddler Pear Nog
Toddler Meals with Sunflower Butter or Seeds
Meal Serving Sizes for Toddlers
Meal for Toddler: Cauliflower Soup
Healthy Toddler Meal: Carrots and Cashews


Sari, Fitra Eka (2010) MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERHITUNG ANAK PRASEKOLAH MELALUI PERMAINAN KONSTRUKTIF. Other thesis, University of Muhammadiyah Malang.
Download (87kB) | Preview
Numeracy is one of the important basic skills for preschool children, because the arithmetic usedchildren in their daily living, other than that numeracy is one of the basic skills needed to prepare the child to the next educational kejenjang namely Elementary School. Therefore many parents and kindergarten teachers provide a variety of learning methods to count preschool children with the hope that his students master math skills. But sometimes the method given is not in accordance with preschoolers learning methods. Teaching methods appropriate for preschool children is through games, one game is constructive. When children play games constructive use concrete objects as symbols that are available to help him understand the concepts of abstract mathematics, such as the concept of summation, subtraction and count And most important when playing a constructive child unwittingly been learning to count with a pleasant atmosphere. Based on these descriptions, the author is interested in conducting research with the title "Improving the Ability to Count Children Preschool Through Constructive Games", to know how the increase in child preschool counting skills through constructive play. This research used the experimental method experimental design with pretestposttest control group design. The data collection was obtained from the provision of treatment and provision of constructive game measuring instruments (tests numeracy). Data analysis was done by testing differences in / ttest to determine the influence to play a constructive method of improving numeracy skills before and after treatment. Results from this study can be found that playing a constructive influence on math skills of preschoolers, in other words, constructive games can improve math skills of preschoolers. This is indicated by counting the upgrading of the experimental group received treatment from the pretest constructive game (27.71) increased to (30.14) on the posttest. For the control group who did not receive treatment did not occur constructive play a very significant improvement.
|Item Type:||Thesis (Other)|
|Subjects:||H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)|
|Divisions:||Faculty of Psychology > Department of Psychology|
|Depositing User:||Rayi Tegar Pamungkas|
|Date Deposited:||27 Mar 2012 03:15|
|Last Modified:||27 Mar 2012 03:15|
Actions (login required)


ArtsAction Group Member Publications
Dr. Cindy Maguire
This article discusses art education aimed at fostering informed empathy and social justice with the US and Kosovar children and youth. The art education programme looks to and incorporates contemporary artists and cultural workers from a range of positions and genres.
Cultivating systemic thinking and critical exploration in post-secondary art education programs concerned with peace and social justice is expressed through a multitude of practices. This chapter provides an analysis of and argument for peace and social justice art education pedagogy grounded in aspects of Sen and Nussbaum’s capability approach and Kester’s notion of dialogical aesthetics. Illustrations of best practices are provided. Art education communities understand the range of interpersonal, sociopolitical, and economic issues generated by the impact of contemporary imagery and the values inherent in such representations. We also understand that such imagery profoundly influences “student identity, notions of citizenship, [and] beliefs about democracy” (Freedman 2003, p 94). Post-secondary art education concerned with building a culture of peace consciously focuses on these issues through curriculum and pedagogy, promoting a deeper understanding of one’s self as well as one’s self in relation to the social and cultural landscape we live in.
This article explores Nussbaum's notion of the importance of the arts and humanities as they related to global citizenship and education. Nussbaum proposes three capabilities that are, above all, 'essential to the cultivation of humanity in todays' interlocking world' - critical thinking, world citizenship and imaginative understanding. This article looks on the one hand at an obsessive concentration on reading and numeracy programmes, and on the other at an Los Angeles arts education programme '10,000 Kites' which successfully combined a capability focus and social inter-action across cultural fault lines.
|File Size:||204 kb|
A holistic education linked to creativity, innovation, critical thinking and local/global citizenship is increasingly marginalized in the United States as schools continue to struggle with the impact of high-stakes testing regimes. In particular, urban youths' access to an education that furthers their ability to choose lives they have reason to value, are circumscribed. Current discussions around the skills and capabilities necessary for youth to graduate and be equipped for meaningful lives beyond high school are aligned with research on the benefits of arts education. This mixed-methods exploratory study uses aspects of Sen and Nussbaum's capability approach to frame and examine a range of capabilities fostered through student engagement with arts opportunities, what we refer to as arts pathways, inside of five small arts-focused high schools in NY City, USA.
|File Size:||1493 kb|
Social justice, in its broadest sense, is about equal rights and opportunities for all. But understandings of rights and opportunities vary widely, depending upon how we are situated socially, politically, economically, and culturally. In education, social justice is not simply the absence of injustice but also the need to recognize and enact teaching and learning that promots a deeper understanding of ourselves and our students in relation to the broader social and cultural landscape. This article argues that, given the growing diversity of our society, it is imperative for current and future teachers to find ways of embodying, implementing, and assessing social justice practices in art classrooms. The authors' developed, taught, and evaluated a social justice based art education course with a service learning component for undergraduate art education students. Through their experience they discovered that the capabilities students brought to the classroom directly influenced the ways in which they engaged with and put into practice the social justice course material.