Writing is arguably one of the most difficult subject matter in elementary education. Nowadays, the Common Core Curriculum is asking students to communicate, use critical thinking and creative skills, as well as collaborate with one another. To that end, I utilize the Step-Up to Writing program. Whether it’s an opinion piece, personal narrative, or informative writing, this program supports students in planning, organizing, and editing their thoughts onto paper.
Step Up to Writing allows students to plan and organize what they want to write before they write. By giving students the time and opportunity to plan, they think about and prioritize what they want to say when given a topic. This program supports students in their learning and enhances their ability to communicate verbally, and therefore develops their writing abilities.
This is the writing tool that I use in grades 2-4: Step Up to Writing Organizer
Here’s a sample after using the Step Up to Writing Organizer: Student Writing Sample
Step Up to Writing teaches students how to effectively communicate with both written and verbal expression. Often times, students have difficulty with writing. It can be a laborious task for a lot of students, and especially for our special education population and English Language Learners. “I don’t know what to write,” is a common response when students are tasked with this particular area. It is the most difficult skill to practice when compared to other subject areas like reading and math.
The Step Up to Writing organizer is a useful tool for students. It allows them to slow down the thinking process and allow for efficient planning. When I teach students how to use the organizer, I model, model, and model even more. Together as a class, I guide the rest of the students in developing a thesis statement. I let the students know that the introduction of our writing is crucial and lets the reader know what our writing will be about.
I might also support students in developing main ideas for their writing. This may take the form of listing possible main ideas on the board through brainstorming via student participation. I make sure to list at least five main ideas. Next, students must choose 2 or 3 of those listed main ideas. Students will have varying and/or similar main ideas. The details and elaborations must be student produced independently. I will model for the students what my details and elaborations look like. However, because I’ve guided the introduction and main ideas, students are expected to come up with their own voice producing original thought via details and elaborations in their writing. I may or may not assist with the concluding paragraph; it will depend on the makeup of the class. Students who are proficient and advanced will perform without teacher assistance. Students who struggle will have more intervention and teacher support.
Overall, I find the step up to writing program and organizer as a beneficial pre-writing activity. Authors and writers are not expected to produce writing on a whim. Why should students? If given effective writing tools, then students are able to excel with written expression, as well enhance as their verbal communication skills.
What ideas or strategies do you use to support student writing?


HINDU SYSTEM OF EDUCATION DURING THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
Chief features of Hindu system of Education in India during the medieval period
(1)Lack of state support: With the advent of the Muslim rule, the state support for the Hindu system of education almost ended. Now it depended upon the rich people, scholars and village communities. Of course where there were no Muslim rulers, it received state support. Gradually there remained a few such areas.
(2)Religion Oriented Education: The system of education, by and large was dominated by religion.
(3)The ‘Pathshalas’: Elementary education was imparted in ‘pathshalas’ which existed both in villages and towns.
(4)Building of pathshalas: Usually pathshalas were held in the verandah of some house or under trees. There were also separate houses for pathshalas. Specific type of buildings for them did not exist. Premises of the temples were also used.
(5)Fees: No regular fees were charges from the students. The parents gave presents to the teachers. Students were required to render personal service to the teachers. Sometimes teacher also engaged themselves in part time work to supplement their income.
(6)Instructional Methods at the Elementary Stage: There were four stages of Instruction at the elementary stage. In the first stage writing letters of the alphabet on sand was taught to students. In the second stage, the teacher wrote on palm leaves and the students traced over them with red pen and charcoal ink .These cold be rubbed very easily.
In the third stage, the student wrote and pronounced compound components. Excessive practice was given to the students in this regard. Common names of persons were used for this purpose. At this stage also, the student was taught to use the words in the formation of sentences. He was also taught to make a distinction between written and colloquial languages. The students were taught to rules of arithmetic and multiplication tables repeated by the entire class. In the fourth stage, students were taught to use paper for writing .
(7) Curriculum at the elementary stage:
(i) Knowledge of weights and measures was considered essential therefore; arithmetic was a compulsory subject at the elementary stage. According to Dr. Krishnalal Ray,(1989),the elementary schools were mainly for giving instruction to these R’s and them practical application (such as composition of letters and business documents.).
(ii) Literature was included in the curriculum, real literature taste was not cultivated.
(iii) Moral and religious instruction also had a secondary place in these schools.
(iv)In some schools, salutation to Goddess Saraswati (the Goddess of learning) was learnt by heart by the students.
(v) Instruction in mythology and sacred love of the Hindus was also given in some schools.


SOCRATES: the European Community programme in the field of education
SOCRATES was Europe’s education programme which involved around 30 European countries. Its main objective was to build up a Europe of knowledge and thus provide a better response to the major challenges of this new century: to promote lifelong learning, encourage access to education for everybody, and help people acquire recognised qualifications and skills. In more specific terms, SOCRATES tried to promote language learning and to encourage mobility and innovation.
SOCRATES took into account all types of learning - formal and informal - and all levels, from nursery school to university and adult education. Therefore, SOCRATES involved everyone that is part of the education system: pupils, students, teachers, education staff, administrative and management staff. The programme consisted of several actions aimed at reaching the various target groups and at addressing several horizontal issues, such as language training or the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education.
The programme was named after the Greek philosopher Socrates who believed in a humanist vision of the world and rejected dogmatism. His motto "Know thyself" is a fundamental basis for knowledge and the respect of self and others, however large the differences between individuals may be.
DoReMiFaSocrates aimed at collecting and presenting information about activities in the field of music of the European Union programmes.
In particular, the DoReMiFaSocrates website was intended to promote and support the participation of higher music education institutions in the Lifelong Learning Programme by offering customised information and on-line tools to music students, teachers and ERASMUS coordinators.


“Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think it’s essential to being human”
As a performing singer, songwriter & pianist, what has proved indispensable over the years is the knowledge, guidance and hand-holding I have received from extraordinary teachers.
Knowing the impact a teacher can have upon a student, especially a child, I take great care in approaching each student holistically, as an entire world to respect, discover, and journey alongside while guiding the study of music.
Music is an art form that involves both creativity and structure. I anchor lessons in the idea that we PLAY music (and it should be playful and fun), at the same time, like any good game, there are rules and techniques that when properly learned create the potential for immense success and joy in making music.
For children: Through age appropriate methods that are both fun and educational, the student learns the “facts” of music: notes, rhythm, dynamics, phrasing and playing technique. Through improvisation, listening, moving to music, composing and more, they learn how to “play” in music and are fostered in becoming creative, confident, and well-rounded musicians.
For adults: The process is very much the same, minus the stickers and coloring pages. We cover the absolute musts of technique, musicality, music theory and repertoire while continually applying these skills to both standard repertoire and whatever kind of music the student enjoys playing. In addition, improvisation, ear training and composition are important areas of study that help a student to be flexible, versatile and playful in making music.
Singers are musicians, too! It’s just that instead of the instrument being outside of us, we ARE the instrument. Acquiring skill in playing this instrument, with much of it’s workings beyond voluntary control, requires an understanding of how various musical and physical circumstances influence the freedom, flexibility and aesthetic quality of the singing voice.
Misunderstandings about how the vocal apparatus works and how best to develop the voice can train into a singer bad habits at best, and at worst, cause vocal damage.
Through very specific vocal pedagogy learned from Donna Reid (wife and protege of Cornelius Reid) exercises, information and repertoire, are all used to help singers to develop their voice safely and create the conditions where optimal singing can occur.
Performance and Composition
Being on stage performing your own music or having someone else perform or record your compositions are among life’s most extraordinary experiences. As in the other aspects of music, there is creativity and convention at play together. We will explore structures and work to free creativity for anyone wishing to work on their songwriting, stage performing or putting it all together.
I teach at my home studio in Millwood or in your home in the New Castle area. For more information about lessons please call me at (914) 941-0468.
A bit more about me:
As a teacher I draw from a diverse background in life and music that includes a BA in Music from Rutgers University, years of voice training with Master Teacher, Donna Reid, piano studies in classical and jazz including learning from jazz great, Kenny Baron, Dalcroze Eurythmics, Writing/producing/recording three commercial albums, decades of live performing, many years as a Cantorial Soloist, prayer leader and choir director, ten years in the record business as well as being a Reiki Master, a regular meditator, and perhaps most important, Mom to two of the most important teachers in my life.
"Without music, life is a journey through a desert" - Pat Conroy


Many curricular expectations in New Brunswick You and Your World courses relate to media and digital literacy. The following excerpts from You and Your World K-2 (2005) detail how media and digital literacy have been integrated into the curriculum:
The You and Your World Curriculum represents an integrative approach to teaching and learning in grades K-2 and supports the emphasis being given to literacy at the primary level. It incorporates outcomes from health, personal development and career planning, science and social studies and replaces the curriculum guides in these areas… Within the strategies are suggestions to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills and authentic links to physical education and the arts. The You and Your World Curriculum builds and expands on cross-curricular skills of communication, inquiry, life-long learning, decision-making, participation, teamwork, and personal management.
On the left menu you will find outcome charts containing media-related learning outcomes from the You and Your World curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site. As many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade. Teachers should also note that individual lessons often satisfy a number of learning outcomes.


‘UIL continues to contribute to the dissemination of good practices with this compilation of case studies of literacy and numeracy programmes that use mobile learning and ICT-based strategies. This is an important resource for Member States that aim to use such strategies in their education systems.’ Arne Carlsen, Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL).
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has published a second edition of Harnessing the Potential of ICTs: Literacy and Numeracy Programmes Using Radio, TV, Mobile Phones, Tablets and Computers. This compilation of case studies from all world regions presents promising literacy and numeracy programmes that use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their access and outreach strategies. The twenty-six case studies illustrate how ICTs such as radio, TV, mobile phones, tablets and computers can be used as media of instruction, can supplement face-to-face teaching, and can help to develop and strengthen youth and adult literacy, language and numeracy skills. The case studies featured in this publication can also be found in the UNESCO Effective Literacy and Numeracy Practices Database (LitBase).
- Author/Editor: Ulrike Hanemann, Cassandra Scarpino
- Harnessing the Potential of ICTs: Literacy and Numeracy Programmes Using Radio, TV, Mobile Phones, Tablets and Computers
- UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2016
- ISBN 978-92-820-1205-5
- Available in: English, French


The long-awaited report to government by the Productivity Commission on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning is a disappointment for the sector. The report ignored what leading experts in education and early childhood from around the world believe – that the quality of early childhood services is vital.
The first five years is when 80% of a child’s brain development occurs. This sets the foundation for development and learning in later years. Quality early childcare sets up a child for school and the learning habits they develop in these critical years can last a lifetime.
Australian early childhood education and care lags behind its OECD partners due to low financial investment in the sector. The OECD recommends countries spend a minimum of 1% of GDP on early learning. The OECD average is 0.7% and Australia spends 0.45%.
The report did not recommend an increase in funding. Instead, it recommended the current complicated system of payments, such as the childcare rebate, childcare benefit and jobs education and training childcare fee assistance, be replaced by a single means-tested subsidy called the early care and learning subsidy. This would be paid directly to service providers.
The report takes a short-term, quick-fix approach. If implemented by the government, it will not improve Australia’s dismal rating in terms of the OECD assessment of quality in early childhood education and care.
This report is a missed opportunity to build on the investment in quality made by the former Labor government, which instigated a new quality authority. ACECQA has begun to oversee the roll-out of a National Quality Standard.
A regulatory authority is now visiting services, rating and assessing how they implement the National Quality Standard. The qualifications required of those working in the sector have been increased. This is all working towards improving Australia’s poor childcare standing in the OECD.
The quality gains made in the last three years should now be built on. The report does not address the issue of funding to bring pay rates for professionals working in the sector in line with the teaching profession. Both teaching and early childhood education are regarded as worthy careers. However, they are worlds apart in terms of training, status and compensation.
School teachers are employed in what is a traditional, relatively uniform and coherent system of services with well-established federal funding and public support. The early childhood education workforce, by contrast, operates within an unwieldy, cumbersome mix of services, spread across the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.
The report does not get to the heart of the matter, which is to provide early childhood services with federal funding to recruit and retain qualified early childhood educators. The report also recommended winding back some of the qualification requirements for childcare centre staff, introduced under the previous government, which would help centres cut costs.
Investment in the early childhood sector would have a lasting impact on the contribution that early learning makes in shaping future national productivity and prosperity. We know that people who participate in enriched early childhood programs are more likely to complete school and much less likely to require welfare benefits, become teen parents or participate in criminal activities.
Longitudinal research carried out between 1962 and 1967, on children aged three and four, randomly divided children into groups who received high-quality preschooling and a comparison group who received no preschooling. In the study’s most recent phase, 97% of the study participants still living were interviewed at age 40. Additional data were gathered from the subjects’ school, social services and arrest records.
The study found that adults at age 40 who had the preschool program had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes and were more likely to have graduated from high school than adults who did not have the benefits of preschool as children.
This research was built on by Nobel Prize-winning University of Chicago Economics Professor James Heckman. His now-famous Heckman equation shows the great gains to be had by investing in early learning. He shows early childhood education is more efficient than many other interventions later in life. For disadvantaged students, interventions in early childhood had much higher economic returns than interventions during primary school, in high school or in early adulthood through job training.


Benefits of Guitar Lessons
There are lots of benefits for your child when they learn a musical instrument, including guitar. Playing the guitar can benefit your child from a variety of standpoint including: academics, intelligence and social interactions. These benefits also carry on into adulthood.
- Rhythm skills and pre-reading abilities are linked in the development of toddlers.
- A 2013 study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that for children and adolescents, even very basic rhythm abilities, such as tapping to the beat, relate with reading skills.
- According to Dr. Nina Kraus’s work with the Harmony Projects, students who are in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college and university as well.
- According to a German Institute for Economic Research study, teens who take music lessons outside of school score significantly higher in terms of cognitive skills, have better grades and are more conscientious and ambitious than their peers.
- A 2014 Harris Poll found that music education lays the foundation for individual excellence in group settings, creative problem solving, and flexibility in work situations.
Taking music lessons offer a space where kids learn how to accept and give constructive criticism, according to research published in The Wall Street Journal in 2014.
As a parent, it’s important to provide your child the right environment with other engaged children. This improves their social skills and have them enjoy their lessons. The more interaction and fun they have, the more likely they are to practise playing the guitar. Then they will enjoy playing for years and get tonnes of benefits that comes with playing the guitar! Click the button below to find out more about how we can help your child learn the guitar by applying for your free assessment lesson.
We are in Stratford, East London. Which is near Hackney, Leyton, Leytonstone, Bow, Mile End, Bethnal Green, Wanstead, Snaresbrook, Redbridge, Woodford.


Dyslexia Speld ACT (DSA) launches today as a paart of the AUSPELD network.
SPELD stands for specific learning difficulties which are estimated to affect up to 20% of the population. For many of these students, the barrier to effective learning is a component of their developmental make-up. These students, although almost always of average or above average intelligence, have a specific condition which has a significant impact on their learning. These students have a specific learning disability. The majority of these are dyslexic. Dyslexia means word blindness and relates to having difficulties with words and language – predominantly reading, spelling and writing. It is of neurological origin, frequently genetic and cannot be cured.
Dyslexics can benefit from early and consistent synthetic phonics instruction from specialist teachers and tutors. Unfortunately many ACT schools do not have the resources to provide these services leaving parents to find tutors and to finance this themselves. DSA is hoping to help provide tutoring and reduced fee services for those that are socially and economically disadvantaged.
The Education Minister, Christopher Pyne, has personal experience with dyslexia as two of his children are dyslexic. He and his family have a long association with SPELD in South Australia. In June he presented a petition to parliament calling for the recognition of dyslexia as a disability. On Monday this week he stated via his Facebook page,
“Had a terrific meeting with SPELD on Friday in my electorate office. We have so much to do for children with learning difficulties and we can do it. I can help through initial teacher training and I intend to.”
DSA hopes to continue to build on the good work that their SPELD colleagues have been doing by providing services, support and advocacy for members and the broader community. Rolling out full services next year from their Lyneham Offices, Clinical Director, Jo Whithear is looking forward to being able to assist more people with learning difficulties.
“Until now there has been no centralised information and support for families in the ACT region. We hope to make a difficult experience easier through our knowledge and networks.”


Spread the Love With a Preschool Valentine Party
Helping to make valentine decorations for the preschool classroom is entertainment for the students. It is also a pleasurable way to incorporate gross and fine motor skill development activities. The toddlers can prepare valentine hearts from construction paper and Valentine theme stickers. Let them use tape to hang them at eye level and give their gross motor skills a work-out. Large leg muscles and hand-eye coordination will benefit.
Red and white paper chains are easy for toddlers to make, and cutting the strips of paper exercises fine motor skills. Valentine's cards crafted by preschoolers make beautiful one-of-a-kind decorations - as a bonus the cards can be given to a local hospital or nursing home after the Valentine party. For preschool children, this may be their first opportunity to serve others.
Take advantage of the teaching opportunity presented by donating the Valentine cards. Describe how the residents will take pleasure in the beautiful cards. Stress the concept of sharing love with everyone, not just on Valentine’s Day, but year-round as a way of building Christian character. This is a good time to emphasize the idea of giving, rather than getting, during holiday celebrations like Valentine Day.
Here are suggestions for simple refreshments for a preschool classroom. Be conscious of allergy concerns and avoid serving foods containing red food dyes or nuts. Focus on naturally red foods like red-skinned apples and strawberries.
Valentine Red Punch – In a blender, combine one cup vanilla yogurt, one cup strawberries, one cup ice cubes, and enough milk to make a creamy, milkshake-like consistency. Pulse blender until the consistency suits you. Let the kids drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top and garnish with a sweet juicy strawberry. Serve in three-ounce paper cups; this recipe makes about three to four servings, depending on how full the cups are. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, and so forth to accommodate most class sizes. Serve with red delicious apple-slice-smiles (leave the skin on) and vanilla yogurt for dipping.
Valentine's Day Ideas - Games
Preschool activities like valentine games are good ways to let the toddlers expend energy in a beneficial way. This Valentine relay game described below fosters teamwork, and improves gross motor skills. Preschool learning concepts of waiting patiently for a turn, following directions, and using listening skills are introduced and developed. The "London Bridge" game uses music and movement to exercise preschool bodies and brains.
- Supplies needed:
- Plastic spoons
- Candy hearts
- Parent or other volunteers
Recruit parent and volunteers to help. Their job is to help the kids run the relay route, and keep spoons available for moving the candy hearts.
Form the preschoolers into two or three teams, depending on class size. Position half the team members at one end of the room, and half at the other end. Give each team captain a large spoon and put a few candy hearts in the spoon. Explain that when you say "go," the preschooler is to move as fast as possible to his waiting team member, and pour the hearts into the other person’s spoon. The other person runs back and transfers the hearts and so on. The first team to successful transfer all the hearts wins.
Valentine "London Bridge"
The “London Bridge” singing game is a perennial childhood favorite. Here is a quick tip on how to transition it to fit the theme of a Christian Valentine party. Change the words to:
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down, but Jesus loves us!
If you are working with a small group it is fun to cycle through the song a few times and let every child have a chance to be caught in the arm circle and told “Jesus loves us”.
Parties for preschoolers work best when they are short and simple. Decorations, refreshments, and a few games for children make a recipe for a successful Christian Valentine party for preschool children.
Author's personal experience as a Christian educator and lay children's minister


“Aşk olmayınca, meşk olmaz” – Turkish proverb
Aşk (pronounced “ahshk” – “sh” as in “shall” ) means love in Turkish (Aşk covers all varieties of “love” from erotic love to Divine Love)
Meşk : rigorous musical exercises musicians have to perform to become master musicians. In traditional Turkish music education meşk also served the purpose of transmitting an entire repertoire.
Redhouse Turkish-English dictionary translates the proverb as
[Without love, no mastership can be attained.]
In colloquial Turkish the proverb “Aşk olmayınca, meşk olmaz” is interpreted in many ways and in many levels. This is because most Turkish speakers do not know the meaning of the word meşk.
Meşk connotes with meşakkat which means hardship and difficulty. The word meşakkat is often associated with the hardships experienced during the spiritual journey.
I interpret the proverb “Aşk olmayınca, meşk olmaz” differently too. It seems to me that without love, our artistic or scientific works will not be penetrating enough to touch the soul. Without the labor of love our work will not have the staying power.


A few years of musical training during childhood can benefit your brain for decades. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that learning to play a musical instrument or sing leads to beneficial changes within a child’s brain that make it more likely they will reach their full cognitive and academic potential.
Music making has been scientifically proven to: exercise the brain, inspire creativity, increase productivity, fight memory loss, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, stave off depression, enhance cognitive development in children, build confidence, and create social connections and bonds. Thank a music teacher and parents that give their child the gift of a lifetime… MUSIC.
The Royal Conservatory of Music has compiled an in depth article of the most recent neuroscience research proving that music education is a powerful tool for attaining children’s full intellectual, social and creative potential. “The Benefits of Music Education: An Overview of Current Neuroscience Research” highlights studies offering compelling insights into the potent, long-term value children gain through music training.
To read the article “The Benefits of Music Education,” see below.
To view a high-resolution infographic that concisely summarizes "The Benefits of Music Education, "see below.
Be sure to also watch the TED-Ed video on how playing an instrument benefits your brain.
Infographic and Article Credits: http://www.rcmusic.ca/resources
Greetings to Everyone and A Big Welcome to Infinity Music Studio! My name is Suzanne Brittania. I have been teaching piano and voice lessons for over 40 plus years. It is my hope that you will find all the following information, along with the music videos listed within my blog, to be very interesting, helpful and inspiring all throughout your own musical journey.
The videos listed below are of famous opera stars (that I performed with extensively all throughout my earlier musical career) especially during the 1950's and 60's.
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I would like to begin this entry in my blog by asking you to watch the following video:
When you do, focus on the following. Note how the children involved are engaged in the process of what they are doing, how safe they have to feel in order to express themselves in the way that they do, what it must have taken to get a group of children in a public school to work that hard and to work together, and the commitment of the young man playing the piano, who leads these children in their singing. That man, Gregg Breinberg, came to music education and decided that maybe there was a new way to engage children, one that did not rely upon the so-called “school band” sound that pervades music training for young children. The standard pedagogy focuses upon old standards, such “America the Beautiful” and “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore.” And while these are indeed fine songs, they may no longer really speak to children as well as they might. So Breinberg tried something new; he decided to develop vocal harmony in modern rock and soul songs. This meant teaching his kids to sing songs by Talking Heads, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos, and in the case of this video, the rock band Phoenix.
Imagine being a kid in Staten Island, where these kids are located. Imagine learning to sing a song by someone like Tori Amos, likely a singer you might never have heard of, but who is a modern pop singer. So you learn the song. And then you are asked to travel across the river to sing a short set of songs in New York City, and lo and behold, when you get there, so does Tori Amos, who then sings with you! http://ps22chorus.blogspot.com/2007/05/ps22-chorus-featuring-tori-amos.html
This is innovation in action. Mr. Breinberg had formal training as a music educator, knew the standard methods for teaching music, and out of that created a new way of teaching children to sing in choir that stood the world on its head. Yet his success is undeniable and reading his blog, linked immediately above, can make you feel much better about education in general.
Then, look at this little clip of MD Weathers teaching math at Biola College:
Think about how long it must have taken him to set this up. How committed he has to be to his students to invest the time and the creativity to his teaching efforts. Yet again, this is an example of a teacher moving beyond standard pedagogy, trying something new and novel, something humorous and yet engaging. In both of these teachers we see efforts to keep students engaged, to keep them just a little bit off balance, to ensure they participate with what is going on in the classroom. And the question for all of us, what can we do that might shake up a standard classroom setting? Can we bring in media? I am experimenting with using the TV program House to teach examples of bioethics (or in House’s case, usually, violations of bioethics). Can we try new methods? What might those methods be? Think about it, and give it a shot; it will be enjoyable for you and exciting for your students.


The saxophone sits upright and gleaming in the hands of its musician. The trombone perches pensively upon a shoulder, poised to punctuate its entrance into the piece. The band room hums with a unique sort of learning and a curious sense of inclusion.
Being in band is a unique and fulfilling journey. Though playing an instrument is a project that requires great skill, effort, and commitment, it is not something to veer away from for fear of failure.
Music is for everyone. Everyone?
Everybody in the world is musical. Everybody: the hard-of-hearing, the unruly, the lackadaisical, even the inexplicably tone-deaf. Even those accused of being unable to “carry a tune” are musical because they are human.
In this modern society, our beliefs on this concept have been cast astray of the truth.
It is strange Western tradition that our appreciation of music became reduced to timid audiences scrutinizing musicians on a pedestal, unable to truly forge the raw connection with the performers and their music.
In many other musical traditions around the world, music has always been an entity to be experienced by musician and audience alike, through dance, through vocal participation, through meditation, through storytelling.
It is strange Western tradition that our music making became restricted to only the elite when in absolute truth, every human being possesses an ability to appreciate and participate in music.
People, do, however possess varying levels of musical aptitude, which is a person’s natural ability to learn and experience music.
Human beings begin their lives in the womb with varying starting levels of musical aptitude. From pre-birth to around age 9, a person’s existing musical aptitude can be increased by their environment. For example, a mother or father who sings to his or her child often can elevate the child’s aptitude. Exposure and exploration of many different types of music, early childhood music classes, and general music education experiences in elementary school will also contribute to a child’s developing musical aptitude.
By age nine, aptitude is stabilized. A child will not become more musically gifted from that point on. Not all children will have a high musical aptitude; not all children will be considered ludicrously talented.
Experience shows that while it certainly is an extreme asset to possess high musical aptitude, it is not a determinant of overall musical success.
Achievement is far more powerful than aptitude.
Under a band director’s, a private instructor’s careful instruction, and the support of her musical peers, a lower-aptitude musician who devotes herself to learning her instrument may very well succeed. If she refuses to give up, she will start to improve, just as her higher-aptitude counterparts, should they choose to continue to study music, will improve. Once she starts to improve and she begins to get excited, who’s to say the sky will be her limit?
More people, regardless of their age, should take the risk of learning an instrument. Regardless of what they’ve been told about their abilities, regardless of anyone’s initial perception of how far they’ll advance.
Band really is for everyone. After all, what more is band, in essence, than joining forces with others and playing with all of your toys together?
Band is learning to strive towards perfection, learning that that there is always another impactful moment to tweak or a greater emotional shaping to add. Band is learning to strive towards beauty, beauty that we come to recognize as universally acceptable, beauty we find all on our own.
Band is about people who are so very different working together to create something wonderful. A piece of music cannot be played well without its musicians learning to depend on and trust one another. Each member of the ensemble must learn to be responsible for one’s individual contribution towards one unifying goal.
And when you learn that no matter who you are and where you have come from,
you are integral to the success of something so much larger than yourself—then you have learned a great deal about how to live life.
Find a way to make music. Find a way to make music with other people. You are human and you are musical. Never be afraid to make something of it.
I got this article published in TOPS magazine! February issue 🙂


At Cecil Road Primary School, we aim to provide a variety of experiences which will encourage the children to reach their full mathematical potential by developing a positive and confident approach towards mathematics.
The curriculum will include a full range of mathematical activities covering all aspects of the subject including number, shape space and measure and data handling. Using and applying mathematics will be integrated throughout lessons and include practical investigational, problem-solving and oral activities. Pupils participate in regular speaking and listening activities in order to improve their use of appropriate mathematical vocabulary. In addition teaching staff use a variety of resources, including Interactive Whiteboards and Numicon, in their lessons to enhance children’s learning.
Most of all, throughout this depth and breadth experience, they will grow a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Recently the Government made changes to the mathematics curriculum (September 2014) and you can read the main changes below:
- Multiplication facts now to be learnt up to 12x12
- A single formal written method to be taught for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
- Calculation of fractions included
- Calculation of the area of shapes other than squares and rectangles included
- Probability has been removed from KS2, now starting in KS3
- Emphasis on essential numeracy skills and arithmetic, including using money and telling the time
- Calculators to be limited in use until the later years of primary


Exploring the World with Science: A pH Experiment
Education is the most important tool we can use to change the world around us. In today’s world, science plays a huge part in the future of the world. The sad part is that not all schools promote science in early education. That is why parents should help to bridge the gap and educate our children on the vast world of science. Young children learn by hands-on activities and by naturally exploring their world. Experimentation can help foster their learning. Below is a simple pH experiment to help get things rolling.
Previously, we discussed the Scientific Method, what it is, and why it is important to learning.
- Purpose – What is it you want to learn about?
- Hypotheses – What do you think will happen?
- Procedure – How will you arrive at your results?
- Results – What actually happened?
- Conclusion – Were your hypotheses correct?
pH is used to determine the level of hydrogen ions in a solution. This helps one determine whether a substance is acidic or basic. Almost all liquids fall somewhere along the pH scale. The scale ranges from 0- most acidic to 14- most basic. We interact with many different acids and bases everyday. This experiment will help measure the pH levels of household chemicals.
Before we begin, have your child create their own pH scale. Draw a straight line horizontally across a paper. Add numbers 0-14. Mark 7 as neutral. 0-7 should be marked as acids. 7-14 will be marked as bases. Next, help your child color the acids and bases as follows:
Wait, hold up, what does that mean?
- Hydrogen ions: hydrogen atoms with a positive charge
- Solution: liquid mixture
- Acid: chemicals that measure from 0-7 on the pH scale
- Base: chemicals that measure from 7-14 on the pH scale
- Neutral: pH of 7 (distilled water)
- Control: a solution that is left unchanged, so you can compare the results
Don’t worry, there are a few YouTube videos that can further explain to your child (and you!) about acids and bases.
- Purple cabbage (a natural pH indicator) boiled, only liquid kept
- Glass jars
- Household substances: lemon juice, baking soda, white vinegar (adult use only!), wine (for the experiment or for you, it’s gotta be 5 o’clock somewhere!), milk, laundry detergent, hand sanitizer, shampoo
- Paper and coloring supplies
Purpose: To determine which household chemicals are acids and bases.
Hypotheses: Probe your child by asking them which substances will produce acids and which will be bases. “I think ____ will be an acid and ____ will be a base.”
Adult Only: Boil the purple cabbage in distilled water until the liquid turns purple. Discard the leaves and save the liquid.
- Pour the cabbage juice into glass containers.
- Label each container according to what will be added.
- Create a control – a glass with only cabbage juice to compare the others.
- Carefully add substances to the cabbage juice.
- Observe and record color changes.
- Arrange according to pH scale.
Have your child draw the jars, label them, then color in what color each changed.
Did the results support your hypotheses? Ask your child probing questions: Why do you think X was a base and Y was an acid? Why do you think there are a variety of acids and bases in the environment?
Photo Credit: Ashley Wells
Tags: #parenting, children, daily mom, daily science, DIY, easy, family, helpful mom resources, how to, learning, learning activities, mom, mom tips, Mommy, mommy blog, mommy tips, motherhood, natural, pH for kids, pH scale, purple cabbage experiment, red cabbage experiment, school, science, science experiments, science for all ages, science for kids, stay at home mom, working mom
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This week, a teacher approached me about a student who struggles with handwriting and typing. These two tools came to mind. One tool is Google's Voice Typing and the other, Typing Club
Google Voice Typing
Google Voice Typing is available in Google Docs. It uses your computer's microphone to turn your speech into text. Voice Typing is found under Tools - Voice Typing
Students will need to speak the words comma, period, question mark, etc. to indicate punctuation.
Google Voice Typing Help Article
Typing Club is a free site that teaches students touch typing. It begins with the home, top and bottom row keys. It progresses to capital letters and punctuation keys. Students will enjoy "Typing Jungle" because it has games. Swing across balloons as you type to get to the end, or defeat the evil snow monster!
Be sure to login with your Google or Microsoft 365 account to save progress
Typing Club Website
Typing Club App for Chromebooks
About the "IT Persin"
Carol has her degree from Duquesne University in elementary education (K-6) and the Instructional Technology Specialist certificate. She has 4 years of teaching experience K-8 & 1 year of computer para experience. Carol is currently the Technology Integration Specialist for Keystone Oaks School District in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been married 5 years to her loving husband and they have a retired racing Greyhound, Henry.
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Practice recognizing numbers and counting through 20 with these Valentine themed counting cards.
Counting Hearts is a set of cards you can use to practice numeracy skills with your students. Have fun incorporating a Valentine’s theme into your math time.
With the cards, you can:
Play memory with the ten frame cards and the number cards
Play memory with two sets of ten frame cards
Practice 1:1 correspondence with the ten frame cards and match to number cards
Practice subitizing with the ten frame cards and match to number cards
Order ten frame cards from least to greatest or greatest to least
Order numbers from least to greatest or greatest to least
Use counters (mini erasers or candy hearts) to practice 1:1 correspondence with the ten frames
and so much MORE!
I recommend printing on cardstock and laminating for durability.
-Melissa Reed, Mrs. Reed’s Resource Room


Date of Award
Doctor of Philosophy
School of Education
Professor Caroline Barratt-Pugh
Professor Lim Cher Ping
Dr Jenny Lane
Digital literacy learning has become a requirement created by the wide development and application of new technologies for communication and representation. In the context of this study, ‘digital literacy’ is defined as a set of skills that enable an individual to use technologies to work with information. It builds on the traditional literacies of reading, writing, listening and speaking and includes elements of information literacy, media literacy and technology skills.
The purpose of this study was to investigate digital literacy learning in terms of the set of competencies - aspects of digital literacy - that a student in an upper-primary school English-language classroom in an international school in Hong Kong needs to possess to participate meaningfully and actively in representing through digital multimodal texts such as digital stories. In this study, digital storytelling is defined as a contemporary strategy for the creation of digital multimedia content for expressing ideas, representing knowledge and otherwise communicating information through digital artefacts.
This study adopted a case study approach, mapping the development of digital literacy skills in three students. Data collection included, a whole class student questionnaire, interviews with the three case study students, participant observations, class discussions, students’ written reflections, peer evaluation, discussion of planning documents and digital artefacts by the researcher and three students as well as analysis of the digital artefacts by the researcher. In the course of the study, the three participants engaged in the planning and creation of three digital stories based on different genres: pourquoi story (narration), story review (response) and show & tell (personal story with a predefined genre). Analysis of the collected data provided insights into how digital storytelling supports digital literacy learning in an upper-primary-school English language classroom, what aspects of digital literacy develop through digital storytelling and what are the factors that inhibit the effective implementation of digital storytelling.
The key findings of the study suggest that digital storytelling is an effective strategy for digital literacy learning in a Primary 6 English-language classroom. Digital storytelling has supported the digital literacy learning of the three participating students and provided a context for the development of digital literacy. In addition, it has enhanced other aspects of teaching and learning that contribute to digital literacy development. To identify and analyse the aspects of digital literacy that the three students developed, an assessment rubric was constructed by the researcher. The application of this rubric produced evidence that suggested that all aspects of digital literacy were developed through the three digital storytelling projects.
Each of the three projects completed by the students enabled them to build on their skills while learning new digital literacy skills. The study also found that the implementation of digital storytelling in the classroom was mediated by a range of issues that were affected by both curricular and extracurricular constraints. The study produced a number of recommendations for teachers and curriculum designers in relation to integrating digital storytelling into the school curriculum.
Churchill, N. (2016). Digital storytelling as a means of supporting digital literacy learning in an upper-primary-school English language classroom. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1774


For Water Safety Month, we decided to discuss 10 basic swimming and water safety skills, which are introduced in my children’s book, Life with Lou. So far, we’ve shared three skills…
As we move on, please remember to practice the previous skills, especially Skill #1. To help your child foster a healthy relationship with water, practice using a cue to pour warm water on the face in a controlled environment. The benefits will last a lifetime.
Skill #4: FRONT GLIDE WITH KICKS
This skill can be introduced as an extension of Skill #3 (Front float). Support your child in front of you in a horizontal position on the surface of the water. Reach your arms out and with your thumbs on the back of the knees, keep his legs straight and help him kick to make little splashes on top of the water. Walk backward to show that the effort is moving him forward.
Pay attention to body position, which needs to be horizontal, NOT vertical. If legs are “bicycling,” use your hands to help kick with his entire leg. This is important because with muscle memory your child can develop maximum efficiency. If you are working with infants, be sure to support the head and neck so your child’s face doesn’t fall into the water. Then, practice putting his face in the water and/or blowing bubbles.
Quick tip: If this is a difficult skill for your children or they are kicking with crazy legs all over the place, help them out. Use your hands to help them kick properly for 5 seconds, then let go and have them practice by themselves for 5 seconds. Although perfect stroke technique is not the focus right now, it is important to make corrections for proper body position.
Kicks can be powerful and create propulsion, so they are an important swimming skill to learn. Kids can practice kicking on the steps, on the wall, with a kick board, and even on the floor or in bed! With your help, your child will have efficient kicks in no time.
Skill #5: FREESTYLE/ FRONT CRAWL
This is my favorite skill to teach! It is so much fun and kids can really use their imaginations to make it interesting. In this skill, we are basically adding arms to Skill #4 (Front glide with kicks). Start by sitting on the steps of the pool with your child and practicing your arms together. Put your fingers together, then reach and pull your arms through the water one at a time. Use your hands to create ‘scoops’ and pull the water toward you.
Make it fun – scoop ice cream, paint rainbows in the sky, high five the sun, use big dinosaur arms! Remember that we are focusing on survival and comfort level in the pool, not training for the Olympics. So if your child’s technique isn’t perfect, it’s okay. In fact, children may not be physically able to lift their arms out of the water. The stroke doesn’t have to be pretty; it just has to get them to safety! If the pool is shallow enough, children can practice using their big arms to reach and pull the water while walking. This is wonderful for balance and motor skill development.
As an incentive, throw a rubber ducky or any floating pool toy for your child to “swim” to. He can reach and pull to the toy and you can celebrate when he reaches it. High five! The goal is to move forward horizontally.
Quick tip: Avoid “beating up” the water and frantically thrashing.
Try my technique:
Me: “Are you angry with the water?”
Me: “Are you sure? You’re beating it up! Be gentle to the water. It’s your friend.”
Child: “It is?”
Me: “Yes! If you are nice to it, it will hold you up.”
The water really is our friend and we want to create a healthy relationship with it. Use these skills to do that. They are being introduced in isolation, so practice them alone, then put them together to excel learning. Always practice horizontal position with the face in the water blowing bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles.
The instructional methods discussed are based on my personal teaching philosophy. This is one of many ways to teach swimming.
READ MORE FROM OUR WATER SAFETY SERIES
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Hopefully what you have gathered from this ultimate guide to how we learn to read is that there are plenty of really simple things you can do at home to help your child with reading. Yes, it’s the usual stuff everyone bangs on about – read to your child, talk to your child about anything and everything instead of plonking them in front of the TV (except when you absolutely need to – we’re all only human!), sing songs and nursery rhymes, play simple games and let them mess about with Play-Doh. You really don’t need to be in some kind of phonics bootcamp at age 3 in order to learn to read well at school.
But there are certain things that need to happen in order for a child to get the hang of reading. Children need to be able to hear the sounds in words (phonemic awareness) and understand that the sounds they hear can be represented by printed letters. Children’s brains are all different and will develop at different times so it’s important to be patient if your child isn’t ready to read yet.
At the same time, reading isn’t a natural process – it doesn’t just happen. So if you spot anything amiss don’t wait for it to right itself; talk to your child’s teacher or someone else at school that you trust to take your concerns seriously.
Learning to decode words using phonics is not something that happens overnight. You should certainly learn the basics so that you can support your child’s phonics learning at home, but effective phonics instruction requires a skilled professional in most cases, but especially if your child is showing signs of struggling. Don’t settle for wishy-washy phonics teaching. If you think your child isn’t getting to grips with the method, seek out a specialist tutor.
If you haven’t downloaded your free reading guide yet, please do check it out. It includes an introduction to phonics as well as plenty of reading activities that you can try today, whatever your child’s stage of reading.


The true worth of a person does not depend on family origins; it does, however, depend
very much on one's elementary education.
Generally speaking, fathers are considered to be good role models in the family when
they exhibit good morality and self-discipline. Therefore, the father is the model
for his children, especially his sons. This modeling occurs through moral education
There are two kinds of education, within the home and outside (at school and through
social mixing). Home education is the duty of the parents, especially the father.
If the father is good but his son is not, what is the cause? It is because the father
is good but he does not teach his son well and the child receives outside education
which is not good. We acknowledge that in rare instances some bad fathers produce
good sons. This is because of good outside education which influences behavior also.
People who commit violence and who violate others (women and children) are people
of the sort who lack morality and discipline. Violence or rape will diminish only
when moral and disciplined people say the justice system and the court system must
consist of moral professionals who respect and implement the law thoroughly.
Cambodian citizens still fear and detest the Khmer Rouge regime which did not respect
the law. These days there is no one who wants this regime to return. Youth who were
born after the KR regime do not know about its cruelty. Therefore, the bad behavior
of youth gangs also finds its source in poor education and fathers who do not act
as good role models for their children.
If a country has law and practices the law, the rape of a person is cause for concern
because it says that if today someone has raped a woman and the court does not impose
a proper punishment according to that law, later those men will dare to rape other
women. And other men will model themselves on those men. Therefore, law enforcement
is a key factor for eliminating negative social factors. Whatever youth have been
influenced by, if there is good law enforcement and justice, immoral activities of
youth will be suppressed.
Last Wednesday (23 April), the mayor of Phnom Penh ordered the municipal police to
stamp out gangs in the city. He said, however, that we would be able to eliminate
gangs completely from the city only when we had the cooperation of parents, schools
and local officials.
The prime minister has said that many youth gang members come from elite families
and are protected by power and wealth. Last year, he said there are more than 300,000
civil servants who can teach their children not to use force against those who are
Therefore, only education, good role modeling by fathers and proper law enforcement
can prevent violence committed by our youth or men generally.
- Huot Sokhsan - Communicator Cambodian Men's Network.


Presentation on theme: "Taking Notes Synthesizing Information from a Source Mary Alice Osborne Library Media Specialist."— Presentation transcript:
Taking Notes Synthesizing Information from a Source Mary Alice Osborne Library Media Specialist
What are some ways to be a good reader of information?
List of Possible Strategies: Skimming and scanning Looking for keywords Noticing bold, italic, and underlined words Being aware of headlines Using the table of contents, index, glossary, and title page Paying attention to picture captions Knowing that, sometimes, reading every word is necessary Make a mind map or table or line diagram
ABC - LOU Note-taking Strategies A bbreviations B ullets C aveman language L ists O ne word for several U se your own words Taken from: School Library Media Activities Monthly Vol. 12, No. 1, Sept. 2006
A bbreviations Abbreviations are shortened forms of a word or phrase Use them when you take notes Examples: –Dr. = doctor –Mrs. = missus –Mr. = mister –U.S.A. = United States of America –CN = China List of Abbreviations
B ullets Example of a Bulleted List: Foods Romans Ate Pizza Spaghetti Olives Tomatoes Wine
L ists We all make lists from time to time: Grocery lists List of things to bring on vacation “To Do” Lists When doing research you can also make lists: List of countries the Romans conquered List of weapons used by the Romans
O ne Word for Several (Paraphrase) How to: Reread the original passage until you understand it. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase. Check your version with the original to make sure that it accurately expresses all the essential information, but in a new form. Record the source (including the page) in your notes so that you can credit it easily Taken from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
U se Your Own Words Similar to Paraphrasing Read the information through Without looking at the original material, write your version Change words that are difficult to words you understand Note: You still need to cite the information
Try to Paraphrase this: Roman men and women originally seem to have worn a large piece of wool, wrapped around themselves. After they met people from Greece and Egypt, around 200 BC, they began to wear linen tunics (like T-shirts) under their wool robes, which was more comfortable.woolGreeceEgypt BClinen On their feet, both men and women wore leather sandals, or leather boots in cold weather.leather In their hair, women wore wooden hairsticks or wooden combs, which they could also use to comb their hair. "Roman Clothing - History for Kids!" Kidipede - History and Science for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School. 13 Mar. 2009.
Many students find that highlighting helps them to concentrate and helps them to understand the text. Just deciding what to highlight or underline encourages you to think critically, make judgments and formulate your own response to the text. Highlighting
1.Read quickly through the text to get an overview of what it’s about. 2.Read it more closely, pausing at the end of each paragraph to identify the main points. You may highlight: 1.Sentence or word that sums up an important idea 2.Quotations 3.Statistics 4.Specialized terms 5.Important or useful data 6.Examples or links to other ideas. 3.You could use different colored pens to mark different kinds of information, but be careful not to highlight so much that it becomes distracting.


Music plays a very important role in our life. It is helpful when we are tired and want to have a good rest; it inspires artists to create their masterpieces, so it makes our life emotional and colourful. Music has existed and developed with the development of the human beings. At first music was a bunch of the rhythmical primitive sounds, which helped people organize their work effectively. Later music developed further and new musical instruments appeared. The golden age of music is associated with the classical music and world famous composers, like Bach, Mozart, Chopin and others. In the XXth century new genres of music appeared and music has mostly become commercial and widespread (centuries ago only privileged people could afford themselves to listen to professional orchestral music). Today everybody can learn to play any musical instrument, because the quality of education has become higher and you can focus your attention to the investigation of this topic and present a research paper on music education. Being business music has become associated with a range on negative things including violence, alcohol, drugs and piracy. The latter is the most stressing problem for modern musicians and it can be described in the research paper on music piracy.
Students who have decided to present the role of music in human life and prepare a good research paper on music should devote much time to the investigation of the topic, because it is really vast. It is not wise to research the question of music from all sides, because one can spend the whole life but will not complete the paper properly. It is required to limit the scope of research and focus attention to some limited aspects and points connected with music. Students often have problems with broad topics and need extra help to narrow them. The most common assistant of most students is the Internet with its free examples of research papers on music which give young people the idea of correct essay writing.
Need a catchy title for my research paper on music and stress
If when you get to high school or college and you are writing a research paper on a music topic, it might well lead to your advantage if you have had a solid music education to that stage. If you've got a background in a particular aspect of music, take advantage of that background and choose a topic which is related to your expertise.


Curriculum and Instruction
First Advisor's Name
First Advisor's Committee Title
Second Advisor's Name
Third Advisor's Name
Fourth Advisor's Name
Fifth Advisor's Name
Stereotypes, Standardized Testing, Stereotype Threat, Urban Education, African American, Elementary Education
Date of Defense
Stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995) refers to the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group in a particular performance domain. The theory assumes that performance in the stereotyped domain is most negatively affected when individuals are more highly identified with the domain in question. As federal law has increased the importance of standardized testing at the elementary level, it can be reasonably hypothesized that the standardized test performance of African American children will be depressed when they are aware of negative societal stereotypes about the academic competence of African Americans. This sequential mixed-methods study investigated whether the standardized testing experiences of African American children in an urban elementary school are related to their level of stereotype awareness. The quantitative phase utilized data from 198 African American children at an urban elementary school. Both ex-post facto and experimental designs were employed. Experimental conditions were diagnostic and non-diagnostic testing experiences. The qualitative phase utilized data from a series of six focus group interviews conducted with a purposefully selected group of 4 African American children. The interview data were supplemented with data from 30 hours of classroom observations. Quantitative findings indicated that the stereotype threat condition evoked by diagnostic testing depresses the reading test performance of stereotype-aware African American children (F[1, 194] = 2.21, p < .01). This was particularly true of students who are most highly domain-identified with reading (F[1, 91] = 19.18, p < .01). Moreover, findings indicated that only stereotype-aware African American children who were highly domain-identified were more likely to experience anxiety in the diagnostic condition (F[1, 91] = 5.97, p < .025). Qualitative findings revealed 4 themes regarding how African American children perceive and experience the factors related to stereotype threat: (1) a narrow perception of education as strictly test preparation, (2) feelings of stress and anxiety related to the state test, (3) concern with what “others” think (racial salience), and (4) stereotypes. A new conceptual model for stereotype threat is presented, and future directions including implications for practice and policy are discussed.
Wasserberg, Martin J., "Stereotype Threat and the Standardized Testing Experiences of African American Children at an Urban Elementary School" (2009). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 116.
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Urban Education Commons
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Nancy Turner, Ed.D., is a professor in
the Education Department at Saint Mary's.
She teaches courses in the elementary education major
and in the Mild Intervention program.
What is an Autism Spectrum Disorder?
In May of 2013, the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - 5 (DSM - 5) made changes to the way that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined. Autism Speaks has provided a summary of the diagnostic criteria for ASD and autism-related disorders.
Links to Helpful Organizations
- Association for Science in Autism Treatments
- Autism Speaks
- Autism Society
- Autism Society of Indiana
- CDC - Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Council for Exceptional Children
- The Gray Center
- HANDS in Autism
- Indiana Resource Center for Autism
- Center for Disability Information and Referral
- National Autism Association
- National Autism Center
- 4 Paws for Ability
- Lighthouse Autism Center
- Social Thinking
- Sonya Ansari Center for Autism
- The Watson Institute
- University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program
In 2009, the National Autism Center (NAC) initiated the National Standards Project to identify the level of research support for interventions used for children with ASD and to identify evidence-based practice guidelines and give professionals important information for making treatment decisions. The manual can be downloaded at the above link and is an invaluable tool for teachers, parents, and other service providers. At approximately the same time, also applying rigorous criteria, the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC on ASD) identified 24 evidence-based practices; the sessions offered through the Autism Internet Modules (see below) currently address some of these practices, while some modules are still being developed. (See summary of each of the 24 practices under the EBP Briefs link.) Both the NAC and the NPDC offer assistance in selecting practices or treatments appropriate for specific individuals. This chart identifies the overlap between evidence-based practices identified by the two groups.
Sites with Printable Materials
- Mrs. Riley - custom make your own visual support cards using provided library of images
- Building Blox - free activities, cards, etc.
- Boardmaker Achieve - free Boardmaker activities aligned to Common Core Standards
- Victories and Autism - downloadable visual tools (schedules, cards, etc.) and other resources
- Picture Set - downloadable visual tools for expressive and receptive communication
- Jill Kuzma's SLP Site - downloadable visuals, teaching ideas, etc. focused on social/emotional skills
- Visuals.autism.net - visual schedule templates, choice boards, cards, activities, etc.
- TASN Autism and Tertiary Behavior Supports - materials catalog for visuals, teaching ideas, etc.
- Cindy's Autistic Support - printable schedules, file folder activities, etc.
- Timer Countdown -- customizable timers
- Practical Autism Resources - printable cards, behavior rating scales, templates, games, and more
- Speaking of Speech -- Materials Exchange; printable materials related to language, social skills
- Positively Autism - flashcards, materials, etc. related to various content areas
- Autism Teaching Strategies - free downloadable social skills activities
- Incredible 5-point Scale -- More Sweet Scale Ideas
Bibliography of Recommended Books
Children's Books Featuring Children with Autism and Sensory Integration
In an inclusive classroom, it is important that all students are empathic towards students with disabilities. Sometimes the use of children's literature featuring children with disabilities can be an way to teach important lessons that promote understanding, communication, and social interaction. This annotated bibliography of books features children with autism and sensory integration disorder. Response activities and discussion questions are included.
Finding apps for students with disabilities can be difficult, as there are so many possibiities. BridgingApps is an invaluable online source that bridges the gap "between technology and people with disabiities." Providing reviews of apps by special education teachers and therapists, this site allows one to search for apps based on the specific age and learning needs of the targeted individuals.
Online Modules/Classes on Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Autism Internet Modules (AIM)
- NPDC on ASD: Foundations of ASD Online Course
- IIDC Modules on Evidence-based Practices
- HANDS in Autism webcasts


My course, Teaching Music in a Common Core World, through VanderCook College of Music, is continuing to progress through the National Core Music Standards. The past two weeks, we looked at Creating and Performing as Artistic Processes. Those blog posts detail a lot about what NAfME and other organizations have crafted in the new Core Arts Standards. This post is a continuation along that line focusing on Responding.
This week, we were delivered the following prompt:
The reality is that the National Standards for Music Education, the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards and others are “highly recommending” that music educators include the three artistic processes into the music curricula for all music students. Write a narrative explaining in detail how you plan to incorporate “Responding” into your curriculum.
Responding is a critical part of a performing ensemble. Our school year incorporates responding as an artistic process throughout the marching, concert, and jazz band seasons.
The marching band season begins in August with band camp and progresses through mid-October when we host the Mid-Iowa Band Championships to close the season. This typically includes four to five performances for half-time of home football games as well as four to five festivals. The first festival we attend every year uses the typical six judge format, but all bands perform in a judged exhibition. After their performance, the students move to an auditorium with a clinician to walk through video of their performance and the clinician’s thoughts. This is a perfect introduction to the competitive season. Afterwards, we have our students reflect and evaluate their performance.
Prior to the first marching band competition, we discuss the various ballots with the students and how their performance is rated by each judge. We talk about the design process the staff goes through to select, analyze, and interpret the music and drill to give the students a show with great potential. We also help the students analyze and interpret their music and show so they can maximize that potential when performing. After each performance, we ask the students to evaluate their performance using reflective questions or ballots.
In the jazz band season, our first performance is opening for the 7th Grade Concert Band in December. This gives us five to six weeks of preparation. In the top jazz band, we discuss the criteria for selecting a set for this performance. At this time of year, the students will have approximately twenty pieces in their folder that are possibilities. The students select the three to four pieces for the set, and I model how to analyze and interpret them. After this performance, the students evaluate themselves on an individual and ensemble basis, and use this evaluation to begin the cycle for selecting repertoire for their next performance.
In the concert band season, we begin with the Fall Band Gala, just three short weeks after the conclusion of the marching band season. This is followed by another three and a half week turnaround before our Winter Concert. For both of these performances, we model and think-aloud our process for building a concert set. For the next concert, there are eight weeks of preparation. This is partially due to the Perry Band Olympics, our region’s solo and ensemble festival, occurring in February. This extra time allows us to have the students collaboratively discuss selecting music for the Spring Concert based on the modeling we did in the Fall semester. We model analysis and interpretation in the concert band rehearsals so students can demonstrate those skills in individual lessons while preparing their solo and ensemble literature. During the final lesson cycle leading up to Perry, students record a performance of their solo and ensemble literature and walk through an evaluation of it using the wind and percussion rubrics we use for every lesson.
In each ensemble and lesson, we are frequently prompting to students to evaluate their performance. These evaluations can be in the form of reflective questions or in discussions around rubrics or ballots. Students are also comparing their performances to recordings of other ensembles ranging from middle school students to professionals. Students are asked to respond to questions like: Why did they select that repertoire? How are they interpreting that selection? How are they doing at communicating that interpretation?


Moscow, Oct 23 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The oldest known survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp which was constructed by the Nazis has died at the age of 108, a media report said.
Antoni Dobrowolski died Sunday in the Debno town (northwest Poland) where he lived after World War II, reported PolskaTimes newspaper citing an official of the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum.
Dobrowolski, a primary school teacher, ran secret classes during Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland, when anything beyond four years of elementary education was prohibited.
In 1942, Dobrowolski was arrested by the Gestapo (the official secret police of Nazi Germany) and sent to Auschwitz. He was later moved to the concentration camps of Gross-Rosen and then Sachsenhausen, where he was liberated by the Soviet Army in the spring of 1945 as the war ended.
At Auschwitz, the largest of five Nazi death camps, more than one million people died, 90 percent of them Jews.


Bay Haven Curriculum Overview
Bay Haven Charter Academy promotes a technique that yields improved academic results, self-development and character education. Teaching techniques go well beyond Florida State Standards' focus into broad levels of skill-building. These methods, when combined with traditional instructional strategies, give our students a strong information foundation and skills repertoire upon which to build their future.
Core Curriculum - A framework that incorporates the formal performance based on Florida State Standards.
Emphasis on reading, writing, and mathematics as well as, physical education, the arts, and technology.
Our overall goal is to establish a flexible "open framework" that supports creativity, high standards and a solid academic foundation.
The Curriculum encourages steady academic progress as students build their knowledge and skills from one year to the next.
We offer Art, Music, and Physical Education. Reading, writing, and spelling are taught by our fine faculty utilizing McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders curriculum resources, learning centers and innovative instruction. Our main resources for mathematics is Pearson enVision Math for instruction at the K-5 level. These series "raise the bar" and allow direct instruction methods to be employed to facilitate your child's individual needs.
Harcourt science is the core curriculum at the K-5 level. Our faculty differentiates instruction for the needs of the learner and employs instructional strategies that reach beyond the standards.
Individualized Approach to Learning
A Personal Learning Plan (P.L.P.) is created for each student that assesses his/her skill level when he/she enrolls in the school. This is a path for growth is designed for each student who is periodically reassessed to determine skill development.
The P.L.P. will ensure that the individual needs of each student are met and will provide parents the opportunity to participate in educational goal setting and monitoring of their child's academic progress.
Our staff are engaged in developing curriculum guides. The curriculum guide is a grade level specific document which outlines the curriculum for the core academic areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. These guides give an overview of the units in each content area and the corresponding activities/skills/concepts included in each unit. Additionally, resources, assessments and Florida State Standards alignment are included with each unit description. These are broad documents which communicate the major components of Bay Haven Charter Academy's curriculum. The curriculum guides are not intended to reflect specific lesson plans for a course/subject. That level of information can be obtained on individual teacher websites.
Reading Wonders and Wonderworks
The current core reading program Reading Wonders contains an embedded component to address interventions for struggling readers. Additionally the program has components that provide lessons in the five areas of reading to target areas of weakness.
Available in both print and digital format, Reading WonderWorks was built to support the core instruction that occurs in the Reading Wonders classroom, but provides flexible options and scaffolds specific skills for students with varying intervention needs. For students in younger grades (K-1), the program emphasizes developing and reinforcing foundational skills from the Reading Wonders program (phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, fluency, oral vocabulary) that are crucial for developing proficient readers as defined by the State Standards. For older grades (2-6), the program's focus shifts to addressing higher level skills (practicing close reading, accessing the meaning of complex text, analytical writing) that are level-appropriate but still maintain the complexity that students are required to master. Foundational skills continue to be scaffolded to support students throughout the program as needed.
Voyager Passport Voyager Passport for reading is a supplement to core instruction for grades K-5. This program provides struggling readers with explicit and systematic instruction, corrective feedback, and more time on task in order to master critical reading skills. This researched-based curriculum addresses the five essential reading components of Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. These components are integrated into 12 Adventures that engage students through interesting stories, adventure checkpoints, and adventure centers. Students are given the opportunity to stamp their “Adventure Checkpoint Map” at the end of each adventure they complete.
Number Worlds Number Worlds is a prevention/intervention program designed to help students who are one or more grade levels behind in grades K-8. The prevention levels (A-C) address foundational skills in number sense. The intervention levels (D-J) focus on key standards in the areas of Number Sense, Patterns/Relationships, Addition, Subtraction, Geometry and Measurement, and Data Analysis & Applications. Lessons include a warm-up activity related to real-world topics; engages students, teaches critical-thinking skills, and provides assessments to monitor student progress.


Arts enrichment and preschool emotions for low-income children at risk
Abstract:This study examines the effects of arts integration on preschool students’ emotional expression and emotional regulation. The study compares two preschools, an arts-integrated preschool (Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts Enrichment Program) and a traditional preschool. Both preschools are Head Start programs that serve low-income students. The researchers find that students in the Kaleidoscope program were more likely to experience positive emotions during arts based learning than in traditional learning times. The positive emotions occurred more frequently for arts-integrated preschool students than for the students in the traditional preschool. The students in the arts-integrated program also experienced greater growth in emotional regulation over the course of the school year.
Key Findings:The students at the arts integrated preschool had a higher frequency of positive emotions than students at the traditional preschool, and showed higher regulation of positive and negative emotions and greater growth in emotional regulation over the course of the school year. Students at both schools exhibited similar negative emotional expression.
In the arts integrated pre-school, children showed a higher frequency of positive emotions during arts integrated classes in comparison to regular classes.
Significance of the Findings:The Kaleidoscope program provides a model for arts integration in early childhood learning, and other studies have shown it to also increase school readiness for low-income students.
Much research has been done showing positive emotions facilitate engagement with learning, therefor the increased frequency of emotions such as happiness, pride, and interest shown in the arts-integrated preschool is significant in the education of populations who are at-risk for educational difficulties. This study suggests that integrating the arts into early childhood education for low-income children may serve to equalize educational opportunity by making the school experience more positive by increasing the frequency of positive emotions and emotional regulation that children experience through the arts. The induction of positive emotions into educational setting through arts programming is an important piece of prevention strategy, and arts-integration may play a significant role in early education programs for low-income students.
Methodology:Two hundred and five Head Start preschool students and their caregivers in Philadelphia participated in the study. This sample was compromised of 174 students attending Settlement Music School’s Kaleidoscope Program (the treatment group) and 31 students attending a comparison preschool (the control group). Kaleidoscope uses an arts-integrated model that includes standard early learning classes in addition to daily music, creative movement, and visual arts classes, which are taught by credentialed art teachers. The average age for the students was four years, two months. Seventy-five percent of the students were Black, ten percent Latino, ten percent Asian, and five percent White. Ninety percent of the families were low-income and 65 percent considered poor based on national poverty guidelines. The study took place over the course of one academic year and the participation rate in study was close to 85 percent at both sites, as several caregivers did not participate in the interview process despite repeated attempts. The study consisted of four components: 1) an initial demographic data collection interview with caregivers, 2) the measurement of individual children’s verbal ability using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III in the fall (October) and spring (May), 3) the Emotional Regulation Checklist (ERC), a Likert scale indicating frequency of behaviors which was completed independently by the Head Start teachers, and 4) coded observations of the children’s classroom emotions conducted by trained graduate research assistants using an adapted Affex system at one minute intervals with inter-rater reliability scores of .82 according to Cohen’s Kappa.
Limitations of the Research:It is not possible to know based on the collected data whether these findings would transfer to other students and other schools in different contexts (e.g. different communities, preschools different student demographics). Also, because the study compares two preschool buildings, there may have been school effects (e.g. teacher quality, school climate) that influenced the findings. Additionally, it would have increased the power of the data to see the traditional preschool group be of a similar size as the arts-integrated group.
Questions to Guide New Research:
- What kinds of arts-integration are most impactful for early childhood education (e.g., dance vs. visual art, theatre vs. music).
- Is full arts integration (integration of all art forms) more beneficial for student emotional development than the integration of one artistic discipline?
- What aspects of teacher training are most beneficial for arts integration?
- Are similar positive results found in full arts integration in other grade levels?


ACCESS for ELLS®
- Testing Window: February 6–March 24, 2017
Benchmark tests are developed and administered by the district to measure student progress in achieving the established instructional goals. Teachers use benchmark test results to plan instruction. Benchmarks tests are given at the end of each nine weeks.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and Iowa Assessments (IA) for Grade 2
Testing Window: October 24–November 14, 2016
Pre-K and Kindergarten Readiness Assessments
Every student entering public prekindergarten and kindergarten must be administered a readiness assessment by the forty-fifth (45th) day of the school year. The assessment will assess each child's early language and literacy development, mathematical thinking, physical well-being, and social-emotional development. The purpose of the assessment is to provide teachers and parents or guardians with information to address the readiness needs of each student. Detailed information about the Pre-K and Kindergarten Readiness Assessments can be found at http://ed.sc.gov/tests/elementary/pre-k-and-kindergarten-readiness-assessments/ 4K administers the myIGDis and 5K administers the DRA2.
South Carolina College-and-Career- Ready Assessments (SC READY)


Aims of the Music Program
- to provide students with the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, regardless of their musical experience
- to help students develop an appreciation and understanding of a wide range of musical styles
- to provide students with the opportunity to perform both in and outside of school
- to develop teamwork and leadership skills
- to encourage a sense of responsibility and commitment.
Being part of a musical ensemble is a wonderful opportunity for all children. No prior musical experience is needed to join the Percussion Program or the Recorder Ensemble and with minimal experience students can join the REPS Band, the String Ensemble or the Guitar Ensemble. During their time in the program your child will learn to play an instrument, read music, and work together with their peers to produce wonderful music together.
Developing musical abilities has wide-ranging benefits in neurodevelopment as well as positive effects on many aspects of a child’s education. Being part of an ensemble helps a child to develop the cooperative and social skills required to be a valued member of any team.
‘The evidence of neuroscience overwhelmingly demonstrates that children studying music have a considerable educational advantage over those who don’t. Because of the essentially aural nature of music, together with the requirements of intense listening and concentration, the child’s brain responds powerfully to music education, enhancing all other learning’ Richard Gill OAM
“Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited.” Dr Suzuki
Of course there is a level of commitment involved in being part of the music program. We encourage you to read the following points before applying for a place in the music program.
- Practice at home 20 – 30 mins 5 times a week, Students who keep up regular practice at home experience the most success.
- Instrumental beginner students will greatly benefit from a lot of parental supervision in lessons and practice at home to establish good practice techniques.
- Attend weekly
- Arrive 10 mins before the rehearsal start to set up and be ready to start on time.
- Letting the conductor/band manager/contact parent know if you are going to miss a performance or rehearsal
- Keep up to date with the music program by reading emails from the committee and the Newsletter.
- Must have weekly private lesson(s) on your chosen instrument(s) (not including recorders – for which no private lessons are required
Students in the music program will have the opportunity to audition for a wide range of external music ensembles and activities during their time at REPS including:
- M.E.B exams
- State Recorder Camp
- NSW Recorder Consort
- Sydney South East Orchestra
- State Music Camp
- Arts Unit Instrumental Ensembles
- Suzuki graduations (guitar, violin, and recorder. Requires membership to the Suzuki association)


“Preschools with language impairments do not enter conversations as often as typically developing children” (Hadley & Rice, 1991).
One way for SLPs to provide in-class therapy for pre-K children is to organize structured dramatic play lessons. The concept is to teach children vocabulary and thematic play “scripts.” Then, allow children to play, coaching them to use the new concepts and to increase the amount of interactions with their peers. After a free play period, children can describe the completed activities using visual supports in order to build language skills within a functional context.
Research supports the use of structured dramatic play to build language and pre-literacy skills:
- “The plan-play-report intervention is effective for improving social skills and promoting advances in children's cognitive and communicative development” (Craig-Unkefer & Kaiser, 2003).
- “The intention of play planning and resulting play appears to exercise mature play behaviors that are foundational in executive functioning, namely inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitively flexibility” (Diamond et. Al, 2008).
- “Results from the study provide support for the inclusion of systematic training of scripts to enhance interaction and communication skills among children with and without disabilities using socio-dramatic play “(Goldstein & Cisar, 1992).
- “Children learn vocabulary best when the teacher provides opportunities to use and practice vocabulary in context” ( Newman, Susan and Julie Dwyer, 2009).
- “One way to improve vocabulary through literacy is to have children “re-enact the book, making up their own versions of the story” (Wilcox, 2001).
Speech Language Literacy Lab is also available to present on this and other topics to groups via distance learning (Skype/gchat) conferences. Interested individuals should contact:
Jennifer Preschern, MA CCC-SLP at email@example.com for more information.
Craig-Unkefer, Lesley and Kaiser, Ann. “Increasing Peer-Directed Social- Communication Skills of Children Enrolled in Head Start.” Journal of Early Intervention, Volume 25, 2003.
Diamond, Adele, W. Steven Barnett, Jessica Thomas, and Sarah Munro. “Preschool Program Improves Cognitive Control.” Science, 2007.
Hadley, Pamela. Rice, Mabel. “Conversational Responsiveness of Speech and Language Impaired Preschoolers.” Journal of Speech and Hearing Research. December, 1991.
Goldstein, H., and Cisar, C. “Promoting interaction during sociodramtic play: teaching scripts to typical preschoolers and classmates with disabilities.” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 1992.
Morrow, Lesley, and Judith Schickedanz. “The Relationships between Sociodramatic Play and Literacy Development.” In Handbook of Early Literacy Research, vol. 2, 2006.
Neuman, Susan and Julie Dwyer. “Missing in Action: Vocabulary Instruction in Pre-K” The Reading Teacher, February 2009.
Roskos, Kathleen and James Christie. The Play-Literacy Nexus and the Importance of Evidence-Based Techniques in the Classroom. American Journal of Play, 2011
Wilcox, M.J., Murphy, K.M., Bacon, C.K., and Thomas, S. Improving language teaching practicesin preschool classrooms. Infant Child Research Programs, Arizona State University, Tempe Arizona, 2001.


In part 4 of the “Kids Discover Music Careers” series, I will be talking about my experience as an elementary music teacher. There are many types of music teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Music teachers are some of the hardest working people I know and do so many things that may or may not go unnoticed. Not to mention, students learn so much in music classes. Are you curious how to become a music teacher?
1. What is an elementary music teacher?
An elementary music teacher does exactly what it sounds like…they teach music to elementary students. An elementary music teacher teaches grades anywhere from Pre-K-6th grades. At my school, I taught Pre-K-5th grades.
2. How do I become a music teacher?
You need to get a bachelor’s degree in music education. There are different degree plans you can choose. One is music education with an instrumental emphasis, meaning you are pursuing along with elementary music, more of the band or orchestra teaching route. The other is music education with a vocal emphasis, meaning you are pursuing along with elementary music, more of the choir teaching route. You will follow your degree plan which will include general education, education classes, music classes, practicums, senior recital, ensembles, and student teaching.
3. How much do I get paid?
Honestly, this depends on not only which state you live in, but which school district also. I taught in Tulsa, which pays significantly lower than Northwest Arkansas (where I live now.) But, the rest of Arkansas doesn’t pay as much as this area does. I will tell you to go into teaching music because you love it, not just for the money. A lot of music teachers also teach private lessons or do other side gigs to earn extra income.
4. What do kids learn in the music classroom?
Kids learn so much in an elementary music class. In a 45 minute class period, students will sing, dance, play instruments, learn about composers, practice for an upcoming program, compose music, count rhythms, and so much more. Not only are kids learning music, but they are learning teamwork and cooperation which are great life skills to know. Music is also great to integrate with other subjects like math or reading.
5. How do I get a music teaching job?
After completing your student teaching at the elementary and secondary levels and receiving your degree, you have to apply for a teaching license and take the professional teaching exams. Once you have all of these things, you can apply for a music teaching job usually at the districts websites. Every school district or private school will have instructions on their websites for how to apply. After applying, if you are called for an interview, bring your resume, teaching certificate, college degree, and professional teaching exam scores. Go in with your head held high and with confidence and answer the questions asked of you honestly.
Are you interested in becoming a music teacher? If you have a passion for music and for teaching, then this may be the right career choice for you.
If you are a parent, student, or teacher who wants to learn more about music, connect with other musicians, or wants to post their latest videos of what they’ve been working on, I would love for you to join my Facebook group Music Education Connection. Collaborate, learn from each other, and grow new friendships. This is a place to receive encouragement, positive feedback, and to ask questions.


Teach Anything Extra Credit Project, Globalization and Art Education, U.F.
Since Akira Yoshizawa brought origami to the United States in the 1950's, the art form from Asia has become increasingly more creative and complex. Artists, scientists and engineers have have since used origami to explore and create. Origami principles are used in the aerospace and automotive industries among others. Origami relates to mathematics and many was as well. It is a transformative art form and not only in the paper used to create simple or elaborate models as origami offers the power of transformation in the way we as creators and appreciators see the world around us. I chose this art form in an effort to help the late Yoshizawa and his efforts in introducing others to the wonders of paper folding, young and old, near and far.