Jun 10, 2014
06:00 AMMK Memo
Make Summer Reading Exciting
To parody the familiar phrase from the famous playwright William Shakespeare:
To Read, Or Not to Read (in the summer)? That is the question!
If you ask any educator whether or not it is important for students to read during the summer they would resound a unanimous “YES!" Is it because teachers want to ruin summer vacation or to make children "suffer" by making them read? Well . . . maybe. Seriously, teachers really do have the students' best interest at heart.
It is not new information that reading over the summer is important. As an educator and librarian, I have read many articles, texts and professional literature about studies that have indicated that if students take a break from reading during the summer, they lose the very skills that are taught in the classroom, such as reading fluency and comprehension. These articles also reveal many reasons that illustrate the importance of summer reading, which include but are not limited to:
- Keeps kids as active readers
- Allows their minds to be creative/imaginative
- Encourages them to build and maintain a healthy vocabulary
- Supports the continued use of literary skills (fluency, comprehension, etc.)
The real question is not "Is it important for children to read over summer break?" but "How can we encourage children to read over the summer?"
There are many ways to encourage your child to read in a way that creates a feeling of fun rather than dread.
- Read a story with your child and then explore the author's website together on the Internet. Many author sites have interactive games and activities. Try Seussville.com.
- Have a book club party with friends. Have the children read a book, pick a date to discuss the book, create activities and, if it has a movie that goes with it, watch the film as a group with pizza, popcorn and drinks. (For an extension activity, discuss the differences between the book and movie.)
- Read a book that goes along with history or science, then visit a museum that relates to the story. Example: Read a story about Pompeii, volcanoes or Benjamin Franklin, then visit the Franklin Institute exhibit. Or read a book about dinosaurs and visit the Academy of Natural Sciences.
- Visit Winterthur's Fairy Garden or go on a nature hike after reading books about fairies or nature.
- Have a “campout”: Read campfire stories or poems and sleep in a tent in the backyard with a fire in the fire pit and s'mores.
- Help your kids find their favorite genre. Pick different genres (mysteries, historical fiction, fantasy, biographies, etc.) to introduce the children to new types of books. Make a "menu" (list) of the different genres and take it to the library or bookstore with you when you pick out a new book. Read the back of a book or inside cover to see if it piques interest. After reading the book, have the kids rate it 1 to 5 stars and let them tell you what they did or didn't like about the book.
- Create an incentive chart for how many books/pages they read and give them a small treat. For instance, for every book finished they can have an extra hour at the pool, a day trip to the beach or, even better, a new book from the bookstore or library.
Finally, parents are usually interested in making sure their children are reading appropriate material and books with positive role models/characters. To find out, visit Commonsensemedia.org. This site reviews books for content and age appropriateness. Happy reading and have an adventurous summer!
Sandy Bouchard has been the Early Childhood and Lower School Librarian at Ursuline Academy for nine years. The students attend Library class on a weekly basis starting at age 3, where they are taught how to check out a book, research books for information and much more. Sandy received her Masters of Elementary Education from Wilmington University.


“ Brand: Early Learning Centre „
Learn to tell the time in 3 levels with these colourful cards. How to play: What's the time? As a guide to teaching time, we suggest at a younger age use the green border cards and talk to your child about 'o'clock, and half past. As they get older, use the yellow border cards to teach your child about quarter to and quarter past. When your child has mastered the green and yellow cards, introduce the red border cards for the more tricky times. Learning more and more Let's look at the tricky times as we get more confident. We can talk about what we do and when, and find the card for lunchtime, playtime or bedtime. Great for: Stimulating the brain Learning to tell the time Improving numeracy skills Developing social skills and helping communication Building confidence and concentration.


This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, (MUP), 1976
Alexander Morrison Thomson (1841-1871), geologist and chemist, was born on 4 February 1841 at Bartholomew Square, London, son of William Dalrymple Thomson, bookseller, and his wife Mary Ann, née Ranger. He received an elementary education in London before moving in 1853 to Aberdeen, where in 1857-59 he attended classes in arts at King's College and University, Aberdeen, spending much time on geological excursions with his schoolfriend James Campbell Brown. After returning to London, Thomson worked for Winsor and Newton, colourmakers, and in 1859-61 attended night classes at King's College, University of London (B.A., 1862; B.Sc., 1864; D.Sc. 1866), gaining the prize for natural philosophy in 1860. In 1862 he passed the Civil Service Commission examination and worked briefly with the boards of Inland Revenue and Customs. Next year he won an exhibition of £50 in chemistry and natural philosophy. In 1865-66 he worked at the Royal School of Mines.
In 1866 Thomson was appointed reader in geology and assistant in the chemical laboratory of Professor John Smith at the University of Sydney. He arrived in Sydney in December bringing with him new instruments and specimens. Next March he began courses in geology, physical geography and mineralogy; his lecture notes show his thoroughness and his zeal in keeping up his reading. He quickly gained the confidence and co-operation of colleagues such as Smith and Rev. W. B. Clarke who became a close friend. After acting as examiner in scientific subjects in 1869 he was appointed professor of geology in November at a salary of £450 'together with the fees'. He also lectured in physical and natural science at Sydney Grammar School.
Thomson's 'integrity of purpose … singleness of mind and readiness to oblige at all times and by all means' won him many friends among the divided scientific community of New South Wales. Elected to the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1867, he served on its council in 1870-71. At the Australian Museum, where he was a trustee from 1869-71, he did useful work in cataloguing and assaying. He worked vigorously in the field. In December 1868 at Marulan he prepared a paper on the geology of the Goulburn region which he read in August 1869 to the Royal Society. That year he published in Sydney his Guide to Mineral Explorers, in Distinguishing Minerals, Ores & Gems, and in September with Gerard Krefft he explored the Wellington Valley caves. In May 1870 their report included Thomson's detailed summary of the geology, in which he attacked Samuel Stutchbury's ideas on the theory of limestone cave formations. He also geologized at Molong and Boree, visited the diamond washings on the Cudgegong River near Mudgee, and made surveys of other centres in the west.
Thomson was forced to convalesce with chronic rheumatism early in 1871. Constantly in pain, by August he was confined indoors, able only to catalogue specimens brought from the university and write to his many geological co-workers. Aged 30, he died on 16 November 1871 in his residence in Queen's Street, Newtown, and was buried in Rookwood cemetery. He was survived by his wife Lydia Martha, née Barnes, and by a son and daughter. His personal estate was valued for probate at £850.
His early death shocked Thomson's scientific colleagues and friends, and they raised money to repatriate his family to Britain. Had he lived longer he undoubtedly would have made a notable contribution to Australian chemistry, mineralogy and geology. His successor Archibald Liversidge built on the foundations which he and Smith had laid.
Michael Hoare, 'Thomson, Alexander Morrison (1841–1871)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/thomson-alexander-morrison-4715/text7819, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 27 June 2016.
This article was first published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, (MUP), 1976


By Gary Eason
Education editor, BBC News website
Secondary schools in England are being told that only good GCSEs in English and maths will meet the new league tables standard ministers have set.
Alternative skills tests have now been ruled out
The ruling ends confusion caused by official guidance that other skills qualifications might also be used.
In the implementation plan for their 14 to 19 reforms, ministers say only higher grade GCSEs will demonstrate the required mastery of "the basics".
Schools' achievements in these will be reported in the annual league tables.
That will happen from next year.
But schools have also been warned that their English and maths GCSEs will now be published alongside this year's results tables, due next month.
This further change was signalled in a letter from Cathy Christieson, team leader for the achievement and attainment tables at the Department for Education and Skills.
The move was made, she said, following the BBC's publication of schools' English and maths results for last year, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
% within ethnic groups getting 5+ A*-C including English and maths in 2004:
22.8% Black Caribbean
New figures obtained by the BBC show that the focus on English and maths will have what officials call a "worrying" impact on education authorities with certain ethnic minority students.
In particular, there is concern over the performance of youngsters from black Caribbean backgrounds - with only 17% of boys getting five good grades including English and maths.
The focus on English and maths was announced by the Education Secretary, Ruth Kelly, in February.
This was in response to concerns raised by the government-commissioned report by Sir Mike Tomlinson on 14 to 19 schooling in England.
That said that even students who had English and maths GCSEs at grade C or above did not necessarily have "functional" literacy and numeracy skills.
The government intends introducing new qualifications to meet that gap.
Revised GCSEs in English, maths and information and communication technology will incorporate those new qualifications - but not until the end of the decade.
Ms Kelly told MPs: "We will also change the league tables to ensure that English and maths are a component of their five A to C grades."
The proportion of students getting the equivalent of five or more A* to C grades in GCSE-level qualifications is the standard benchmark of school performance, on which government targets are set.
What Ms Kelly did not spell out at the time was what the measure of English and maths attainment would be.
'Range of indicators'
That apparently emerged when the Department for Education and Skills published its proposals for the 2006 tables.
It gave two options for the percentages achieving five or more A* to C grades:
Schools were going to be consulted on which would be used, following a pilot this year.
- including English and maths GCSEs
- including "functional English and maths at Level 2" - in which Key Skills and Basic Skills would count as well as GCSEs
Those proposals have now been removed from the DfES website, but were still available on Wednesday on the Teachernet information site.
In her letter to head teachers, sent on 9 December, Ms Christieson still referred to "the two indicators".
She said these would now be published alongside the 2005 league tables, due next month.
She did not tell them the second one had been ruled out as meeting the new benchmark.
Some education authorities said they found the situation confusing.
Sir Mike Tomlinson himself told the BBC News website he thought there was confusion.
The general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, John Dunford, said he would seek urgent clarification.
That has now finally been given, with the publication of the 14 to 19 implementation plan: only GCSEs will count, although - as now - the other three of the five good grades can be other qualifications.
Dr Dunford said: "The fog is clearing. This clarity will be essential for schools planning their approach to the new league tables.
"As we know, league tables drive school policy, so it is vital to know what the policy is."
The NASUWT teachers' union said it was concerned, because schools needed to collaborate to offer youngsters a better learning experience.
The focus on maths and English was "likely to entrench further a culture of competition", it said.


Early Literacy Instruction for Children at-Risk: Research-based Solutions
On March 24, 2001, CIERA hosted an invitational colloquium at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The conference represented an important collaboration among organizations including CIERA, the International Reading Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Council for Learning Disabilities, and the National Institute for Child Health and Development. In an exceptional show of cross-disciplinary solidarity, researchers from the fields of developmental psychology, special education, early literacy and early childhood came together to examine successful strategies and interventions for preventing reading difficulties.
The participants were unified by a common concern that many children are not receiving the quality of instruction they need in order to meet rigorous standards. In an era of increased emphasis on accountability, these experts sought to move away from unproven strategies of retention, social promotion, and transition classes, in favor of efforts to meet standards through:
-Quality early literacy experiences that provide children with the skills necessary for success in the school literacy curriculum;
-Ongoing instructional support, in and out of the classroom;
-Timely and powerful interventions for children who have fallen behind.
The colloquium included a wide variety of research papers, each focusing on an important and successful intervention. In a departure from the traditional academic conference format, practitioners from school- or community-based programs were invited to serve as discussants, describing local adaptations in school districts and other settings. This innovative approach helped theorists and practitioners to collectively envision the practical implications of new research, thus promoting the value of research-based solutions for improving classroom practice.
The topics covered in the conference included:
-Skills in early literacy
-Environments that support literacy development
-Parents and Caregivers
After the conference, participants remarked that they were "exhausted but exhilarated" by the energetic and productive meetings. Plans were made to continue the work begun in the colloquium through several avenues: a planned web site will provide a forum for further discussion and conversation hosted by each paper's author (s), and an upcoming edited volumeincluding revised papers, discussions and excerpts from audience commentarywill help researchers and practitioners to identify critical issues in this area and find common ground across the disciplines.


If you get the job From teaching science to electronics projects. Elementary education level. This project is right,as 10 LED roulette circuit using TC4011-LM4017. They uses the principles of digital ICs.Create an integrated LED flashing to the rhythm. And then stopped at one of the LED. Enjoy creating game. And knowledge From digital ICs. Principles of GATE to produce rectangular frequency or pulse. And a counter circuit to see most familiar. This circuit so without creating problems for sure.
1.Random Number Generator by IC 4017 and 4011
Firstly we see basic circuit before as Figure 1
This be Random Number Generator Circuit there is the character is 10 LED Flasher by use IC 4017 and IC 4011 integrated circuit. For the 4017 IC is a 16-pin CMOS decade counter. It takes clock pulses from the clock input, and makes one of the ten outputs come on in sequence each time a clock pulse arrives. Usability press S1 forLED Flasherrespectively. By pressure (Close) S1 make LED all stick dim (Dimly).
When liberate (open) S1 make LED stick bright at LED any one to one’s fate. Besides value expansion C1 be 4.7uF make LED flasher slow down. The detail is other invite friends see in the circuit leisurely
This circuit is worked as video below you can change C1-470pF,1uF,10uF or others. And IC-4017, you can TC4017,CD4017,MC14017,etc.
2. The 10 LED roulette using IC-4017 and IC-4011
In Figure 2 is the 10 LED roulette that a game of my son.
How it works
When entering the power supply circuit, and switch S1 (Start), which is attached press release switch off.Then current is flowing through R1, R2, and C2.
Makes the capacitor C2 caused up When the switch S1 allows the C2 to discharge through R3. The pressure this causes the clock input to the pin 8 of IC1a. The IC1a which will work with production IC1b frequency to send it to the leg 14 (Clock) Of IC2.The IC2 is a driver by ICs LED 10 is illuminated by the moon to the incoming frequency.
The IC1d the IC1c and work together. It will serve up audio frequency generator, and then sent to the Piano Society (PZ1) loud beep came out with LED light period.
The parts list
IC1_______CD4011____Quad 2-Input NOR Buffered B Series Gate
IC2_______CD4017____Decade counter with 10 decoded outputs IC
C1_____________1nF 63V Polyester Capacitor
C1_________22µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
C2_________10µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
C3_________0.047µF 63V Polyester Capacitor
C4_________0.022µF 63V Polyester Capacitor
R1,R2,R4,R5,R6___470K 1/4W Resistors
R3,R7_______________47K 1/4W Resistors
LED1-LED10______LED as you like.


Rousing Minds to Life: Teaching, Learning, and Schooling in Social Context / Edition 1by Roland G. Tharp, Ronald Gallimore
Pub. Date: 03/28/2002
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Addressing widespread discontent with contemporary schooling, a unified theory of education is proposed that integrates the Vygotskian tradition-- to rouse minds to life through the development of discourse ability.
- Cambridge University Press
- Publication date:
- Edition description:
- Product dimensions:
- 6.69(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.75(d)
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments; Introduction; Part I. Teaching, Schooling, and Literacy: A Unified Theory of Education: 1. The redefinition of teaching and schooling; 2. A theory of teaching as assisted performance; 3. The means of assisting performance; 4. The social organization of assisted performance; 5. Language, literacy, and thought; Part II. Practice: 6. A school organized for teaching: the Kamehameha Elementary Education Program; 7. The activity setting of the instructional conversation: developing word and discourse meaning; 8. The orchestration of activity settings: learning and social interaction in the whole group and independent centers; 9. The interpsychological plane of teacher training; 10. Assisting teacher performance through the ZPD: a case study; 11. The intrapsychological plane of teacher training: the internalization of higher-order teaching skills; 12. The schools in mind and society; References; Author index; Subject index.
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Educators across Boston are noting a shift in the emphasis of the curriculum they’re expected to teach as more schools introduce science, technology, engineering, and math – the so-called STEM subjects – to newly reading preschool students.
Preschools have long followed the practice of elementary education and dabbled with bits and pieces of science-based teaching in their everyday learning: Playing with blocks, for example, learning numbers, and coloring are all aspects of engineering, math, and science, writes Michael B. Farrell at the Boston Globe.
“But what is happening now is that such lessons are becoming formalized within a preschool curriculum. And within the early childhood development community there is a greater emphasis on training teachers to turn simple play into lessons that encourage critical thinking.”
This comes as many education experts, policy makers, and politicians note a sea change in the importance of STEM subjects and the way we teach them, pushing for a greater focus on science, technology, engineering, and math.
The percent of college graduates with science and engineering degrees has declined over the past 45 years, provoking many organizations to promote STEM subjects through competitions and awards as a way to stimulate interest and boost the number of scientists, computer programmers, engineers, and mathematicians coming out of American universities.
“The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranks the US 24th among 31 of its member countries in terms of employed 25- to 34-year-olds with degrees in science, math, or related fields.”
However, as part of President Obama’s budget plan for the next year, he is looking to invest to change these statistics. Obama has asked Congress for $80 million to train 100,000 math and science teachers in an effort to produce an estimated 1 million more college graduates with degrees in those subjects.
These plans are nothing new for states like Massachusetts, who, since 2010, have been trying to improve science and math education from the preschool level through high school and encourage more college-bound students to pursue them as majors.
Cathleen Finn, International Business Machines Corp.’s New England manager for corporate affairs, said:
“The focus on STEM in early education is new, but it’s part of an effort to keep the focus on engineering so that we graduate more people in engineering.
“That sets the stage for awareness as kids go through school.’’
However, some education experts who criticize the emphasis on work in the kindergarten classroom, saying that preschools need to strike the right balance between play and instruction.
“And, many say, unstructured time on the playground is an important part of early education.”


Spotlight on Literacy and the Common Core
The Education Week Spotlight on Literacy and the Common Core is a collection of articles hand-picked by our editors for their insights on:
- Exploring interdisiplinary approaches to teaching the literacy standards
- Teaching poetry in the common-core era
- Meeting the increased requirements for vocabulary
- Building students' digital literacy and storytelling techniques
- Incorporating map-reading into the common core
You get the seven articles below in a downloadable PDF. A great value!
Related Spotlights:Literacy and the Common Core (Spring 2013)
Under the new common-core standards, educators are debating which literary texts should be taught in class, preparing for the rollout of new textbooks and readers, pushing literacy development across subject areas, and connecting reading and writing to critical reasoning skills. Download this Spotlight to understand how curriculum and assessment is shifting as a result of the new English/language arts standards.
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English, Literacy and Learning (EDUP1002)
UNIT OF STUDY
This unit of study begins the exploration of children's language and literacy learning in the context of the English key learning area. The unit provides an introduction to exploring K-2 literacy development and teaching practices. Students will become familiar with the fundamental components of reading and writing, children's literature, and multimodal texts, supported through varied learning activities and observation of teachers and children through classroom visits.
Our courses that offer this unit of study
Further unit of study information
1x1-hr lecture/wk for 12wks, 1x2-hr tutorial/wk for 12wks, online learning experiences
20 minute seminar presentation (800 word equivalent) (20%) and 2000 wd assignment (35%) and 2600-3000 wd assignment (including compulsory school visits and response tasks) (45%)
Faculty/department permission required?
Study this unit outside a degree
If you wish to undertake one or more units of study (subjects) for your own interest but not towards a degree, you may enrol in single units as a non-award student.
If you are from another Australian tertiary institution you may be permitted to underake cross-institutional study in one or more units of study at the University of Sydney.


Bridge International Academies pupils outperform their peers attending neighbouring schools. Download our working paper on the Bridge Effect here to read about our gains in detail.
At Bridge International Academies we use the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA) to evaluate our pupils’ performance. These exams test reading and math fluency and comprehension on both a concrete and conceptual level. These foundational skills are extraordinarily important as they are critical to the learning potential of every child. We conducted these exams across a sample of thousands of pupils from Bridge International Academies and neighbouring schools, using a third-party assessment firm that specialises in EGRA/EGMA.
In our latest study, we highlight the results from the 2013-2014 administrations of EGRA/EGMA, based on a nationally representative sample of more than 2,700 pupils first assessed in October 2013. Because we could not randomly assign pupils to schools, we collected detailed demographic, education, and home life information in order to control for these factors. Given these factors and the pupils’ incoming skill and ability levels, we find a Bridge effect of .31 standard deviations in English and .09 standard deviations in maths. This is equivalent to over 32% and 13% more schooling in one academic year for English and Maths, respectively.
This study, spanning 13 counties in Kenya and adopting quasi-experimental methods to assess the efficacy of Bridge, represents one of the most rigorous studies conducted by any practitioner educational or development organisation to date. The primary purpose of our testing is internal – to keep a check on ourselves and make sure we are being effective in producing learning outcomes for children. Our main aim in publishing the results is two-fold: to demonstrate our work to those interested in monitoring and evaluation within an organisation, and knowledge sharing with other education organisations, in the hope that we can learn from each other. At Bridge, we strongly believe that it is only by monitoring, evaluating and iterating our work that we can not only improve learning outcomes for our own students but also make a broader contribution to global education policy.
Because we know this study has limitations – for example, we serve a highly mobile population, and following up with pupils outside the school setting for a large sample was cost-prohibitive – over the next 5 years we will be participating in a randomised evaluation in Kenya conducted by a team of external researchers at leading institutions.


As leader of one of the poorest school districts in the US, Dr. Darryl Adams is undaunted and tireless. His charge? Support 20,000 preK-12–100% qualify for free or reduced lunches and 60% are English language learners–spread over 1220 square miles in the Coachella Valley Unified School District. Faced with alarming graduation and college competition rates, low achievement, and rampant poverty in his district, Dr. Adams took a step-by-step approach to devising a truly 21st century learning environment.
Middlebury Interactive’s standards-based supplemental English language program focuses on academic English and literacy development for elementary and middle school students. The culturally inclusive curriculum engages students through a combination of individualized task-based activities and collaborative project-based learning, while favoring multicultural perspectives.
From implementing the Common Core, to juggling different age groups and skill levels, to delivering high quality instruction in the face of growing class sizes, today’s K-12 math educators face an array of challenges. Many math teachers are turning to digital tools to support them in facing these challenges, but navigating the world of edtech can also be difficult and time consuming.
Research has shown that in order to be successful in a world language, students need to interact in the target language in a purposeful way. This resource site was created in partnership with Middlebury Interactive Languages to provide schools, districts and educators with resources to engage students in K-12 language learning.
Explore how you can use the Common Core Initiative and the E-rate Modernization opportunity to build and deploy a network infrastructure that supports 21st century digital learning initiatives—like BYOD, online testing and multimedia—that’s cost-effective with room to scale.
Now more than ever, academic English acquisition is a crucial focus for non-native English language students nationwide. In order to help close the achievement gap students and boost student outcomes for English Language Learners (ELLs), we’ve partnered with Middlebury Interactive Languages to provide resources for ELL educators. We’ve compiled guides, articles, classroom posters and videos to help educators provide their ELL students with a global approach to English language learning.
When it comes to designing a Wi-Fi solution, one size definitely doesn’t fit all.
Offices, meeting rooms, restaurants, public venues, and stadiums—they all have different use requirements. Bandwidth demands are continuing to accelerate because of the number of devices connecting and the volume of applications being used. The more you understand how Wi-Fi networks actually operate, the easier it is to make intelligent decisions about your next system.
This guide, presented by Xirrus, Inc., will get you on your way.
A new eSchool News survey reveals tremendous support among K-12 educators for the concept of student-led learning, an approach that positions the teacher as the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage.” This white paper analyzes the benefits of student-led learning highlighted by the survey, and takes a frank look at the obstacles preventing its broader implementation and how they can be resolved.
Why Safeguarding Students is About Much More Than Web Filtering—and How NetSupport Can Help
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When K-12 leaders think of protecting students online, the first thing that comes to mind is shielding them from hackers, predators, or inappropriate websites. But there is much more to safeguarding students than just monitoring or filtering their web access. Learn new ways to detect and protect against bullying, sexual harassment, radicalism, hate crimes and more.
As cybercriminals increasingly profit from brazen attacks, your cyber-risk strategy is under the microscope. With the Cisco 2016 Annual Security Report, which analyzes advances by security industry and criminals, see how your peers assess security preparedness in their organizations and gain insights into where to strengthen your defenses.
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BIG Maths is a teaching approach that makes progress in maths easy and fun. BIG Maths has been extremely successful both nationally and internationally with thousands of children learning through daily BIG Maths ‘CLIC’ sessions and the weekly ‘Beat That!’ challenges.
BIG Maths answers the question, ‘How do we get children properly numerate as they journey through school?’ through its highly effective CLIC (Counting, Learn its, Its nothing new & Calculation) framework and accurate steps of progression (Progress Drives) that make new learning easy and obvious to children by cashing in on the timeless laws of maths.
In addition to this, BIG Maths is perfectly aligned with the new (September 2014) National Curriculum’s heightened focus on core numeracy skills such as learning tables securely, applying existing knowledge to new contexts and developing both mental and formal calculation skills.
Our delivery of BIG Maths provides the school with a clear sequence of progression for every aspect of number, daily dynamic basic skills sessions, a weekly assessment tool and engaging, child friendly resources.
BIG Maths is therefore a rigorous, systematic and structured approach that provides children with a fun and lively experience as they learn through jingles, songs, games and the BIG Maths characters.
What our pupils think about BIG Maths|
It’s a fun, challenging way to learn maths (Georgie)
It helps me to understand maths better (Isaac)
It’s fun and helps me with my times tables (Lewis)
I like beating my best score! (Zak)
I really like it because it is fun and you get to see how quickly you’re improving (Eleanor)
I love the jingles (Adam)
I’m getting even quicker at my addition (Che)
I like using songs to learn my addition facts (Paige)
I enjoy the challenge (Edward)


Turning tables: Hip hop artist Luka Lesson in an educational video produced by The Song Room for primary and high school students.
Many teachers would struggle to explain the difference between hip-hop and rap.
Yet Luka Lesson not only explains how rapping forms one part of hip-hop, alongside graffiti, dance and ''turntablism'', but demonstrates the art form with his music clip Killing Time, in an educational video for students in primary and high school.
That video featuring Lesson, an Australian slam poetry champion and hip-hop artist, is one resource used by ARTS:LIVE, a free online learning resource produced by The Song Room. Launched earlier this month by the School Education Minister, Peter Garrett, ARTS:LIVE is designed to assist generalist teachers to provide music and arts classes particularly to disadvantaged students.
Many students, particularly in poorer schools, are not taught by specialist arts and music teachers. ARTS:LIVE attempts to plug this gap, which it is claimed has contributed to the worsening academic performance of Australian students, compared to their peers in other wealthy countries.
A submission to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into music education by The Song Room, a not-for-profit organisation, stated there were not enough specialist music and arts teachers available for the more than 1800 primary schools in Victoria.
The submission also pointed to the 2003 National Report on Trends in School Music Education Provision in Australia, which estimated that more than three out of four schools do not have a specialist music teacher.
The Song Room's chief executive, Caroline Aebersold, said the problem was even worse in poorer schools: ''Children from low socio-economic backgrounds are often those who most need the benefits that participation in music and the arts brings, but these children are the ones who usually miss out.''
Adding to the crisis is the lack of training in arts provided in teaching degrees.
Ms Aebersold said primary school teachers receive fewer than 20 hours of music and arts training in their undergraduate degree.
''This leaves many generalist teachers without the skills, experiences or confidence to teach music and the arts in their classroom,'' she said.
A quality education in arts and music produced improved academic outcomes for students in disadvantaged schools in western Sydney, according to the 2011 report, Bridging the Gap in School Achievement through the Arts, conducted for The Song Room by researchers led by Professor Brian Caldwell, the managing director of Educational Transformations and a former dean of education at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Caldwell said the gain in the NAPLAN scores of students engaged in The Song Room program was up to one year in literacy.
''That finding in itself is really remarkable when across the country we've been spending hundreds of millions of dollars for several years in efforts to improve literacy among students and really there's been no impact across the nation as a whole,'' he said.
''NAPLAN scores have essentially flatlined so if there is an initiative that has that kind of impact, serious attention should be given to it and [there should be] strategies to promote it.''
Professor Caldwell said too many students were denied access to arts and music classes taught by specialist teachers.
''The evidence here and in other countries is this unrelenting pursuit of improving literacy and numeracy scores just through testing and focusing on that aspect of the curriculum to the detriment of the arts has not worked,'' he said.
Ms Aebersold said the findings reflected international research, which had shown a link between music and the arts and major improvements in literacy, school attendance and social and emotional well-being.
''We saw the equivalent of a year gain in NAPLAN literacy outcomes from participation in our six-month music and arts program,'' she said.
''We also saw school absenteeism drop by 65 per cent, and student social and emotional well-being improve for both boys and girls across all indicators.''
Ms Aebersold said the arts had been sidelined in an attempt to improve literacy and numeracy.
''It is very clear that investment in quality music and arts programs improves students' academic performance,'' Ms Aebersold said.
''It's a catch-22 that it seems the arts has been sidelined in an attempt to improve literacy and numeracy and yet we have the evidence that the arts can in fact dramatically improve these outcomes. It is frustrating to see so many schools - so many children - missing out on the opportunity to be their best.''
Mr Garrett said two issues needed to be addressed to ensure students received an adequate education in music and the arts.
''The arts budget itself will need to be re-balanced to enable greater resources to be deployed to assisting both learning and experiential arts activities both in community and in schools,'' Mr Garrett said.
He also said state education departments had to recognise the considerable and real difference that the delivery of effective arts education can mean for students.


|LPN - Aide|
|RN - School Nurse|
Grade Level Description Job Location or School Name County Qualifications Salary Closing Date Comments Apply to Job URL County Contact Email Please note that jobs are posted by the county offices, not by the WVDE, and that participation is voluntary. If you are looking for jobs for a specific county or counties, check with their central office to make sure that they are participating. View information about the teaching profession on our statewide recruitment website.
1. Successful experience in teaching children to read and write.
2. Comprehensive knowledge about the content and methodology of literacy instruction in the areas of: phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, writing, and motivation to read.
3. Knowledge of the Support for Personalized Learning (SPL) Model.
4. Knowledge of the Common Core State Standards (Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives of WV) for English/Language Arts.
5. Experience in assessing student skills and knowledge in reading and writing, using a variety of formal and informal assessment tools.
6. Knowledge of and experience with using assessment results to guide instruction.
7. Knowledge of theory and practice of teaching writing as a process and product.
8. Experience and personal characteristics that predict success in working with and coaching professionals with varying levels of responsibility for literacy education and knowledge of literacy instruction.
1. Assume a leadership role in improving children’s chances for achieving their maximum literacy potential.
2. Work cooperatively with teachers and administrators.
3. Provide leadership in the development of literacy initiatives.
4. Research and develop strategies/plans for overcoming identified deficiencies.
5. Have a proactive orientation to resolving conflicts and problems.
6. Provide coaching/mentoring for teachers and administrators in the implementation of literacy initiatives to include: formal and informal discussions, coaching sessions, demonstration lessons with pre- and post- discussion/analysis, study groups, staff meetings, training sessions, and workshops.
7. Provide oversight and coordination of literacy screenings and assessments.
8. Collect and disseminate literacy assessment/screening results to appropriate personnel.
9. Maintain confidentiality of assessment results and personnel issues.
10. Design, coordinate, lead, and oversee professional development activities in the area of literacy.
11. Provide content knowledge and resources about teaching and learning literacy in the areas of: instructional strategies, assessment, interpretation of assessment results, classroom management, and practices that promote literacy.
12. Observe/monitor classroom instruction to ensure literacy plan is being implemented appropriately.
13. Participate in parent involvement activities.
14. Adhere to policies and procedures of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Barbour County Board of Education.
15. Assist educators in implementing the West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives in the area of literacy.
16. Utilize research, best practices, and assessment data to assist teachers and administrators in making informed choices about curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials.
17. Ask for help and resources when needed.
18. Maintain paperwork and other documentation consistently, appropriately, and in a timely manner.
19. Collect and maintain documentation of trainings.
20. Disseminate assessment results to appropriate personnel.
21. Provide assessment trend data to appropriate personnel.
22. Exemplify collegial behavior and commitment to teamwork.
23. Keep abreast of current research-based literacy practices.
24. Obtain prior approval from your immediate supervisor before distributing written communication and other media.
25. Other duties as assigned.
Reports to: RESA 7 Executive Director or designee
RESA 7-Philippi Elementary School
Valid West Virginia Certificate Endorsed in Elementary Education
Masters Degree in Reading
Out of county applicants must successfully interview
Daily Rate as per Title I 1003(a) grant.
Employment Term – 80 Days for the 2013/2014 school year as scheduled by Director and/or Principal.
Application Deadline: August 5, 2013 by 4:00 pm
Send letter of application and resume to:
Director of Special Education
1201 N 15th Street
Clarksburg, WV 26301
Job Location or School Name
County Contact Email
Please note that jobs are posted by the county offices, not by the WVDE, and that participation is voluntary. If you are looking for jobs for a specific county or counties, check with their central office to make sure that they are participating.
View information about the teaching profession on our statewide recruitment website.


Handwriting Follows a New Line
Quick question: Can you form a cursive Q? And if you—or your child—can’t, is that cause for concern? In an increasingly technology-based society, the future of penmanship is a growing subject of debate among educators. Generally, they agree that children should learn to write swiftly and legibly. But some question whether it’s necessary to keep teaching cursive writing, a staple of American elementary education for much of the 20th century.
Cursive isn’t on life support yet: Most American students still learn the art in third grade by tracing letters into workbooks. But lessons are getting squeezed into the curriculum in shorter segments, thanks to a greater emphasis on typing and the increased time given over to studying for standardized tests and other requirements, says Deborah Strevy, Ph.D., who teaches in UAB’s School of Education. In one school system near Birmingham, a third-grade teacher says she and her colleagues spend an average of 15 minutes, three days a week, on cursive, and students are still evaluated on penmanship.
Some research suggests that students who don’t build strong handwriting skills write less complex sentences and struggle to express their ideas. But UAB education professor Jerry Aldridge, Ed.D., argues that the more energy and time children devote to forming flawless script, the less opportunity they may have to develop ideas and experiment with written self-expression. In pedagogical research, he says, “the emphasis has shifted quite a bit from the formation of letters to what children have to say.”
Strevy sees cognitive benefit in the concentration and discipline that learning cursive requires. But she notes that other activities, such as knitting or playing a musical instrument or sport, can build those skills just as effectively.
The main benefit of cursive over print is increased efficiency. Connected letters result in quicker handwriting, which can lead to better lecture notes as a student moves into higher levels of education. But today’s students often type faster than they can write, even at an early age. Strevy says her son, who is left-handed, always struggled with cursive. Now, as a college freshman, he takes notes on his laptop or uses a voice recorder. For him, she says, typing is “a much more efficient way to get things down.”
Still, both Aldridge and Strevy say we should continue to teach efficient writing skills. In lieu of cursive, some schools now teach a form of connected, or italic, print, which doesn’t require children to learn a whole new pattern of letter formation. Connected print is standard in many European countries, and students have apparently not suffered.
As for the enduring beauty of prose penned in cursive? “There’s a lot of junk that looks pretty in cursive,” says Aldridge. “The content is what we need to focus on. If I can read it, I couldn’t care less what it looks like.”
— Susannah J. Felts


Discuss why his ideas and approach to art were regarded as subversive and why he was accused of attempting to undermine not only the Academy but also the State.

Courbet: The Roots of Modern Art
Modernity and Modernism:

 Societal changes prompted a greater consciousness of and interest in modernity, which resulted in the development of modernism in art in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Modernist artists seek to capture the images and sensibilities of their age while also subjecting the premises of art itself to critical examination.
The two major modernist art movements of the later nineteenth century are Realism and Impressionism.
Toward the end of the century, modernism led to the development of the avant-garde (artists whose work emphatically rejected the past and transgressed the boundaries of conventional artistic practice).

 The National Academies controlled what was considered “art” by controlling teaching and displaying of art works
The Salon was the official art exhibition of the French Academy of Fine Arts (Academie des Beaux-Arts) in Paris
The Salons were state-run art exhibitions held every two years in France, which was juried by artists and critics

French Realism

Realism developed in France around the mid-century. Its leading figure was Gustave Courbet
Redefining Reality: Realists focused attention on the experiences and sights of everyday contemporary life
Not only a style of art and literature which presented life as it was, but also a philosophy committed to contemporary social issues

Realism:To give a truthful, objective and impartial representation of the real world, based on meticulous observation of contemporary life.(Linda Nochlin)

The Development of Realism

Rapid Social and Political Change
Emergence of History as a Scientific Discipline
The Changing Relationship between the Artist and the Academy

Excerpts from Courbet’s 1855 Realist Manifesto ‘…painting should consist only of real and existing things’‘…to go backwards is to do nothing’‘…painting can only consist of objects which are visible and tangible for the artist’‘…an epoch can only be reproduced by its own artists’

Daumier,
Clown Playing a Drumc. 1865-67
Daumier
Daumier,
The Two Lawyers
(c. 1862-64 )

Vendôme Column
A symbol of Napoleon III's power
Courbet was considered as an accomplice in the debunking of the Vendôme Column- a symbol of Napoleon III's power - he was imprisoned and tried by the war council.

Gustave Courbet
The Peasants of Flagey Returning from the Fair, 1850-55

Academy

 Another important factor in the growth of a Realist approach was the changing position of the Academy
The Academy was essentially the art establishment, based in various locations across France (with similar systems in other European countries)
It was set up in France in the mid 17th century and was essentially a system of state controlled art education and patronage
The Academy adhered to strict principles about what constituted good or bad in painting – which is where the hierarchy of genres came from, with history painting at the top and genre and still life at the bottom. It also promoted the idea that the finest works of art were those of the past
The training of artists in the Academy system was based on the study of antique sculpture and old master paintings such as Raphael.

Gustave Courbet, A Burial at Ornans, (1849-1850)

Lampooning the Powers That Be
 In his lithograph, Rue Transnonain, Honoré (1834) Daumier depicts in a factual manner an atrocity that took place in a workers' housing block on a street in Paris.

David, Jacques-Louis The Death of Socrates 1787


- Autism Speaks The nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
- Autism Society of Minnesota exists to enhance the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. AuSM seeks to realize its mission through education, support, collaboration, and advocacy.
- ANSWER--Asperger Network Support-- a west metro support network for individuals and their families
- Autism Speaks Video Glossary An innovative web-based tool designed to help parents and professionals learn more about the early red flags and diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
- Autism Games This site includes: Games that young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders will play.Video models of games that parents can watch and learn from and young children can watch and imitate. Tips and strategies for making games and play more educational and more fun!
- Jill Kuzma Social Thinking Site Many resources and tips on this site relate to helping children increase social perspective taking skills, emotion awareness and management, conversation skills, interpretation and use of non-verbal communication, and to develop friendship and interaction skills.
- Slater Software Free social stories and other visual lessons
- Michelle Garcia Winner Social thinking lessons and information
- Autism Resource Network Shop for ASD books, videos, tools and other items online or at the shop in Hopkins, MN
- Sensory Smarts Tips for helping children with sensory processing differences
- Reach for Resources a non-profit organization that offers specialized services to meet the needs of youth and adults with a variety of mental health, cognitive and developmental disabilities, and provides support to their families.
- MN Low Incidence Projects The Minnesota Low Incidence Projects are designed to assist school districts across the state in fulfilling federal requirements in the areas of implementation of the IDEA, professional development and insuring the availability of high quality staff in the low incidence areas of Special Education. Find helpful links about ASD from this site.
- Social Skills Lesson Plans & Activities linked to California language arts curriculum
- Comprehension Strategies and Literacy Development Paula Kluth has articles and other publications related to teaching reading to students with autism spectrum disorders.
- MN Department of Education (MDE)/Autism Spectrum Disorder MDE offers access to resources such as the Minnesota Autism Project and Network and additional information regarding autism and related disorders.
- First 100 Days Kit A tool kit to assist families in getting the critical information they need in the first 100 days after an autism diagnosis.
- Stanford Autism Research selected published research studies in the medical literature on autism and Asperger syndrome.
- Yale Autism Program an interdisciplinary group of clinicians and scholars dedicated to providing comprehensive clinical services to children with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
- First Signs dedicated to educating parents and professionals about the early warning signs of autism and related disorders.
- Center for Disease Control (CDC) CDC is working to find out how many children have ASDs, discover the risk factors, and raise awareness of the signs.
- Autism Educator Manual a comprehensive manual by the National Autism Center entitled, Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools promoting evidence-based practice for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in schools
Reference on this webpage to any other webpage or organization does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by Edina Public Schools.


The impact of primary-secondary transition on students' wellbeing
This longitudinal study tracked changes in wellbeing among 1,100 students as they moved from primary to secondary school.
- Survey findings revealed that while students' perceptions of their wellbeing outside school remained more or less constant, their wellbeing in the school context declined considerably over the year.
- The work schools were doing to ease transfer was generally effective for the immediate transition period. However, they were less successful at maintaining wellbeing over the first year at secondary school.
- The four schools that took part in the study were equally effective in maintaining wellbeing over the transition period, and showed a similar decline over the Year 7 period.
- Boys overall reported higher frequencies of eudaimonic wellbeing (i.e. self-actualisation and fulfilling potential) at all testing points and this was seen across all schools.
- Consider transfer from primary to secondary school as a status passage and give consideration to the balance of continuity and discontinuity to enable students to feel they have successfully transitioned to a new status. Also take into account the developmental needs of youngsters and phase changes gradually.
- Consider transition as an on-going process comprising a number of stages that is not just about the first term in secondary school (i.e. preparation, initial encounters, adjustment and stabilisation).
- Focus particularly on social aspects in the preparation and initial encounters (induction days and first few days at secondary school) rather than on curriculum or pedagogy.
- During initial encounters and the adjustment phases students not only need to encounter autonomy-supportive teaching, but also need to be taught how to be efficient autonomous learners. This includes how to work independently, take notes, and so on.
- Vulnerable students need on-going support, particularly in the socio-emotional sphere.
- Although important for all students, particularly attend to how to help girls feel they can achieve their potential and involve them in this process.
- Improving the primary-secondary transition in music education
- Non-cognitive impacts of Philosophy for Children
- Post-school transitions of blind and partially sighted young people
- Understanding mathematics anxiety
- Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training
- A review of interventions to improve primary school maths achievement
- Low attainment in mathematics: an investigation of Year 9 students


Welcome to our Early Math Games Series for easy and fun math games to develop and support early numeracy skills.
Our last early math game, Mummy and Baby Dinosaurs, focused on counting and numeral identification. Children learn best when presented with a variety of games that reinforce the same mathematical concept. Today we will continue with another math game that focuses on numeral identification.
Bingo is such a versatile game; you can use it to reinforce so many different concepts. This math game, Teen Bingo is great for kids who can identify and name numerals from zero to ten, but may not necessarily be able to identify and name all the numerals to twenty.
Math Game: Teen Bingo
Focus: Math Number, Numeral Identification
Desired Results: Name and identify numerals 11-20;
Pre-Test: Display a set of numeral cards from 11 to 20, in random order. Ask the child to point to a given numeral. Can the child identify any or all the numerals from 11 to 20? Select a numeral card from 11 to 20. Can the child name any or all the numerals from 11 to 20 with the correct naming of number words in the ‘teens’?
Evidence of Learning: The child is able to identify and name all the numerals from 11 to 20, with the correct naming of number words in the ‘teens’.
When working with young children, remember to:
- Show them how to do the task before expecting them to complete the task independently.
- Limit the range of numbers being presented when introducing a new mathematical idea.
- Provide children with a variety of early math games, which repeat the same mathematical understanding (e.g. counting, numeral identification, subitising, etc).
Teaching & Learning Experiences:
Download and print out our free printable Math Game: Teen Bingo.
- One page has all the numerals from 11-20; cut these out and place them into a box.
- I have also provided two pre-made bingo sheets with the numerals 11-20 randomly placed in a table.
- There is also a blank bingo sheet template so that you can quickly create your custom made bingo sheet with numerals your child may need more practice with.
As each card is drawn out of the box, name the number. Ensure the correct naming of number words in the ‘teens’, (not to be confused with numbers ending in -ty).
Stamp the corresponding number on the teen bingo sheet. A numeral may be placed several times on a given bingo sheet. Encourage children to be thorough as they find the corresponding number on their teen bingo sheet.
The game is completed when all the numbers on their teen bingo sheet has been stamped.
Mr N&M are highly competitive, a trait exacerbated by being twins. When playing this game I remind them that it’s about finishing, rather than being the fastest.
You could use counters to cover the numbers, but my boys love using stamps. There’s only 2 of them, (unlike a class of 20), so I indulge them.
Extension Activity: Kids need to be familiar with the forward and backward number sequence, and be able to count from any given number. Challenge kids to stamp the number before or number after the card drawn from the box.
More Activities for Preschoolers
Three to Five: Playful Preschool is stuffed to the brim with tried, tested and loved playful learning ideas for preschoolers. There are 25+ ideas for preschoolers, ten printable resources and additional links to over 50 more activities. A great resource for parents. Download your copy here.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment; I’d love to hear from you. If you are new here, you might like to subscribe to our RSS feed or receive updates direct to your email. We have many fun ideas to share.


. . . . But the perfect test is not like any of the traditional tests in popular use. It is not “norm referenced” like the Iowa or Stanford tests which are widely used to measure achievement. It is not like the barrage of high-stakes state “criterion referenced tests” promulgated to test reading and writing and judge whether pupils can pass from grade to grade or receive a high school diploma. It is not the National Assessment of Educational Progress which has been used to paint dire pictures of whole states failing to produce proficient readers and writers.
No, the perfect Literacy test is the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills developed by a federally funded group at the University of Oregon. It is being widely mandated as part of the No Child Left Behind plan each state must submit to the federal bureaucracy that controls NCLB funding. It’s acronym DIBELS has, according to Education Week, “become a catchphrase in the schoolhouse and the statehouse.” (Manzo, Education Week, 9/28/2005)What makes DIBELS the perfect literacy test is that it takes total control of the academic futures and school lives of the children it reaches from the first day they enter kindergarten when they are barely five years old. It keeps control of their literacy development and indeed their whole school experience for four years from kindergarten through third grade.. And the more poorly the children respond to DIBELS the more they experience it.
Norm referenced tests usually are not given until third grade and then only once a year. Diagnostic tests are usually used selectively with pupils to provide teachers with information on what strengths and weaknesses learners may have. DIBELS, once it gains a foothold, is administered a minimum of three times a year at the beginning, middle and end of each grade from kindergarten to third. . . .
So now the neo-eugenicists can begin in kindergarten with their beat-the-clock testing to sort and fail the innocents who have no awareness of their economic or linguistic deficits until they fail a 60-second test. No need for those messy, time-consuming, IQ tests that were used early in the last century to sort the poor and the brown.
Fortunately, there are stories of resistance like this one that came in a letter to Susan Ohanian, from the (Not the Official) DIBELS Clearinghouse):
As I finish the preliminary work in my first year of my Master's program I am taking a break from writing to send you a note.
The final paper for my pilot action research project is entitled "What's Wrong With DIBELS?" (everything). I wanted to write and thank you. I have cited you countless times and used so much information from your website. You are an inspiration and a champion for children.
I also wanted to let you know that my kindergarten class will be performing for the Parent Teacher Organization meeting next month. We are singing Stuart Stotts' "So Many Ways to Be Smart" from the No Child Left Behind - Bring Back the Joy CD. In the final verse Stuart sings "some folks are good at doing their best, though it's hard to measure on a standardized test" - the choreography for that verse is sixteen kindergarteners ripping a DIBELS test recording form! Ay yay yay!
You are cordially invited . . . .
DIBELS is a high-stakes test in our district, and I am doing everything I can to raise awareness about it and advocate for balanced literacy instruction. It is an uphill battle to say the least. Our district has cooked up a "corrective action reading plan" for kindergarten teachers who fail to show 95% of children at benchmark for Phoneme Segmentation Fluency - the plan is yet to be revealed, presumably once our scores are posted in May we'll find out the nature of our punishment.
In my school, kinders are pulled out of the classroom and away from real literature and language experiences for DIBELS "interventions" - the same drill and kill skills practice everyday to boost DIBELS scores.
NOT IN MY CLASSROOM!
We are much too busy watching caterpillars pupate and fiddler crabs molt. Last week we found a bat roosting outside our classroom door - one of my students hollered "WAIT - we have to go to the library and get some books so we can learn about it!" - so we dropped everything and that's what we did.
Alas, the next day we found the bat dead on the sidewalk. . . I sealed it in a plastic bag with it's wings outstretched so we could study it for the day before it started to decay. Don't tell the school board.
Next week we're collaborating with fourth-graders to build a bat house so the bats on our campus have a safe place to roost.
Just wanted to share a dispatch from the resistance.


The Fine Arts
The Fine Arts (music and theater) provide a powerful form of expression for the human spirit which brings great rewards to every person's life. The unique combination of intellect, artistry, and feeling required for artistic expression distinguish it from other human endeavors, and rank the arts among the highest of cultural accomplishments. Music and theater have been an important part of education since at least the time of ancient Greece, and they continue to be central subjects in school curricula. In many countries, the compelling need for music in schools, as in life, is widely recognized. At Rumsey Hall, we recognize that need and endeavor to create an atmosphere where music and theater are available to every student regardless of their level of experience or talent.
In the Upper School classes are offered at every grade level in both music and theater; two theatrical performances, five musical concerts and AirBand are produced every year. The finale for the year is Rumsey's annual Talent Show where students and faculty come together to create an evening of comedy, skits, dance, and music. It is one of the highlights of the year, giving our Seniors a final opportunity to be on stage before saying goodbye at graduation.
Creativity forms the basis and emphasis of the visual art program at Rumsey Hall
School. In reflection of the School’s mission, the Art department values Effort
as well as technical skill.In an effort to educate the “whole child” the Art
department strives to balance the development of creativity with basic
instruction in principles of design. The art course offerings stress discovery
and self-expression though media including: painting, drawing, printmaking,
clay and multi-media three-dimensional construction. The art room is open to
students during the academic day and two evening each week. Interdisciplinary
projects are coordinated with the academic disciplines. Student art work is
displayed throughout campus, themed exhibits are on view in the Finkelson
Gallery. Students also have the opportunity to visit local art galleries and
art museums in Manhattan.
Lower School Music
The Lower School Music Program at Rumsey Hall School infuses each child with a well rounded and practical grounding in music literacy, appreciation, and performance, through adherence to the MENC National Standards for Music Education. Based on the Kodaly methods of teaching, where music is seen as a necessary part of a child's development, the program immerses each student fully in their musical experience to become musically literate and confident in their performance skills by the time they leave Lower School. The Lower Schoolers have ample opportunity to explore their musical talents through their daily classes and Rumsey's Afternoon Enrichment Program. Some of the musical offerings provided include musical theatre productions, handbell choir, recorder class, African drumming, Little Clef Club, and karaoke. Each Spring Term, Form III (Grade 5) writes,composes, and produces their own musical theatre production which is performed In the Maxwell A. Sarofim '05 Performing Arts Center (The MAX). The Lower School also has their very special Winter Concert and Grandparents' Day concerts when they showcase their talents. Each year the Lower School improves and expands their music program, as they prepare to matriculate into the Upper School music program.


Copublished with the International Reading Association (IRA)
“Summer Reading shows us how to make voluntary reading programs work, especially for low-achievers. This could be the foundation of a reform movement that stands a chance of closing the achievement gap between rich and poor that haunts American schools.”
—P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley
“Few interventions hold such promise for narrowing the growing reading achievement gap between low- and high-socioeconomic-status students. This book draws attention to this worthy topic and offers ways to channel that attention into concrete policies and practices. As a scholar focused on issues of equity in literacy education, I will definitely have a copy of this book on my shelf.”
—Nell K. Duke, University of Michigan
“The solution to the problem of the achievement gap in literacy development is right here: Simple, obvious, and supported by massive evidence.”
—Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus, The University of Southern California
“Give a copy of this book to every parent, teacher, school administrator, and policymaker you can find and urge them to read it.”
—Peter Johnston, The University at Albany, State University of New York
Summer reading loss accounts for roughly 80% of the rich/poor reading achievement gap. Yet far too little attention is given to this pressing problem. This timely volume now offers not only a comprehensive review of what is known about summer reading loss but also provides reliable interventions and guidance.
Written by acknowledged experts and researchers on reading, remedial reading, and special education, this collection describes multiple models of innovative summer reading and book distribution initiatives. It also provides research-based guidelines for planning a successful summer reading program, including tips on book selection, distribution methods, and direction for crucial follow-up. Most important, the authors clearly show how schools and communities can see greater academic gains for students from low-income families using the methods described in this book than from much more costly interventions.
1. Summer Reading Loss
2. Interventions That Increase Children’s Access to Print Material and Improve Their Reading Proficiencies
3. What Have We Learned About Addressing Summer Reading Loss?
4. The Importance of Book Selections: Enticing Struggling Readers to Say, “I Want to Read That One!”
5. Taking to the Streets! One Principal’s Path to Stemming Summer Reading Loss for Primary Grade Students from Low-Income Communities
6. Making Summer Reading Personal and Local: One District’s Response
7. Where Do We Go from Here?
Appendix A. Evidence Summary for Annual Book Fairs in High-Poverty Elementary Schools
Contributors: Richard L Allington, Lynn Bigelman, James J. Lindsay, Anne McGill-Franzen, Geraldine Melosh, Lunetta Williams
Richard L. Allington is a professor of literacy studies at the University of Tennessee and past president of the National Reading Conference and the International Reading Association. His books include No Quick Fix, The RTI Edition. Anne McGill-Franzen is professor and director of the Reading Center at the University of Tennessee. Both authors are recipients of the International Reading Association Albert J. Harris Award for research on reading and learning disabilities.


It’s called the summer slide.
“It’s a natural phenomena that happens when kids stop exercising their brains and spend the first month of school recovering what they learned the year before.” Mathnasium of Stillwater Center Director, Sachin Gore said.
“There’s lots of research out there on the summer slide and some say students lose more than just three months,” ISD 834’s Executive Director of Elementary Education, Mary Anderson said. “We need to encourage parents to do a lot more learning exercises with their kids during the summer because it seems that those students who do get some help don’t slide.”
As the school year begins to draw to a close some parents may wonder how they can keep their kids learning and occupied through the summer.
“It’s really important for kids to keep reading and do math,” Anderson said “It helps with problem-solving and critical thinking, skills that students need when they do get back to school.”
Though some parents may say that summer is a time for their kids to have fun and not worry about learning Gore says for him, as a dad and tutoring center owner, it’s the exact opposite.
“I have a lot of people who have their spouse say they don’t want their kids to be doing anything learning-related during the summer because that’s when they’re meant to have fun,” Gore said. “But what I say to that is that it’s a great opportunity to not struggle and take away the pressure they have during the school year. In the summer there’s not as much sports and school. When I see the kids I have at my business now, they’ve been learning for six or seven hours already, have gone to practice and have just gotten around to doing their homework. Their brain is at a different level of capacity.”
To help students continue learning throughout the summer both Anderson and Gore have some suggestions for parents.
“Use the community resources and see what the schools offer,” Anderson said. “Community ed classes in Stillwater have some academic-focused classes that could help students.”
She also mentioned Adventure Club, a childcare service offered by the school district that keeps learning going throughout the summer, but in a fun way, like building ovens and baking things in them, among other things.
“Part of it is planning activities for kids,” Gore said. “A lot of parents work so they end up sending their kids to a camp anyway. It doesn’t have to be a hard-core learning environment but you can learn with formal and informal things.”
In addition to saying his company offers some summer-long enrichment opportunities he added that he knew of a few other camps: Junior Achievement Camp, Camp Invention, and others at the Minnesota Science Museum, the Minnesota Zoo and Como Zoo.
Gore also thinks he may try something that his son does at his Montessori School.
“It’s called going out,” Gore said. “Teachers have students plan a day in relation to a project. For me it would be just a day-trip. I’ll have him pick out where he wants to go, figure out the times, and create a budget. This helps them practice with time and with money. And this way you know they won’t be bored when they get there because they chose it.”
For parents who want to know what they can do in their homes Anderson and Gore Suggested a few other options:
- Going to the library to keep books at hand at all times.
- Going to the grocery store and having kids add up the total as you go around.
- Reading together.
- Grocery shopping with a certain amount of money and asking the child to see how much they can purchase.
- Art projects.
- Cooking to practice fractions
“The key is to make it fun so they’re learning but they don’t know it,” Gore said.


Beyond Baby Talk: From Speaking to Spelling – A Guide to Language and Literacy Development for Parents and Caregivers
My son just turned three. It is nothing short of amazing to watch the growth of your child verbally as he transforms from those infant soft coos to engaging (and often hilarious) lines of questioning. But there were so many points along the journey that I was uncertain, and sometimes even worried, that he was behind where he should be — maybe I wasn’t doing enough as a parent to stimulate his language skills. Beyond Baby Talk: From Speaking to Spelling – A Guide to Language and Literacy Development for Parents and Caregivers is a wonderful guide for those moments where we wonder what “should be” when it comes to our children and the world of language.
Authors, Kenn Apel, PhD., CCC-SLP and Julie Masterson, PhD., CCC-SLP, do a great job of simply sharing the road of language for a child and the efforts parents can make (and likely are often already making) to pave a successful path. The book has been updated from its original version to include:
- Two new chapters and a larger age range of children (birth through elementary school) — focusing on literacy milestones and development
- Information regarding current technology (television, cell phones phones, computers, texting, and apps)
- A dive into fads that claim to increase language and literacy development
- And, updated references and resources
To give you a quick sense of what this book offers, my son recently started preschool — so I was drawn to Chapter 4: Preparing for Written Language: Setting Your Preschooler on the Right Path. The chapter outlines simple ways that parents help guide their children in language — showing that really by age 4, your child is soon considered adult-like in the complexity of sentence structure and language interaction in which he engages. The chapter goes on to talk about social language, storytelling skills and knowledge about print (the foundation for developing reading and writing skills). The chapter really solidified for me that 1) children are sponges that are constantly learning 2) I miss a lot of milestones that my kiddo is making because I don’t realize how really profound some of the little things are to my child successfully growing in his language skills and 3) I don’t give myself enough credit for the daily activities and efforts I make to help my child understand the world of language (reading the letters on a box of cereal, having my child check items off a grocery list, reading to him (and letting him “read” to me), sharing new words and explaining what they mean, etc. — this stuff all matters, a lot).
I think this book is a great resource and I am glad it is within arms reach as my child grows.
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*The book in this review was provided to me for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own*


Instead of loading up on mayonnaise based potato salad, your child can whip up something healthier – German potato salad! It’s easier than you think and she can adjust the seasonings to fit her flavor profile!
What You Do:
- Invite your child to fill a stockpot with water three-fourths of the way full and then bring to a boil over high heat.
- Offer your child a paring knife and encourage him to carefully cut the potatoes into quarters, measuring until he has a total of 4 cups.
- Now he can carefully add the potatoes to the boiling water and let simmer until they are fork tender, which means when a fork is poked in the potato, it easily goes into the potato.
- While the potatoes are boiling, he can create the tangy German dressing. Invite him to measure and add to a mixing bowl the apple cider vinegar, oil, sugar, and mustard to a bowl. He can use a whisk to mix the dressing thoroughly.
- Once the potatoes are ready, he can carefully drain and then add the hot potatoes to the dressing and let come to room temperature.
- While he’s waiting, he can carefully dice the green onion using the pairing knife and then add to the German potato salad, giving a quick stir.
- Now he can cover the potato salad and pop it in the fridge to cool.
Did You Know:
German potato salad is traditionally served hot? Your child can do a tasting experiment to determine which way the potato salad tastes best – hot or cold!
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


Math education in the United States remains resistant to systemic change, and our country pays the price. Stemhagen's article "Democracy and School Math" further confirms this trend. Despite repeated calls for reform, decades of research on how people learn, millions of dollars invested in teacher professional development, and years of politicized debate, the math wars rage on—between those who believe students have the capacity to construct their own mathematical ideas and others who insist mastery of the traditional canon must come first. Meanwhile, algebra failure among secondary students remains rampant and elementary education majors report the greatest rates of math anxiety of any college major. Adults and children alike joke about being terrible at math, seemingly unaware of the extent to which this innumeracy serves as a barrier to full participation in democracy as well as to the realization of their individual goals, hopes, and dreams. In the math education community itself, there is little discussion of the unique role mathematics can play in preparing students for democracy. In this short paper, I offer a more detailed conceptualization of democratic mathematics education and discuss the role of constructivism in bringing these ideas to fruition. I suggest that a shift in the power dynamic that characterizes most mathematics classrooms will be a key component in moving beyond the gridlock.
Response to Article
Allen, K. C.
Mathematics as Thinking. A Response to “Democracy and School Math”.
Democracy and Education,
(2), Article 10.
Available at: http://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol19/iss2/10


Story times for children age 0-5 are one of the most valued and popular programs libraries provide the communities we serve. It is both a vehicle and an icon for the library’s commitment to literacy development and literacy promotion.
In the years 0-5, children are developing the brain that must serve them for all future learning and the approximately 30-60 minutes spent during story time is extremely limited in our effort to support literacy development. To best serve children, librarians are obligated to use this time in promoting the most effective activities and materials available to us toward early literacy skill development. Achieving that goal does not include screen time.
The traditional activities of early literacy development such as songs, fingerplays, puppetry, scarves, shakers, action rhymes and reading from print are all better for children compared to screen use. Displacing them with screen uses reduces the time spent with solidly healthy activities. As the American Academy of Pediatrics tells us, “young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens.”
Traditional activities and materials in story times are superior to screen use because they:
- have a long and excellent record of experience and ample research showing they support early literacy development that screen use does not have
- are more widely and cheaply available to all families so that they may be repeated at home
- fully support parents who want to limit screen time for their children according to AAP Guidelines
- avoid the risk of adding screen time for children who already have screen time in excess of AAP health standards for children
- more effectively support and encourage adult-child relationships by relying more on human interaction compared to screen time
- promote healthy physical activity that screen time does not
The new screens and screen uses are in many ways exciting and even amazing. They are part of a very new and enormous cultural change in how technology is used today. Still, screen use is not appropriate and beneficial everywhere, for everyone, at every occasion. Like at the family dinner table or while driving, story times at the library are best without it.
Our guest blogger today is Kathy Kleckner. Kathy is a children’s librarian for Dakota County Libraries at their Rosemount branch. She has worked as a librarian on a bookmobile, in elementary schools and in urban systems. She is a member of the Minnesota Library Association and ALSC.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at firstname.lastname@example.org.


Doug Clements argues that language arts and mathematics are not mutually exclusive skills.
There’s something fundamental about the thinking that kids do in a good early math program that helps multiple areas.
Doug Clements is a Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning, a professor, and the Executive Director of the Marsico Institute of Early Learning and Literacy at the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education. He also helped coauthor the report of President Bush’s National Math Council and the new Curriculum Focal Points for early childhood produced by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
The Early Math Collaborative, supported by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, held international symposia in 2009 and 2010. The two events brought experts from around the world to share approaches to early mathematics education with teachers, administrators, policy-makers, and other education professionals. The goal was to generate globally-informed ideas and recommendations for improving math instruction in the early childhood classroom. In breakout discussions and plenary sessions, participants brainstormed ideas, identified issues, and recommended actions.


Our oldest son Micah is definitely our creative one; he would like nothing more than to spend his days painting rocks, molding clay or drawing with pencils. Thankfully, we have found plenty of resources to keep his creative juices flowing and flourishing.
Though the arts and creativity seem to have been pushed by the wayside by many schools and considered superfluous, this can't be further from the truth. Creative activity has been shown to increase academic performance in all areas, not just art. There are a number of ways to supplement your child's academic lessons with art.
Most boxed curricula such Sonlight, A Beka and BJU Press offer supplemental electives that include art. There are also boxed art curriculum options devoted entirely to the arts, offering a variety of art lessons together, including charcoal, sculpture, pencil, watercolor, acrylics, pastels and ink. The hardest part is choosing which art curriculum will work best for your family. Prices for the following art curricula range in price from $15 for a single DVD to $150 for a boxed set.
An award-winning DVD-based art curriculum with a sequential and interactive art teaching approach, Atelier supports approximately an hour of video-based visual art training per week. Best for children ages 4 to 16.
Creating a Masterpiece
This is the curriculum that best fit our learning style. Lessons are taught via instructional DVDs by Sharon Hofer. Hofer is a professional artist and teacher who has a passion for encouraging homeschoolers throughout the U.S. and abroad. What sets this curriculum apart is Hofer herself. She is a wonderful teacher and keeps their attention with her unique teaching approach.
Created by former Disney and DreamWorks animators, along with professional educators, Creativity Express is an animated online art education program for students age 7 and up. The 16 cross-curricular lessons teach the elements and principles of art, with an added focus on empowering kids' inner creativity, imagination and critical-thinking skills.
Draw to Learn
Draw to Learn is a comprehensive homeschool art curriculum and Bible study series for all ages. Each lesson has three vital steps: read, think and draw.
Drawing 1a for ages 8 or 9 and younger
These free beginning art programs for children approximately age 8 and younger offer nine-weeks of lessons, three times a week.
Drawing 1a for ages 9 or 10 and older
A compliment to the program above, but for children ages 10 and older, Drawing 1a is a free 33-week set of lessons. These lessons, also for beginners, are held five times a week.
KinderART has free art lesson plans for parents, craft activities and fine arts lessons for all ages, from toddlers to teenagers and beyond.
Meet the Masters
This free 247-page PDF download includes everything needed to introduce elementary children to history’s great painters. The download includes full-color prints of the masters’ works (you can print them on high-quality paper or just view them on your computer), discussion questions and art activities.
See the Light
Artists Dave and Pat Holt offer a comprehensive art curriculum that teaches a large variety of techniques, art history, chalk artistry, performance art, gospel chalk art (using black light), crafts and creative lettering, all with a Biblical approach. See the Light also has a number of free online lessons.
Looking for other options? Try some of these preferred free online art resources and apps, some of which are tablet and smartphone friendly:
The library of art resources found online grows more and more each year, giving students the ability to unleash their creativity in new and innovative ways.
Do you incorporate art into your homeschool lessons? What are your favorite art resources?
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Constantine Tarabanis, a Harvard sophomore, is sighted. But back in Greece, where he grew up, Tarabanis worked with the visually impaired community for several years, volunteering at a school for the blind in Thessaloniki. Tarabanis became close friends in particular with a young man named George. Close enough, in fact, that Tarabanis began to feel a gulf when trying to communicate experiences only a sighted person can have—like seeing a painting, for instance.
Tarabanis had George in mind last semester when a roommate came back from a class carrying several 3-D printed objects. The light bulb went off: what if there was a way to use 3-D printing technology to somehow "translate" paintings into a form the blind could appreciate?
Tarabanis and several other roommates began applying themselves wholeheartedly to the idea (never mind that Tarabanis is ostensibly a molecular and cellular biology major). They began to design a system that would create "tactile representations of paintings," Tarabanis tells Fast Company. Using a combination of computer aided design software and 3-D printing technology, Tarabanis and his partners believe it should be relatively easy to create what he calls "two-and-a-half-D models" of paintings. You would "protrude the image," he says—similar to the sculptural technique known as relief.
They called their idea "Midas Touch," evoking the tactile nature of the project, while also paying homage to the Greek heritage of Tarabanis and one of his partners on the project, Vaios Triantafyllou. (Other members of the team are Rishav Mukherji and Aaron Perez; all are in Harvard's class of 2015.)
Representations of the "Mona Lisa" or "Starry Night" already line the walls of art aficionados everywhere, in poster form. Tarabanis’s team wants to bring the age of mechanical reproduction of art to the blind as well. Two-and-a-half-dimension paintings could form part of the special education wings of museums, or even accompany textbooks on art for the blind. Currently, says Tarabanis, much art education for the blind is often, understandably, somewhat rote—remembering if Michelangelo preceded Da Vinci, or vice versa. "It’s like learning by heart," says Tarabanis, "without a real understanding of what it is."
Tarabanis’s team recently won some seed money to develop their idea further; they’re now finalists in the Harvard Deans' Challenge for Cultural Entrepreneurship, hosted by the university’s Innovation Lab. "These proposals create new ways to break down barriers between artists and businesses so the arts can continue to flourish in our global society," challenge co-chair Diana Sorensen said in a release presenting Midas Touch and its fellow finalists.
As finalists in the Harvard challenge, the Midas Touch team has already scooped up $5,000 in funding (should they win the grand prize, they’ll wind up with $75,000). They’ve begun ordering materials with the money and hope to have a working prototype of their design in early May.
"You go online and see people 3-D printing a gun," says Tarabanis. "We’re wondering why people would be allocating resources this way when there’s clearly a more socially responsible way this technology can be used." In fact, the Midas Touch team thinks 3-D printing is just the beginning when it comes to translating paintings into something the visually impaired can appreciate. The team is also interested in creating pressure-sensitive regions that would furnish audio commentary when pressed.
Over Christmas break, Tarabanis returned home to Greece, where he hit up his friend George. He pitched him Midas Touch. "The thing I was most happy about," says Tarabanis, "is he seemed really excited about it. He himself wanted to test the idea." Seeing that excitement was all Tarabanis needed to press forward.
Tarabanis sometimes likes to cite a quote by Esref Armagan, a congenitally blind Turkish man who, remarkably, taught himself to paint. "I do not know if the things I make are beautiful," he once said, "I only know the reactions of others."
Midas Touch, says Tarabanis, "would help him understand why his paintings are beautiful."
[Top image: Evgenia Eliseeva. Inset image: Flickr user styeb]


Standards in the studio: how are the National Standards for Music Education implemented within the collegiate low brass studio?
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The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which collegiate low brass studio teachers implement the nine National Standards for Music Education into their intentions, structure, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. This study examined these issues through an online survey intended to probe the attitudes and abilities of low brass teachers with regard to delivering a standards-based curriculum. The survey included forced choice survey items created from research questions, single- and multiple-answer questions, and free-response inquiry. Themes that emerged from the free response questions were organized into categories and reported. The findings are consistent with previous research. Standard 3 (improvisation) and Standard 4 (composition) are implemented less frequently than the other standards. Also consistent with previous research, the respondents indicated limitations of resources and instructional time. To address these concerns, recommendations for teaching and future research were presented.


Elliott, Stephen (1999) Words about pictures : an analysis of dialogue content and process in high school art-viewing sessions. PhD thesis, Concordia University.
Classroom practice is used in this exploratory research to study the dialogue content and process associated with High School art viewing activities. Using content analysis research methods with recorded audio and video data of Art History and Art Critique classroom sessions from five research sites, this study suggests the nature and outcomes of art viewing sessions in schools are widely varied due to differing underlying purposes and goals of the teacher. The teachers implicit and explicit purposes and goals determine what dialogue content, questions, and comments relating to the works of art viewed serve to explicate. Different goals tend to focus the discussion on different issues and interests. Goals identified in this study focused student attention on varied aspects of history, style, artistic expression, artist information, or class assignments. In addition to being driven by individual goals and purposes, teachers used works of art in their viewing sessions to serve different ends. The role actual works played in the viewing art sessions of this research ranged from a superficial inclusion to a complete integration where information distilled from the works constituted the reason for, and the substance of, classroom discussion. Integration distinctions included: the use of art as allusion, as illustration, as example, and as the substance of the critical talk. Merely exhorting teachers to include or increase talk about art in their teaching practice is insufficient in determining what that might mean regarding curriculum outcomes. Increasing critical talk about art cannot guarantee that this talk will be moving students toward the same ends. Although teachers may build comparably described sessions into their curricula, they will do so with different goals and purposes in mind. Teachers will be better able to shape the content and determine the outcomes of viewing art activities in schools as they become cognizant of their implicit and explicit purposes and goals, and decide on the role actual works of art will play in their process.
|Divisions:||Concordia University > Faculty of Fine Arts > Art Education|
|Item Type:||Thesis (PhD)|
|Pagination:||x, 257 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.|
|Degree Name:||Theses (Ph.D.)|
|Thesis Supervisor(s):||Blair, Lorrie|
|Deposited By:||Concordia University Libraries|
|Deposited On:||27 Aug 2009 17:14|
|Last Modified:||08 Dec 2010 15:16|
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