This is from a Latin course I took in high school. It really is not something that you would probably expect on this site, but is interesting and relates very marginally to the elementary education section that is here. Hopefully, it intrigues some to look into Latin as the history is interesting and can relate to modern times. Reading the stories of many of the Roman emperors would probably interest many and is worth the read.
Latin has five cases:
- Nominative – Subject
- Genitive – Possession (‘s or of)
- Dative – Indirect Object
- Accusative – Direct Object
- Ablative – Object of Preposition
(I love, I am loving, I do love)
-0 -mus amo (I love) amamus (We love)
-s -tis amas (You love) amatis (You plural love)
-t -nt amat (He, She, It loves) amant (They love)
You can see in English it is ‘I love,’ in Latin, you take amar and drop the -ar and add an ‘-o’. It gets kind of complicated with different tenses, but in your native language you probably change tenses without even realizing it and don’t see it as complicated. It takes a while to get used to, but is possible and can become easy. The declension endings correlate to words that end in -a, -ē, -e, and -ī. The macrons are important. When the verb ends in -āre, -ēre, -ere, and -īre they are infinitives and are translated as to plus a verb (e.g. iuvāre means to help). Forgive me if this wrong as this high school Latin course was many years ago. This is more a taste of Latin, which is similar to modern romance languages such as Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian and 60% of English words have roots/meanings from Latin. I am certain the present tense and five cases and declension endings here are correct. English uses the Roman or Latin alphabet. Latin lives on in history and similarities and ties to modern languages. It is barely spoken, probably only the Vatican in Rome is the only place where it is spoken and maybe some small groups of Latin scholars. However, it lives on through similar languages such as Italian and has a remarkable history and civilization that has lived on and influenced modern times. Just an interesting side note is that the Romans stole the alphabet from the Greeks. For some time most the empire spoke Greek, but the ruling class spoke Latin. If you look at the Greek alphabet the first letter, alpha, is like a triangle and is similar to the Roman ‘a’ which is also like a triangle. Hebrew, also from the Mediterranean region, has an aleph for the first letter of the alphabet is more like a triangle than the other letters. However, the vowels for Hebrew are different and the aleph does not sound exactly like an ‘a.’ Below are the five Latin declension endings.
First Declension Second Declension Third Declension
a ae us/er/um ī/a -/- ēs/a Nominative
ae ārum ī orum is um Genitive
ae īs ō īs ī ibus Dative
am ās um/um ō/a em/- ēs/a Accusative
ā īs ō īs e ibus Ablative
Fourth Declension Fifth Declension
us/u ūs/ua ēs ēs
ūs uum ēī ērum
uī ibus ēī ēbus
um/u ūs/ua em ēs
This is coming back to me. When you read a Latin historical document the declension endings help clarify what case the noun is and there is something whether the word ends in -ar, -er, and -ir. First declension is only used with words that end in -ar. There are irregular verbs and probably nouns too. Later this week I plan to update and revise this and add some verb endings for the future, imperfect, and present. I had to find something to post as I am trying to write every week. This may not be the best, but is interesting and I have some plans and ideas for posts that are hopefully better or at least more relevant.


The results of the study will provide evidence of the gaps on foundational career readiness skills. The data can be used as basis in fine-tuning school and training curricula to be more responsive with the needs of the industry. Teachers will be encouraged to guide students to engage in a more targeted learning approach through practical application of the concepts and theories discussed in the classroom. Likewise, guidance counselors and career advocates will have a framework in developing a robust career guidance program to improve career readiness skills of students.
For the participants, the initiative will provide relevant information in developing their targeted career pathways. They will have the career assessment results on their strengths and weaknesses which they can improve to possess the skills required by local and global industries.
The linkage among key players in education (policy makers, school administrators, teachers, counselors, students, and parents), in government, and in industry (employers, human resource developers, and trainers) will be strengthened in responding to current trends, issues and challenges that create or widen academe-industry gap, which in turn affect employability, work and career readiness, and workforce development of Filipinos.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs)will have an empirical basis of labor market information to examine the results of the talent mapping as a valuable tool in assessing and evaluating the core foundational skills necessary for both technical-vocational and college courses that are designed to prepare students to become members of the country’s workforce.


Connecting Content with Literacy: Dynamic Strategies for Comprehension
(Grades 6-12) / Flex Course
PDI Course Number: 121T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC40398
As a teacher in grades 6-12, do you struggle to incorporate literacy and comprehension best practices into your content-area classes? This online course provides teachers in grades 6-12 with a plethora of research-based strategies to tackle substantive literacy issues within their content-area classrooms. Teachers will learn how to incorporate vocabulary strategies within their content-area classrooms, and they will learn how to motivate students to read with cross-curricular reading strategies. Teachers will learn how to foster fluency within the content areas so that students’ speaking and listening skills are actively employed. Teachers will explore a variety of writing strategies that can be used during everyday content-focused lessons. Teachers will be introduced to the backwards planning process so that they understand how beginning with and always keeping the end result in mind helps ensure that literacy concepts are not left out of their content-area lessons. An overview of assessment will be shared, and teachers will learn a variety of strategies for assessing their students’ literacy skills, both formally and informally. By the end of this course, teachers will feel more confident and successful in their quest to implement research-based literacy strategies into their own teaching practices within the content areas. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from UC San Diego Extension. For detailed information on university credit, click here.
"Excellent content and resources. I have enjoyed reflecting on my teaching and being able to add new strategies learned through this course." - Kerrie Busteed
Only $127 with the discount
Course with Credit from UCSD Extension
Only $323 with the discount
This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units or 5 quarter units of graduate-level credit from UC San Diego.
You have up to one year from the date you are enrolled to complete a flex course.
Required Resource Book
This course has a modestly-priced required resource book (available in both new and used versions) that can be purchased through Amazon using the following link. Note that you can begin and participate in your course before the book arrives.
Literacy in the Disciplines: A Teacher's Guide for Grades 5-12 by Thomas DeVere Wolsey and Diane Lapp
If you are registering for multiple courses, use the following link to access the book list for all PDI courses with direct purchase links through Amazon. PDI Course Resource Book List
- What is literacy?
- The Big Five
- Factors that Influence Literacy Development
- Assignment #1: Write an autobiography
- Test #1
- Academic and Content Area Vocabulary Acquisition
- Vocabulary Strategies for Reading/ELA
- Vocabulary Strategies for Math and Science
- Vocabulary Strategies for History and Social Studies
- Assignment #2: Article reflection
- Test #2
- Strategies to Build Reading Comprehension Skills
- Dealing with Dyslexia
- Motivating Students to Read with Cross-Curricular Strategies
- Assignment #3: Share your expertise
- Test #3
- Fostering Fluency within the Content Areas
- Promoting Speaking and Listening Skills with Special Needs Students
- Active Speaking and Listening Strategies for the 6-12 Classroom
- Test #4
- Unpacking the Common Core Writing Standards
- Writing Strategies for the Everyday Lesson
- Essay Writing in the Content Areas
- Test #5
- An Overview of Assessment
- Strategies for Informal Assessments
- Strategies for Formal Assessments
- Assignment #4: Create two content-specific lesson plans using the backwards planning method
- Assignment #5: Reading/Learning Log (Based on required resource book)
View PDI's Catalog of Courses
Check out a list of all PDI graduate-level online courses or sort by grade level or subject area.
Quick access to register for PDI's online courses using our secure system.
Learn More about PDI
Find out how to reach PDI and get answers to any questions you may have.
Access My Course
Access PDI's online learning management system to begin your course.


Reading comprehension refers to a person’s understanding of the text he is reading. Unfortunately, if a child is required to browse through a thick book, he might find it hard to digest the wealth of information that is presented to him.
Reading comprehension is a vital skill, especially for kids. If you want your children to absorb all the important information in his books, then here are reading comprehension strategies that can help him out:
Help Him Draw a Mental Picture
Kids find text boring and images more interesting, that is why they prefer comics and picture books to lengthy manuscripts. In order to help your kid comprehend the story they are reading, it will help if you encourage your child to draw a mental picture in his head. Let him use his imagination – and he will be able to grasp the story fully – and ask for more children’s books!
Encourage Him to Speak Out
Most of the time, kids do not like to ask questions from their parents or teachers because of embarrassment, as well as fear of what they have to say to him. If you want your child to improve his reading comprehension skills, then motivate him to speak out in case he does not understand certain words or sentences in books or e-books. Giving him the freedom to raise questions, as well as answering his questions empathically, can help him understand what he is reading, and not just fake his understanding of reading.
Let Him Mark “Strange” Words or Passes
There might be words and passes that your child finds confusing. Urge him to mark these words and sentences by encircling or underlining them. Get back to these passes and help him browse through and understand these phrases after he is done reading.
Ask Your Child Questions After Reading
One way to check if your child has understood the text he read is by asking questions after he has finished the book. Do not make him feel like you are his teacher, expecting him to answer correctly. Ask questions casually, as if you are just starting a conversation with him. Not only will it foster parent-child boring, it can encourage your kid to understand the stories better so he can share his thoughts with you.
Improving your child’s reading comprehension skills can take some time. However, if you follow these strategies, you can help your kid exceed in school because of his hastened ability to digest and absorb pertinent information.
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How Teachers Can Take Advantage of Technology to Improve Instruction
November 15, 2011 10:27 pm
The following is a guest blog submitted by Jill Griebe, the District Literacy Coach for Eminence Independent Schools in Eminence, Kentucky, and a member of the Digital Learning Day Educator Working Group, which provides leadership on the Digital Learning Day toolkits and outreach development for teachers and administrators across the country.
To learn more about Digital Learning Day, which is February 1, 2012, visit the Digital Learning Day website.
In Eminence, Kentucky, on November 8, teachers arrived expecting a full day of professional development for Eminence Independent Schools. The agenda was full, including a working lunch. No one appeared to be happy to be there. However, as they entered the library, it was decorated with apples–on the tables, hanging from the ceiling, and lining the walls. The theme was about giving an apple to a teacher.
The Eminence Independent Schools’ superintendent, Buddy Berry, pleasantly surprised the teachers with a video collage of students expressing their love and appreciation for their teachers while holding an apple. He went on to describe how much they are appreciated by not only their students, but also by their administration. A “sweet surprise” was handed out in the form of a wrapped gift. The teachers were expecting to receive an apple pie, but what they found was an “Apple” of the best kind….a MacBook Pro laptop. There were smiles and shouting all around, even a standing ovation. To top it all off, Buddy burned the PD agenda, literally. Instead, the day was dedicated to learning how to use their new Apples.
What is the purpose of giving each teacher a laptop? As is the case for many other jobs, employees need to be able to work anywhere, including from home. The teachers at Eminence need to be given the opportunity to create awesome lessons using the best technology. In order for them to prepare students to utilize technology, they must become proficient with it first. The ultimate goal is to equip each student with 21st Century skills and to prepare them for their future, be that college or the workforce. It takes a village (a school district) to raise a child, and the Eminence administration gave each teacher another tool to assist in that process.
This is not Eminence’s first experience with new technology as it has used several technology grants to purchase a multitude of tools for teachers and students. Netbooks were purchased to serve as classroom centers throughout the middle and high school. Flip cameras have allowed the teachers and students to document learning in action. Every classroom has a Flip camera. Several interwrite dualboards (like a smartboard) were purchased, too. Other items the school district has purchased include document cameras, ceiling projectors, Smart software, iPods, iPads, and mobile computer labs.
Having all this technology is great, but if teachers aren’t trained properly, 21st century tools might never get used. As requested by the teachers at Eminence, the Literacy Team created an all-day breakout session professional development, in which the teachers trained each other. The goal was to aid in each teacher’s digital literacy development. Teachers need to be trained to be able to do more than just operate machinery. At Eminence, they have been trained to use literacy strategies with the technology, create wikis, produce videos through Animoto and Voicethreads, and post blogs. Eminence Independent Schools is moving forward as Next Generation Learners.
Jill Griebe is the District Literacy Coach for Eminence Independent Schools in Eminence, Kentucky. She is also a member of the Digital Learning Day Educator Working Group, which provides leadership on the Digital Learning Day toolkits and outreach development for teachers and administrators across the country.
Digital Learning Series


The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement NCPFCE is pleased to offer the Family Engagement and School Readiness Series for 2014. This month, our featured topic is Family Leadership: Supporting Families as Advocates and Leaders. Parents who embrace these roles can strengthen their Early Head Start or Head Start program services.
Family Leadership: Supporting Families as Advocates and Leaders
Parent leadership and advocacy skills help ensure school readiness for all children, especially those with disabilities. Parents gain these skills by serving as mentors, sharing in program governance, and making recommendations on program goals. Head Start and Early Head Start staff may use the following resources in family development workshops or staff training.
Featured Resources to Support Families as First Teachers
Engaging parents in decision-making, program committees and events, and policy changes helps them take a more active role in school readiness success. Read this research-based resource for tips to help develop families as advocates and leaders.
Developing leadership skills in parents can happen in many ways. Read the stories of two parents—Maranda Shepherd and Melvena Wilkerson—as they share their experiences and successes. Use their stories to generate ideas to engage parents as leaders in your own program.
Strong family connections to peers reduce stress, improve family well-being, build parent leadership skills, and ensure better outcomes for children. Watch this video for tips to bring families together and build a strong sense of community.
Parents of children with disabilities benefit from working closely with programs and service providers. This helps them to understand available resources and become better advocates for their children. In this video, a father discusses the services his daughters received. Learn how he and his wife were able to actively participate in their daughters’ education.
How can you create a program that is truly inclusive of infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families? Select Session 1 and download the video file to watch as families, early education staff, and early intervention providers discuss their visions for an inclusion program. Staff and family members support one another, and families become leaders and advocates for their children.
Family Engagement and School Readiness Resources on ECLKC
Visit our Family Engagement and School Readiness page on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center ECLKC for additional tools and resources.
How to Subscribe
Select this link to subscribe to the series: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/center/subscribe-pfce.html
Please share this message with all staff and supervisors in your program who may be interested in participating.
Email questions about this series to OHS_PFCE@HSICC.org. Wed love to hear about your programs efforts and progress around this topic.
Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center and National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement


The Science of Reading
Lonigan, C. & Shanahan, T. (2008). Developing Early Literacy - A Report of the National Literacy Panel. National Institute for Literacy. Jessup, MD. Retrieved from: https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/NELPReport09.pdf
A scientific synthesis of early literacy development and implications for intervention, it provides educators and policymakers with important information about the early skills that are implicated in later literacy learning, as well as information about the type of instruction that can enhance these skills.
Langenberg, D.N., et al. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. National Reading Panel. Retrieved from: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf
To assess the status of research-based knowledge, including the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children to read.
Rowe, K., et. al. (2005). Teaching Reading: Report and Recommendations. Australian Government, Department of Education, Science and Training. Retrieved from:
. . . the teaching of beginning reading is mostly not based on findings from the available evidence-based research about how children best learn to read, and that poor reading skills are in many cases due to ineffective teaching practices based on whole-language approaches during the crucial early years of ‘first wave’ classroom teaching.
Rose, J. (2006). Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading. Department for Education and Skills. Retrieved from: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5551/2/report.pdf
At best, our settings and schools draw upon these factors and embody the principles of high quality phonic work within a language-rich curriculum that gives rise to high standards of reading and writing. It follows that the challenge now is to ensure that, in all settings and schools, the teaching and learning of early reading and writing in general, and phonic work in particular, measure up to this best practice.
Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition from Novice to Expert. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19, 5–51. doi:10.1177/1529100618772271
We present a comprehensive tutorial review of the science of learning to read, spanning from children’s earliest alphabetic skills through to the fluent word recognition and skilled text comprehension characteristic of expert readers. We explain why phonics instruction is so central to learning in a writing system such as English.
Stanovich, P.J., & Stanovich, K.E. (2003). Using Research and Reason in Education: How Teachers Can Use Scientifically Based Research to Make Curricular and Instructional Decisions. National Institute for Literacy. Jessup, MD. Retrieved from: https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Stanovich_Color.pdf
Evidence of instructional effectiveness can come from any of the following sources: demonstrated student achievement in formal testing situations implemented by the teacher, school district, or state; published findings of research-based evidence that the instructional methods being used by teachers lead to student achievement; or proof of reason-based practice that converges with a research-based consensus in the scientific literature.


JOB PROFILE: Secondary School Teacher
Qualifications and courses
To enter this profession you will need to hold either a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree, a BA/BSc degree with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or, if you wish to teach in Scotland, a teaching qualification (TQ). Alternatively, you can complete an undergraduate degree followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) if you live in Scotland. You should study for a degree related to the subject you wish to teach.
Employment-based routes are also available for those who want to work in a school whilst they qualify. The school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) is a 1-year course open to graduates who hold a degree in the subject they wish to teach. Alternatively, the School Direct programme involves training graduates in a classroom environment with the expectation that candidates will go on to work in that same school once qualified. Teach First offers a 2-year Leadership Development Programme in which graduates study for a PGCE whilst training on the job.
All entrants must have GCSE/National 5 passes in English and Maths and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance. Literacy and numeracy skills tests must also be passed prior to acceptance. Relevant work experience will improve your chances of securing entry onto a programme.
As a newly qualified teacher (NQT), you will serve a 1-year probationary period of assessment, monitoring and support after QTS is confirmed.
What the work involves
You will be a specialist in 1 or 2 subjects and teach students aged 11–19.
You will also take on the role of form tutor and be responsible for encouraging personal development and good behaviour.
In state schools, you will follow the National Curriculum. Private and independent schools are free to set their own educational standards.
Type of person suited to this work
You must be patient, caring and have excellent communication skills in order to relate to and teach your pupils. You should also be assertive and able to maintain discipline with large groups of young people.
You must be imaginative and creative to design lessons which capture your students’ attention.
It is important that you are highly organised as this job involves a lot of marking and lesson planning.
You will be based in a classroom and will teach classes from about 9am until 4pm. However, you will have to come in early, stay late and work from home in order to carry out preparation for lessons and finish marking pupils’ work.
Schools are usually open for 39 weeks of the year but teachers often carry out preparatory work during the holidays.
Teachers sometimes go on school trips or visit students on work placements. Modern foreign language and PE teachers should be prepared to go on school trips overseas.
In England, there are currently shortages of teachers for science, maths, modern foreign languages, design and technology, computing and geography in secondary education and many universities offer attractive bursaries in order to encourage graduates to train in these areas.
As you gain experience, you could move into a role as a Key Stage coordinator, a head of a department or year group, or work with other schools as a leading practitioner. You could also go into teacher training, advisory work or become a school inspector. The National College for Teaching and Leadership provides opportunities for gifted teachers to develop their leadership skills.
You should undertake continuing professional development (CPD) throughout your career so as to remain on top of any curriculum changes. Curriculum changes are occurring in both GCSEs and A levels. The replacement of ICT with a new computing curriculum means teachers need to be increasingly confident in elements of computer science.
Helping your students to learn and progress can be very rewarding.
The holiday allowance is very generous.
Pupils can sometimes be difficult and disruptive.
You will have to work from home in order to finish marking and preparing lessons.
Qualified teachers in England and Wales earn £22,917–£33,824. London wages are higher.
With additional responsibilities, you can earn up to £13,027 on top of your base salary.
Leading practitioners typically earn £39,374–£59,857 and those in senior roles can earn considerably more.
Content generously provided by Indigo Trotman.


February is a National Children's Dental Month! This is a great time to talk about Dental Health with preschoolers. My Dental Health Activity Pack is a great addition to this topic. This pack extends learning to include math, social, literacy, and motor skill development.
This activity pack is huge! With 50-pages of activities you will find plenty of Dental Health related activities to support preschool development.
Take a closer look at the activities..
Floss Shape Match & Clip Cards
These containers of floss come in fun shapes, identify the shape and clip the matching shape at the bottom of each card.
Teeth Counting Mats 1-10
Practice counting skills and number recognition with this tooth counting 10 frame mat.
Teeth Counting Mats 1-10 with Counters
Also included: 10 frame counting mat with teeth counters on them.
Is that a Shape Stuck in your Teeth? Shape Match game
Oh goodness, these mouths have shapes stuck in their teeth!
Identify the shape and place the matching shaped floss package on each.
Counting Teeth Clip Cards
Soon preschoolers will have a smile full of missing teeth, and they love to count those teeth. Count up the teeth on these cards then clip the total at the bottom.
Toothbrush and Teeth Color Matching
This fun matching activity promote color recognition and matching while exploring dental health.
Uppercase & Lowercase Teeth Letter Matching
Flip a tooth card, identify the uppercase letter then find and mark the matching lowercase letter on the mat.
Dental Health Pre-Writing & Cutting Practice
Practice pre-writing and cutting skills using this dental health themed mat.
I Spy Flip and Find
There is so much to see when visiting the dentist.
Flip a card then try to find and mark the object on the mat.
Roll a Smile
Roll the playing cube, identify the number then add teeth to the smile on the mat.
Find and identify the numbers 1-10 and then work on placing them in order to complete this number puzzle.
Tooth Fairy Teeth Counting Game
These little tooth fairies have been busy!
Count up the number of teeth in each collection, determine the total then find the number that matches.
Happy Teeth/Sad Teeth Sorting-Try this for free!
Happy and Sad teeth sorting is a simple way for young children to begin to understand what kinds of foods are healthier for their teeth. This is also a good time to talk about the importance of brushing after eating any kind of food.
Teeth Brushing Game
Count up the toothbrush tallies or identify the number then fill in the mat. Also try laminating and coloring the teeth in with a dry-erase marker, then use a toothbrush to brush the number of teeth to match the card.
Toothbrush Size Sorting
Practice sorting by size with these toothbrushes, or place in order from smallest to largest.
Dental Health Bingo Mats
Flip a card and then mark it on the bingo mat, play independently or with a friend.
Shop for this Resource
Pre-K Printable Club Members can log in to download this content for free inside the member area or store listings. Not a member? Learn more!
Dental Health Lesson Planning
Looking for ideas to complete your Dental Health Lesson Plan? We have you covered! Visit the Pre-K Printable Fun Dental Health Theme Planning Page to find ideas for Dramatic Play, Math, Literacy, Physical Development and More!
What can I help you find?


“To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is ... the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence.”
― John Adams
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
My primary content areas are art education and design. Here are some of the examples that demonstrate how technology (and teaching that encourages the use of technology) can facilitate student learning, creativity, and innovation in art, design and beyond.
Mobile App Design
Mobile application design projects allow us to explore new territory and use emerging media to learn and think in new ways. Here I develop a theme and design for time management. This project also highlights the effectiveness of image aided communication via the design document.
Creating a webquest builds the technical skills of web design, file preparation, planning, and organizing digital content in an aesthetic and navigable format. Using a webquest or involving students in building webquests invites the designer and the audience to solve real-world problems.
The Next Big Thing Podcast
With little investment and simple tools, teachers and students can create engaging audio podcast programs. Research, planning, writing, speaking, music, language, and audio technology skills are just a few areas that a podcast project can enhance learning. Here I created a podcast that aims to interview innovative thinkers and share new ideas.
Screen Cast Training
A screen cast allows you and your students to share what you know. With voice-over and special features you can effectively communicate your knowledge and skills. Here I demonstrate how to use the content aware and content scale tools using Camtasia and Adobe Photoshop.
Animated Visual Storytelling
Online multimedia technologies make visual storytelling widely available. Whiteboard style animations are a fun and interactive way to teach and learn. In this project I reviewed and presented the review with the software VideoScribe by Sparkol. The theme demonstrates the effectiveness of visuals in learning.


Back to School Blues? Prepare well and when term starts it’ll be a (cool) breeze!
2 Sept 2016, 15:46
As summer seems to be fading too quickly into autumn all the indications are there that the new school year starts imminently, if it hasn’t already. Whether you are a brand new teacher or a seasoned educational expert, it’s always good to be prepared prior to the start of term and according to Janelle Cox, Elementary Education Expert, there’s quite a lot to do! She provides an excellent (if exhaustive) list which you can see below.
Whether you adopt any or all of her suggestions, Voyager wish all our teachers, group leaders and students a fantastic school year ahead.
And don't forget to get a no obligation free quote on your next school tour from Voyager today! Find out more here .
Back to School Teachers Checklist:
- Wrote and mailed welcome letter to parents and students.
- Created name tags for students and their desks.
- Laminated name tags that include specific information such as walker, bus number, address etc.
- Read through student files to help determine placement in groups and activities.
- Determined seating chart and desk arrangement.
- Decorated the bulletin boards.
- Decorated the front door.
- Determined the rules and consequences or how you will have the class decide upon the rules.
- Decided on icebreaker activities for the first day of class.
- Collected activities and lessons for the first week of school.
- Became familiar with the class computer and other technology needed for the classroom.
- Decided how to welcome students and introduce them to the rules and procedures.
- Developed a substitute folder.
- Printed emergency contact form.
- Ordered extra supplies for students such as folder, pencils, glue etc.
- Set up Learning centres with supplies in place.
- Created classroom jobs.
- Camera ready to take pictures of the students.
- Got to know fellow teachers and staff members.
- Set up classroom calendar.
- Organize the classroom library.
- Made copies of all worksheets that you want to send home for the first week of school.
- Labelled workbooks, folders and textbooks with students' names.
- Gathered extra tissues, paper towels, band aids and emergency supplies.
- Created first newsletter to send home.
- Gathered book order information to send out.
- Have a reward or incentive box filled.
- Have a birthday chart ready to be filled out.
- Have all systems in order (homework basket, paperwork basket etc.)
- Take home folders are labelled and filled with the necessary paperwork.
- Purchased a lesson plan organizer and calendar.
- Purchased or gathered cleaning supplies for classroom.
- Purchased a bottle of aspirin for you, and hand sanitizer for the class.
- Gathered teacher materials and supplies.
- Create a routine for attendance, lunch count, walking in halls etc.
- Set up a class webpage to communicate with students and parents.
- Purchased any classroom supplies that is needed.
- Find out student schedule for lunch, gym, library etc.
- Obtained district curriculum standards.
- Prepared a folder for faculty meetings and information.
- Made copies of materials for the first few weeks.
- Posted lunch menu.
- Posted emergency evacuation and procedures.
- First aid kit stocked and in place.
- Shelves, cubbies and activity areas are clearly labelled.
- Decided how to manage homework.
- Decided how to manage using the toilet ( lavatory passes, just get up and go etc.)
Contact us today to receive a quote
Our experienced and friendly team is at hand to answer any questions you may have


Is a K12-powered kindergarten program right for my child?
Kindergarten is a great time to introduce your child to the benefits of online learning. At this age, they’re eager to explore the world around them with the help of technology. K12 offers families an engaging online kindergarten curriculum to nurture that curiosity and creativity.
Engaging, Interactive Curriculum
Online and In-Person Sessions and Activities*
A Supportive School Community
How does online kindergarten work?
Our curriculum is rooted in the principles of how children learn, while the online school platform harnesses the power of 21st-century technology to make learning come alive. K12-powered online kindergarten offers engaging courses that provide a solid foundation in reading, math, science, and history. Students may also choose courses in art, music, and world languages.** All courses are designed to help spark your child's joy of learning—a joy that will hopefully grow with each academic year.
Students build a strong foundation in early reading, writing, and word study, while fostering a love of reading. Structured lessons provide instruction in handwriting, vocabulary, phonics, and foundations of the writing process. Poetry, literature, and nonfiction texts are used to develop basic comprehension.
Students are introduced to numbers. They learn through reading, writing, counting, comparing, ordering, adding, and subtracting. Students solve problems and encounter early concepts in place value and measurement. They also study two- and three-dimensional figures.
Students begin to develop observation skills as they learn about the five senses, the human body, and the basic needs of plants and animals. Students also explore measurement, matter, the seasons, weather, our earth, motion, and astronomy.
Students learn the basics of world geography and are introduced to American history and the people who created it. Supplementary lessons introduce symbols representing America, the rights and responsibilities of citizens and the laws they must follow, some of the many cultures and traditions found in the U.S., and basic economic concepts.
Students learn through contextual interpretation and imitation. This appealing adventure for young minds includes a fun interactive experience by learning through animated stories that are authentic to each country’s language and culture.
Students are introduced to line, shape, color, and more. They learn about portraits and landscapes, and realistic and abstract art. Students explore paintings, sculpture, and architecture, and create artworks similar to the works they have studied.
Students build foundational skills through singing, creative movement, dancing, real and virtual instruments, listening maps, and authentic sound recordings. They learn about musical elements, explore music around the world, and perform seasonal and celebratory songs.
Explore Online Courses
K12-powered kindergarten programs are designed for growing minds and small hands. Students in kindergarten focus on basic literacy, numeracy, and motor skills.
Your Student's Team
As a parent, you play an active role by partnering with teachers and your child—while K12 and your school provide resources, advice, and access to the support of an online parent community.
In kindergarten, the curriculum is mastery-based and provides a developmentally appropriate mix of online and hands-on learning opportunities.
You or another responsible adult act as your child's Learning Coach. Learning Coaches work with teachers—helping to monitor student attendance and mastery of online lessons and assessments. On average, you'll spend 4–6 hours a day providing guidance and oversight.†
State-certified teachers help create student learning plans, monitor progress and attendance, teach live online classes, and hold online help sessions and office hours.
Ready to Enroll?
You've done your research, you like what you see, and you're ready to sign up. Click below to get the process started by creating a Parent Portal account or logging in to your existing account.
*In-person learning opportunities vary by school. Please check with your school.
** Courses vary by school. Please check with your school.
†This time varies based on the independence of your student.
§Extracurricular activities and clubs vary by school. Please check with your school.


Reading well by third grade is one of many developmental milestones in a child’s educational experience. Literacy development starts at an early age and is the basis for all academic success. Reading well by Grade 3 ensures that a student has a solid foundation of literacy skills to continue to expand their understandings of what they read, make meaning, and transfer that learning across all subject areas. Instruction that provides the basis for all students to read well by third grade and beyond will help close the achievement gap and ensure that all students are ready for the demands of college and the workplace.
As written in MN Statute 120B.12, a school district must adopt a local literacy plan to have every child reading at or above grade level no later than the end of Grade 3. Local Literacy Plans for every Minnesota public school district and charter school, serving kindergarten through third grade, are to be posted on each district website. The information is intended to guide schools and districts as they work toward meeting the requirement of all students reading well by the end of third grade.
If you have questions regarding the literacy plan, please contact:
Kathy Oliphant, Director of Teaching and Learning


The music has stopped for too many public school children, particularly those on the lower end of the economic scale. And that’s just not acceptable for people like David Wish.
As an elementary school teacher in 1996, Wish became frustrated with the lack of funding for music education at his school, so he began informally offering an after-school guitar class to students. His efforts have mushroomed into a nationally recognized not-for-profit organization called Little Kids Rock with Honorary Board Members like musicians Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, BB King and Les Paul.
“I had a guitar as a kid because my parents and grandparents gave me one, and I was able to be in a school orchestra and take piano lessons,” Raitt says. “But, these days, I don’t think it’s an option for kids—and certainly not in the inner city. We hope to offer access to music for people who would otherwise not have access to it.”
With innovative teaching methods and free musical instruments, Little Kids Rock provides students opportunities to express themselves through music and thereby build creativity, confidence and self-esteem. These qualities in turn affect academic performance and increase the probability that students will channel their energy constructively rather than destructively.
“I believe that music has shown me a new way of life,” a 14-year-old in the program says. “I have to be honest. Before I started producing music and writing songs, I was depressed. By being able to put emotions into my lyrics, I’ve been able to express myself in new ways. Music is like the key to the soul; it means everything to me. Everybody should have music in their lives.”
Music is not the only piece missing from the lives of many people, and economics are but one brick in the wall that blocks them from realizing their potential. Cultural, racial, social, linguistic and political issues also help form that wall, and it seems insurmountable for those on the wrong side. It can also seem overwhelming for those who want to do something to knock it down.
David Wish didn’t let the size of the wall stop him. He simply knocked out the brick he knew he could and opened the door for now thousands of children to have opportunities they otherwise would not have had.
God often asks us not to tear down entire walls by ourselves but instead to remove the bricks we can. When we do, other people can peer through the hole and catch a glimpse of what they can become.
Jan Turrentine is managing editor of Acacia Resources.


Welcome to ETC Educational Technology Connection (HK) Ltd!
Handbook / Teacher's Guide
The Little Book of Poetry is packed with advice and ideas on introducting young chldren to poetry. As with all the Little Books, it is particularly suitable for use between 36 and 60+ months. It is carefully planned to meet the objectives for each stage of development and reflects the latest thinking on the education of young children. Little Books make an excellent start to an exciting journey through learning.
“"By using this book you will be helping children to develop all of the pre-requisite skills needed for reading and writing..speaking and listening skills, self-confidence and self esteem."” – EYE (Early Years Educator)
Keri Finlayson is a poet and literacy tutor from South Wales. Previously a teacher, she has taught children across the age range in England, Northern Ireland and South Wales and has postgraduate qualifications in early years literacy and language acquisition. She is particularly interested in literacy development in the early years and the capacity of poetry to enhance cognitive and social development, while being enormous fun. She is the author of Poems for the Foundation Stage (Featherstone)
Keri also writes for adults, having poems published in poetry magazines in England and Wales In 2005 she was the recipient of an Academi Welsh Arts Council New Writer's bursary. Her collection Rooms is forthcoming with Shearsman in May 2009.


Did you play an instrument in your youth? Or have fond memories of performing with the marching band or orchestra?
According to science, playing an instrument in school didn’t just create fond memories for you, it actually re-wired your brain for the better. From improved math and reading comprehension skills to a better ability to focus on tasks and remember things, the process and discipline of learning to play an instrument is a proven and powerful tool in improving a child’s success in school.
So if you're just dusting off your old clarinet or violin periodically to see if you can still play it, why not put it to better use? Give new life to your old instrument by donating it to the Bringing Music to Life Instrument Drive, which collects used musical instruments, repairs them, and then donates them to Colorado schools that have underfunded music education programs.
In the 10 years since the Instrument Drive began:
- More than 5,000 instruments have been awarded to schools
- More than 230 under-funded schools have received donated instruments
- More than 15,000 deserving students have played donated instruments (many instruments serving several students each over the years)
- More than $2 million in instruments donated
Instruments are meant to be played, not stored under beds. Your instrument could bring joy and music into children’s lives for years to come.
Colorado Public Radio launched the annual instrument drive in 2009. It has since spun off to its own nonprofit headed by former CPR Classical host Steve Blatt.
You read another CPR classical story to the end. We have got just the thing for classical music lovers like you: a weekly email newsletter! Sign up here to stay up-to-date on CPR Classical programming, events and stories from the world of classical music.


The maintenance of the Graphic Design direction provides design of advertizing, printed materials (calendars, books, posters, booklets, show-windows, creation of posters and banners, development of the corporate style and a logo), work with web products.
Art history of I Art history of II History of material culture and design Modern design (on a profile graphic) * Advertizing and printing graphics Semiotics and design Advertizing and marketing
Design bases Chromatics Composition Drawing Painting Engineering graphics Plastic modeling Photographics
The special drawing (on a profile graphic) Composition (on a profile graphic) * Modern materials in design (on a profile graphic) * Elements and processes of graphic design Prujection of objects of graphic design Web design
History of art education Pedagogics Methods of educational work Methods of teaching visual art and art work Methods of teaching graphics and design Management in education
Graduates of specialization can work in the field of graphic design: in advertizing companies and specialists in agencies of goods, social advertizing, for electronic and printing mass media, outdoor, transit advertizing, on execution of books and illustrations.


Intro to Coding for Designers
In Spring of 2021, I taught a virtual course called Intro to Coding for Designers hosted by Index. The first cohort had eleven students who met over six weeks on Zoom.
Drawing from principles of the handmade web, students learned basic HTML, CSS, and how to see the browser as a design tool. By thinking in terms of default design, students were able to design for screens they cannot see.
Our discussions explored coding as craft, similar to DIY zines and art books. By creating personal spaces for creative play, coding becomes a therapeutic act. Using gardening as a metaphor, we came together to envision a world where artists can grow the website as a garden.
We explored the foundations of web history, politics, and pulled back the curtain on the infrastructures that govern the internet. Students gained a better understanding of what the web is and how to communicate with machines.
Personal websites were published to Github Pages. Starting from Week 1, students hand-coded HTML pages from scratch.
Part of the web as garden philosophy includes the idea of designing in public. By publishing HTML pages and styling them in iterative layers, we can grow our websites slowly over time.
The course is designed to start with the most foundational skills, allowing students to publish a basic website during the first workshop.
I didn’t know I could do something for myself on the internet! The process of adding code and publishing, adding some more code and repeating--of growing a site incrementally vs all at once has completely changed the way I approach web design. I feel more confident making something fun or personal and even experimenting with it in the same way I used to rely on photoshop.
Designing without seeing
The biggest mindset shift is releasing control of the pixel in designs. Instead, we think in terms of percentages, relative units, and default design of the browser.
12:30:24 From Katherine Chao (she/her) to Everyone : thinking of accessibility too, not everyone has a computer
12:30:59 From Zach Whitworth to Everyone : Gotta be able to read on a Nokia flip phone!!
12:31:22 From Katherine Chao (she/her) to Everyone : the most important device tbh!
Browser as Design Tool
Using the Web Inspector, students learned how to design websites directly in the browser. By skipping the mockup phase entirely, one can experiment and stumble upon visual effects that are only possible in the browser.
This skillset also allows students to inspect any website and understand how it was designed.
Web as Garden
We compared the commercial web to the small web and handmade web. We also discussed how digital gardening is helping web designers return to the original goals of hypertext, before the rise of social media and the attention economy.
I felt like you touched on a lot of things that were secretly disturbing me that I could never find people to talk about it with. I’m glad that you’re able to bring it up and also find other people that are like YES, this is the type of web I want to create.
- Katherine, Week 4 Discussion
During the course, I created a series of code demos and written tutorials to answer student questions. Materials focus on pure CSS and HTML solutions with semantic web principles from the WHATWG Living Standard.
Here are some of the code demos we discussed:
- Grid Portfolio Layout
- Editorial Layout
- Gradient Type Animation
- Photos Appear On Hover
- Hover Word Change
- Dark Mode Button
- More/Less Button
Demos were created based on discussion and student questions during class and office hours. The Resource Library is available to students after the course ends.
I’ll end this writeup with one of my favorite quotes from the whole workshop:
You gave us the tools to be able to do it, and it’s crazy, it happened so fast… We can never go back. We’re all different now.
- Carma, Week 6 discussion
Thank you for reading!


Hobbies Cars & Motorcycles Understanding Instant Fuel Consumption Display Real-Time Fuel Economy in Miles Per Gallon Share PINTEREST Email Print Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy / Getty Images Cars & Motorcycles Cars How Tos Buying & Selling Basics Reviews Tools & Products Classic Cars Exotic Cars Corvettes Mustangs Tires & Wheels Motorcycles Used Cars SUVs Trucks ATVs & Off Road Public Transportation By Christine & Scott Gable Automotive Writers B.S.E, Art Education, Millersville University Christine and Scott Gable are hybrid auto and alternative fuel experts who brewed biodiesel and traveled 125,000 miles on waste vegetable oil. our editorial process Christine & Scott Gable Updated January 15, 2020 Whereas the fuel consumption display (FCD) gauge expresses average fuel usage over a distance, the instant fuel consumption or instant fuel economy display gauge presents a vehicle's fuel consumption instantly, as it is used. As the vehicle moves along, sensors continuously detect fuel flow rate, throttle position, engine speed and manifold pressure. Meanwhile, the onboard computer calculates results and displays them as miles per gallon or kilometers per liter, in real time, to the driver. The advent of the instant fuel economy gauge came in the late 1990s and was implemented into most vehicles released after 2004 (and many sooner). This gauge uses a complex system of calculations to determine meter read-outs in different parts of the engine that affect its overall miles per gallon ratio. Fuel Economy Versus Instant Fuel Consumption Although the United States Environmental Protection Agency issues regulations on what can be considered a vehicle with good fuel economy, the instant readout gauge determines how well the engine is using its fuel to generate power and how far that power is taking the vehicle down the road. The two terms are not the same, though, so be cautious when referring to "instant fuel economy" when you're talking about instant fuel consumption. This common misconception is a cornerstone of a car salesman's pitch, especially during those test drives! Anyway, the instant fuel consumption display is able to compute exactly how many miles the vehicle is able to drive per gallon of fuel consumed based on the car's consumption at that exact moment. Sensors around the vehicle calculate the engine speed, fuel flow rate, throttle position and manifold pressure. When you are looking at the instant miles per gallon reading in your car, you will notice that when you press on the acceleration, the number decreases as you are then using more gas to go faster. What Is Considered Good Fuel Economy? When it comes to measuring fuel economy, the EPA calculates the average miles per gallon a particular vehicle is expected to use in its lifetime. However, in personal use and consideration of your car's fuel economy, you must refer to your personal average as the EPA regulations are often based on the "average" driver and you may be better or worse than that standard. That's where the fuel consumption display model comes in, wherein it gauges your personal use and consumption over the course of your vehicle's ownership. In any case, the EPA determines a vehicle to be fuel-efficient and to effectively have a good fuel economy if it consumes less than one gallon per 39 miles driven, on average, though the standards differ for cars like the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 Giga or Toyota Prius Three which all fall under the fuel-efficient hatchback category. Some of these newly designed fuel-saving vehicles get upwards of 100 miles per gallon, significantly reducing gas usage and waste.


Difference Between Primary Schools and Pre Schools
People are often ignorant about the difference between primary schools and preschools and deny their child of valuable lessons learned through preschool that could change lives.
Difference Between Primary Schools and Pre Schools are as follows:
- Children who are too young to go to school attend preschools.
- They serve as the foundation for academic learning.
- It assists the child to grasp phonics and reading skills.
- Interaction with other children.
- Assists in developing social skills of a child.
- Prepare a child for the primary education.
- Generally, includes Reading and Language Arts, Basics of Math, Social Studies, Science, Health, Physical Education, Art, Music and Environmental Education.
Primary school denotes the first three or four years of schooling where the child learns basics of all subjects.
Provides a curriculum for well-rounded learning.
- Develop language and numeracy skills.
- Helps in nurturing sound values and good habits.
- Prepare the students for secondary education.
- Subjects covered are based on a range of disciplines.
- It generates various opportunities to access the library, etc
- Generally, includes Language, Mathematics, Social studies, Physical Education, Health, and Science.
In this article, you learned the main difference between primary schools and preschools.
If you like it then don’t forget to share it with your friends. 🙂


ERIC Number: ED391651
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1995
"Kids for Trees": Student Projects in Real-Life Natural Resource Management.
The "Kids for Trees" program described in this guidebook is a hands-on natural resource management experience where students raise trees from seedlings to harvest and manage other natural resources in a sustainable manner. Sections of the book include key concepts, getting started, needs of different kinds of trees, learning about potential growing sites, caring for the tree, raising willows, maximizing the educational value, and keeping the program going. Appendices contain a discussion of record keeping and a list of resources. (MKR)
Descriptors: Elementary Education, Environmental Education, Hands on Science, Horticulture, Plant Growth, Plant Propagation, Plants (Botany), Science Programs, Student Projects, Trees
Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District, South Paris, ME 04281.
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Authoring Institution: Forest Service (USDA), Washington, DC.; Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District, South Paris, ME.


A lot of children are at home right now, but that doesn’t mean music education needs to suffer. On the contrary, children can learn a ton at home that will help them the rest of their lives.
Children learn the language of music like they learn spoken language–by hearing it over and over. And over. So if you’re unsure how to teach music to children, start by singing to them and with them. A lot.
In addition to singing with your children, play great recordings for them. By playing good quality music, you will develop their taste for quality music, and you will develop their ear for music. Many times music teachers try to teach students how to read music before the students have developed a good ear for it (ask me, I’ve tried it), but it’s better to train the ear to hear before training the eye to read.
Singing and listening to music at home trains your children’s ears to hear how music fits together even though they don’t understand how it fits together. In the same way, a child can understand how letters and words go together without knowing what a letter is. Listening to good music sung well also shapes how children sing because they model what they hear.
When and How to Play Recordings
The great thing about singing and listening to music with your children is that it doesn’t require a lot of time, expense, or effort. It just requires consistency. Here are a few ideas for how to consistently play recordings in your home.
Pick a hymn of the week for your family to memorize, and play a good recording of the hymn at every meal. It only takes a few minutes, and it gives you a break from the chatter of the day when the children have to sit quietly and listen while they eat.
Make a hymn playlist on your computer, phone, or other electronic device and play it at strategic times such as:
- during the chaotic 20 minutes before a meal
- while cleaning up after a meal
- while children are getting ready for bed
- while driving
- at a specified time each week (we have a playlist that we play every Sunday morning from before the children get up until we get home from church)
Here are some recordings that I highly recommend playing for your children. They have good quality songs that are sometimes arranged and sometimes sung straight out of the hymnal, sometimes a cappella, and sometimes orchestrated or accompanied by piano or organ. Some of the links are affiliate links.
- Hymns Triumphant CD or digital download
- Tastefully arranged, beautifully orchestrated medleys of hymns
- Because of all the medleys, parts of many songs appear in this collection making it not as good for memorization but very good for exposure to many different songs
- The Majesty and Glory CD or digital download
- Medleys of hymns, gospel songs, and choruses
- Fully orchestrated
- Oasis Chorale, Hymns of the Church
- Altar of Praise Chorale
- Many recordings available of classic hymns and gospel songs
- A cappella
- 16 CDs available, a huge resource
- St. Olaf Choir, Great Hymns of Faith
Singing with your children and playing recordings for them is an excellent way to prepare them to learn music in school or private lessons. If you play and sing great songs with your children starting at a young age and enjoy the learning process with them, they will learn to love great music, music that nourishes the soul and spirit, and they will have a head start when the time comes for them to learn to read music. Some of you have a window of opportunity in front of you. Now is the time to start. You can totally do this.


Few people have the ability to influence and encourage us the way teachers do. The Education Department at Southwestern recognizes that education is the vehicle upon which our future rides, therefore we strive to develop culturally responsive teachers for tomorrow’s classrooms.
We believe that a strong foundation in the liberal arts is critical to the preparation of excellent teachers.
The Department offers two majors in Education: Bachelors of Arts in Education and Bachelors of Science in Education (BSEd.). The BSEd. is for students seeking a Texas Teaching Certificate.
Education courses are designed to provide both a philosophical and theoretical basis for teaching and other education careers. We expose Education students to teaching methodology that is based on the latest research and emphasize developmental characteristics of the learner, learning theories, diverse learners, and assessment. Our professors teach and model analytic, creative and evaluative thinking skills in order to develop lifelong learners who are skilled in the problem solving necessary for the modern classroom. Strong, early field experiences and a closely supervised student teaching placement are integral components of the program.
After graduation, during the critical first year of teaching, the Education Department provides assistance through the Semester of Support (S.O.S.) program. Graduates return to campus to exchange ideas, receive technical assistance from the Department faculty, and engage in evaluation of the Teacher Certification Program. S.O.S. also provides on-site technical support to graduates during their first year of teaching.
Although Education Degrees are awarded by Southwestern University, certification is awarded by the State of Texas. In completing the requirements for their respective degree programs, students must meet the requirements necessary for Texas teacher certification as well as the requirements of Southwestern.
Students seeking elementary/middle school certification major in Education and choose either Elementary (EC-grade 6) or Middle (grade 4-grade 8) level teacher certification. All EC-grade 6 students receive dual certification in core subjects and special education. Students who major in Education and who are seeking the 4-8 certification must choose a content area from the following: language arts, math, science, math/science combination or social studies.
Students seeking secondary or all-level certification typically major in Education and in addition must complete at least 24 credit hours of study in a subject field such as history, English, mathematics, etc. Secondary certification students frequently opt to go for a double major or second degree in their content field. The exception to this is that Music Education students must major in Music Education rather than Education. Specific information on courses required for elementary, middle, secondary and all-level certification programs is listed in the following pages.
Completing the Bachelor of Science in Education may require an extra semester of work. In fall of the senior year, placement in a field-based program will require students to return to Georgetown prior to the beginning of public school, which precedes the start of Southwestern University classes.
The capstone experience for Education majors consists of successful completion of the student teaching requirements.
Featured Alumni Stories
During the spring semester of my senior year, I took the community-engaged learning course “Survey of Exceptionalities” with Dr. Alicia Moore, which examined special education, the stigmas that surround it, and the policy that influences it. Students got to choose the location that they wanted to volunteer with. Most chose to be in a special education classroom within local elementary schools, but I chose to spend my time with the citizens of BiG: Brookwood in Georgetown, “a community where adults with intellectual challenges are celebrated and empowered by engaging their talents in meaningful work.”READ FULL STORY
Whether she’s teaching second graders about Mozart or showing fourth graders the correct way to hold a recorder, Kotzur approaches each day with positivity, determination and joy.READ FULL STORY
Relda Comer hopes to become a high school teacher specializing in math and special educationREAD FULL STORY


According to new data from Statistics Canada, the Canadian economy lost more jobs in January than expected. And financial experts are predicting that, going forward, job prospects are looking particularly bleak for women.
Statistic Canada reports that Canadians lost 5,700 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate hit 7.2 per cent. And while the unemployment rate for women over 25 was 5.6 per cent — 1 per cent lower than that of men of the same age — experts are warning women to brace for the worst.
Financial experts are buzzing about what they’re calling the “fourth industrial revolution.” According to World Economic Forum, this new era is “a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another.” Jobs in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to 3-D printing, robotics and synthetic biology are expected to flourish. But traditionally female-dominated jobs, like office administration, will likely get phased out.
World Economic Forum warns in a new report about gender and the future of jobs that a whopping 4.8 million office and administration jobs are going to disappear globally by 2020 — an industry in which women occupy over half of the jobs. Male-dominated jobs, by contrast, like architecture and design and positions requiring strong computer and mathematical skills, are on the rise.
In Canada, the gender gap in technology-oriented jobs is pretty big. While women make up just under half of the Canadian workforce, they occupy only 24 per cent of advanced technology jobs (according to Canadian Women in Technology).
There’s a clear need for Canadian women to take action and prepare for the changing job landscape. “If we can’t equip 50 per cent of our workforce with some of the foundational skills for where much of the market growth is going, we will be in a real economic crisis,” Jane Wilson, the women’s services director at the Toronto-based nonprofit group Community MicroSkills Development Centre, tells CTV News.
World Economic Forum study authors warn that if these current trends persist, “women are at risk of losing out on tomorrow’s best job opportunities…” They suggest that companies take an active role in closing the gender gap in male-dominated industries by offering mentoring and skills training services, being sensitive to women’s unique work-life balance needs — as many women are also the main caregivers in their families — and addressing male/female salary gaps.
The takeaway here? Prepare yourself for the new economy. If you’re interested in advanced tech jobs, you can try connecting with a mentor or becoming one yourself through Canadian Women in Technology. And if you have a daughter, you both can learn coding through workshops put on by groups such as the Ladies Learning Code. There’s really no reason for us to be left behind.


In the early grades, U.S. schools value reading-comprehension skills over knowledge. The results are devastating, especially for poor kids.
That girl’s assignment was merely one example, albeit an egregious one, of a standard pedagogical approach. American elementary education has been shaped by a theory that goes like this: Reading—a term used to mean not just matching letters to sounds but also comprehension—can be taught in a manner completely disconnected from content. Use simple texts to teach children how to find the main idea, make inferences, draw conclusions, and so on, and eventually they’ll be able to apply those skills to grasp the meaning of anything put in front of them.
In the meantime, what children are reading doesn’t really matter—it’s better for them to acquire skills that will enable them to discover knowledge for themselves later on than for them to be given information directly, or so the thinking goes. That is, they need to spend their time “learning to read” before “reading to learn.” Science can wait; history, which is considered too abstract for young minds to grasp, must wait. Reading time is filled, instead, with a variety of short books and passages unconnected to one another except by the “comprehension skills” they’re meant to teach.
And yet, despite the enormous expenditure of time and resources on reading, American children haven’t become better readers. For the past 20 years, only about a third of students have scored at or above the “proficient” level on national tests. For low-income and minority kids, the picture is especially bleak: Their average test scores are far below those of their more affluent, largely white peers—a phenomenon usually referred to as the achievement gap. As this gap has grown wider, America’s standing in international literacy rankings, already mediocre, has fallen. “We seem to be declining as other systems improve,” a federal official who oversees the administration of such tests told Education Week.
All of which raises a disturbing question: What if the medicine we have been prescribing is only making matters worse, particularly for poor children? What if the best way to boost reading comprehension is not to drill kids on discrete skills but to teach them, as early as possible, the very things we’ve marginalized—including history, science, and other content that could build the knowledge and vocabulary they need to understand both written texts and the world around them?
About 25 years later, a variation on the baseball study shed further light on the relationship between knowledge and comprehension. This team of researchers focused on preschoolers from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. First they read them a book about birds, a subject they had determined the higher-income children knew more about than the lower-income ones. When they tested comprehension, the researchers found that the wealthier kids did significantly better. But then they read a story involving a subject neither group knew anything about: made-up animals called “wugs.” When the kids’ prior knowledge was equal, their comprehension was essentially the same. In other words, the gap in comprehension wasn’t a gap in skills. It was a gap in knowledge.
As promising as some of the early results are, it seems reasonable to ask: With inequality increasing and a growing share of American students coming from low-income families, can any curriculum truly level the playing field? The relatively few schools that have adopted knowledge-building elementary curricula may have trouble using test scores to prove that the approach can work, because it could take years for low-income students to acquire enough general knowledge to perform as well as their more affluent peers.
And yet, there is evidence—on a large scale—that this kind of elementary curriculum can reduce inequality, thanks to an unintentional experiment conducted in France. As E. D. Hirsch Jr. explains in his book Why Knowledge Matters, until 1989, all French schools were required to adhere to a detailed, content-focused national curriculum. If a child from a low-income family started public preschool at age 2, by age 10, she would have almost caught up to a highly advantaged child who had started at age 4. Then a new law encouraged elementary schools to adopt the American approach, foregrounding skills such as “critical thinking” and “learning to learn.” The results were dramatic. Over the next 20 years, achievement levels decreased sharply for all students—and the drop was greatest among the neediest.


Trying to make sight words exciting and memorable while teaching virtually is a challenge! I’ve been trying to come up with multiple ways to engage students while teaching new sight words and reviewing past sight words.
Spin a Sight Word Activity
One of the activities I love to use is “spin a sight word” using the Magnetic Dry Erase Spinner Wheel from Really Good Stuff. It’s magnetic (amazing!) and dry-erase compatible (also amazing!). I write one sight word on each color section and hang it on my magnetic dry erase board. Students can see both the spinner and me while we do this activity.
I spin the spinner and have students take turns telling me what the word is. I love being able to include ALL the students during our group lessons. This can be difficult while teaching online, because as many of you know, it’s chaos when everyone unmutes. You hear an endless amount of background noise from siblings, parent conversations, televisions, etc.
Using Hand Gestures to Virtually Teach Sight Words
One way I have been able to include all students is with hand gestures. Each week when we learn our new sight word list, we come up with a motion for each word. Not only is this helpful when teaching virtually, it’s also helpful for in-person instruction since students can activate another learning modality. Not only are students seeing and hearing the sight word, but now they can learn kinesthetically, too.
For example, if the word is “hear,” we see the word, say the word, and put our hand to our ear to show the motion for hear. While using the spinner, sometimes I tell students to make the motion for the sight word that the spinner landed on. This way I can quickly scan the screen to see which students are remembering which motion goes with which sight word.
“Whispering” Into the Camera to Teach Sight Words
I have also had students “whisper” the work into their cameras while leaving their microphones muted. This way I can read their lips and since I know they only have a handful of words to choose from, I can usually figure out what they are trying to say.
Virtual learning has its curve balls, and engaging students can be one of them! Finding ways to make learning fun and meaningful to all students is important and I hope this quick and easy idea helps another virtual teacher out there!
By Erin Kassly
Erin Kassly is a first-grade teacher in Illinois. She is also the CEO of Erin’s Ink, a teacher resource and accessory company. She received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at Illinois State University. Her education experience includes nine years in first grade, two years in Kindergarten and one year in fifth grade. She creates teacher resources for TPT and designs accessories for teachers including bracelets, earrings and stickers.


Nov 26, 2019
The Hour of Code is coming! Are you ready?
This post and podcast episode will give you everything you need to get ready to participate in the Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week in 2019.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, computer science skills are vastly becoming some of the most in-demand skills of the twenty-first century. In fact, some call it a new “superpower."
But we have a big problem. There more computer science jobs than the U.S. can fill with qualified candidates.
Computer Science has become part of every industry. Technology is everywhere and coding is the backbone of how it all works.
So we can't sit idly by and hope that some of our students will decide to take an interest in Computer Science, we need to give them exposure to coding and build those foundational skills.
The Hour of Code will not only give our students computer science skills but also help us cultivate creativity and critical thinking skills.
Guess what? You don't have to be a coding expert to facilitate these experiences with your students.
Thank you to GaETC and all the amazing educators in Georgia!
Do you have a question or idea to share on the podcast? Leave me a message here:
Gearing Up for the Hour of Code
What is Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) and The Hour of Code?
Computer Science Education Week or CSEdWeek is an annual program designed to inspire K-12 students to take an interest in computer science. The program was originated by the Computing in the Core coalition, Code.org, and is supported by partners and educators worldwide. The philosophy is simple but significant: every student deserves the opportunity to learn computer science.
The Hour of Code is a global movement in over 180 countries and is a quick way to introduce coding to students or anyone. Anyone can learn the basics of computer science in a fun and easy way! By spending as little as one hour, you can spark coding interest in your students with one-hour lesson plans, tutorials, interactives, and games.
How to Run an Hour of Code
Ready to get started? Running an Hour of Code doesn’t have to be complicated. The resources are abundant and easy-to-follow. Sign-up here to get FREE resources!
The activities are self-directed. Teachers do not need to stand in front of the class and actually teach code! This is easy, y'all!
No matter what grade level you teach, or what devices you have available, every student can participate in the Hour of Code and learn the basic principles that apply to all programming languages (like sequencing and looping). There are even options to go “unplugged” if you do not have access to devices in your classroom because students can learn computer science principles with something as simple as a deck of cards.
When your students come across difficulties it's okay to respond:
What if a student finishes early?
Coding Resources & Lessons
There are hundreds of free resources, lesson plans, tutorials and events that bring the power of coding into the K-12 classroom. CLICK HERE: to get all the Hour of Code Activities.
Podcast Question of the Week


(Note: This post was not originally a “The Best…” list, but as more and more information on this topic became available, I decided to turn it into one.)
In my book, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work, I include a chapter on the importance of relationship-building in the classroom — both between teacher and students and between students and other students. One way to reinforce that through literacy development is to have students read both true-life stories (I specifically suggest a piece written about Martin Luther King) and ethnic folktales that reinforce that message.
Two new studies suggest that I might have been on to something….
Becoming a vampire without being bitten: A new study shows that reading expands our self-concepts is a report on one study that had participants read either Harry Potter or Twilight. Results showed that:
Harry Potter readers “became” wizards and the Twilight readers “became” vampires. In addition, participants who were more group-oriented in life showed the largest assimilation effects. Finally, “belonging” to these fictional communities delivered the same mood and life satisfaction people get from affiliation with real-life groups.
And, today, a Wall Street Journal article titled Contagiously Stupid Characters explained that:
College students who read a brief screenplay about a moronic soccer hooligan subsequently did worse on a test of knowledge than a control group.
The article quote a researcher as saying:
“The present study is, to our knowledge, the first to show media priming effects of story characters on cognitive performance,”
Here’s another study:
Inspiring Stories Can Lead to Empathy is a report on a study that “found that the participants often would spontaneously reflect on their own lives and express a desire to be better people after hearing stories meant to induce admiration for virtue or compassion for social or psychological pain.”
Books Don’t Take You Anywhere is a satirical article from The Onion that is somewhat related to this topic.
In The Minds Of Others: Reading fiction can strengthen your social ties and even change your personality is the title of a Scientific American article. It discusses the effect that empathy can have on readers. You can only read the beginning of the article for free, and have a pay a few dollars to gain access to the entire piece. I think it’s worth it. Here’s how it sums up the research conclusions:
1. Reading stories can fine-tune your social skills by helping you better understand other human beings.
2. Entering imagined worlds builds empathy and improves your ability to take another person’s point of view.
3. A love affair with narrative may gradually alter your personality—in some cases, making you more open to new experiences and more socially aware.
10 Novels That Will Sharpen Your Mind [Interactive]:And boost your social skills to boot is from Scientific American and builds upon previous studies I’ve shared here.
Changing our Minds discusses a study and other ideas that suggest “fiction helps us understand ourselves and others.”
The Business Case for Reading Novels is from The Harvard Business Review. It reviews research on the role of reading fiction in helping people develop empathy.
Your Brain on Fiction is from The New York Times.
Why fiction is good for you is from The Boston Globe.
If We Are What We Read, Who Are We, Exactly? is from The Atlantic.
You are what you read, study suggests is from MSNBC.
Psychologists Discover How People Subconsciously Become Their Favorite Fictional Characters is from Medical Daily.
Readers build vivid mental simulations of narrative situations, brain scans suggest is from Phys.org.
You might also be interested in other posts I’ve written about priming.
How Good Books Can Change You is from The Atlantic.
“LOSING YOURSELF” IN A FICTIONAL CHARACTER CAN AFFECT YOUR REAL LIFE is from Ohio State University.
How Reading Transforms Us is a New York Times article about some recent research. Here’s an excerpt:
“…we measured our participants’ personality traits and emotions before and after reading. We had expected that people who read a piece of fiction would experience the greatest fluctuation in their personality scores, but we didn’t find this. The genre of the text — fiction or nonfiction — didn’t matter much; what mattered was the degree of perceived artistry. Those who read a story or essay that they judged to be artistic changed their personality scores significantly more than did those who judged what they read to be less artistic.”
In addition, you might want to check-out My Best Posts On Books: Why They’re Important & How To Help Students Select, Read, Write & Discuss Them.


You can find out more info about bar chords here:
Bar chords are the E, E-, A and A- chord shapes that you move up and down the fretboard barring all 6 strings with your pointy finger behind the E, E-, A and A- shapes.
In other words: you use your pointy finger as a capo. (Your index replaces the guitar nut behind the chord shapes.)
Or another way to look at it: you place your index on the black open string dots (as seen in the above graphic), and then move your index finger (as a bar that you place over all strings) along with the fingers on the strings that make up the E, E-, A and A- shapes.
The following graphic shows how bar chords are E, Em, A and Am shapes with a bar (pointy finger) placed behind the shapes.
Notice how they really are A and E shapes with your index barring all 6 strings right behind the shape.
Learn and Memorize The Locations of All The Chords.
More importantly: you want to learn where to find any bar chord on the guitar neck.
Following chart will be helpful in this.
This graphic shows where all the notes are on the low E and the low A string.
Ideally: you want to memorize these note locations.
So for example: let’s say that you want to figure out where the 2 F chords are (the F chord from an E shape and the F chord from the A shape).
When you look on the graphic, you see there is an F on the 1st fret of the E string. The F on the A string is on the 8th fret.
These are the 2 locations where I need to bar my index finger.
When barring on the 1st fret, where F is on the E string, you need play the E shape with your remaining fingers.
When barring on the 8th fret: you would play the A shape there.
Both of these are F chords.
So in other words: when the root (the note that gives the chord its name) is on the E string, you need to play an E shape
When the root is on the A string, you need to play an A shape.
The reason why you would want to know this, is that the more chords you know, the more free you are as a performer or writer.
Also: different versions of the same chord, all have a slightly different sound or texture.
You’re making your playing more sonically rich if you know how to play a chord many different ways.
One more example: where are the 2 C bar chords?
Well there is a C note on the 3rd fret of the A string. So I would have to place my bar on the 3rd fret and finger an A shape with my remaining fingers.
Again: when you play off of a root located on the A string, you need to play the A shape.
The other C note is on the 8th fret of the E string.
Bar on the 8th fret, and finger an E shape with your remaining fingers, and that is a C chord right there.
Same for minor chords.
To find the 2 locations where the Dm chords are.
There is a D on the 5th fret of the A string. You would place your bar there on the 5th fret then finger an Am chord shape with your remaining fingers.
The other D is on the 10th fret of the E string. Place your bar on the 10th fret and finger an Em shape there.
For sharp ($) and flat (b) chords: you would use that above chart, and just move it down a fret for b and up a fret for #
# means white key of the piano up a fret
b means white key of the piano down a fret.
So for Dbm for example: you find the 2 Dm chord following the above guidelines, then move them down a fret to make them flat (b)
C# chords, are just the above 2 chords, moved up a fret.
If you know bar chords, you can literally play any song in any key.
This is important stuff. 🙂
The more chords you know, the more fun guitar gets.
Hit me up anytime if you have any questions.
Keep me informed on your progress. You can hit me up in the comments section below.
If you like this blog: give it a rating and feel free to also give me any feedback.
I believe everything can always be improved. I’d gladly implement your suggestions and ideas in this blog or the next.
Be on the look out for more blogs about everything guitar, music, songwriting and music education.
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[…] Bar Chords […]July 17th, 2020 at 8:27 am


Melodica Music & Dance Institute
We are all born possessing certain gifts and talents, and parents play a vital role in harnessing these gifts. Of course, not all children who love music will become prodigies, and as parents, we shouldn’t let this be our goal. Rather, if you have a child who seems to be interested in music, there are simple ways to further stimulate your child’s interest. Instilling the love of music in your little one is easier than you think. Here are some helpful suggestions to get you started.
- Sing to your child. Yes, even though you believe you can’t carry a tune, your child will still think you have a lovely voice. When I became pregnant I read an article about the significance of music to children, there are findings that even a fetus responds to music while still in the mother’s womb. So when I was just two months pregnant with my daughter, I sang to her every day. I continued to do this even when my daughter was born. Whether you believe the research or not, there’s no harm in singing to your child.
- Dance with your child. Okay, I know some of you might say you can’t dance but neither can I. Honestly, it doesn’t matter, your child will enjoy and even be fascinated to see you dance. Put on your favorite music CD and dance with your kid, this way you’re introducing her to the joys of music and creating a happy memory at the same time (not to mention burning off calories).
- Teach them action songs. Kids love these types of songs; my daughter and I have loads of fun doing this. There are lots of action songs you and your child can learn together. Some examples are “London Bridge is Falling Down”, “Ring Around the Rosy” and my absolute favorite “Skidamarink”. There are CDs and tapes of action songs that come with lyrics and instruction booklets. Or you can be creative and make your own actions. Action songs are a great way to teach kids about rhythm and other musical concepts.
- Share with them your favorite songs. Both my parents loved to sing and I remember hearing music being played in our home every day when I was young. As a result, I was exposed to different types of music and various artists at a young age. Exposing your child to your favorite songs will help her understand that there are varying types of music for her to appreciate.
- Rent, buy or borrow books, videos and CD’s that revolve around the subject of music. After I gave birth to my daughter, I decided to start buying CD’s for her and played it as often as I could. I chose CD’s that featured great musicians like Mozart and Beethoven as well as famous children’s songs. I also borrowed DVD’s from a rental store; movies like “The Muppet Show” and “The Sound of Music.” There are also good children’s TV shows that can help introduce your child to music. This is a wonderful way of teaching her the significance of music in our world.
- Join parent-child classes available in your area that introduces the concepts of music in a fun way. There are some great music education programs out there, one of which is called Kindermusik where they incorporate music into the curriculum and has take-home materials to ensure parent involvement.
- If appropriate, take her to local concerts. I took my daughter to a major concert when she was around 4 years old and was amused by her wide-eyed look while she watched the artists on stage. Be sure though that if you do take your child to a concert, you’ll sit far away from the speakers as the noise will be too much for a kid to handle. Concerts are a great way to introduce your child to performers and musical instruments.
- If your child is interested in learning how to play an instrument, do encourage her by enrolling her in music lessons. Make sure you pick a teacher that has a rapport or connects well with your child and one who is specifically trained to teach children.


We all want to provide the best gifts for our kids – gifts that they love, but also gifts that will impact them for good. This is why there is such a trend now to provide experiences rather than toys for Christmas. We now find many parents and grandparents Giving the Gift of Music to their children and grandchildren in lieu of Christmas presents — and not only the child, but the whole family is benefiting!
It is a known fact that music students love their lessons! They may not always love to practice, but nowadays, having so many proven techniques and resources at their fingertips, teachers who love music and love kids can provide a very positive weekly experience for students which they love. This goes a long way in helping them stay in their music lessons. But how does music compare to other activities long-term? Lots of activities are fun, but do they have lifelong results?
In a study by the University of Vermont College of Medicine, brain scans of 232 children ages 6 to 8 were analyzed, looking for relationships between cortical thickness and musical training (references below). Why was this correlation important? Because previous studies the same team had performed revealed that anxiety, depression, attention problems and aggression correspond with decreased cortical thickness. Hudziak and his team sought to discover whether a “positive activity” like musical training could affect the opposite changes in young minds.
What we found was the more a child trained on an instrument,” Hudziak told the Washington Post, “it accelerated cortical organization in attention skill, anxiety management and emotional control.”
The study found increased thickness in the parts of the brain responsible for executive functioning, which includes working memory, attentional control and organizational skills. They believe that musical training could serve as a powerful treatment of cognitive disorders like ADHD, amongst others.
Taking music lessons from an early age has been connected to improved math and reading skills; increased fine motor skills, impulse and ADHD control; emotional and behavioral maturation; and even being able to hear speech during their elderly years (references below).
Children who receive musical training in school tend to be more civically engaged and maintain higher grade-point averages than children who don’t. Since many students don’t receive quality music education at school, giving the gift of music lessons to our children can lead to more self-controlled, resilient, intelligent adults.
But it’s not just enduring many interminable years of lessons that creates these good results. It’s active enjoyment, creating and really living the music on a day-to-day basis that has these effects. And that’s what Harmony Arts and Music Academy is all about! We have lessons available for babies on up through adults.
Babies and toddlers start to play peekaboo with scarves, pretend to walk through the green grass, jump up and down, and before they know it they are singing and chanting common musical patterns, and playing the glockenspiel! We intentionally create a fun environment where the kids enjoy learning so much, it is more like playing. And that is what creates those benefits!
Although tickets to plays and sporting events can make for great presents, the opportunity to actively make music is a gift that truly lasts a lifetime. All ages benefit from music, so as you are making your Christmas List, think about not only your children, but your spouse, parents and friends! Who do you know who has always wanted to learn an instrument but has never given it a try?
Better than a toy, even better than a single experience, music lessons will enrich their entire lives! For more information, please call 435-452-2697 or click www.harmonyarts.net.
Barnes, T. (2015, Jan 8). Science Just Discovered Something Amazing About What Childhood Piano Lessons Did to You. Retrieved from http://www.mic.com/articles/108022/science-just-discovered-something-amazing-about-what-childhood-piano-lessons-did-to-you
Jones, J. (2015, Sept 4). New Research Shows How Music Lessons During Childhood Benefit the Brain for a Lifetime. Retrieved from http://www.openculture.com/2015/09/new-research-shows-how-music-lessons-during-childhood-benefits-the-brain-for-a-lifetime.html
Want to know what parents have to say about our program? See this video: