Digital Storytelling in Curriculum
Prior to the advent of the writing systems, storytelling was the only tool available by which individuals within their communities could pass down their beliefs, traditions, and historical culture to future generations. After the invention of the printing press in 1450, storytelling became even more important to society because printed stories became more available and accessible to many people who could learn from the historical stories and pass down their knowledge and heritage to future generations.
As the oldest form of education, storytelling contributes uniquely to children’s language and literacy development. However, storytelling is found in all types of teaching as an instructional strategy or a learning tool. Regardless of the story-telling format, a common element identified in the storytelling is its educational nature—to distribute knowledge and share understanding among people across different cultures.
Digital storytelling uses new digital tools to help ordinary people to tell their own real-life stories,is the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component, and can be instructional, persuasive, historical, or reflective. It can be effectively applied to nearly any subject.
For more information, please view the following materials.
- Integrating Digital Storytelling into Teaching and Learning (PPT Slideshow in PDF format).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Windows Movie Maker (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Windows Live Movie Maker (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with iMovie (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Photostory-3 (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Storybird (pdf).
- Tutorial on Uploading a Video Clip to Youtube (pdf).
- Tutorial on Screen Capture with Jing (pdf).


|Product #: OTM18107I_TQ|
Sight Words and Phonics Book 3 (Enhanced eBook) (Resource Book Only) eBookKindergarten|Grade 1
Please Note: This ebook is a digital download, NOT a physical product. After purchase, you will be provided a one time link to download ebooks to your computer. Orders paid by PayPal require up to 8 business hours to verify payment and release electronic media. For immediate downloads, payment with credit card is required.
Unique resource designed for emerging readers and readers having difficulty or requiring review at any level. Designed to assist educators and parent to build and improve reading skills through the introduction of the third set of 50 Dolch Sight Words and the reinforcement of important Phonics skills. At the same time consonant blends are introduced and reinforced. There are six units in the workbook. It is easy to use and proven method for improved reading! Each unit introduces 10 sight words that are broken up into 2 lists of 5. In between each list a short vowel is introduced. Sight Words and vowels are then reinforced through short sentences and revision activities that follow. To end the unit the student reads a short story that only contains words they have learned and practiced. Flash cards for Dolch Sight Words taught are included on card stock. Simply cut and use! Supports Common Core Standards for Reading, Foundational Skills, Phonological Awareness and Phonics and Word Recognition.
This enhanced eBook gives you the freedom to copy and paste the content of each page into the format that fits your needs. You can post lessons on your class website, make student copies, and more. For more information on enhanced eBooks, Click Here.
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A Guide to Discipline-Based Art Education
Stephen Mark Dobbs
J. Paul Getty Museum
150 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 inches
"A jewel. Clear and practical, wise and thorough, inspirational and, most important, very very useful."
Christopher T. Cross, President, Council for Basic Education
Learning in and through Art provides a practical, straightforward guide to the theory and practice of discipline-based art education. This comprehensive
approach to art education has transformed the way students create and understand art; it also offers opportunities for relating art to other subjects as well as to the personal interests and abilities of young learners.
In this completely revised edition, the author explains how DBAE draws content from the disciplines of art-making, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics. In addition, he shows how the practice of DBAE in schools over the past several
years has influenced how art is taught today. Learning in and through Art is an excellent resource for art teachers, general classroom teachers, administrators, school boards, and parents, as well as an ideal textbook for the study of art
Stephen Mark Dobbs has served as a professor of arts and humanities, and is president of the Marin Community Foundation.


Zaharis Elementary School
Learning, caring, rejoicing, and working together to create a more just, compassionate, insightful world.
Message from the Principal
Content has not been provided by the school.
About the School
We strive to honor what John Dewey said about a hundred years ago:
Education isn't preparation for future living. Education is life.
At Zaharis, our students see themselves as democratic participants in the world whose voices and opinions count. In an authentic learning environment, they are mathematicians, historians, readers, writers, scientists, and social scientists. Critical thinking is nurtured through a workshop pedagogy where we place a premium on inquiry-based, hands-on learning. Children develop independence as learners and the ability to work together to raise questions, investigate issues, and solve problems. Our classroom communities are alive with a passion and fire for learning. Children apprentice themselves to their teachers and they work side-by-side to make sense out of the world. Zaharis places a very heavy emphasis on literacy development. We help children grow as readers by using real books. Literary discussions illuminate our classrooms, as we challenge ourselves to look at the world through new perspectives. At Zaharis, children develop a love for reading, and it becomes a central part of their lives.
|Students:Teachers||Smart Boards||Title 1||Language Programs|


Cunningham, P., D. Hall, and J. Cunningham. Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way. Greensboro, N.C.: Carson Dellosa, 2000.
Fountas, I., and G. Pinnell. Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1996.
Fountas, I., and G. Pinnell. Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books in Guided Reading, K-3. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1996.
Jamison, L. Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 2001.
Morrow, L. M. "Organizing and Managing a Language Arts Block." In Strickland, D., and L. Morrow, eds. Beginning Reading and Writing, 83-98. New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Press, 2000.
Morrow, L. The Literacy Center: Contexts for Reading and Writing. York, Maine: Stenhouse, 1997.
Morrow, L., et al. "Characteristics of Exemplary First-Grade Literacy Instruction." The Reading Teacher 52, no. 5 (1999): 462-476.
Morrow, L. M. "Designing the Classroom To Promote Literacy Development." In Strickland, D., and L. Morrow, eds. Emerging Literacy: Young Children Learn To Read and Write, 121-134. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 1989.
Pressley, M., et al. Learning To Read: Lessons From Exemplary First-Grade Classrooms. New York, N.Y.: The Guilford Press, 2001.


Reading and Spelling
Development and Disorders
Edited by Charles Hulme, R. Malatesha Joshi
Routledge – 1997 – 512 pages
This volume includes chapters by a number of leading researchers in the area of reading and spelling development. They review what is currently known about both normal and impaired development of decoding, comprehension, and spelling skills. They also consider recent work on the remediation of reading and spelling difficulties in children and discuss effective remedial strategies.
Contents: Part I:The Development of Decoding Skills. A.M. Liberman, Why Is Speech So Much Easier Than Reading? P.B. Gough, S. Wren, The Decomposition of Decoding. W.E. Tunmer, J.W. Chapman, Language Prediction Skill, Phonological Recoding Ability, and Beginning Reading. U. Goswami, Rime-Based Coding in Early Reading Development in English: Orthographic Analogies and Rime Neighborhoods. L.C. Ehri, Word Reading by Sight and by Analogy in Beginning Readers. V. Muter, Phonological Awareness: Its Nature and Its Influence Over Early Literacy Development. J. Morais, P. Mousty, R. Kolinsky, Why and How Phoneme Awareness Helps Learning to Read. R.W. Barron, Proto-Literate Knowledge: Antecedents and Influences on Phonological Awareness and Literacy. Part II:Developmental Impairments of Decoding Skills. M. Bruck, Outcomes of Adults With Childhood Histories of Dyslexia. M. Snowling, N. Goulandris, N. Defty, Development and Variation in Developmental Dyslexia. R.H. Felton, The Development of Reading Skills in Poor Readers: Educational Implications. J.L. Metsala, G.D.A. Brown, Normal and Dyslexic Reading Development: The Role of Formal Models. J. Alegria, The Origin and Functions of Phonological Representations in Deaf People. R.S. Johnston, The Role of Letter Learning in Developing Phonemic Awareness Skills in Preschool Children: Implications for Explanations of Reading Disorders. N.K. Goulandris, A. McIntyre, M. Snowling, Fixed Reference Eye and Reading Disability: Is There a Connection? Part III:Reading Comprehension. R.M. Joshi, K.A. Williams, J.R. Wood, Predicting Reading Comprehension From Listening Comprehension: Is This the Answer to the IQ Debate? K. Cain, J. Oakhill, Comprehension Skill and Inference-Making Ability: Issues of Causality. J. Oakhill, K. Cain, N. Yuill, Individual Differences in Children's Comprehension Skill: Toward an Integrated Model. Part IV:Spelling. R. Treiman, Beginning to Spell in English. C. Lennox, L.S. Siegel, Phonological and Orthographic Processes in Good and Poor Spellers. P.G. Aaron, S. Wilczynski, V. Keetay, The Anatomy of Word-Specific Memory. C.K. Leong, Strategies Used by 9- to 12-Year-Old Children in Written Spelling. K. Nation, C. Hulme, The Role of Analogy in Early Spelling Development. Part V:The Remediation of Reading Problems. C. Juel, What Kind of One-on-One Tutoring Helps a Poor Reader? B.W. Wise, R.K. Olson, Studies of Computer-Aided Remediation for Reading Disabilities.


This space is provided for analysis of EQAO questions. The questions from the Reading section of previous test will be analyzed and evaluated. The objective is to consider challenges that students may face while taking the test.
The Ministry of Education in Ontario relies on the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) for assessing the reading skills of students in Ontario. It is not the only form of assessment, but it is arguably the most significant form for assessment because the results are used in policy making. Grade 6 is a benchmark year in Ontario as it is one of the three grades for the EQAO standardized testing for students (Grades 3,6, and 9). EQAO testing does not include any assessment of digital literacy. The test does not have a media section and does not place any emphasis on the development of the digital skills essential for success in the 21st century. The EQAO test has changed over time, to include greater use of visual texts such as graphs, pictures and images however they continue to lag behind in terms of digital literacy. EQAO is a ministry assessment tool for the curriculum. However, the media section is either exempt or deemed less important because the EQAO test does not consider it.
Looking at the reading section of Language booklet 1 for the 2010 EQAO test for grade 6 students it is clear that much of the content would be hard to relate to for many of the students. The first part of the test is a reading passage about the experiences of a goaltender on a hockey team. The story is about a young boy who is feeling anxious about his ability to perform well in goal. As the story continues, the young boy performs well and overcomes his fears. Many boys and girls will have an easy time relating to this story. The story is about a young person playing arguably the most popular sport in Canada. If the teachers have done a sufficient job covering the skills required for this comprehension exercise the students should be able to identify the big idea and regardless of whether or not they play sports, they should be able to relate to the question. Further, a young person in a nerve-racking situation is something that many of the students can relate to. However, in the second part of the test, the students are required to read a short passage about a team of Huskies attempting to reach their destination before night fall. The story includes references to dog sledding and the Northern Lights. The majority of the student population in Canada lives near the American border. And although, they may have seen or read about dog sledding and the Northern Lights, it is unlikely that many of them have experienced either. Again, the argument could be made that if the teacher has prepared the students with the skills required to identify the big idea and strategies for comprehension they should be able to perform well on the task. However, the Ontario curriculum does suggest that students need to have their prior knowledge activated in order to make the connections that helped them better understand the text. In this situation, there are likely very few students who would be able to make these connections and therefore utilize the reading comprehension strategies. The final part of the Language 1 booklet is a reading on a Canadian musician named Gordon Lightfoot. Once, again the students are unlikely to be familiar with the main character of the reading. With young Canadian stars dominating the pop culture scene right now, one wonders why EQAO would not use someone like Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne or Drake as the main character of this section. Overall, the test seems to be written from a stereotypical understanding of the Canadian way of life. The test covers, hockey, dog sledding, the Northern Lights, and 60s folk music. I would say with the exception of Hockey, the majority of the students writing this test, would not be able to connect to the readings.
This is the most recent EQAO test. As previously mentioned, the test has evolved to incorporate greater use of visual cues, however it is still a very traditional form of assessment. When considering the Ministry of Education’s recognition of the evolving definition of literacy as well as the recent research it becomes clear that this assessment is out of synch.


Making Math and Science FUN and Meaningful
by Sherial McKinney, Anna Owen, and Connie Shugart
Spoon River College Community Outreach Center, MidAmerica National Bank Conference Hall
April 18, 2013
Reg. 8:30 AM, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Central Time)
2500 East Jackson Street, Macomb, Illinois
Description:Early childhood professionals and parents of children ages 3-5 years old will participate in hands-on mathematic and science activities. The
first portion of this workshop will focus on incorporating math concepts such as geometry, numbers, and measurement into your daily experiences. The
second portion of this workshop will explore ways to use scientific processes, skills, and concepts with young children. Ideas presented are based on the
Illinois Early Learning Standards and current research. The engaging activities in this workshop will make exploring math and science fun, easy, and
Presenter Bios:Sherial McKinney is a part-time Early Childhood Resource Specialist with STARNET Regions I & III and has taught and worked in the field
of early childhood education for over 35 years. She has taught Early Childhood Special Education in a self-contained setting and in a blended program with
Pre-K At Risk students as well as teaching Kindergarten and Title I Reading and Math for grades K-8. She worked in a federally funded child care program
as a teacher and as the director. She has also taught as an adjunct faculty at the junior college and university levels. She has presented at numerous local,
state, and national conferences on various topics. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education and a Master's Degree
in Early Childhood Education.
Connie Shugart, Project Coordinator for STARNET Regions I & III, has close to 30 years of experience working in the field of early childhood education.
Her experiences include teaching and/or training of early childhood and early intervention professionals and families. She has done presentations at many
regional, state and national conferences. A few of her topics include curriculum, assessment, standards, environments, child development, and play. Connie
is also one of the Executive Producers and hosts of Apples Magazine training videos. Her passions include educating professionals and families on play and
the impact that the early childhood environment has on teaching and learning.
Anna Owen is an Early Childhood Resource Specialist with STARNET Regions I & III. Anna has been involved in the field of early childhood since 2003.
She began her career as a Regional Training Coordinator for Child Care Resource and Referral. In that position, she coordinated and oversaw professional
development opportunities for child care providers within 24 counties. Anna has also worked as a Parent Educator, providing home visits to families with
children ages 0-5 years old, offering support and information about child development. In addition, she coordinated family education nights and parent/child
activities for six preschool classrooms while spending time in each classroom weekly. After participating in a Graduate program through Western Illinois
University, Anna received her Type 04 teaching certificate and began teaching for an Illinois state-funded preschool program in 2008. Anna has been with
STARNET Regions I and III since November 2009. In her role as an Early Childhood Resource Specialist, she provides technical assistance and training to
early childhood professionals and families. Throughout the years, she has served on several conference planning committees and has presented workshops
on topics such as: Math, Science, Literacy, Social/Emotional Development, Conflict Resolution, Praise vs. Encouragement, Healthy Habits for Preschoolers,
Transitioning Throughout the Day, Response to Intervention (RtI), Creative Curriculum and more.
This training will provide 5 contact hours for the following:
- CPDUs (Continuing Professional Development Units) for teacher certification
- CDA (Child Development Associate) credit in area(s) #2, #8
- CE credit for SLP, SW, LCPC, PT, and OT professionals
- Gateways to Opportunity credit in area(s) D
Full attendance is required to receive a certificate.
Registration form for this workshop.


With a population of more than 1.2 billion, India is the world’s largest democracy. Over the past decade, the country’s integration into the global economy has been accompanied by economic growth. India has now emerged as a global player.
Read More »
Braving the monsoon rain, the vice president also met with farmers in Lakhanwala and Hursaina villages who have used technology made available under the World Bank-financed Sodic Lands Reclamation... Show More + Project to turn their unproductive lands into fertile fields. Farmers told him how their lives had been transformed after their fields were returned to productivity. More than 260,000 hectares of unproductive sodic land in UP have been reclaimed under the project, helping more than 425,000 poor families improve their incomes substantially.After spending several hours in the field, the vice president was taken on a Heritage Walk through the old town of Agra, an early 16 century Mughal capital where even today, history rubs up against modern urban India and old houses, mosques and temples jostle with informal settlements teeming with large numbers of urban poor. The Heritage Walk ended in one of the greatest sights in the world – the Taj Mahal, where the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan immo Show Less -
WASHINGTON, DC, March 18, 2010 - The World Bank today approved two education projects worth US$1.05 billion to India, designed to boost the number of children enrolling in and completing elementary school,... Show More + and to improve quality of engineering education across the country.India has made significant progress in meeting its education goals, especially at the primary level. Through its 86th constitutional amendment in 2002, India mandated elementary education as a fundamental right of every child. The same year, the government also launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a nationwide program aiming to provide quality elementary education to all children. The Bank has supported the SSA with two IDA credits totaling US1.1 billion since 2003. “SSA - now largest ongoing Education for All (EFA) program in the world - has been remarkably successful, particularly in achieving greater access to elementary education,” said Roberto Zagha, World Bank Country Director for India. “Between Show Less -
March 18, 2010 - India’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All) program was created with ambitious objectives - to increase enrollments, reduce out-of-school children, narrow gender and social gaps,... Show More + and improve the quality of elementary education for all children.Since 2001, India's Education for All program (SSA) has enrolled some 20 million previously out-of-school children, especially girls and children from socially disadvantaged families. Special residential schools have encouraged girls’ education in areas where female literacy is low. The state of Tamil Nadu has dramatically improved learning through new methods such as Activity Based Learning.Enabling Girls' Education“I used to tend to the cattle, fetch water and firewood, and look after my 5 younger siblings,” recalls 12 year old Madhubala Bishnoi in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India's desert state. Married at eleven, Madhubala would typically have remained with her impoverished farmer-parents till she reached an age whe Show Less -
OVERVIEWMarch 10, 2010 - The state of Bihar in India is home to some of the country's poorest people. But a new reform effort by the Bihar government, backed by World Bank funding and technical support,... Show More + has helped it improve public finance management and direct the proceeds to getting more children into schools, to immunizing its people, and to fighting corruption. Reducing poverty and accelerating growth in the state are likely to have national implications, particularly in helping India reach the Millennium Development Goals.HIGH POVERTY LEVELS, POOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICESBihar is one of India’s largest and poorest states. Until 2007, economic growth in Bihar was much slower than the rest of the country. The state’s public services and infrastructure were among the worst in India. Nearly half of all workers were agricultural laborers, about double the national average. Only a third of the women were literate, infant mortality was high, and over half the children were underweight Show Less -


ike many revered British institutions, the so-called Public Schools had changed so much since their founding that they were unrecognizable by the age of Victoria. Although the seven elite boarding schools (Eton, Harrow, Westminster, Rugby, Winchester, Charterhouse, and Shrewsbury) and two London day schools (St. Pauls and Merchant Taylors's) identified as "Public Schools" certainly educated many major figures, some historians blame them for doing far more harm than good to the nation.
Virtually all secondary and tertiary (university) educational institutions in Great Britain were originally founded to train clergy for the established church, the Church of England (or the Anglican Church, as it was also known). Since members of the comparatively tiny nobility and wealthy classes had private tutors, many, if not all, the public schools were intended for the deserving poor. By the nineteenth century many of these schools had become means of upward mobility, not for the poor, but for the upper-middle classes, who wished to move their children into the aristocracy. By the time Thomas Arnold, the poet's father, assumed the headmastership of Rugby, Public Schools had become characterized by dreadful teaching, archaic curricula, bullying, sexual abuse, and dreadful living conditions. Rugby led the way in raising the general moral tone of Public Schools and for a time even pioneered modern practices of art education for children and other innovations. Nonetheless, even at their best, Public Schools concerned themselves more with producing gentlemen than with preparing their graduates for the economic, political, and technological challenges facing contemporary England. Some observers in fact blame the Public Schools for much of England's subsequent economic and political decline.
Eric Hobsbawm, who considers Public Schools in the context of Britain's rise and decline, treats them harshly and convincingly:
The assimilation of the British business classes to the social pattern of the gentry and aristocracy had proceeded very rapidly from the mid nineteenth century, the period when so many of the so-called "public schools" were founded, or reformed by finally excluding the poor for whom they had originally been intended. In 1869 they were more or less set free from all government control and set about elaborating that actively anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, games-dominated Tory imperialism which was to remain characteristic of them. (It was not the Duke of Wellington but a late-Victorian myth which claimed that the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields of Eton, which did not exist in his time.)
Unfortunately, the public school formed the model of the new system of secondary education, which the less privileged sectors of the new middle classes were allowed to construct for themselves after the Education Act of 1902, and whose main aim was to exclude from education the children of the working classes, which had unfortunately won the right to university primary education in 1870. Knowledge, especially scientific knowledge, therefore took second place to the maintenance of a rigid division between the classes. In 1897 less than seven per cent of the grammar-school [academic secondary school] pupils came from the working class. The British therefore entered the twentieth century and the age of modern science and technology as a spectacularly ill-educated people.
If Public Schools failed to notice the importance of science and technology and hence had little effect on these fields, they also did little to advance literature and culture. How many of the following British authors who define Victorianism attended one of the elite public schools? Harrison Ainsworth, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Elizabeth and Robert Browning, Sir Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, Thomas Carlyle, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Gissing, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Charles Kingsley, Rudyard Kipling, George Macdonald, George Meredith, John Stuart Mill, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Walter Pater, Charles Reade, Christina, Michael, and Dante Gabiel Rossetti, John Ruskin, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Oscar Wilde
To be fair, one must add that a few major British authors attended Public Schools: Matthew Arnold of course attended Rugby, where his father was headmaster, and so did Arthur Hugh Clough. Anthony Trollope did poorly at both both Harrow and Winchester, William Morris attended Marlborough for several years, leaving after school riots. Arthur Henry Hallam studied at Eton, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) went to Westminster, and William Makepeace Thackeray went to Charterhouse.
Hobsbawm, Eric. Industry and Empire: The Birth of the Industrial Revolution. rev. ed. New York: New Press, 1999.
Last modified 11 September 2008


I came across this article on the web today from blogger Dana Goldstein regarding the use (or non-use) of test scores to assess the effectiveness of music, art, and phys. ed. teachers. This is a topic that I became intrigued by when conducting the research for my book Everything We Needed to Know About Business, We Learned Playing Music.
According to a series of reports by the Center on Education Policy that tracks the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (which became law in 2002) entitled From the Capital to the Classroom, 62 percent of elementary school districts reported increasing time for English and/or math since the 2001-02 school year by an average increase of 42 percent. At the same time, 44 percent of elementary school districts reported cutting time from one or more other subjects including science, social studies, art and music, physical education, lunch, and recess by an average of about 30 minutes per day.
“What gets tested gets taught,” said Jack Jennings, CEP’s president and CEO. “Because so much is riding on reading and math, included on state tests, many schools have cut back time on other important areas, which means that some students are not receiving a broad curriculum.”
The report also notes that these changes are more prevalent in districts that are home to struggling schools. One recommendation from the report is to “include measures of knowledge and skills in art and music as one of the multiple measures used for NCLB accountability.”
That brings up a touchy subject that gets debated in the academic world – How do you implement tests for the arts that truly capture artistic aptitude and competence? By definition the arts are about creativity, and standardization can discourage creativity. How would Charlie Parker or Pablo Picasso have performed on a standardized arts test? My fear is that standardized testing for the arts would drive the move toward memorization of facts rather than creative application, which is essentially what the arts are all about and the greatest benefit of arts in our schools (see item #5 of the 9 Common Lessons of Music Education that Translate into Success).
I asked a group of experienced music educators that question once (“What are your thoughts on standardized testing for the arts, given the fact that funding seems to follow test results but the arts are difficult to assess via traditional test methods?), and didn’t really get much of an answer. It’s a topic that needs more dialogue.
I believe a line at the bottom of the Ms. Goldstein’s post gives us a hint at the answer – Comprehensive Assessments that take into account “multiple measures” not just test scores. As a matter of fact, multiple measures are the answer even in traditional education subjects. As one educator once told me, “Standardized tests are a measure, yet only one element, and likely not the most important one in assessing the effectiveness of educational institutions.”


FJH Music Measures of SuccessÂ® B-flat Tenor Saxophone Book 2
Saxophone Method Books
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Measures of Success is divided into six chapters (Opus 1 through 6). Each "Opus" is followed by a full-page assessment. Students are able to attain achievable benchmarks throughout the method, which keeps them motivated, excited, and playing their instruments.
Music history is presented simultaneously with art, literature, and world history, giving students a broad picture of social and artistic events of a certain time period. Composer pictures, artists, paintings, authors, literary works, world history, and fun facts are presented throughout the method. This strongly supports the National Standards and encourages cross-disciplinary study in music education. Best of all, it is contained in the text so directors do not need to do additional research.
Musical examples are provided on the CDs and students are asked to critique performances, identify musical elements including time signature, tempo, articulation, and more. Each critical listening exercise is correlated with material the student hasjust learned.
Playing By Ear
Easy tunes are introduced on the CDs and students are encouraged to learn them on their own. They can then play along with an accompaniment that is provided.
Composing / Arranging
Progressive lessons move from simple composition into arranging, and students are eventually introduced to improvisation in an easy and fun way.
Theory and Terminology
Written exercises reinforce a multitude of concepts. To establish a solid foundation, students are often required to look through previous chapters in addition to the current Opus.
PLAY-ALONG CDS: A NEW LEVEL OF ACCOMPANIMENT
All exercises are played twice by professional musicians-first with the student line, then the accompaniment alone. Accompaniments include live musicians, incredible orchestrations, and a wide variety of styles including concert band, full orchestra, rock, Latin, jazz, funk, country, electronic, and world music. Classical pieces are presented with accompaniments that put them in their original context. Percussion-specific CDs let percussionists hear a characteristic sound of every Instrument while the winds are moved into the background.
NEW FEATURES IN BOOK 2
Review - a comprehensive Recapitulation chapter that reviews material from Book 1
Sight Reading - correlated with each Opus
Warm-ups - a full page of long tones and choralesfor individual, section, or full band use
Improvisation - five improvisation studies with flexibleperformance options
World music - representing music from 20 countriesacross the globe
Composers - over 35 composers, including 14 newfeatured composers
New cross-curricular opportunities - ties to many literary works included in school curricula


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Optical Society
OSA Foundation Provides Classroom Resources for America’s Top Math and Science Teachers
OSA Fellow Charles Clark presents information on OSA educational resources to the U.S. Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2014—One way to ensure future scientists develop a love of optics at an early age is to provide their teachers with necessary resources to foster that interest. The Optical Society (OSA
) participated in a panel this week titled “How physics disciplinary societies can support teacher preparation and professional development” for the 2012 recipients of the U.S. Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The PAEMST awards, which are administered by the U.S. National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, recognize the top K-12 math and science teachers from all 50 U.S. states and 4 territories. An event honoring the awardees was held in Washington, D.C., USA, March 3.
The OSA Foundation
, the philanthropic arm of OSA, provided each of the 102 PAEMST awardees with a complimentary Optics Discovery Kit
—a classroom tool featuring 11 experiments demonstrating the basic principles of optics. They also received a set of OSA’s educational posters
for the classroom, featuring striking images highlighting the science of optics with brief explanations of the optical phenomena, accompanied by a downloadable guidebook with detailed explanations, experiments and other information. The teachers were also entered into a drawing to win an Optics Suitcase
—an interactive presentation package designed by the OSA Rochester Local Section to introduce middle school students to a variety of science concepts.
OSA Fellow Charles W. Clark of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland, spoke on behalf of OSA to the awardees about the society’s resources available to educators, including OSA’s award-winning educational website Optics4Kids.org
, the classroom kits, educational DVDs and more.
“For most students, their first introduction to science is by their primary school teachers,” said Michael Morris, OSA Foundation board chair. “Ensuring teachers have access to high-quality resources can make the difference between a student developing a love of science or not. The OSA Foundation is proud to offer such resources not only to the 2012 PAEMST awardees, but to teachers around the globe. We thank Charles for representing OSA this week at such an important program.”
The OSA Foundation also presented awardees with a complementary one-year membership in OSA’s Youth Educator category
“I was very glad to hear OSA’s presentation today at the White House,” said PAEMST awardee Jamie Garner, a 6th
grade teacher at the Walnut Elementary Education Center in California. “I am eager to use the Optics Discovery Kit in the classroom and take advantage of the OSA membership.”
For more information on OSA’s educational resources for teachers, visit www.osa.org/educationresources
About The OSA Foundation
The OSA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation established by The Optical Society (OSA) in 2002 to carry out charitable activities that support OSA’s mission of promoting the generation, application, archiving and worldwide dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics. The foundation helps cultivate the next generation of leaders and innovators in the optics and photonics community as they move through advanced degree programs and become active members of research and engineering communities around the globe. To date, The OSA Foundation has awarded more than 800 grants, scholarships, and prizes benefiting thousands of individuals in more than 55 countries. For more information, visit www.osa.org/foundation
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional society for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-world applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership programs, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of professionals in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org


cycle 1 wk 19
cycle 1 wk 19
- 11 Pins
The Original 13 Colonies Worksheet (C1, W19)
Teaching American History, Originals Colonial, Geography Weeks, Cc Cycling, 13 Originals, Social Study Worksheets, Homeschool American History, Colonial Games, Education Com
CC Cycle 1 Week 19 The 13 Original Colonies
Geography Week 19: The 13 Original Colonies Worksheet
Ocean Zones - (C1, Wk 19)
Teaching Science, Photic Wk, Photic C1, Ccc1, Cc Science, Ocean Zone, Biology Lif Science, Photic Zone, Ocean Photic
Ocean Zones - Photic (Wk 19)
Ocean Photic Zones
Ocean Zones - Photic (C1, Wk 19)
Symphony Orchestra (C1, W19-W24) (Seating Charts by Period and Audio Selections by Composer: Handel, Bach, and Mozart) (C1, Wk 19)
Classic Music, Learning Games, Free Online, Online Games, Kids Music, Kids Games, Online Kids, Homeschool Music, Music Education
Website for kids. Music Education. Composers by period.
Composers DSO Kids....... games, short information, listening, and a few musical instruments activities to make.
Free Online Kids Orchestra Learning Games Thanks kids-learning-apps, I love your pin :)
Listen and Learn. Website that makes learning about classical music & composers fun for kids.
Listen and Learn - Learn about the orchestra with online games
dsokids.com A website where kids can go and learn about music by listening and playing games. Good for homeschool music lessons.
Ocean Zones Flipbook (Week 19)
Ocean Study, Zone Flipbook, Homeschool Ideas, Zone Foldable, Ocean Zone, Teaching Ideas, First Grade Blog, Bishop Blackboard, Ocean United
C1W19 Ocean Zones Flipbook
Bishop's Blackboard: A First Grade Blog: Ocean Zones Foldable
rock art anasazi wk 19
Art Anasazi, Anasazi Rocks, Rock Art, Rocks Art
week 19, Anasazi Rock Art
Week 19 - Anasazi, Navajo, Apache and more
Hopi Native Americans For Kids, Homeschool Ideas For Indians, Culture Study, Olden Time, Native American Art For Kids, Native American Lesson Plans, American Indian Kids, History Videos, Social Study
While technically, not a country, it falls under the culture study I do. Week 19 - Anasazi, Navajo, Apache and more
Week 19: Southwest Indians (Anasazi, Pueblo, Hopi, Navajo, Apache) - Lesson Plans - Native Americans in Olden Times for Kids
Design your own Anasazi pottery (using Chinet plates).
Babysitting Crafts, Pottery Ideas, Anasazi Pottery, Native American Crafts Kids, Pottery Activities, Cc Cycling, 5Th Grade, Pottery Crafts, Kids Design
Anasazi Pottery idea.
Design Your Own Anasazi Pottery Activity
Anasazi Pottery Craft **week 19 history**
Pottery Painting Challenge for Kids: Design Your Own Anasazi Pottery
Wk 19 Children's book about the Anasazi and Pueblo people.
Book Lists, Adobe Living, Native Dwell, Bonnie Shemi, Cc Cycling, Adobe Painting, Adobe Native, Social Study, Children Book
Houses of adobe (Native Dwellings): Bonnie Shemie: 9780887763304: Amazon.com: Books
How to make an Anasazi village shadowbox. Wk 19


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The Explode the Code series provides comprehensive phonics instruction, giving students the skills they need to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories by themselves.
Explode the Code Book 4 introduces students to compound words, common word endings, and syllabication. Skills addressed through a variety of encoding, decoding, and writing exercises include: compound words, word endings -ful, -ing, -est, -ed, -ness, syllable types (open, closed, Cle, silent-e, digraph) and syllabication with 2 and 3-syllable words. Students will also practice blending sounds to read and write multisyllabic words. Reviews are included throughout, and a posttest is provided.
102 non-reproducible pages, softcover consumable workbook. Grades 1-3.
Vendor: Educators Publishing Service
Publication Date: 2001
Dimensions: 11 X 8.5 (inches)
Availability: In Stock
Series: Explode the Code
Learning Language Arts Through Literature Red Book Pack, Grade 2Susan S. SimpsonCommon Sense Press / 1998 / Trade Paperback$68.49 Retail:4.5 Stars Out Of 5 15 Reviews
$88.00Save 22% ($19.51)Availability: In StockCBD Stock No: WW02116
Grade 2 Homeschool Child Language Arts KitA Beka Book / Other$215.80 Retail:
$227.15Save 5% ($11.35)Availability: In StockCBD Stock No: WW270186
DK Workbooks: Language Arts Grade 2DK Books / 2014 / Trade Paperback$5.99 Retail:
$6.99Save 14% ($1.00)Availability: In StockCBD Stock No: WW417398
bjen5 Stars Out Of 5Explode the Code 4November 1, 2014bjenThis isn't a primary phonics workbook but rather a supplementary workbook. It is great for extra practice!
EVE4 Stars Out Of 5Explode the Code 4September 4, 2014EVEQuality: 4Value: 5Meets Expectations: 3Good book. Good series. Very efficacious. Would like to see more values expressed in the content.
CaseyAge: 35-44Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5January 23, 2014CaseyAge: 35-44Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5AS a bilingual, my kids need extra practice on vocabularies. This book is great to serve this function. We love it.
lisaalAge: 35-44Gender: female4 Stars Out Of 5May 15, 2013lisaalAge: 35-44Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 4I is what I was looking for, great colors not overbearing or distracting.
melrn305 Stars Out Of 5product has worked great for all my childrenJune 9, 2012melrn30Quality: 5Value: 5I enjoy using the Explode the Code series with all my children. They like the simple layout and the activities in the workbooks. I like that they are getting good review of the phonics sounds and rules.
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What does a career in elementary education look like?
By the second grade, most students are well-adjusted to the standard school routine, so you will focus much of your time on finding ways of adding your own innovative twist on teaching core subjects such as math, English, science and social studies. With new advancements in classroom technology — paired with your creative spirit and energy — you are in a position to truly inspire! Outside the classroom, elementary education professionals can find great success in settings like zoos and museums, as tutors, in a variety of camp settings and with government organizations.
- Our faculty, programs and clinical experiences all make the connection between theory, practice and research.
- Clinical faculty members in these programs are exceptional and experienced teachers who are very grounded in practice.
- Students are placed in school settings very early in their academic careers, often during their first or second semester.
- Many of our methods courses in science and math are taught on-site at partner schools.
- Many of our world-class faculty members have been recognized with awards from the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Your course work
In addition to the core curriculum that you will likely complete during your first two years, your elementary education course work will also include reading assessment and literacy instruction, nature and management of elementary classrooms, and classes specific to teaching math, science, social studies and an integrated curriculum.
Many of the elementary education methods courses are offered in a wide variety of school settings including urban, suburban and rural schools. Your experience is capped off by student teaching, where it's time to apply what you've learned! For a complete list of courses, please review the academic bulletin for elementary education.


"Approaches based on lecturing by teachers, passive reading of textbooks, and "fill-in-the-blank" worksheets keep students from making decisions, from becoming actively involved in their learning, and from learning how to think and communicate effectively." Bob Peterson
We are at risk of losing what is important about education. With new mandates and accountability, there is a risk that some of those student-centered experiences may disappear. Some state education departments are making things pretty hard these days but we are bigger and better than the state. We need to step back and take a breath and focus on what is really important. We entered this profession for bigger reasons than state education departments.
When I was a new teacher in Poughkeepsie, NY, I taught in a city school in a suburban district. I understand that sounds odd but it was a big district that sprawled through many different areas in the Town and City of Poughkeepsie. I grew up in the foothills of the Adirondacks and knew very little about city schools. Although I had little experience in that setting, I wanted to find the best ways to meet the needs of diverse learners.
About a month into the teaching experience, I came across Rethinking Schools. For a struggling learner who lost his father at a young age, Rethinking Schools spoke in a language that I could understand. They focused on issues that my students were facing and inspired me with their stance on social justice issues. I not only found my passion in the classroom, they provoked me to think differently outside of school as well. They literally made me rethink the school experience that I wanted for my students.
Rethinking Elementary Education
"One of the most challenging tasks in any elementary classroom is to build a community where students respect one another and value learning. Too often, children use put-downs to communicate, resolve conflicts violently, and have negative attitudes toward school and learning. These problems are often based in society. How can one tell students not to use put-downs, for example, when that is the predominant style of comedy on prime-time television?" Bob Peterson
Recently, I began reading Rethinking Elementary Education (2012) which is a collection of stories to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rethinking Schools. The collection which is edited by all the members of Rethinking Schools begins with an article by Bob Peterson which focuses on classroom discipline. Bob writes that school is meant to be a community of learners.
Too often the things we do in education are top-down. When Bob and the other educators write, it brings those of us no longer in the classroom to a sacred time when the world seemed to stop and the only thing that mattered was what took place in the classroom. When discussions with elementary school children were some of the greatest conversations we had all day. Children have a way of breaking through the pleasantries of adults and they look at things differently, and those are the moments that can help change the way adults think.
If you read Rethinking Elementary Education, keep in mind that Rethinking Schools is known and respected for their stance on social justice issues. There are stories about gay families, non-gender based education, helping students deal with anger and teaching children to speak up when they disagree. Cowhey (2012) writes, "When it comes to issues of family diversity, teacher self-censorship remains the status quo in many schools. Often this is based on the fear of raising potentially controversial topics." Cowhey goes on to say, "Do not presume that students live in traditional families with both married heterosexual birth parents. (Teachers should) Name a wide variety of configurations possible in the diversity of human families."
In addition to stories about sexually diverse families, there are also stories about the relationship between teachers and principals and also about culture and ethnicity. They write about the topics that too many people try to avoid.
In the End
Education is very exciting. Every year there are new children and parents who enter the system and they want the best education possible. There are teachers new to the profession who only hear about high stakes testing, mandates and accountability. Books like Rethinking Elementary Education remind us of why some of us entered education, and it was to provide children with a better education than we may have received.
As a student who felt like the world didn't understand what it was like to have a father pass away, I secretly wished my teachers read stories that had plots that mirrored what I lived at home. Unfortunately, there were not many stories out there and there were even less teachers who would discuss the topics in the first place. Thankfully, Rethinking Schools was created 25 years ago by a group of very progressive educators and we, along with our students, are the better for it.
Connect with Peter on Twitter


Plato and Aristotle’s educational lessons from the Iliad
Cannatella, Howard (2006) Plato and Aristotle’s educational lessons from the Iliad. Paideusis: Journal of the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society = revue de la Société canadienne de philosophie de l'éducation, 15 (2). ISSN 0838-4517
Full text is not in this repository.
This item is available in the Library Catalogue
Of considerable importance in Plato and Aristotle’s educational outlook on the arts was Homer’s Iliad. This paper draws out some of the perceived weaknesses and strengths of this epic poem as it relates to the arguments in Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Poetics. I will attempt to do justice to Plato and Aristotle’s differing perspectives on the Iliad and their critique of art educational theory and practice. I will show why two philosophers with very different thinking on art education can still significantly affect art teaching practice today.
|Research Areas:||A. > Institute for Work Based Learning|
|Deposited On:||25 Jun 2009 07:48|
|Last Modified:||14 May 2014 10:25|
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English Language Arts
On June 2, 2010, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in K-12 English Language Arts which were released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. With this adoption, these Standards became a part of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The CCSS will be implemented in the 2012-2013 academic year.
The CCSS for English Language Arts are based on research and evidence that describe the competencies necessary for all students to become college and career ready by the end of high school. The CCSS outline a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the 21st Century.
Anchor Standards: “The College and Career Ready (CCR) Anchor Standards anchor the document and define general, cross-disciplinary literacy expectations that must be met for students to be prepared to enter college and workforce training programs ready to succeed” (CCSS, pg. 4).
Grade-Specific Standards: The K-12 Grade-specific Standards have a one-to-one correspondence with the College and Career Anchor Standards. “[They] define end-of-year expectations and a cumulative progression designed to enable students to meet college and career readiness expectations no later than the end of high school” (CCSS, pg. 4).
Individual grade levels are used K-8 to provide necessary specificity. Two-year grade bands are used in grades 9-12.
The CCSS are organized into four strands:
- Reading (Informational and Literary)
- Includes Reading Foundational Skills for K-5 students
- Speaking and Listening
Though the standards are divided into strands, the standards support an integrated model of literacy.
*The full Common Core standards can be viewed at www.corestandards.org
Instructional Support Tools
- English Language Arts Unpacking Standards
- English Language Arts Crosswalks
- ELA CCSS Progression View
This interactive resource provides the viewer with the progression of the K-12 ELA Common Core State Standards. It allows the user to choose the strand and range to narrow or widen the scope – to focus attention on the standards needing review. This is a helpful tool for educators interested in seeing at a glance grade-by-grade expectations for students.


The material culture of early childhood in the 21st century is characterized by an emphasis on biological age and related levels of cognitive and motor skill development. All types of objects, including diapers, toys, food products, and clothing, are divided into categories based on the age-appropriateness of a particular object. Descriptions of these categories commonly explain how each object functions to enable a child to attain a particular skill or reach a developmental milestone. Appeals to medical and developmental science are common. Diapers, for example, are marketed for babies of different ages: "newborn," "baby," "toddler," and "preschooler." Each of these categories is associated with specific developmental milestones, and diaper brands emphasize how their product can help with children's developing mobility skills–from rolling over, to crawling, to walking. Scholarship on childhood has shown that emphases on biological development are particular to contemporary western cultures and tends to reinforce ideas that childhood is a "natural" or "universal" experience regardless of time period or cultural context. Anthropological research with children from different cultures has shown, however, that developmental sequences vary widely as different cultural settings place particular demands on the mental and physical development of young children.
"Cruisers," Pampers, http://www.pampers.com/en_US/proddetail/id/900803/sectionid/0 (accessed February 1, 2009). Annotated by Jane Eva Baxter.
How to Cite This Source
"Diapers [Object]," in Children and Youth in History, Item #200, http://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/primary-sources/200 (accessed April 1, 2015). Annotated by Jane Eva Baxter


Solve problems in more than one way and explain why one process may be more effective than another. 0506.1.5
Links verified on 9/13/2014
- Learn to Solve Word Problems - A collection of word problem solvers that solve your problems and help you understand the solutions. All problems are customizable.
- Long Division Teaching Aid: Double Division - Teaching Double Division can help in teaching long division by reinforcing the principles of division and giving students success with a less frustrating alternative.
- Math Files - Browse through a categorized collection of completely solved math problems. Odds are, you'll find one like the one you're working on.
- Math Hoops - Word problem practice for students in grades 3 to 5. All word problems use whole numbers but the problems range from single step addition to multistep equations. There are also problems that require students to interpret remainders.
- Math Mavens Mysteries - Calling all math detectives! Mysteries are popping all over town, and our chief sleuth needs your help to crack each case.
- Math Problem Solving for Upper Elementary Students with Disabilities - includes math problem-solving processes and strategies [This expired link is available through the Wayback Machine Internet Archive. If the page doesn't load quickly click on Impatient? at the bottom right of the page.]
- Math Stories - The goal of this math website is to help elementary school (Grade 1st through 6th) children boost their math problem solving and critical-thinking skills.
- Math Teaching Videos - [designed for grades 5-8] a project whose goal is to help middle school students learn how to solve challenging word problems
- Math Word Problems - Hundreds of self-checking math word problems for students in grades 1 to 6
- Mathematics Through Problem Solving - scholarly article from Math Goodies
- N-Rich - problems that can be solved by more than one method. Consider a variety of ways of approaching the tasks, and reflect on the merits of different routes to solutions
- Open Ended Math Problems - This site is for the specific purpose of preparing Middle School students for open-ended problem solving on standardized tests. Each month's problems are divided into the five strands of math standards. [This expired link is available through the Wayback Machine Internet Archive. If the page doesn't load quickly click on Impatient? at the bottom right of the page.]
- Problem Solving Decks - (K-8) This is a collection of favorite problems originally created by the members of the TEAM project. All of these problems lend themselves to students telling and writing about their thinking.Each set of problems is available for downloading as a PDF file.
- Problem Solving Strategies - Many problems are multi step and require some type of systematic approach.
- Problem Solving Strategies - suggestions from Singapore Maths
- SAT Math Problem Solving Skills - Practice your math problem solving skills with their tests.
- Solve It! - Math Videos provide problem solving practice for students in grades 3 to 6. Each set contains five multistep word problems with step by step video solutions.
- Thinking Blocks - model your math problems
- Webmath! - Are you stuck on a math problem? They'd like to help you solve it. You'll find hundreds of instant-answer, self-help, math solvers, ready to provide you with instant help on your math problem.
- Who Can Do The Math? - This is an activity designed to help students become more reflective in problem solving. Students begin by reading a math problem and thinking about how they might try to solve it. They then listen to explanations given by Jake, Kelly, or Astro. Written explanations also appear on the screen.
- Word Problem Solving Strategies - strategies for solving seven types of problems [one more may be coming]
- Word Problem Worksheets - This page contains links to free math worksheets for Word Problems. Click one of the buttons below to view a worksheet and its answer key. You can also use the 'Worksheets' menu on the side of this page to find worksheets on other math topics
site for teachers | PowerPoint show | Acrobat document | Word document | whiteboard resource | sound | video format | interactive lesson | a quiz | lesson plan | to print


Judith Burns Education reporter, BBC News
National Numeracy, which a a UK based charity, reports that poor many people are struggling with their daily lives such as understanding payslips, train timetables and shopping bills. Low standards in numeracy is a problem not only at a personal level, but also for the national economy.
A badge on honour
As a nation us Brits are not ashamed to state that we “cannot do maths”. I find this very strange. It is true that mathematics is a hard subject that encompasses lots of abstract ideas, but here we are really talking about basic numeracy. People are quite happy to tell you that they did very badly in maths at school, but seem less so with other subjects.
For example, not being able to read and write is considered shameful. People will go to quite some lengths to hide the fact they cannot read. The same cannot be said of basic numeracy skills.
In my opinion this has to change. It must nationally be seen as important to have basic numeracy skills.
We need to find imaginative ways to switch them [school children] on to maths and teach them to be proud to be numerate.
Rachel Riley, presenter of TV’s Countdown
Rachel is absolutely right here. School children should be excited by mathematics and its power, not ashamed and being seen as a nerd.
The Skills for Life survey (2011) measured the numeracy levels of 16 to 65 year-olds in England. Without going into any detail, there appears a strong link with general “quality of life” and poor numeracy skills. For example earnings and overall education are lower if you have poor numeracy skills.
Rather than just quote the study, have a look at the analysis by National Numeracy here.
We have a bit of a chicken and the egg situation going on here. Is it the social problems coursing the low educational aspirations or vice versa?
My final analysis
It does seem true that low numeracy skills are not only a personal issue but a much greater social and economic one. It is important that as a nation we address this and see low numeracy skills in individuals as the system failing them.


Our mathematics program is designed to prepare students for graduate school and careers in both teaching and industry. Students who complete mathematics majors or minors have historically been viewed by employers as being well prepared for jobs that require problem solving and creative thinking skills.
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
This degree provides students with broad exposure to disciplines in mathematics. Many of our students in this major enroll in either graduate programs in the mathematical sciences or professional schools (like law and medicine). Our two minors are popular among students majoring in both science and non-science disciplines.
Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics Education
This degree prepares students for a career in secondary education (grades 9-12) as mathematics educators.
Minors in Mathematics
- Minor in Mathematics: The mathematics minor provides students with a foundation in both abstract reasoning and computation fluency. Students completing a math minor have strong problem solving and critical thinking skills. A minor in mathematics is excellent preparation for students wishing to pursue law school, computer science, elementary education, economics, and many other careers which depend on an ability to think and communicate logically and clearly.
- Minor in Applied Mathematics: The applied mathematics minor is an excellent complement to majors such as economics, business, computer science, chemistry, physics, biology and sports medicine. It is designed to give students a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and a more robust set of quantitative reasoning skills which are increasingly important in the fields of business and the physical sciences.


Clouds are made of drops of water or ice. When the wind picks up water from the ocean or from the land on Earth, it can carry the water up into the sky. If there's a lot of water drops together, most of the sunlight that hits the cloud reflects off the water or ice and comes to your eye, where it looks white. In a thick cloud, the water drops scatter the light in all directions instead of reflecting it, and the cloud can look gray or black.
Clouds can happen at any height above the ground. Sometimes clouds are actually touching the ground - we call that fog. If you go up to the top of a mountain or in an airplane, you will be above most of the clouds. After it rains, the clouds disappear, because the water they were made of has all come back down to Earth again.
On Earth, there are four main types of clouds:
On other planets, there can be clouds made of other things than water. Venus is covered by thick clouds, but the clouds there are made of drops of sulphuric acid, chlorine, and fluorine, and would be poisonous to you.
To find out more about the atmosphere, check out these books from Amazon or from your library:
Learn by Doing - Clouds
More about clouds
More about Thunderstorms
More about Weather
Science for Kids home page
History for Kids home page


People of an older vintage tend to balk when they see seven-year-olds blithely reprogramming their TV sets, or changing the background on their smartphones. But a few among them believe kids have even more potential when it comes to software — they can actually create programs, if they’re only taught how.
British parent Emma Mulqueeny is launching a campaign, simply called Coding for Kids, to encourage the U.K. government, schools and other parents to teach their kids how to code. Her goal is, simply, to make sure local children aren’t left behind by the rest of the world and the “thriving digital economy that will drive the future.”
She’s already appalled, for one, that computer science isn’t taught as standard in U.K. schools. “We are gifting our children irrelevance in the choices the world makes,” she says.
Earlier this week Mulqueeny hosted a BarCamp — part of a series of user-generated conferences — at The Guardian newspaper in London to encourage more people to get involved. She’s also set up an e-petition calling for coding to become part of the U.K. primary school curriculum. So far roughly 1,800 people have signed it. She started the campaign a few months ago with a colleague, Katy Beale, to “initiate the community,” and hopes to hold more BarCamps.
Back in 2009 Mulqueeny founded YoungRewiredState.org, a website and organization that initially sought to bring talented kids together for a single hack day at Google‘s offices in London. Though it sounds like a fun prospect for anyone with a nose for programing, she struggled to find 50 young people between 15 and 18 who had an ability to code (or who would admit it). “There were no networks, no groups that I could find,” she says.
She kept asking and eventually found parents via Twitter who said they had a child who might be interested. One by one, she got a group together. She avoided approaching schools because it “would have been pointless” thanks to the lack of enthusiasm for computer science, though today she does ask teachers to put her in touch with their coding superstars. Now, she says, “The teachers immediately identify them. They know who these kids are.”
Some young people have shown an extraordinary, early talent for creating programs. At the hack day in 2009, for instance, a group of four boys created an app called TFHell, a play on the already-existing TFL (Transport for London). The program relied on radio and GPS data to track London’s buses so commuters could predict waiting times. Another group created a website to help coders with little or no work experience find jobs, by pairing them with startups who needed cheap staff.
The Hack Day took place over a weekend, with the kids collaborating on projects and programming through most of the day and being told (tongue in cheek) they could “hack” through the night too if they wanted.
A few software-savvy kids have hit the headlines recently. A 10-year old girl who went by the nickname CyFi wowed the annual hacker event DefCon earlier this year when she found zero-day flaws in iOS and Android games. And in September, a 15-year-old student from London told this blog he was in talks with investors about selling the company behind his artificial intelligence app for a potential, six-figure sum.
- Page 1 / 2


Master of Education
Learning and Instruction Online
Designed for a broad range of educators, this innovative online Master of Education in Learning and Instruction degree program provides an in-depth look at the critical issues transforming education today—from technology and distance learning to globalization and for-profit education. It also reviews the latest developments in teaching strategies and new approaches to student assessments and learning outcomes.
Like its on-campus counterpart, the online program allows students to focus on a specific area of study by selecting from degree specializations in math, science, English language learning, literacy, leadership, and technology. This personalized approach is complemented by the online format, which offers more flexible scheduling and expanded opportunities for interaction and collaboration with faculty and fellow students.
This specialized education degree delivers the knowledge and skills that will improve performance for a wide range of education professionals. Whether you are a classroom teacher or an administrator, or work in youth development, community education, early childhood learning, or a before- or after-care program, you will gain new perspectives and fresh strategies for meeting the needs of today’s students.
Key objectives of the online Master of Education with a specialization in learning and instruction include:
- Examining the need for new educational models and the complexities surrounding them
- Gaining a better understanding of the 21st century classroom—a heterogeneous community with a wide variety of student strengths, needs, and cultural experiences
- Exploring the philosophical and theoretical foundations of K-12 curriculum development and instruction across multiple disciplines
- Translating sound curriculum development theory and vision into advocacy and action
- Understanding the influence and implications of technology in education
- Examining and critiquing K-12 assessment strategies at the classroom, district, and state levels
- Discovering the ways in which critical and creative thinking can improve learning and instruction
- Evaluating the impact of globalization on various education systems
- Applying principles and other instructional pedagogy to meet the needs of students in various settings
Interested in learning more?
Download Program Brochure


Across the country, severe teacher shortages, especially in small towns and urban areas, mean trouble for some schools districts. Teachers with emergency or out-of-field credentials are commonplace in schools due to the teacher shortage. In some areas, many public school teachers have neither a college major nor minor in their primary field.
Due to growing student enrollments, high turnover rates and teacher retirements, education and policy experts estimate the teacher shortage will create a higher than average number of openings for teachers in the nation's elementary and secondary schools. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2008 and 2018 the nation will need to hire nearly half a million additional teachers.
Special Certification Options
Because of the teacher shortage in specific high-need areas, you may be able to get a temporary per diem teaching certificate if you have pertinent education and/or job experience in a subject area. This will allow you to start teaching while gradually taking classes toward your permanent teacher certification. For more information on emergency and provisional teacher certificates, see our teaching certification article.
Subject Areas Affected by the Shortage
While states and cities report widely differing needs, there are some clear commonalities among the specialties most needed today. The national teacher shortage has created the severest demand for the positions listed below:
- Bilingual / ESL teachers
- Foreign language teachers
- Special education teachers
- Mathematics teachers
- Science teachers
- Urban and rural school teachers
Specialties that currently have an adequate number of qualified teachers in most areas include general elementary education, physical education, history and social studies. If you are interested in one of those fields, you may want to obtain licensure in more than one subject or another endorsement to gain an advantage when looking for a job.
Make the Most of Your Options
Because of the push to find qualified teachers to overcome teacher shortages, some school districts are offering unheard-of teacher perks and benefits to attract potential teachers. Higher paychecks, signing bonuses, housing assistance, employer-paid moving expenses, on-site childcare and continuing education courses are all offered in different locations throughout the country. Some districts have made hiring easier by streamlining the interviewing process and are even relaxing residency rules to find more qualified teachers.
All of this is in addition to the already great benefits offered to public school teachers nationwide, including comprehensive health and dental insurance, life insurance and pension plans.


Transformative Teacher Preparation for Today's Classrooms
What is edTPA?
edTPA is a uniform and impartial process to evaluate aspiring teachers based on subject-specific content with separate versions for Early Childhood and Special Education, Foreign Languages, Art and Music Education, Health and Physical Education, Middle, Secondary, Reading and Deaf Education licensure fields. edTPA includes a review of a teacher candidate’s authentic teaching materials as the culmination of a teaching and learning process that documents and demonstrates each candidate’s ability to effectively teach subject matter to all students. Formerly known as the Teacher Performance Assessment, edTPA is a nation wide, content-specific assessment tool that shows how teacher candidates develop and evaluate student learning.
Who developed edTPA?
Demand for edTPA grew so rapidly that Stanford University engaged Pearson as an operational partner to help deliver it to the wide educational audience that asked for it. Involvement with edTPA is endorsed by AACTE and the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (TPAC), comprised of 24 states and the District of Columbia and more than 160 teacher preparation programs participating in edTPA activities. edTPA was field tested in Spring 2012. Stanford University is the exclusive owner of edTPA.
edTPA was developed "by teachers for teachers." This assessment is intended to be used for teacher licensure and to support state and national program accreditation. It will also ensure that all teacher candidates are prepared and are "classroom ready" on their first day as a certified educator. edTPA will be tied to the new tiered certification for the state of Georgia and is the first nationally available assessment for teacher candidates. edTPA will be compulsory in the state of Georgia in 2015-2016. The timeline for implementation at VSU will be as follows:
- AY 2013-2013: Training and Orientation
- AY 2014-2015: Pilot
- AY 2015-2016: Full Implementation
edTPA and VSU
Valdosta State University's edTPA Advisory Council is comprised of three unit representatives and the edTPA Coordinator. On this council is Mrs. Jamie Bird (edTPA Coordinator, Director of Field Experience and Clinical Practice), Mrs. Melody Fuller (MSRD Department), Dr. Jessica Graves (ESED Department), and Dr. Barbara Radcliffe (MSRD Department). This council was instituted to define organizational structure, coordinate training, and facilitate implementation. Along with these duties the edTPA Advisory Council also serves as an information source.
Valdosta State University also instituted a COEHS edTPA Program Facilitators Planning Committee. This committee is made up of one facilitator from each department, which is selected by the department head. This committee serves at a liaison with the edTPA Advisory Council. The Facilitator Planning Committee is responsible for departmental coordination and functional implementation. This Committee is comprised of the following facilitators:
- Dr. Jennifer Beal-Alvarez - Middle, Secondary, Reading and Deaf Education
- Dr. Sonya Sanderson - Physical Education
- Dr. Jessica Graves - Early Childhood & Special Education
- Dr. Paula McNeill - Visual Art
- Dr. Randy Gladwin - Classical Language
- Dr. Lynn Corbin - Performing Arts
- Dr. Daesang Kim - CLT
* Please be advised the information on this site comes directly from the edTPA website. To see the full overview of the edTPA program and for more information, please visit their website. Please click here for more information on edTPA Support - Guidelines for Mentor Teachers.


THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES SUPPORT THE EVALUATIONOF STRIVING READERS PROJECTS:
The Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) provides resources on identifying, implementing, and evaluating research-based education programs, including:
- Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide (December 2003)
- Random Assignment in Program Evaluation and Intervention Research: Questions and Answers (June 2003)
- How to Solicit Rigorous Evaluations of Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) Projects: A User-Friendly Guide for MSP State Coordinators (May 2005)
MS Word (129K)
In addition, the WWC website offers a registry of individuals and organizations who have self-identified themselves to be available as third party evaluators. Applicants may use this registry or seek other third-party evaluators to assist them in designing evaluations that meet the requirements in the grant solicitation.
The WWC Help Desk offers practical, easy-to-use tools to advance rigorous evaluations of education interventions.
The following websites include research, reports, articles, and information on reading and adolescent literacy:
The What Works Clearinghouse published an IES Practice Guide in 2008 titled Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices. The guide presents specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations that educators can use to improve literacy levels among adolescents in upper elementary, middle, and high schools. The What Works Clearinghouse site also includes a rating of research on adolescent literacy interventions.
Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Advancing Literacy
The Advancing Literacy subprogram of Carnegie’s National Program was created in 2003 after an extensive review revealed that the education community faces a difficult challenge in enabling all middle and high school students to attain proficiency in reading and writing. The Advancing Literacy program was charged with the daunting task of advancing literacy by affecting policy, practice and research. In 2009 the Council on Advancing Literacy authored Time to Act; Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy; Adolescent Literacy Development in Out of School Time: A Practitioner’s Guide; Measure for Measure: A Critical Consumer’s Guide to Reading Comprehension Assessments for Adolescents; Adolescent Literacy Programs: Costs of Implementation; and Adolescent Literacy and Textbooks: An Annotated Bibliography.
The National Institute for Literacy's activities to strengthen literacy are authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) in the Workforce Investment Act and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The AEFLA directs the Institute to provide national leadership regarding literacy, coordinate literacy services and policy, and serve as a national resource for adult education and literacy programs. The NCLB law directs the Institute to disseminate information on scientifically based reading research pertaining to children, youth, and adults as well as information about development and implementation of classroom reading programs based on the research.
Often called "The Nation's Report Card," the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative, continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas, including reading. As a congressionally mandated project of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education, NAEP provides a comprehensive measure of students' learning at critical junctures in their school experience.
The Alliance for Excellent Education is a national policy, research and advocacy organization acting on behalf of at-risk, low-performing secondary school students. The Alliance's Adolescent Literacy Initiative website includes news articles, research reports, and other recent information on adolescent literacy. The Alliance's Reading Next Report outlines a vision for action and research in Middle and High School literacy.
The National Governors' Association's publication, Reading to Achieve: A Governor's Guide to Adolescent Literacy Report (2005), examines the literacy crisis facing America. The guide highlights several State-based programs to improve reading achievement, raise high school graduation rates, increase the value of the high school diploma, and close the achievement gap.
NASBE's, publication, State Actions to Improve Adolescent Literacy (2009), summarizes the extent and challenges of the adolescent literacy crisis. It then describes the NASBE State Adolescent Literacy Network’s work to address these challenges. An earlier publication, Reading at Risk: How States Can Respond to the Crisis in Adolescent Literacy (2006), provides ideas and strategies to help States develop more effective and comprehensive adolescent literacy policies.
NASSP's report, Creating a Culture of Literacy: A Guide for Middle and High School Principals (2005), is designed to help school leaders use research on best literacy practices to create a well-defined intervention plan that will improve the literacy and long-range academic success of students.


Math concepts come alive as we explore the world of problem solving through number puzzles, logic problems, math games, and other challenging activities! Using mathematically based, real-world scenarios, we’ll use logic, organize data, look for patterns, and practice a variety of problem-solving strategies techniques. Through collaborative group work and independent activities, we’ll tackle application-based challenges that encourage creative and critical thinking. Whether you’re working at or above grade level, we’ll reinforce foundational concepts and acquire more advanced—and wrap our brains around solutions! *PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT SELECT SESSIONS THAT HAVE CONFLICTING DATES. DOING SO WILL NOT ONLY DELAY YOUR REGISTRATION BUT WILL ALSO AFFECT CAPACITIES FOR OTHER STUDENTS.* __________________________________________________________________________ Teacher BIO: Matt McCracken teaches 5th grade at North Star Elementary School. An APS teacher since 2001, he spent the 2012-13 school year on loan to the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) to teach a Department of Defense outreach program called Starbase. He is a National Board Certified Teacher, and he holds a TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the State of New Mexico. A graduate student at New Mexico Technology Institute, Mr. McCracken is focusing his studies on STEM education in schools. He holds a B.S. in elementary education (with an endorsement in earth and planetary sciences) from UNM.
We believe that children's lives change when their natural passion for learning is nurtured and transformed into habits of life-long learning and reflection. We believe that the world changes as these children learn to serve country and community with wisdom, conviction, and compassion.
In light of these beliefs,
- We serve students of talent and character, offering them an education that broadens their perspectives, sharpens their minds, strengthens their bodies, and engages their hearts.
- We commit to creating a caring, inclusive, and just community, using the geography and culture of our home in the Southwest to enrich our educational programs and to foster creativity, personal balance, and a connection to the natural world.
- We devote our resources to ensure economic accessibility to our students and to support the wider community through outreach and community service.
- We entrust this mission to our graduates and successors as we preserve our resources and serve the generations of children to come.


Before a child enters school, even preschool, he is a passionate learner. Life is full of places to explore, questions to be answered and lessons to be learned - all done fervently.
For example, toddlers, now able to walk independently, are bold explorers. So thrilled at their ability to move unaided, they climb stairs, furniture and more to see what they can find. If allowed, a toddler will explore a common object, a leaf or an insect, for extended periods of time. Chasing a butterfly is an enthralling occupation.
Indeed, a toddler's entire day is a wonderful adventure. We don't have to teach a child to explore. They do that instinctively. We simply have to nurture such curiosities.
As parents, we need to observe this initial stage of passionate learning - watch our children in hot pursuit of a young bird or in deep thought over the pages of an upside down book - without interfering. The presence of an inconspicuous observer offers our children comfort and provides safety while also offering distance and a sense of independence and acceptance for their passions.
While our children are young, they will display cues to their interests and delights. We need to recognize them so we can provide opportunities for such passions to grow as the child does. For example, a toddler drawn to scribbling - another skill we don't have to teach children - might benefit from an easel and paints to further develop this interest. For this child scribbling or drawing generates feelings of pleasure and pride that we want them to acknowledge and then generate again in academic situations once formal schooling begins, so learning remains a passionate endeavor for them.
It would seem easy for an adult to observe a child in this way. It requires no special skills, no materials - just patience, perhaps. In reality it isn't easy to be a passive rather than an active participant. Especially, in this day of easy access to the world through our phones and tight schedules for us and our children, it is not at all easy to be quite simply present.
For us adults, there is a deadline to meet, a house to clean, an errand to run or an office to return to. Our minds race toward our to-do lists. How do we balance it as parents?
Young children need time and space and materials to continue the adventure of each day - to pursue the joys of learning - even if we have to schedule it into our adult lives. To some, it may feel negligent to be nothing but an observer as our children dictate their adventure. In truth, the period of independent exploration is a precious developmental stage, and our presence on the sidelines displays our support and encourages the child's curiosity.
Soon enough it will be time for school and leisurely pursuits at the park will morph into free play during recess. Finding a school environment that extends this atmosphere of joyful learning creates a safe place for the mind and the heart of the passionate learner to grow.
A classroom that allows the child to engage in the interests you have already observed allows those feelings of pride and pleasure to emerge during school hours and therefore offer a sense of passionate learning, even if the passion comes from discovering a bird's nest during recess, or drawing a self portrait during art or dancing freely during music.
If we achieve this skill - being 'present and yet not present' as Kierkegaard advised years ago - when our children are young, then backing off as a parent of an older child is easier to achieve.
Watching our young child trip and fall on the rough ground as they follow a squirrel through the park elicits a response to protect the child. Yet the child will jump right back into the adventure without us.
So it is true of the older child who trips and falls socially or academically at school. In the moment we want to intercede, make it better, fix the problem, but bounding back into the adventure of elementary school might be a better skill for perseverance, independence and problem solving and being true to one's passions in the long run.
Linda Krulock graduated from West Liberty State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and early childhood. She teaches senior kindergarten at Wheeling Country Day School. Elizabeth Hofreuter-Landini is head of school at Wheeling Country Day. She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard University Graduate School of Education.


Franz Xaver Gruber
Choral version by United States Army Chorus
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Franz Xaver Gruber (25 November 1787 – 7 June 1863), was an Austrian primary school teacher and church organist in the village of Arnsdorf, who is best known for composing the music to Stille Nacht (Silent Night).
Gruber was born on November 25, 1787 in the village of Hochburg, Upper Austria, the son of linen weavers, Josef and Maria Gruber. His given name was recorded in the baptismal record as "Conrad Xavier," but this was later changed to "Franz Xaver". The Hochburger schoolteacher, Andreas Peterlechner, gave him music lessons.
Gruber worked as a weaver until the age of 18, then trained to become a schoolteacher. He completed his music education studying with the church organist of Burghausen, Georg Hartdobler. In 1807 Gruber became schoolteacher in Arnsdorf. He also became the church caretaker and organist. In 1808 he married a widow, Maria Elisabeth Fischinger Engelsberger. They had two children, both of whom died young. After the death of his first wife in 1825, Gruber married a former student, Maria Breitfuss. They had ten children, four of whom survived to adulthood. In 1829 Gruber moved to Berndorf, and in later years to Hallein, Salzburg, where he was named choir director, singer and organist.
Maria Gruber died in childbirth in 1841. The following year he married Katherine Wimmer.
In 1816 he took on the additional responsibilities of organist and choirmaster at St Nicholas Church in the neighboring village of Oberndorf bei Salzburg.
Together with Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest who wrote the original German lyrics, Gruber composed the music for the Christmas carol Silent Night. On Christmas Eve of 1818, Mohr, an assistant pastor at St Nicholas, showed Gruber a six-stanza poem he had written in 1816. He asked Gruber to set the poem to music. The church organ had broken down so Gruber produced a melody with guitar arrangement for the poem. The two men sang Stille Nacht for the first time at Christmas Mass in St Nicholas Church while Mohr played guitar and the choir repeated the last two lines of each verse.
In later years, Gruber composed additional arrangements of the carol for organ and for organ with orchestra, as well as scores of other carols and masses, many of which are still in print and sung today in Austrian churches.
- Media related to Franz Xaver Gruber at Wikimedia Commons
- Silent Night Association Life of Gruber
- History of song
- Born between Salzburg and Braunau am Inn
- Free scores by Franz Xaver Gruber at the International Music Score Library Project
- Free scores by Franz Xaver Gruber in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Free scores at the Mutopia Project
|This article about an Austrian composer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.|


A new study reaffirms the commonly-held belief that exposure to music lessons has beneficial impact on the intellectual development of young children.
The study by University of Toronto psychology professor Glenn Schellenberg finds that after one year of keyboard and voice lessons, six-year-olds gained an average of six and eight points respectively on intelligence quotient (IQ) tests.
Dr. Schellenberg says because he is naturally skeptical, he was surprised by the association between music lessons and IQ. “I think it's probably just an exaggeration of the schooling effect, so the mere act of attending school raises IQs,” the researcher says. “But [for] kids who attend music lessons, [those lessons] may represent another form of schooling that boosts the effect a little bit more.”
Schellenberg says music lessons involve a variety of experiences that could generate improvement in a wide range of abilities. According to the study, those enhanced abilities include improved literacy and numeracy skills, as well as increased capacity for reasoning and critical thinking.
The same study found that comparable non-musical activities do not have similar consequences. For example, students who took drama lessons gained five points, while children without lessons increased only four points on IQ tests. However, one year of drama lessons had a positive impact on students' social behavior.
“The music groups had slightly larger increases in IQ than the other kids during first grade, but the drama group had benefits in social skills,” Schellenberg says.
The University of Toronto professor says his study offers a “take-home message” for parents: “if you can afford it, getting your kids away from the TV and involved in extracurricular group activities is a good thing for development.”
(This article courtesy of Agape Press).


Full School Day Kindergarten
A high quality, play-based Kindergarten program has long-term benefits for children's academic and social skills and helps them to succeed in school and in life.
StrongStart Centres In Powell River Schools
StrongStart Centres are an initiative that supports smooth and successful transitions for children and families into kindergarten, supports families as the primary educators of their children, and makes school facilities and resources available to the preschool population.
StrongStart Outreach Programs
Ready, Set, Learn
The Ready, Set Learn initiative provides opportunities for elementary schools to influence school readiness in children through school based community events. It is also intended to facilitate partnerships between schools and local community agencies and early childhood service providers, and is designed to encourage positive connections between families and the school system as well as the participating community agencies.
The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program
The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is a group experience for parents of young children focusing on the pleasure and power of using oral rhymes, songs and stories. This program promotes the development of early literacy skills, but also empowers parent with tools to encourage positive social development in their children.
Ages And Stages
School District #47 contributes to "Ages and Stages"- an interactive preschool fun day that takes place at the Powell River Recreation Complex. It is a collaborative effort of the Building Blocks Committee 0-5; members are from agencies and services that serve the preschool population.
Young Parent Program
School District #47 offers a young parent program through Brooks Secondary School. This program is offered to young adults who have become parents before they have had the chance to complete their grade 12 education.
EDI stand for "Early Development Instrument" and is a questionnaire designed to measure children's school readiness. Kindergarten teachers participate by administering the EDI to current kindergarten students.
Roots Of Empathy (ROE)
ROE is a program offered in School District #47 classrooms. This evidence-based program has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression among children while raising social and emotional competence and increasing empathy.
Parents As Literacy Supporters (PALS)
PALS helps family members and caregivers support their preschool- or kindergarten-aged children’s early literacy development. Each PALS session focuses on learning through play, and includes time for parents and caregivers to talk with a facilitator, and time for adults and children to learn, play and have fun together.