Best Venus Planet Facts for Kids Video
Venus Planet Facts
Planet Venus is named after Roman goddess of love and beauty that makes it the only planet named after a female. It is the second brightest object at night in the sky after moon. Sometimes it is also called as earth’s sister planet. It is the sixth largest planet of our solar system. And its surface temperature can reach up to 470°C.
Facts you didn’t know: –
- Venus is the hottest planet of the solar system. Its surface is hot enough to melt lead.
- The first ever mission to the Venus was sent by Russians.
- This planet has a diameter of 12,104km.
- This planet has the largest number of volcanoes of all the planets in our solar system.
- A day on Venus is equal to 243 earth days that means the planet takes 243 earth days to make one single rotation.
- Venus is also known as the morning star and the evening star.
- This planet does not have any moons or rings.
- Venus has a thick atmosphere with clods. Most of these clouds are made up of poisonous sulphuric acid.
- It rotates from east to west.
- The planet has about 90 times higher air pressure as compared to the air pressure at sea level on the earth.
- Venus can cast shadows by its brightness. These shadows are called ‘Venusian Shadows’.
- The interior of this planet is made up of a central iron core and a mantle made up of molten rocks.
- Venus has an orbital speed of 35km/s.
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Since the beginning of the “Back to Sleep” campaign in 1992, physicians and therapists noticed significant changes in the achievement of developmental motor milestones such as delays in rolling, sitting, crawling, and pull-to-stand.
This recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics has resulted in a decrease of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by almost 50 percent. However, aside from the motor skill delays, we have seen some other negative side effects as well, such as head flattening and torticollis (tightening of the muscles in one side of the neck). Recognizing these changes, the campaign has since become “Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play.”
The Sensory Benefits of Tummy Time
Encouraging babies to be on their tummies when awake helps to prevent head-flattening and serves to strengthen the arms, neck and back muscles to facilitate development of motor skills. Additionally, tummy time promotes visual development, encourages interaction with the environment, and provides critical sensory input. From a sensory perspective alone, here are a few of the major benefits:
Our proprioceptive receptors, in our muscles and joints, are activated through muscle contraction or elongation. While on their tummies, babies get proprioceptive input through most major muscles and joints in the body as they begin to resist gravity in this position. Proprioceptive input is organizing to the brain and promotes body awareness, which is the foundation for motor skill development.
In a nutshell, our vestibular system tells us where we are in relationship to gravity. As babies learn to lift their heads and keep their heads centered from the tummy-time position, they are receiving vestibular input which will enhance their sense of balance and help to integrate primitive reflexes.
While positioned on their tummies, babies are experiencing tactile (touch) input to their hands and faces, two of the most sensitive areas of the body. This type of input early on helps the tactile system mature so later, the babies will be more accepting of other forms of tactile input such as textured foods and fine motor play.
Promote Tummy Time
End each diaper change by rolling the baby onto his/her tummy and gently rubbing their back.
Carry babies in the face forward position, or position newborns on your arm with their head by your elbow and your hand supporting their legs. Both of these positions will encourage head control and the quicker the babies develop head control, the quicker they will enjoy tummy time.
Start “tummy time” on day one, or at least as soon as the umbilical cord falls off. Most newborns will tolerate tummy time and find it soothing, whereas babies even a few weeks old will be more resistant if just starting to experience this position for the first time.
Most babies will prefer to lay on a soft blanket, or a blanket with interesting textures, rather than the carpet. For babies who need some support, make a small roll with a hand towel to position under their arms and chest. This will make it easier to lift their head off the ground.
Facilitate head-lifting by using firm strokes on the baby’s back starting at the base of of the head and moving toward the baby’s diaper.
Lay down on the floor in front of your baby and sing and clap to get them to look at you. Your face is more interesting to your baby than anything else in the world. Enjoy this while you can – the teen years will be here before you know it!
Put a mirror in front of your baby. Babies love to look at themselves.
Position interesting toys around your baby. Once they can push up on their forearms well, move the toys just out of their grasp to facilitate reach.
Minimize the use of bouncy seats, exercise saucers, and other positioning equipment. Save your money! Good old-fashioned floor time is much more developmentally appropriate for your child. If you need somewhere to put your mobile infant while you are busy, use a portable play pen.
Daily Tummy Time Sessions
Start with 2-3 minutes each time your newborn baby is awake. Try to pick the time your baby is in the best mood. For some, this will be right after waking up, for others it may be right after being fed. Work up to 20-30 minutes at least three times per day.
Enjoy this precious time in your child’s life!


Happy Friday, and welcome to February! This month we’re going to highlight some of the amazing stories that come out of our centres every day! But before we go on a couple field trips, we want to talk a bit about why we at Today’s Family do what we do.
All of our programs, from our Before-and-After School Care, to our Early Learning and Child Care Centres, to our Day Camps, are built around Creative Play and the Emergent Curriculum. If both of these terms sound a bit familiar, it’s because we’ve blogged about them a couple times before, but here’s a quick refresher:
The best word to describe a child’s brain is “sponge.” Not just because of all the holes and wrinkles on both of them, but because children’s brains naturally soak up information like a sponge soaks up water. Children learn in so many different ways, and only a few of those ways are covered in school. The Emergent Curriculum helps to fill in the gaps. It’s sort of a “teaching without teaching” thing – at Today’s Family, we teach through play, through science experiments, building projects, and other activities that get our children up and moving around.
The cool thing about the Emergent Curriculum is that it is built around what your children are interested in. Every centre is different, and teaches different things. One of our centres ran activities about space after one of our teachers noticed a group of children looking at the moon. Another centre used the game Minecraft to teach about different kinds of buildings! Children had to make blueprints on graph paper before they were allowed to play the game.
There are four things that are critical to how we believe Early Childhood Learning works: Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement, and Expression. The Emergent Curriculum focuses on those last two. We engage children by teaching what they are interested in, and we work on expression by focusing on activities that involve feedback or discussion, like the blueprints above, or getting children to talk about what they are doing.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll look at the Emergent Curriculum in action, as we visit some of our different programs. It’s clear to see that we’re pretty darn proud of our Emergent Curriculum. It’s one of the many things that makes Today’s Family, well, us!
Don’t forget: you can reach out to us on Twitter (@TodaysFamilyOnt) or on Facebook (Today’s Family Early Learning and Child Care). We’d love to hear about your Today’s Family experiences!
Until next time,
– Today’s Family


Art education courses for elementary teachers: What really happens?
Kowalchuk, E., & Stone, D. (2003). Art education courses for elementary teachers: What really happens? Visual Arts Research, 29(57)
While approximately 85% of elementary schools in America offer art education, only about half have a specialist to provide arts instruction. This means that many classroom teachers teach visual art in the context of general education classrooms. This study explores the relationship between learning in an arts methods course at the pre-service level and how that knowledge plays out in practice in the non-arts classroom. Through questionnaires given at the beginning and end of an arts methods course and questionnaires given to in-service teachers who had taken the same course, researchers draw the conclusion that one of the keys to preparing effective, committed teachers of art is a persuasive, substantial, and comprehensive art methods course. The researchers found that pre-service teachers’ art beliefs were dynamic and changeable, and evolved during the teachers’ training program; however, this did not necessarily translate to meaningful art instruction as they became practitioners.
Teacher questionnaires revealed that:
- A high percentage of teachers agreed that, “one has to have talent to be an artist.” However, teachers also felt that instruction in art is important.
- High majorities of pre- and post- pre-service and in-service respondents disagreed with the statement, “a person either has talent for painting or does not; going to school isn’t going to help much.”
- A high majority agreed that it takes practice and effort to create works of art and that “inspiration” is more important than skill when creating works of art.
- Pre-service teachers placed a high value on the role of art in society while in-service teachers placed less value.
- Most respondents disagreed with the statement, “the best works of art are realistic.”
- Only 33 percent of in-service teachers indicated that they teach art to their students. When they do teach, they focus on basic skills rather than toward developing critical understandings.
- Pre-service teachers feel that art fosters creativity, encourages self-expression, and builds self-esteem. In-service teachers mentioned the same values but emphasized self-expression and a manifestation of intelligence.
Significance of the Findings:Elementary teachers will only become effective and committed as instructors of art when they bring to the classroom a deep understanding of methods, materials, and concepts of art learned from a pre-service arts methods course, but also through ongoing in-service training. The fact that such strengthening of college courses on art teaching methods, art appreciation, art history, and studio skills and values, is highly feasible, makes the findings of this study very significant, showing as it does, that such strengthening is now very necessary.
Methodology:The researchers guided their study with the two questions:
- What beliefs, values, and approaches do pre-service and in-service teachers have about art?
- How do these attitudes and approaches to art education change during their professional studies and after they become elementary teachers?
Their descriptive research was comprised of pilot-tested questionnaires based on Eisner’s Art Attitude Inventory (1972). It included a combination of closed-and open-option items examining:
- Values and beliefs about art
- Conceptions of the ideal art program
- Prior training and experience in art
- Impact of the elementary education methods course on their ideas about art and art education
Their sample consisted of 37 pre-service teachers enrolled in the art methods course. They were pre- and post-tested. It also consisted of 43 in-service teachers who had taken the same art methods course within the three years prior to the study.
Most of the participants were female, white, and had formal art education prior and during college. Very few had college studio art experience.
Limitations of the Research:The sample used was too small to allow for generalization to other contexts.More observations of art instruction in the methods course combined with observations of how these methods play out over time by the same group of students would provide valuable insight into whether transfer is happening and if so at what levels.
Questions to Guide New Research:Are the values, beliefs and approaches of teachers with college studio experience more aligned with effective art instruction than is the case with the teachers surveyed in this study?
How much of what is taught in college art instruction is actually transferred to the classroom?


The Curriculum Support department works extremely hard to meet the needs of learners who experience difficulties in basic literacy and numeracy. We currently have three specialist teachers (Mrs Fulbrook, Mrs Rees and Mrs Bale) and four experienced HLTAs (Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Thomas, Mrs Whitcombe and Mrs Kestell) who deliver interventions provided within the department. All TAs are paired reading partners.
We receive information on students with SEND from our feeder primary schools. This enables us to identify students who may meet the criteria for one of the six places currently offered in our Learning Centre. This year, these students follow intensive personalised literacy support programmes, emotional literacy and social skills, art therapy, forest school, practical science and a reduced English and humanities curriculum. They receive 24 lessons per fortnight within the Learning Centre which is nearly half of their timetable. The remaining half sees these students integrate with mainstream lessons in PE, art, drama, maths, music, design and RS. Some of these students may also receive intervention in maths.
At the beginning of Year 7, all students are screened for reading and spelling skills. From this data, we identify further students who are withdrawn from learning French to follow a Basic Literacy Intervention programme across the academic year for five lessons a fortnight. These lessons involve personalised interventions to target the specific needs of the individual. All students who access Basic Literacy intervention are monitored via the York Assessment for Reading Comprehension which is administered twice a year to check for progress. All work in lessons is monitored via our in-house booklets, a copy of which can be found here (PDF, 174kb).
Students are re-assessed at the end of Year 7 and some have made enough progress to return to French or German and some continue to receive Basic Literacy Support. Other students may have, in the meantime, been identified as requiring this provision and are accommodated in these intervention lessons.
Students are taught in groups of no more than six. They follow a highly individualised programme designed to improve their reading and spelling. Activities included are:
Paired reading is a key tutor time intervention targeted at students who are below their chronological age in reading, but who do not fit the criteria for Basic Literacy intervention. Individuals read with an adult or older student and record their reading in a monitoring book. Paired readers are encouraged to read at home as well. These students are also monitored using the York Assessment for Reading Comprehension.
Parents and carers can read as often as possible with their son or daughter at home. Ideally, this should be at least three times a week. Sharing age-appropriate books with your child will maintain their interest in books and reading. In our experience, children never tire of being read to. Alternatively, purchasing some audio books to listen to in the car or in bedrooms can be highly beneficial.
Also, students should practice their individual spellings on their SaCaWaC sheets at home on a regular basis and their minute read sheets. They can also access their Rapid Plus reading at home via the internet.
Simple, every day activities like reading sign posts and information posters will help children’s progress in reading and spelling. Giving children opportunities to write things like shopping lists and thank you letters will also be beneficial. Parents and carers should remember to praise their child for effort, not only getting things right.
Students identified as experiencing considerable difficulties with basic numeracy will be placed in a small group mainly taught by our specialist numeracy teacher. We also have a maths intervention teacher working with groups. Here, work will be pitched at the correct level with the aim of maximising student progress and enabling those students to access mainstream Maths in the future. The focus is almost exclusively on basic numeracy skills. There is a numeracy intervention group for each cohort in Key Stage 3.
Students are screened in maths using the Basic Number Screening Test to identify individuals struggling to grasp key number concepts. Some students receive 1:1 intervention and others access small group work. Furthermore, tutor time numeracy interventions are run by TAs in the maths department. All maths interventions are time limited and usually last for 6-8 weeks before students are re-assessed and the plan for their learning is adapted accordingly.
There is more information on other provisions for students with SEND on the main SEND page (internal link).


Music & Singing Classes Are Important For Your Child's Development
Music and singing classes – a top to toe aid for child development
Participating in a pre school music and singing class encourages many important developmental skills for your child. Much more than just a ‘musical experience’, your child will learn and develop a range of important skills that will help to equip them for school and beyond.
Language and communication skills – singing songs is a fantastic way to boost early language skills and encourages important elements of language development such as auditory discrimination (the ability to detect similarities and differences when listening to sounds). Singing and making music is such a natural and enjoyable activity for children that they will find themselves engaging and joining in almost instinctively. Traditional nursery rhymes and silly songs (the sillier the better!) are great favourites and should be sung and repeated frequently.
Numeracy skills – counting songs are an obvious choice here (e.g. Five Currant Buns, 1, 2 Buckle My Shoe etc) as they introduce children to the concept of counting and encourage a familiarity with number names, patterns and values. According to Professor Gordon Shaw at the University of California, “Music helps children to learn maths. When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions and proportions". Singing counting songs with your child helps them to relate to their own personal experiences and to recognise numbers, patterns and sequences within their immediate environment.
Fine and gross motor control and coordination – babies use movement and sensory exploration to link up with their immediate environment and toddlers are biologically driven to use their bodies to develop their physical skills. Movement and physical exploration should not just be restricted to ‘action songs’. Look for a music group that will allow your child plenty of opportunity to explore and potter. A music class is a wonderful social experience that presents many interesting physical challenges for a young child. Choose a group that encourages this type of physical interaction - children should not be forced to remain seated during the class. Finger play rhymes, knee bouncers, balancing games, clapping games and manipulation of props and instruments also provide valuable physical experiences for your child.
Sensory experiences – as an adult you will probably find that you tend to veer towards a preferred method of learning (for example you may be more of a ‘visual’ learner or an ‘auditory’ learner). Children are very different however and will utilise 4 main ‘processes’ to engage and interact with their environment. These are: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Tactile. A good music class therefore should provide your child with the opportunity to be constantly seeing, hearing, touching and ‘doing’ – an all round sensory experience for your child.
Confidence, social skills and independence – young children often find that they have little input or autonomy throughout the course of an average day. For example in today’s busy society, an 18 month old child will have very little control over what they wear, what they eat, where they go or who they spend time with. A group activity such as a music class provides them with the opportunity to start making these decisions for themselves within a safe and informal environment. Help your child to select their own instrument from the tub for example, but allow them to develop their own preferences and give them the freedom to move around, explore and interact with whoever they take a fancy to. There should be no rules or expectations of your child other than that they remain safe and have lots of fun.
Music Bugs provide play based and interactive music and singing classes throughout the UK for children aged newborn to 4 years. The emphasis is on creating a sensory and holistic environment where children can develop and socialise at their own pace.
Music Bugs classes are great fun with lots of fun activities and props to engage your child and keep them entertained. Expect traditional nursery rhymes, silly songs, action songs, knee bouncers and finger play rhymes as well as puppets, hobby horses, bubbles, pom poms, parachutes, teddies, chiffon carves, rhythm sticks and lots of lovely tactile percussion instruments.
Gently structured sessions and flexible age groups allow parents to choose a class most suited to their child’s individual needs with a choice of Baby Bugs (0-12 months), Mini Bugs (6 – 24 months) and Jumping Bugs (18months – 4 years). We also provide ‘Family Bugs’ classes (newborn to 4 years) which allow friends and family to come together to share the music making experience.
Contact Music Bugs on 0844 578 1010 to find your nearest class or to talk to us about our flexible franchise opportunity. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.musicbugs.co.uk


The effects of fluency instruction on the literacy development of at -risk first graders
Phonological awareness and rapid serial naming are underlying processes associated with beginning reading. This first-grade study in a public school district was designed to compare the effectiveness of two supplemental instructional approaches for first graders at risk for reading failure: (a) training in phonological awareness alone and (b) training in phonological awareness and fluency. ^ The participants were 20 at-risk first-grade students who were receiving a Title I intervention program called STeps Into Reading. This program was based on research and centered on direct instruction in phonological awareness. For this study, the intervention program was extended from 20 minutes a day to 30 minutes. The experimental group (STIR/PA + F) received fluency instruction for the extra 10 minutes. The control group (STIR/PA + PA) received additional phonological awareness instruction for the extra 10 minutes. ^ The effects of the instruction were analyzed in two ways. First, a MANOVA was performed to determine if there was a significant difference between the STIR/PA + PA group and the STIR/PA + F group on spelling, decoding, word identification at 5 and 1 seconds and word reading fluency. There was not a significant difference found for either group on any of the dependent variables. ^ The second analysis examined the effect of instruction on the literacy levels of the students to determine if fluency instruction gave the most at-risk students a benefit in word identification as it did in a prior feasibility study. The results of the ANOVA and independent sample t tests did show a significant advantage for the most at-risk students who received fluency instruction on word identification at 1 second and word reading fluency. There was a near significant advantage for word identification at 5 seconds. ^ Findings support Wolf and Segal's work, indicating that a neglected part of intervention may be in the area of fluency instruction for children with naming speed deficits that hinder automatic word recognition. Results are consistent with recommendations from the National Research Council (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998) for instruction designed to prevent reading failure. ^
Education, Early Childhood|Education, Elementary|Education, Reading
Ebaugh, Jane Cover, "The effects of fluency instruction on the literacy development of at -risk first graders" (2000). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9975346.


Featured Image Source :- Mormonnewsroom
The Rainbow Home Program provides street girls in India an opportunity to live and study in safe, non custodial, residential environment to secure their basic rights and ensure their reintegration into the mainstream society.
Street children generally live in railway stations and on platforms, pavements, busy markets and under fly overs. They live in the streets due to several reasons like poverty(94%), abandoned by parents(38%), children of migrant or seasonal workers(23%) and those children who have ran away from homes as their parents abused them.
Rainbow homes is focusing on those girl children who live on the streets as 96 % of them have no access to toilets and bathing facilities, 83% of these girls gain puberty on the streets and become easy prey to sexual crimes which are very common but rarely reported, 61% of these girls are sexually abused,exploited and molested and 17% of the girls who live on streets end up becoming prostitutes or indulge in other criminal activities to ensure their survival.
Image Source :- Rainbowhome
Rainbow Homes reach out to the children living on the streets. Most of these girls are orphans or living with a single parent or negligent parents who are either violent, substance users or completely destitute. They facilitate schooling of girl children in government schools, provide nutritious food,sanitation and recreational facilities in a homely environment.
The Rainbow Home Model has been adopted by the Indian Government and included it in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a national flagship education programme for children. Central Government published its four- year policy framework on education wherein this model has been preferred for educating street children. Several local governments like in Hyderabad and Bengaluru have decided to open residential facilities for street children.
This programme has been implemented for universalizing Elementary Education as mandated by the Constitution of India to provide free and compulsory education the children who belong to the age group of 6 years to 14 years under the Right to Education Act.
Government is planning to set up more than 600 residential houses for street children as per the Rainbow Home Model. State governments have been considered as the most important partners as they are the providers of infrastructure.
Image Source :- Rainbowhome
They provide school and unused buildings for implementing this model and they are also responsible for making minor infrastructural modifications so that the modal functions efficiently.Thus, ensuring that the funds are used for the model and much less towards the administrative costs.
As a volunteer at Rainbow homes, I have noticed a great deal of enthusiasm in the management team of one of the rainbow homes in Hyderabad. There are 10 more homes which are located in Hyderabad.
Teaching street children has been a great experience for me. There are a lot more achievements which will come across these children due to the support they are getting. Currently, there is a girl who is pursuing her graduation.
Management team of Rainbow Homes are willing to impart training to the girls in the fields they are interested in. Rainbow girl Pooja won a gold and silver medal at the 2015 Special Olympics in Los Angeles. There are many success stories associated with this foundation but the passion of the team members working in this foundation is really inspiring.


Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership programs can prepare students to solve complex problems in education and facilitate the development of staff members. Students typically gain skills in the allocation of resources, management of curricula and goal setting.
Prerequisites include a master's degree and 3-5 years of teaching experience in a K-12 setting. Students may be required to complete coursework in a specific area, such as educational administration, if their previous studies were in a different field.
Some schools offer online programs. Ed.D. program concentrations can include special education, instructional technology, curriculum and instruction, early childhood education and elementary education. Residencies or internships where students can practice leadership strategies in a classroom setting may be required some programs.
Individuals may need to earn an administrative license after completing the doctoral degree program if they wish to work at a public school.
Find schools that offer these popular programs
- Counseling and Guidance
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Educational Administration and Supervision
- Educational Evaluation and Research
- ESL Teaching
- International and Comparative Education
- Library Science and Related Professions
- Philosophical Foundations of Education
- Special Education
- Teacher Education for Specific Levels and Methods
- Teacher Education for Specific Subject Areas
- Teaching Assistant
Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership
Students in Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership programs obtain the skills required to design, implement, modify and improve curricula. Courses provide study in the areas of policy, instruction, leadership and technology. Curricula might include the following courses:
- Evaluating programs
- Literacy assessment
- Professional development
- Instructional leadership
- Trends in education
- Instructional technologies
Popular Career Options
Graduates of Ed.D. programs might work in private industry or with public or private elementary or secondary schools, colleges and universities. Some popular career options include the following:
- College administrator
- Curriculum developer
- Team leader
Continuing Education and Licensing Information
Students entering doctoral degree programs without licensing or certification must complete their state's requirements in order to enter teaching or administrative positions in public school systems. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that most states require administrator licensing, which might mandate successful completion of an examination. License holders also might be required to complete continuing education coursework to maintain their credentials.
Educational leadership Ed.D. programs can be helpful for students looking to pursue a variety of administrative careers related to education. Students will have the opportunity to apply to internships and residencies and prepare for licensure in states that require these credentials for public school positions.


Ocarinas are simply the BEST! Fact.
The evidence is grounded in 34 years of Whole Class Music-making:
The plastic Oc® received the highest accolade of “Best Music Education Product” in the 2015 Music Teacher Awards For Excellence. Three decades of continuous development, rethinking, redesigning, retooling and remaking has brought this musical instrument to the pinnacle of its creation. It remains UK-made under the watchful eye of David and Christa Liggins, whose teaching expertise keeps the needs of both the child in the classroom, and the class teacher, in sharp focus. David and Christa’s child’s-eye-view on the playing of the instrument and their teacher’s-eye-view of methodology give a perspective that has created robust, musical instruments with ready-prepared teaching materials.
- Ocarinas are lightweight – all other instruments are bigger, heavier and much more awkward to hold
- The finger-holes are positioned within reach of even the smallest fingers and are small enough to be easily covered
- Just the two strongest fingers on each hand are used to play a full octave of notes
- Neither hand is dominant as the holes are side-by-side
- No special embouchure is required – a steady breath rewards the player with beautiful clear notes
- If the player blows too hard or enthusiastically, the instrument cuts out and remains silent
- Tunes can be played immediately by following charts that are understood by pre-readers and those with reading difficulties
- This ocarina ‘code’ is always attached to the musical stave giving access to standard musical notation
- The musical skills acquired are transferable to all other instruments and for general musicianship
- Ocarinas have no moving parts and arrive (and remain) fully set up, tuned and ready-to-play
- The 4-hole Oc® has no thumb-holes so the teacher can see exactly how each child is doing
- It is not possible to produce a second octave or squeaks
- Ocarinas (vessel flutes/helmholtz resonators) are the world’s purest-sounding instruments due to their round shape
- When played in large numbers, the sound of many Ocarinas blends well together, and remains at a safe decibel level
- Music-making becomes rewarding for everyone, keeping music as the dominant language of the classroom
- Music-reading can be taught through doing, and the methodology encourages teaching music as a language
- All the class can play – even those with English as a second language or those with Special Educational Needs
The Ocarina is so simple that, with just a moderate breath, everyone is rewarded with immediate musical notes. This chromatic octave range of notes can easily be explored and the different pitches enjoyed, even by children with special educational needs or physical disabilities. Everyone, including autistic, dyslexic and pre-reading children, can understand the ocarina notation and play tunes accurately with a good sound.
Primary-age children like the fact that the Ocarina is chunky, tactile and pleasant to hold, available in six bright rainbow colours and worn on a matching string to signify ownership: this keeps the Ocarina safe and ready to play all day. Secondary-age children and adults find that the Oc unlocks latent musicianship. The Ocarina gives everyone a chance to make music to an appropriate standard, whether just a handful of notes or hundreds of tunes. Try it yourself – you will be amazed at what is possible with this precision-designed 21st century instrument.


According to the Right to Education Bill every child in the 6-14 age groups will be eligible for free education.
According to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008, every school will have to earmark at least 25% seats in class 1 for free and compulsory elementary education.
The bill seeks to do away with the practice of schools taking capitation fees before admission and subjecting the child or parents to any screening procedure.
The bill also seeks to ban private tuition by teachers and ensure that no child is subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment.
The bill said it shall be the duty of every parent or guardian to admit the child to a neighbourhood school for elementary education and added that no child should be denied admission for lack of age proof.
This Bill seeks to provide every child of the age of six to fourteen years with the right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school until completion of elementary education. Where a child above six years of age has not been admitted in any school or though admitted, could not complete his or her elementary education, then, he or she shall be admitted in a class appropriate to his or her age.
Highlights of the Bill
1. The 86th Constitution Amendment Act, 2002 requires the State to provide free and compulsory elementary education to all children. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008 seeks to give effect to this Amendment. All children between the ages of six and 14 years shall have the right to free and compulsory elementary education in a neighbourhood school.
2. No child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. Schools may not screen applicants during admission or charge capitation fees. A child who completes elementary education shall be awarded a certificate.
3. Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools, and unaided schools shall admit at least 25% of students from disadvantaged and economically weaker groups.
4. A person who wants to file a grievance claim shall submit a written complaint to the local authority. Appeals shall be decided by either the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights or the specified authority.
Key Issues and Analysis
1. There are no specific penalties if the authorities fail to provide the right to elementary education.
2. Both the state government and the local authority have the duty to provide free and compulsory elementary education. Sharing of this duty may lead to neither government being held accountable.
3. The Bill provides for the right to schooling and physical infrastructure but does not guarantee that children learn. It exempts government schools from any consequences if they do not meet the specified norms.
4. The constitutional validity of reservations of seats in private schools for economically weaker sections could be challenged.
5. Minority schools are not exempt from provisions in this Bill. It is possible that this will conflict with Article 30 of the Constitution, which allows minorities to set up and administer educational institutions.
6. The Bill legitimises the practice of multi-grade teaching. The number of teachers shall be based on the number of students rather than by grade.


The American middle class is no longer the world’s richest. That distinction now goes to our northern neighbors in Canada, where wages have shot up nearly 20 percent in the last decade, mirroring the increases also seen in Britain.
Foreclosure lawyers in Miami know that in the U.S., however, wages have remained virtually flat for the middle class, rising just 0.3 percent during that same time period.
That’s according to new figures released by the Luxembourg Income Study Database. Miami consumer rights attorneys understand that there are three theories as to why America has lost such significant ground in recent years. Those include:
- The fact that Canada’s educational system and attainment has outpaced the U.S. and most of the world.
- The fact that American middle class wages haven’t kept pace with overall economic growth.
- Other governments to a better job of redistributing income to poorer families.
Satirist Steven Colbert highlighted the issue in a recent segment in which his ultra-conservative character lamented the shift, and pondered whether further tax cuts for the rich might be the solution.
“Because how can we distribute the wealth if we don’t first have all of it?” he asked.
All joking aside, another critical factor in our decline isn’t mentioned in the Luxembourg report, and that’s housing. The U.S. is just now emerging from what was a catastrophic collapse of our housing market that effectively obliterated the wealth held by millions of families in the middle class.
Meanwhile, Canada hasn’t hit that wall. It is, however, in the midst of a housing boom that many economists say mirror where the U.S. was about 10 years ago, before the bubble burst.
Meanwhile, median earners in Canada have been gaining on the U.S. for many years. They are buoyed by a service economy that is especially strong and a large energy industry.
Overall, America is still 15 percent richer than Canada when you consider GDP-per-capita, but the wealth is far less evenly distributed here. The wealthy are continuing to get even richer, while the divide between them and the middle class is growing exponentially.
In 2010, the median per capita income in the U.S. was $18,700. For a family of four after taxes, that translates to about $75,000. That’s up roughly 20 percent since 1980, but it’s essentially the exact same as it was in 2000 (after we adjust for inflation).
Meanwhile in both Canada and Britain, income increased by nearly 20 percent during the same time frame. That’s about another $19,000 more per family per year. Even in the Netherlands, income rose by 14 percent, The New York Times reports.
While the Luxmebourg model only goes to 2010, other models suggest that Canada has continued to outpace the U.S. middle class in earnings in the years since.
The fact that educational attainment in the U.S. has decreased dramatically over the last 30 years means that Americans are having a tougher time maintaining highly-skilled, well-paying positions. It doesn’t help that top executives at American firms make an insane amount of money – far more than in any other country in the world. And yet, minimum wage is lower and labor unions are weaker.
When we look at the literacy, technology and numeracy skills of 55-to-65-year-old Americans, we see these are far above those in the rest of the industrialized world. However, according to new research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, we can’t say the same for younger Americans. For those between the ages of 16 and 24, Americans rank among the bottom in these fields when compared to other wealthier countries, falling well behind Japan, Canada, Australia and even Scandinavia. It’s closer in line to those in Spain and Italy.
If you’re battling foreclosure in Miami or the surrounding areas contact Jacobs Keeley for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (305) 358-7991. Also, don’t miss Miami Foreclosure Attorney Bruce Jacobs on 880AM/the Biz, every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on “Debt Warriors with Bruce Jacobs,” discussing foreclosure topics that matter to YOU.
How Did Canada’s Middle Class Get So Rich? April 22, 2014, By Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
More Blog Entries:
Report: America is an Oligarchy, Not a Democracy, April 25, 2014, Miami Consumer Rights Attorney Blog


The Importance of Art
We are mere days away from President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, and if there's one thing I learned from the story I just finished up about school construction and facilities, it's that a lot of people have high hopes for what he is going to do when he takes office. Already, the House has released a copy of an economic stimulus bill that would give schools up to $100 billion dollars for various programs—everything from bolstering technology in schools to supporting early-childhood education. And according to this article from the Christian-Science Monitor, the arts education world is also hoping to receive a boost from the plan.
Obama was the first presidential candidate to include an arts platform in his campaign, and leaders in the art world hope that, along with other factors, indicate that art and arts education will be a priority for him when he takes office, says the article. In an interview, Obama explained his concern for art and music education by saying, "When I was a kid, you always had an art teacher and a music teacher. Even in the poorest school districts, everyone had access to music and other arts."
"People understood that even though they hadn't done all the scientific research, children who learn music actually do better in math and kids whose imaginations are sparked by the arts are more engaged in school," he added.
One of the ideas that has been floated is an Arts Corps program, which would be similar to the Peace Corps in that it would encourage young citizens to engage in service aimed at promoting art and arts education in the U.S. for a certain amount of time. As someone who lives with two Americorps veterans, I can say that these programs have the ability to change lives—of the people who participate in them and those they work with. Especially at a time when school districts are making tough decisions about whether they can afford to keep art and music classes, this idea speaks to the importance of those subjects to students and to the community.


What is it?
Phonics is an approach to teaching reading, and some aspects of writing, by developing learners’ phonemic awareness. This involves the skills of hearing, identifying and using phonemes or sound patterns in English. The aim is to systematically teach learners the relationship between these sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them. Phonics emphasises the skills of decoding new words by sounding them out and combining or ‘blending’ the sound-spelling patterns.
How effective is it?
Phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger readers to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional four months’ progress. Research suggests that phonics is particularly beneficial for younger learners (4-7 year olds) as they begin to read. Teaching phonics is more effective on average than other approaches to early reading (such as whole language or alphabetic approaches), though it should be emphasised that effective phonics techniques are usually embedded in a rich literacy environment for early readers and are only one part of a successful literacy strategy.
For older readers who are still struggling to develop reading skills, phonics approaches may be less successful than other approaches such as Reading comprehension strategies and Meta-cognition and self-regulation. The difference may indicate that children aged 10 or above who have not succeeded using phonics approaches previously require a different approach, or that these students have other difficulties related to vocabulary and comprehension which phonics does not target.
Qualified teachers tend to get better results when delivering phonics interventions (up to twice the effectiveness of other staff), indicating that expertise is a key component of successful teaching of early reading.
Research on phonics in an Australian context suggests that it is particularly beneficial to students who may face additional barriers to gaining literacy skills, such as those for whom English is an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D).
A 2012 systematic review conducted by Macquarie University examined the impact of phonics on struggling readers. The review was based on 11 studies, including one Australian study. It concluded that for struggling readers phonics had a moderate effect on word reading accuracy and a lower effect on reading comprehension and spelling.
How secure is the evidence?
Overall, the evidence base related to phonics is very secure. There have been a number of studies, reviews and meta-analyses that have consistently found that the systematic teaching of phonics is beneficial. There is some evidence that approaches informed by synthetic phonics (where the emphasis is on sounding out letters and blending sounds to form words) may be more beneficial than analytic approaches (where the sound/symbol relationship is inferred from identifying patterns and similarities by comparing several words). However, the evidence here is less secure and it is probably more important to match the teaching to children’s particular needs and systematically teach the sound patterns with which they are not yet confident.
What are the costs?
Overall, the costs are estimated at $1,500 per teacher or $60 per student and are therefore very low. The costs associated with teaching phonics arise from the need for specific resources and professional training. Evidence suggests that the effectiveness of phonics is related to the student's stage of reading development, so it is also important that teachers have professional development in effective assessment as well as in the use of particular phonic techniques and materials. as in the use of particular phonic techniques and materials.
What should I consider?
Phonics can be an important component in the development of early reading skills, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, it is also important that children are successful in making progress in all aspects of reading including vocabulary development, comprehension and spelling, which should be taught separately and explicitly.
The teaching of phonics should be explicit and systematic to support children in making connections between the sound patterns they hear in words and the way that these words are written.
The teaching of phonics should be matched to children’s current level of skill in terms of their phonemic awareness and their knowledge of letter sounds and patterns (graphemes).
Phonics improves the accuracy of the child's reading but not the comprehension. How are you planning on developing wider literacy skills such as comprehension?


2009 – 2010 Uganda BRPID Project
Uganda BRPID Project
Skills Building and Sexual Reproductive Health Education Project
Uganda Association of University Women
In 2008 the Uganda Association ran a successful income generating skills training project for young single teen mothers which also provided courses on child care and parenting. The project provided a much needed community support structure for young mothers. This model was adapted in 2009/2010 to include courses for an equally vulnerable group of girls, school drop-outs.
20 young girls, who were school drop-outs, orphans and casual workers/house maids were trained to make beads (paper, plastic and clay beads) and in bead threading. Participants were also shown how to market their products. Project organizers hoped that once trained, the girls would be able to participate in the training of others.
In addition to the skills training, a training workshop was held for the girls on reproductive health issues, including HIV/AIDS. A simple pre-training and post-training questionnaire was used to gauge participants’ understanding and to test knowledge and measure changes in attitude and behavior on completion of the course.
Course leaders reported that the project presented a number of challenges for the trainers this time as many of the girls did not have basic literacy and numeracy skills, resulting in problems with the simple tasks of measuring and drawing lines. Some were mothers and had to bring their children with them to training and those working (house maids) had to miss training on certain days.
Parents and staff of the local primary school were involved and the progress of the girls continues to be tracked once the training is complete.


In an earlier piece, I looked at a Forbes report on the top ten employers in the United States for people aged 18 to 29. None of these were employers of highly skilled or highly labor, considering that this is one of the best educated (or at least most credentialed) generations in history. This made me wonder what kinds of education these young people might have. I looked at the 2009 individual-level census data to see what the most common degree fields were in that recent year.
Among all young people aged 29 or under with a bachelors degree or more, the most common degree field was psychology (5.7 % of degree holders). That was almost matched, though, by business management and administration (rounding off at 5.7%). In descending order, the next most common degrees were biology(3.9%), elementary education (3.4%), communications (3.1%), marketing and marketing research (2.9%), English language and literature (2.9%), political science and government (2.9%), general business (2.8%), accounting (2.8%), and nursing (2.7%). If you are like me, and you enjoy rows of numbers, you'll probably find that interesting. But most people probably want to know what that means. One thing we might notice is that although there are some liberal arts type of degrees in the list, most of these are explicitly vocationally oriented. I've generally argued that as more people get college degrees, this creates pressure for job-oriented credentials. When very few people have completed college, you can study what you like and still get that management job. When you have to compete with many other graduates, a business management degree might give you the edge. Ironically, then, the declining place of liberal arts in higher education can be attributed to rising college enrollments.
Of course, we know that young women now make up a majority of college students and recent college graduates, but do their areas of study still differ from those of men? Among men, the top ten degree fields were: business management and administration (7 %), finance (4 %), computer science (3.9%), general business (3.7 %), political science and government (3.5%), biology (3.3%). economics (3.1%), psychology (3%), accounting (2.9%), and mechanical engineering (2.8%). Men may be less likely than women to go to college these days, but when they do, they are most likely to go into fields that they think will get them work.
Among women, the business orientation is there, but much less marked. Their major fields were: psychology (7.7%), elementary education (5.3%). business management and administration (4.7%), biology (4.4%), nursing (4.2%), English language and literature (3.5%), communications (3.5%), marketing and marketing research (3.1%), accounting (2.7%), and political science and government (2.4%). The first thing that should leap out at us is that several of the preferred fields for women (elementary education, literature, communications) are relatively low paying fields. Men and women, even when they get degrees, aim in different directions. Unless we believe that an Office of Gender Engineering should be trying to change the choices men and women make, we may need to just accept the differences.
What about race? I don't want to carry this listing too far, so I've just looked at black degree holders. Like whites, the most common degree field was business management and administration (7.5%). But there were substantial differences in concentration. The rest of the list reads: psychology (7%), biology (4.8%) , criminal justice and fire protection (3.7%), sociology (3.3%), accounting (3.3%), communications, (3.3%) general business (3.2%), marketing and marketing research (3.1%), and nursing (3.0%). Blacks and whites were not all going in two completely different directions, but there were enough differences to conclude that racial vocational concentrations and income inequalities are still big parts of our national landscape, even among college graduates. Again, since these are matters of the choices people make, there are good arguments for simply accepting the differences.
One final thought: many young people appear to be thinking about college in terms of getting jobs. But if we recall the Forbes list, we might wonder how many of those aspiring business administrators and financiers will end up marching in the military or standing behind a counter at Walmart. Or, we might wonder how many of them will be rejected from those retail and service jobs because they are seen as overqualified.


As populations become more mobile, so interest grows in bi- and multilingualism, particularly in the context of education. This volume focuses on the singular situation in Israel, whose complex multiculturalism has Hebrew and Arabic as official languages, English as an academic and political language, and tongues such as Russian and Amharic spoken by immigrants. Presenting research on bi- and trilingualism in Israel from a multitude of perspectives, the book focuses on four aspects of multilingualism and literacy in Israel: Arabic-Hebrew bilingual education and Arabic literacy development; second-language Hebrew literacy among immigrant children; literacy in English as a second/third language; and adult bilingualism. Chapters dissect findings on immigrant youth education, language impairment in bilinguals, and neurocognitive features of bilingual language processing. Reflecting current trends, this volume integrates linguistics, sociology, education, cognitive science, and neuroscience.


Programme Aim: to bring children from schools in Malawi and the UK together to learn more about each other’s lives and develop as global thinkers through educational partnerships.
Schools linking offers a framework for exploring topics such as identity, diversity, equality and community through the cultivation of positive international relationships. Through each link we seek to open children’s minds to the great diversity that is contained within the world we share and encourage them to feel a connection between their own lives and the lives of children in a different country.
The programme provides opportunities for teachers to meet and work together to plan linking projects, tailored to their school’s needs; with equitable benefits for all concerned, safe yet challenging learning experiences and tools for reflective practice in their own classes to embed learning.
Starfish explores the world from a Christian viewpoint, giving expression to the principle of “love your neighbour”. This impacts the way that we not only relate to one another, but also the world and environment around us. As we bring schools together from Malawi and the UK, our belief is that we are better working together than we are apart. We have much to learn from one another and value diversity.
New Literacy Development Project!
Preparations are underway for an innovative new project in the Salima area of Malawi, designed to improve children’s literacy - a key factor in overcoming poverty (currently around 1 in 4 young adults in Malawi cannot read or write). The project will create a network of teachers from across different primary schools, who will become Literacy Leaders. Candidates have been identified already and are excited to take part! They will access training, resources, links with schools in the UK (sharing writing both ways) and build relationships with local nurseries. They will feed these benefits back to their teaching colleagues, serving as mentors within their schools. Rachel Ormrod, a teacher and International Development graduate from the UK, will be setting up the project as a volunteer, with the aim to hand this role over to a Malawian in due course so the project is both sustainable and empowering.
You can read more and donate specifically to this project - which is relying on your generosity now to get it kickstarted - at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/literacyleaders.


A Learning Curve
Presented by ; Mike Culliney
What is a learning curve? According to Wikipedia, a learning curve is a graphical representation of the changing rate of learning (in the average person) for a given activity or tool. For most of us we associate a learning curve with formal education or training. I want to put forward the idea that we experience learning curves on a daily basis to a greater or lesser extent. I want to discuss my own periods of learning curves within the formal education system, within a work related situation and within personal day to day experiences.
I totally agree with the idea that it is possible for something to be easy to learn but difficult to master. A prime example of this for me would have to be the many years that I spent studying Fine Art Printmaking at the Limerick School Of Art And Design. I spent year one studying and learning the various techniques within the Fine Art Printmaking process. I then spent four more years fine tuning these techniques to the point where the technique became automatic and secondary to the idea or language being expressed within the print. When the technique becomes second nature and a tool or means for carrying ones ideas to perfection then it can be said that you have mastered the technique.
While the initial first year of activity during this period would have to comply with the concept of a steep learning curve the following four years also comply to this concept. To the outside viewer it would seem that you or I were just repeating the same process over and over, but on closer inspection it becomes clear that the perpetrator is in fact modifying and refining the process to become their own. So in terms of my formal art education the learning curve was initially steep and then constant but progressive.
Compared to this situation I experienced a completely different learning curve while working within the manufacturing industry. This curve would have to fall within the perimeters of the idea that a subject is hard to learn but with little beyond this. Having had very little contact or experience operating a computer before entering the industry the first three months of this steep learning curve proved quiet difficult for me. After this initial period of frenzied learning the remainder of my eight and a half year learning curve at times moved into the stagnant regressive category. In this situation after the initial information download was complete one was in fact repeating the process over and over again without gaining any further benefit from the process.
In the previous chapters I have discussed two very different learning curves within the formal education – training situation. What I haven’t mentioned is the personal or social learning curve which existed strongly within the two situations. This constant, steep and very progressive learning curve happens to all of us on a daily basis. The human race tends in the majority to be a social race. We need to interact with other human beings. This interaction involves the transfer of information. Information that initially was consumed then refined with personal experience and passed on with knowledge. Then consider what you learn about a person, a place, an idea ect., all within a few seconds several times a day every-day. Now that has to be a learning curve.
From birth to grave we are all on a steep learning curve. For some this curve is positive – progressive and for others it is stagnant – regressive. I am now off to a friend’s house to learn how to lay bricks and mix mortar. I am wondering is this going to be a progressive or regressive learning curve. Most people would say that I am about to embark on a ‘ being used ‘ learning curve.


September 13th, 2011
Literacy and numeracy assessment tool for all learners
Growing New Zealand’s skills – the Literacy and Numeracy Adult Assessment Tool
New Zealand’s economic growth depends on us having a skilled workforce. And that includes having an improved level of literacy and numeracy.
The Government has developed and implemented a national assessment programme to gauge the literacy and numeracy levels of people entering training. It is called the Literacy and Numeracy Adult Assessment Tool.
Learners signing into a Competenz Level 1 or Level 2 training programme should complete the online assessment. They will do this before they start training and may be required to repeat the Snapshot Tool again towards the end of their programme of study, based on their initial results.
The Snapshot Tool establishes which learners are likely to succeed in their training and which learners should be given extra support to help them with literacy, language and numeracy support during or before their training.
The Snapshot assessment taken towards the end of training measures learners’ skills level again so they can see how their training experience has impacted on their skills.
For more information, contact your Competenz account manager by calling 0800 526 1800 or visit literacyandnumeracyforadults.com
What are we doing to improve literacy and numeracy?
We are working to raise awareness of the language, literacy and numeracy skills across our industry sectors as we know it’s a challenge for companies. Recent research undertaken by Competenz tells us that over 25% of food and beverage manufacturing companies face training challenges due to language barriers, numeracy and literacy, comprehension, learning speeds and listening skills. Engineering companies face similar challenges, though to a lesser extent, but the fact remains that these skills are fundamentally important for every New Zealander.
So we’ve embedded literacy and numeracy into our programmes. Exercises and examples are provided to ensure learners understand what they’re learning and can apply this in their everyday work. Building literacy and numeracy skills on-the-job is a proven and effective way to grow skills levels – and to build the productivity of our workforce.
What are the benefits for you?
Modern workplaces are increasingly complex and improved literacy and numeracy skills have benefits for your business:
• Increased productivity
• Fewer workplace mistakes
• Safer working environment
• More committed staff
• Lower staff turnover
• More cross skilling
A workforce with high levels of literacy and numeracy skills is better able to contribute to developing an increasingly competitive economy.
The Snapshot tool will:
• Give learners information on their current skills level
• Outline which literacy and/or numeracy skills the learners need
• Provide information to Competenz so we can recommend next steps for learners in terms of further training
• Provide results on learners’ progress over time so we can report on a group’s progress
• Help us evolve our service and resources
The information from the Snapshot Tool will lead to better customer service for you, more engaged on-the-job learning for learners and increased productivity for you - and NZ Inc.
For more information, contact your Competenz account manager by calling 0800 526 1800, or visit


Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy 3e PIE : Birth Through Kindergarten
This book is about teaching the language arts–about facilitating young children’s reading, writing, speaking, and listening development. In a very readable manner, the book places children at the center of all good language and literacy teaching, while focusing on four central themes that run throughout the book:
1. The authors provide rich descriptions of two perspectives in children’s language and early literacy learning: emergent literacy and scientifically based reading research, and equip early childhood teachers with the know how to use the instructional strategies supported by the research in both perspectives.
2. The authors acknowledge and take into account the increasing diversity of our society and schools by providing numerous illustrations of how teachers can work effectively with diverse learners, providing special features at the end of chapters that explain how to adapt instruction for English Language Learners and children with special needs, and by providing information on the tools teachers can use to discover what each child knows and can do, in order to build on that child’s prior knowledge.
3. The authors stress that assessment cannot be separated from good teaching and they describe strategies that teachers can use to understand children’s language and literacy knowledge in the context of specific learning and teaching events, while also focusing on today’s increasingly important “accountability” function of assessment and standardized testing instruments.
4. The authors acknowledge the importance of the family in young children’s language and literacy development and include descriptions of how early childhood teachers can connect with families and engage caregivers in their children’s school or center.


Inquiry into Earth and Space Science
Kyle Gray, Earth Science, University of Northern Iowa
Inquiry into Earth and Space Science is a semester-long content course developed for pre-service elementary teachers that uses inquiry learning to teach concepts related to rocks, minerals, groundwater, stream flow, weather, climate, maps, and astronomy.
Entry Level:Astronomy Earth Science Course Size
Public four-year institution, primarily undergraduate
This a a required course for a students with a declared early childhood or elementary education major and satisfies the university's general education requirements for physical science. Students from other majors may not take this course. Students are predominately freshmen or sophomore women who have not taken any other required science content course. They are typically science phobic and have not taken an Earth Science course since middle school.
This course covers topics in Geology, Oceanography, Meteorology, and Astronomy. The content within each topic is aligned with state Earth and Space Science standards for K-6 classes with additional material from the 7-12 standards. A follow-up course (Investigations into Earth and Space Science) covers the remainder of the K-12 Earth and Space Science standards.
Currently, students do not conduct any formal field experiences during class time, however they are required to complete four inquiry experiences. These outside activities include finding signs of weathering in a graveyard or observing meanders forming in a recently channelized stream.
For teaching the methods of geoscience, students in my Inquiry into Earth and Space Science course will be able to make observations of the world around them and use the data drawn from those observations to draw logical conclusions or inferences. Students will also demonstrate an understanding that science does not follow a single, experiment-driven methodology conducted by white males with goofy hair and wearing white lab coats.
The nature and methods of geoscience inquiry is addressed multiple times throughout the semester. In week one we explore common misconceptions of science by using the model provided by UC Berkely (wwww.understandingscience.org), a draw-a-scientist activity, and a discussion of what a geoscientist looks like. Throughout the term, students must make observations of target phenomena and use those data to draw inferences and conclusions. Examples of this second type include using stream gauge data to calculate the size of a 100-year flood, observing sediments on a stream table, and observing different types of soils.
This course meets for two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays and one hour on Fridays. Lecture is kept to a minimum with most of the time spent on learning activities. This constructivist approach models the types of teaching that we wish to instill in our graduates by demonstrating a different way of teaching.
Students are assessed throughout the term in a variety of ways. Formal exams containing conceptually-based short answer and multiple choice questions provide feedback on content knowledge. Student reflection papers provide evidence of attitudinal change over the length of the course. In class activities and homework provide formative feedback and short-term projects provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their skills in using the concepts covered in class.
Syllabus for Inquiry into Earth Science (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 602kB May9 12)
References and Notes:
The Good Earth - 2nd edition by McConnell, Steer, Knight, & Owens
Occasional readings from newspaper or magazine articles based on current events. For example, this Spring they read an article describing and debunking the hysteria over the Dec 21, 2012 and the end of the world.


Using manikins in clinical simulations allows health care practitioners and students to “practice on plastic” first. These life-like manikins simulate heart tones and other vital cues that, when connected to monitors, provide real-time information to learners. By practicing clinical skills in a safe and regulated environment, health care providers sharpen their assessment and treatment abilities.
Our center is equipped with a large array of simulators, ranging from low-fidelity task trainers to high-fidelity computerized manikins, some of which are described below.
Task Trainers are used for teaching and practicing skills, competencies, and procedures. These include torsos for learning Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, arms designed with normal blood vessels for learning placement and care of intravenous lines, models with surgical wounds for learning suturing and wound care, back and spinal trainers for learning lumbar punctures.
Our high-fidelity manikins are usually used for immersion of learners in a scenario or patient-care simulation that closely resembles reality. These manikins, similar to real patients, interact with the learners, and their conditions improve or worsen according to the care or interventions performed by the learners. Examples of these manikins available at the center are Newborn Tory®, Pedi HAL®, and iStan®.
With iStan®, learners gain skills in managing more complex conditions such as convulsions, insulin shock, and anaphylactic reactions. The CSC set-up including furnishings and biomedical equipment (e.g. cardiac monitors, ventilators, etc.) make the experiences even more realistic and help ensure that learners are able to safely use, monitor, and troubleshoot the high-tech equipment usually used in health care.
Low-fidelity to medium-fidelity simulators are full-sized manikins used for training on foundational skills. Those simulators include Mega Code Kelly™, Code Blue III®, Nursing Kelly®, Resuci Anne®, Nursing Kid®, and Nursing Baby® on which adult and pediatric in-hospital and out-patient care skills can be learned including resuscitation, auscultation of lung, heart, and abdominal sounds… Noelle®, the birthing mother, simulates normal and complicated births. Neonatal management is also learned with its baby simulator. Also available in the center is Harvey®, the cardio-pulmonary simulator that enables individuals and groups to learn complex differentiation of cardiac anomalies as well as lung abnormalities.


4228.0 - Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia, 2011-2012 Quality Declaration
Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 15/02/2013
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Older Australians have lower levels of literacy and numeracy
Older Australians have lower levels of literacy and numeracy than younger Australians, according to preliminary figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.
ABS Director of the National Centre for Education and Training Statistics, Andrew Webster, said the recent PIAAC survey assessed people's literacy and numeracy skills and their ability to solve problems in technology-rich environments.
"The survey measures participants on a scale of one to five, one being the lowest and five being the highest," he said.
"The survey found that 44 per cent of Australians aged 15 to 74 (7.3 million) had literacy skills at levels one or two, a further 39 per cent (6.4 million) at level three and 17 per cent (2.7 million) at levels four or five.
"For numeracy skills, 55 per cent of Australians (8.9 million) were assessed at level one or two, 32 per cent (5.3 million) at level three and 13 per cent (2.1 million) at levels four or five.
"By comparison, among people aged 60 to 74 years, 65 per cent were assessed as having literacy at levels one or two, and 71 per cent were in the lower levels of numeracy," Mr Webster said.
"There was little difference in the proportion of males and females at each level of literacy, however more males (17 per cent) than females (nine per cent) attained the highest numeracy levels.
"People out of the labour force were more likely than the employed or unemployed to be assessed at the lower levels of literacy (60 per cent) and numeracy (70 per cent)," he said.
Mr Webster announced that the ABS expects to release final results for PIAAC in October 2013, coinciding with the publication of an International Report on PIAAC by the OECD.
The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) was coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), conducted in 24 countries around the world and sought to measure the skills needed for people to participate in society and for economies to prosper.
Further information can be found in Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (cat. no. 4228.0), available for free download from the ABS website www.abs.gov.au.
When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.
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If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."
At the heart of the G.L.O.B.E. learning community is a Chinese immersion elementary school designed to meet the needs of a diverse group of intellectually curious learners ready for an in-depth, accelerated curriculum. Supporting the elementary school is a vibrant community of lifelong learners. Our international campus will serve as an asset to our local community and model for other communities.
We are independent and nonprofit, welcoming families from all backgrounds. Policy on Non-Discrimination
Principles for the Development of a Complete Mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses--especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else."
Leonardo da Vinci
The mission of the G.L.O.B.E. School is to provide world-class educational opportunities that promote global perspectives and renaissance thinking in a multilingual environment. We define renaissance thinking as an integrated appreciation of the Arts and Sciences applied for transformative purposes.
A human being is a part of the whole called by us ‘universe’...Our task must be to free ourselves…by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
The G.L.O.B.E. School envisions a world in which education provides a compass for lifelong learning that guides students to think creatively, critically, and cross-culturally in order to nurture individual growth, promote social justice, and protect the planet. The G.L.O.B.E. School empowers students to become active global citizens, enabled by knowledge and driven by innovation.
Nurturing and Engaging Each Child
We will implement Individualized Learning Plans that reflect each child's unique gifts, thus coordinating a complete slate of appropriately-paced, in-depth learning opportunities.
Championing Outstanding Educators
Our heroes are educators that combine artful instruction with extensive knowledge. We will uphold the highest standards of teacher selection and continuous professional development while creating a supportive, collaborative school culture.
Realizing the Transformative Powers of Learning
Educational experiences should be crafted for the individual with the hope of guiding the student through the process of self-actualization and crafted for society with the hope of making it a better place.
Promoting Global Perspectives
Global perspectives--gained through a combination of culture, language, and academic study--develop respect for self, others, and the planet.
Instilling Renaissance Thinking
On the individual level, it feeds a student’s curiosity and imagination. On the societal level, it addresses the critical issues of the day, such as sustainability, universal human rights, and environmental stewardship.
Providing the Gift of Multiple Languages
Research shows that this gift strengthens not only global communication skills, but also cognitive development.
Teaching by Example
Community-based initiatives will include a Green Campus and Service Learning.
Prioritizing Elementary Education
Elementary education plays a fundamental role in shaping the lives of individuals and the nature of society, laying the foundation for future attainment.
The Cooperative Learning Community
A sense of community and cooperation is developed among the students as a result of the school culture.
Parent involvement is a key component of the community's success in providing profound learning opportunities.
Educators & Support Staff
Committed to nurturing the growth of each student, the talented school team uses a collaborative approach to curriculum and instructional design.
Word Play: Our Name
The G.L.O.B.E. is an acronym that stands for the Globaissance Learning Oasis for Building Engagement.
Globaissance is a portmanteau, a new word made by combining existing words: Global and Renaissance.
If you rearrange the letters in Global Renaissance, you can create the anagram above. If you have FLASH, enjoy the animation in the footer!


Seven-year-old Cassandra Harpster said she’s not very good at math.
On Wednesday afternoon the second-grader sat at her desk at Port Matilda Elementary School with a Chromebook and played a computerized baseball game that focused on multiplication.
Cassandra moved the mouse toward a cartoon pitcher on a baseball mound. When she clicked on it, the pitcher threw a baseball to home plate. Before the batter could hit the ball, a math problem was presented. If Cassandra answered it correctly, the batter would advance to the next base.
The Everyday Mathematics program allows students to choose dozens of math-based games to hone their skills based on individual needs. There is a similar program called ConnectED that teachers use with students to target language arts skills.
But just a few weeks ago, students couldn’t play such games or complete online assignments.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math.
There is also a language arts component as part of the district’s Reading Wonders program developed this year to combine reading with writing instead of teaching the two separately, said James Orichosky, Wingate Elementary School principal and director of elementary education.
Earlier this school year, 12 carts of 30 Chromebooks each were approved for purchase with money from the grant.
Nine carts have already been purchased and were delivered to the schools about a week ago. The other three will be purchased when the next installment of the grant comes through, Boone said.
She expects that to be before the new year.
“We were looking at integrating more computers and Chromebooks to provide accessibility in the classroom and to do some of the work without always using the computer labs,” Boone said. “We looked at the district’s needs and determined these are the things we need to focus on. It gives them the access right at their fingertips.”
Calculators also were purchased for the math departments.
The state requires all money from the grant to be used for enhancements including for the use of Promethean Board — an interactive whiteboard and student response system — in science classes.
During the summer, teachers and staff were trained to use Google systems.
Port Matilda second-grade teacher Elaina Howell said her class has one hour of individualized instruction every day in which students split into five groups and rotate through tech-based reading, writing and math sessions at their own pace.
The results of the games and assignments are then saved for teachers, like Howell, to review and craft individual learning programs.
“I have 22 kids in different learning groups,” she said. “This targets the things they specifically need to work on and allows me to better tend to their needs and assign work based on their learning curve.”
When Cassandra signed in to her computer, it took her to a math lesson that helped build her multiplication skills.
“I’m not very good at math,” Cassandra said. “I want to answer them right so I get more points, and I can sometimes play against other kids.”
It was a similar process for Wyatt Spackman, 8, who completed a language arts assignment using ConnectED.
He used the program to write a letter to Howell about a trip he took to Alaska with his family in 2011.
“I guess I kind of wing it,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t know the spelling of things, but it helps us form sentences and spell correctly and tell a story, and if it’s wrong, Mrs. Howell works with us.”
And the learning curve was minimal for her students, Howell said.
“We taught them the basic functions of the computer, but to be honest, they’re better at this than we are,” she said with a laugh. “This is a generation of kids who don’t really know what it’s like to get a phone with a cord on it. They hardly do anything with pencil and paper anymore, and they really embrace the new technology.”
Because students have their own log-in names and passwords, their work is transferable from nearly anywhere so they can work on assignments remotely.


The Importance Of Routines And Procedures In The Special Education Classroom
During my faculty and teaching profession, I created three teaching portfolios: one for undergraduate pupil educating (elementary education), one for my customary instructing license, and one for my graduate student educating in special training Although I am certainly not an expert on this topic, there’s rather a lot that I realized along the way that helped me create robust portfolios. If a trainer shouldn’t be obtainable, you can be issued a kind enabling you to select an unbiased SETSS teacher at the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) expense. The particular training instructor must have the ability to join and communicate with these college students utilizing the fitting tone, language, and in some cases, nonverbal cues. Also sending a resume each 2 or 3 months is useful as a result of it gets your identify out out there.
Low Standard Scores in IQ, achievement, and adaptive abilities assessments might imply that the coed has an intellectual disability and desires a comprehensive education plan that focuses primarily on life skills. Ask the trainer who would be the one to notify mother and father of issues and how it will likely be achieved. Some day, perhaps in a 100 years or so, lecturers will as soon as once more be in charge of schooling.
This programme is open to all serving lecturers who’re employed in a position funded by the Department of Education and Science and who present studying support and resource teaching in recognised educational providers. Pre-service individuals at Fortune School of Education (FSE) are ready with enhanced programming together with Classroom Management, Lanquage Acquisition and Content Specific Seminars. Each special training student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) partly drafted by the particular schooling teacher. The trainer is Chanel M. Quintero, who works in New York City’s District 9, one of the poorest congressional districts in the country.
Despite this many schooling researchers and school administrators counsel that even when VA is imperfect, the scores needs to be used with other measures for evaluating academics. Special Education , Ministry of Education offers the specialist recommendation, steering and assist companies not often accessible in every school. You’re right, a topic will probably be fascinating if the instructor is interesting LOL Glad you loved moi instructor quotes 🙂 Thanks rather a lot for dropping by. For the new trainer simply beginning out, you have got the option of creating a lot more money than the bottom rung on a chart.
Teachers are being handled like if they work in a menial job with unfair salary and remedy from everybody be they faculty administration, college students, parents or individuals. Then, beginning with the first letter in his identify, let your baby strive copying the dashed lined. It’s no secret that the first year of any educating job is almost all the time the hardest.


AACC Partnership: Thuksel Early Childhood Learning Center
According to the United Nations’ development program, 26.2% of Bhutan’s population lives on less than $1.25 US per day and is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries. Around 30 percent of the people live below poverty line. Bhutan’s economy is mostly based on agriculture, which together with livestock-keeping is the main source of livelihood for about 80 percent of the population. In the last ten years Bhutan has suffered from a drastic rural- to-urban migration, leaving the elderly alone on the agricultural land and families splitting apart as they live in different areas of Bhutan to find work. There is very little industrialized industry. Most of their products are made in local cottage production. Much of the consumer goods and essentials are imported from India (70 percent) and China. Hydroelectric power is Bhutan’s largest export product, yet 70 percent of the population don’t have electricity and depend on firewood for energy
Although Bhutan might be a financially poor country, it has rich cultural values. A political framework called Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life more holistically and psychologically than the material Gross National Product (GNP). The concept was introduced to the country and the world in 1972 by the fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchung. Instead of focusing on economic growth, the concept of Gross National Happiness is based on the assumption that society only grows when material and spiritual development go hand-in-hand.
AACC’s executive director, Dr. Young, started her work in Bhutan while visiting during a sabbatical from Naropa University. She was invited back by the Vice Chancellor Pema Thinley to lead a three-year national research study on Gross National Happiness pedagogy. The following year, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to begin the research and lead 82 Bhutanese lecturers as co-researchers from the Royal University of Bhutan. During her time in Bhutan she consulted with Thuksel Early Childhood Learning Center providing training and curriculum development for the teachers. Dr. Young also worked with Karm Dorji, one of Paro’s lecturers, in the Camp Rural-Urban Friendship Program, bringing children from the city to the rural areas of Bhutan and learning together.
Dr. Young also provided teacher training to lecturers at Royal University of Bhutan during her five- month stay as part of the research project and gave a keynote speech for the annual conference for the International Society for Teacher Education on the importance of teachers in holistic education.
Since then Doreen Trees, Vice President of the AACC Board of Directors, has volunteered her time with Thuksel Early Childhood Learning Center, continuing the development of the program and teachers. Douglas Johnson, former President of the AACC Board of Directors, received a Fulbright Scholarship in 2014, working with the Royal University of Bhutan and furthering relationships with the Camp Rural-Urban Friendship Program.


Bond: Maths: No Nonsense : 9-10 Years Paperback
by Sarah Lindsay, Bond
Part of the Bond series
Bond is the number 1 provider of 11+ practice, helping millions of children improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
Bond No Nonsense Maths for 9-10 year-olds provides clear, straightforward teaching to help boost your child's confidence and ability in maths.
Divided into separate lessons that cover each key skill, this book takes your child through a learning sequence designed to reinforce and advance school learning, and setting children on the right path for 11+, SATs and Common Entrance test success.
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 64 pages, B/W
- Publisher: Oxford University Press
- Publication Date: 05/03/2015
- Category: Mathematics & numeracy
- ISBN: 9780192740496


Parental involvement in early childhood care and education : promoting children's sustainable access to early schooling through social-emotional and literacy development
Institute for Educational Development, East Africa
Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have predominantly rural populations living in low-resource settings, with their children frequently lacking sustainable access to early schooling. Sustainable access or the ability to access and progress through school without dropping out early, is a key factor in overcoming low socio-economic status and global Education for All goals underscore the importance of access to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) by declaring that learning begins at birth. Learning outcomes - norms, values, knowledge, skills - of primary education are stronger when learning begins in the years preceding regular schooling, but for children from low-resource settings the transition from home to school is fraught with barriers, such as the absence of parental participation in children's early literacy development and limited contextually relevant learning materials. Utilizing a descriptive analytical methodology and using research experiences and case examples from Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda, this article calls for the creation of an ambient literacy-rich environment in the home as well as in preschool, and argues that parents require empowerment if they are to support their children's social-emotional development and self-regulation and thereby provide them with better chances of effective literacy development and sustainable access to schooling.
Southern African Review of Education
Ngwaru, J. M.
(2012). Parental involvement in early childhood care and education : promoting children's sustainable access to early schooling through social-emotional and literacy development. Southern African Review of Education, 18(2), 25-40.
Available at: http://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_ied/18


Even though I’ve entitled this my 21st Century Educational Philosophy, many of my ideas are not new. They’ve been around for years because learning is not a new concept. The means by which individuals have attempted to reach levels of learning have varied.
From the earliest moments of systematic knowledge acquisition, Aristotle classified the pursuit of knowledge into three categories: the theoretical pursuit of truth for truth’s sake, the productive discipline of making things, and the practical discipline of making judgements. All of these disciplines point back to the individual learning for learning’s sake and transferring this knowledge into something useable that leads to action and yet guided by principles of what is good for all. Learning from that point forward encouraged the individual to pursue knowledge through inquiry that centered around the constructivist principle attaching meaning to learning outcomes or concepts. But somewhere along the way, education was restricted to the elite upper class, limiting many from accessing formal learning opportunities.
That was the past. As learning theories have swung like a pendulum over the years, we have moved into the 21st Century, and it is imperative that we base all educational philosophies upon proven theory of understanding and knowing truth (knowledge) that places the burden of learning squarely on the individual learner.
Much is being written about Personalized Learning, the 21st Century version of student-centered learning that places the learner at the centre of all learning experiences aided by technology to increase engagement. Some suggest that Personalized Learning is just another educational fad, but it has tremendous merits, for the following reasons:
- Learners developing skills, knowledge, and competencies that will benefit them in school and life,
- Outcomes and standards are established, and learners are supported in attaining these outcomes,
- Learners are supported in the construction of knowledge that links past and present knowledge with new outcomes in meaningful ways,
- Greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills for lifelong learning,
- Assisting learners in developing learning pathways based on intrinsic motivation that integrate personal values, interests, and goals,
- Each learner is considered unique, allowing flexibility of where, when and how they are able to learn,
- Engaging parents as an active and essential role of creating meaningful opportunities for the learner,
- Supporting teachers in their role as facilitators of learning through professional development, and Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s),
- Engage learners through technology connecting them to a world of information,
- Incorporating technology into the learning experience that embraces creativity as the highest order of thinking (illustrated below or click on link for larger view).


Seven Hills believes that the Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence, as taught through the classical model of the Trivium, supports each student’s ability to meet the highest academic standards.
SHPA uses the Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence for all grades, adapted to the unique learning and developmental needs of students as they grow and mature. The twin ideas behind Core Knowledge are that 1) knowledge builds on knowledge; and 2) every well-educated person shares this knowledge in common with others. The more we know, the more we are able to learn, and knowing is different from doing. This knowledge, shared in common with others, is necessary to ensure a sound, fair, and democratic elementary education for every child in America. A well-trained mind – knowing, understanding, and sharing the same information – unites us as citizens and makes all students equal, whatever their background.
Inspired and supported to produce extraordinary levels of achievement, our teachers work with students to take already mastered skills and foundational knowledge to the next phase of student ownership and expanded common learning.
Focus on Liberal Arts
In Latin, artes liberales – the liberal arts – are the subjects or skills that classical antiquity considered essential for a free person (Latin: liberal, “worthy of a free person”) to know in order to fully participate in civic life. Grammar, rhetoric, and logic were the core liberal arts and other subjects were added over time. Since the Middle Ages, western civilization has placed a high value on learning these subjects as a means of developing our own humanity and intellectual skills and of understanding our cultural heritage.
At SHPA, we study liberal arts and humanities courses both within the Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence and on their own as offerings in both schools to educate the whole person. Our liberal arts courses include:
- Arts (art, art history, and music)
- Science (life science, earth science, physical science)
- Physical Education
- Social Studies (history and geography)
- Socratic Seminar