An overview of our art curriculum
The Art offerings at Rock Point include three years of a hands on studio art curriculum inspired by artists, creative movements, and time periods in Art History. The senior year is a Studio Art curriculum. The goals of the Art Program are to expose students to the development of art and ideas about art through time, from cave drawings through contemporary art; to teach students how to use and care for various art materials and supplies; and to allow and encourage students to connect with their creative instincts. All students work on building a portfolio from their first day in class, both as a record of their own development as artists as well as for those who aspire to art school.
Also, please check out our online portfolio of student art.
Additional goals of the Art Program are as follows:
- to teach students to recognize and understand the major themes in Art History
- to give students a written and visual vocabulary with which they can communicate about art
- to help students connect the world of art to the ideas and themes in other parts of the curriculum
- to provide time and space for students to develop their skills and techniques
- to help students develop and maintain a well rounded portfolio
- to help integrate students’ lives and interests with the wider community through displaying their art both at school and in the community
- to provide time for, and to encourage, students’ participation in community art activities
The Beginnings of Art
This class covers the “beginnings of art,” including Paleolithic, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Environmental art. Some of the studio component projects that accompany this study include making a mosaic, mask-making, and designing and drawing a cartouche.
Art of the Middle Ages
This class covers art from the Middle Ages (early medieval to Gothic) and the Renaissance, with a focus on the Masters. Some of the studio components of this course include making a book of illuminations, Celtic knot, one point perspective, and watercolor designs of stained glass Cathedral windows.
This course covers Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art. Assignments include several acrylic-on-canvas works, Pointillism Postcards, and drip paintings. The focus of the class allows for more development of technique and drawing and painting skills.
Our highest-level art class follows a mixed curriculum with a focus on observation work that covers traditional drawing, collage, painting, watercolor, printing techniques (including block printing and silk screening), nontraditional mixed-media, and upcycled art. The seniors work as a group, orchestrating the behind the scenes efforts, as part of graciously hosting the Annual Rock Point School Art Show. This class is for non-artists and artists alike, and it is an opportunity for students who want to attend art school to work on portfolio requirements and begin to fill in gaps in their studio art education.


The V&A Archive
What is in the V&A Archive?
The institutional archives of the V&A and its predecessor organisations date from 1837 to the present day, providing a rich resource for the study of the history and influence of the Museum. The archives held include files relating to the acquisition of Museum objects; the organisation of V&A exhibitions; and the policies and development of the Museum. There are also inventories, ephemera and posters; photographs of the Museum, its objects and staff; volumes of press cuttings relating to the V&A and the art-world; architectural plans and models.
What can be researched at the V&A Archive?
- The acquisition and provenance of the V&A's objects and also details of objects lent to the Museum
- Information about specific individuals or institutions and their relationships with the V&A
- The work of the 'Art Referees', such as Walter Crane, William Morris etc.
- The histories and development of the V&A and its predecessors, including the Government School of Design, the Museum of Ornamental Art at Marlborough House and the South Kensington Museum
- The history of the V&A's branch museums the Museum of Childhood and the Theatre Museum, and its overseeing of the Ham, Osterley and Apsley Houses
- The architectural history of the V&A
- The V&A's corporate identity
- The history and work of specific Museum departments
- The V&A's staff
- Cultural developments and events with which the V&A was associated e.g. the international exhibitions of the nineteenth century or the progress of art education
- Particular periods of history or social history e.g. the V&A during wartime
- Museology in general
The following pages describe some popular topics of study relating to the V&A’s collections, buildings and history. They describe the books, manuscripts, photographs and other sources which are available in the V&A Archive, and offer some introductory guidance to their use.
How to find out more
Lists and indexes for the V&A Archive are not yet available online, although some files that include correspondence with renowned artists, designers and craftspeople are listed in the Artists' Papers Register
Current or recent information about the V&A is available through the Museum's Publication Scheme or may be requested in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. For further information see http://www.vam.ac.uk/about_va/freedom_info/index.html. Please be aware that some information, such as personal data or information supplied to the V&A in confidence, may be exempt from disclosure under the Act.
Further details of how to make enquiries and access the archives can be found on the Archives homepage
Please note that published resources relating to the V&A and its history are held in the National Art Library.
V&A Archive contact details:
23 Blythe Road,
Tel: +44 (0)20 7602 8832
Contact us online


In schools, impact, along with Ofsted, is probably one of the most commonly used words. But impact has always been a difficult word when you're trying to show the benefit of reading.
We all know that the more you read the more fluent you become, which in turn leads not only to increased literacy skills but also to improved attainment in all subjects. But, it seems, proof and evidence of this impact has eluded the reading profession for many years. This may be the reason why school libraries have been on the decline, with schools favouring to focus their energies on areas that can display this elusive impact.
At Monk's Walk School, Hertfordshire, we've worked on this area, knowing there must be some way a library can show the impact it has on literacy development. If this value and impact can be seen, not only does this move a library alongside other departments in a school but it may also go some way to holding back the decline of this vital resource.
We decided that for too long the library had been a department doing its own thing and that we needed to learn from other departments and the way they went about collecting and analysing data - to show impact.
We began by collecting KS2 data, SEND (special educational needs and development) info and anything else that would give us a better understanding of our year 7 students. But it wasn't just this hard data that was collected. We realised that with reading there were some really important factors; factors that could only come from soft data of interviews and opinions.
So, we devised a year 7 survey that would give us a better understanding of attitudes, and other factors, that could influence reading attainment. These surveys were completed during a 12-week program in the first term, working with students to instill a love of reading. Students completed raps to music, made book trailers and adverts and took part in other fun activities.
Once we had collated the surveys we looked at these alongside the other data we already have, including CATs (cognitive ability test) scores. From this we could start to judge whether we felt the students were at risk. This could be through weak literacy skills, KS2 or CATs scores but also, importantly, those students that have a poor attitude towards reading.
Being a reading professional, I know that if a student has a poor attitude to reading they will do very little of it. And there will be a point when the student will plateau and their chronological age will catch up and surpass their reading age. So having a negative attitude to reading becomes just as important as having poor CATs or KS2 results.
All the data we acquired appeared on a spreadsheet. For those students that we judged to need the most amount of help, we produced a literacy equivalent of an individual education plan (IEP). We use this with the form tutor, English teacher and parents to highlight certain strategies that can be used to help the student make the required progress.
Types of intervention and ideas range from the use of iPads, Kindles and other electronic devices to the use of blogs, guided reading, literacy leaders and the teaching of specific reading skills.
Using a Kindle, for example, is great for weaker readers who may have trouble reading a book with a double page spread - even if they are not dyslexic. If you watch a weaker reader read their eyes tend to wander off the sentence or even the paragraph. This is the same with a word they have noticed at the bottom of the page which they are worrying about. They either skip it or don't concentrate in anticipation for a word they know they will struggle with. This inhibits fluency as well as comprehension but with the Kindle being able to enlarge the text lowers the chances of this happening and so helps to increase fluency and comprehension and of course, confidence.
To be able to really show the impact these interventions have we need to continually collect data to evidence and track the improvements they have had.
Last year our tracking showed that at the beginning of the year 37% of students had a poor attitude to reading. Through our intervention program all of these students' attitudes had improved, with just under half going on to have an extremely positive attitude.
Our tracking has also produced specific reports for students eligible for free school meals and other important groups meaning not only is the library having a positive impact on these students but other departments are able to use our data in their planning and preparation.
Adam Lancaster is the associate assistant headteacher at Monk's Walk School in Welwyn Garden City. He has worked in school libraries for many years and has recently been announced as the School Library Association School Librarian of 2012.


That quote from renowned evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker pretty much sums up the official stance on music in this country. Anybody who has grown up with music knows that’s not true, but it’s sadly a convenient belief for school boards looking to save money. Over the past six years, since the dawn of the Great Recession, we have seen the quality and quantity of music programs plummet. School districts inFlorida, Kansas and Arizona have scaled their programs back to the extreme. In 2009, California diverted $109 million from music programs, resulting in closed music departments across half of California’s 10,000-plus public schools. Educators in New York City estimate that up to 85% of public school students have not received adequate musical instruction by the time they reach high school.
The crisis in music education is real. And there’s scientific evidence that we’re depriving our kids of tremendous cognitive benefits as a result.
Image Credit: woodleywonderworks/Flickr
Even a glance at the science proves these school boards wrong. An epic longitudinal study by researchers at the German Institute for Economic Research concluded in no uncertain terms that music training “improves cognitive and non-cognitive skills more than twice as much as sports, theater or dance.” All the way back in 1999, James Caterall, an arts education policy analyst at UCLA, found that students who studied music had higher grades, higher test scores, better attendance records and higher rates of community engagement than other students. We’ve known empirically for a long time what we’ve intuitively known for centuries: Music is good for you.
That has a neurological basis too. Mathematics, especially, are aided by music education because it targets a very specific set of brain activity: the development of spatial-temporal reasoning. Highly developed spatial-temporal faculties are imperative for working through solutions to the complex problems in fields such as architecture, engineering, science and, obviously, mathematics — fields that our country desperately needs more children to pursue if we’re to remain competitive in a globalized economy. Even more compellingly, UCLA’s study found that these benefits were even more pronounced in students from low-income families, proving once again that music education plays a major role in closing the achievement gap. Disadvantaged students who performed with their school band or orchestra were more than twice as likely to be performing at the highest levels of math than peers who did not receive musical training. Turns out there’s something to the “math rock” genre after all.
It isn’t all math. Music education also does major work on the language-processing parts of our brains. To learn to read, children need to have “good working memory, the ability to disambiguate speech sounds and make quick sound-to-meaning connection,” explains professor Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University. “Each one of these things really seems to be strengthened with active engagement in playing a musical instrument.” And once again, musical skills are absolutely essential to low-income students for whom English may be a second language — students who might otherwise struggle to keep up with their peers.
All those benefits persist long after a child stops taking lessons. Numerous longitudinal studies show that taking music lessons as a child increases brain plasticity, and can help men and women resist the effects of aging and cognitive decline. If you doubt it, just watch this viral video of a man pulling out of his dementia thanks to a familiar old song.
But music education isn’t only about shaping the brain. It helps develop the well-rounded people we most need in our society. Studies have also found that lower-income students who receive high levels of arts engagement are more civic-minded and are more likely to exercise their right to vote, do volunteer work, finish a bachelor’s degree and choose a professional career path.
Image Credit: National Endowment for the Arts
That’s why we need music education. It doesn’t exist in a bubble; it isn’t useless. Music gives kids the cognitive abilities they need to succeed in life. Not only that, it closes the achievement gap between classes that has long plagued our schools. It gives kids confidence, cognitive abilities and imagination. Why would you cut that? After all, what better things can an education provide.
Kristen Rencher Nuss, Social Media and Online Community Engagement Coordinator. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)


Published: Jan 09, 2013
Today’s workers need strong abilities in reading, writing, numeracy, and computers if they are to adapt to rapidly evolving industries. Yet 27 percent of New Orleans’ workforce may lack these literacy skills—a rate higher than the U.S. and many other cities. Workforce development is the next logical priority in our efforts to develop a robust economy that can compete with the likes of Raleigh, NC and Houston, TX. Creating an effective workforce development system will require high level leadership and a sustained commitment from economic development organizations, employers, educators, trainers, support service organizations, and Workforce Investment Boards.
Today’s adult workers need a broader and stronger set of skills than they have in the past, and they must continually update their skills if they are to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies and industries. Literacy skills—including reading, writing, numeracy, and computer skills—are the foundational skills workers need to respond to this changing environment. And soft skills, including social skills and work habits, are becoming increasingly important as many jobs require direct interactions with consumers or teamwork to solve complex problems.
Two recent studies from the Brookings Institution found that there is a gap between the skills required by jobs (including job openings) in the New Orleans metro and the skills supplied by the metro labor pool. Improvement of K–12 education is essential in addressing this problem, but will take decades to fully take effect. For example, in New Orleans, even if there’s a significant in–migration of young professionals, fully two–thirds of the city’s 2025 labor pool will be adults who are already working–age New Orleanians—well past the reach of K–12 schools.
The best available data suggests that 27 percent of New Orleans’ current working–age population are low–skilled and likely low–literate. While New Orleans has a smaller share of low–skilled working–age adults than cities like Memphis and Detroit, New Orleans has a significantly larger share of low–skilled adults than cities like Raleigh and Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans regional economy continues to shift toward knowledge–based industries with middle– and high–skilled jobs projected to account for over half of all job openings by 2020. Strengthening and targeting workforce development efforts toward current job openings and growth industries will be key to reducing the region’s current and future skills gap.
High level economic development leadership can bring together employers in emerging industry clusters with education institutions, training providers, support service providers, and Workforce Investment Boards to identify and solve specific workforce challenges. Importantly, these industry–led alliances can advocate for new ways to make use of a broader range of funding streams to accomplish their goals. With shrinking government coffers, it will take pooling of more flexible dollars to address workforce training needs. Importantly, this work will require a sustained leadership commitment, because there are no quick fixes. Other regions have recognized the importance of making workforce skill building among their highest priorities with impressive results. There is no doubt that New Orleanians, working together, can accomplish the same.


How to Respect Yourself and Others : How to Respect Yourself and Others By: Sonya Lewis
ED 205 Sec 01 Home Page : Home Page About me
Darlene Zagata’s 7 rules
How to treat others with respect
Respect the school
How to respect the school
Video clip on respect
Song Clip of Aretha Franklin
Resource page Quit About Me : About Me My name is Sonya Lewis. I am from Ann Arbor, MI, and I attend Grand Valley State University. I am going into Elementary Education with an English Major. I love being around kids and learning from them. I know that students will get a lot out of my interactive powerpoint on respect in the classroom.
Respect is a very important lesson for kids to learn at an early age. I think having an interactive powerpoint that students can explore will help them acquire ideas about what it means to have respect. I will use this in my classroom the first week of school in order to show students that my classroom is a place where we respect ourselves, each other, and the school. This powerpoint will also give students a taste of the technology that we will be using in the classroom.
I would love to hear your opinions and advice, so feel free to email me at my email listed on the link below.
Email me Quit Respect Yourself : Respect Yourself Having self respect builds confidence and creates a positive attitude.
When you respect yourself others will respect you.
If you do not respect yourself, how can other people respect you? Quit Darlene Zagata’s 7 rules for self respect : Darlene Zagata’s 7 rules for self respect 1. Be confident
2. Focus on your strengths
3. Treat others with respect and you will gain self respect
4. Have a positive environment
5. Choose friends wisely
6. Be a leader, not a follower
7. Work to improve yourself Quit Respect Others : Respect Others Respecting others makes the world a nicer place to be in!
Treat others as you would want to be treated. Quit How to treat others with respect : How to treat others with respect 1. Don't insult people or make fun of them.2. Listen to others when they speak.3. Value other people's opinions.4. Be considerate of people's likes and dislikes.5. Don't mock or tease people.6. Don't talk about people behind their backs.7. Be sensitive to other people's feelings.8. Don't pressure someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do. Quit Respect the School : Respect the School Make the school a fun and safe environment by being respectful! Quit How to respect the school according to Gray’s News : How to respect the school according to Gray’s News Being thoughtful and careful with other people
Using kind words and actions Quit Video Clip : Video Clip Click on the photo to view the video. Quit Song of respect : Song of respect Aretha Franklin’s Respect song
Click on link above to hear Aretha Franklin’s Song Quit Resources : Resources Zagata, Darlene. “How to Respect yourself.” <http://www.ehow.com/how_4457536_respect-yourself.html>.
“Teaching guide: respecting others.” <http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/RespectingOthers.html>.
Gray Center Sun News. “Showing Respect at School.” <http://graycenter.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/showing-respect-at-school/>.


During the Pre-Prep years, mornings are spent learning the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic with time included for outdoor play, weather permitting. After lunch play, the boys become involved in a variety of activities covering a wide range of curriculum areas. In total the boys study English, Mathematics, Science, ICT, Design Technology (DT), Music, PE, History, Geography, Art, Music, PE, ICT and RE.
The focus of our curriculum is to ensure that our boys develop the essential literacy and numeracy skills from an early age, alongside a variety of subjects that will extend their knowledge and understanding as well as their creativity.
- develop their basic skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening;
- gain understanding in a broad range of subjects;
- learn to play together and develop effective learning strategies;
- be provided with opportunities to develop leadership skills.
Homework is gradually introduced to the boys, starting in the Reception class, and is intended to extend learning that takes place in the classroom, as well as fostering vital independent learning skills. Boys will take home reading books each day to share with parents and to read independently.
Please click here to visit the Academic section within the General Information section of the website where you will find more details on the Academic life of the school as a whole
To find the Curriculum Leaflet for a particular year group during this current term please click the tab on the left.


The Mobile Classroom
Dancing With Technology
Dance Program professors use mobile technology to create practice videos for students, teach anatomy, and as a portal for online resources and classroom lectures – leaving them with more time to work with students in the dance studio. Find out more by watching videos showing the student perspective and the faculty perspective on mobile tech in the dance classroom, or read the article in GoForward Magazine.
Comics & Basic Comp
Teaching to Learn
Seton Hill students who are studying to become teachers used their iPads to connect with children in the University’s Child Development Center. The students and children worked on a variety of skills by using educational apps. "They say it, hear it, touch it, see it, all while combining imagination, technology and fine motor and verbal skills, and incorporating the early learning standards,” said Kathleen Harris, Ph.D., assistant professor of education. (Dr. Harris has also created a virtual Child Development Center on Seton Hill’s Second Life island.) The experience is also enriching for the university students as it provides a real-time practicum and the opportunity to use mobile technology to teach and to learn.
A Lab in an App
To meet the challenge of growing enrollment in the sciences Demetra Czegan Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, partnered with Quinto Martin of Seton Hill’s Center for Innovative Teaching to create an interactive digital magazine that provides every resource her Chemistry 111 Quantitative Analysis Lab 1 students could need. The magazine, when opened on the iPad, looks like a well-loved spiral bound graph-paper notebook, filled with penciled notes and diagrams, photos and reference materials. Once downloaded by the students it operates just like an app, and new content added by Czegan can be accessed any time with a simple app update.
Art Authority For iPad App Makes Educational Debut At Seton Hill
Art Authority for iPad provides access to images and information on more than 40,000 paintings and sculptures, organized by artist name and artistic period. Students and faculty members in Seton Hill art history and modern art courses used the app for the first time as part of a pilot project during the fall of 2010. (Assistant Professor of Art Maureen Vissat has since made it part of her curriculum.) Graphic design major Casey Shannon became so involved with the app he served as a summer intern for its creator, Open Door Networks. “You learn from other artists,” he says. “When I’m painting, I can look something up, zoom in, and really see the technique. As an art student, that makes all the difference.”
Music Students Embrace iPad with all Ten Fingers
Music majors represented some of the first students at Seton Hill to embrace the iPad not just for what it can do for them as students, but for what it can do for them in their future careers. Seton Hill music education majors became so quickly familiar with the iPad resources available to musicians and music teachers that they made presentations on the topic at the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association 2011 spring conference and at an iTeach event co-hosted by Apple for Pittsburgh-area educators. “One of the best features of the iPad is that the teacher and student can have all of the necessary tools in one place,” said music education major John Olearchick. “The only thing it does not do for us is play the instrument!”


The performing arts have been proven to increase a child's mind. Yet sports keep the mind and body strong. This is a debate that has being going on for the past 20 years. On whether funding should be used to fund sports or the performing arts. People argue for both sides. Today I am arguing for the performing arts.
Music education being the right of all children it must be taught in appropriate ways suggested by the geographical cultural and social environment (3). And yes, that is true. Every child should have the write to experience. Every person, in every culture is introduced to some form of music. Whether a person lives in Asia, Africa, Italy, or the USA. That person is introduced to the kind of music in that culture. But scientists have said time after time that "Music lessons appear to strengthen the links between brain neutrons and build new spatial reasoning, says psychologist, Frances Rauscher of University of California-Irving.
The thought of teaching music in schools did not even begin until the late 1970's. According to Bill Ivey who is the Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts " By the late 1970's, we began to realize that along with scientific knowledge and physical fitness, we needed to feed the imagination of students with arts (Ivey, 56)." Which says something about the United States. This country is always saying how everything is done for the future of this country, the children. Then, how come the idea of teaching music wasn't thought of till then?
But at least the USA decided to mandate that the arts be taught in schools from elementary to high school. "Not just in elementary schools or in high schools as electives, but as a comprehensive, sequential curriculum taught by qualified teachers, beginning with pre-school instruction and continuing with required courses for high school graduation (Ivey, 55)." Later, into the 1980's the United States slowly...


Culturally relevant arts education for social justice : a way out of no way
- New York : Routledge, 2013.
- Physical description
- xiii, 243 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
LC191.4 .C84 2013
- Unknown LC191.4 .C84 2013
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Contents Preface Introduction: Culturally Relevant Arts Education for Social Justice Mary Stone Hanley Section I: Models of the Arts as Social Justice Section Introduction 1 Storytelling for Social Justice: Creating Arts-Based Counter-Stories to Resist Racism 2 Theater as Ritual for Healing and Social Change 3 Scratching the Imagination: Siglo XXIII and the AHA-AJA Museum for Planetary and Global Citizenship 4 Documentary Theatre in Education: Empathy Building as a Tool for Social Change 5 What the Music Said: Hip Hop as a Transformative Educational Tool 6 The Arts and Juvenile Justice Education: Unlocking the Light through Youth Arts and Teacher Development 7 Pushing Against the Water: Artists and Sense of Place Museum Residency Program in New Orleans 8 Picturing Equity in City Schools: Using Photography to See What Justice Means to Urban High School Students 9 Editing Lives: The Justice of Recognition through Documentary Film Production 10 Tackling Homophobia and Heterosexual Privilege in the Media Arts Classroom: A Teacher's Account 11 Exploring Arts-Based Inquiry for Social Justice in Graduate Education Section II Section Introduction 12 Narrowing in on the Answers: Dissecting Social Justice Art Education 13 From the Plantation to the Margin: Artful Teaching and the Sociological Imagination 14 The Beauty Parlour Within Me 15 African American Children, Arts of Africa and the Diaspora, and the Right to Freedom of Thought 16 Closure: A Critical Look at the Foreclosure Crisis in Words and Images 17 The Studio: an Environment for the Development of Social Justice in Teaching and Learning 18 Embody the Dance, Embrace the Body Closing Gilda Sheppard About the Authors.
- (source: Nielsen Book Data)
- Publisher's Summary
- A groundswell of interest has led to significant advances in understanding and using Culturally Responsive Arts Education to promote social justice and education. This landmark volume provides a theoretical orientation to these endeavors. Examining a range of efforts across different forms of art, various educational settings, and diverse contexts, it foregrounds the assets of imagination, creativity, resilience, critique and cultural knowledge, working against prevailing understandings of marginalized groups as having deficits of knowledge, skills, or culture. Emphasizing the arts as a way to make something possible, it explores and illustrates the elements of social justice arts education as "a way out of no way" imposed by dominance and ideology. A set of powerful demonstrations shows how this work looks in action. Introductions to the book as a whole and to each section focus on how to use the chapters pedagogically. The conclusion pulls back the chapters into theoretical and pedagogical context and suggests what needs done to be done practically, empirically, and theoretically, for the field to continue to develop.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
- Included Work
- Bell, Lee Anne, 1949- Storytelling for social justice.
- Publication date
- edited by Mary Stone Hanley, George W. Noblit, Gilda L. Sheppard, Tom Barone.


thanks for information, have more information of nonformal education? please send me..http://han i.centerblog.
Par Hani, le 17.07.2012
thanks for sharing with urgent information! :)
Par Ilze, le 21.10.2011
what is information technology? wh at are the advantages and disadvantages of it in schools? what are the chal
Par mugenyi david, le 18.02.2010
keep on like this.
Par adil , le 09.02.2010
hi safae, well done, go on. this is a great article. thank s a lot
Par Anonyme, le 09.02.2010
Abonnement au blog
Date de création : 02.02.2010
Dernière mise à jour : 10.02.2010
Definition of formal, non-formal and informal learning
• Formal learningtakes place in education and training institutions, leading to recognised diplomas and qualifications.
• Non-formallearning takes place alongside the mainstream systems of education and training and does not typically lead to formalised certificates. Non-formal learning may be provided in the workplace and through the activities of civil society organisations and groups (such as in youth organisations, trades unions and political parties). lt can also be provided through organisations or services that have been set up to complement formal systems (such as arts, music and sports classes or private tutoring to prepare for examinations).
• Informal learningis a natural accompaniment to everyday life. Unlike formal and non-formal learning, informal learning is not necessarily intentional learning, and so may well not be recognised even by individuals themselves as contributing to their knowledge and skills.
Until now, formal learning has dominated policy thinking, shaping the ways in which education and training are provided and colouring people‘s understandings of what counts as learning. The continuum of lifelong learning brings non-formal and informal learning more fully into the picture. Non-formal learning, by definition, stands outside schools, colleges, training centres and universities. lt is not usually seen as ‘real‘ learning, and nor do its outcomes have much currency value on the labour market. Non-formal learning is therefore typically undervalued.
But informal learning is likely to be missed out of the picture altogether, although it is the oldest form of learning and remains the mainstay of early childhood learning. The fact that microcomputer technology has established itself in homes before it has done so in schools underlines the importance of informal learning. Informal contexts provide an enormous learning reservoir and could be an important source of innovation for teaching and learning methods.


One-hundred men reading program spreads to south
Fourteen men gathered in the teacher’s lounge of HOB Elementary School in Milton as Greg Fuller, the organizer of the 100 Men Reading Program for Sussex County, assigned a grade, a classroom, and a bag full of books to each. Unlike many educational initiative programs today, the literacy development program was not only designed for children, but by an adolescent just like themselves.
At 12 years old and a Reading Assist Institute alumnus, Imani Henry co-authored Macy’s Reading is Fundamental (RIF) grant with the dream to have 100 men go to schools up and down the state of Delaware and read to children in grades kindergarten through third grade. The program has grown in northern Delaware, and on June 5, Imani’s idea spread to Sussex County with the inaugural reading program at HOB Elementary.
The program lasted about an hour, with men of all ages and backgrounds volunteering to read to the kindergarten, first grade and second grade classrooms. Their books included the well-known favorites such as Dr. Seuss and other more educational options that taught about volcanoes and animals.
Many of the men coaxed the students to interact during the readings by raising their hands to make observations or to ask questions, which encouraged the kids to become more involved in their own learning process.
As their time came to an end, the men allowed the children to select their own books to take home, hoping they would be more likely to read if the books they selected were based on their own interests.
While the goal for the program is to have 100 men involved across the state at all times, Greg has his own goals specifically for Sussex County. In the near future, he wishes to reach 100 members in Sussex County alone, saying “It’s a big goal, but I believe I can get to it.” With the success of Milton’s HOB Elementary School as a stepping stone for the program in lower Delaware, many more reading days should be in the future.


Every child deserves a strong start. Yet almost half of America's kindergartners enter school unprepared, with at-risk & impoverished children already 1-2 years behind.
Graduating from high school can be predicted reasonably well by the level of reading skills at the end of grade 3. That’s why Imagination Library is such an important program under our strongstart initiative. This innovative partnership with the Dollywood Foundation offers free books every month to children under five years old. Click here to learn more about Imagination Library.
UNITED WAY WORKS TO ELIMINATE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP BEFORE KINDERGARTEN
The positive significance of a high quality early childhood experience to a child's future success is well documented.
United Way is targeting resources to improving quality early Childhood learning in the region. We are investing dollars, taking a leadership role and finding creative ways to partner with others to ensure all children are ready for school in our region.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WAY THE BRAIN DEVELOPS
Infant and toddler brain nerve cells are formed and connected every time the child is exposed to a human interaction or event in the environment. We literally have the ability to shape a child’s brain for success.
A child’s first teacher is family. That’s why United Way supports Born Learning, a public engagement campaign helping families, caregivers and communities build early learning for young children. When adults interact with children– talking, singing, and playing rhyming games – they stimulate language and vocabulary development and build important foundations for learning to read. Born Learning offers fun activities for parents and caregivers to engage their child.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS LEADING THE WAY
United Way is actively involved in early childhood and educational aspects in all of our communities.
Community plans have been developed in Stamford and Danbury to ensure that all children are ready for school, and United Way has been a key partner and leader in this process. Plans include a broad range of strategies such as improving literacy among children and their families, ensuring that the transition to school is successful, and encouraging participation in high quality preschools.
The annual Early Childhood Fair has become an event families look forward to Stamford. United Way installs a Born Learning Trail that gets children moving and learning in a fun way.
FOR A STRONG START READ EARLY, OFTEN & EVERYWHERE!
United Way is asking everyone to pledge to read to the children in their life. So take the pledge, join the cause, share your favorite childhood book, and change a child's future!
▪ Take the Pledge and Share Your Favorite Childhood Book
▪ Join the Cause


Forward and Up “Forward and up!” These words give more than a direction. These words describe a state of mind. Dr. Laura Medesky challenged many students and faculty in Maranatha’s Music Department during a specialized workshop given on campus. The Alexander Technique provides a way to develop more awareness and control in everyday activities and is applicable to many people, especially musicians. Musicians who have struggled with back/neck pain, wrist issues, muscle problems, voice hoarseness etc. have eliminated these problems through Alexander Technique. Alexander Technique emphasizes freedom vs. relaxation, poise vs. posture, and tone vs. tension.
Medesky demonstrated how posture affects the length of the back. When thinking about lengthening the back and the “forward and up” concept, it is even possible to be taller. Justin Landers, a senior Piano Performance major who happens to be slightly “height-challenged,” is encouraged that he could be another three-fourths of an inch taller by simply being more aware of the “forward and up” concept—a concept which initiates the release and lengthening of the spine.
Many students felt that the hands-on activities allowed them to understand more about the purpose of the technique. Students were able to feel the results within their own bodies. Senior Music Education flute major, Leasha Folk, said that presentation has made her more conscious about freeness in her flute playing rather than solely focusing on making a good sound from her instrument.
Medesky also demonstrated inhibition, that is, inhibiting habits. All in attendance were instructed in how to “not pick up a chair.” The chair activity helped participants discover how most people have the habit of caving in to the inanimate object when picking it up. By thinking “forward and up,” the habit can be inhibited. Other activities to help one become aware of inhibition and develop sensory appreciation include brushing teeth with the opposite hands, putting pants on with the opposite leg/coat with the opposite arm, and switching hands when reaching for something.
Because Alexander Technique is not a quick fix, some Maranatha musicians are considering taking lessons to learn how to effectively apply the technique to their playing. After the workshop, Dr. David Ledgerwood, Music Department Chair, said that he has been practicing the “forward and up” concept while he is in choir rehearsals and is becoming more aware of what he is doing. Written by Melissa Aurand Haese, Piano Pedagogy Major. Edited by Janet Tschida.


The sixth edition of the EFA Global Monitoring Report marks the midterm point in the international commitment to provide a quality education to all by 2015. It assesses progress towards expanding early childhood learning programmes, achieving free and universal primary education, realizing gender parity and gender equality in education, reducing adult illiteracy and improving education quality. It highlights innovative projects and strategies, and underscores the urgency of pushing forward with a common agenda for action.
The 2008 Report notes some real gains, especially in getting more children into primary school. Many governments have taken measures to reduce the cost of schooling and tackle obstacles to girls' education. But great challenges remain. There are not enough schools, teachers and learning materials. Poverty and disadvantage remain a major barrier for millions of children and youth. Policies exist that address both access and quality, but they require much bolder action, from the earliest age, to reach the most vulnerable groups and dramatically expand literacy programmes for youth and adults.
With statistical indicators on all levels of education in over 200 countries and territories as well as an in-depth analysis of international aid to education, it offers a valuable reference and working tool for policy makers and planners, education specialists, development experts, advocacy groups and those working in bilateral and multilateral agencies.
Also available in the Education on the Move series
Education for All Global Monitoring Report – 2013/4 Teaching and Learning: Achieving quality for all
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2012 Youth and Skills: Putting Education to Work
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2011 The hidden crisis: Armed conflict and education
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2010 Reaching the marginalized
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2009 Overcoming Inequality: Why Governance Matters
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2005 The Quality Imperative
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2003/4 Gender and Education for All: the Leap to Equality
Education for All Global Monitoring Report - 2002 Education for All - Is the World on Track?


ISD 196: Inspiring young minds
How much can a list of words tell you about a student's academic potential? Apparently, plenty.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon at Shannon Park Elementary School students in Barb Renneke's third grade class are making such a list. They're coming up with items that go up and down. There are no other rules. And the things the students come up with reflect that.
"Bath water," one student announces when students are given a chance to share their lists. "Bugs," says another. "Vertical," adds a third.
It seems simple enough, but these lists and a handful of other evaluations conducted throughout the year's first trimester will help teachers identify a dozen or so students for a new program designed to provide enrichment opportunities to a population of students who show potential but have not done well enough on tests to qualify for the district's Gifted and Talented program for high achievers.
Called Young Scholars, the program is in its second year in ISD 196 elementary schools, but its first year being implemented districtwide. Five district elementary schools offered Young Scholars on a pilot basis last year.
"The goal of the program is to find students that have academic potential and give them some enrichment opportunities in the hopes they would maybe someday qualify for the Gifted and Talented programs," said Carol Hanson, who teaches both the Gifted and Talented and Young Scholars programs at Shannon Park Elementary.
The program got its start four years ago with a conversation between elementary education director Julie Olson and federal rule implementation director Jane Berenz. The district had just completed a study that showed the population of its Gifted and Talented program was less diverse than its overall student population. It had also just been named to a list of schools identified by the state as racially imbalanced because of large minority populations at a pair of elementary schools. Olson and Berenz wanted to find a way to balance things out.
"Our mission is helping children to reach their full potential," Olson said this week. "I think there were students who, for one reason or another, weren't achieving potential that was there."
A group of district employees examined a number of programs and ended up modifying one in use in the Fairfax County, Va., School District.
The Young Scholars program that came out of that process uses a series of evaluations in the year's first trimester -- in addition to the word lists students have been asked to create a new cereal, complete with packaging, or to come up with analogies -- to identify a dozen or so students in each grade who show creativity and the skills teachers think they need to excel.
Teachers also observe their students during regular lessons, using a checklist to note traits like creativity and academic initiative.
Exactly what they're looking for -- what constitutes creativity -- is a little bit open for interpretation.
"We're not exactly 100 percent sure," Hanson said. "We're looking for students that you wouldn't normally pick out as the high-achieving students."
Once the students have been identified they will be pulled out of class from time to time during the second and third trimester for enrichment activities like math or reading games. Students who took part in last year's pilot program also got invited to a Young Scholars summer camp that offered lessons on geology and field trips to the Mississippi River, among other places.
Those programs are designed to get students excited about learning. Get their attention in elementary school, the theory goes, and they'll do better in middle school, high school and beyond.
"In middle school we'll hopefully see them taking advanced courses. In high school they'll be taking the AP courses," said Mary Osmundson, who teaches the Young Scholars program at Rosemount Elementary and Diamond Path. "It really does start at the elementary level to become engaged and be pushed and have those higher-level experiences."
So far, the program seems to be working. Teachers find themselves working with students they might not have noticed as much before and the performance of students involved in Young Scholars is improving even outside of the program.
"There's kids that, immediately teachers would say their whole attitude about learning changed," Johnson said. "That they pictured themselves in a different way and tried harder."
Several students identified for the Young Scholar program last year have qualified for the Gifted and Talented program this year and Hanson sees a clear connection.
"They get to feel like they're smart. Special. Part of something," she said. "They get the Young Scholar label. That sounds pretty good."


Teaching Discipline in Elementary Schools: Responsive Classroom Provides New Professional Development Resource
October 19, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information, contact:
Turners Falls, MA—Positive behavior enables maximum student learning, and positive behavior can be taught. That is a key principle of the Responsive Classroom approach to elementary education. Now, with Teaching Discipline in the Classroom, the newest professional development kit from Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc., schools and districts can conduct their own structured, multi-session, school-based study of how to teach discipline and positive behavior. Using the classic book Rules in School: Teaching Discipline in the Responsive Classroom, teachers learn practical strategies and study videos of real teachers using the strategies in their own classrooms.
Mary Beth Forton, Rules in School co-author, says, "Discipline is a subject that can be taught just as we teach reading, writing, and math."
Using the professional development kit, teachers learn to:
- Establish a calm, orderly, and safe learning environment
- Help children develop self-control and self-discipline
- Teach children to be responsible, contributing members of a community
- Promote respectful and kind teacher-student and student-student interactions.
Forton adds that "teachers need professional development resources to use in their own school or district so they can learn with colleagues. The kit provides a structure that encourages teachers to go into more depth than an informal book study group typically allows."
The new multimedia kit, third in a series, is modeled on the Morning Meeting Kit, a 2009 winner of the Association of Educational Publishers' Golden Lamp Award. Judges commented, "You can take the kit right off the shelf and use it. Excellent reproducible materials." Priced at $695, Teaching Discipline in the Classroom is a reusable resource that enables school teams to learn the principles of effective classroom management together.
Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (NEFC), a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1981 by elementary school educators who envisioned a way of teaching that would bring together academic and social learning throughout the school day. That way of teaching, called the Responsive Classroom approach, is now being used in schools across the country.
Return to the Responsive Classroom Media Room


Dinosaurs have always been a favourite with my daughter and from the moment she popped this box on her head (well before we painted it) she was already in dinosaur mode.
Start with a cardboard box cut in a helmet style shape to fit on your child's head. We used a box from the supermarket that they use to display some foods so it was already this shape.
Choose a base colour for your dinosaur and get painting. Maddie wanted green.
Manipulating the 3-dimensional shape to paint all the sides required concentration and coordination. Whoops, watch the thumb :)
While the box was drying it was time to make some spikes. I pre-cut the spikes out of cardboard and let Madeline choose the colours she wanted the spikes to be. I then labelled them with the name and colour to encourage literacy development.
I then put out the paints we would need but only in Primary Colours (and white) in order to involve some colour mixing and problem solving. Which colours needed to be mixed in order to get the chosen colours for the spikes?
We decided the easiest way to do it was to paint with the Primary Colours first. The ones that didn't need to be mixed.
While painting the other side of the cardboard (which had some printing on it) she discovered that you could still see the printing through the paint. It was then we decided that some may need a 2nd coat.
So that we didn't have to wait for 1 side to dry before painting the other side, we propped the spikes up like this so one side wouldn't stick to the paper. The splits in the bottom are needed for attaching the spikes to the box later.
Now it was time for colour mixing! Red and white for the pink
Deciding her purple needed a bit more red
Here we discussed using the lighter colour as the base and adding in little bits of the darker colour at a time to get the desired colour.
Once the spikes dried I cut a slit the same width as the spike in the cardboard box
You then push the spike through and split the 2 tabs and tape to the underside of the box
They will then look like this
- To simplify this activity, leave out the colour mixing or problem solving part and just provide Primary coloured paints for the spikes. Focus on the fine motor skills and then the imaginative play.
- To extend this activity, let your child help with the cutting out or tracing of the triangles for the spikes. You could also test their reading and recognition by writing the colours for each spike in black and working out which colour to paint each spike together. eg "Which spike will you be painting orange? What sound can you hear at the start of the word, "orange?" Which letter makes the "o" sound? Can you see a spike with that letter at the start of a word?" etc
- Make your child aware of the problem solving they are doing. "You wanted to make an orange spike but we don't have any orange paint. How will we get orange?" "This orange looks quite reddish, which colour should we add more of to get the orange shade you're after? etc
- Use this time to talk about dinosaurs, when and how they lived, how they behaved etc depending on your child's interests.


Here is a great article from guest blogger Lisa Pemerton on art education. Sharing ideas like this is important because it relates to interdisciplinary common core subject matter. This project is showing what is possible and how art can be made to have a lasting impression.
LISA PEMBERTON | Staff writer • The Olympian—Published September 04, 2012 Creative Commons License 4.0 Attribution
Mariah Art students installed a mural about the life cycle of a salmon last week at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge’s Environmental Education Center.
“I’m really proud of it,” said 12-year-old Ellison Roycroft, a seventh-grader at Griffin School. “The colors are really vibrant.”
About 25 students worked on the project that involved 180 4-inch-by-4-inch hand-painted ceramic tiles, said Diane Gaile, the school’s owner and director.
“The children drew individual pictures and the teachers put together the composition,” she said. “It’s all original. They painted all of the animals that are on it.”
Mariah Art is a licensed child care center on Olympia’s west side. In addition to offering pre-kindergarten and after-school elementary art classes, the center operates day camps when school is not in session.
Gaile, 62, has a bachelor’s degree in education and is state-certified in art education for grades kindergarten through high school. She opened the school about 25 years ago, at a time when public school teaching jobs were scarce.
“A girlfriend of mine talked me into starting art classes in my garage,” she said with a chuckle.
Mariah Art operated out of a studio in downtown Olympia for several years before moving to its current location across from Garfield Elementary School. It offers programs in visual arts such as drawing and ceramics, as well as performing arts such as theater and music.
For many years, Mariah Art students have visited the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge for field trips to view, sketch and learn about birds, plants and animals in the region, Gaile said.
About five years ago, at the suggestion of a former Mariah Art student who was working at the refuge as an AmeriCorps member, Gaile and her students produced a mural of handmade tiles, as a gift for the refuge.
The children’s art work was used as a prominent element in the refuge’s new education building.
“The architect said he’d use the mural,” Gaile said. “We didn’t know it would be on the front entrance.”
Since then, the school has created four other large murals for the refuge. And they’re planning to create at least two more next year, Gaile said.
The murals serve as a hands-on lesson about art, nature, collaboration and Northwest heritage. But they’re also a chance for the kids to create something that will last for generations, Gaile said.
“I said, ‘You’ll be taking your kids to see this,’” she said.


Shaban Ladeu has taught at Haddow Primary School in Maridi, Western Equatoria, since 2001. A teacher since 1981, Shaban is a dedicated educator; until the Government of Southern Sudan began paying teachers’ salaries this year, Shaban worked without remuneration, only occasionally receiving a small allowance culled from students’ tuition fees. The 80 students in his first grade class range in age from 6 to 12, and most began their formal education only this year. Many have just returned to Maridi with their families, who fled to other parts of the country during Sudan’s long civil war. Shaban teaches his classes in Juba Arabic, the only language common among his students, who are from a range of different tribes and linguistic groups.
Unlike many other schools in the area which conduct lessons under a tree, Haddow holds its classes in a school room built in 2003—one of the many recent signs of positive change in Southern Sudan. The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the years of war between the North and South; the establishment of the Southern Sudan Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MOEST) is helping build long-term capacity in the educational system; a new primary school curriculum is standardizing what students learn; and the payment of salaries is helping retain experienced teachers and attract new ones. But in his daily work, Shaban says the biggest transformation came through the introduction of the Learning Village education programs developed by EDC in collaboration with the MOEST.
Part of USAID’s effort to improve education in Southern Sudan, Learning Village uses the radio to reach learners, broadcasting daily lessons in local language literacy, English literacy, and mathematics. Shaban participated in EDC’s interactive radio instruction (IRI) training in March, along with 32 other first and second grade teachers from the Maridi area. To date, 542 teachers have been trained throughout Southern Sudan. The training focuses on how to operate the shortwave radio and deliver the radio lessons in the classroom. Already knowledgeable in course content, Shaban says that the greatest impact the Learning Village training program had on him was its affect on how he approaches teaching. Shaban’s former teaching style consisted of standing in front of the group, talking to them and writing information on the board while the students copied it. He remembers that he used to be stricter and more serious, tending to use traditional discipline in the classroom to achieve control. He also says his students were disruptive, disorganized, and inattentive.
But with the tools and training from the EDC program, Shaban says he has learned to be a better teacher. He prepares more effectively for each lesson, presenting lessons more systematically and creatively and soliciting the class’ active participation. His students work in pairs and small groups, and they participate in discussions and competitions that Shaban develops to encourage them to demonstrate what they are learning. As a result, he says, “My pupils are eager to attend, pay close attention to me and the radio teacher, and best of all, they do much better in their school work.” For example, Shaban had never taught his students songs before, but he has found that singing helps the children to remember their lessons and have fun learning. He says that his students can read better than ever before—they can identify letters and read words in the local language, and have increased their English vocabulary and comprehension better and faster than any other group of students he has taught. Enjoying lessons is a totally new concept for Shaban. “I used to think that school should be a place for discipline and obedience. Now I understand that children should have fun learning.”
Teachers in other grades have started to copy Shaban’s approach, and not only do they like the new methods, but their students also enjoy learning and parents have become enthusiastic fans as well. News of the program has spread throughout the area and parents have started to transfer their children into Haddow so that they too can benefit from this new approach toward teaching and learning.
Originally published on December 1, 2006


This project was an Australian Government initiative to identify effective practices to support literacy development in low SES primary schools. It was implemented in conjunction with the Australian Primary Principals Association, Griffith University and the Australian Catholic University. It involved 60 primary school principals from low SES schools from the Government, Catholic and Independent sectors in Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland.
The project had an initial emphasis on five modules, which were delivered in a series of professional development workshops. These workshops linked to supported activities in schools, implementation tasks with related materials and online communications. The modules were designed so that principals could use the material for professional learning with their teachers and for the development of the schools as professional learning communities.
Literacy Achievement Advisors were appointed in each state and territory to support principals in putting their new knowledge and skills into action and to provide consistency in the data gathering on the implementation of the project.
Surveys and interviews demonstrated significant improvements in principal and teacher knowledge of the reading process and how to teach it. In the relatively short timeframe of the intervention, student achievement also showed improvements in a range of literacy areas. Emeritus Professor John MacBeath from the University of Cambridge, an external evaluator, made the following comments:
"This is a highly impressive piece of work offering demonstrable benefits to principals, teachers, support staff and to students".
"This study is not only impressive in its reach and rigour but has a great deal to say to school leaders and teachers about the art of the possible, even in the least propitious of circumstances".


External Web sites
- Boston University Physics Department - Understanding the atom
- British Broadcasting Corporation - Atom
- British Broadcasting Corporation - Bitesize - Atoms
- British Broadcasting Corporation - The structure of an Atom
- Chemguide - A Simple View Of Atomic Structure
- Hyperphysics - Atoms and Elements
- Iowa State University - Atoms and Spectral Lines
- Kidipede Science for Kids - Atom
- Rader’s Chem4Kids.com - Atom
- Rader’s Chem4Kids.com - Atoms
- The Shodor Education Foundation - Atomic Structure
Britannica Web sites
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- atom - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
The tiny particles called atoms are the basic building blocks of all matter. Atoms can be combined with other atoms to form molecules, but they cannot be divided into smaller parts by ordinary means.
- atom - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
The tiny units of matter known as atoms are the basic building blocks of chemistry. An atom is the smallest piece of matter that has the characteristic properties of a chemical element, such as hydrogen, oxygen, calcium, iron, gold, and neon. More than 90 types of atom exist in nature, and each one forms a different element. Elements are made up of only one type of atom-gold contains only gold atoms, and neon contains only neon atoms-but other substances are mixtures of different kinds of atoms. Atoms also join together chemically to form molecules. Matter is made up of molecules, atoms, and ions (electrically charged atoms or groups of atoms), so atoms are basic components of matter. Since atoms, ions, and molecules are very small, the bulk matter of everyday life consists of large amounts of these components. A glass of water, for instance, contains an extremely large amount (about 8 1024) of water molecules. Each water molecule is in turn made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom that have been combined chemically.


“Keep their minds and bodies engaged in wonder during the summer months when they are not attending school.” That’s what Julie Olson, director of elementary education for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools recommended last week. She was one of 39 education leaders who responded to my request for suggestions about what parents could do to encourage continued learning during the summer. They described a combination of community, school and family activities that can produce a summer with happy memories and student growth.
Raymond Queener, Cambridge-Isanti superintendent, and many others agreed: “ My advice is first to encourage students to read, read, read! Also, enjoy some activities at the Science Museum, maybe an art exhibit, spend some time outside in fun activities, and maybe get involved in a Community Education class of their interest. There are a lot of activities available, so make sure students stay involved, engaged, and try to find ways to encourage learning to continue.”
Corey Lunn, Stillwater superintendent, explained: “I always encourage families to keep their kids active and involved in different experiences. There are many opportunities through community ed., libraries, zoos and museums. Some teachers and schools offer summer work, most frequently with math. There are also many websites to keep kids learning as well, such as Kahn academy. I think the goal would be to balance added family time with perhaps a bit of academic enrichment.”
Steve Allen, of Cambridge, director of the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, pointed out: “Summer programs often come in the form of applied learning opportunities that tend to really engage and/or motivate students. I’ve seen students really become encouraged about their learning after a summer of relevant and meaningful activities. Another reason that I encourage students to continue with summer extended time activities is that it continues to reinforce good study habits. Particularly with potentially at-risk students, it is beneficial to keep them in the routine of going to school. Finally, some of the best programs I’ve ever run have been summer credit make-up programs. Students may fail one or two classes along the way. If you can make those credits up during the summer, students don’t get overwhelmed and ‘give up hope.’ If a student gives up hope, we all lose.’”
Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota, the state’s teacher union, wrote: “For students in elementary and middle school: Read! Students should read books all summer (not too easy, but not too hard). Give children daily opportunities to read (maps, newspapers, even recipes) and give children a chance to read aloud. For students in high school: Read! Also, find opportunities to grow life skills, like meeting deadlines and personal responsibility through part-time jobs, volunteering and service projects.”
Gary Amoroso, executive director of Minnesota Association of School Administrators, urged families to consider programs that districts offer: “These activities can include academics as well as arts and crafts. This is a great way for a child to continue the learning process throughout the summer.”
Tom Kearney, director of New Heights charter in Stillwater, wrote: “I administer a school with a minimal or sensible homework philosophy and parents are always asking why we don’t send more ‘homework’ or they ask for us to provide them with things to ‘keep my kids busy.’ Well, with so many software options and community options such as the Minnesota Historical Society of the Science Museum of Minnesota, I always tell them that all educational moments do not need to be at school or facilitated by a teacher. We suggest tapping into what makes the student excited and then planning some excursions around those interests. Take some great field trips and have the children write or journal about what they saw. See if there is a treasure hunt of sorts available at the places you visit. Also, insist that your children are reading something all summer and that they are engaged in the material. Summer should be different, but not a full break from learning. Moms and dads should be asking questions all the time about things students are engaged in. Learning can be fun when students have a say in what they are learning.”
Modeling from families is key. That along with helping youngsters set and work toward goals, plus encouraging reading, exploring and talking, are great ways to spend the summer.
Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher, administrator and PTA president, directs the Center for School Change. Reactions are welcome at [email protected]


UMC Liberal Arts and Education Department
University of Minnesota, Crookston
Elementary Education Key Features
- Hands-on experiences - The Elementary Education program requires numerous experiences in actual elementary classrooms in the local schools. Students implement assignments in which they interact, observe, tutor and teach children as part of their courses. Students complete two student teaching placements during their senior year.
- Full-time faculty instructors and advisors - University of Minnesota, Crookston's (UMC) Elementary Education students are taught, advised and mentored by full-time Education faculty.
- Students are taught to use a variety of research-based instructional strategies as well as multiple performance-based assessment practices.
- All students must complete a Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) which is a nationally recognized assessment of readiness to teach.
- Teachers trained at UMC are leaders who make a tremendous professional and civic impact in their local communities.
- Understand and apply educational principles to the development of a young child.
- Have the knowledge of and the ability to use a variety of assessment tools and practices to plan and evaluate effective teaching.
- Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts of language arts, reading, and literature, mathematics, social studies, science, physical education and health, and visual and performing arts.
- Our program prepares you to succeed in the classroom and impact your students.
- This program provides students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be effective, highly qualified teachers.
Questions? Chat with Admissions!
Awards & Honors


is the most critical element in empowering people with skills
and knowledge and giving them access
to productive employment in future. As per the report of 2001
Census, in this district male literacy rate was 89.1%, female
literacy rate was 70.7% and total literacy rate was 80.2%.
Education Index of this district is 0.74 and the district’s
ranking is 7th in comparison to other districts.
Elementary education : (SSA)
SSA aims at useful and relevant elementary education to all
children in the age group of 6-14 by 2010. It also aims to
bridge all social, gender and regional gaps with the active
participation of the community.
At present 99.35% enrolment
in Primary Education and 64.42% enrolment in Upper Primary
Education has been achieved.
Secondary Education :-
A person with a mere 8 years of schooling will be as disadvantaged
in the knowledge economy as an illiterate person is in modern
industry and services.
Hence the district desires to build on a long-term perspective
for improving the quality of basic education up to class X
level and providing access to all children in the age group
of 6-16 to this level


i2a Goals for the College of Arts & Sciences for AY 2009-2010
During the coming academic year, the College will be doing a trial implementation of the Ideas to Action agenda: piloting the use of the critical thinking model in some General Education classes, mapping the major curricula in some degree programs, and piloting Culminating Experiences in some departments. What is learned from these pilot projects will shape the definitions of key components of Ideas to Action for coming years.
Each department is asked to participate in the pilot by letting the i2a facilitators know by September 1 which one(s) of the three projects it will undertake during AY 2009-2010. Some departments might be ready to implement in fall 2009, but we expect that most will use fall to plan for implementation of the pilot in spring 2010. Grant funds will be available competitively to departments to fund planning and implementation of the pilot projects; for application details see Ideas to Action (i2a) Unit Implementation Funds Proposal Instructions 2009-2010 (PDF).
Here is more information about what is involved in each of the pilots.
GENERAL EDUCATION PILOT
To pilot Ideas to Action in one or more sections of a General Education course:
- Intentionally teach the skills represented by the Elements of Thought (i2a @ UofL website) and Universal Intellectual Standards (i2a @ UofL website); no course is asked to teach ALL the Elements, just some, as appropriate
- Tell the students that they are learning these skills
- Model the use of the skills (e.g., in a lecture, say why one interpretation of the evidence is better than another)
- Use the vocabulary of the elements and the standards when you can appropriately do so; if students hear the same skills emphasized across the curriculum, they will see that they are foundational skills to all intellectual work
- Design tests and assignments to have students use the skills represented by the Elements and Standards
Mapping the Curriculum should be a simpler task for degree programs that have sequential curricula; such programs would therefore be the ideal ones to undertake this pilot. To pilot Ideas to Action by mapping the curriculum of the major:
- Ask the instructors of courses in the major to look at the lists of Elements and Standards and indicate which are taught in their courses; it is certainly not expected that every course will teach every Element or Standard
- Collect syllabi or assignments that document the teaching of the Elements and Standards; the purpose of this pilot map is to find out what we are doing now, so there is no expectation that the Elements and Standards will be easily visible in many current syllabi or assignments
- See if you can chart a progression in the teaching of the Elements and Standards by characterizing the level at which students’ are asked to use them in various courses; for example, in which courses is the skill of identifying assumptions introduced, in which courses is it developed beyond the introductory level, and in which courses are students expected to demonstrate mastery of the skill?
CULMINATING EXPERIENCE PILOT
To pilot a Culminating Experience, a department might adapt a section of an existing course or pilot a new course under a topics number. The defining features of a culminating experience are that it:
- Is undertaken after sufficient academic preparation, e.g., after completion of at least 90 credits of coursework or key prerequisite courses.
- Is part or all of an approved or accepted by the major discipline: a) a credit-bearing course, or b) an experience (e.g., honors project or independent study). The unit/department has the responsibility for designing the culminating experience.
- Provides the opportunity for demonstration of the student’s mastery of content and use of critical thinking skills that includes reflection.
- Requires integration and application of knowledge and skills to address an authentic issue. Authenticity includes meaningful, real-world issues, problems or concerns that are relevant to the learner and the discipline and are shaped by practical constraints of time, space, or resources.
- Incorporates ongoing, comprehensive feedback from students, faculty or others involved with the experience.
- Results in an output that can be assessed by internal or external reviewers using evaluation criteria favored by the discipline. Examples of outputs include a paper, portfolio, or performance
In the summer of 2010 departments will be asked to report on the results of the Culminating Experience pilot(s) they conducted; the current working drafts of three reporting forms are as follows: Student Reflection (PDF), Student Evaluation (PDF), and Faculty Evaluation (PDF).
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Master Marketer: Thomas Chambers
At the request of reader Therese, today's "Feel Art Again" post features Thomas Chambers (1808-1866). The British-American painter's specialties were landscapes and maritime paintings, both of which often featured dramatic skies. Since this week is also "Sky Awareness Week," Chambers was a logical choice.
1. As far as scholars know, Thomas Chambers received no formal art education. They speculate he learned to paint from his older brother, George, himself a self-taught artist. George started out "painting trunks and buckets" and eventually became prominent enough that he was painting for King William IV and exhibiting in the Royal Academy.
2. Chambers produced approximately 10 to 12 paintings of the view of West Point from the river. In each, the U.S. Military Academy buildings are small but detailed. The scene was one of his most popular views.
3. Considered a "master marketer," Chambers knew how to respond to the public's interests and desires. Chambers would play to the public's interest by painting battle scenes from famous novels and popular news stories. Scholars believe Chambers was more inclined to meet the public's demands because he depended on the income from his paintings to survive.
4. Chambers never exhibited at any official art exhibitions during his time, which actually may have been to his benefit. As one scholar remarked, "the critics of the 1840s and "˜50s would have been horrified by his art: It was too bright and flat, it wasn't fully furnished, it was reproachfully dependent on printed sources and therefore insufficiently original."
5. Although Chambers' works were popular with the public, he eventually fell out of favor. When he died in England in 1869, Chambers was disabled and penniless, living in the poorhouse.
A larger version of "Boston Harbor" (shown above) is available here.
Fans should check out the Chambers collections at the National Library of Australia (2), University of Rochester (2), Addison Gallery of American Art (2), The Athenaeum (3), and the National Gallery of Art (10).


A conservation training program teaches students to tackle environmental issues
Right now, more than 100 high school students are hanging out in Shepherdstown, W.Va. For a week they are sleeping in lodges, hiking and chatting around campfires. But this isn’t your typical summer camp. It’s the sixth Student Climate & Conservation Congress. Here, teens brainstorm ideas to promote sustainable farming, environmental education, recycling and many other conservation-themed activities. The goal is to come up with programs they will be able to start up in their schools and communities back home.
The camp’s goal is to help teens become environmental leaders. “The students are really motivated young people” interested in conserving and protecting the environment, says Steve Chase. He works at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, which hosts the conservation congress.
Each year, visiting teens address a different question related to environmental protection, also known as conservation. This year’s topic: “How will you be a better global citizen?” Students start by brainstorming topics that might answer this question. Teams write down their ideas and then post them on a wall for all to see. Afterward, the teens whittle down their ideas, seeking the best few. These will guide their efforts for the rest of the week.
Campers spend the remaining days developing action plans they can take back to their high schools. Maybe they will launch a campaign to replace all the cleaning supplies at their school with products that will be kinder to the planet by biodegrading or using fewer resources. Or perhaps they will survey how energy efficient their school is. Then they might work to replace light bulbs or add insulation so their school uses less energy. They might even plant a kitchen garden at school or plant trees to increase their neighborhood’s biodiversity.
Throughout the week, the teens also hear from a wide variety of speakers. These may include Fish and Wildlife Service scientists, wildlife biologists, filmmakers or people who educate adults and kids about the environment. These speakers may participate in helping come up with good action plans. Or they might share their experiences and what they’ve learned by working in programs aimed at protecting the environment. The goal is to learn about possible careers in conservation.
Many students might not think of a career at the Fish and Wildlife Service, Chase notes. His agency is dedicated to conserving and protecting wildlife and their ecosystems. They might help defend endangered species, guard bird migrations, improve wetlands or even hatch fish. This summer program might help put the Service on a student’s radar screen. “We need people doing all sorts of things,” he says. “We need field biologists, social media experts, accountants.” The problem: Right now, very few college students are preparing for conservation-related college majors.
The Green Schools Alliance, based in New York City, is a group of elementary, middle and high schools which promotes conservation activities in its member schools. The organization also runs this program. Its website is already taking applications for next year’s conservation camp. Early application is best, because spots tend to fill very quickly.
Chase says the conservation congress is looking for teens with “vision and determination and grit about conservation issues.” The camp organizers are particularly interested in recruiting students from Green Alliance-affiliated schools. But any school that wants to commit to conservation can join the Alliance and help its students apply for the program. The congress currently costs around $750 for room and board. Some financial aid is available.
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biodegrade The act of breaking down materials into compounds found in nature.
conservation The act of preserving or protecting something, such as ancient art objects in a museum or the health of the natural environment.
ecosystem A group of interacting living organisms — including microorganisms, plants and animals — and their physical environment within a particular climate. Examples include tropical reefs, rainforests, alpine meadows and polar tundra.
endangered An adjective used to describe species at risk of going extinct.
major (in education) A subject that a student chooses as his or her area of focus in college, such as: chemistry, English literature, German, journalism, pre-medicine, electrical engineering or elementary education.
wetland A low-lying area of land either soaked or covered with water. It hosts plants and animals adapted to live in, on or near water.


About the Program
One Book, Every Young Child
Up, Down, and Around, a beautiful picture book by author Katherine Ayres and illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott for children ages 3 to 6, is Pennsylvania’s One Book, Every Young Child 2008 selection.
This is the third year of this important program to highlight the importance of early literacy development in preschoolers. In its inaugural year, the One Book, Every Young Child program won a coveted national John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award.
The collaborating agencies all believe strongly in supporting early literacy efforts. They are working together to develop a multifaceted program accessible to all areas and populations of the state. There are 560,000 children in the target age group, many of which are in the state’s childcare facilities, Head Start programs, licensed preschools or kindergartens.
Adults with preschoolers in their lives will learn how they can support the development of literacy in preschool children. Because it is important for children to be prepared for school, One Book, Every Young Child will provide opportunities for adults to read aloud, share books and stories and related activities with preschoolers. These activities have been shown to be crucial to early learning.
The One Book, Every Young Child program goes far beyond just giving parents and caregivers a book to read to preschoolers. The program’s design is based on studies showing that simply reading a book is not enough. Adults must find ways to engage children in activities like talking about a book’s cover and illustrations, discussing the action in the book and favorite parts, pretend play related to the book and more.
Information and program ideas have been developed by librarians and museum educators from across Pennsylvania to promote the value and benefits of reading early and often to preschoolers and to encourage family bonding through books and reading.
Throughout the year, there will be local events supporting the One Book, Every Young Child reading initiative, including 20 days of author visits across the state; library and museum programming for families; activities for parents, early care providers and educators on the Web site www.paonebook.org; and state government VIPs across the state reading to children in libraries and other sites.
There also will be 65 traveling trunks developed by museum educators to help expand upon the concepts in Up, Down, and Around. Each trunk is filled with fun book-related puppets, games and manipulatives for young children. In addition, each trunk includes a guide for librarians and educators that encourages use of the trunk contents in activities that are aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.
One Book, Every Young Child is made possible through a collaboration of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Please Touch Museum, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Library Association, Pennsylvania Public Television Network, Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, The Pennsylvania Child Care Association, PennSERVE, HSLC/Access PA and Verizon. This program was supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by Pennsylvania’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries.
Previous selections of One Book, Every Young Child are:
- 2007 Book Selection
A Splendid Friend, Indeed by author and illustrator Suzanne Bloom
- 2006 Book Selection
Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse by author and illustrator Lindsay Barrett George


Bank Street's Approach to Early Acquisition Literacy
Bank Street views reading and writing development as intimately linked to spoken language development, and mutually reinforcing. Young children acquire language to express their thoughts, feelings and desires, and to understand the world around them. (Halliday, 1973) Language develops through interactions with adults and other children, and through a continuous exchange of information between the child and his or her surroundings.
In keeping with Bank Street's focus on the "whole" child, as well as its recognition of the individual needs of each child, no one approach to teaching reading and writing is considered best for everyone. Rather, it is understood that reading and writing are complex processes involving the integration of a variety of strategies and skills (Clay, 1979, 1991). Effective readers are in control of the graphophonic (letter/sound), syntactic (structural or grammatic) and semantic (meaning) aspects of language. (see Cuing). They take risks, make predictions, and connect their own experiences with the information in the print.
Beginning readers and writers need to learn to use many sources of information including memory, experience, pictures and their knowledge of language including sound/symbol connections (phonics). "Phonics and other word identification skills are tools that children need to read for information, enjoyment and development of insight..." (Pikulski, 1997) The question is not whether to teach these and other skills, such as handwriting, spelling and punctuation, but how and when.
Our belief is that children learn best when they understand the need for learning, and when they are engaged in experiences that build on what they know. Thus teaching of phonics and other skills is most effective when incorporated in or combined with meaningful reading and writing of whole texts. At the same time, it is understood that some children need more direct teaching or reinforcement of strategies and skills, than others. Thus it is best to adapt teaching to the needs of individual learners, through a variety of modeling, direct instruction and opportunities for guided practice and problem solving.
Whatever the approach, the goal remains constant: to develop readers who read for pleasure and information, and writers who write to communicate meaning and make sense of their world.
Some Basic Understandings About Literacy Development
In the last 20 years, research has highlighted the interrelationship and mutual reinforcement of reading, writing, and language development. Research has also shown that reading is an interactive process between the person and the text. Successful readers bring to the reading task a wealth of background experience and knowledge such as:
- a sense of the purpose of print,
- an understanding of some basic concepts about print such as reading text from left to right and top to bottom, turning pages from right to left, punctuation, etc.
- awareness of the structure and sounds of language.
Even beginning readers use their growing background knowledge together with print as they try to construct meaning and make sense of text (Smith, 1982, 1985). Young children's experiences of the world and their evolving language awareness (playing with sounds, noticing print in the environment and attributing meaning to these signs and letters) are crucial elements in their developing understanding of the function and use of reading and writing (Goodman, 1984, IRA, 1987).
Other important understandings about literacy development include recognition that:
- The purpose of reading and writing is to gain or convey meaning
- Reading and writing involve the use and integration of multiple strategies (see During Reading Strategies)
- Children need to see pleasurable and purposeful reading and writing modeled in and out of school (people reading newspapers, signs, package labels, books, writing lists, notes, bills)
- Literacy learning is most successful when it connects with the learner's experiences and interests
- Children need to see themselves as readers and writers and be encouraged to take risks
- Children internalize learning when they are supported in constructing their own understandings of how written language works, and when they are encouraged to be problem solvers
Expectations Children Bring to Reading
- what they read to make sense
- to use knowledge of the ways books are organized to predict likely events and outcomes (for example, knowing how sentences "work" -- they have a capital letter at the beginning, a period at the end, etc.)
- to use their understanding of syntax and meaning to predict sentence patterns and words
- to use their knowledge of letters and sounds to pronounce words
Activities and books that are supportive of what children expect:
- make sense, have logical connections, unity of meaning
- relate to children's experiences and interests
- use natural or predictable language or interesting repeating patterns use pictures to support or extend the text


Teaching Language and Literature in Elementary Classrooms
The goal of Teaching Language and Literature in Elementary Classrooms: A Resource Book for Professional Development, Second Edition is to help the beginning teacher create a classroom environment that integrates literacy development with learning in all areas of the curriculum. Theoretically based, well organized, and practical, this text identifies the major components of an integrated language program and describes and illustrates skills teachers need to implement this kind of program in their own classrooms. It is uniquely designed as a handbook for beginning educators that serves both as a text and as a professional resource to be carried into the first year of teaching.
The narratives in this text, and the accompanying instruction for preparing to teach, are included for every elementary instructional level. A consistent chapter format is used to help readers move from a direct experience of a classroom narrative, to step-by-step descriptions they can follow to implement these activities in their own classrooms. A rich array of interactive pedagogical features is provided.
New in the Second Edition: This edition retains the purposes of the first edition, but adds ideas and information gathered over the years from new classroom observations. It also incorporates the results of the author's extensive reviews of educational research, continuous reading in all the genres of children's literature, and correspondence with faculty and students who used the first edition of this text. In response to these varied and helpful experiences, the Second Edition features:
*Strategies for dealing with problems of disruption in the classroom;
*Expanded discussions related to diversity and special needs;
*Increased attention to methods of evaluation and mandated testing programs;
*Reorganization of chapter sections to make them more useful to readers;
*A new chapter on play and the fine arts;
*Integration of electronic teaching technology into all chapters;
*Extensive in-text annotations of children's literature, discussions of new titles in children's literature, cultural literatures, book clubs, series books, and the influence of books published internationally;
*Updated reports of research and best practice studies;
*New classroom observations; and
*New appendices, designed to provide information and resources for instructional support.


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>This may be splitting hairs, but how would one describe the difference
>between creativity and imagination?...snip...Is there any documented
>research >that could be recommended?
This question frequently comes up in my art methods class and serves as a
basis for discussion and reading. I find that art education students
typically use these terms when writing mission statements, goals and lesson
objectives but are unable to define them or explain what they mean. While
I don't claim to have THE answer to your question, I can share a few
resources and thoughts:
One of the more indepth and thoughtful accounts I've read on the
"imagination" is in the book "Imagination & Education" by K. Egan (& Dan
Nadanar I think....Sorry, I don't have the book handy). I've used the
first chapter "In Search of the Imagination" in this book from time to time
as a reading in my course. A few points from this chapter come to mind:
The imagination is simply a mental function like memory or attention...its
neither good or bad, but becomes so in how it is used and within the
context of particular cultural values...i.e., both Hitler and Shakespeare
were imaginative. Also, the major use of imagination by children is to give
them some sense of power or control in an modern "adult" world (Elliot
Eisner also speaks to this use). One of the more memorable points made in
this book is the notion that we need a kind of education that recognizes
imagination as fundamental to "learning to learn" and as essential to the
feeling that life is more than a repetitive, consuming experience.
For me, the dictionary serves as a good source for defining these terms:
imagination n. 1. the act or power of forming mental images of what is not
creativity n. 1. the quality of being creative; ability to create.
creative adj. 1. having the power to create. . .3. constructive;
purposeful; involving something useful or worthwhile.
So, for me, "imagination" involving "visualizing things" while "creativity"
involves giving form to those "visualizations"...or something like that.
Two authors/researchers I've found to be most helpful in understanding and
defining creativity for myself (and my students) is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyl
( I had to run out to my car to get the tape of his book "Flow" for the
spelling of his name) and Teresa Amabile (I highly recommend her book
"Growing up Creative" for teachers, art ed students and parents and her
book "The Social Psychology of Creativity" for those interested in studying
research on this subject.)
Hope this helps some,
CRAIG ROLAND. Associate Professor-Art Education.
Department of Art, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida.
32611-5801. (352) 392-9165 - Art Ed Office (352) 392-8453 - Fax