The following press release was issued by the Maryland Department of Education. For more information, contact Samantha Foley at 410-767-0482
Maryland's 2019 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) results show that the percentage of Maryland kindergartners demonstrating readiness stayed consistent while some individual school systems demonstrated increases from 1 to 12%.
The KRA 2.0 was administered by all kindergarten teachers between the beginning of the school year and October 10, 2019. Items on the assessment measured students' mastery of the end-of-year prekindergarten skills, knowledge, and behaviors across four domains: Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Social Foundations, Physical Well-Being and Motor Development.
Once again, this year school systems had the choice of whether to administer the assessment to all of their kindergarten students or to a sample of students in each kindergarten classroom. There was a significant increase in the number of school systems that administered the KRA to all kindergarten students. Eighteen systems administered the KRA to all kindergarten students, while only six administered the KRA in specific schools and to a sample in others. This resulted in 65% of all kindergartners in the state being assessed and more families receiving information about their child.
State results showed the following:
47 percent of Maryland kindergarten students began the year demonstrating readiness (the student demonstrates the foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her for curriculum based on the kindergarten standards).
32 percent of the students are approaching readiness (the student displays some of the foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her for curriculum based on the kindergarten standards).
21 percent of the students are emerging readiness (the student displays minimal foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her for curriculum based on the kindergarten standards).
18 percent of English learners demonstrated readiness.
19 percent of children with disabilities demonstrated readiness.
34 percent of children from families that are direct certified demonstrated readiness.


It’s fun to make friends and play with others, but it’s not always easy to do. You have to make an effort, and you have to know the rules—like ask before joining in, take turns, play fair, and be a good sport. This book teaches social skills for children using the basics of cooperation, getting along, making friends, and being a friend. Includes ideas for games adults can use with kids to reinforce the social skills being taught.
Reading Level: Grade 1
Interest Level: Ages 4–8
Guided Reading Level: H
Lexile Measure: 490L
Illustrated: color illust.
Trim Size: 9" x 9"
Page Count: 40
Praise for the series
“Surely needed . . . I heartily applaud this important series.”—Jay A. Monson, Ph.D., professor of elementary education, Utah State University
“Top Five Character Education Series”—Booklist
“Positive, gentle messages are given without preaching.”—Library Media Connection
Learning Magazine’s Teacher’s Choice Award Finalist
Common Core State Standards
Head Start Framework
Supports the domains of Social & Emotional Development, Logic & Reasoning, Language Development, Literacy Knowledge & Skills, and Social Studies Knowledge & Skills in the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework.
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success
MS.1, MS.2, MS. 6
BS.SMS.1, BS.SMS.2, BS.SMS.4, BS.SMS.7, BS.SMS.9, BS.SMS.10
BS.SS.1, BS.SS.2, BS.SS.3, BS.SS.4, BS.SS.5, BS.SS.6, BS.SS.7, BS.SS.8, BS.SS.9


By Teachers, For Teachers
Promote school safety in your classroom by trying the activities below.
The Fire Drill
We have all gone through the fire drill evacuation process a countless number of times. So we know that if we don't have our students properly prepared, this could lead to great misfortune. One very effective key to being prepared for a fire drill is to have a planning sheet listed with all students names, the exit route that is needed to get out of the building, and a list of the responsibilities (with names) that will help you exit quickly. This procedure needs to be reinforced and repeated until students can do it automatically. Being prepared for a fire drill will give your students an advantage that will save their lives.
Properly prepare for fire drill by creating a fire drill planning sheet and post it by all exits. On this planning sheet, assign important responsibilities to mature students. Here a few suggestions on what to assign students:
Fire Prevention at Home
Help students prepare for a fire at home by enlisting the help of their parents for this activity. Ask students to go home and create a fire safety plan with their parents. Have students draw their "safe place to meet" if a fire was to occur at home. Students should add a map detailing where to go, along with neighbors contact information in case of an emergency. Once students have completed this activity at home with their parents, encourage them to bring their completed pictures to school to share with their classmates.
School Bus Safety
According to research, more than 22 million children ride the bus to school each day. Studies show that riding the bus to and from school is the safest form of travel. With that said, unfortunately bus-related injuries still do occur. Many of these injuries happen when students are entering or exiting a bus. To help these incidents from ever happening, school bus rules should be taught at a very early age.
Try the following activities to help reinforce students' knowledge on bus safety. Tell the students to:
Discuss Safety Rules
Tell students to:
Promote Bus Safety Rules
A fun way to reinforce bus safety rules is to have students create a bus safety poster. Divide students into groups of two and ask them to select one rule from the list above. Encourage students to be creative and design a poster that will help their classmates learn the bus safety rules.
Communication Can Save Your Life
Discuss how the way students act and react in a situation can save their life. Discuss different incidents with your students and have them tell you how they would communicate in that particular situation. For example, if there was a fire at school, how would they communicate with their teacher, classmates? What would they do? What if someone was to get hurt on the bus, how would they react in that situation? Use these questions as a springboard to get students thinking about how they communicate their wants and needs in a scary situation. By learning the "right way" to react and communicate in a crisis, can save their life.
Do you have any creative ideas or activities to help enforce school safety? Please share in the comment section below. We would love to hear your thoughts.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who draws on her 15 years of professional experience in the education system. Janelle holds a Master's of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is also the Guide to Elementary Education for About.com, where she provides educational information and lesson plans for teachers across the United States.


Did you know: Picasso could draw before he could walk, and his first word was the Spanish word for pencil. This is a cool fact about Picasso! We have to trust Picasso’s mother on this one. The Spanish for pencil was lápiz. This was Picasso’s first word and he was pronouncing it like “piz, piz”. The rest is history, and already when he was 13, Picasso’s father (being a painter himself) saw his drawing of a pigeon and concluded that his son had surpassed him. In the top 25 of most expensive paintings, 5 are by Picasso!
51 Benefits of art education for kids
Source: Backpacking Like a Boss


Significant recent research in literacy learning casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of traditional phonics instruction. Researchers have discovered that traditional phonics, with its emphasis on letters, sounds, and words, ignores the complexity of children’s natural learning processes, including children’s inclination to focus first on the text, then on whole words, and then on their constituent parts. Whole to Part Phonics
offers a concise, accessible introduction to this research and proven strategies for translating it into effective classroom practice. The contributors recognize that children need to understand letter-sound relationships in order to become independent and fluent readers. But, they argue, this knowledge is of little value unless children learn how to use it in context. Accordingly, the authors maintain that children’s encounters with print lay the groundwork for effective phonics learning. By drawing on children’s wider experience of reading and on their preferred modes of learning, whole-to-part phonics offers an exciting alternative—students focus on the construction of meaning rather than the decoding of text.
In Part I, Henrietta Dombey explains how phonics works in English and surveys the research evidence for whole-to-part phonics. Margaret Moustafa then offers advice on using whole-to-part phonics strategies in a rich, literature-based reading program. Olivia O’Sullivan of the Centre for Language in Primary Education (CLPE) surveys research that investigates the connection between developmental spelling and reading. In Part II, the staff of the CLPE offers a set of detailed, practical suggestions for promoting the knowledge children need to learn letter-sound relationships and use them effectively in both their reading and writing.


The Music curriculum at Milefield Primary is taught using the National Curriculum programmes of study in conjunction with HCAT music skills progression objectives.
Music National Curriculum objectives:
HCAT Skills Progression Objectives:
As a whole school approach, the teaching of music is based on the Accelerated Learning Cycle and 5-part lesson model. In line with whole school practice, opportunities to develop and build on pupils Literacy and Numeracy skills are embedded throughout the music curriculum. Teaching of music across KS1 and KS2 centres around musical themes and where appropriate wider curriculum topics for each year group.
All pupils across KS1 and KS2 receive specialist music teaching and provision from our music teacher, Mr. Trickett. Pupils are involved in weekly music sessions where they have a wide range of opportunities to develop skills of listening, composing, performing and appraising.
Throughout time at Milefield we aim to encourage pupils to develop a passion and interest in music. We strive for every pupil to have the foundations and skills required to play an instrument and read music. Pupils have experience of a variety of instruments including keyboards, guitars, ukuleles and percussion.
We endeavour to inspire the next generation of musicians, hoping to build on the success of Grimethorpe’s historic music background; the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. We offer a range of opportunities for pupils to engage in music beyond the classroom including Young Voices; extra-curricular clubs; Milefield’s Got Talent and School Productions.
Grimethorpe Colliery Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KigDxUQ_hgY
Summer Term 2019-2020
Coming soon….Photo Gallery
Enjoy our gallery below which showcases some of the music work and pupil talents at Milefield.
Spring Term 2019-2020
The Spring term music curriculum has enabled pupils to be involved in music and develop their skills:
- UKS2 (Y5 & Y6)- Sequencing and composing using digital technologies.
- LKS2 (Y3 & Y4)- History of Blues Music and performance of the ‘the walking bass’.
- KS1 (Y1 & Y2)- Instrumental skills and notation using ukuleles.
Pupils across KS2 have been involved in the Young Voices performance at Sheffield Arena. We are extremely proud of our school choir and all pupils involved who took on this project with enthusiasm and commitment.
Autumn Term 2019-2020
Across school pupils have engaged with a wide range of music opportunities through focused weekly sessions and school productions and performances. Curriculum coverage throughout the Autumn term has included:
- UKS2 (Y5 & Y6)- “A Million Dreams” ensemble Project
- LKS2 (Y3 & Y4)- African music including singing and ensemble skills.
- KS1 (Y1 & Y2)- Sounds topic- exploring pitch, duration, dynamics and timbre through voice and percussion.
There have been a number of productions and performances which have involved all pupils from EYFS-Y6:
- EYFS Harvest Festival (October 2019)
- EYFS Christmas Sing-a-long (December 2019)
- KS1 Nativity (December 2019)
- KS2 Carol Service (December 2019)


Here at St Faith’s we believe every pupil should have the chance to fulfil their mathematical potential through work that is engaging and rigorous.
Throughout the school emphasis is placed on ensuring strong foundational skills and knowledge, along with problem solving and investigations, which are a good way to engage the enquiring mind. The small class size and positive attitude to learning shown by the pupils allow the work to be covered at a greater pace which, in turn, allows them to advance through the work so that they have challenge in what they do. As they progress, we feel it’s really important that pupils get the chance to appreciate the beauty and wonder of Mathematics as well as see how the subject is integral to modern day life. Our pupils are regularly successful in national maths competitions, such as the UK Maths Team Challenge for Year 8 pupils, and we are also pleased to host challenges here in both Year 4 and Year 6 for local schools.
Here’s a taste of what happens in each year:
- Year 3 is when pupils leave behind Maths workbooks used in Year 2 and begin to use textbooks, learning the importance of setting out their work correctly and methodically.
- Year 4 pupils get to grips with the world of fractions, with their understanding reinforced through the use of chocolate bars and pizzas!
- Year 5 pupils are taught by Maths specialists who encourage them to develop their problem solving skills even further through a series of challenges and puzzles.
- Year 6 pupils get the chance to find out more about the language of mathematics when they are introduced to the world of algebra.
- Year 7 pupils are introduced to the wonders of Pythagoras’s Theorem and see how to apply it in the real world.
- Year 8 pupils see how to apply their Mathematical skills to personal finance and have an opportunity to look at the world of stocks and shares.
Head of Mathematics


The USAID and LCIF Children with Visual Impairments Project (CwVIP) is a five and a half years’ project that started in October 2014 and is implemented by the South East European University (SEEU), and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).
The main objective of the CwVIP is to increase educational opportunities for children with visual impairments through literacy and access to education, and to detect and prevent eye diseases at an early stage. The project has an educational, medical and social component.
- 5 fully equipped and functioning resource centers in five cities in Macedonia (Skopje, Tetovo, Veles, Shtip, Bitola) where visually impaired children attend extra school classes. They are equipped with visual aids, didactic materials, digital magnifiers, Braille mechanical typewriters, and Braille printers/embossers, smart boards, swell touch fusers, other specialized input/output equipment such as Braille display and keyboard, course specific aids such as for math, arts, science, etc.
- 120 school textbook titles (complete elementary education curricula) have been adapted and printed in Braille from Macedonian and Albanian language. Additional 20 books (children’s novels) were adapted into Braille;
- 70 audio books accessible not only to visually impaired persons, but also to general audience..
- Continuous support and training for 36 special educators working at the Resource Centers. (Also training sessions include an additional 100+ special educators plus regular teachers from all around Macedonia from mainstream schools).
- Educational quiz of knowledge with over 5000 questions from the elementary school curriculum, also adapted for visually impaired children. Each player can play the quiz as single game, multiplayer, and online. Teachers have privileges to create their own quiz and share with their students.
- Inclusive sports activities at each resource center on monthly basis for mixed groups of children from both mainstream and specialized schools.
- Extracurricular inclusive activities at resource centers on weekly basis for CwVI.
The CwVIP partnered with the Association of Ophthalmologists, the University Eye Clinic in Skopje, the Private Hospital “Sistina Ophthalmology” and the Eye Clinics from the other cities in eye screening activities.
The project team of ophthalmologists, consists of 20 prominent ophthalmologists, who have been conducting eye screenings in kindergartens and some of the primary schools among 1st –3rd graders in Skopje, Kumanovo, Berovo, Veles, Shtip, Strumica, Bitola, Krushevo, Ohrid, Struga, Kichevo, Tetovo, Gostivar as well in the remote area for over 21.725 children 3-6 years old, or in average 3 screening activities per week since 2015.
The Project also does targeted presentations for parents and distribution of leaflets of Lions Eye Health Program – LEHP, supporting the extracurricilar activites, as well organizing events for raising public awareness about the challenges that visually impaired persons face.
The project has set up a Support center for the visually impaired persons in Skopje, in cooperation with the City Red Cross of Skopje. It primarily focuses on various activities and skills sessions, such as: Adapted European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) course, Basic and Advanced English, swimming, regular psychological counseling, hiking, cooking, socializing, information sharing and advice for inclusion and utilization of the system of social and health care in Macedonia, mobility assistance and transportation, career and skills development for work readiness of blind and visually impaired. Training and support sessions are held on daily basis (full time).
For more information about USAID Activities in Macedonia please visit:


At Bishop Creighton Academy, we believe music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Our music education aims to engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and develop their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
Our curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
- perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
- learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately
- understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations
At Key Stage One
Pupils are taught to:
- use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
- play tuned and untuned instruments musically
- listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
- experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
At Key Stage Two
Pupils are be taught to sing and play musically with increasing confidence and control. They develop an understanding of musical composition, organising and manipulating ideas within musical structures and reproducing sounds from aural memory.
We use Music Express as our main scheme when teaching music.
Pupils are taught to:
- play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
- improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
- listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
- use and understand staff and other musical notations
- appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
- develop an understanding of the history of music.
We provide all pupils with the opportunity to take part in musical performances throughout the academic year. We hold the following annual events.
Year 6 Music Hub Rock and Roll Concert
EYFS Christmas Nativity
Year 1/2 Christmas Production
Year 3/4 Christmas Carol Concert
Year 5/6 Christmas Carol Concert
Choir - Performance to Stephenson Court Residential Home
Year 3/4 Production
Year 5 Production
Year 6 Leavers Show


Douglass began with learning his ABC’s through his master’s wife. Inspired by his master’s objection to him learning to read, he sought any opportunity he could to develop his understanding of the alphabet. One opportunity came through him sneaking into his master’s office to copy out of his ledger book. Before long, Douglass had learned to emulate his master’s handwriting. From there, he created writing competitions with the local white children he would encounter around the town. He would boast of being a better writer, and the children would write in order to show Douglass how they could write better than he. Douglass set this up in order to continue his mastery of letters and the few words he knew how to write (Douglass, 1845).
Another opportunity came while Douglass was working at the shipyard. When pieces of wood were labeled in order to be assigned to a certain part of the ship (for building the ship), he would use charcoal to copy the labels. In this way, Douglass seized every moment to develop his literacy. There was one major act that demonstrated Douglass’ literacy development and his progression on the continuum of literateness. This act gave evidence of his graduation from the rudimentary practice of copying letters of the alphabet or simple words and phrases. In time, on his first attempt to escape slavery, Douglass wrote his own pass, in the same writing style as his master (Douglass, 1845). This was no small accomplishment. Lucinda MacKethan, professor emeritus of English at North Carolina State, says:
Writing his own pass, for the slave narrator, involved the appropriation of the master’s hand, the master’s grasp of language, and the master’s symbols…a black slave became a man of letters in a country where letters—the ability to make them and make meaning of them—were exclusively a white man’s domain. Mastering letters enabled Douglass to write his “pass” and to “pass” into a world where he could no longer be named a slave. (MacKethan, 1986, p. 64)
This evolution in Douglass’ life happened well before he actually became physically free. Literacy had liberated his mind (MacKethan, 1986). The pursuit of literacy all began with one moment when his master sought to keep him within the confines of slavery.
This process of Douglass mastering his master’s handwriting reveals his comprehension of the master’s language. When a person can take a piece of text and make it his/her own, and then develop some sort of creation from that text, it reveals a major step in the building of a person’s literacy. Douglass wrote his own pass and it was so well done that it looked exactly as if his master had written it. Another example is when the slaves wrote the Negro Spirituals, they proved to be the first persons of African descent to seek literacy in America. The creation of the Negro Spirituals is surprising because the Spirituals are based on the Bible which is the text slave master’s used to justify enslaving another human being. However, when you read the words of the spirituals, you see an embracing of Christianity for themselves.
Douglass creating his own pass and the slaves creating the Negro Spirituals, both remind me of when a student I had wrote a song based on our unit which included Ecclesiastes, The Iliad, and The Peloponnesian War:
It’s all meaningless, meaningless, meaningless
I can climb the highest mountain
I can swim to the deepest sea
But at the end of the day what does it all mean
I can do my very best
Pass every test
Wear victory on my chest
But I still know that it’s meaningless
(a student in my Great Books class)
The student wrote the above words, composed the instrumentation, played it and sang it during another one of our class productions. He went over to the keyboard (my class met in the school auditorium) and just started playing and singing this song. This is probably one of my most memorable moments in teaching the Great Books because of the spontaneity of this incident. We read the books and discussed them and he was inspired to write a song about his interpretations of the texts. To demonstrate their comprehension and connection with the literature, my students joined the process of recreating a text as Frederick Douglass did with the master’s handwriting and the slaves did with the Bible and the Negro Spirituals. Louise Rosenblatt (1983) says, “Fundamentally, the process of understanding a work implies a re-creation of it” (p.13).


Associations Between Problem Behaviors and Early Vocabulary Skills Among Hispanic Dual-Language Learners in Pre-K
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
First page number:
Last page number:
This study examined the relations between problem behaviors and early learning outcomes among 138 children in dual-language pre-K programs who were identified at the beginning of the school year to be at risk for difficulties in early language and literacy development. Children’s expressive and receptive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and conceptual thinking skills were assessed at the beginning of pre-K and again at the end of the school year. Their problem behaviors (externalizing, bullying, hyperactivity, and internalizing) were assessed midyear via teacher ratings. With the exception of internalizing problem behaviors, bivariate correlations indicated virtually no associations between children’s entry-level academic skills and midyear ratings of problem behaviors. However, multilevel models controlling for student- and teacher-level variables revealed that midyear ratings of problem behaviors were statistically significant predictors of poor outcomes on several vocabulary-related measures administered at the end of pre-K.
early education programs; emergent literacy; language acquisition; behavior classroom; conduct problems
Soares, D. A.,
Gonzalez, J. E.,
Pollard-Durodola, S. D.,
Associations Between Problem Behaviors and Early Vocabulary Skills Among Hispanic Dual-Language Learners in Pre-K.
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 36(2),


07 Apr Computer literacy is vital for children
When my daughter was a toddler, I was relaxing on the couch and watching Meet the Press. My daughter, who is now five, wobbled up to the TV and started swiping across the screen to get rid of Chuck Todd’s face, probably looking for Dora and Boots. It was a benign yet remarkable act that illustrated the vastly different digital-centric world my children will grow up in compared with my own analogue childhood.
I still remember the colour TV I had as a child. It was a Zenith 25C Series with a 25-inch cathode ray tube that was encased in a dark wood cabinet. We had that TV for more than 15 years before it died. Meanwhile, my kids are growing up with iPads and curved LED screens.
We are in the middle of a digital revolution that is transforming the world around us and our expectations when interacting with it. My children assume all screens are interactive and that digital content can be consumed on demand. This new technological epoch has fundamentally changed how we connect with the world. Therefore the basic skills our children must now possess need to evolve accordingly. Chief among these is literacy in the language of computers – or coding.
When I was growing up, computer coding was the esoteric domain of hobbyists, a euphemism for nerds. Many of the world’s child nerds of the past are now billionaires through their mastery of coding and technology. So like any good, overcompensating parent with a misspent youth, I want my children do the exact opposite of whatever I did and understand that computer coding is not just for nerds any more.
I don’t want my offspring simply to be consumers of technology, I want them to understand the logic and language required to create, shape and control it. I view this as a foundational skill that will position them to understand better the digital interface of the world they are connected to and to ultimately be more competitive in the job market.
After all, hiring computer programmers is no longer the sole domain of the technology industry. All industries now hire from this field. Let’s do the maths. Coding.org, a computer science advocacy group, says the average lifetime earnings of a high school graduate in the US is US$580,000. A college graduate can expect $1.2 million and a college graduate with a computer science (CS) degree can expect to earn $1.7m. So the average CS graduate will earn 42 per cent more than all other undergraduates. Computer science-related jobs are the single highest source of new jobs in the US, representing 16 per cent of all job openings last year.
There’s more … CS-related jobs are expected to grow at two times the rate of any other job type over the next 20 years. But while 90 per cent of parents polled in the US would like their kids to learn computer science or coding, only 40 per cent of US schools teach CS. I assume UAE parents would also like their kids to learn coding, but the number of local schools that teach it is less than 20 per cent. Finding supplemental computer programming education, particularly in Abu Dhabi, is also hard, which needs to be addressed if our children want to compete with their global peers.
I have seen first hand the intense local interest in digital start-ups. I have also witnessed the massive disconnect between ideation, technical foundation and technical execution. A growing digital start-up ecosystem cannot sustain itself by outsourcing technical development. Instead, it must organically build and retain its technical resources to capture as much of the subsequent wealth creation as possible. This is a generational challenge that begins with building those home-grown foundational skills at an early age. The digital world is growing by the day and those who have the tools to shape this world will have a tremendous competitive advantage. As parents, we should proactively seek to help deliver these tools to our children. Speak to your child’s school administration about adding or creating a computer science programme and summer programmes.
While coding is not a guaranteed panacea to your child’s career success and personal fulfilment, even a basic understanding of this language will offer greater insights into our interaction with the technology that surrounds us.
Bernard Lee is the chief executive and a co-founder of GlassQube Coworking, a coworking business centre in the UAE. He is also the co-founder of The Coding Club for seven to 10-year-olds. Visit: glassqube.com/codingclub


Build Creative, Patient & Resilient kids with Music
Our children are living in an instant and idealistic world. We can capture a moment and can share it instantly with anyone we choose across the globe. We can crop, filter, and alter our images with a simple click.
Our children are surrounded by marketing and advertising campaigns that highlight how much they need the ’latest trend item’ now! They are surrounded by the unrealistic expectations of social media and are living two or more lives at once - their real and virtual life (and perhaps a secondary virtual existence in the social media accounts of others).
Want to watch a movie? No need to wait, we can pick our movie at a click of a button and binge watch a whole series. Want to read a book? Purchase the instant download on the tablet device. The kids are hungry and we forgot to organise dinner. Never mind, we’ll get takeaway.
As a society, we are growing a generation of people who are not learning how to wait or be patient. A generation who at times lack resilience when things don’t go their way straight away.
However, not everything is instantaneous. They want to play piano (or any instrument)? Chances are, it’s not going to happen overnight. As a music teacher and a mother, I strongly believe that music can help us overcome these downsides of our technological advances. While music may not be the only solution, participating in music lessons helps our children improve their patience. It takes time to learn an instrument. If your child who has just started an instrument decides they are no longer interested, encourage them to play some pieces they find fun or exciting. Encourage them to invest some more time and energy into learning something new before deciding that it isn’t for them. Be mindful that learning music, unlike many other things is not instantaneous, it takes time, dedication and energy.
It takes time to learn a song or piece of music. When learning an instrument, our kids learn to set aside time to practice their skills and improve. They set aside time to learn how to do something unfamiliar. They develop a positive habit of spending a regular amount of time learning a new skill, then improving and refining it for performance. Over time, they learn how to make sense of music notation, make sense of the instrument, the sound of the music and learn how they all interact. During this time, they learn how to respond to correction, suggestions and praise and are encouraged to think critically and creatively,
Other than music digital downloads or listening to an audio file, nothing about music education or performance is instant yet students keep coming back for more lessons. Why? Because it’s fun, they are growing and learning!
This isn’t where the benefits of music education stop. Our children learn to be resilient, learn to take risks and learn to have fun in performance. In a world that is painted through rose tinted glasses, they learn that it’s ok to make mistakes as long as one keeps moving forward. Through performing and participating in music, they learn about the joy of sharing music with others as well as the joy of sharing music with oneself in a quiet space. Participating in music equips students will the skills required to cope with unexpected situations or problem solve when situations are less than ideal. By encouraging our kids to work at something that takes time, dedication and effort, we are encouraging them to keep working on character traits which are often forgotten about or neglected in our instant download world. When students learn a new song, complete a music book or music grade, they experience the confidence boost of accomplishing something that didn’t happen magically or overnight, but took time, effort and practice.


Tele Taleem Pvt. Ltd.
Due to lack of well trained teachers, children attending government primary schools are deficient in fundamental reading and numeracy skills critical for their continued retention and success in future grades. Improving children’s numeracy and literacy skills through better teaching practices.
Use of Information communication technology (ICT) to improve teachers’ skills which directly impacts learning outcomes of students. So in an IT enabled environment this project focused on improving delivery of primary education by training teachers on early grade numeracy & literacy by an expert master teacher trainer using a virtual classroom environment from a remote location. A “School Garee” equipped with multimedia components, self-sufficient power and Internet access to transformed an ordinary class room into a digital environment. Teachers used tablets to review lessons and practice new techniques. Children also got exposure to using tablets in classwork.
- 10% Points Increase in Children’s numeracy score
- 9% Points Improved Children’s literacy for the weakest group
- 24% points Children’s having moderate literacy skills gained improvement in their skills
Adoption and Scale-up:
Average cost for implementing the model is PKR 960 which is about 5% of average cost of educating a child in primary school. This includes cost of tablets for teachers and book banks/numeracy kits for children. The model takes ICT to the impoverished communities, thereby dampening social disparity in access to, and quality of ICT-led learning in society. Women do not have to leave their homes for attending training far from their homes. That makes this model more inclusive and responsive to female teachers’ needs.


Guiding the direction for STEM in NSW
The National STEM Education Strategy 2016 - 2026 (Education Council, 2015) forms the basis for the NSW Department of Education STEM directions. Through addressing the five areas of national action, STEM education in our schools will equip students from pre-school to Year 12 with strong skills and knowledge, and inspire them to take on more challenging STEM subjects.
1. Increasing student STEM ability, engagement, participation and aspiration
In New South Wales public schools, every student from preschool to Year 12 has the opportunity for active engagement in authentic and challenging STEM learning. From early learning, teachers immerse learners in the wonderment of the world around them. Students progress through primary and middle years schooling, developing confidence and positive attitudes to the STEM-related disciplines through engagement with rich, authentic learning opportunities.
Pathways to achieve and thrive in the STEM disciplines are clearly mapped and career aspirations in STEM are actively supported.
Schools in New South Wales create learning environments that encourage innovation, creativity and engagement in STEM learning, that support students? curiosity for science, technology and mathematics, and develop deep thinking and problem solving.
Throughout their education, students? STEM aspirations are built on success through participation.
2. Increasing teacher capacity and STEM teaching quality
Our teachers engage in high-quality professional learning informed by current research and evidence to increase teacher capacity and improve STEM teaching quality. Within the context of explicit teaching of foundational skills, our teachers deliver project-based learning, and engineering and technological challenges to provide real-world contexts for projects.
Through the development of high quality, professional STEM learning communities, teachers share their best practice and showcase successful STEM initiatives.
Teachers are equipped with skills to plan and implement high-quality STEM learning opportunities for every student, for every school, for every context.
3. Supporting STEM education opportunities within school systems
In New South Wales Public Schools, our leaders develop a culture of high expectations in STEM education and recognise inspirational teachers and student achievement.
The New South Wales Department of Education supports schools in the implementation of quality curriculum, the use of innovative technology, and the provision of learning spaces to develop tailored and authentic STEM education programs.
Our schools facilitate STEM engagement through effective curriculum, teaching approaches and assessment resources to improve learning outcomes for every student.
4. Facilitating effective partnerships with tertiary education providers, business, industry and agencies
In New South Wales Public Schools, our STEM leaders facilitate effective community, business, tertiary education and industry partnerships. Mentoring programs connect students with STEM career pathways and teachers with industry skills, all through a shared vision aligned with each school?s STEM strategic plan.
Parents, the broader school community, universities, business and industry connect to make student STEM learning engaging, authentic and valued which is critical to Australia?s capacity for innovation and global competitiveness.
The New South Wales Department of Education provides coordinated support to expand school-based STEM education supported by increased industry participation. Authentic and sustained partnerships develop to support and identify quality STEM learning and teaching, and emerging STEM career pathways.
5. Building a strong evidence base
Measuring the impact of the New South Wales Department of Education's STEM education programs of integrated and project-based teaching of STEM, focuses on our aim to improve student aspiration, engagement and performance. Through collaboration with universities and the Centre for Education Statistics Evaluation, an evidence base will be developed that tracks improved student learning outcomes and industry participation rates in the Australian context.


History of the New Directions Conference…
In 1997 Michigan State University inaugurated a series of conferences on emerging trends in music education.
Our musical world has changed rapidly in recent years. So rapidly in fact that it is often difficult for music teachers and scholars to keep up with the latest advances in music technology, methods, and research.
The New Directions in Music Education Conference is designed to provide a stimulating environment for sharing and learning the latest scholarly advances and best teaching practices from some of the world’s foremost teachers, researchers, and musicians. Join us on the beautiful campus of Michigan State University for three days of ear-opening presentations and clinics, exploring new ways to teach composition, improvisation, music technology, and performance.
This is a conference for elementary, middle school, and high school music teachers, and for collegiate faculty and students.
The purpose of New Directions in Music Education is to facilitate the sharing of information and ideas among eminent scholars, teachers, and musicians in new and developing areas of music education.
1997 – early childhood music education
2000 – teaching composition and improvisation
2003 – instrumental music education
2005 – teaching composition and improvisation II
2007 – elementary and secondary general music
2011 – revitalizing middle and high school music
2014 – teaching composition, improvisation, and the new musicianship


What would happen if you tried to slide across the cement in your tennis shoes? You probably wouldn’t move much and you might even trip, right? What if you tried to slide across a wooden floor wearing only socks? Or slide across a sheet of ice in your boots? You’d probably slide right along....
Posted in Physics/Chemistry/Technology | Tags : liquid, friction, Resistance, Easy Science For Kids Friction, Barrier, Lubrication, Oil, kinetic Energy, Heat Energy, Rubs, Fun Science Facts for Kids All about Friction, Study about Friction
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The Access to Higher Education Diploma course has completely transformed the lives of thousands of adults. If you do not have a full Level 3 qualification, here is an opportunity to return to study and achieve a nationally recognised qualification.
The aim of the course is to provide you with a route into higher education at university or college. Hundreds of former students have gone on to higher education courses at both our own University Centre Farnborough and elsewhere, showing that the course is successfully preparing students for the next stage in their education.
The qualification is a full-time course equivalent of two to three A Levels and takes one year to complete.
If you have any questions about this course then please contact us by phone on 01252 40 55 55 or message us.
This subject aims to provide knowledge and understanding of chemistry to complement biology and provide an adequate foundation for the study of biology, environmental studies, paramedical courses and nursing at university.
The course covers the atomic structure and fundamental concepts, MOLES, bonding, REDOX, metals and metal compounds, acids and bases, organic chemistry, thermochemistry and equilibrium. No prior knowledge is assumed.
This is aimed at those who wish, ultimately, to study in a related area or for those interested in the form and function of the human body. The course embodies basic scientific principles and the development of scientific methods in an individual investigation.
Coursework will test knowledge and understanding of biological facts, principles and the application of biological knowledge through communication of biological information and data.
Major topic areas include Cells and tissues, Human reproduction, Cardiac system, respiratory system, digestion, homoeostasis and genetics.
Through reading and discussion, you will begin to think critically about different topic areas in psychology, such as personality, emotion, memory, child development and conformity. From your study of these, you will develop a broad understanding of the perspectives and research methods used in psychology.
You will be able to develop further into some topics through essays, a seminar and research project.
This part of the course focuses on developing the practical skills you will use on a higher education course; including essay writing, referencing and effective note-taking.
You will study numeracy skills that will complement the other subjects within this course.
You will receive all the help you need with university applications and study support in a weekly tutorial, which also gives you the chance to talk to your tutor about your academic progress and plans for university.
After successfully completing the diploma you will be prepared for studying a university-level (higher education) course at university or college.
This diploma is suitable for you if you are pursuing a career in the areas below (after graduating from a relevant higher education course):
This course is designed for mature students, aged 19 or over, who have had sufficient life or work experience between leaving school and starting the diploma.
To make sure this is the right course for you, acceptance onto the diploma is based on aptitude and commitment following an interview and assessment.
You will need an English Language GCSE at grade C/4 or above and GCSE Mathematics at grade C/4 or above.
It is also strongly advised that you contact the university or teaching institution, you wish to attend after completion of this course and check what their exact GCSE requirements are for your chosen degree. Every university admission policy is different so its worth making sure you have the right course for your particular needs.


Blowing raspberries on a baby’s tummy or singing This Little Piggy while playing with a toddler’s toes may seem like second nature to most parents or carers.
Our mums and dads did it when we were little and, now, we share that same bonding experience with our own kids and grandkids.
But while we may think nothing of it, these innocent games and interactions are scientifically proven to be extraordinarily meaningful when it comes to the development of a child’s brain.
It is these moments that are at the heart of a ground-breaking new app developed by CoLab – Collaborate for Kids (a partnership between the Minderoo Foundation and Telethon Kids Institute).
The Bright Tomorrows app – launched this week ahead of Telethon – utilises the latest research from experts around the globe on how to build children’s life skills and puts that research directly into the palms of parents and carers.
Part of the reason we’ve developed this app is because parents told us they were looking for information they could trust but also information that is tailored for them and practical.
Google is helpful but with the overwhelming amount of information out there it’s hard to know who to trust or what works.
The Bright Tomorrows app removes the guesswork and delivers practical ideas based in science and backed by the early childhood experts at the Telethon Kids Institute, Vroom, the Raising Children’s Network and Better Beginnings.
What’s more, technology allows the app to create a family profile which tailors tips to the age, interests and needs of the child, empowering parents and other adults to transform everyday moments into opportunities that facilitate a child’s brain growth.
This is vitally important as scientific evidence shows the building blocks of a person’s mental and physical wellbeing starts in the womb.
Indeed, 90 per cent of a person’s brain growth has occurred by the age of five.
With that in mind, we must ensure those formative years are jam-packed with interactive and positive experiences, so the child grows to be a productive, healthy and happy member of society.
The app features a familiar face – Bobbie – a remarkable little blue creature that represents a baby’s brain, showing how the brain actively responds to meaningful moments.
Many West Australians will remember Bobbie from last year’s Telethon and this year he’s back, bigger and better than ever.
In the app, Bobbie champions more than 1000 ideas for families to try new ways to introduce brain building moments into everyday activities, like helping their child learn numeracy skills while going shopping.
The tips also provide families with a brief scientific explanation of why these activities are helpful to brain development in the app’s Brainy Background section.
With so much brain expansion happening in the early years of life, this period presents a wonderful window to build essential skills like language, emotions and routines. I encourage all parents, grandparents, carers and other adults who interact with young children to download the app.
Not only will you find a legion of fun ways to spend time with the children in your life, but you will also provide them with the strongest possible foundation to grow.
This article appeared in The West Australian on 25th October, 2019. The video appeared on Today Tonight on 24th October, 2019.
You can find out more about the Bright Tomorrows app on the website.


Best Interesting Facts About the Human Body Video for Kids
Human Body Facts
Human body works like a complex machine. It continuously works and never stops. Generally, you don’t think about everything your body does but if you will you might find out how great it is. It keeps doing a million things each second without any delay like: – digesting your food, growing new skin etc. Sometimes it also requires care.
Facts you didn’t know: –
- Your mouth produces about 1 litre of saliva each day.
- When you touch something, your brain receives a message by a speed of 124 miles per hour.
- 70% of human body is made up of water.
- The nail on your middle finger grows faster than the other fingernails.
- Men get hiccups more often than women.
- Jaw muscle is the strongest of your entire body.
- Our nose is multi tasking as it cools hot air, warms cold air and filters impurities.
- Every human has a unique fingerprint, unique smell and unique tongue print.
- Babies do not shed tears until they are at least one month old.
- Human brain is more active at night as compared to day time. The reason is still not known to scientists.
- When you blush, your stomach lining also reddens.
- You cannot sneeze with your eyes open.
- Human bones are composed of 31% water.
- A red blood cell takes approximately 20 seconds to circle the whole body.
- Human brain has more than 100 billion nerve cells.
- You will not be able to taste your food if your saliva does not mix with your food.
- Your tongue is the strongest muscle of your body.
- Babies are color blind at birth. They only see black and white.
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A well-rounded education requires us to tap into various parts of a child’s brain in order to challenge, stretch and extend. While at Living Faith we quite rightly focus very heavily on literacy and numeracy, it’s prudent that other subjects are valued for the way they assist with brain development.
An example of a subject that may be considered to be non-academic, but is essential in providing a well-rounded education is Music. Researchers have produced an ever-increasing list of studies exploring the benefits of music education.
On the surface, there are some quite obvious benefits to music education, which include refining time management and organisational skills, enhancing coordination, boosting perseverance, sharpening concentration and fostering self-expression. Music is a social subject; for some students it is their ‘team sport’ as they grow in communication with each other and communication with an audience. Going deeper, research indicates that music connects students through a further variety of neural systems. It accelerates the areas of the brain responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception and reading skills. Music increases memory capacity and improves mathematical ability.
Find out more at:
- How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain;
- What Happens to Your Brain When You Perform; and
- What if Every Child had Access to Music Education from Birth.
- Jane Mueller


The 2nd edition of Peter Westwood’s best-selling Numeracy and Learning Difficulties addresses recent initiatives around the teaching of numeracy, the increased focus on numeracy standards, and international research around numeracy teaching, learning and pedagogy. Drawing on research from the fields of developmental and cognitive psychology, Peter Westwood presents a case for high-quality ‘first teaching’ to prevent students failing in the initial acquisition of numeracy skills.
Numeracy and Learning Difficulties provides guidance on how to develop flexible teaching methods and strategies to improve mathematical skills of students. It discusses common areas of learning difficulty in mathematics and looks at ways teachers can determine gaps in students’ knowledge, as well as how to develop curricula and problem-solving strategies to address these gaps.
In the Learning Difficulties series, Peter Westwood evaluates, summarises and presents research, strategies and best-practice methodologies for working with students that have learning difficulties in particular subject areas. Rigorous yet accessible, the titles in this series provide teachers with the knowledge, data and direction they need to develop their skills and meet student needs.


About 28 million people in the United States are deaf or have hearing difficulties. One of your friends’ kids or a child of your own may have hearing loss or impairment. But that does not mean that their disability can hamper their learning.
In fact, deaf students can learn things such as music and arts. Music plays a significant role in everyone’s lives, deaf or not. Anyone can be like Ludwig van Beethoven who lost his hearing ability in his 20s but produced some of the world-renowned musical masterpieces of all time. Yes, we believe we can produce Beethovens from this generation of deaf, music-loving children.
What is CFM?
Music education is a crucial part of our institution’s mission to expand the horizons of children with hearing problems. Launched in early 2017, the Children for Music (CFM) program was developed by the external affairs board of the Michigan School for the Deaf to raise public awareness about the abilities of deaf students and to gather support for students who love to express themselves through music and want to pursue music as a lifelong passion and craft.
We believe that through CFM, we can provide an excellent music education that deaf students deserve.
The CFM program has three components:
- Scholarship – We are supporting teachers who want to teach music to deaf students by making music teaching education more accessible to them. By doing so, we increase the number of teachers available to teach music to deaf students and prepare them well to respond to the specific needs of their students.
- Instrumental music – At the Michigan School for the Deaf, we have students with incredible musical talents, specifically playing instruments. In 2015, a school band was formed that is now serving the outlet of students who are inclined to music.
- Music appreciation – While some deaf students may not be inclined to become musicians in the future, they appreciate music. Our goal this year is to provide at least 70% of our students with hearing aids to help them feel music better.
How you can support CFM
We have been partnering with government, corporations, and private organizations to make CFM a more effective and inclusive program not just for the students of Michigan School for the Deaf but also other hearing-challenged people in our community.
Now, we are reaching out to individuals who generosity will go a long way in helping deaf people make their music dreams a reality.
There are three ways you can support CFM in meeting its goals for the betterment of deaf students:
- Donations in cash and kind – While the Michigan School for the Deaf receives funding from various grants, specialized music education for the deaf is expensive. Your kind contribution will definitely help us provide compensation and scholarships to our music teachers and procuring musical instruments for our school band. If you have any old instruments you are no longer using, we will gladly accept them as donations for our school band.
- Sponsor a deaf student – Help a deaf student realize his dreams by sponsoring the cost of his music education.
- Work part-time or full-time as a music instructor– Share your music knowledge and skills to our students by spending time with them teaching how to play musical instruments, music appreciation, voice lessons, and others.
Interested in supporting CFM? Contact us and we will respond to you ASAP.


Processo de construção do conhecimento científico na educação básica a partir de experiências com robótica pedagógica
Oliveira, Ortenio de
MetadataShow full item record
With an increasingly intense presence in daily life, technological innovations influence the way of life of society, changing behaviors and perceptions of reality. In the educational sphere, it draws attention to the need for reflections and reformulations of its teaching processes in order to meet the learning expectations of generations of students increasingly connected with the world around them. Thus, this research aims to identify and characterize the process of construction of scientific knowledge in basic education through experiences that use robotics as a pedagogical tool. To achieve this goal, the research was divided into specific objectives: 1) to identify and characterize initiatives of robotics use in the educational context; 2) to monitor and analyze how the experiences are elaborated and applied; 3) describe the most common pedagogical strategies in these experiments, identifying the most explored contents; 4) to systematize and analyze the possibilities of employment of robotics for the construction of scientific knowledge of areas not explored in the analyzed experiments; 5) explore possible relationships between pedagogical robotics and learning theories. The methodological procedures adopted to achieve the proposed objectives were divided into different stages. In the first stage, a bibliographical research was carried out, at a national level, in scientific databases, selecting theses, dissertations and the scientific production published in annals of SBC events. At the international level, articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases complemented the bibliographical research, reporting on the contributions and challenges of pedagogic robotics, pointing out positive trends in its application in the teaching of engineering, mathematics, science and also in technological education. The second stage counted on the field research, done in institutions that perform the experiments with robotics as an integral part of the curriculum or in extracurricular activities. As results, in the first stage, we highlight the similarity between the discourses of the theme that discuss ways of implementing robotics in education, its motivational aspects and the challenges faced. International productions are more emphatic in reflecting the need for more research and, in both national and international productions, the exploration of robotics takes place both in scientific disciplines and in technological education. In the second stage, the results were promising, especially in one of the institutions, where the theme was implemented in early years of elementary education, addressing science content in conjunction with robotics activities. The students were motivated during the activities, making the classes their moment of play within the school. The teachers signaled for expansion of the activities contemplating other disciplines and the increase in the number of students participating. Other points that can be highlighted in the results, at all stages: the focus of most research involving robotics is focused on technological education, raising digital literacy to a central point in the issues involving technologies in basic education.


GEOS5511 Groundwater Hydrochemistry
- 6 points
Availability Location Mode Non-standard teaching period UWA (Perth) Face to face
- This unit explores a broad range of topics related to groundwater hydrochemistry. It covers the fundamental hydrochemical processes (water-rock interactions, redox reactions, role of microbes) that affect the evolution of groundwater quality in unimpacted and anthropogenically stressed aquifers. The unit also introduces students to environmental tracers and isotopes (such as radiocarbon, CFCs and stable isotopes of water) to determine groundwater ages and constrain hydrogeological processes. Students develop an understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of geochemical and reactive transport modelling as tools to interpret hydrochemical and environmental tracer data and to predict the future evolution of groundwater quality.
- Students are able to (1) demonstrate knowledge of groundwater quality issues and hydrochemical principles; (2) demonstrate an understanding of the fate of environmental tracers in aquifers and their use to determine groundwater residence times; and (3) demonstrate an ability to apply geochemical and reactive transport modelling to quantify processes affecting groundwater quality and predict changes in groundwater quality.
- Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) quizzes; (2) assignment to assess an understanding of advanced hydrochemical processes and modelling; and (3) assignment to assess understanding of environmental tracers and isotopes. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Professor Henning Prommer
- Unit rules
- Contact hours
- workshops up to 2 x 4 hours per week; total workload is 150 hours
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Books and other material wherever listed may be subject to change. Book lists relating to 'Preliminary reading', 'Recommended reading' and 'Textbooks' are, in most cases, available via the Booktopia Textbook Finder, which has the functionality to search by course code, course, ISBN and title, and may also be posted or available at the appropriate school's administrative offices. Where texts are listed in the unit description above, an asterisk (*) indicates that the book is available in paperback.


Why Technology in Healthcare Matters
Dr. Jason Shuffitt, a nurse practitioner and member of RCGC. He has provided quality health care to hundreds of patients using innovative approaches due to the lack of modern day resources available. During his medical missions in Jamaica, Dr. Shuffitt encountered many different health concerns and conditions. He describes the experience as “wonderful” because of the amazing people he was able to connect with on a cultural and spiritual level.
Today, he is the Associate Dean for Learning and Healthcare Technology Innovations and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, where he teaches and conducts informatics research among many other responsibilities.
The Injury and Beyond
When Dr. Shuffitt was young, he experienced a significant injury. “I ran through a door that was not tempered glass and received multiple cuts that required 250+ stitches. The nurses who cared for me had a huge impact on my experience. It has influenced how I care for patients having been a young patient myself. As I grew older, I also had an experience with my brother, who had a terminal illness, which really pushed me into nursing. Originally I was in emergency medical services, but the true push was when I spent many nights in the hospital with him experiencing his illness and saw what the nurses contributed and how the nurses were really the leaders of the healthcare team—they are the ones at the bedside traditionally, not only making healthcare decisions, but ensuring that you have good care so you improve and get better.”
Through Dr. Shuffitt’s experiences, he made the decision to enter the healthcare field where he now makes significant contributions through his research, practice, and instruction.
Although his early research was focused heavily on improving direct patient care, his current research is more informatics focused. However, his investigation of ways to improve technology use in healthcare still ultimately contributes to improving patient care.
For example, in the past, healthcare providers were “filtering through 16-17 different sources to combine data into a usable data set that you can analyze and make a decision about a patient, which is an administrative burden, [and] decreases the quality of care.”
Dr. Shuffit realized that patient care and efficiency could improve through the use of technology. For instance, administrative burden would lighten if patient information was all in one data set instead of multiple sheets of paper. In addition, if patients’ information was available to doctors quickly, it would reduce clinical decision errors.
1 out of 25 hospitalized patients are injured due to decision errors, and contribute to more than 48,000 deaths each year
In a recent paper, Dr. Shuffit describes that “clinical decision errors injure 1 out of 25 hospitalized patients, and contribute to more than 48,000 deaths each year” (Shuffitt J. & Effkin, J.). If more clinical data was available about patients these occurrences would decrease. Health informatics technology would then need to play a vital role, but in order to have health informatics one must be “well-versed in healthcare informatics” (Shuffitt J. & Effkin, J.).
Dr. Shuffit also assists by teaching others about healthcare informatics. “When I moved to full-time teaching a light bulb went off.” He thought about what he could do to improve learning in the clinical realm, and how he could assist students in learning how to adapt and apply that technology. Now health sciences students are graduating with a better sense of the technology used in healthcare.
In Dr. Shuffitt’s Health Informatics course he talks about the theory of large data sets, analysis, and how to apply some of these principles. This course provides foundational skills for people in different career paths, which gives the opportunity for those from different fields to learn about informatics—a combination of computer, information and healthcare science.
As a member of the University of Arizona community, Dr. Shuffit has found that the RCGC committee has been a very valuable resource for the UA faculty, because it opens doors for researchers and allows collaboration of research and ideas among the research community on campus. It is not an “every man to himself” idea, but a group collaborative
Written by: Marisol Moya
Edited by: Dr. Shuffitt, Mike Bruck, and RCteam


Songs, rhythmic chants, and small and large movement activities can be an enjoyable way to holistically support young children’s emerging math skills. Before children are able to count to ten or add and subtract, they are developing their mathematical understanding.
Webinar attendees embarked on a PAWTASTIC early learning adventure with Travis Brorsen and his talented canine companion, as they introduced life skills, character development and bully prevention for the early childhood classroom. Travis and his talented canine companion equipped students with the self confidence and skills they need to be successful in school and at home.
With so many apps and digital tools marketed to young children, it’s hard to know what kind of experiences children are having when engaging with them. Not all apps are created equal, and this edWeb.net Prek-3 Digital Learning webinar explored the issue by examining the different affordances of digital playgrounds (and playpens).
This session offered ten easy-to-implement yet essential strategies to optimize learning for little ones ages 0-5. Strategies included harnessing the power of music and movement, incorporating sensory experiences, using repetition to cement knowledge, and more!
Before you turn your conventional classrooms upside down, consider how the very different needs of your youngest learners should shape blended learning implementations for PreK-Grade 3.
Children are naturally curious, and this is an opportunity for you to spark their imaginations and feed their curiosity. Discover ideas that will engage your 21st century learners in educational, playful and meaningful ways.
edWeb’s new Early Childhood Learning Solutions community kicked off their first webinar with Dr. Jean, teacher, consultant and celebrated author of more than 10 books on the topic of early childhood education, and guest host Stephen Fite, award-winning musician and writer!
This webinar, held by edWeb’s PreK-3 Digital Learning community, helped clarify the role of gaming in education and provided webinar attendees with the information they need to effectively incorporate technology into childhood development.
Music can be an incredible and enjoyable tool to use with children of all ages, however, many early childhood professionals don’t realize that the means to do this are very accessible for any educator regardless of music “talent” or experience.
edWeb.net and Frog Street Press will partner to help early childhood educators positively impact the future of young children in the classroom by creating a free online professional learning community on Early Childhood Learning Solutions.


Q: When a child struggles with early literacy, what is normal and when is it time to get concerned?
A: “A lot of time parents automatically think it’s their kid — like if they’re reversing b’s and d’s, they should automatically be concerned. But actually that’s typical until first grade,” says Amy Erich, director of literacy development at Lawrence School. “The things they should be concerned about in the preschool and kindergarten range are difficulty with rhyming or listening to stories. Usually it’s a sign that their child needs more explicit, direct work with phonological awareness skills, those abilities to detect and manipulate sounds. Working to identify sounds, working to manipulate sounds in words, and increasing their exposure are great ways to work on that.”


MA Reading Education
Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Education
College of Education
English language--Study and Teaching (Elementary)--Foreign Speakers; Fluency (Language learning)
Elementary Education and Teaching | Language and Literacy Education
The purpose of this study was to find out more about what motivates students to read, and how they can experience success in reading. This study aimed to learn more about this topic by investigating how using poetry and songs during reading instruction in a third grade classroom would impact English Language Learners' attitude and motivation for reading. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, reading assessments, and observations, and I was able to determine how both the students' reading fluency and over reading achievement was effected by singing and reciting poetry. All students showed different levels of growth in the areas being studied: motivation, reading fluency, and reading achievement. After carefully analyzing the data, it can be stated that the students were positively impacted by engaging in singing and reciting poetry as a component of their daily literacy instruction.
Reilly, Dana Nelson, "The power of performance: using songs and poetry to motivate English Language Learners to read in a third grade classroom" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 2358.


Music production and composition are some of the vital areas of the music industry with many people trying to break into these kinds of careers. Becoming a music producer is not an easy career path, but there are producers who have become big names because of talent, hard work and good connections. However, equipping yourself with melodies and creative skills will help with career advancement.
What Educational Qualifications Are Necessary?Talent and creative skill is not something that can be taught in an institution, but this is where you can learn and create a solid foundation when you learn music theory or composition. Learning types of software and technical skills are rather important too. It is also important to learn an instrument well enough so that you can present your skills in a recording studio environment.
What Kind of Skills Are Required?The most important quality to have is a passion of music. Being able to read and write music would be very useful skills to have – including computer and technology skills to work with software to lay tracks down or create beats. Being at a comfortable skill level with an instrument would be an added bonus, as you can combine melodies and lyrics by yourself when necessary. Getting enrolled in a music education in Singapore to learn and understand musical theory and composition are important technical skills, but creativity and talent will develop over time depending on your level. Knowing how records work, what sounds or lyrics blend well together and attention to detail are some valuable skills.
Career Fields and AdvancementThe music industry is a very competitive field, and it is rare that a producer will be working in the field they enjoy. Learning marketing skills for yourself and the artists by being in the recording studio environment will be very useful too. Some producers can also work in the film industry producing soundtracks and scores for television shows and films. In fact some producers dabble in different fields from melody to film or video games or even advertisement and major campaigns. Interestingly some even take things s step further and become a singer songwriter themselves after years of honing their skills.
Helpful AdviceIf you have taste in a particular style of music, try to get a job in a recording studio or company that is known for producing artists in that genre. This will help you get the experience you crave, and you will develop your talent and creativity. You will also learn to work with artists and network better with people which can definitely help further your career too.


New Jersey State Standards
New Jersey State Learning Standards for English Language Arts: Reading
NJSLSA.R4:Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
NJSLSA.R6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
New Jersey State Learning Standards for English Language Arts: Speaking and Listening
NJSLSA.SL1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
New Jersey State Learning Standards for English Language Arts: Language
NJSLSA.L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
Common Core State Standards
National Core Arts Standards
- Anchor Standard #7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Anchor Standard #8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Anchor Standard #9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
- Anchor Standard #11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
- Theme 4: Individual Development and Identity
- Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
- Theme 6: Power, Authority, and Governance
- Theme 9: Global Connections
National Standards for Music Education
Core Music Standard: Responding
- Select: Choose music appropriate for a specific purpose or context.
- Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
- Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
- Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Core Music Standard: Connecting
- Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.


Literacy and Bilingualism
A Handbook for ALL Teachers
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Digital Notes and Study Tools
Built-in study tools include highlights, study guides, annotations, definitions, flashcards, and collaboration.
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The publisher of this book allows a portion of the content to be printed.
The publisher of this book allows a portion of the content to be copied and pasted into external tools and documents.
Additional Book Details
This handbook applies proven techniques, derived from bilingual/bicultural classrooms, to teaching literacy in the twenty-first century. Its goal is to help teachers increase their understanding of bilingual learners in order to maximize instruction. Teachers can use this handbook to expand their understanding of literacy and bilingualism; implement literacy approaches and assess students’ development; and learn through reflection.
Practical, flexible format and content. Complete and straightforward instructions, illustrated by case studies, allow teachers to use the strategies in this handbook on their own or in teacher-led study groups. They can select from the variety of approaches the ones which best match their students’ needs and their own teaching style.
Student-centered focus. All of the approaches share characteristics that help motivate students of varying language abilities to develop literacy.
Field-tested approaches. The approaches have been modified and tested with bilingual students of different ages and language backgrounds in bilingual, ESL, mainstream, special education, and deaf education classes ranging from preschool through high school.
New in the Second Edition:
*five new approaches with their corresponding classroom implementation;
*additional information in each introduction addressing its theme;
*new material on issues of language, culture, and literacy development of students completely new to the English language; and
*annotated bibliographies with sample books to support literacy within language and content area classes.
Literacy and Bilingualism is intended for a broad audience of teachers in any type of classroom where bilingualism plays a role, and is an excellent text for preservice and inservice courses that prepare teachers to work with English language learners.
|Sold By||Taylor and Francis|
|ISBNs||9780805855067, 1138134260, 9781135601959, 113560195X|
|Number of Pages||292|


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By the time they reach 4 years of age, kids have a greatly improved attention span and they often show interest in solving puzzles, doing basic math, etc. At this age, your child will want to explore new toys that can allow them to express their creativity. This is also a good age to introduce STEM toys to a child. Given the huge number of toys available, it’s easy to get confused when choosing educational toys for your kids. While there are many toys that can make it to the list of best STEM toys for 4-year-olds, if we had to pick a favorite, it would have to be the Monkey Balance Math Game since it is such a fun and tactile way for kids to learn vital numeracy skills. However, we have a few other top picks for you – read on to find out more!
Let’s face it, math has a bad reputation among a lot of kids (and adults!), but just imagine what it would be like if math was widely considered fun? With the CoolToys Monkey Balance Cool Math Game, you can introduce basic concepts of math to your child in an interesting manner. This toy set has a balance scale that has a toy monkey in the middle with two small scale pans. Your child will have to put a number on one scale and the corresponding number of toy monkeys on the other. The scale will balance if your child puts the correct number of monkey figures on the scale. It is a fun game that will help your child learn numbers and counting.
Most kids love to build new structures. K’Nex – Build A Bunch Set is a great playset through which your child can create different models. It develops a child’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination and also teaches them how to follow instructions. It has large and flexible pieces that are perfectly sized for tiny hands. If you want your child to be engaged in a creative activity for long hours, this toy set is the perfect solution.
From a very young age, your child begins to identify the visible parts of the body. Your child’s curious nature will force them to find out what is inside the human body. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Human Body Anatomy Play Set is for those curious minds. It provides the visuals of internal organs of a human body, making a child more interested in learning about biology. There aren’t many STEM toys that focus on anatomy, and especially for preschoolers, which makes us appreciate this toy all the more!
This adorable caterpillar-shaped STEM toy is perfect for 4-year-olds. The Fisher-Price Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar Toy introduces children to the world of coding and teaches them the concepts of planning and sequencing. Kids program a path for the caterpillar by joining the segments together in an appropriate order, to make it go wherever they want.
What STEM Toys You Will Get For a 4–Year-Old?
We hope that this article has given you some ideas for what to get your 4-year-old. Of course we’re biased, but we think STEM toys are a fantastic gift for kids of any age. Better still, we know that most 4-year-olds agree!
- The Top 5 Best Coding Toys for Kids and Teens in 2020 - May 27, 2020
- Best STEM Subscription Box for Kids [Ultimate Guide 2020] - May 20, 2020
- Our Ultimate Guide To The Best Robot Toys for Kids (2020) - May 7, 2020


This post will highlight the importance of Tummy Time and offer some helpful Tummy Time Tips and Tricks to help make Tummy Time more enjoyable for all!
Let’s begin with some important questions:
Why does my baby need Tummy Time?
Tummy time helps children develop important neck, back, and shoulder muscles. The muscles are needed to help achieve early motor milestones. Tummy time may also help prevent motor delays and conditions such as Plagiocephaly and Torticollis. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing babies on their backs to sleep and on their tummies to play.
Tummy time also allows children the opportunity to visually explore the environment in a new way. When a child is positioned on their back, he or she can see only the ceiling and whatever is directly around them. But on the child’s stomach, they begin to independently engage their muscles to lift their head and see their environment at eye level, giving the child a completely new view of the world!
As the child begins to gain head and neck control on tummy, they will be able to push up on forearms and then hands. This input is important to shoulder stability as well as hand strength and future fine motor skill development.
Why does my baby seem to dislike Tummy Time?
Positioning a child on their tummy can be trying for the child, especially at first as the child has to work against gravity to maintain their head in a vertical position. The muscles of the head, neck and upper back have not yet been challenged in this manner, and thus are not yet developed. Also the child may feel “trapped” in this position, as they do not yet have the skills to roll from tummy to back.
How do I make Tummy Time more fun?
Instead of placing your baby on tummy and leaving them with a few toys, first begin by rolling them from back to belly, and belly to back a few times. This is a great way to incorporate motor learning and show the child that they can transition in and out of tummy time.
Talk through the movements and actions as you guide your child onto their stomach, your voice will be both soothing and reassuring. Make tummy time part of the daily routine, as your child adds tummy time to their “repertoire” of skills, you will see marked improvement in their comfort and skill level!
When should my baby start Tummy Time?
Tummy Time can begin as soon as your baby comes home from the hospital.
How much Tummy Time does my baby need?
Try to build up child’s tolerance, incorporating different tummy time activities throughout the day. Aim for a few minutes at a time, several times a day.
As your child gains strength and comfort, increase the amount of time you spend enjoying tummy time!
Fun Tummy Time Tips and Tricks
Tummy time does not need to take place solely on the floor, here are a few Tummy Time Tips and Tricks to mix up the tummy time routine and make things more fun for all!
1. Tummy to Tummy
Lie down on a soft surface, flat or propped up on pillows. Place baby on your chest or tummy, so that you are face-to-face. Always hold firmly for safety. This is not only a great alternative tummy time position, it also engages the child’s visual system and is a great bonding opportunity for caregiver and baby!
2. Eye Level Smile
Get down level with baby to encourage eye contact. You can use Boppy pillow or roll up blanket under the child’s chest for additional support. Using your own body, toy or links, once the child’s gaze is locked, slowly move object side to side and up and down, your baby will begin tracking while maintaining tummy time position!
3. Lap Soothe
Place baby face down across your lap to burp or soothe them. A hand on baby’s bottom will help steady and calm them.
4. Tummy Down Carry
Position one hand under the tummy and between the legs and carry baby tummy down. Nestle baby close to your body.
5. Tummy Minute
Place baby on their tummy after routine activities such as diapering or bathing for one to two minute intervals. Gradually increase duration, allowing child to get used to tummy time as part of their daily routine.
Other Tummy Time Play Positions
Tummy Time on Therapy Ball
Tummy Time on Incline Ramp
Tummy Time on Soft Wedge Pillow
Flying Tummy Time
Learn more about Dinosaur Physical Therapy!


Leonardo da Vinci is an outstanding artist, the man of genius of Renaissance and Humanism. The unique fame that the Florentine artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci enjoyed in his lifetime has remained undimmed to the present day. It is based on the equally unique universality of his spirit. He was a painter, sculptor, architect and engineer. An unlimited desire for knowledge guided his thinking and behaviour. He found that his eyes were his main avenue to knowledge. «Knowing how to see» (Saper vedere) became the great theme of his studies of man’s works and nature’s creations. His superb intellect, his unusual powers of observation, and his mastery of the art of drawing led him to the study of nature itself.
Leonardo was born in 1452 on his father’s family estate in Vinci. His father was a Florentine notary and landlord. His mother was a young peasant woman. Leonardo grew up in his father’s house, where he was treated as a legitimate son and received the usual elementary education of that day: reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Leonardo’s artistic inclinations must have appeared early. When he was about 15, his father took him to a renowned workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. Leonardo received a many-sided training that included not only painting and sculpture but the technical-mechanical arts as well. In 1472 Leonardo was accepted in the painters’ guild of Florence and worked independently until 1481.
In 1482 he moved to Milan where he spent 17 years serving the Duke until Ludovico’s fall from power in 1499. Highly esteemed, Leonardo was constantly kept busy as a painter and sculptor and as a designer of court festivals, technical adviser and engineer. There Leonardo’s genius unfolded to the fulL He created «Lady with an Ermine» (the portrait of Cecilia Gallerani), an altar painting of «The Virgin of the Rocks», a monumental wall painting of the «Last Supper». He wrote treatises on painting, architecture, a book on the elements of mechanics, a work on human anatomy, geographical, botanical, hydrological and aerological researches.
From 1500 till 1502 Leonardo travelled from one city to another until he entered the service of the notorious son of Pope Alexander VI, Cesare Borgia as «senior military architect and general engineer». Only his «appetite to life» can explain Leonardo’s decision. For ten months he travelled across the territories and sketched some of the city plans and topographical maps that laid the groundwork for modern cartography. In 1503 he returned to Florence and for three years worked on «Battle of Anghiari» but it remained unfinished. These same years he painted the portrait of «Mona Lisa» and a painting of a standing «Leda», which was not completed and has survived only in copies.
In 1506 the governor of Milan invited Leonardo da Vinci and the latter accepted the invitation. In Milan he did very little as a painter but his scientific activity flourished.
In 1513 Leonardo went to Rome hoping to find employment there. He remained in the Eternal City for three years. While Donato Bramante’was building St. Peter’s, Raphael was painting the last rooms of the Pope’s new apartments, Michelangelo was struggling to complete the tomb of Pope Julius, and many younger artists were active there, the ageing master worked in his studio on mathematical studies and technical experiments.
In a life of such loneliness, it is easy to understand why Leonardo, despite his 65 years, decided to accept the invitation of the young king Francis I to enter his service in France. Leonardo spent the last three years of his life in the small residence near the King’s summer palace. The King treated him in every respect as an honoured guest. Leonardo spent most of his time arranging and editing his scientific studies.
He died on May 2, 1519. During the French Revolution the church where he had been buried was devastated. Hence, his grave can no longer be located. But his masterpieces live and we can admire their perfect beauty.