A growing number of adults in England do not have the number skills required to work out their change in a supermarket, a government study has found.
The results showed that 24% had the number skills of a child aged nine or younger. This means they would struggle to count up to 1,000 and may find it difficult to work out how many cars are needed to take a large group of friends home.
In 2003, when researchers administered the same tests to a similar sample size, 21% of adults had the number skills of a child aged nine or younger.
A charity that promotes adult learning – the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) – described the finding as alarming and said part of the problem was that too many adults were taught by unqualified teachers.
It said those who hadn't mastered basic number skills struggled in life even more than those who hadn't acquired basic literacy skills.
The study also found that 15% of adults had the reading and writing age of a child aged 11 or younger. This means they would struggle to write a short email to a colleague using the correct spelling and punctuation. In 2003, 16% of adults had the reading and writing age of an 11-year-old.
Sue Southwood, programme manager at Niace, said the majority of adults who had not acquired basic literacy or numeracy skills did not have learning difficulties, but were "ordinary people who had had a negative experience of education".
"We desperately need to attract them back into adult learning because they will be trapped in unemployment or low-paid jobs," she said.
The researchers found the proportion of adults who had the equivalent of an A* to C grade at GCSE in English had risen since 2003. Some 57% of the adults achieved this, compared to 44% in 2003.
The government has promised to boost the study of English and maths for adults and has said that in future employers that take on apprentices will be required to offer training in English and maths up to the standard of a GCSE pass.
A full report on the study – called Skills for Life – will be published in the spring.


Education and Inequality in India
A Classroom View
Routledge – 2011 – 208 pages
Universalization of primary education has been high on the policy agenda in India. This book looks at the reproduction of social inequalities within the educational system in India, and how this is contested in different ways. It examines whether the concept of `education for all’ is just a mechanically conceived policy target to chasing enrolment and attendance or whether it is a larger social goal and a deeper political statement about the need for attacking entrenched social inequalities.
Drawing on original data collected in the two states of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, the authors present the multiple ways in which social class impinges on the educational system, educational processes and educational outcomes. The book goes on to explore issues around autonomy and accountability via an analysis of the position of teachers within the educational hierarchy, and by looking at the various possibilities of making teachers accountable. Recommendations related to the necessity for a larger debate and normative framework are made, including whether private schools should play a role, and whether it is necessary to move from government action and responsibilities to a broader concept of public action. The book presents in interesting contribution for students and scholars of South Asian studies, as well as Education and Public Policy studies.
1. Introduction: Education and Inequality 2. Segmentation and Segregation: The Reproduction of Inequality in the Schooling System 3. State Action and Inaction in Elementary Education: Paradoxes within the Policy Process 4. Teachers’ Professionalism and Social Class: Ambivalences in the Life of Government School Teachers 5. Teachers and Children: Interactions in the Classroom 6. Pedagogy at the Grassroots: About Teaching Practices and Assessments 7. Quality and Equality: Interpreting Textbooks 8. Contesting Inequalities through Activism 9. Some Afterthoughts
Manabi Majumdar is a member of the academic faculty at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, India. She has published on issues of human development and democracy.
Jos Mooij is Associate Professor at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Netherlands. Her main research interests are the politics of public policies, policy process, food policy, education policies, decentralisation, also in the context of India.


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This is the 8th lesson of Reading the Alphabet. RTA is designed for those PreKinders who already know their letters and letter sounds, yet are not ready for a faster paced, full-blown Kindergarten curriculum. It would also work well for special needs students or those beginning readers who are struggling to learn to read.
Lessons from this Curriculum Include:an early emergent reader for each week which reviews letter sounds, applies them to real words, and introduces sight words at an appropriate pace for a PreK's literacy development, picture cards for each letter to apply beginning letter sounds via sound sorts and other activities, a rhyming cut and paste activity, activities to work on syllables within words, making patterns activity via the letter sound of the week, a print awareness craft activity for each letter sound, book/print awareness ideas for each letter of the alphabet, beginning sight word puzzles & mazes, and MUCH MORE!


The History of New York State
Editor, Dr. James Sullivan
Online Edition by Holice, Deb & Pam
New York State, Educational Legislation (Albany, 1906-26).
Report in Regard to Vocational Education (New York, 1915).
Education Department, Reports of the Director (Albany).
Dean, A. D., Vocational Education and State Policy, 1908.
Dean, A. D., Vocational Schools, 1913.
Abstracts of Annual Reports of the Education Department (Albany, 1905-26).
New York State, Educational Department Annual Reports, 1903.13.
Clarke, J. M., The Beginning of Dependent Life (Albany, 1908).
Draper, A. S., And Finegan, T. E., Addresses before the Rural Education Section of the New York State
Teachers' Association, 1911.
Draper, A. S., Our Children, Our schools, and Our industries (Albany, 1908).
Finegan, T. E., Elementary Education (Albany, 1912).
Finegan, T. E., The Establishment and development of New York's School System, 1912.
Horner, H. H., Examination (Albany, 1912).
New York State, Education Department, Illiteracy in New York (Albany, 1906).
New York State, Education, Indian Schools (Albany, 1913).
New York State, State Normal Schools (Albany, 1911).
New York State, Educational Department, Secondary School, 2 Vols., 1922 (Charles F. Wheelock).
Syllabus for Secondary Schools (Albany, 1910).
Training Class Syllabus (Albany, 1909).
Wheelock, C. F., Secondary Education (Albany, 1912).
Sullivan, J. D., Digest of Compulsory Education and Child Labor Laws, 1909.
Bulletin of books in Education in the Libraries of Columbia University (New York, 1901).
Monroe Cyclopedia of Education, 1910.
Barnard, American Journal of Education (Hartford, 1855-81).
Heath, Pedagogical Library (Boston, 1886, et seq.).
Reports of the U. S. Commissioner of Education (Wash., 1867, et seq.).
Teachers' College, Columbia University, Contributions to Education.
Butler, The Meaning of Education, 1898.
Dewey, The School and Society, 1899.
Graves, History of Education (New York, 1900-13).
Monroe, History of Education (New York, 1911).
Ecclesiastical Records, State of New York, published by the State under the supervision of Hugh Hastings, State Historian (Albany, 1901).
Williams, S., New York's Part in History (New York, 1915).
U. S. Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1912, "The Dutch Schools of New Netherland and Colonial New York" (W. H. Kilpatrick).
D. J. Pratt, Annals of Public Education in State of New York (1872).
S. S. Randall, The Common School System of New York (Troy, 1851).
R. F. Seybolt, Apprenticeship education in Colonial New York (New York, 1917).
Miller, G. F., History of Academy System in New York
#1 N. Y. Col. MSS, I. 6. Dunshe, "History of the School of the Collegiate Church,"
#2 N. Y. Col. MSS., . 19.
#3 Ibid., 468.
#4 O'Callaghan, "History of the Netherlands," II, 540.
#5 N. Y., Col. MSS., IX, 869.
#6 Anderson, "History of the Colonial Church," III, 159.
#7 T. T. Rhead, "Atlantic Monthly," March, 1927, "The American Secret."
The History of New York State, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1927
This book is owned by Pam Rietsch and is a part of the Mardos Memorial Library
Transcribed by Holice B. Young
HTML by Debbie Axtman
You are the [an error occurred while processing this directive] Visitor to this USGenNet Safe-Site™ Since September 5, 2004.


Have I convinced you yet that you should include technology in your Elementary Music Classroom every day (if possible)? Not only does your district have benchmarks and guidelines for including technology but so does our Music Education Standards!
I found an article that goes right along with my previous two blog posts. You can read the original article here http://www.ictineducation.org/home-page/2011/3/3/13-reasons-to-use-educational-technology-in-lessons.html
1. Using technology helps students understand and retain more. I have seen this in my own practice. Since using the SMARTboard, my lessons are more organized and consistent. The students are grasping the concepts more quickly (and it's more fun, to be sure!). They are engaged and on-task.
2. Its DI - Differentiated Instruction - multiple intelligences.
3. These kids are the 'Net Generation. They probably started playing with electronic devices before they could talk! This is what they crave. Perhaps even, their brains are wired differently (I have only heard inklings of talk like this, but haven't done the research to see if it is true). As adults, they will be using techie tools that haven't even been invented yet in job fields that haven't been created yet! Can you help to prepare them for that? And WHY NOT in the Music Classroom?
4. Using technology the right way in the Music Classroom can ensure your lessons include opportunity for HOTS. Check out this cool presentation categorizing iPad apps into Bloom's Taxonomy. http://issuu.com/ktenkely/docs/lg_alpha/6 (More about this in future blog posts.)
5. Putting technology into the hands of the student by using student computers, the computer lab or hand-held devices such as the iPod or iPad, the learning becomes child-centered and more personalized.
6. The potential for collaboration and project-based learning is greatly increased with the use the technology in the Music Classroom.
7. Using technology makes it easier to assess students authentically with every lesson. Testing knowledge and understanding, but also projects where students problem-solve, create, analyze and synthesize.
Did you recognize that all of these are "buzz words" in the education field right now? Are your students engaged? Are you teaching tools for the 21st Century learner? Are you teaching Higher Order Thinking Skills such as evaluating, analyzing and creating? Are your lessons child-centered? Are you teaching DI and Multiple Intelligences with EVERY lesson? Student collaboration and project-based learning? And what about assessment??
Ok, ok... it is all so overwhelming! And where to start!
I am working feverishly to develop more lessons to share with you! Not only with SMARTboard lessons, but with cool Web 2.0 tools and detailed lesson plans that also incorporate Kodaly and Orff! How's that for a complete package!


Imagine the reaction of a parent who asks: "Is my child ready for first grade?" What would they say to the seemingly simple inquiry, "Can he skip down the street?"
Adults don't skip. Other than while holding the hand of a young child, we would all be hard pressed to say we have seen an adult skipping down the street. Clearly, it is not a motor skill that children will use later in life, but for a young child skipping is imperative.
This playful method of movement is actually a great predictor for a child's later comfort with fine motor and visual motor skills. Bob Sornson, founder of the Early Learning Foundation, identifies fluid skipping as one of four necessary movement goals for all students by the end of kindergarten. His list of goals that indicate early learning success follow:
In some ways, we all agree with him, perhaps without realizing it. For example, we can agree that the body was designed to move. Anyone who has young children will tell you how much they need to move. Parents, just think of every time you have ever said "sit still."
The bottom line is that movement, from the crawling of a baby to the skipping of a 5 year old, is an important predecessor to a child's brain growth and development. Most parents understand that crawling is an important cross lateral movement that improves communication between the two sides of the brain. Likewise, physical activity in early childhood develops brain-body coordination that lays the foundation for cognitive brain wiring yet to come. Indeed, such motor skills serve as catalysts for the development of listening, speaking, attention, emotional control, and visual motor and visual thinking skills.
In the progression and the development of sensory motor skills, optimal readiness for school is built on balance and gross motor skills. Those fundamental skills need to be obtained for later skills to develop - skills such as visual memory that help young students remember sight words, or skills such as visualization that allows us to comprehend abstract concepts.
All of this is to say that learning and movement are intrinsically tied together.
For young children, movement is the key to joyful learning. Movement increases blood flow and brings more oxygen to the brain. Indeed, a student before second grade can only pay attention for 10 minutes before needing to move in some way. The child who is fidgeting is sending a clear message that (s)he needs to move. Being asked to sit still at a desk might make it impossible to concentrate when the body needs to move.
Research agrees, young children need to move. Even the NFL has adopted a campaign to encourage physical activity in children for at least 60 minutes every day. Daily physical education classes meet this goal. It allows children the exercise and cardiovascular fitness to keep the blood moving and oxygen pumping in the brain. It is a different way to think about the whole child when we think about early childhood education.
What is a parent to do? Consider if you will that to sit still and be productive, your child might need to have an opportunity to move first. If you want your 6-year-old to sit for an hour, physical exercise ahead of time will help and the opportunity to move even in small ways every 10 minutes will make a world of difference.
Linda Krulock graduated from West Liberty State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and early childhood. She teaches senior kindergarten at Wheeling Country Day School. Elizabeth Hofreuter-Landini is head of school at Wheeling Country Day. She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard University Graduate School of Education.


The Library offers both programs and books to introduce children and their families to the world of learning. We offer a variety of activities to encourage reading for entertainment, inspiration and delight. These include weekly storytimes for the parents and caregivers of infants (0-18 months old), toddlers (18-24 months old) and preschoolers. These storytimes are a total learning experience for children under 5 years of age, their parents and caregivers, offering songs, finger plays, stories, movement activities and crafts. Attendance helps to build essential skills such as introducing the concepts of colors, numbers and shapes and reinforces emerging skills needed to read such as recognition of the alphabet, rhyming and word patterns. We are always adding new programs so check the Branch Calendars for what is planned and ask a staff member about what is available at your local library.
Our Families for Literacy (FFL) programs provides early literacy development activities to families of adult learners participating in the Literacy program.
The program is targeted to children ages 0 to 5 and their caregivers. This proactive program will provide the child’s caregiver with the necessary information and skills to promote reading to their child.
"I hated school. It's embarrassing when your peer would correct your spelling paper and you had practically nothing...The literacy program has really helped me by encouraging me. I never got that when I was a kid."
Listen to Ron's Story
At the Library


Subject Guides: Music
Find Scholarly Articles
- ProQuest Research Library – full-text articles and citations to articles relevant to many subjects including music and fine arts (Library Barcode log-in required for off-campus access).
- Academic Search Premier – “This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 4,600 journals, including full text for nearly 3,900 peer-reviewed titles,” including Music, Music Education, and Composition among numerous others (Library Barcode log-in required for off-campus access).
- JSTOR – offers full-text access to archival and current issues of over 1,400 scholarly journal titles in more than 50 subject areas, including 83 titles in Music (Library Barcode log-in required for off-campus access).
Internet Music Resources
- Internet Public Library: Music – Contains links to a large variety of Internet resources pertaining to Music that include websites on composer biographies, sheet music collections, music theory, and music encyclopedias.
- Performing Arts Encyclopedia – Guide to performing arts resources at the Library of Congress. “PAE provides information about the Library’s unsurpassed collections of scores, sheet music, audio recordings, films, photographs, and other materials.” There are many digitized items, online presentations, links to other resources and concert information.
- National Jukebox – The Library of Congress’ website that makes historical sound recordings available online free of charge. The collection includes over 10,000 recordings.
- African American Sheet Music – over “1,305 pieces of African-American sheet music dating from 1850 through 1920. The collection includes many songs from the heyday of antebellum black face minstrelsy in the 1850s and from the abolitionist movement of the same period… African-American popular composers include James Bland, Ernest Hogan, Bob Cole, James Reese Europe, and Will Marion Cook. From the American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress.
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Complete Subject Guide Listing


Providing a Literacy-Rich Home Environment
Literacy development is a continuous process that begins in infancy when babies are first exposed to language, books, and stories. Its roots are in the home, with branches extending to other environments.
Books are the key ingredient to creating a literacy-rich home environment. Families can support language and literacy learning by creating a home atmosphere in which reading, writing, talking, and listening are a natural part of daily life.
Literacy-rich homes and families:
- Establish a regular time and place for daily read-aloud sessions, such as before bed or during bath time.
- Keep on hand a variety of reading materials: picture books, chapter books, atlases, dictionaries, magazines, and newspapers. Then also get library cards for everyone and use them often.
- Share their love of books and reading. Parents may say to children, "This was my favorite book when I was your age" or "I can't wait to start my new book."
- Talk about what they read and encourage children to think, solve problems, and make predictions. Parents may discuss the books a child is reading, then ask questions such as, "Did you ever...?" or "How would you feel if that happened to you?"
- Have plenty of paper and writing tools.
- Store books and writing materials in places children can reach.
- Have frequent conversations with each child, as well as with the family as a whole. Parents should encourage everyone to express their ideas, opinions, and feelings.
- Reinforce language and literacy skills by doing puzzles and playing games that reinforce literacy, such as Lotto, Candy Land, Old Maid, Concentration, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit.
- Model reading and writing for pleasure and for specific uses, such as making a shopping list.
- Respond positively to children's reading and writing efforts.
- Set aside plenty of time for reading by balancing time devoted to sports, television, and other activities.
These strategies tell children that reading and writing are important lifelong activities that are fun and useful. Families can also show children how much they value reading and writing by building partnerships with child development programs and schools.
Source: RIF Exchange Show #103.


earning to critique
I. Course Format
II. State Standards
Assignments are described
in this Syllabus. Please read it carefully. Ask for clarification on
items you are not sure about.
that you have
had or are now taking Art 309: Art for Children. Secondary School Art
intended to complement Art for Children. During class you are asked for
brief reports based on your experiences, observations, and
for Education 314: Senior High and Middle School Curriculum and
during the same term. Field work, journals, and assignments are to be
all work handed
in for Education 314 is also turned in for this class. See Field
Off Campus below for additional field work for Education 314
top of page
course is a
major part of student preparation for the Indiana State Standards for
Standards for Teachers of Fine
Arts at this Internet location.
At this site you
the proposed Indiana Certification Standards explained.
III. Additional Course
Growth and Development.
Teachers are expected to master:
-in each of the Standards
for Art in High
School, Junior High School, and Middle School.
The Curriculum. Ways to
what to include
in a secondary art curriculum.
E. Management styles in art
to work with people, especially adolescents
IV. Reading expectations
by Simpson. et. al.
and what knowledge are important?
are actually learned
in an art course?
theories and methods
needed to plan and teach a DBAE (discipline based art education)
C Questions to guide
and discussion about Art Instruction and Student Learning.
are the attributes of a
good art assignment? Integrating art history, criticism, and aesthetics
with creative production.
critique (discuss) student
artwork with them?
motivates secondary students?
evaluate and grade students.
Assessment in Art
What attributes can be graded in student work?
What else is graded by an art teacher?
Learn about the use of rubrics for grading art students
and their work.
- The teacher
and compare art teacher
styles, approaches, personalities, attitudes, and motivations.
parents, and the pubic.
by practicing art, exhibiting, research, continuing education,
in art education professional organizations, and relating to other art
F Other components of
about exhibits and contests?
What are their benefits and problems.
politics and getting
what is needed. See Hatfield's book and other more current sources for
ways to advocate for better art education support.
B. Library books
Select topics related to Jr. and Sr. High Art.
C. Find and
teaching resources available on the World Wide Web. E-mail these to the
whole class and the instructor
Turn in reading cards with 14 or more sources by mid-term and 28 by the
end of term. List author, title, (c) date, and publisher. Include your
own informative response to the authors’ ideas, descriptions, some
quotes and list pages read. Some of the cards must be based on web page
URL locations. Reading cards may be in the form of a computer file
in on a disk or attached to an e-mail message. For each source, include
your own interpretation and evaluation of how the reading seems
or useful to you now or in the future as an art teacher.
V. Teaching Display
Prepare a display
use as a reference while learning a new process or concept in
Something like an
web site or Powerpoint looping presentation that can be running on its
own in an art class may be an alternate to this assignment.


MUSIC CONDUCTORS lead instrumental music groups, such as symphony orchestras, dance bands, show bands, and various ensembles. They may perform before live audiences, on radio, in studios for recording, television, or movie productions. Music conductors audition and select musicians, and direct rehearsals and performances to achieve the desired musical effects. Conductors utilize their knowledge of conducting techniques, music theory and harmony, and talents of individual performers. Music conductors may schedule tours and performances. They meet with composers to discuss interpretations of their work. Conductors may also hire guest soloists.
Salary, Size & Growth
- $50,000 average per year ($24.00 per hour)
- A small occupation (20,600 workers in 2010)
- Expected to grow moderately (1.0% per year)
MUSIC CONDUCTORS need training in music theory, music interpretation, composition, and conducting; and specialized skill on one instrument or voice. Conductors need extensive training to acquire the necessary skill, knowledge, and ability to interpret music. Training may be obtained through private study, in a college or university music program, or in a music conservatory. Formal courses include music theory, music interpretation, composition, and conducting. No licensing or certification is required for music conductors. Those who teach must have a degree in music education to qualify for a state certificate to teach music in an elementary or secondary school.


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On October 23rd, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute hosted an event, entitled “Common Core & Curriculum Controversies,” it featured a series of discussions regarding Common Core math myths, Common Core aligned texts, and Common Core implementation. During one session Dr. Tim Shanahan, Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois Chicago, noted that most teachers (roughly two-thirds) place students according to reading levels and not grade levels. Furthermore, he elaborated that students’ rankings are often decreased by one or two levels.
Far too often, students are assigned to reading levels that are below their current grade levels and are rarely given the opportunity to catch up with other students who are consistently progressing within the areas of literacy and reading comprehension. Due to this phenomenon, countless students are not offered opportunities to interact with challenging materials and concepts that they may be capable of learning and understanding, because most of them are promoted throughout the years without gaining the necessary basic literacy and reading comprehension skills (for examples, look at the New York City Department of Education, the Saint Louis Public Schools, or a new law in Florida). Ultimately, this practice brings about issues within the spheres of workforce development and education which lead to further problems pertaining to employment.
Students who graduate high school lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills are likely to encounter difficulties when entering the workforce– in fact, many individuals with low literacy skills are more prone to drop out of school prior to graduation. Concerning unemployment, studies show that approximately 27 million American are unable to complete forms necessary for employment, such as job applications. In addition, people with literacy-related deficiencies are more likely to have limited job options and lose their jobs.
Many workforce development and education organizations, while directly assisting individuals with low literacy skills in obtaining employment, are tasked with the responsibility of helping individuals to improve their literacy and reading comprehension skills as a means of helping them to effectively and efficiently join the workforce. Due to funding structures and reporting requirements that emphasize impossibly quick gains, organizations with the goal of catching individuals with low literacy skills up to sufficient literacy levels are finding that their objective is hampered from the start.
In many cases, even when individuals with low literacy skills do obtain jobs, they are often categorized by employers as individuals of lower qualification and skill levels, therefore often earning lower wages. This is partly a result of the fact that individuals with a limited number of qualifications and skills are often hired to perform low-paying jobs that don’t revolve around complexity and skillfulness. Furthermore, in the long run, people with low literacy skills are 16.5 times more prone to rely on welfare and other forms of income support. They are also more likely take on jobs that lack social benefits, to experience more barriers when attempting to exercise socio-economic mobility, and to be victims of poverty. In fact, 43% of adults who live in poverty are of low literacy.
Many of the potential issues that individuals face, in regards to employment, could have been avoided in the early stages of their adolescence. It is no secret that one’s life is often decided for them by their educational placement in elementary, middle, and high school. In order to prevent the future generation from experiencing these reoccurring dilemmas, it is pivotal that parents, teachers, policymakers, and other organizations work together to ensure that every student is able to reach their full potential and showcase their abilities before they are assessed and placed incorrectly.


Post Secondary Planning
The ACT Assessment, or "A-C-T" as it is commonly called, is a national college admission examination that consists of tests in: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science Reasoning. ACT results are accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and universities. You can register for the ACT online.
PSAT - Check out the "Understanding PSAT Scores" Prezi -
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a practice SAT test. It measures the critical reading, math problem-solving, and writing skills that you've been developing throughout your life. It does not measure things like creativity and motivation, and it doesn't recognize those special talents that may be important to colleges.
The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing subscores for multiple-choice and the essay.
The SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT II: Subject Tests) are designed to demonstrate to colleges mastery of specific subjects like English, history, mathematics, science, and foreign language. Many colleges use the Subject Tests for admission, course placement, and to advise students about course selection. Some colleges specify the Subject Tests they require for admission or placement; others allow applicants to choose which tests to take. You can register for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests on-line.
The Grant High School counseling department subscribes to a college and career planning resource called Naviance. All current juniors and seniors have received registration cards and have personalized passwords to access this dynamic college and scholarship search tool. Some of the information available through Naviance includes: college searches, college look-up, college compare, GHS acceptance history, college visitation schedules and scholarship lists. We strongly encourage students and families to explore this wonderful resource. Parents are also invited to use Naviance and can access the website using the link above.
Understanding PSAT Scores
Prezi presentation may take a few seconds to load depending on your connection.


This is a 6-week course. New students welcome!
Students will discover how food chains represent a simple way to show the flow of energy and the feeding relationships of producers and consumers. Students will examine the six major biomes on earth and how each is represented as an ecosystem. Students will learn that seasons occur because the earth turns on its axis as it orbits the sun. Next, we will look at the different phases of the moon and how it takes a little more than 27 days to orbit earth. Students will create a model of the eight planets that orbit the sun. The last class in this session will focus on our solar system and beyond. Topics include: asteroids; meteors, constellations, comets and the Milky Way galaxy.
Science for Kids: Session 2!
Ages 6-9 years
6 weeks: 11/4, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16 (no class on 11/11)
$75/student, $65/sibling discount
Sky Mountain vendor: George A. Castro, gee!
Golden Valley vendor: Great Educational Experiences
Excel College Prep vendor: Great Educational Experiences
Instructor: Gabriela Stiles has worked in education for the past twenty years. At Orange Coast College, she ran the career library for seven years followed by working as a teacher aide in the elementary school level for two years in Long Beach. After receiving a Bachelor degree in Art history with a minor in history, Gabriela received her multiple subject teaching credential at CSULB. Gabriela has taught high school biology and physical science for the past nine and a half years before deciding to homeschool her son. The home school community has reignited her passion in the learning process, on all levels.
This is a drop-off class, if parent and child are comfortable. Parents are always welcome to stay and observe. Lighthouse has an enclosed playground for younger siblings. The trampoline is off-limits, though.
To sign up one child, RSVP as yourself; to sign up two children, RSVP +1, etc.
If you are not using charter funds, feel free to pay online or bring check/cash to first day of class. Please make checks payable to GEE.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!


Preschoolers love to explore through hands-on activities. And we’re pleased to offer that, with kindergarten-readiness activities based on the best national early-childhood standards. As your child progresses on the School Readiness Pathway to kindergarten and further education, preschool is an essential element of that journey.
Preschoolers require challenges, respond to motivation, and crave encouragement. To both engage and nurture your child, we provide a balance of freedom and instruction. The classroom is designed as a learning community, where your child not only builds skills vital to success in kindergarten, but also gains respect for others, and a strong confidence in him or herself.
Throughout our safe learning environment, we offer activities to develop literacy, mathematical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, focused on important foundational skills such as:
We also focus on essential life skills such as communication and self-regulation. Plus, children are routinely encouraged to:
Regular updates, ongoing portfolio collections, and twice-yearly parent-teacher conferences ensure you know how your preschooler is progressing on their journey along our School Readiness Pathway.
In Preschool, our Focus on Literacy! program promotes early literacy skills. In-school and at-home activities are designed to improve your child's literacy and cognition in:
We're excited to share this program with your child, to encourage literacy in a fun, interesting and interactive way.
La Petite Academy. What a great place to start.


Arts | Education
November 4, 2013
The Coastal America Partnership is seeking entries for its biennial 2013-2014 North American Ocean Art Contest. With the goal of encouraging public understanding of the ocean‘s importance, the winning art will become part of a traveling showcase. In past years, the contest has attracted up to 2,000 entries from students across the United States. This year, the categories have been expanded to include adults. The Aquarium will accept entries dropped off on weekdays between 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. First place winners of each of the five categories will receive tickets for the Aquarium’s whale watch experience. Second and third place winners will receive tickets to visit the Aquarium.
The 2013-2014 effort will be conducted through the Coastal America Learning Center (CELC) network, consisting of twenty-five aquariums and marine institutions, including the Aquarium of the Pacific. Each participating Learning Center will host a regional exhibition and will evaluate entries for recommendation to the North American traveling exhibit on the basis of strong visual impact, artistic merit, and on how clearly the work expresses an appreciation of one or more of the Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences. For more information on contest rules, please visit the Coastal America Ocean Art Contest Page.
Coastal America is a partnership between federal, state, and local government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, corporations, and members of Coastal America’s Learning Center Network, which includes aquariums, marine science centers, and laboratories. In hosting the regional art contest, the Aquarium of the Pacific aims to engage local audiences in pressing environmental topics and to promote ocean literacy among people of all ages, especially students. Staff members in the Aquarium’s education department solicit entries from across Southern California through their connections with teachers and art education institutions such as the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Entrees will accepted for the 2013-2014 North American Ocean Art Contest until February 16, in either of two categories: art or photography. Participants submit their entries in one of five categories based on grade level: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and adults. To read contest rules and guidelines or submit artwork, click here. To learn more about the work of the Coastal America Partnership to preserve, restore, and protect our coasts, please visit http://coastalamerica.gov/.
The traveling exhibit will begin its year-long tour on June 2014 in Washington, D.C., and travel to various CELC locations throughout North America until July 2015.


USAID/MOE Education Partnership for Improved Reading Outcomes
Duration: 2013 – 2016
Ministry of Education
The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is collaborating with USAID/Jamaica through a Government to Government (G2G) initiative to implement a comprehensive reading activity. The new G2G activity will support the GOJ’s efforts to improve reading among students in Grades 1 -3 of 450 poor performing primary and All Age schools across Jamaica. The activity compromises education regions targeted because of risk factors such as crime, poverty and unemployment.
The focus of the G2G activity is
- To enhance Grades 1-3 teachers' competence in the teaching of phonological awareness, phonics and vocabulary;
- To improve grades 1-3 students' performance in the fundamentals of reading instruction;
- To further equip school principals and education officers in the effective management of literacy instructions in the schools that they supervise;
- To provide parents with basic knowledge and skills and strategies on literacy development so that they can better impact their children's progress in education;
- To provide classroom teachers and other stakeholders with free access to all literacy resources developed under the MOE USAID Jamaica Basic Education Activity;
- To improve delivery in areas of the curriculum that deal with gender based instruction; and
- To improve the tracking and monitoring of literacy resources and programs of the Ministry through adequate human resource and technical management.
CBSI funds support 54 schools in Regions 1, 4, and 6. The CBSI component of the education program benefits approximately 11,000 students and 200 teachers. The targeted regions include education regions that experience the highest levels of crime and violence and are part of the Government of Jamaica’s Community Renewal Program.
Last updated: September 22, 2014


Angeles-Bautista, Fenny delos (ed.), 1994. The multigrade teacher's handbook. BEE/DECS/UNICEF: Philippines.
Bacharach N., Hasslen R. C., Anderson J.,1995. Learning together: A manual for multiage grouping. Corwin Press Inc, Thousand Oaks, California.
Basic Primary Education Project, 2000. Multigrade teacher training manual (for teachers). Primary Teacher Training Unit, Sanothimi, Nepal. Bureau of Elementary Education, Department of Education Culture and Sports (1994) The multigrade teacher's handbook. Department of Education Culture and Sports/UNICEF Philippines
CERID 1988. Multigrade teaching in primary schools of Nepal (parts1-3). Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development, Kathmandu.
CERID 1989. Multigrade teaching in primary schools. Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development, Kathmandu.
Collingwood, I., 1991. Multiclass teaching in primary schools: a handbook for teachers in the Pacific. UNESCO Office for the Pacific States: Apia, Western Samoa.
Commonwealth Secretariat, 1997. Teacher education modules for multi-grade teaching modules 1-9 (DRAFT). Commonwealth Secretariat: London.GOI/UN, 1999. Workshop on teacher development in multigrade context. Janshala 2 (3). Available from
Janshala Gritzman, N, 1998. Teaching in the Multigrade Classroom. A Pack of Materials to Support Teachers in Multigrade Classrooms in Stann Creek District, Belize. Belize Teacher's Training College, Belize
Juarez and Associates, 1992. Multigrade schools: An information packet. US Agency for International Development Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, Office of Development Resources, Education and Human Resources Division. Report Number: (Contract) LAC 0032 C 00 9036 00
Kich Pham Vu et al, 1995. Teacher Training Modules on methods and techniques of multigrade teaching and learning (Module 4, module 5, module 6). UNICEF: Hanoi
Miller, Bruce A., 1989. The multigrade classroom: a resource handbook for small rural schools Regional Educational Laboratory: Oregon, USA.
Philippon, A, 1986. Guide pour classes à plusieurs niveaux (Guide for multigrade classes), Pédagogie pratique à l’école, Hachette Education, Paris.
Sinha, S, 1998. Vidhi mein nidhi (A trainer's handbook on multigrade teaching). National Council of Educational Research and Training: Bihar, India
Son, V., Pridmore P., Nga, B.. My D., and Kick P., 2002. Renovating the teaching of health in multigrade primary schools: A teacher's guide to health in natural and social sciences (Grades 1,2,3) and Science (grade 5). British Council /National Institute of Educational Sciences: Hanoi, Vietnam. full text (pdf file)
Vithanapathirana, M., 2006. Training Modules on Multigrade Teaching for Multigrade Teachers in Sri Lanka.
Thomas, C. & Shaw, C., 1992. Issues in the development of multigrade schools. World Bank Technical Paper 172: Washington
UNESCO, 2001. A handbook for teachers of multigrade classes (volume 1). UNESCO: France.
UNESCO, 2001. A handbook for teachers of multigrade classes (volume 2). UNESCO: France.
UNESCO/APEID, 1988. Multiple class teaching in primary schools: a methodological guide. UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific: Bangkok
UNICEF Vietnam/Ministry of Education and Training, 1998. Multigrade and bilingual education classes in primary school in Vietnam. UNICEF/MoET: Hanoi, Vietnam. Link to extracts: Teacher Training Modules
World Bank/UNICEF, 1996. Towards a new school for the 21st century: Teacher's learning guides for the organisation of primary education in multigrade schools. Initiation Workshop, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.


by Sarah Fudin, c/o the University of Southern California
In celebration of National March Into Literacy Month, the MAT@USC has created a fun and informative infographic entitled, “The Most Loved Children’s Books”. In it, they have recounted their favorite books as a way to celebrate children’s literature throughout the years.
Changing Lives Through Literature is committed to promoting the access to literature, not just for children but for the world at large. We live in a society where social and economic inequality has become a norm. This disparity has unfortunately burdened with a vicious cycle of crime and incarceration that only we have the power to break. CLTL seeks to end this cycle by taking whatever means necessary to ensure that individuals in the prison system are making productive use of their time through literacy development. However, our efforts do not end there. Preventative measures must also be exhausted by taking the time to effectively communicate the power of reading to the youth of the nation.
Books can unlock a wealth of opportunities for individuals, and gaining access to literature at an early age allows us to tap into our youths’ potential as they grow up. Join us as we celebrate the value of books and how they contribute to changing lives!
(click image for to view the infographic in full-screen)
Sarah Fudin works for the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of education. She can be reached by e-mail here. For more information on becoming a teacher through USC Rossier Online, visit Become a Teacher.


educational apps for the modern world
- Do you have children aged between 6 and 12 years old?
- Do you have children at school taking their Math SATS (Key Stage 2) or equivalent?
- Do you or anyone you know need to practice your times tables, maths mental reasoning or numeracy skills?
- Do you have one of the new Android Tablet devices (such as a Motorola Xoom, Kindle Fire, Asus Transformer, Samsung Galaxy Tab etc)?
Then this is the one application you need!
Being parents ourselves we understand that it is vital for kids to learn solid arithmetic skills at an early age. The school curriculum for most 6-10 yr. olds focuses on three key math skills: Times Tables, Mental Reasoning and Numeracy (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).
Our app focuses on the same core pillars and features times tables testing, mental reasoning, build-your-own-test, flash cards and much much more!!
Using the same techniques that our children are taught in school, MTK will give them a great tool to practice all these skills.
It’s important for kids to learn the times tables from 2 to 12 as early as possible to gain a solid foundation in early math. Monkey Math Tablet Edition is designed to let Mr. Monkey help teach the times table skills your kids will need. Monkey Math not only features a standard multiplication table test, but also the option to practice addition, subtraction, and basic division.
Monkey Match Pro is a great educational tool for kids. Match cards in turn to complete the chain and find Mr Monkey! Feat. multiple packs (inc. numbers, shapes, letters and animals), multi-player support and high score tables!
High res graphics and sounds will entertain and educate them in key pattern matching skills.
The Adventures of Bernard the Dragon
Many years ago, before you were born, before your parents were born and before their parents were born, there was a strange and magical land called Quinkanna. Quinkanna was a peaceful land ruled by the kindest King and Queen ever to have lived who shared their castle with their two young children; Prince Benjamin the Wild and Princess Jessica the Wise. The last time the land had been threatened was during the Great Dragon War when the fiercest, most evil dragons had nearly destroyed Quinkanna. Luckily for the King and Queen, no dragons had been seen in Quinkanna for a thousand years. Until now. The discovery of a dragon cub in the land who befriends the young Princess is a shock. Soon however, a mysterious illness befalls the beautiful Princess Jessica which threatens to destroy the happiness that had been bestowed on the land for so may years. It soon falls to the brave little dragon cub to take on an incredible quest to save her, and all of Quinkanna!
The second book in the Bernard the Dragon series; The Unicorn Demon!
Education through Entertainment
As parents ourselves we understand how important it is to help your children learn. The way our children our taught is often very different to how we were taught so sometimes we need a little help!
Modern technology is all around our children, every moment of everyday. Rather than allow this technology to be a distraction, we embrace it and use it to help children learn in a way that is fun as well as deeply educational.
At Which Way Is Down we create and publish application that you can use to help your children learn the core arithmetic and mental reasoning skills that will form the basis of a solid education. We also produce a few apps that focus a bit more on the fun than the education because life can’t just be about school work can it?!
In addition, Which Way Is Down is proud to be the published of the childrens book “The Adventures of Bernard the Dragon”, a fantastic book for kids aged anywhere from 5 to 15 and perfect for those just graduating to “real” books.
We hope you find something you like here!
Which Way Is Downread more


World Maths Day
On World Maths Day, students aged 4-18 years old team up to
solve arithmetic and mental computation problems together in
Open to schools, individuals, and homeschoolers alike, this
free global event awards minted medals, world cups, and prizes,
and recognizes each participant with a certificate. The
Constructivist Medal will be given for an outstanding
exploration of a mathematical concept using the free
open-source software package GeoGebra:
Begun in 2007 — when over 287,000 students from 98 countries
correctly answered 38,904,275 math questions over the course of
48 hours — World Maths Day has "united the world in numbers"
ever since. Last year, several million students took part as
World Maths Day expanded to become the World Education Games
and UNICEF joined as an official worldwide partner.
This year's World Maths Day starts in the U.S. on the morning
of Tuesday, 6 March, with challenges lasting for as long as an
hour or as little as one minute. The free registration and
practice period just opened last week.
PoW taking place: math problem-solving moment of the week
"I used 2 methods so that I could compare the 2 answers I got.
They were the same so I could trust my methods more."
- thirty, highlighted in the FunPoW's Latest Solution
TIMSS Videos: Clip Papers Now Available
timssvideo.com has rolled out another new feature: the ability
to write and share documents that embed links to the TIMSS
video clips of your choice.
The "My Papers" feature, made possible with generous support
from the Gabriella & Paul Rosenbaum Foundation, lets you take
notes, write analytic papers, prepare clips for presentation,
or develop student assignments based on the videos. To watch
sample videos and see how their links appear, check out this
introduction, by University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
professor Jim Stigler:
Complete the free registration to use the new tool for yourself
and try it out on the video lessons from the Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The 28
full-length videos of eighth-grade mathematics lessons hail
from Australia, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Japan, the
Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States.
timssvideo.com is a project of UCLA and the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching. It is funded by a grant from
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Now taking place: math education conversation of the hour
"I am planning to do an arcade game to give kids practice at
mental arithmetic. The plan is for it to be available over the
web and to be multiplayer so there is some competition. Really
I need some opinions from math teachers on this. Do you think
these sort of games are effective and worthwhile? I've read
some research that says they are but it would be nice to hear
- Phil, posted to the math-teach discussion
Intel Schools of Distinction
Every year, Intel honors U.S. schools that demonstrate 21st
century teaching and learning environments that promote
excellence in math and science. To be considered for an Intel
Schools of Distinction award, schools must develop an
environment and curricula that meet or exceed benchmarks put
forth by national mathematics and science content standards.
Apply for the cash grants, which start at $5,000, before the
Thursday, 23 February deadline.


Music can bring a smile to your face. It can calm you down or
lift you up. It makes you move, makes you think. So it's no
surprise that music has a proven, positive effect on learning.
Since music integrates the mind and the body-such as when a
child dances to the beat of a drum or taps a tune on a piano-it
helps strengthen sensory integration, a critical factor when it
comes to reading and math readiness and achievement.
Music does more than soothe the soul. It helps
with sensory integration, creative development, and confidence. So
crank it up!
Here are some ideas for bringing the magic of music into the
life of your family:
Turn up the volume (not too loud). Play some
Motown tunes while folding the laundry, introduce your child to
your '80s dance faves while cooking dinner, calm a cranky toddler
(and yourself!) by live streaming some classical tranquilizers
online (try tuning in to Boston Public Radio's classical outpost,
wgbh.org). All types of music have a positive effect on learning,
so turn up Dolly Parton or grab your fake microphone and air guitar
and morph into the newest member of the Rolling Stones.
Dance! Dance! Dance! There is nothing quite
like moving to the beat of an African drum or stepping to the
rhythm of salsa. Grab your husband, grab your kids and dance!
dance! dance! in the kitchen, in the living room, it doesn't matter
where. As the old Japanese proverb goes, "We're fools whether we
dance or not, so we might as well dance."
Encourage your child to study dance or a musical
instrument. The Old Town School of Folk Music, with two
locations in Chicago (Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park), offers an
amazing array of dance classes for both children and adults, from
West African to Mexican Folkloric, classical ballet to hip-hop.
Music class offerings are extremely varied as well. From guitar and
ukulele to fiddle and percussion, there's an instrument to fit
every child (or adult-go ahead and take those guitar lessons you've
always dreamed about). Piano instruction is offered for children as
young as 3½ via the school's Little Red Piano program.
Attend musical performances. Not to be missed
is the world-class Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Kraft Foods Family
Matinee Series, a kid-friendly introduction to the world's finest
composers. Arrive early for pre-concert activities, including arts
and crafts, instrument petting zoos, composers' workshops and
performances by young musicians.
Support music education. Sadly, many schools
have cut their music education programs due to budget constraints.
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation wants to reverse this trend.
Dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American
public schools, it works to raise awareness about the importance of
music as part of each child's complete education. Since 1997, the
foundation has provided $45 million worth of new musical
instruments to more than 1,700 public schools in more than 100
cities around the country, impacting the lives of more than 1.4
million public school students. Check out the website,
vh1savethemusic.com, where you can learn more about the importance
of music in education, donate or, better yet, download the Music
Advocacy Toolkit and learn how to take steps to encourage music
education in your local schools and community.
Amy Bizzarri is a mom of two living in Logan Square. She also blogs at tiramisumom.com.
See more of Amy's stories here.
What to do with your weekend, delivered every Thursday.
Great deals and chances to win prizes, delivered every Monday.
Exclusive offers from our partners,usually delivered twice a week.
Resources for parents of children with special needs,delivered the second Tuesday each month.


Date of Award
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Middle and Secondary Education
Patrick K. Freer
The purposes of this study were (a) to explore the individualized meanings of creativity of students within choral ensembles; and (b) to identify the effects that teachers’ perceptions and classroom environment have on helping students shape the meaning of creativity. The study took the form of the Explanatory Sequential mixed methods design of Creswell and Plano Clark (2011). The first phase of research was a survey administered to middle/high school chorus students (N = 314) and middle/high school chorus teachers (N = 11). Participants were selected from 6 middle schools and 5 high schools across 3 different school districts in the southern United States. The Measures of Creativity Perceptions Assessment survey was researcher-created and validated by an earlier pilot study. It consisted of Likert-scaled questions measuring the importance of purposes of music education and frequency of certain musical topics address in class. Participants also rated their perceptions of how they found certain activities to be creative, as well as how much student input and musical decision making were present in chorus class. Findings showed that most students found their chorus class to contain creative activities. They were unable to explain through which activity creativity occurred. Findings from the quantitative survey helped to form a qualitative second phase, including teacher interviews and student focus groups. 2 teachers were interviewed. 2 focus groups were conducted, comprised of 4 students from each of the interviewed teachers (total of 8 students across the 2 focus groups). Qualitative findings suggested that middle school students viewed creativity differently inside chorus than they did in general. This likely came from the influence of their teacher as well as a process-oriented view of creativity. High school students had traditional understandings yet noted that creative activities, like improvisation and composition, were absent from their chorus classes. Teacher participants stated that they felt unconfident in leading such lessons, and were most affected by their undergraduate professors. Implications include additional focus on creativity in undergraduate music teacher preparation programs. This would also address the recent revision of the music education national standards. Further research involving student perceptions of creativity is necessary.
Langley, David W., "Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of the Engagement of Creativity in Secondary Choral Ensemble Classes." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2014.


He was born in Verona and received early music education there from Stefano Bernardi. Probably from 1624, he was employed as court musician in Vienna by Emperor Ferdinand II. In 1649 Bertali succeeded Giovanni Valentini as court Kapellmeister. He died in Vienna in 1669 and was succeeded in his post by Giovanni Felice Sances.
Bertali's compositions are in the manner of other northern Italian composers of the time and include operas, oratorios, a large number of liturgical works, and chamber music. Particularly his operas are notable for establishing the tradition of Italian opera seria in Vienna. Approximately half of his output is now lost; copies survive made by Bertali's contemporary, Pavel Josef Vejvanovský, some of the pieces are currently in possession of Vienna's Hofbibliothek, the library of the Kremsmünster Abbey and the Kroměříž archive. The most important source for Bertali's work is, however, the Viennese Distinta Specificatione catalogue, which lists several composers of the Habsburg court and provides titles and scoring for more than 2000 compositions.
The "Chaconne" or "Ciaccona" is perhaps his best-known work.
- A catalogue of Bertali's works according to Distinta Specificatione (Archived 2009-10-25)
- Free scores by Antonio Bertali at the International Music Score Library Project
- NWO's VENI project on Bertali's sacred works[dead link]


- Publisher: Routledge Falmer
- Format: Paperback | 308 pages
- Dimensions: 156mm x 230mm x 20mm | 440g
- Publication date: 5 July 1994
- Publication City/Country: London
- ISBN 10: 0750701463
- ISBN 13: 9780750701464
- Edition statement: New.
The final volume of four, the authors, all specialists in the areas of the curriculum, consider how the concerns of ethnic groups may be addressed within the framework of the National Curriculum. Despite the indecision surrounding the structure, content, pedagogy and assessment of many components of the primary school curriculum, it remains that the multicultural nature of the population and of schools will develop. These developments and their educational implications must be considered if the educational system is to respond adequately.
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Table of contents
Part 1 Educational Equality and Cultural Pluralism in Primary Education - Cross-Curricular Perspectives: Cultural Diversity in Primary Schools - Its Nature, Extent and Cross-curricular Implications - G K Verma. Part 2 National Curriculum Cross-curricular Themes: Economic and Industrial Understanding - M Harrison and D Rainey; Careers Education and Guidance: Pastoral Care and Career Needs - J Jolliffe and P Jhingan; Health Education - J Bennett and P Pumfrey. Part 3 Other Cross-curricular Dimensions: Personal and Social Education - K Mallick; Gender Issues - V Millman and S Shipton; The Multicultural Dimension in the Primary National Curriculum - R Grinter; Children with Special Educational Needs - T Cline; The European Dimension - D Rainey; Information Technology (IT): Using Computers as a Tool - M Harrison. Appendix 1: The Race Relations Act and Education - G K Verma and P Merchant.


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Charts are used to provide a graphical representation of a concept or point. Pivot charts created in Microsoft Excel can be more useful than ordinary charts, because they are more easily manipulated to show different information and summarizations. Learning to create a pivot chart can be confusing and there are a few decisions you need to make before you begin. Here's how to create a chart from a pivot table, step by step, so you can take advantage of this useful tool.
1Launch the Microsoft Excel application.Ad
2Browse to, and open, the file containing the pivot table and source data from which you want to create a chart.
3Decide on the statement you want your pivot chart to represent.
- This decision will determine how you craft your pivot chart.
- The style of the chart and the columns that are used will depend on this one statement of conclusion. For instance, a bar chart is useful for representing the data under differing conditions, such as sales per region, while a pie chart can be used to display percentages or portions of a whole.
4Locate and launch the Pivot Chart wizard.
- In Excel 2003, this will be under the "Data" menu.
- In Excel 2007 and 2010, you will find this on the "Insert" tab.
5Set the range for your pivot chart. It should be the same range used for the related pivot table.
6Drag one column label representing the "x" axis of the chart and drop it into the "Axis Field" section of the Pivot Table Field List.
7Choose the column label containing the data you want to display by the "x" axis field and drag it into the "Values" section of the Pivot Table Field List.
- For instance, if your source data is a spreadsheet of sales by product and customer name, you may choose to drop either the customer name or the product column label into the "Axis Field" section. You would drag the column label for the sales amounts into the "Values" section.
8Alter the chart type by right-clicking on the chart background area and choosing "Change Chart Type" from the pop up menu.
- Try a few different chart types until you find the type that best represents the point you want to make.
9Add data labels, axis titles and other information to your chart by right-clicking the relevant portion of the chart and choosing the options from the menu.
10Move your pivot chart anywhere in the workbook file you like.
- It can be placed in one corner of the source data sheet, on the same tab as the pivot table or on its own tab.
We could really use your help!
treating jock itch?
Science for Kids?
- Your pivot chart will actually be created from the source data supplying your pivot table, rather than the pivot table itself. Remember that changes to the data must occur at the source data level.
- The less cluttered your pivot chart is, the more effective it will be in communicating your point. Consider creating a few different charts, each presenting its own concept if your pivot chart needs to present several different points.
In other languages:
Español: crear un gráfico a partir de una tabla dinámica, Italiano: Creare un Grafico da una Tabella Pivot, Русский: создать диаграмму из сводной таблицы, Português: Criar um Gráfico a Partir de uma Tabela Dinâmica
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 62,710 times.


University of Montana-Missoula, The
Kathleen Harper has held a part-time faculty position in the University of Montana Geosciences Department since 2008. She received her PhD from the University of Wyoming in 1997, where her research involved characterization of the timing and intensity of metamorphism along the 1.78 Ga Cheyenne Belt collision in Southeastern Wyoming. She then spent several years teaching introductory courses in physics, astronomy, as well as courses in physical science topics for elementary education majors at the University of Wyoming. Following this, she became the Assistant Director of Wyoming NASA Space Grant for several years, supporting science education through research fellowships and development of student and faculty interaction with NASA scientists.
At the University of Montana, Kathleen teaches introductory geology and designs curriculum for the introductory geology lab. She has been working to reform the teaching approach to support student learning, to promote student understanding of the process of geoscience (and science in general); to increase student engagement in the large-enrollment lecture course; and to design lab activities that help students explore regional geoscience issues.
Website Content Contributions
Helping Students Discover Total Internal Reflection part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Interactive Lectures:Examples
Students learn the basic relationship of Snell's Law, practice applying it to a situation, then are given another situation where it "doesn't work."??? This situation turns out to be one in ...
Experiment Problem in Kinematics: How Much Does it Take to Win the Race? part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Teaching with Interactive Demonstrations:Examples
In this activity, students are presented with two objects that have different constant speeds and that will race each other. The students must determine which object will win the race, as well as either how much time elapses between the objects crossing the finish line.
Transport of heavy metals in the Clark Fork River part of Integrate:Workshops:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Activities
This is an activity about transport of sediment contaminated by copper, arsenic, and other heavy metals that was deposited into the Clark Fork River channel as the result of historical mining activity. The Clark Fork River between Butte and Milltown, Montana has been the focus of several large superfund projects designed to address the impacts of this legacy of mining in the watershed. This activity is used in an introductory physical geology lab (primarily non-majors) with students who may have limited experience working with quantitative analysis and analyzing graphs.
Introduction to Physical Geology part of Process of Science:Courses
This course is an introduction to geoscience; the study of how the Earth works. Humans around the world are impacted every day by geologic phenomena, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and also by access to natural resources such as oil, metals, and water. I hope that students will develop a new appreciation of the natural world, an understanding of the physical processes that have gone into making the Earth as we know it, and an awareness of how Montana fits into the global picture. We will also delve into the nature of science: what is science?; what is the process of science involve?; what defines "good" science? This knowledge will help students make informed decisions about issues that affect humankind.
Geoscience methods applied to real-world problems part of Integrate:Workshops:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Essays
Geoscience methods applied to real-world problems Kathleen Harper, Geosciences, The University of Montana, Missoula Many students come into my Physical Geology course with the impression that they are going to be ...


by Marcia L. Santore
Last fall, Carrie Long went to first grade and made a new friend. Each semester, the students in Associate Professor Gerry Buteau’s Language and Literacy Development in Young Children course, like Carrie (a junior early childhood studies major), participate in a pen pal project with the first, second and third graders at Russell Elementary School in Rumney, N.H.
The school children exchange letters with the PSU students. Letters are delivered in batches to ensure that everyone “gets mail.” (Carrie allows that the elementary school kids wouldn’t be the only ones disappointed not to get a letter.)
Buteau explains that PSU students are often matched with more than one child so that they can observe how each age learns and what is meaningful to the children.
The PSU students also visit the school three times for language and literacy activities with their pen pals, such as reading aloud, writing together and putting on a “readers’ theatre” performance.
Between 55 and 60 elementary kids participate in the program every year. Marlene Taber, who coordinates the Lesley Collaborative literacy program at Russell Elementary, says, “It provides an authentic writing experience for our first, second and third graders, which can’t be underestimated. They get to write to a real person and see where the students go to school.”
Says Carrie, “There are specific things we’re writing in the letters, things for them to respond to. And, of course, you want your penmanship and spelling and grammar to be absolutely correct, because they’re looking at this, coming from an older person, and thinking that must be how it’s supposed to be done!” She adds, “Often we’ll leave the activity with the child for them to take home. So it’s not just the 30 minutes we spend with them, but all the experiences that branch off of that. The kids will come back and tell you about a discussion they had with their Mom about it.”
Carrie discovered that her pen pal, a first grader, was eager to learn, but also shy and concerned about how she would do. The girl lives on a farm and is very interested in rabbits. In her subsequent visits, Carrie made sure to use materials relating to rabbits and farms. After each visit, Carrie would document her pen pal’s progress in such areas as writing from left to right, sounding out words, and using upper and lowercase letters.
Buteau points out that the PSU students aren’t there to evaluate or assess the elementary students’ progress. Their purpose is to watch the children in the act of learning, and observe and understand that process.
Taber adds, “The literacy activities are really enriching and extend the curriculum. For instance, they’ll make hand puppets and have the kids act out a play. All the activities they do are based on literacy.”
Carrie says she discovered ways of teaching reading and writing. “I learned that it is important to give kids time to think. These young kids are taking in so much new information that often it just takes them longer to formulate a thoughtful answer. I also learned that you need to make sure that young kids know it is okay to not know everything, especially when it comes to reading. [Then] they are much more confident in themselves and reading becomes more fun.”
The trip to the PSU campus at the end of the term is the highlight of the program. For kids this age, a field trip to a university, even one in a small town, is a big adventure.
“The kids are really in awe of the idea that where they are is a school. They go to school in one building, so it’s very strange for a first-grader to understand that we go to class in lots of buildings,” Carrie observes. “They think it’s really funny that most of us live here.”
“We so appreciate the college students taking the time and effort to come out here to Rumney,” concludes Taber. “The value of the relationship with a college student is important to them. They look forward to meeting with their ‘college buddy.’ It builds their social skills, their language skills, it’s important for that.”
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How to Choose a Topic
What are you interested in? That narrows it down if you rule out "The process of teaching banjo picking in Appalachian home schools." And it really narrows down your topic if you are interested in that topic!
Do some background reading in a subject area that interests you. Read general information in an encyclopedia. Do a search in one of the databases that you have learned about using key words as search terms.
If you find a good article that interests you, check the bibliography at the end of that article for more sources related to that topic.
When reading articles of interest, look to the end and read the Discussion section. Authors will often offer suggestions for further study or additional research needed.
As you read, or even skim titles of studies already done, keep your mind open for specific questions, on recent developments and controversies. It's a great idea to keep a running list of possible topics/questions as they come to your mind - you can fine-tune later.
The most common mistake of the novice researcher is to choose a topic that is too broad.
|I want to know what life is all about.|
My study is called "The Five-Second Rule Explored:
How Dirty Is That Bologna?"
To narrow a topic, use 4 areas: population, context, time, geography
or as the areas are more commonly known: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE
WHO: belly dancers, college students on Pell grants, 8-year old rock climbers
WHAT: micro-organisms, shoe polish, #2 pencils
WHEN: in the last 25 years, during Spring Break, since the last census
WHERE: affluent neighborhoods, jelly fish farms, rain forests, Central Park
So, your topic might be:
Micro-organisms on Belly Dancers in Central Park During Spring Break
Now that's pretty specific!
This website from the Institute for Social Science Research shows a chart on refining your topic.
| ||A research question is one that narrows the perspective or focus of the topic and identifies what is to be studied or a problem that will be researched. It should identify the variables to be considered and also specify the population being studied if applicable.|
Ask "what?", "why?", "how?" and particularly "so what?" as you formulate your question.
It should not be a question that can be answered by a simple "yes" or "no."
State your research problem as a clear question - identify the problem.
Be aware that as you study your topic, your question is very likely to evolve or to split into more than one question. Be prepared to revise your question, to develop it, and consequently to improve it as your study progresses.
A great way to learn about research is to read research articles. In the discussion section (at the end of the article) authors will often mention new research questions that surfaced during that research project. This is a good way to find new topics of interest!
Kemp (1992) stated that "the kinds of problems addressed by researchers are those which arise, not out of the researcher's ignorance, but from a firm knowledge of both the particular context of the problem as well as the literature which relates to it" (p. 8).
Research questions MUST be specific.
Below, you will find some research questions that are too broad, marked NO
and then some that are more specific, marked YES
NO What can be done to make a better band program? NO
YES What resources are helpful to beginning band students in a rural music program with limited funds? YES
NO Does music make students healthier? NO
YES How prevalent is obesity among students who participate in marching band compared to the general student body? YES
NO How can freshman choral students' rhythm be improved? NO
YES To what extent do freshman choral students' rhythm reading performance from 2 interventions (directed and self-directed) differ? YES
You may notice that the more specific the question, the longer it is in order to narrow the focus!
Here's one outside of the music education realm:
NO What is the effect on the environment from global warming? NO
YES How is glacial melting affecting penguins in Antarctica? YES
Why is this topic worth investigating? You must make a case for this being a substantial inquiry and how it will benefit the discipline of music education.


The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, which was passed by the Indian Parliament on 4 August 2009, describes the modalities of the provision of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. The Act came into force on 1 April 2010 and India became one of the 135 countries which have made education a fundamental right of every child.
The Act is the enabling legislation to notify the 86th Constitutional Amendment passed by Parliament in December 2002 that specified the need for a legislation to describe the mode of implementation of education as a fundamental right. This necessitated the drafting of a separate Education Bill. The rough draft of the bill was composed in year 2005. It received much opposition due to its mandatory provision to provide 25 per cent reservation for disadvantaged children in private schools.
The sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education which prepared the draft Bill held this provision as a significant prerequisite for creating a democratic and egalitarian society. The Indian Law Commission had initially proposed 50 per cent reservation for disadvantaged students in private schools.
After the bill was approved by the Cabinet on 2 July 2009, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha passed the bill on 20 July 2009 and 4 August 2009 respectively. It was notified as law on 3 Sept 2009 as The Children's Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act after it received Presidential assent. The law came into effect in the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 April 2010 through a speech by the Prime Minister. It was the first time in the history of India that a law was brought into force by a speech by the Prime Minister.
In his speech, Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh, stated: "We are committed to ensuring that all children, irrespective of gender and social category, have access to education. (We are committed to) an education that enables them to acquire the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes necessary to become responsible and active citizens of India."
Besides making education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 to 14, the Act specifies minimum norms in government schools. It requires the reservation of 25 per cent of places in private schools for children from poor families, prohibits unrecognized schools from practice, and makes provisions for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission. The Act also provides that no child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. There is also a provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age.
Under the Act, the Right to Education of persons with disabilities until 18 years of age has also been made a fundamental right. The Act provides for the establishment of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and State Commissions for supervising proper implementation of the act, looking after complaints and protection of Child Rights. Other provisions regarding improvement of school infrastructure, teacher-student ratio and faculty are made in the Act. There must be at least one teacher for 30 students and there must be involvement of students' parents in school's administration.
It is estimated that the implementation of the Act would cost ? 1.78 trillion or 1.78 lakh crore for the initial five years. The cost would be shared in the ratio of 65 to 35 between the Central Government and the states, and a ratio of 90 to 10 for the north-eastern states. However, the task of implementing and enforcing the law will be in the hands of state governments.
Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal termed the Act a "national enterprise that would help shape India's future". The legislation would not only ensure every child's right to education, but puts the obligation on the government to impart it. The law would not interfere with the various state governments attempts to provide elementary education. On the medium of instruction, there is a provision to provide elementary education, as far as possible, in the mother tongue of the child. The law would ensure that the child got free, compulsory and quality education by qualified teachers.
As the curriculum would be less rigorous, it would ensure all-round development of children. On infrastructure, there is a provision for establishing recognition authority in every State under which all schools would have to fulfill the minimum requirement of infrastructure within three years. Otherwise, they would lose recognition. Similarly appointment of teachers had to be approved by the academic committee.
The law has come as a boon to India and is expected to be a big boost to children's education as out of every 100 children attending elementary school only 12 reached the graduation level compared to the global average of 27. In Europe it was 50-70 students reaching college from the elementary level. The HRD Ministry expects that the law would increase India's average to 15 by 2012 and to 30-35 by 2020.


Financial literacy among Americans is more important now than it ever has been because retirement savings has moved away from defined benefit plans, where people expected to get a set amount when they retired, to defined-contribution plans, where they are asked to make decisions about how they want to invest their money.
“To navigate the path toward a comfortable retirement requires sound knowledge of financial basics and the existing investment choices, as well as the ability to understand and cope with the ever-changing set of financial instruments,” according to a new report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute that looks at the difference between financial behavior and financial literacy.
People with higher levels of financial literacy tend to approach retirement with much higher levels of wealth, according to the report. It also found that the majority of Americans have limited financial knowledge about basic concepts like inflation, compound interest, risk diversification and numeracy skills.
The EBRI study investigates the role of the states in explaining financial literacy and behavior. This analysis addresses the question of whether there is any structural difference in financial literacy and financial behavior among states that cannot be attributed to individual characteristics such as income, education, gender or race.
The objective of the surveys used to devise this report was to construct measures of financial literacy and behavior and study how they vary across states. The research found that 15 states appeared in the top 15 of both rankings, financial literacy and financial behavior: New Hampshire, Minnesota, Idaho, Washington, Colorado, Wisconsin, Utah, Alaska, and Maryland. Louisiana was at the bottom of the rankings for financial literacy, while West Virginia was at the bottom of the rankings for financial behavior.
“But based on these rankings alone, it cannot necessarily be concluded that there is something structurally lacking in these states. It could be the case that these states have a large concentration of low education/low-income households that are unable to attain adequate financial literacy. But if the analysis can control for the individual demographic characteristics and still show that some states are more likely to perform worse than others in terms of financial literacy and financial behavior indicators, then policymakers in those states would have something to think about,” the report found.
The data show that mostly the same states tend to appear at the top and bottom of financial literacy and financial behavior rankings. This suggests that there might be something going on at the state level whereby individual financial literacy and financial behavior are being shaped not only by individual demographic characteristics but also by the state in which people live, the report concluded.


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Langley Middle School students learn the culture of clay and fire
As layers of sawdust are cleared away from the top of the smoldering fire, small clay pots begin to emerge.
Students carefully poke at them with sticks. There is a clinking sound as student teacher David Adams begins to lift the small "pinch" cups out of the fire with a shovel to be cooled in a bucket of water.
Many are blackened by the fire, but still intact. Some are cracked and falling apart. Others that were nestled on the cool side of the fire pit are still damp.
"Clinking is a good sound, like china. That means they got hot enough," said Linda Racicot, art teacher at Langley Middle School.
David Adams, a former Peace Corps volunteer who was assigned to teach in the west African nation of Ghana, has returned to the island after two years and earned his teaching certificate. Now, he is showing Langley Middle School students how to fire their clay pots, much like the people in Ghana still do today.
Roughly 70 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade art students are learning the art of firing clay sculptures the old-fashioned way by fire, rather than in a heat regulated kiln.
The project began last week when students placed their pots in the fire, which was then covered with layers of sawdust. The theory is the fire will smolder and become hot under the sawdust, thus "firing the clay pots."
"Be prepared, they may come out with a crack, because the heat is so hard to control," Adams tells the students as they begin laying the pots on the soft layers of sawdust. "But those that do make it through the process are going to be cool."
"There is a level of uncertainty of how they will turn out," Adams added. "But there will be a good feeling when it works, a real sense of achievement."
Adams, a 1996 South Whidbey High School graduate, obtained his bachelor's degree in art education from Western Washington University in 2001. He made a smooth transition in Ghana when he was assigned by the Peace Corps as a visual arts teacher in a secondary school in June 2002.
In his Ghana school, he taught sculpture and general art and graphic design to students ages 16 to 23.
Students at Langley Middle School appreciated his expertise.
"I think it is cool. We learn about different cultures and how they create pottery," said Lacey Williams.
For other students, thoughts went to more immediate things.
"I hope mine is still in one piece," said Sydney Mann. "It has a design of small dots on it."
In Ghana, students got their clay from termite mounds and built fires with cow dung. Here, the students use alumna silica clay and wood and sawdust for the fire.
"It's a good project. Students can understand the concept, how the process really works. The randomness of the flame makes it so intriguing," Racicot said.
"These are our sacrificial pots. If they crack we have backup art projects, masks fired in the kiln," Racicot said.
Standing and resting on his shovel, Adams recalled similar experiences with students in Ghana. He is hoping this project will give students a snapshot into life in Ghana.
"In Ghana, the people live much more in the present. They are happy to live in the present. I hope this process will help students slow down and appreciate what's happening now," Adams said.
Indeed, the students happily gathered around the fire, first placing their pots and then watching them reemerge after the process. It was slow going, much like the pace of life in Ghana.
"I was happy to leave that," Adams said. "But now that I'm home, I kind of miss the slower pace of things."
Experiencing that difference pace was just of the lessons for the students.
"This project gives students a break from their daily routine and a learning experience about other people," Adams said.


Pre-teen learners are qualitatively different than younger learners. Teachers and parents can significantly enhance the learning of students this age by understanding the cognitive and social characteristics of pre-teen learners. Using the right instructional strategies to maximize the learning advantages and address the learning challenges of pre-teen learners can make all the difference in their success.
Pre-Teen Cognitive Development
By ages 9, 10, and 11, most students are able to analytically process information and think for themselves. Piaget classified students of these ages as being in the “concrete operational stage.” Thinking in concrete terms, these students have difficulty with abstract concepts. Generally speaking, most students share the following characteristics:
- Willing to try new things
- Curious and willing to explore new ideas
- Want immediate gratification
- Desire recognition and praise for achievement
- Like hands-on learn-by-doing activities
- Perform well with many brief learning experiences
- Have quickly changing interests
Pre-Teen Social Development
At these ages, most students are rapidly developing a social awareness and are exploring how they fit into relationships. Generally speaking, most students share the following characteristics:
- Prefer interacting with members of own sex
- Feel comfortable in a structured learning environment
- Seek role models in older children or in media idols
- Demand a system of fairness in the home, in games, and in the classroom
- Want to be liked by friends
- Desire increasing independence–but want and need adult help
Pre-Teen Instructional Strategies
Although less concerned than older students about the labeling that takes place, when a pre-teen is identified as a remedial reader, the teacher still needs to be mindful of student self-perceptions and those of their peers. A few talking points to address with these young learners may prove helpful:
- “All students need help in some areas.”
- “Some students are good at ___________, while others are good at ___________.”
- “This class is not for dumb kids; it’s for kids who just missed out on some reading skills.”
- “You aren’t in this class forever. As soon as you master your missing skills, you are out.”
- “You will learn in this class. I promise.”
Mark Pennington, MA Reading Specialist, is the author of the comprehensive reading intervention curriculum, Teaching Reading Strategies. Designed to significantly increase the reading abilities of students ages eight through adult within one year, the curriculum is decidedly un-canned, is adaptable to various instructional settings, and is simple to use—a perfect choice for Response to Intervention tiered instructional levels. Get multiple choice diagnostic reading assessments , formative assessments, blending and syllabication activities, phonemic awareness, and phonics workshops, comprehension worksheets, multi-level fluency passages recorded at three different reading speeds and accessed on YouTube, 390 flashcards, posters, activities, and games.
Also get the accompanying Sam and Friends Phonics Books. These eight-page decodable take-home books include sight words, word fluency practice, and phonics instruction aligned to the instructional sequence found in Teaching Reading Strategies. Each book is illustrated by master cartoonist, David Rickert. The cartoons, characters, and plots are designed to be appreciated by both older remedial readers and younger beginning readers. The teenage characters are multi-ethnic and the stories reinforce positive values and character development. Your students (and parents) will love these fun, heart-warming, and comical stories about the adventures of Sam and his friends: Tom, Kit, and Deb. Oh, and also that crazy dog, Pug.
Everything teachers need to teach a diagnostically-based reading intervention program for struggling readers at all reading levels is found in this comprehensive curriculum. Ideal for students reading two or more grade levels below current grade level, English-language learners, and Special Education students. Simple directions and well-crafted activities truly make this an almost no-prep curriculum. Works well as a half-year intensive program or full-year program, with or without paraprofessional assistance.