Music Monday is an annual initiative that brings together thousands of students, musicians, parents and community members across the country to celebrate the gift of music in our lives, on the same day at the same time.
Launched in 2005 by The Coalition for Music Education, Music Monday is the world’s largest single event dedicated to raising awareness for music education. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and music makers participate in a simultaneous nationwide concert performance of an original song written by a Canadian artist.
Everybody. Although it often begins with students, teachers and their surrounding community, Music Monday also includes community groups, politicians, professional organizations, music industry, ensembles, and artists.
It is a full day of celebration, always on the first Monday of May. In 2016, Music Monday is on May 2nd. A magical moment happens at the same point during that day, that is, at 9 am Pacific time, 10 am Mountain time, 11 am Central time, 12 pm Eastern time and 1 pm Atlantic time, and 1:30 in Newfoundland, when students, community groups, musicians and artists right across the country are united by one piece of music.
Across the country and around the world. We encourage you to take your music to the fields and to the streets on this wondrous occasion. The idea is that if one were to open the front door of his or her home and stand on the street on the first Monday in May, one would hear music and the skies would be filled with melody.
- Music matters!
- Music programs create vital communities!
- Learning music leads to success in life
- Our young people deserve the benefits from learning, creating and making music!
- Canada’s heritage and cultural future is in our classrooms!


Six Arts of Ancient China
In ancient Chinese culture, to promote all-around development, students were required to master six practical disciplines called the Six Arts (liù yì in Chinese): rites, music, archery, chariot racing, calligraphy and mathematics.
The study of rites and music instills in people a sense of dignity and harmony. The rites include those practiced at sacrificial ceremonies, funerals and military activities.
A famous saying of Confucius on music education is: “To educate somebody, you should start from poems, emphasize ceremonies and finish with music.” In other words, one cannot expect to become educated without learning music.
During the Shang Dynasty (circa 16th century – 11 century BC) and Zhou Dynasty (circa11th century – 256 BC), archery was a required skill for all aristocratic men. By practicing archery and related etiquettes, nobles not only gained the proficiency at war skills; more importantly, they also cultivated their minds and learned how to behave as nobles.
To become a charioteer is also an excellent form of training that requires the combined use of intellect and physical strength.
Men who excelled in these six arts were thought to have reached the state of perfection.
The Six Arts have their roots in Confucian philosophy. The requirement of students to master the Six Arts is the equivalent of the Western concept of the arts and skills of the Renaissance Man.
The elements of moral education, academic study, physical education and social training are present in the Six Arts – all attributes dating back to ancient times that are considered just as valuable in the modern world.


Education Week recently published an article about the overproduction of elementary school teachers in the nation. The article included data from a handful of states, showing the most recent annual production of elementary school teachers in each as compared to the demand, based on projected openings in school districts. Michigan was one of the states highlighted, with data showing that the state was producing 2.4 new elementary school teachers for each available slot. The article raised the question of whether entry into elementary education programs ought to be limited, to better match supply and demand. It also advocated for efforts to encourage some teacher candidates to switch instead to high-need areas, such as special education, foreign languages, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.
The issue of matching the supply of and demand for teachers is complicated. First of all, the market for teachers – at least those in public schools – is heavily influenced by the decisions of governments, so it is far from a free market. State governments control entry into the market by new teachers through certification and licensure rules, while school districts determine how many teachers will be hired and who among the pool of candidates will be offered a job.
In the United States, we have also had a long tradition of allowing students in universities to choose their own majors, as long as they meet the entry requirements. In comparison to other countries, there are few attempts in the U.S. to tightly link educational programs and training with labor market needs. Any linkages are much softer, through the use of relatively weak incentive systems, social marketing campaigns, and the like. As Bob Floden, Associate Dean for Research in our college, as well as co-director of our Education Policy Center, put it in the article, “There is not a tight link the way there is in other countries, where there is a management of access to particular majors in higher education, tied to perceived needs of teachers, and also a national system for getting teachers who have graduated to the hard-to-staff places.”
One argument made for restricting entry into elementary education programs (as well as other areas where there is an oversupply of candidates being trained) is that by doing so, teacher education institutions could recruit a small number of higher caliber students, and could put more resources into improving the quality of the education by offering “more intensive experiences, including the full year of student-teaching that national organizations for teacher-college accreditation have endorsed,” as the article explained. Michigan State is one of few teacher preparation programs that offers a full-year internship of this type.
These trends have been felt here in our college. I recently shared with our faculty data showing 10-year trends in enrollment in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Over the last decade, enrollment in our elementary education program has dropped by approximately one-quarter, reflecting both the job market as well as student preferences (this enrollment drop has been more than offset by increasing enrollments in other programs in the college). While we do have caps on how many students we will allow into our teacher education programs, we have not had to enforce those caps for a number of years because the number of qualified applicants has fallen below the limit. When prospective teacher education candidates visit our Student Affairs Office to inquire about careers, our advisors do try to share data with them about which teaching positions are in greater demand and which have fewer openings.
Another challenge in trying to match the supply of new teachers with demand is that our college is preparing teachers not just for Michigan, but for national and even international labor markets. Last year I wrote about the student recruitment fair held on our campus. Of the over 100 school districts recruiting there, only about 20 were from the state of Michigan. The rest were from around the country, as well as outside the U.S. As I wrote at the time, I heard a very similar story from the recruiters I spoke with there. Everyone said some variation on the line, “We would hire as many of your graduates as we could convince to move to our district.”
So it would be difficult for us to try to align entry into our elementary education program with what the perceived demand for new teachers will be down the road in Michigan (and the Education Week article noted that the data on projected demand should be “use[d] with caution”). Many of our teachers are in fact taking jobs outside of the state, in part because there are not as many jobs here in Michigan, and also because their skills are in such high demand elsewhere. We hope that many of them will return to teach in Michigan schools in the future, and we are in the process of looking at mechanisms for doing a better job of tracking where our graduates are working and how they are performing on the job.


by Ted Drozdowski
Lloyd Loar's name is one of the most fabled in American instrument making history, and guitars, mandolins and banjos made during his stewardship of the Gibson Company's shops from 1919 to 1924 are among the most coveted and costly. They also remain the template for many of Gibson's finest acoustic instruments. The reason: Loar revolutionized their design.
An early student of the science of sound and the art of playability, Loar is credited with such important developments as the tonally balanced soundboard and backboard in guitars, the use of in-body tone bars, tuned f-holes in both guitars and mandolins, longer necks, elevated fretboards, body chambers tuned for ideal resonance and a tone chamber for banjos supported by spring-loaded ball bearings. The list runs on, including an early electric keyboard. The latter was found among Loar's effects, still in tune 50 years after the lid of its case was last closed.
Not surprisingly, Loar, who was born in 1886 in Cropsey, Illinois, was first and foremost a musician. During high school, he was also a math wiz, fascinated by physics and geometry, but his conservatory studies were in harmony, music theory, orchestration and piano. Nonetheless, his earliest claim to fame as a performer was for his prowess on the mandolin, violin and, of all things, the musical saw.
Loar met Orville Gibson around 1906. He purchased an oval-hole mandolin from the Gibson Company founder for his performances. That same year, Loar became part of the "Gibsonians," a traveling ensemble that played and promoted Gibson instruments — not that Loar's mandolins and other Gibson instruments were stock. He created an unusual pickguard for his mandolin and commissioned a custom 10-string mando-viola of his own creation from the company's luthiers.
As he toured and performed, Loar was constantly evaluating the tone of his mandolin, in particular, and making suggestions about the instrument's design to Gibson's builders. He was also composing classical and popular music, and building a resume of sheet music credits.
By 1918, he'd also gotten a job at Gibson as an acoustic engineer and manager. He spent six months of the following year on leave, entertaining World War I doughboys, and in 1919 he began his instrument-designing career in earnest.
Charged with reviving fading guitar sales, Loar created the Gibson L-5, part of the "master model" series of instruments that are the cornerstone of his fame. The series includes the H-5 mandola, the F-5 mandolin (Bill Monroe played one of Loar's F-5s), the K-5 mando-cello and the Mastertone line of banjos.
Lloyd was inspired by the designs of great violinmakers — primarily Italy's Stradivari family — and incorporated many of their instruments' features into his mandolin and guitar designs. These included fully graduated soundboards and backs, tone bars running the length of instruments' bodies, sharper pitched necks and fretboard extenders. He was also the first builder to suggest using tuned f-holed and arched tops on mandolins. Today these aspects of the instrument seem banal, and yet in Loar's day they were major volume and tone pumping innovations.
Even while he was radicalizing instrument design, he was developing his own methods of music education, authoring books on banjo and mandolin technique. As his interests expanded beyond the Gibson product line, Loar left the company in 1924. He began experimenting with electrical amplification, focused primarily on keyboards. Among his innovations in that area are coil wound pickups.
Much of the rest of Loar's career was spent in education. Among his curriculum at Evanston, Illinois' Northwestern University was a course on the physics of music. Indeed, he believed physics was a core principal in the creation of the finest acoustic instruments and the key to their tuning. Loar believed that various components of each instrument needed to be constructed to exacting properties in order to resonate and project correctly. These included air chambers, bridges, tone-bars and other parts — each designed to correspond to a point on a scale that used concert pitch as its tonal reference point. Today, that would be the note "A" sounding at 440 hertz per second. That ensured that the most important parts of each instrument responded harmonically to the notes played on its strings.
Today an original Loar mandolin is valued at $175,000 to $200,000 — a true sign of appreciation for the work of this master designer. The result of his years of research and passion for his craft is a legacy of durable instruments and designs that have truly stood the test of time.


Anyone who tries to come to grips with art knows that it opens up new horizons. Art enables us to see the world and ourselves with fresh eyes. But how do we gain access to art? What do we have to know to understand modern and contemporary art? In fact, what is art?
This book poses questions and gives answers – in words and pictures. Conceived in close cooperation with young people and specialists, it explains various aspects of art in plain and simple English.
In this volume, the Fondation Beyeler, one of the best-known art museums in Switzerland, has drawn on its many years of experience in art education. As a long-time and committed patron of the arts and sponsor of the Department of Art Education, UBS has made the publication and distribution of this book possible. Together, we hope that our efforts will encourage many, especially young, people to discover art for themselves – and that "What is Art?" is a joy to read!


A. Pascual Leone. (2001) The brain that plays music and is changed by it. 315–329.
Barbro, Johansson B. (2006) Music and Brain Plasticity. 14.1: 49-64.
Barrett, Margaret S. (2009) Sounding Lives in and through Music. Journal of Early Childhood Research 7.2: 115-34. 29.
Craig, Daniel. (2009). Exploring Music Preference; Meaningfulness of Music as a Function of Emotional Reactions. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy 18.1: 57-69. 7.
G. Schlaug. (2008) Music, Musicians, and Brain Plasticity. The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. 197–208.
Goldstein, A. (1980). Thrills in response to music and other stimuli. Physiological Psychology 3, 126-126
H. Hummelsheim. (1999). Rationales for improving motor function. Current Opinion in Neurology, 12, 697–701.
Janata, B. Tillmann, and J. J. Bharucha. (2002) Listening to polyphonic music recruits domain-general attention and working memory circuits. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 2, 121-140.
Menon, V., and D.J. Levitin. (2005) The Rewards of Music Listening; Response and Physiological Connectivity of the Mesolimbic System. NeuroImage 28.1.
M. H. Thaut, G. C. McIntosh, and R. R. Rice. (1997) Rhythmic facilitation of gait training in hemiparetic stroke rehabilitation. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 207–212.
Oliver Sacks. (2007) Musicophila. Canada: Alfred A. Knope, Inc.
Panksepp, Jakk, & Bernatzky, Günther. (2002) Emotional sounds and the brain: the neuro-affective foundations of musical appreciation.133-155.
P. Belin, P. Van Eeckhout, M. Zilbovicius. (1996) Recovery from nonfluent aphasia after melodic intonation therapy. Neurology, 47, 1504–1511.
Peregrine Horden. (2000) Music as Medicine. The History of Music Therapy since Antiquity. Bodmin, Cornwall: Ashgate Publishing.
Platel, Herve, Cathy Price, et al. (1997) The Structural Components of Music Perception A Functional Anatomical Study. Brain 120, 229-43. 23
Portowitz, Adena, Osnat Lichtenstein, and Et Al. (2009) Underlying Mechanisms Linking Music Education and Cognitive Modifiability. 107-28.
Sloboda, J. (1991) Music structure and emotional response: some empirical findings. Psychology of Music 19, 110-120.
Thaut, Michael Ph.D, and McIntosh Gerald M.D. (2010) How Music Helps to Heal the Injured Brain. The Dana Foundation.
Thompson, Clive. (2006) Music of the Hemispheres. The New York Times 3E.
Tomaino, Concetta M. (2002) How Music Can Reach the Silenced Brain. The Dana Foundation.
V. Hoemberg. (2005). Evidence-based medicine in neurologic rehabilitation: A critical review. Acta Neurochirurgica, 93, 3–14.


Story posted Jaunary, 2008
• More than 90% of parents whose children attend this program report that their children do better in school and learn new things because of the program
Students in Genesee County, Michigan have no excuse to be "home alone" after school. A countywide afterschool initiative called Bridges to the Future enrolls more than 17,000 youngsters in safe, organized activities that are designed to support in-school learning - with a healthy emphasis on kid-centered fun.
Genesee County, home to the city of Flint, has seen its share of tough times in recent years, due to a declining economy, increasing poverty, and rising levels of violence and crime. Bridges to the Future is providing the county's students with the attention and the caring they need to rise above these trends and see the way to success.
"Bridges to the Future is a testament to our community's ability to work together and provide enriching and quality afterschool programming for the very students and families who have been impacted most by the declining economy," said Ron Butler, United Way of Genesee County executive director, in an article by Michigan's Center for Educational Networking.
Bridges to the Future is available at no cost to all students in Genesee County schools, from kindergarten through ninth grade. The program is an innovative partnership between United Way of Genesee County, the Genesee Intermediate School District, and the county's 21 public school districts. Other community partners include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Flint's Longway Planetarium and many more. Funding for the program comes from a range of private, foundation and government dollars.
Using an "adaptive youth development model," the afterschool program reinforces the fundamentals learned during the school day by providing fun and creative learning opportunities.
Among the keys to the success of Bridges to the Future: a determination to tailor learning opportunities to the interests of students. (Bridges students made sushi during a recent "Taste of the World" study program at Anderson Elementary in Flint.) Students can choose from more than 250 activities in areas from literacy development to music, community service, fitness and more. And, a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) at each Bridges to the Future site ensures that student input helps guide the program's design and offerings.
According to a recent third-party evaluation, more than 90 percent of parents whose children attend Bridges to the Future report that their children do better in school and learn new things as a result of the program. Bridges to the Future has received a number of accolades and awards; it was named the nation's most outstanding afterschool program by the National Community Education Association in 2003.
Further details about this story can be found in our sources:
Alex Nikoloff, for Michigan Department of Education Leading Change, "Genesee County Offers Bridges to the Future", Fall 2004
Bridges to the Future
For additional information, please contact:
Director of Health, Safety and Nutrition Services
Genesee Intermediate School District
Phone - (810)591-4447
Fax - (810)591-4940
Email - firstname.lastname@example.org
Photo courtesy of the Bridges to the Future


The other day I had the opportunity to participate in an online training to discuss the role phonics plays in the ESL classroom. Following are a few of my thoughts regarding the implications of phonics for ESL students learning to read and speak English:
1) How many times do our ESL students ask, “Teacher, how do you say this word?”
We tell our students how to say the word, but we don’t often know why we say it that way. We can help our ESL students develop autonomy by teaching them strategies to help them pronounce words on their own. This approach better prepares them for “real-life” experiences that occur outside the classroom (where their teacher isn't available).
2) Incorporating phonics instruction in the ESL classroom provides focused training on the sounds of the English language.
Such training provides an opportunity to analyze and dissect the English language in new ways. With this focused and conscious practice, pronunciation improves.
3) When ESL students learn the meaning of the word along with the sound of the word simultaneously, it “sticks” better.
Students are able to remember the word more effectively when they associate the meaning and the sound with the written word.
4) Who couldn't use a little help with their spelling?
Phonics instruction helps ESL students' improve their spelling since encoding (putting sounds together) is an integral part of explicit phonics instruction.
5) ESL students’ confidence increases when they are empowered with skills that help them successfully read and pronounce and spell English independently.
I saw this first hand. One of my students who I had taught in a previous semester approached me one day in the hallway of the school and was very excited to report that he could decode and pronounce vocabulary better than his friend who was in a higher-level English class who had not had phonics training. His confidence empowered him. To witness this first-hand helps me realize that although this was simply anecdotal feedback, the effects of teaching phonics to ESL students is not only effective, but powerful.
Get 30-days of free access to the Reading Workshop—a 6-hour online training course of research-based strategies for teaching reading to beginning readers, struggling readers, and English Language Learners.


Family Creative Learning is a workshop series that engages children and their parents to learn together — as designers and inventors — through the use of creative technologies. We designed the workshops to strengthen the social support and expertise of families with limited access to resources and experiences around computing.
As they create together, families learn how to support one another in their learning from asking questions, giving feedback, and persevering through challenges.
Children and parents also connect with other families, by sharing meals from local restaurants, engaging in inter-family activities, and sharing their projects.
Technology pervades all aspects of our lives and young people are growing up playing, learning, and connecting with technology. However, parents, especially those with little to no background in technology, are often unsure what role they can play. These workshops leverage the learning dynamics that families already use in activities like literacy development and support families in using them in the context of computing, enabling parents and children to become more empowered learning partners.
Families participate in a series of five 2-hour workshops held in the evenings. In every workshop, we begin with dinner, followed by a collaborative design activity, using Scratch and MaKey MaKey. With Scratch, families program their own interactive stories, games, and animations. With MaKey MaKey, families create physical interfaces to computers, using everyday objects that conduct electricity (such as fruits or Play-Doh). With Scratch and MaKey MaKey, families learn to not only use new technologies, but also create their own technologies. The workshop series culminates in a showcase night for families to share their projects to the whole community.
Ricarose Roque, a PhD student with the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, collaboratively designs the workshops with educators and coordinators in schools and community organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs. They have implemented workshop series in the Boston, MA and in Santa Fe, NM. The workshop designs have significant contributions from Franklin Onuoha, Luisa Beck, Xiaodi Chen, Saskia Leggett, Karina Lin, and Richard Liuzzi with guidance from Mitchel Resnick and Natalie Rusk.


Gustav Klimt included colorful shapes in his magical paintings, along with areas of shining gold and silver. Your child can create a beautiful collage in the style of Klimt using some silver and gold paper, along with some bits and pieces of construction paper!
What You Need:
- Scrap construction paper
- 1 8"x10" sheet of silver paper
- 1 8"x10" sheet of gold paper
- White drawing paper
What You Do:
- Start by looking at artwork by Gustav Klimt by either visiting your local library or looking online with your child. One of Klimt’s most famous works is The Kiss, showcasing a couple kissing amidst a collection of shimmering shapes, which was part of Klimt’s classic Art Nouveau style.
- Invite your child to gather bits and pieces of construction paper to reuse for this exciting art activity. Not only is it a fun project, but also a way to use up all those scraps!
- Offer your child a pair of scissors and encourage him to cut as many squares as he can out of the construction paper as well as the sheets of gold and silver paper. Klimt’s artwork seemed to glow from his use of shimmering paints! He can cut small squares, around ½ inch in diameter and up to 2 inches square.
- Once he’s got a good collection of squares, invite your child to begin gluing his colorful squares onto a sheet of white paper. He can position them in a linear, or straight, design and in either a pattern or random design.
- After he’s created several rows of squares, invite your child to fill any gaps with additional squares until he satisfied with his shining Klimt inspired creation.
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


The Friendly Beasts
Composed by Traditional - Digital Sheet Music (Leadsheet)
Product InformationThe Friendly Beasts composed by Traditional - Digital Sheet Music (Leadsheet)
Musicnotes Edition: This digital sheet music was arranged by Musicnotes' staff of professional arrangers and composers or is a new engraving of the composition's original printed arrangement. When you purchase any Musicnotes Edition, you are granted performance and recording rights and you may print an unlimited number of copies of your purchased selection.
Complete lyrics are included for seven verses.
- Contains complete lyrics
- This product is available worldwide
Leadsheets typically only contain the lyrics, chord symbols and melody line of a song and are rarely more than one page in length. Musicians will often use these skeletons to improvise their own arrangements. Leadsheets often do not contain complete lyrics to the song.
The Arrangement Details Tab gives you detailed information about this particular arrangement of The Friendly Beasts - not necessarily the song.
Not the arrangement you were looking for? View All Arrangements
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Piano: Beginner / Teacher
3/29/2016 3:54:15 PM
Love teaching from lead sheets!
Several of my students love lead sheets (though some think that playing from lead sheets is hard), and everyone loves to learn Christmas songs! This is a Christmas song that is not as well-known as many, which is why I think students should learn it - as part of their music education, not just because its one they know already.


Principal Investigators: James Lester (PI, Computer Science), James Minogue (co-PI, Elementary Education), John Nietfeld (co-PI, Educational Psychology), Hiller Spires (co-PI, Curriculum & Instruction)
Primary Participants: Alok Baikadi (Computer Science), Kirby Culbertson (Art & Design), Lori Dolezal (Education), Julius Goth (Computer Science), EunYoung Ha (Computer Science), Sarah Hegler (Art & Design), Ashley Hoffman (Psychology), Seung Lee (Computer Science), Samuel Leeman-Munk (Computer Science), Eleni Lobene (Psychology), Erin Lyjak (Education), Karoon McDowell (Art & Design), Stacie McGowan (Art & Design), Angela Meluso (Psychology), Bradford Mott (Computer Science), Adam Osgood (Art & Design), Justin Phillips (Art & Design), Jonathan Rowe (Computer Science), Marc Russo (Art & Design), Robert Taylor (Computer Science), Jen Sabourin (Computer Science), Lucy Shores (Education), Andy Smith (Computer Science), Kim Turner (Education), Donnie Wrights (Art & Design), Meixun Zheng (Education)
Sponsor: National Science Foundation – Discovery Research K-12 Program (2008-2012)
Objectives: The Crystal Island project addresses the challenge of assuring that all students have the opportunity to learn significant science content by investigating the following research question: How can intelligent game-based environments promote problem solving and engagement in science learning for upper elementary students? The project investigates problem solving, engagement, and science learning by targeting the following two objectives:
1. Design a suite of intelligent game-based learning environment technologies for elementary science education. To promote effective science learning, we are creating intelligent game-based learning environment technologies that leverage the rich interactive 3D game environments provided by commercial game engines and the inferential capabilities of intelligent tutoring systems. Building on our experience in these two areas, we are creating an engaging intelligent game-based learning environment for 5th grade science.
2. Implement an empirically-based research program to provide a comprehensive account of elementary students’ problem-solving processes and engagement with STEM content as they interact with intelligent game-based learning environments. To understand the cognitive mechanisms by which learning occurs, we are taking a mixed method approach to investigating science learning with an intelligent game-based learning environment for 5th grade science. These studies are investigating the central issues of problem solving (strategy use, divergent thinking, and collaboration), and engagement (motivation, situational interest, presence) with respect to achievement as measured by both science content knowledge and transfer. With diverse student populations drawn from both urban and rural settings, the studies will determine precisely which technologies and conditions contribute most effectively to learning processes and outcomes.


String and Music Education Associations on Long Island, New York, 1950-1960
Sturm, Jeannine A., Journal of Historical Research in Music Education
String education was a neglected area of music education in the mid-twentieth century. This resulted in the founding of many important organizations to promote string education. One of the most influential, the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), developed at a Music Educators National Conference (MENC) annual meeting in 1945 in Cleveland, Ohio. (1) In 1948, at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) conference, over a hundred string teachers were present for ASTA's formal inauguration. (2)
Traugott Rohner, founder of The Instrumentalist magazine, voiced his concern about the need for an orchestra organization in the Music Educators Journal, as he believed school orchestra directors were ignored. (3) In 1959, eighty-eight school directors of the 133 ASTA chartered members united to develop the National School Orchestra Association (NSOA). ASTA and NSOA operated independently but often held spring conferences in conjunction with MENC. Also in 1959, the American Federation of Musicians sponsored the first International String Congress in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to encourage the professional lives of young musicians in the United States and Canada. (4) These organizations would soon be of major importance to string education and help solidify string teaching in America.
America in the 1950s
Thousands of young service men, recently returned from World War II, were ready to start new lives with new homes and jobs in the 1950s. American industry began to expand, jobs were created, and the baby boom was underway. In 1952, the World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president. President Eisenhower stated that "America is today the strongest, most influential, and most productive nation in the world." (5) During Eisenhower's administration (1952-60), the nation experienced multiple changes. Segregation ended (1954), the highway interstate system was created (1956), and America grew from a nation of forty-eight states to fifty (1959).
In the music world, rock and roll was in its infancy: the voices of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Johnny Cash were still heard on the radio. (6) In the music education field, several important events occurred during this decade. MENC established the Child's Bill of Rights in Music in 1950, to ensure that every child had the right to learn music. In 1953, the Journal of Research in Music Education published its first volume, and the International Society for Music Education had its first postwar meeting in Brussels, Belgium. MENC celebrated its fiftieth anniversary at their annual conference in 1957 and adopted the Golden Anniversary Resolution, which was intended to support music education in a postwar world and look toward the future. These events demonstrated the importance of music education in American lives.
The future of American string education began to strengthen during the 1950s. The formation of ASTA strengthened string teachers' knowledge through workshops and annual conferences that provided networking opportunities. The ability to share knowledge about string education in the Music Educators Journal and the establishment of a national orchestra association could not have occurred at a better time. The formation of national string organizations also led to the formation of regional, state, and local groups that supported string education.
Research Purpose and Questions
The purpose of this study is to examine the history of music and string education associations on Long Island, New York, from 1950 to 1960. Through the use of artifacts, websites, and interviews with two former Long Island string educators, answers were sought for the following research questions: "What organizations existed to support string education during the 1950s, and how did the economy on Long Island in that decade affect string education?
This study explores the evolution and progress of five associations in New York State and on Long Island and how each was affected by the population boom of the postwar suburban era. …


The government-backed survey, published yesterday, found Britons struggled to perform tasks such as multiplying 6 by 21 and subtracting 1.78 from 5. Only one in five British adults managed to answer all 12 questions correctly, compared with almost half those tested in Japan, which topped the table. The UK also lagged behind France, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and Australia.
The study, commissioned by the Basic Skills Agency, revealed Britons were more likely than adults in other countries to flee at the very thought of a maths test. Out of a representative sample asked to complete the pen and paper tasks in each country, one in eight in the UK refused even to look at the tests. Elsewhere, virtually all those asked to take part did so.
Evidence that the British are poor at maths comes a week after another international study showed the nation is also falling behind badly on literacy standards. Research in 14 countries by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development revealed almost half of adults in the UK lack the literacy skills needed to cope with life, such as understanding a bus timetable.
Both main political parties are vying to put higher basic skills standards at the centre of their election campaigns. Gillian Shephard, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, will announce initiatives to boost literacy and numeracy levels among recent school leavers later this month, while Labour will unveil details of plans to improve primary pupils' reading skills.
The Basic Skills Agency numeracy study was accompanied by research showing how poor maths skills can damage employment prospects.
Academics at London's City University who have been monitoring the lives of 1,700 people born in 1958, found just under a quarter had "very low numeracy skills", making everyday tasks difficult. Men with poor numeracy were more prone to unemployment, while women were more likely to be in part-time jobs.
As Mrs Shephard pledged to continue the Government's "battle to improve the basics", Labour's Education spokesman David Blunkett said: "This shows once again that we are lagging behind our economic competitors on standards vital to the success of our economy."
t Work out the number of apples each person gets if a box of 72 is shared by six people
t Multiply 6 by 21
t Take away 2.43 from 5
t Work out the number of children in a crowd of 7,900 if the proportion of children in the crowd is 10 per cent
t Calculate the total of 4.25, 6 and 7.74
t Work out 15 per cent of 700


Many have witnessed the brilliance of an orchestra conductor, standing before the symphony, holding a baton and directing the performance of some of classical music’s most difficult pieces. But he or she does not play an instrument during the performance, and, in fact, doesn’t make a sound. So, what does a conductor actually do? A lot, according to Los Angeles Philharmonic trumpeter Chris Still. In this video, Still explains the role of a conductor and why that person is vital to the performance.
Book Tout (dont edit this unless you’re a super admin)
- What I Learned from My Abreu Fellowship
- Young Musicians Talk Instruments
- El Sistema: From Venezuela to the United States
- The Consequences of Curtailing Music Education
- Why Learning an Instrument Is Important
- Being the Parent of a Young Musician
- Following the Music
- Youth Orchestra Member Dreams of Becoming a Conductor
- What Does a Conductor Do?
- Dudamel on Classical Music
- Tavis’ Video Blog
“...it's his ambition to expose, educate and empower America's children to his world of classical music that will perhaps cement the imprint of his musical legacy.” Tavis Smiley


NASA’s high-flying observatory enables astronomers to peer deep into the heart of the universe. And when the observation plane’s garage-door-sized panel opens at 45,000 feet this spring to put its infrared telescope into action, Wright State University alumnus Tom Jenkins will be on board.
“I expect the experience of a lifetime; it will be a chance to geek out with some super brilliant people,” Jenkins said. “I also expect to grow as a teacher.”
Jenkins, 39, teaches science at Indian Valley Middle School in Enon, Ohio. He will join Heidi Steinbrink of Oakwood High School in Dayton on the flight of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, beginning May 4. It is part of NASA’s flying-classroom-for-teachers program.
“One of the things about being a good teacher is trying to always be a constant learner and continue my education,” Jenkins said. “I am looking for creative and interesting experiences that help inspire me and try to share the new knowledge, inspiration and energy with my students.”
Jenkins earned his bachelor degree in elementary education with a science concentration from Wright State in 1997 and a master’s in science teaching in 1999.
He expects to go on at least one of the eight-to-10-hour night flights and possibly two. He plans to videoconference with his students during the flights and is already prepping them by having volunteers from the Air Force Research Laboratory talk to them about the electromagnetic spectrum and why infrared is important in astronomy.
Conventional telescopes allow scientists to use visible light to see the night sky, but they can’t see everything because of cloud cover or distances. Infrared telescopes enable scientists to see through things and see greater distances. And by flying at between 39,000 and 45,000 feet, the telescope is above the water vapor in the atmosphere and can see even farther.
The aircraft, a highly modified Boeing 747 outfitted with a telescope more than eight feet in diameter, will take off from the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. Besides the pilots and technical crew, the plane will carry two teams of educators as well as scientists, engineers and astronomers from NASA and universities around the world—about two dozen people in all.
“SOFIA offers educator teams unprecedented access to infrared astronomers and the unique capabilities of an airborne observatory,” said John Gagosian, SOFIA program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center. Twelve two-person teams were selected for the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program, representing educators from 10 states. Jenkins will have a computer and a workstation on the flights.
“My experience in astronomy and astrophysics is very minor compared to people who dedicate their entire lives doing this,” Jenkins said. “The flight for the educators is more to be inspiring and show us real-life science at the highest level so we can share that experience with our kids.”
Jenkins said he really caught fire with the passion for teaching science when he was at Wright State learning from professor William Slattery, who turned him on to inquiry-based education.
In addition to teaching at the middle school, Jenkins has also worked at the Dayton Regional STEM Center and Air Camp, a hands-on, educational aviation and aeronautics program.
Jenkins believes the NASA experience will give him a better understanding of processes involved in true scientific research.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to pass those skills on to the kids,” he said. “Another thing is the enthusiasm, which is priceless. Science is wonderful, but too many times we extinguish that fire before we get it ignited and we lose the kids’ interest. The one thing I want students in my class to walk away with is the fact that they learn for a purpose.”


Bulmer, Leigh (2000) Using picture books in drama therapy with children : a therapeutic model and annotated bibliography. Other thesis, Concordia University.
In this paper, I combine the methodologies of picture book story response and drama therapeutic exploration. Inspired by Alida Gersie's Therapeutic Storymaking model, I have created a drama therapeutic model that is designed to offer children a sense of belonging through dramatic expression and creativity. Part I of the paper addresses the therapeutic potential of picture books and explains how picture books can be used drama therapeutically with children. The application of my Drama Therapeutic Story Exploration method is described, with reference to therapeutic picture book themes, as well as the dramatic story exploration process, and guidelines for the facilitator. In Part II, I offer fifteen picture books accompanied by suggestions for drama therapeutic exploration. The books are collated according to five themes which encourage children to (1) explore the potentials of their bodies, (2) discover the safety of homes and relationships, (3) negotiate conflicts, (4) celebrate their achievements, and (5) address issues of loss and separation.
|Divisions:||Concordia University > Faculty of Fine Arts > Art Education|
Concordia University > Faculty of Fine Arts > Creative Arts Therapies
|Item Type:||Thesis (Other)|
|Series Name:||Research Paper|
|Pagination:||89 leaves ; 29 cm.|
|Degree Name:||Research papers (M.A.)|
|Program:||Art Education and Creative Arts Therapies|
|Thesis Supervisor(s):||Novy, Christine|
|Deposited By:||Concordia University Libraries|
|Deposited On:||27 Aug 2009 17:17|
|Last Modified:||08 Dec 2010 15:19|
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Primary education, also known as elementary education, is the first level of formal compulsory education. In the Philippines, elementary education commonly consists of six levels, with an additional level/grade (Grade 7) in some private schools.
Goal of the primary education system
Elementary education aims to provide basic literacy and establish foundations in reading, mathematics, and the sciences among all children.
Primary education is provided basically in schools, where the children stay in advancing classes until they finish and move on to secondary schools. In both public and private schools, the children are placed in one-teacher classes. The teacher is then responsible for their education and welfare for a year/particular level. The continuity with a single teacher and the opportunity to establish close relationships with the whole class is a notable feature of the primary education system.
Primary education is divided into two parts or levels: the primary level, which consists of grades 1 to 3, and the intermediate level which includes grades 4 to 6.
Philippine elementary education covers a wide curriculum, based on the guidelines set by DepEd. The core subjects (major subjects) include Mathematics, English, Filipino (the Filipino language and literature), and Makabayan (which is a hybrid course consisting of Social Studies, Home Economics, and Values Education―present in public schools). Starting at Grade 3, Science becomes an integral part of the core subjects. Other subjects include Music, Arts, and Physical Education.
In most secular private elementary schools, the subjects include Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, Basic Computer, Filipino, Music, Arts and Technology, Home Economics, Health, and Physical Education. In Catholic schools, Religion or Christian Living is added to the curriculum. International schools and Chinese schools, meanwhile, have additional subjects, especially in language and culture.
Medium of instruction
In Metro Manila and nearby municipalities and provinces, the teaching medium in most subjects is English, with Filipino being only the second language used (in Makabayan and Filipino subjects). Under its Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education program, the DepEd trains teachers in the provinces to use the vernacular/dialect as a medium of instruction (in addition to English and Filipino) especially in the primary level. International schools use English language to teach all the subjects.
On the other hand, some elite private schools include Spanish or Arabic in their curriculum. Generally, graduates of such schools have knowledge of two to three languages.
The Philippine Education for All Assessment Report of 2000 stated that a "huge population of children were either over-aged or under-aged for grade one." A reason behind this trend is that families opt to postpone the education of young children as girls were often asked to take care of younger siblings, and together with boys, help in their livelihood.
The Bureau of Basic Education, the office under the Department of Education assigned to handle matters regarding preschool and primary education, prioritizes the issue of making primary education accessible for all qualified students. The goal was successfully carried out, as some 95 percent of children aged six to twelve attended primary school in 2000. However, the quality of education and quantity of the students declined in the succeeding years due to lack of proper government funding to provide for adequate public school facilities and materials, and teachers’ salaries. Public schools are also overcrowded with students nowadays and facilities are no longer sufficient to meet their needs.
Another recurrent issue is the rising cost of education especially in private schools, which most Filipino families, usually belonging to the lower middle class and masses, cannot afford. They opt to either transfer their children to schools with lower tuition fees, or to public schools.
- Official website of the Department of Education in the Philippines Accessed 07 July 2009.
- Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education


Making the Case for Music Education
What will it be -- music or more software? In some communities, it all comes down to that question. New research, special programs, and dedicated teachers and community members are helping to make a solid case for putting music "Bach" into our schools!
Once considered dispensable, music education is back on the agenda at school board meetings in many communities. Community and board members are taking a stand, fighting to reinstate music programs cut from school budgets over the last decade.
But why the sudden about-face?
The highly publicized results of several recent studies are one factor in the push to reinstate music education:
Music training conditions the brain to do tasks similar to those it has to do when working on math problems, Gardiner told Teacher magazine last May. "In the case of singing on pitch, pitch has a pitch line of its own," he explained. "'Do' is less than 're.' And 're' is less than 'mi.'" Developing skills such as those can help students understand mathematical concepts such as number lines.
Additional studies with adults highlight the benefits to music instruction. For example, researchers using magnetic brain imaging technology at the University of Munster in Germany found that the auditory cortex of the brain (the area where sound is processed) can be as much as 25 percent larger in musicians than in those who have no musical training.
At a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Dr. Lawrence Parsons (University of Texas-San Antonio) shared results of his research which employed magnetic imaging technology to examine the brains of expert musicians. The research showed more clearly than ever that significantly more of the brain is used during music making than previously thought.
"Music is represented in mechanisms widely distributed throughout the brain rather than localized in a single region as are other kinds of information, such as visual or movement information," Parsons reported.
After years of cutbacks, music is making a comeback in many schools.
Gary Wolfman, director of the Appleton (Wisconsin) High School-North's orchestra, promotes the benefits of music to his school community in any way he can. Buried in the back of the program for a recent concert, Wolfman summarized some of the recent brain research related to music.
The National Association for Music Education offers support to music educators and concerned community members on its Web page, including the organization's Advocacy Information page. Among the tools offered are articles about the latest research and a practical guide and form letters for building support for music education. "Even if your music program is in great shape, you must build and maintain a base of support," MENC advises. "Do this by offering your students the broadest and best music education possible, and by letting the public, parents, and administration know about it."
If you're looking for additional ammunition for stating your case, the Music Education Online Web site offers The Value of Music Education (scroll down the page for text). Among the reasons you'll find there are
A fair amount of recent research supports the value of music as part of a well-rounded education. But the studies are admittedly few. Much remains to be learned about the connection between music and learning.
But will music education survive, and thrive? The answer to that question rests with the members of each and every community. The signs are good -- if the results of a Gallup Poll of American attitudes toward music (published on the American Music Conference Web site) are any indication. In that poll
It's "opening night" in a great new debate. Will music education get the standing ovation it deserves?
A public service of the Music Education Coalition, this page offers tips to help parents make a case for music -- no matter what argument a local district board might be using to force cutbacks.
Music Makes You Smarter
Research findings, articles, and Web links to information about the value of music education.
Articles on the Importance of Music Education
A compilation of recent press reports relating to the value of music education.
Article by Gary Hopkins
Copyright Â© 2010 Education World
Originally published 03/01/2003
Last updated 03/09/2015


|Name: _________________________||Period: ___________________|
This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where did the children compete for prizes during Halloween?
(a) The newspaper contest.
(b) From the local lottery.
(c) At an apple bobbing contest.
(d) At school carnival booths.
2. During the time period of The Water is Wide, Brazil produced the most what for the world?
3. Who protests the showing of films to students?
(a) Ethel Lee.
(b) Mrs. Brown.
(c) Cindy Lou.
(d) Jimmy Sue.
4. Where is Zeke Skimberry from?
5. At the end of September, where does Pat Conroy move?
(a) The Buckner house.
(b) Ida's house.
(c) The Mainland.
(d) The school house.
Short Answer Questions
1. Who is described as a "portrait of efficiency?"
2. What color is home protection in voodoo?
3. Which student is sensitive about being short?
4. Pat Conroy hangs a poster of which classical artist on the classroom wall?
5. Why does the superintendent think Pat Conroy came to him?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe Yamacraw Island.
2. How does Pat Conroy spend his days after school?
3. Why did Ted Stone close his restaurant?
4. How do the people on the island react to the two students from Cowell College?
5. What revelation helps Pat Conroy realize the Stones are frighteningly racist?
6. Why is Pat Conroy concerned about the treatment of animals on the island?
7. What things go right on the Halloween trip to South Carolina?
8. Why is the library in Yamacraw school ironic?
9. How did Thomas anger the whites when he was young?
10. For what purpose does Pat Conroy attempt to give the students a classical music education?
This section contains 555 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)


When you’re thinking about science activities that you can do with your children don’t overlook a simple building project! Structures are definitely a scientific topic, and you can make the most basic structures with even the youngest kids.
Now, you might be thinking “WHAT? A toddler and a glue gun??” You bet! Have a look at this glue gun project for kids that I shared a wile back. In it, I share my advice on teaching kids how to use low temp glue guns. You’ll see that our older toddlers and preschoolers use them well. With a little guidance and supervision (and a bowl of cold water near-by, just in case), you can teach your child how to use a low heat glue gun too!
Using styrofoam meat trays for crafting:
Styrofoam trays are super in the craft room. We use ours to make make ornaments, and to hold craft supplies. We even use them as paint pallets. For safety reasons, always sterilize your meat trays in the dishwasher before crafting with them.
Today, the hooligans are making styrofoam structures . Building a structure is a simple way for young children to explore the basics of design and physics. It’s also great for fine motor skill development and critical and creative thinking.
Supplies for making Mosaic Meat Tray Structures:
- styrofoam meat tray
- acrylic craft paints
- low temp glue gun
- paint brushes
- safety scissors
- bowl of cold water
Painting your Meat Trays:
Cut the curved edges off your trays so you’re left with a flat tile.
Give each tile two coats of acrylic paint. You can speed up the drying process with a hair dryer. We’ve used tempera paints in the past, but they tend to flake and chip. If you’re going to use temperas, I’d advise giving your tiles a coat of craft sealer/varnish to prevent chipping.
Cutting up the tiles: The hooligans love this part. Cutting styrofoam is one of my favourite scissor skill exercises for kids. It’s easy for little hands to cut through styrofoam, and it makes such a satisfying sound when they do.
*tip for preventing burned fingers when using a glue gun:
Keep a bowl of water near-by. The low temp glue is not hot enough to actually burn but it’s comforting for little ones to know they can dip a finger or thumb if need be. I use this trick all the time myself when I’m using my high heat glue gun.
Building the structures with a low-temp glue gun:
Have your little one gently squeeze puddles of glue out onto their mosaic pieces, and lightly press them in place.
These are the beautiful structures that the 3 and 4 year old created.
For more creative activities for kids, check out our:
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This book presents a constructivist approach to the content and methodology needed to be an effective teacher of elementary science. Twelve inquiry units further explore the inquiry and concepts of specific science topics. These topics include: how science concepts and skills are effectively taught and learned, ways to successfully plan science instruction, resources needed to enhance the science program, assessment of student inquiry, and integration of instructional and design technology. The chapter on technology covers not only discussions on the applications of technology to advance science, but also the latest educational technology to promote learning in science classrooms. For science teachers at the elementary school level.
(NOTE: Science in Elementary Education includes all chapters.)
(NOTE: Chapters 1 through 8 conclude with Summary, Reflection, References, and Suggested Readings. Inquiry Units 1 through 12 conclude with References, Selected Trade Books, and Resource Books.)
I. HOW TO TEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE.
1. Science Inquiry and the Nature of Science.
The Nature of Science. Scientific Concepts and Generalizations. Science Process and the Process Skills. Teaching Children. Teacher as Researcher. 2. Constructing Science Experiences.
Paradigms. Constructivism. 3. Planning for Inquiry and National Standards.
Planning for Inquiry. Closed- and Open-Ended Activities. Learning with an Integrated Approach. Planning Units. A Sample Unit. 4. Developing Inquiry Skills.
Using the Learning Cycle. Observing. Classifying. Measuring. Communicating. Inferring. Predicting. Experimenting. Scientific Attitudes. 5. Assessment.
Assessment Today. Authentic Assessment. Types of Authentic Assessment. Assessing Attitudes. 6. Science Experiences for All Students.
Science Learning Centers. Science Projects. Science Fairs. Teaching Students with Special Needs. 7. Constructing Technological Understandings.
Educational Technology and Elementary Science. Science Technology Society. Technology Education and Elementary Science. 8. Science Learning Opportunities.
Mrs. Blackwelder's Class Trip. Science Learning Resources. Individual Partners in Education.
II. CONCEPTS AND INQUIRIES IN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE.
1. Light Energy and Color.
2. Heat Energy.
3. Sound Energy.
4. Magnetic Interactions.
5. Electrical Energy.
6. Simple Machines.
7. Plant Life.
8. Animal Life.
9. The Human Body and Nutrition.
10. The Earth's Changing Surface.
11. Water, Air, and Weather.
12. The Earth in Space.
Appendix A: Professional Bibliography.
Appendix B: Science Curriculum Projects.
Appendix C: Commercial Science Suppliers.
Appendix D: Environments and Nutrition for Classroom Animals.
Appendix E: Summary of Children's Thinking.
Appendix F: State Education Agencies.
Science in Elementary Education


By Owen Wagabaza
Children who go to nursery schools when they are as young as two or three are likely to have up to a year’s head start over those who are exclusively cared for at home, according to research.
Experts says early education increases reading and numeracy skills at primary school level. This partly answers the question of whether it is worth it for a parent to invest in nursery education.
Most parents who have sent their children to pre-school have reported positive experiences and have seen their children grow to be better prepared for the years of schooling to come.
Some parents have had to learn the hard way, but this can be avoided. “As a learning point, my first child missed nursery education and has always had problems conceptualising what he is taught,” Alice Muhimbo, a mother of three explains.
Pre-school teaches children the building blocks for the rest of their education journey. Children at a young age learn best through play and games. They learn numbers, letters and how to write their name.
The assistant commissioner for preprimary education, Resty Muzibiri agrees that nursery or pre-primary education greatly improves that quality of education for learners. S
he adds that early childhood is a crucial stage of life in terms of a child’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development.
With this in mind, she says toddlers need positive early learning experiences to help their intellectual, social and emotional development. Susan Baguma, the head teacher of a city nursery school says her kindergarten teaches a child to listen, obey, and cooperate.
“The children will know when it is time to play with others and time to go to class. Some come when they do not even know why they are at school,” Baguma says.
Leo Lubega, another nursery and primary school head teacher in Kampala, also says speech development is one of the first tools that a child will acquire in a nursery school.
Kindergartens are also avenues for children to acquire good healthy and socially acceptable habits. It is also at nursery schools that skills like how to use a toilet or latrine are taught to children.
Letting children do what they want encourages individuality and decision making.
More embrace nursery education
Of recent, the Government has been in a massive drive to promote early childhood learning. More parents are enrolling their children into early childhood education centres.
Indeed today, the number of nursery schools in the country has risen. With Kampala alone having over 250 nursery schools and about 7,000 countrywide.
Kindergarten: A child’s golden chance to excel


Literacy teaching and learning activities to support teachers following the implementation of the Best Start 2009 Kindergarten Assessment.
All resources are available on the Department's intranet only.
Early learning plans guide planning, programming and teaching in the early years classroom.
Download PDF (DEC intranet only 254 KB)
Download Microsoft Word doc (DEC intranet only 325 KB)
Literacy Teaching Guides
A series of new literacy guides are being developed that put the spotlight on the eight identified aspects of literacy, critical to students’ early literacy development.
The Literacy Teaching Guides are available on the Literacy unit website.


Family Support Services are offered FREE through the Family Resource Centers of the Tempe Elementary and Kyrene School Districts. Parent Liaisons work within the Resource Centers as a direct contact for parents in their community.
Research indicates that early language abilities are directly related to later reading abilities. In other words, building those skills which are a precursor to reading is very important. The interactions that young children have with such literacy materials as books, paper, and crayons, and with the adults in their lives are the building blocks for language, reading and writing development. Early literacy experiences support the critical processes occurring in your young child’s brain.
According to Zero to Three, a nationally recognized leader in early childhood,” Early literacy skills are essential to literacy development and should be the focus of early language and literacy programs.” Thrive to Five offers several educational opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn and understand how to help develop their child’s early literacy skills.
Ever wonder if your child’s development is on track? Families who are wondering about any aspect of their child’s development can complete a brief screening called “Ages & Stages” with one of our screening staff. The questionnaire takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. The screener will score the survey and discuss with you right away. The survey can accurately identify infants or young children who may be in need of further assessments. Most often, parents are relieved to learn that their child is absolutely average!


Short videos often pack a heckuva punch for history classes. Here’s one from today’s CBS “Sunday Morning,” with Charles Osgood reporting on the creation and flying at Fort McHenry of a replica of a flag that flew there 199 years ago on September 14 — the inspiration to Francis Scott Key for his poem, “The Star-spangled Banner.”
Published on Sep 15, 2013
CBS News video: Star-Spangled Banner flies again at Fort McHenry – Applying the same techniques used nearly two hundred years ago, a team of quilters created an exact replica of the flag that flew over Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812, the same flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen our national anthem. Charles Osgood reports.
This is history that most of my juniors didn’t know. It’s not history we’re supposed to teach, but it’s history they are accountable for on Texas tests. A short video like this one at a key spot can boost scores on the state tests — and, though I’ve not been victimized by them yet, the new end-of-course tests probably assume juniors know this stuff, too.
I hope CBS keeps this piece available for history teachers, especially through 2014 and the 200th anniversary of the battle, and Key’s writing of the poem.
- City to fly replica Star-Spangled banner (abc2news.com)
- Happy Birthday ‘Star Spangled Banner’ (freebeacon.com)
- The Star-Spangled Banner yet waves anew (cbsnews.com)
- Seamstresses Recreating the Star Spangled Banner (foxbaltimore.com)
- Fort McHenry quarter unveiled during Friday ceremony (baltimorenewsjournal.com)
- Hundreds Participate In Fort McHenry 5K (baltimore.cbslocal.com)
- Relevant lesson plans for teachers:
- Oh, Say, Can you say what the Star-spangled Banner means? Edsitement, at NEH
- Fort McHenry’s National Park Service site has aides for teachers and ideas for lesson plans
- “The Rockets’ Red Glare,” lesson from the National Park Service
- Pre-K to 6 lesson plans on the anthem and flag, from the good people at Scholastic
- From Tarleton State, in Texas, a lesson plan for music and literature classes on the song and poem (in MicroSoft Word download form)
- Lesson planning help from the Smithsonian Institution, on the flag (the original flag is now preserved and displayed by the Smithsonian)
- A list of lesson plans on the war, the anthem, the flag and the battle, from Mr. Donn
- From the National Association for Music Education, the U.S. Army Band Teachers Guide
- “Star-spangled banner, fact or fiction,” lesson plan from the education program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (used in Baltimore schools)
- Series of lesson plans, K-high school, from the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Fort McHenry today:


During his lifetime, the path-breaking and prolific lensman Raja Deen Dayal (1884–1905) was one of the most widely recognised photographers from the Indian subcontinent. Today he remains among the most celebrated figures from this earlier era. This book brings together for the first time extensive archival research with close analyses of the significant body of Dayal’s work preserved in the Alkazi Collection of Photography. Over the course of his remarkable career, Dayal opened studios in Indore, Secunderabad, and Bombay, employing over fifty staff photographers and assistants. Together, they produced more than 30,000 images of architecture, landscape, and people that have played a central role in how India’s past has been visualized. This volume explores varied topics, from Dayal’s public works, state visit, and hunting photographs to his images chronicling india’s elite and growing middle classes. In this way, lays the groundwork to rethink the history and practice of photography in India: as a commercial business, as an engagement with new technology, and as an aesthetic enterprise.
Trained as a draughtsman, Dayal rose quickly through the ranks as a Surveyor with the Public Works Department of the Central India Agency in Indore. He began photographing in the mid 1870s, becoming a master in the delicate art of developing glass plate negatives and albumen prints and producing what are still some of the most stunning views of the architecture and landscape of northern India. Ever the consummate businessman, Dayal soon counted the elite of British and Indian society amongst his clients. Eventually, he was appointed court photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, and the studio became the first Indian firm to receive the Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria. Dayal’s career testifies to photography’s paramount role in the overlapping arenas of the Princely states, British Raj, and the emerging cosmopolitan centres of nineteenth-century India.
Published in association with The Alkazi Collection of Photography.
About the Authors
Deepali Dewan is a Senior Curator in the Department of World Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada. Her research encompasses colonial art education, the history and theory of photography in India, and the visual dimensions of modernity as examined through a transnational lens. She is the author of Embellished Reality: Indian Painted Photographs and editor of Bollywood Cinema Showcards: Indian Film Art from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Deborah Hutton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Art History at The College of New Jersey. Her research is focused on examining the relationships between art, identity formation, and intercultural exchange at the princely courts that ruled over the Deccan region of India between the 16th and early 20th centuries. She is the author of The Art of the Court of Bijapur and co-editor of Asian Art and A Companion to Asian Art and Architecture.
NOTE: This title is shipped from India. Books will be available in other territories from late June 2013 onwards.


Difference Between CST and EST
CST vs. EST
“CST” and “EST” are common abbreviations that are used among people and travelers within the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is a common understanding that due to the alignment of the Earth with the sun, there are various time zones throughout the world. “CST” and “EST” are two abbreviated time zones that are in the Eastern half of the United States. The time zone difference means that there are certain states and cities that are experiencing one time, for example, 8:00 p.m., which in the next time zone over there are other places that are at 7:00 p.m. Time zones are typically studied in elementary education. However, for those who do not have an understanding and knowledge of CST and EST, it can be rather confusing.
“CST” is the abbreviation for “Central Standard Time” zone. This time zone is one of four in the United States and covers states like: Alabama, Louisiana, Michigan, and most of Texas. Central time zone is also observed in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, most of Ontario, and parts of Nunavut and Saskatchewan. Some Mexican provinces included are Oaxaca, Durango, Chiapas, and Veracruz.
“EST” is the abbreviation for “Eastern Standard Time” zone. This time zone is another one of the four in the United States; however, it covers states like: New York, Maine, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The Eastern Time zone is additionally observed in parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Nunavut, and Quebec. In Central America, the island of Panama and some countries in the Caribbean still utilize Eastern Standard Time as well. Central Standard Time zone is considered six hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time, and is affected by daylight savings times throughout parts of the year. Eastern Standard Time is considered five hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time and is also affected by daylight savings time. The Eastern time zone is the earliest time zone in the United States. It is before both the Central, Mountain, and Pacific Time zones. This Central Time zone is located one hour behind the Eastern Time zone, one hour ahead of the Mountain Time zone, and two hours before the Pacific Time zone.
In Spanish, Central Time is “Tiempo Central Estandar” (CST) and in French it is called “Heure Normale du Centre” (HNC). In Spanish, the Eastern Time zone is called “Tiempo del Este” (ET), and in French it is called “Heure Normale de l’Est” (HNE).
1.“CST” and “EST” are both abbreviations for time zones in North America. Central Standard Time is CST and Eastern Standard Time is EST.
2.CST is one hour behind EST. The Central Time zone is six hours behind Coordinated Universal Time, and Eastern Time zone is five hours behind.
3.Places like Alabama and Louisiana are in the Central time zone along with Canada’s Manitoba and Mexico’s Veracruz. 4.Places like Florida and Maine are in the Eastern time zone along with Quebec in Canada and southern areas like Panama and parts of the Carribbean.
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Gove: 'All children should have the chance to learn an instrument.'
All young people should have the chance to learn an instrument, read music and receive top quality music education, Education Secretary Michael Gove said today.
Launching an independent review of music education, which will be led by Darren Henley, Managing Director of Classic FM, Mr Gove said broadening the access and opportunities young people have to experience and understand music is central to raising standards.
Research shows that quality music education improves behaviour, attention and concentration, and has a hugely positive effect on numeracy and language skills. Giving all young people the best possible music education will help the Government achieve its twin aims of driving up standards and reducing the attainment gap.
The review will look at
- how to make sure music funding benefits more young people
- improving the music opportunities young people receive both in and out of school
- improving the teacher training and professional development offered to music teachers
- how to attract more music professionals into schools
- how best to offer quality live music experiences to all young people.
Michael Gove said:
It’s a sad fact that too many children in state schools are denied the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. Evidence suggests that learning an instrument can improve numeracy, literacy and behaviour. But more than that, it is simply unfair that the joy of musical discovery should be the preserve of those whose parents can afford it.
Mr Henley issued a public call for evidence today, seeking the views of parents, schools and music specialists. He said:
Having worked closely with leading music educators and thinkers over the past few years, I know how much of a positive difference high quality music education makes to children’s lives. I am looking forward to delivering to ministers a report which outlines how we can ensure that every child in England benefits from a world-beating music education system.
Minister for the Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, said:
Young people are the lifeblood of creativity in the UK. We produce some of the greatest musical talent in the world but there is so much more that can be done to harness the passion and enthusiasm that children have for music.
Young people need to be given greater and more equal opportunities to benefit from formal music education. We need to encourage them to see the link between learning an instrument, and the artists they hear on the radio and the songs they download.
As well as it being important to learn skills in music for its own sake, the benefits don’t stop there. Immersion in music can lead to improved social skills and educational success, with behaviour, wellbeing, confidence, team-working and concentration skills all proven to improve with good music provision. I look forward to supporting the review and seeing its results.
The review is expected to make its recommendations before the end of the year.
Notes to editors
- Download the full remit of the review from this page.
- You can also download the letter from the Secretary of State to Darren Henley inviting him to lead the review.
- Contact the Department for Education to receive more information about participating in the music review and obtain a consultation pack.
- Darren Henley is the Managing Director of Classic FM. He joined the radio station in 1992, first as a journalist and then as a programme producer. In 2000 he was appointed Managing Editor, with responsibility for all of the station’s on-air programming. Two years later, he was named Station Manager with a brief that was widened to include all aspects of Classic FM’s business. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2006. Since the beginning of 2007, he has worked closely with music educators, ministers and civil servants as Chairman of the Music Manifesto Partnership and Advocacy Group, and as Chairman of the Tune In Legacy Group. He has served on the DCSF/DCMS Music Programme Board and the In Harmony Steering Group. He also sat on the Conservative Party’s Independent Review of Creative Industries. He is the author of 19 books about classical music and musicians, including an award-winning series of audiobooks for children. Darren studied politics at the University of Hull. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Management.
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This article focuses on a child’s literacy experiences during one day in second grade. Marco attends an urban school of choice with a whole language philosophy. On this day in March, Marco participated in 30 literacy events involving 27 different texts including literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) and instrumental texts (labels, signs, charts, etc.). The social nature of literacy learning is examined by exploring the relationship between Marco’s literacy experiences and his literacy development. Marco, one of the less proficient readers in his class, is profoundly influenced by opportunities to observe and interact with other readers and writers. Marco makes meaning and learns language as he participates in classroom literacy events.
Keywords: Assessment, Diversity, Literacy


Wondering how to best provide support and encouragement for your kids’ piano lessons, particularly when it comes to practicing? Here’s some great advice from Augustine, FL piano teacher Heather L...
When it comes to kids’ piano lessons, how often should a student be practicing? This is a common question that I’ve often received over the years. Parents find the best instructors for their children, invest time and resources in their music education, but aren’t sure quite what to do when the kids are at home, ready to practice. Frankly, this issue might turn into a tense conversation sometimes. Teachers will remind parents of their share of the responsibility for encouraging their child’s studies; parents have high expectations of how influential the teachers will be on how diligently the students study at home. Teachers might remind parents that they can’t very well go home with the student, but on the other hand, they’re failing to help educate the parents on how exactly to be a part of the educational journey.
As a parent of a young pianist, you could be the very element in their music education that projects them to success – self-confidence, the ability to think critically, and a lifelong love of learning. If you were to study the great pianists, or even simply the best-educated, hardest-working people in the world, then you would probably find a parent who was consistently inspiring.
All of this brings us to the question, “How often should my child practice?” It is part of my teaching philosophy that every piano lesson, and more importantly, every student, is different. One job of the teacher is to identify, over time, a student’s particular learning style and general attitudes about work, and then adjust the specific practice schedule accordingly.
All students should practice six days a week. How long each daily session is, depends on the child’s age. Typically speaking, young children, ages 3 and 4, should be practicing about 10 minutes. Five- and six-year-olds should extend it to 15 minutes, seven- and eight-year-olds, 20 minutes, nine- and ten-year-olds, 25 minutes. Children ages 11 through 14 should devote a full half of an hour to their piano studies.
The time suggestions listed above are merely that. They are also subject to change due to an upcoming audition or performance. In the case in which your child has, for instance, a recital coming up, the daily practice session should be extended by 10 minutes. Practice time suggestions should also change according to long-term goals. If you have a 15-year-old teenager who wishes to audition for the Juilliard School, then his practice habits will be different from the 10-year-old soccer player who plays piano for fun and just wants a lifelong hobby.
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember is that your young pianist’s hands should be on the keys six days every week. If a child is really tired of his regular piano curriculum, then it’s still important to play something, even if it’s just for fun. Encourage your child to pull out an old piece that they’ve always loved to play. If your child dreads the length of each practice session, “I’m TIRED of practicing!”, then let him take a short break and come back to piano later. It’s important not to force a child into a frustrated and resentful state, or else they might always hate playing the piano. Inspire a healthy relationship with the his keyboard studies, and you’ll see a great pianist blossom.
Photo by roseannadana


Learning music in early childhood may not make kids smarter - but it could help our aging brains, according to a recent article in National Geographic.
The piece examines research from a December 2013 study of preschoolers that found music instruction did not produce cognitive benefits for the young students used in the trials. The study was published in PLUS ONE, a peer-reviewed online journal.
The National Geographic story, written by Diane Cole, goes on to detail other studies that find learning music can have a "lasting impact on the brain."
A growing number of studies show that music lessons in childhood can do something perhaps more valuable for the brain than childhood gains: provide benefits for the long run, as we age, in the form of an added defense against memory loss, cognitive decline, and diminished ability to distinguish consonants and spoken words.
There's no age-limit for getting the benefits. Music education professor Jennifer Bugos studied the impact of piano lessons on adults between 60 and 85 years old, according to the article. Bugos found that after six months, those in the study showed marked improvements in areas like memory, verbal fluency and planning ability.
The hours spent practicing and learning the motor control techniques required to play an instrument, as well as music reading and listening skills, writes Cole, all contribute "to a brain boost that shows up late in life."


Video: Introduce Orff Schulwerk to your school community. (2 min.)
Visit the Music Education Policy Roundtable to learn how like-minded organizations partner to support sequential, standards-based music education to students across the nation.
MORE ADVOCACY RESOURCES:
A Musical Fix for America: This article from the Wall Street Journal proposes music education as a solution to “some of the thorniest and most expensive problems facing American education.”
How we teach the arts is as important as the fact we’re doing it: Michael Rosen shares his checklist for how teachers can ensure that arts education is worthwhile for all students.
Listen to Why Music Education Matters: an interview excerpt with Dr. Brent Gault, chair of music education at Indiana Jacobs School of Music. (Excerpt from The Voice of the Performing Arts on WICR 88.7, Indianapolis Public Radio; co-hosts: Jeff Swensson and Steven Libman)
Doug Goodkin shares his thoughts about the importance of music education in a 2013 TEDx talk.


Holden, H. and Button, S. W. (2006) 'The teaching of music in the primary school by the non-music specialist.', The British journal of music education., 23 (1). pp. 23-38.
This article reports on an investigation of the teaching of music by non-music specialists in the primary school. In particuilar, it examines attitudes to teaching music, factors affecting teachers' confidence, the relationship between confidence and training, support for music teaching, teaching experience and musical badkground. The non-specialist teachers taking part in this survey were chosen from twelve schools across one Local Education Authority (LEA). The attitudes and views on teaching music of 71 teachers were obtained through a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. The findings of this survey show that there is much work still to be done in providing non-specialists with effective long-term training and support to increase their music skills, subject knowledge, and confidence, to enable them to make a more marked difference to children's musical education.
|Full text:||PDF - Published Version (96Kb)|
|Publisher Web site:||http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0265051705006728|
|Publisher statement:||© 2006 Cambridge University Press|
|Record Created:||07 Jul 2008|
|Last Modified:||10 Aug 2011 16:51|
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ERIC Number: ED489261
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Reference Count: 0
New Visions for Linking Literature and Mathematics
Whitin, Phyllis; Whitin, David
National Council of Teachers of English
In their second book copublished by the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, David and Phyllis Whitin offer K-6 teachers a wealth of ideas for integrating literature and mathematics, including: (1) Specific criteria for evaluating math-related books, with emphasis on inquiry, critical thinking, diversity, and individual challenge; (2) Practical discussions about books and their use in K-6 classrooms; (3) An in-depth look at problem posing and book pairs as effective strategies for engaging all students; (4) Explicit connections made to NCTM's "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000) and NCTE and IRA's "Standards for the English Language Arts" (1996); (5) Interesting sidebars of extension activities and text sets; (6) Practical strategies for introducing math-related books to children; and (7) An annotated list of the best math-related literature available. This is a book filled with numerous examples of children's work, many of which are drawn from widely diverse, multicultural classrooms. Each chapter discusses a range of books and classroom applications to show how teachers can skillfully integrate such books to meet school objectives in language arts and mathematics. It is this dual perspective that makes the book unique. With its inviting tone and practical suggestions, "New Visions for Linking Literature and Mathematics" is an invaluable resource for the elementary school classroom. Following a foreword by Judith Lindfors, and an introduction, this book is divided into the following five chapters: (1) Criteria for Selecting Math-Related Books; (2) Book for a Wide Range of Ages; (3) Problem Posing with Children's Literature; (4) Using the Strategy of Book Pairs; and (5) Best Books for Exploring. (Contains 6 appendixes.)
Descriptors: Childrens Literature, Mathematics Instruction, Evaluation Criteria, Interdisciplinary Approach, Critical Thinking, Teaching Methods, Elementary Education, Educational Objectives
The National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096. Tel: 877-369-6283 (Toll Free); Fax: 217-328-9645.
Publication Type: Books; Guides - General
Education Level: Elementary Education
Authoring Institution: National Council of Teachers of English, Champaign, IL.; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc., Reston, VA.


Over the course of several decades of teaching, other music educators have posed many questions to me about teaching music to children with special needs.
Prior to music therapy becoming trusted and recognized, I was often asked if it is difficult it is to teach children with special needs to play musical instruments. My immediate answer was always the same: a definitive “These children can absolutely learn to play!”
Thankfully, as teaching techniques for students of all ages, abilities and levels have changed over the years, creative teachers have thought out of the box, switching gears to reach goals, and more and more music educators are welcoming children with special needs. Such thinking has proved important in working with our special needs populations.
Naturally, being professionally trained is always helpful, respected and encouraged, however it is not a must. With a true desire, a deepened intuitive sense on how to reach children with special needs and certainly a will to become aware of special teaching techniques, many teachers can experience the joy of working with our special kids.
How can theory be applied to practice in teaching music to special needs children?
Recognizing a child’s individual needs and how these play into the process of music is important. For instance, many autistic students have a heightened sense of pitch which is the foundation of music. I usually begin there, showing these students how to place their voices to different pitches. From that vocal pitch placement, we move into an instrumental process, learning to understand rhythm, note reading and technique.
This is definitely an evolving process, layering our music fundamentals in a logical and comprehensive system of presentation. However, well-trained teachers take into account all the differences between students and employ appropriate approaches as needed.
What special considerations should be taken into account?
Students must be willing to take instruction, but processing time may be a bit slower. We must allow time for thinking and interpreting. A good teacher observes students’ responses, trying to not interrupt their information processing. We must be watchful, watching physical responses which would indicate and understanding of our instructions.
Another word of caution in teaching for highly animated and enthusiastic teachers, is that we must sometimes curtail some of our outward energy. I have found my energetic state to be a little confusing for students who might become easily distracted. So, again, a good teacher tailors the communication approach in each and every lesson in order to achieve musical success.
What one thing will make any music lesson for a child with special needs more effective?
It may sound like common sense, but remember that each and every student is different. Unlike some music teachers I have seen who approach all students like a cookie cutter, be willing, open, and aware as you offer your talents and expertise to ALL students in the ways each child needs you to do so. Doing so is what makes our jobs so fascinating, stimulating and rewarding. It is also what helps the children we work with meet with success.
Marlene Cooper-Williams, founder/CEO of I Play Music Live and Heritage Home Conservatory, is a constant innovator of new music education programs and a professional dedicated to bringing out the best in anyone through music. Through the I Play Music Live program, she has enabled qualified staff to go directly to student’s homes through the internet highway and through Heritage Home Conservatory she brings a conservatory education, physically, to the homes and schools of students, eliminating the travel and expense usually related to prestigious music conservatory education.
Read more by Marlene


The Australian is reporting today that the National Numeracy Review, commissioned two years ago by the Council of Australian Governments, has finished its final report (a background paper to the review can be found here, and a discussion paper with terms of reference can be found here. Here is AMSI’s submission to the review). The report raises concerns that the minimum standards for maths and numeracy skills at the primary and high school levels are too low, and recommends that teachers devote more time to these topics than is currently required.
The Australian is also running a statement by the education minister, Julia Gillard, on the importance of increasing achievement levels in literacy and numeracy, as well as a dissenting opinion by Kevin Donnelly, who warns of the dangers of forcing teachers who are inexperienced with mathematics into teaching more maths and numeracy skills to students.
Coincidentally, a similar report has been released in the U.S. by the National Council on Teacher Quality, entitled “No common denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by America’s Education Schools“. (See also a recent recommendations on maths education by the U.S. National Mathematics Advisory Panel.)
[Update, July 16: additional links added; thanks to Jan Thomas for the references.]


Today, thousands of school children, together with hundreds of bookshops and publishers, libraries and organisations around Australia will celebrate the fourth Indigenous Literacy Day.
To date, the annual event has raised more than $800,000 since its first national fundraising day in 2006, and the involvement of remote Indigenous communities has grown—from the three communities originally involved in 2004 to 160 this year.
As awareness of and involvement in the annual event grows, the ways in which the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) is supporting literacy development in remote Indigenous communities is also expanding and adapting.
‘ILP is developing an ear for hearing the needs of communities where it works,’ says Indigenous Literacy Project development facilitator Debra Dank, based in Darwin. ‘The Buzz Books program and the Community Identified Projects are responding to those heard needs.’
‘In [Book] Buzz, ILP provides sets of twelve books as resources but then works to build community ownership,’ she says. In the case of Warburton, a remote community in Western Australia, Dank and colleague Maddy Bower worked with elders in the community to include local translations, stickered into the books.
‘The real sense of involvement and participation which community people can feel is significant to the overall rollout of the project and creates a unique and distinct Buzz face at each project site,’ says Dank.
Community identified projects
Other Community Identified Projects (CIPs) include support for the Junjuwa Women’s Centre in Fitzroy Crossing, the GurrindinDalmi Community in Katherine; a Maningrida book project with award-winning author Leonie Norrington, support for the Central Australian Honey Ant Readers and the Barkly Tablelands Ringers Project.
‘Several of this year’s CIP’s do not have an obvious literacy look but they are creating an environment where SAE literacy and language acquisition can grow,’ explains Dank. ‘Contexts which articulate purpose and need for SAE literacy acquisition.’
‘These projects are important in that they are what the communities have identified as being important and a priority for them,’ says Dank. ‘It is always important when working in a community development capacity that there is an ability to listen and that the local perspectives of needs are respected. Locally based community people are always best placed to articulate their needs.’
For Dank, this willingness on the part of the ILP to listen to local needs is one of the most important aspects of the project—as is the willingness to steadily (and sometimes slowly) build and strengthen relationships with the communities involved, rather than making the mistakes of many ‘fly-in, fly-out’ outsiders. ‘Many communities are bombarded with fly in fly out visitors,’ she says. ‘The need to develop and sustain a long-term rapport/relationship with the community is key to the success of any project. It gives community members an opportunity to form an understanding of the type of person and thus the type of service they are likely to receive and if this is something which will benefit the community.’
The project’s role in cultural exchange
Another area where Dank see’s ‘huge possibilities’ for the ILP is in its role in facilitating cultural exchange between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. A small step in this direction is the role of books written by Indigenous students in workshops with popular children’s author Andy Griffiths and then shared more widely—books featuring stories of life that can be quite different from those familiar to non-Indigenous Australians.
The narrative skills in these books should not come as a surprise; nor should the proficiency of Indigenous students in other forms of ‘literacy’. ‘The cross over between black and white culture and community, which Indigenous Australians are continuously expected to [adjust to] means that adaptation is a very real skill for Indigenous Australians,’ says Dank. ‘Our kids may have some trouble reading books but they are experts at reading their environment, they may not speak SAE [Standard Australian English] but they articulate their needs brilliantly within our own languages.’
Dank acknowledges that the ILP has a role to play in ensuring these skills are recognized in the wider community. ‘Let’s build acknowledgement and respect for Indigenous kids as capable learners,’ she says. ‘Let’s build that through a new dialogue which recognises differences as differences and not as deficiencies.’
[On Indigenous Literacy Day 2009 I spoke to Dank about Indigenous languages and how these interact with students’ acquisition of Standard Australian English literacy, for an article that appeared in Crikey and can be found online here. Dank will appear at an event with author David Malouf at the New South Wales National Library tonight, details online here.]


PAB visit (Nov/8/02): Pg
Physics 123: How The World Works
A science class for elementary education majors
Current “Physical Science” requirements is 2 Gen-Ed’s
Students usually take Nutrition & Geography
Most are very intimidated by “hard” science.
K-4 Education Standards say elementary school teachers should
know how to teach quite a bit of physics:
Properties of matter, forces & motion, heat, sound, light,
We are designing a new 3-hr “PS Gen Ed” class targeting these
students (about 150/year).
Using inquiry based teaching (working with Ed. College).
2 hour inquiry based lab (Monday)
Web based homework & instructor feed-back
1 hour lecture/discussion (Friday)