MATH 3203 Teaching Math in Elementary Schools -- 3 unit(s)
Effective instructional models and strategies for teaching elementary school mathematics; involves selecting and designing mathematical tasks, creating an environment, and orchestrating discourse. Using and supplementing mathematics materials within a sound psychological framework for making instructional decisions.
Term: Summer 2013
Start/End Date: Jun 10, 2013 - Aug 2, 2013
Meeting Time: Tue, Thur, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
AdobeConnect: June 11-June 27; Arranged: July 1-July 12; AdobeConnect: July 16-August 1
Location (Facility ID): Adobe Connect
Instruction Mode: Online
Matthew Webb, Assistant Professor
Class Section: 60
Class Nbr: 2429
If two numbers are listed, undergraduate level class number is listed first, graduate level class number is listed second.
Course Notes: This course is part of the 2+2 Elementary Education DMACC 2011 cohort.
This course will utilize Adobe Connect
For more information:
Carolina Wilson, Continuing and Distance Education
Phone: 800-648-3864 or 319-273-2121


Your child can challenge his friends and family by making a smelling station. With the help of some small containers, rubber bands, scraps of fabric and lots and lots of smelly stuff, he can create a whole collection of things to tempt everyone’s noses! Smell is one of the five senses, and your child can learn more about what role it plays and if smell is affected by the sense of sight!
What You Need:
- Several small containers
- Small pieces of fabric
- Rubber bands
- Large craft needle
- Various strong smelling items
What You Do:
- Your child can get started by making a list of his favorite smells. Encourage him to use lots of descriptive words to explain why he loves each smell.
- Now he can find the items that are his favorite smells to use for creating his smelling station. Offer assistance cutting up small pieces of items (such as lemons or oranges) for your child to use.
- Invite your child to place a small amount of each super-smelly item in a small container that isn’t see through. The purpose of the smelling station is to challenge people’s noses! If they can see what they are smelling, it takes all the fun away!
- Before covering the containers, get out the list of his favorite smells out and encourage him to create a master list of what smells are in each container. He can code the information based on the cover of the container, such as blue fabric for cinnamon, red for lemon, etc. Along with creating a smelling station, he’s honing his organizational skills!
- Have your child use bits of colorful fabric to cover the top of the containers and secure with a rubber band following his master list. Offer him a large craft needle to gently press holes in the top of the taut fabric allowing the tantalizing scents to waft through.
- All that’s left is to challenge friends and family with his smelling station! He can give small sheets of paper and pencils to each participant and see if they guess correctly!
Sarah Lipoff has a K-12 Art Education degree and enjoys working with kids of all ages.


If your little puppy takes to water like a guppy, it may be time to sign up for swim classes. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), swimming instruction definitely isn’t a must-do by toddlerhood — and it isn’t for every tot, either, so don’t force the issue. But if your sweetie seems ready for splashing in something bigger than the bath, there’s no reason to postpone learning to swim. In fact, some evidence suggests that children over age one may be less likely to drown if they’ve had formal swimming lessons — definitely a compelling case for signing up your munchkin sooner than later.
How will you know if the time is right? If your child is good at following directions, physically coordinated so he can kick and paddle at the same time, and emotionally ready (read: not afraid of the water), all swim signs point to go. In that case, look for a swimming-readiness program that’ll teach him the basic moves — how to float, for instance, and dog paddle. Look for small classes (fewer than six students) with instructors who are certified in CPR, first aid, and water safety.
A few more swim class considerations:
- For little ones six-months to age three, seek parent-and-child aquatics classes (most local community centers offer one) led by trained professionals who teach water entry and exit, bubble blowing, front kicking, and back floating. They should also provide water-safety instruction for you.
- For swimmers ages three and four, you can try programs that hold classes for kids both with and without parents. Try to find one that focuses on safe pool behavior as well as paddling and kicking.
- For four- and five-year-olds who are already accustomed to water, consider classes that run up to 30 minutes over an eight- to ten-week period so kids can build on foundational skills and eventually move on to coordinating movement of the arms and legs.
The most important lesson about swim classes: They don’t protect a child from drowning, and they’re never a substitute for constant adult supervision in the water. Parents should always remain within arm’s distance when a child is near or in a body of water. Also note a substitute for that all-important supervision: floaties, water wings, or inner tubes. While these swimming aids are fine if you’re in the water right next to your tot, they can’t be counted on to keep her safe.
3 More Things to Read:


Literacy is the foundation of a strong economy for our nation. Without students who have a passion for reading, we do not have doctors, scientists, engineers or teachers.
We continuously hear about the need to improve the nation’s schools, but why does that really matter? Because our ultimate long-term investment is the nation’s children, and every dollar spent grooming them into the future workforce benefits every American. In short, literacy programs are the ultimate job training program.
With all of that in mind, you’d be surprised to know that the nation’s literacy programs, the most fundamental element of our education and economic systems, have been gutted through federal budget cuts.
One of the victims of these short-sighted cuts is Reading Is Fundamental. Over the past 44 years, RIF has distributed 380 million free, high-quality books to the nation’s neediest children. In March, the organization lost its annual federal funding of $25 million. A true public-private partnership, the organization serves 4 million children across every U.S. state and territory annually with the help of more than 400,000 volunteers from Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs and other partners that contribute 25 percent of the organization’s funding. By eliminating this $25 million, Congress has eliminated a much larger national program.
If being zeroed out of the budget wasn’t enough, the House Education and Workforce Committee approved the Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act.
The “new priorities” are clear: More than 40 education programs have been eliminated — including close to $400 million that had been specifically targeted to literacy development for children from birth through grade 12. In 2009, just two-thirds of U.S. fourth-graders performed at or above the basic reading level, the lowest National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement level, and 15-year-old students in the United States rank 14th out of 34 countries in reading.
Looking at RIF alone, the effects will be devastating. When nearly two-thirds of low-income families own no books, these children will now be cut off from book ownership, a fundamental part of developing a passion for reading.
And turning to libraries is not always a viable substitute. Many public and school libraries are being forced to close or reduce their operating hours. Owning a book, a book that the child selects himself, has proven results to inspire and improve academic achievement.
Our nation faces a real literacy crisis that cannot afford to lose the network of more than 400,000 volunteers in 17,000 locations who are committed to literacy, our children’s futures and RIF programs. With local matching funds to help run local RIF programs, RIF embodies the exact public-private partnership we know that works and helps drive a return on federal investment. Without federal support, this leading nationwide youth and family literacy organization will begin to be dismantled.
Yet, the course can be reversed if we act swiftly. The Senate has not acted yet, and it could restore the funding for RIF and other critical education programs.
This is about investing in our shared future, ensuring that we can inspire American children to reach for the top and providing them with the skills they need to lead us into the future. We can do better, and it starts with instilling in our children a passion for reading.
Carol Rasco is president and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental.


Good writing education gives children a lifelong head start. It influences language development, reading comprehension and fine motor skills. Writing by hand is still essential, despite the increasing importance of computers. Unfortunately, in practice there's not a lot of attention paid to it in the current primary school curriculum. Methods are often more than ten years old and teachers are too busy.
Research has shown in particular that the time spent on writing is important for good motor skill imprinting: time on task. How do you make sure that children spend a lot of time practicing the necessary movements? By making it fun off course!
Help children with a game
Juf-in-a-Box ('Teacher in a Box') is developed by &ranj, in co-operation with TNO, the Donders Institute, Avans and the Radboud University of Nijmegen. It approaches writing lessons in a playful and educational way by combining the challenge, feedback and fun of games with an adaptive teaching method.
Students write using a stylus, equal to a regular pen in size, on a writing tablet and screen all-in-one. Because of this visual interface, Juf-in-a-Box is intuitively understandable, which makes it appropriate for children starting at 4 years old. The method is used by both physical therapists and teachers.
For the development, &ranj worked closely with professionals in the field, such as the recognized specialist Ad van Tuijl. As a guide, the scientifically proven Neuromotor Task Training method was used.
Researchers at the Radboud University analysed the data of the pilotstudy. The results where published in the December issue of FysioPraxis (Dutch only).
For more information visit the Juf-in-a-Box website.


This week is Gifted Awareness Week – a week when we celebrate the incredible talents of young citizens who have so much to offer the country.
The programmes offered in schools for gifted and talented children have been cut back, and schools vary in what they are now able to provide.
Programmes for gifted and talented students recognise a wide range of talents and foster the concept that excellence and innovation are not just words. They are the oxygen for the spark in many young children who just need our encouragement.
I am writing about these important programmes in the context of a narrowing of the primary school curriculum to focus on National Standards that were not trialled or negotiated with the teaching sector. These standards have had a controversial birth and continue to be problematic.
It’s not rocket science, but many gifted and talented young people come to literacy and numeracy through other topics and disciplines. Drama can help you learn to read, and music can inspire a love of mathematics – but not under this Government.
It is very frustrating to see initiatives like gifted and talented programmes being cut back. In addition, the new curriculum in primary schools now has to compete for both resources and attention with National Standards that appear to be neither national or even a useful standard.
Let us remember that teachers inspire learning; measuring and labelling does not. Every child has talent and gifts and if the right recognition and encouragement occurs at the right time, a gift and talent came become a lifelong joy and a huge contribution. That’s what this week is about.


Curriculum and Instructional Plan
With a rich educational program focused on literacy development, an individualized approach to teaching, and a collaborative, nurturing school community, COSLA provides a greatly needed new educational option for students and families in the community. At COSLA, students show evidence of high academic standards which stem from the use of innovative teaching practices. Literacy development and enhancement is at the center of the school’s curriculum. The use of reading and writing to enhance learning in core subjects is paramount. Inclusion-model classrooms & community-based learning are evident, as are the adoption of several responsive classroom methods and the implementation of brain-compatible learning techniques, which include multiple intelligences and multisensory learning to differentiate and deliver instruction. COSLA uses Voices Balanced Literacy program to meet the criteria for balanced literacy. The goal of Voices Balanced Literacy is the development and encouragement of fluent readers, articulate writers and speakers, and discerning listeners and viewers. The Voices Literacy program has been incorporated to increase cultural awareness and build character while developing independent readers, rich in vocabulary and comprehension. COSLA continues to employ the Saxon Mathematics program which meets the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, instructional best practices, and exemplary mathematical research. Saxon also incorporates higher order thinking while integrating writing and meeting the needs of diverse learners. COSLA reserves the right to make changes to texts and curriculum to meet the needs of the COSLA students. This rigorous, standards-based curriculum is designed to reinforce commitment to teaching core academic content as well as critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills.
Alignment with State Content Standards
COSLA uses Tennessee’s state Standards, including Grade Level Expectations, State Performance Indicators, and Checks for Understanding to develop its instructional program, and selects curriculum material for all core subject areas based on their alignment with state content. All lesson plans are developed based on the standards using a computerized program called Teacher Ease. In addition to full alignment with the standards, lesson plans include a checklist that ensures diverse instructional delivery methods are used and are aligned with our schools philosophy and mission. On the lesson plan, each teacher checks the methodology to be used as well as the higher levels of learning that will be addressed. Some of these include cooperative learning,project-based instruction, and cultural awareness. In addition, teachers are continuously reviewing student mastery of state content standards through formative assessments, summative assessments, student products, and individualized student development sessions. Furthermore, the Teacher Ease software allows the tracking of instructional alignment to standards. This data is reviewed frequently by school administrators and staff throughout the school year.
COSLA believes that all children can and will learn at high levels. As such, it is the academy’s intention to create individual classrooms and a whole school environment that is supportive and developmentally oriented to the needs of every learner. COSLA also endeavors to close and eliminate the achievement gaps for all students. As such, it is understood that learning must be individualized for students who are academically behind state and national norms.
In order to meet its goal of individualizing the learning of all academically low achieving students, COSLA utilizes specific, diagnostically-driven data to differentiate in-class curriculum and instruction as well as provide additional help and support needed to assist each child in making over one year’s growth towards grade level proficiency. To do this, COSLA implements a number of strategies including: targeted intervention/remediated instruction, re-teach weeks, tutoring, mentoring, and progress monitoring. A Response to Intervention (RTI) team has also been assembled to facilitate the evaluation, intervention, progress monitoring and diagnosis of students struggling in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics with a multi-tier approach.


"When I saw this, I said, 'That's just upside down juggling.' "
He became a physical education teacher in 1995 and decided to use a sport stacking unit in his classes.
"The kids loved it," Fox said.
Because sport stacking was so popular at his school, Fox started a home business in 1998, developing products and a curriculum for other physical education teachers.
Children of all fitness levels are on equal playing fields when it comes to sports stacking, Fox said.
One major benefit is that sport stacking teaches children to use both sides of their bodies. This helps them develop a greater percentage of the right side of the brain which houses awareness, focus, creativity and rhythm, according to the company Web site, www.speedstacks.com.
Children who are not necessarily athletic can excel. They benefit by the movement they get during practice and competition and through increased awareness of how to move their bodies in other sports.
Children who typically excel in athletics also benefit because they learn how to better use both sides of their bodies.
"The best basketball players can dribble with both hands," Fox said.
Musicians, particularly budding pianists, can benefit as well because as children become more proficient at sport stacking, they learn to isolate their fingers, releasing them one at a time, a skill that is important for musicians.
Some occupational therapists and special education teachers have begun using sport stacking to help their clients' motor skill development, Fox said.
The competition involves upstacking and downstacking. At the start of the competition, the cups are much like they would be in your kitchen cupboard, upside down, nesting inside each other in a stack, Fox explained.
Then competitors make 3-3-3 stacks - three pyramids of two cups on the bottom and one on top - or 3-6-3 stacks - two pyramids of two cups on the bottom and one on top and one pyramid of three cups on the bottom, two in the middle and one on top.
Downstacking involves returning the cups to their original nesting position.
When a child first learns how to stack the cups, he or she might take six or seven seconds to do 3-3-3 stacks, Fox said. The world record is 2.31 seconds.
The 3-6-3 stacks might take a beginner 10 to 15 seconds, Fox says. The world record is 2.72 seconds.
Children as young as 3 or 4 years old can learn how to sport stack, Fox said. "It's fun, and we believe it's downright good for kids."
A Speed Stacks Stackpack costs $30 to $40. The packs are available at the Web site, www.speedstacks.com, or at Target, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.
More information about sport stacking can be found on the World Sport Stacking Association Web site, www.worldsportstackingassociation.org.
Emmanuel Baptist Temple, 16221 National Pike, west of Huyett's Corner, uses sport stacking as part of its Master Club program. Master Clubs seek to teach children about Christian principles and provide opportunities to perform Christian service. According to the Master Clubs' Web site, www.masterclubs.org, each club meeting includes a combination of Bible games and just-for-fun games such as sport stacking to keep kids engaged.
For more information, call the church at 301-582-0378.
Lisa Tedrick Prejean writes a weekly column for The Herald-Mail's Family page. Send e-mail to her at email@example.com.


monitorial system, method of elementary education devised by British educators Joseph Lancaster and Andrew Bell during the 19th cent. to furnish schooling to the underprivileged even under conditions of severely limited facilities. It was sometimes called the mutual or Lancasterian system. All students met in one room, with about 10 students and one monitor to each bench. The monitors, older and better students, were instructed directly by the teacher and in turn instructed the other pupils. It was often assumed that the monitors would eventually become teachers. This system, which might involve several levels of monitors, used elaborate programs of reward for good deportment and scholarship, supplemented by punishment based on "shame rather than pain." The success of the monitorial system stimulated interest in education for the poor.
See J. Lancaster, The Lancasterian System of Education (1821) and The Practical Parts of Lancaster's Improvements and Bell's Experiments (ed. by D. Solmon, 1932); C. Kaestle, Joseph Lancaster and the Monitorial School Movement (1973).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Education: Terms and Concepts


This past summer (2013), the Toronto District School Board voted to cut $2 million from their budget to help alleviate their overwhelming debt. On the chopping block: music classes from across the city, joining an increasing majority of schools in Ontario. In fact, the nonprofit organization People for Education has found a 16 percent drop in elementary music classes over the last 14 years. Approximately 33% of children in Ontario do not get the chance to play a musical instrument or join a music group.
Music lessons were the last thing that should have been cut from the budget, considering overwhelming evidence for the benefits to development, cognition, education, and academic performance. The very thing that the school board should want to protect while making deep budget cuts – quality of education – has been shortsightedly slashed and students across Toronto will lose. some of the following benefits of music programs.
Benfits of Music Lessons
In 2004, The University of Toronto at Mississauga conducted a study that demonstrated a three-point average increase in the IQ score of children who were given music lessons. In contrast, this increase was not present over the same period of time in the group that received drama instead of music, nor the group that received nothing.
Better Academic Performance
Arguably (very arguably) kids with higher IQs do not necessarily perform better academically. However, comparing students in low-quality music programs to high-quality music programs demonstrated that, regardless of socioeconomic factors or school districts, students in high-quality music programs scored higher on standardized tests – 20% higher in Math and 22% higher in English. standardized tests. Other studies have noted music’s influence on higher graduation rates, sharper memory skills, left-right brain harmony, enhanced ability to learn across multiple subjects, especially math, reading, and language, and advanced cognitive development.How are gains like these made? Quality music lessons lead to higher concentration levels help bring down the incidence of ADHD in the classroom and improve student performance. Basic memory recall, particularly through auditory learning, which fits nicely with the millions of teachers who you know, lecture. Needless to say, the music education helps enhances test performance again.
Increased Brain Function
Children in music lessons have increased neural activity. Perhaps because scans demonstrate that playing music involves activity in nearly all of the cerebral cortex and neural networks associated with fine motor tasks and sound discrimination. Simply – adequate music programs increase the capacity of the brain, and not just for musical gains.
Social & Behavioral Improvements
Kids who are involved in music lessons have notably better attention spans than their non-musical counterpart. Music is also linked to higher emotional maturity and higher self-confidence levels. Even better, they possess a higher level of empathy and greater ability to work as a team. Each of these factors are linked to behavioral problems in school, such as acting out in the classroom and bullying. Instead of cutting money from music programs and invariably increasing the costs of necessary to address these gaps, we should be spending this money on positive measures that will have lifelong effects.
The situation is less than ideal for our children. Music lessons in schools allow students some of the greatest gains over other perceived non-essential extracurricular activities. In fact, music should not be extracurricular. It should be part of the basic curriculum with benefits like these. Nonetheless, The Toronto District School Board has cut music funding and could easily do it again. When we all understand the vitally beneficial role of music lessons in Toronto schools, our children will get the best education possible and go on to be highly competitive in the global market.
Here’s some creative ways to bring music to students everyday in school!
Hammer, K. Music classes taking a beating in Ontario schools: report., The Globe and Mail.
Brown, L.L. The Benefits of Music Education, PBS.org
The Benefits of Music Education. VH1 Save the Music Foundation
The Importance of Music Education. VH1 Save the Music Foundation


It is a sad fact that arts programs of every stripe are often the first to get the axe at public schools when funding is cut. Art and music are viewed by many as nonessential, and from a purely academic sense this is true. Few occupations require a background in these areas, unlike language and mathematics, which are essential to all kinds of professions. And yet, there are so many benefits to be gained by not only exposing children to music, but also educating them through vocal or instrumental instruction (in other words, offering band, orchestra, or choir lessons). While many schools still provide students with the opportunity to take such classes, it is incumbent upon parents to ensure that children become involved in musical courses. And when schools don’t offer instruction, parents need to find other ways to provide their kids with this useful tool. Here are just a few reasons why your children will continue to reap the benefits of such instruction now and in the future.
For starters, experts agree that students who appreciate music tend to be better able to focus on cognitive tasks. This could be due to the fact that an early and ongoing education in music helps the brain to develop in a number of ways. Studies have shown that kids exposed to musical instruction tend to display increased language and reasoning skills when compared to children who have no musical background. These kids are also more likely to harbor the ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions to problems. And recent studies have indicated that there may even be some kind of connection between music and the development of spatial awareness, which means that it could help just as much in the arena of mathematical abilities as verbal ones (although further research needs to be done to quantify such a relationship).
In addition, musical instruction can help students in the academic arena. Starting kids with an instrument or vocal lessons from a young age can teach them discipline and problem-solving skills, amongst other things. Regular practice sessions can familiarize them with the learning and performing format present in most classrooms. And learning about their instrument of choice will help them to become confident in their abilities to succeed and to solve problems. They’ll discover that hard work can help them to reach their goals, and that issues with their musical endeavors have answers that can be found and corrected. An instrument that doesn’t sound right can be tuned, for example. These lessons may help them to focus in class, have the confidence to participate, and even enjoy greater success when it comes to exams (since they are already comfortable with performing).
Of course, you don’t need a masters degree in music education to know that music can also open an entirely new world for kids, one in which you don’t need to speak another language in order to communicate with people and cultures around the world. Music can expose children to ideas and sounds they never dreamed of. And it can help them to establish their own personalities and ideas while offering them a unique means of expressing themselves. In short, musical education opens all kinds of doors and offers kids many opportunities they might not otherwise enjoy. So as a parent, you should try hard to ensure that your kids have music in their lives, even if that means teaching them yourself.


How do we interpret the narrative imagery of an Ancient Near Eastern sculptural relief? Why did the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí paint pictures in a dreamlike Surrealistic manner? These are examples of the types of questions art historians ask and try to answer by studying the visual arts of both the distant and more recent past. They seek to understand the cultural values expressed in a work of art, and to show how the latter fits into a larger context or tradition to which individual artists belong. The result is that a painting, statue, building, or piece of jewelry comes to life and gives us a fresh insight into mankind’s ever-changing experience and ways of seeing the world.
Students are taught to think critically and do research, learn theoretical aspects of this field, and express themselves effectively in written and oral form. Several of our courses contribute to interdisciplinary programs in Classical Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Women’s Studies, and Italian Studies. The major in Art History must be accompanied by a minor, which can be in any number of fields.
Points of Pride
- Art history is one of the majors housed in PAO Hall of Visual and Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art facility built specifically for the visual and performing arts at Purdue.
- The program provides students with a solid and comprehensive training through some 20 differentcourses that cover all major periods in the western sphere from ancient to modern, as well as non-western topics such as Asian, Islamic, Latin American, and African art.
- The program focuses on undergraduate education so there are many opportunities for undergraduate students to work and interact with faculty members.
- Every semester, the art history program organizes field trips to museums in the region, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art or the Cincinnati Museum of Art.
- The Art History Student Organization (AHSO) plans field trips, brings guest speakers, organizes professional development workshops, and facilitates networking amongst art history majors and minors.
- Museum education
- Art education
- Museum administration
- Museum development
- Historic preservation and restoration
- Art Administration
- Auction houses
- Art Galleries
- Art consulting
- Museum curating
- Teaching and Research
Plan of Study
This major MUST be accompanied by a Minor.
It is strongly recommended that students select a minor in one of the following fields: History, Literature, Political Science, Philosophy, or Anthropology.
It is also recommended that by the end of the senior year, a student majoring in Art History achieve a reading knowledge of both French and German.
A. A & D (take by the end of sophomore year) (12)
22600 History of Art to 1400
22700 History of Art since 1400
11300 Basic Drawing
32700 Art History Methodology
B. Electives: 21 hours from the following courses in Art History, with ONE course in EACH of the first three categories, and at least ONE additional course from one of those categories. (21)
1. Ancient and Medieval Periods
31100 Greek Art
31200 Roman Art
34800 History of Islamic Art
35900 Medieval European Art
2. Renaissance and Baroque Periods
38000 Baroque Art
45100 Italian Renaissance Art
45200 Northern Renaissance Art
3. Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
33900 Women Artists in the 20th Century
34400 Latin American Art in the 20th Century
38200 19th Century Art: A Global Perspective
38300 Modern Art
38400 Contemporary Art
45400 Modern Architecture
45500 Architecture Since 1945
4. Additional Courses
25100 History of Photography I
30701 History of Contemporary Photography
39100 History of Chinese Art
39600 Art Museum Practices
49200 Advanced Sem. in Art History
49300 Variable Topics in the History of Art I
49400 Variable Topics in the History of Art II


A Sample Implementation of Teacher Candidates’ Pre-Service Learning
Lifelong learning involves conscious and purposeful continuation of learning throughout life. Lifelong education is a very broad concept aiming for individuals’ personal, social and professional development and continuing all through life. Public education centers are widespread educational institutions in support of lifelong education within Turkish educational system. Therefore, public education centers play a key role in meeting educational needs of the people of our developing country. Especially the adult literacy courses offered in these centers has had a pioneering role in literacy campaigns in society. Students of primary school education departments of faculties of education were provided with hands-on experience tasks in literacy courses offered in public education centers so that their training could be enhanced and their social awareness could be increased. In this study, each student attending literacy program was paired with a teacher candidate ensuring that they would collaborate. The duration of the project was planned as 60 days and teacher candidates and students worked together twice a week for a period of studying hours determined by the pairs themselves. 26 primary school teacher candidates participating in the project were interviewed to determine the practicality of the project in terms of teaching profession. The descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained. Two field expert and the researcher conducted independent studies in forming the interview coding key. The final draft of the coding key was formed in light of the agreement reached between the experts and the researcher. The findings and interpretations were shaped in accordance with the themes and sub-themes formed and quotes from the statements made by the interviewee teacher candidates were included. The conclusion and suggestions were developed based on the findings.
Keywords: Pre-Service Learning, Literacy
Dr. Pinar Girmen
Assistant Professor, Department of Elementary Education


Sections / Articles
Web Resources: September/October 2013
Bright and Early – Sam Oertwig & Sharon Ritchie
- The PreK-3rd Grade National Work Group website provides information briefs and webinars regarding policies and practices from experts across the country.
- The May/June 2011 issue of Principal focused on Early Learning, with articles on the impact on the achievement gap, measurement and assessments, and principal preparation.
It’s Playtime! – Joan Almon
- The Literacy Guide, developed by Bank Street College, describes the stages of literacy development in preschool, kindergarten, and the early grades, and what to expect from children at each stage.
- Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School, a report by the Alliance for Childhood, examines new research on how much time kindergartens spend on cognitive instruction vs. play-based learning and some of the ill effects of current practices.
Building a Foundation for Literacy and Learning – Kathy Ward-Cameron
- Watch a short video in which David Dickinson discusses Vanderbilt University’s research on learning in preschool.
- Read the transcript of an interview with Robert Pianta on early literacy.
- Listen to the NAESP Radio podcast, “Early Moves That Create a Continuum of Learning Success,” where host Gail Connelly discusses the state of early learning with Deborah Leong.
Power of Pre-K – Rebecca Stephens
- Visit the FirstSchool Initiative website for an in-depth description of the program’s philosophy and framework.
- Explore NAESP’s Early Childhood Education webpage to find resources and policy statements on P-3 alignment, including recommendations from NAESP’s Task Force on Early Learning.
World-Class Collaboration: Q&A With Maureen Keithley
- Listen to Maureen Keithley’s entire interview about English-language learners on NAESP Radio.
- Visit the Principal magazine archive to access Nancy Protheroe’s Research Report, “Effective Instruction for English-language Learners.”
Going Green – Fred Barch
- The Department of Education’s Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities with tools to reduce environmental impact, improve health and wellness, and teach effective environmental education.
- NAESP’s Green Schools page provides resources for school leaders to improve environmental literacy and foster 21st century skills.


We all know that music education has a lot of pros and some cons, but why do people have to focus more on the cons rather than the pros? I’m not sure if I’m the only one thinking this but it clearly doesn’t make sense. The benefits of music education far out weighs the number of cons!
I have heard, and read, only one con that music education brings. It’s “Music education takes time away from students core classes and negatively affects their learning.” I very much disagree with this over used statement. If someone can provide evidence that supports this, then I will gladly tip my hat to them but I have found no such evidence. On the contrary, I have found statistics that prove that music education has positive effects on students and makes them more academically and emotionally stable, intelligent, and even healthier than students who don’t participate in such music education.
According to Gregory Blankenbehler, a music educator with over 25 years of experience performing and teaching music from PitchPerfectPublishing.org, he says that on average, students with music education have had 27% higher math scores, 57 points higher on SAT’s and 46% higher IQ scores.(Blankenbehler, 2010) That’s a great reason to use some class time for music education. He also says that students with music education experience the lowest rate of gang activity and substance abuse. And the list goes on! Music participants receive more academic awards for grades over B’s, 73% of teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems, students who are rhythmically skilled also tend to better plan, sequence, and coordinate actions in their daily lives, and music educated students show less test anxiety and performance anxiety than other students.
Another benefit I would like to point out is that music education not only helps young and older students but adults and elderly people as well. According to Pitch Perfect Publishing, it has been tested and proven that music education lessens depression, loneliness, stroke, pain, migraines, and stress. It also helps Alzheimer's patients lessen agitation, increase focus and concentration, enhance ability to respond verbally and behaviorally, and have better social interactions.
I know some of you are saying to yourselves that we have to cut music education because we can’t cut anymore teacher’s salaries, we can’t cut anymore faculty positions, and we need more funding for core classes. I’m saying that music education should become a core class. With all of the benefits I have listed above, it does not make sense to cut music education.
During an average music class, students are learning history, math, and reading. Music education incorporates history because somehow, music has been changed throughout the years by someone or something. Mozart is a great example. He was called the world’s best musician. He came up with new tones, playing styles, and rhythms that have changed the way music is played and written forever. Math is a huge part of music. You need a way to count rhythms and measures. Reading is also an important part. There needs to be some way of reading notes, so why not use letters. Almost all of the core classes are incorporated in music education, another reason to not cut it!
To wrap this up, I would like to ask you a question. What do Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Steven Halking have in common? They were all musicians! Coincidence? Certainly not.
Blankenbehler, G.B. (2010). The importance of music education in public schools. Pitch Perfect Publishing, Retrieved from http://pitchperfectmusic.org/articles/importance-music-education-public-schools/
Blankenbehler, G.B. (2010). Studies showing the benefits of music education. Pitch Perfect Publishing, Retrieved from http://pitchperfectmusic.org/articles/studies-showing-benefits-music-education/


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In the US, becoming a middle school teacher is similar to becoming a high school teacher. Both aspiring middle and high school teachers must take classes in their subject, as well as teaching, and then acquire a license or teaching credential. Also, future middle school teacher applicants can student teach at high schools and vice versa.
The middle school teacher's story begins in the enrollment office of the department of education at the student's university. The student must eventually choose a subject specialization that is offered at the university such as English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Gym, Music, Art, Band, Home Economics, Shop and sometimes other classes. This is different from the elementary education program for those aspiring to become grade school teachers, who instead have to show basic competency in all subjects.
Generally, the student will pursue a degree in secondary education with a minor in the subject matter of her choice. In many US states, it is also possible to earn subject proficiency with a standardized test, rather than university level coursework.
A future middle school teacher will need to take 3 different types of courses, pass appropriate teacher certification exams and pass a semester of student teaching. They will also often have to observe classrooms several times, attend school board meetings and construct a portfolio. For each of these tasks, the teacher in training will be assisted by their academic adviser dedicated to helping them become an effective teacher.
Teaching students must take core classes, which are typically taken first. Then the they must take education classes, which are taken in tiers, as well as classes related to their specialization. Different education programs offer different courses, though these tiers usually require students passing teacher certification exams, such as the Praxis, before moving on to the next tier.
Specialization classes are a lot of the same classes that those majoring in the particular specialization take. An aspiring middle school teacher can easily acquire a degree in their specialization by attending school an extra year. To make themselves more marketable, students can major in multiple specializations.
A teaching portfolio is also required of an individual who wishes to become a middle school teacher. This will include various documents and other works that the teacher completed. These portfolios are created with an eye towards demonstrating the teacher's proficiency in the field. Papers, lesson plans or electronic files such as slide shows, digital presentations and websites may included in the portfolio.
Student teachers are assigned a classroom in which a licensed teacher is already in the process of teaching. The student teacher observes the classroom and then gradually begins teaching the class under the licensed teacher's guidance. At the end of the semester, the teacher is required to grade the student teacher on performance.
Once the student has passed the final semester of the teaching program, they must fill out appropriate papers and send information such as the Praxis scores. The information required includes proof of a degree, a limited criminal history report and test scores. These are sent to the department of education of her state. Then, the middle school teacher can begin her career in teaching.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK!


Did you know that you can succeed at anything in a short amount of time if you can copy the strategies of any person who is successful at what you want to achieve.
What do we mean by strategies? Basically, a strategy is any internal and external set of experiences which consistently produces a specific outcome. For example, when I go somewhere, I need to make a picture of where I'm going and how to get there in my mind. And I gather information verbally until I have a clear picture of the entire route that I'm going to travel. When I have enough information, I then forget it and trust my unconscious mind.
It has been found that successful spellers use visualization strategies to spell any word, long or short, correctly. In other words they make pictures of the words in their minds.
Generally the expert speller uses the following strayegies:
1. looks at a word, then
2. looks up and to his or her left to 'see' the word in their mind's eye.
3. he then looks back at the word to check if it matches the image in his mind.
4. If it is correct, he can go to learn another word.
5. If the there is no match, he goes back to step 1.
Try this with your child and your family members. You will be surprised how dramatically your kid's spelling and your own will improve. I have used these spelling with my elementary and secondary school students who I teach, and they can now spell up to 11 letter word forwards, and wait for it, backwards as well. It's truly amazing to witness!
Using these simple spelling strategies your child will become an expert speller overnight. Imagine what that would do to boost your child's self-belief and confidence. My students have told me that they feel like spelling champions, and that was after only one session of practice.
Khaled Mansoor is an Education Success Consultant and owner at Khaled Mansoor & Associates. He has worked with schools to assist children to reach their true potential in a range of literacy and numeracy skills. He has been an elementary and secondary teacher for 15 and a half years. If you wish to find out more about the spelling or other learning strategies to enable to assist your child excel at school, then contact him on firstname.lastname@example.org


5 African American Artists Not Named Jean-Michel Basquiat
William was born in Vicksburg, Missisippi in 1951, and although his mother worked in the cotton fields by day, she still managed to rear and educate her fourteen children.
To stimulate their learning his mother often engaged William and his older brother in drawing contests. After recognizing his talent, William’s mother began to borrow art books from the local library in order for him to study the traditional European masters.
Mr. Tolliver was a self taught artist — albeit one who is credited of reading more than 4,000 books on different subjects (mostly art).
By the age of ten, William was studying Chagall, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso. By the age of fourteen, he was literate in all the technical terms and had evolved from mimicking cubism to incorporating abstract, realism, and impressionism into his own techniques.
Ultimately, WIlliam left Mississippi for the Job Corps program in Los Angleles where he continued his art education with a trade instructor who was also a visual artist. William then moved to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1981 after an oil boom created employment opportunities. The housing boom there eventually declined, leaving him unemployed and painting more regularly.
Tolliver’s wife, Debrah, became confident his works could sell. William dismissed her but Mrs. Tolliver brought his work to Lafayette’s Live Oak Gallery where nine paintings sold in ten days.
Tolliver worked with a diverse range of mediums including oil, acrylic, watercolor, oil pastel and his style would be classified as representational abstract expressionism. The artist was a firm believer in art as a means of communication. “Art has no place in society if it doesn’t move anybody but its creator,” he once told the Lafayette Times.
William Tolliver died in 2000, having spent the 49 years of his life immortalizing the rural black Southern life through his art.


Visual representations of music
designed to support musical understanding
I have found Musical Maps to be a powerful classroom tool that enables students to engage in music listening that supports their natural strategies of visual connections, movement, and singing while providing opportunities for peer interaction and support.
Musical maps with suggested ideas for musical experiences in the music classroom comprise the pages on this website. These maps and lessons ideas have been created by me and my students here at Oakland University. Please feel free to use them in your classroom and to adapt them to connect to the musical lives of your students in your own unique school community.
Deborah VanderLinde Blair, Ph. D.
Associate Professor, Music Education
Oakland University, Rochester MI
Dr. Magne Espeland, Professor of Music and Education
Stord/Haugesund University College, Norway
The value of research in music education is not always judged by its usefulness to the music classroom. Teachers who visit this website on the use of musical maps for music listening will immediate recognize the usefulness of Deborah's research, and many researchers should visit it because they might have a lesson to learn. When I started my research into responsive music listening--including music puzzles and maps-in Norwegian classrooms in the mid 1980s, the reports from teachers about students’ enthusiasm and engagement in their listening processes were of major importance to the research team. Deborah Blair's work represents a major step forward in our knowledge about useful and efficient pathways for students on all levels towards discovering the many meaning aspects hidden in this wonderful and colorful instrument for human expression we call music. It is therefore, with great pleasure, that I recommend this website to all music teachers!


The last few years have seen educationalists from around the world place heightened awareness onto the importance of computer programming. Policy makers have clamoured to make coding a greater part of the school curriculum to try and raise the IT skills of their respective populations.
Interestingly, the greatest steps have probably been made by third party ventures however. Code Academy is undoubtedly the most well known, with something like 24 million users learning a variety of languages and programming techniques via the site.
Alongside these efforts to educate adult learners however have been a number of projects aiming to teach coding to youngsters. For instance, Hello Ruby is a book aimed for 4-7 year old girls that aims to help them understand the Ruby on Rails programming language. The book follows the story of Ruby, who meets penguin, snow leopards and green robots as she creates her own adventures.
Ricarose Roque from the MIT Media Lab has recently released a new guide for engaging the whole family in learning programming. The guide uses Scratch and MaKey-MaKey as the tools by which to do so. Scratch is a block based language designed to help with learning to code and create games and the likes. MaKey-MaKLy is a tool to help users create physical interfaces for computing systems.
Roque facilitates two-hour workshops using these tools to involve children and their parents in the art and science of computer programming. He’s also created a guide however to form the blueprint for those wishing to establish their own workshop sessions.
The guide comes with lesson plans, journals and other resources to help get things up and running. Each workshop is designed to go through four phases, all of which begin with dinner. The phases are catchily titled Eat-Meet-Make-Share, with the workshops closed with a community fair during which each family shares their projects with the group.
It’s a really nice way to get children learning to code in a fun and interactive way. You can read a bit more about the project in Roque’s own words below, or check out the video introducing the concept at the end of the blog.
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.


Successful physics teacher preparation programs share certain key elements, and exist within a supportive institutional context. These contextual and programmatic components build on one another to provide teachers with a complete educational experience, from recruitment through training in pedagogy and content to induction and mentoring.
Follow the links below to learn more about the individual components, as well as strategies that specific institutions have used to build and improve their programs.
- Early Teaching Experiences
- Pedagogical Content Knowledge
- Learning Assistants
- Induction & Mentoring
Elementary Teacher Education
Many institutions that are leaders in high school physics teacher preparation have also improved the physical science course taken by elementary education majors.


Kindergarteners are under tremendous pressure – doing as many as 15 academic activities in a day, with a shorter recess time. What is the long-term impact?
Schools and universities pump lots of time and money into collecting data on learning analytics, but there is no research to show that such data actually helps to improve learning outcomes.
Differentiation is not about about creating different lessons for every student. It's about teachers providing a range of options for students to demonstrate their learning.
Parents who provide learning support at home can improve their child's literacy and emotional development, regardless of their class or educational background.
Helping your teenager with their homework can make them feel incompetent and can hinder their own skills development.
Art education is an important vehicle for all sorts of learning and knowledge acquisition. Teachers must be taught not to view it as a "second class" subject.
People who think their willpower is unlimited do better under pressure.
Parents shouldn't be concerned if their bilingual child is slower to develop their vocabularly, because in most cases this is just a temporary lag.
Children who fail to read regularly during long breaks from school will often see their reading ability drop. Here's how to keep kids engaged in reading.
Students reach the middle years of high school with poor vocabularies and unable to work with language in sophisticated ways.
Under new legislation, children from low-income families will receive just 12 hours of early learning support a week, adding to the risk of these children falling behind their peers at school.
Teaching often comes second to research in universities. A group of award winning lecturers explains why teaching is the best part of their work.
Research shows that reading stories with a maths focus can boost grades and also help parents become less anxious about discussing maths.
President Obama's message has put issues around standardized testing back in the news. Here's what scholars have been saying.
Technology is critical for innovation, yet schools struggle to get students interested in this area. Could teaching robotics change this?
Dyslexia is often poorly understood by the public, leading people to attribute a problem they have, like bad spelling, to dyslexia. Here are the most common misconceptions explained.
Problem solving requires so much brain power that there can be no room left for remembering simple rules.
Teachers often view vocabulary building as the most important aspect of education. In reality, there are lots of other early learning experiences that children need to develop.
Parent involvement with kids' homework can have both positive and negative effects. So, what should parents and educators do?
The time of transitioning back to school is crucial for both parents and children. Here's what you can do.


This subject guide offers assistance in the area of Adult Literacy. It lists books, research databases, websites, and local organizations. It also includes subject headings that are helpful for searching our catalog for more information.
Adult Literacy Books
Links to Research Databases
Need a scholarly journal article for your research paper? Search articles from over three thousand academic and professional journals covering the social sciences, humanities, general science, multicultural studies, education, and more. This resource is great for college students or anyone conducting in-depth research.
The Adult Education Center's Live Tutor service is open from noon to midnight, seven days a week, and offers one-on-one, online tutoring in English and en Español. Available topics for tutoring include High School Equivalency and Citizenship Testing. Students can also upload a document for review and proofreading by a tutor. In addition, the Skills Center is open 24/7 and offers thousands of worksheets, tutorials, study guides, practice tests, and more.
LearningExpress Library provides interactive online practice tests and a tutorial course series designed to help users succeed on academic and licensing tests. It offers immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of results. Registration by the user is required to allow the software to record the progress of the user and to allow the user to stop a particular test or lesson and continue at a later time.
Teacher Reference Center provides indexing and abstracts for articles on topics such as assessment, best practices, continuing education, curriculum development, elementary education, higher education, instructional media, language arts, literacy standards, school administration, science and mathematics, and teacher education.
Links to Recommended Websites
The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) is a national nonprofit public charity. Its mission is to help advance adult education and literacy in the United States – to move adult literacy out of the shadows into the mainstream of American education, as required by the nation’s 21st century needs.
NCFL was established in 1989 and has pioneered educational initiatives that open pathways for continuous life improvement for the nation's most at-risk children and families.
The mission of the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) is to advance adult education, family literacy, and English language acquisition in the U.S. by increasing public awareness for the need to increase funding and programs; promoting effective public policy; and serving as an authoritative resource for the field on national adult education issues.
Browsing Our Collection
Manual Career Technical Center (KC School District Adult Education and Literacy) 1215 E. Truman Rd.. Third Floor Kansas City, MO 64106 816-418-7150
Della Lamb Community Services 500 Woodland Ave. Kansas City, MO 64106 816-842-8040
Hall-McCarter Education Center 5000 NW Valley View Rd Blue Springs, MO 64015 816-224-1363
Northland Human Services Center 3100 NE 83rd St., Suite 2450 Kansas City, MO 64119 816-413-5461
Johnson County Adult Education Various Locations in Johnson County, KS (small fee involved) 913-469-7621
Kansas City, Kansas Community College / Adult Education Program 7250 State Avenue Kansas City, KS 66112 913-288-7124


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Music grants are available in many forms to many different groups or individuals and from many different funding organizations. The type of grant to apply for depends upon how the funding will be used as well as who the funding is for. The best way to determine what types of music grants to apply for is to conduct research either online or at a library.
Grants for music funding can come from many different funding organizations. Arts councils, business and community development organizations, and charitable arts trusts are common sources. Creative development agencies and the federal government are also types of organizations that may fund different music projects. Some music grants may be available only in certain locations.
One of the specific types of music grants is a grant for groups. This can include community education programs or schools and may cover costs such as teaching wages or travel expenses. The Arts in Education program, for example, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education, is a federal grant program that schools can utilize for funding. Musical productions are also projects that may request grant funding. This could be a community theater or school production, and funding can be used for things like costumes, props, or wages for the director.
Music lessons may also be subjects of grants. These grants can be for individuals or groups and can range from instrument to voice lessons. These types of grants are often awarded to people who have musical talent but do not have the financial means to get formal training. A video or showcase of the individual or group's talent may be part of the grant application process. In addition, grants may cover the cost of music supplies or instruments for people who can't afford them.
Music education is another area that may be funded through grants. For example, someone who wishes to major in music but cannot afford the college tuition may apply for a grant to help cover the costs. Some of the different types of jobs that music majors may pursue could include teaching, composing, or working in radio or television or with a record company. More recent opportunities have become available in computer or Internet music or developing music software. Music grants are available to more than just musicians.
Teaching is another area where music grants can be helpful. These types of music grants may help fund a musical artist-in-residence for a school. Musicians themselves may also receive grants, which can cover costs such as living expenses while the musician is performing, practicing, or researching.
One of the largest grant providers is the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency in the United States. This organization generally provides music grants to groups or ensembles, such as jazz, chamber music, and performing ensembles. It also may offer funding for music festivals, symphony orchestras, or choruses. In addition, this organization, among others, may provide funding to preserve music.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK!


Playing It Smart
You know those piano lessons your parents made you take? Be sure to thank them. Even if you can’t quite remember the opening notes of Moonlight Sonata, that early exposure is probably still paying off.
Research shows that childhood musical training adds plasticity in brain development, increasing cognitive capacity and protecting against age-related cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The study, by Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, a clinical neuropsychologist in Emory’s Department of Neurology, and cognitive psychologist Alicia MacKay, found that older individuals who spent a significant amount of time throughout life playing a musical instrument perform better on certain cognitive tests than individuals who did not play an instrument. Published in the April issue of the journal Neuropsychology, this was the first research to examine whether the benefits of playing an instrument as a child can extend across a lifetime. “Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging,” says Hanna-Pladdy. “Since studying an instrument requires years of practice and learning, it may create alternate connections in the brain that could compensate for cognitive declines as we get older.”
Allan Levey, director of Emory’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and chair of the Department of Neurology, says it wasn’t until Hanna-Pladdy’s research “that we fully comprehended the role of music education in delaying the aging of the brain.”
The study enrolled seventy individuals ages sixty to eighty-three who were divided into three groups: those who had no musical training, those with one to nine years of musical study, and those with at least ten years of musical training. All of the participants had similar levels of education and fitness, and didn’t show any evidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
Cognitive performance was measured by testing brain functions that typically decline as the body ages and more dramatically deteriorate in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The high-level musicians who had studied the longest performed the best on the cognitive tests, followed by the low-level musicians and nonmusicians, revealing a trend relating to years of musical practice. The high-level musicians had higher scores than the nonmusicians on cognitive tests relating to visual-spatial memory, naming objects, and cognitive flexibility (the brain’s ability to adapt to new information).
“We believe that both the years of musical participation and the age of acquisition are critical,” Hanna-Pladdy says. “There are crucial periods in brain plasticity that enhance learning, which may make it easier to learn a musical instrument before a certain age and thus may have a larger impact on brain development.”
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director and Emory Distinguished Artist-in-Residence Robert Spano says the transformative power of music has always been “both an article of faith and a core fact of my personal experience, so I find this research both profoundly fascinating and affirming.”


Here are all types of bridges. Type, Sub-type, Length range, Complexity, Image.
Longest span, Longest total. Arch Bridge · Nagasaki Meganebashi M5257.jpg.
Here you can see for yourself bridge types that are in use today, from what ...
point of the column, creating harp like design of “strings” and fan design (all
Mar 26, 2016 ... Although there are many kinds of bridges, virtually all of them work by balancing
compressive forces in some places with tensile forces ...
Jan 2, 2014 ... At the most basic level, there are three types of bridges: Beam; Arch; Suspension
... Six Bridge Types. For ease of use, Garrett's Bridges classifies six categories of
bridges. .... 2016 by Garrett's Bridges. All Rights Reserved.
Beam bridges are the oldest and simplest bridge design consisting of vertical
piers ... to build and inexpensive relative to other bridge types so are very
Below is the list of 5 main types of bridges: Girder bridges; Arch .... Thus, for the
most part, all beams in a truss bridge are straight. Trusses are comprised of many
Jun 3, 2008 ... Other types are listed in the Bridge Terminology page. The drawings are ... A
through arch is shown, but this applies to all type of arch bridges.
Types of Bridges - Bristol Public Schools. ... Bridges can be grouped by type: ....
The cables run from the roadway up to a single tower that bears all the weight.
Easy Science for Kids All About Bridges - Their Importance and Types. Learn
more about Bridges with our Simple Science for Kids Website on Bridges.
www.ask.com/youtube?q=All Types of Bridges&v=5C3VG0RdNPo
Feb 23, 2015 ... ARCH 352 Nadia Frye Richard Tung Emma Gaulke-Janowski Jason Johnson
Carson Davis And yours truly Sebatian Kalilikane.


By Hannah Richardson
BBC News education reporter
The sandpit can be a great place to learn
Instead of starting formal learning at the age of five, a review of primary education says children should continue with play-based learning. What does this mean in practice?
A group of five-year-olds poke around in the sandpit for buried treasure in the form of coins.
They are not just getting grubby - they are rehearsing their literacy and numeracy skills and their natural powers of imagination.
This is just the sort of play-based learning that engages the four, five and six-year-olds at Northfield Infants School in East Yorkshire.
Headteacher Lynn Wilson explains how a teacher might encourage children to work with her on creating story.
"If we were doing a fantasy story about pirates, say. Then in the sand there would be coins as buried treasure and the children aged five and six would be encouraged to look for it afterwards.
"For those in Year 2, they would do something similar but they would basically be expected to record what they had found and count how much treasure they collected."
In this way, the children build on what they have learned in their specific literacy and numeracy classes.
"It really works because several children may choose to go to the sandpit at the same time and they have to negotiate with each other," says Mrs Wilson.
This means the children might be learning but they are not aware they are being taught.
The school, which is open plan, is divided into themed areas such as literacy, numeracy and role-play and each area has supporting equipment and cards on the wall.
The numeracy areas, for example, feature number cards and various activities, such as counting tables, which the children can choose and interact with.
As in a nursery, children move freely from one area to another, but their self-started learning is helped along by a trained adult.
"For children who are aged four to seven we do need adult supervision so we make use of teaching assistants. We couldn't do it without them," says Mrs Wilson.
Children discover science when they play with water
As the children get older, although they still have an element of choice about which activity they choose, the amount of direction they get increases.
The amount of time they spend sitting at tables doing group working also increases.
By the time they reach the end of Key Stage 2, the hope is they are more able to sit at a desk and receive instructions from a teacher in the traditional way.
Science of sand
Mrs Wilson added: "Four to five years ago, that's how all children were taught here, but then we made a conscious decision to take part in a project to encourage a play-based curriculum.
"Being taught to sit down all day on a chair just has a negative effect - that's why we have changed it.
"And we have always had above average results since we changed our approach."
She continued: "In Europe, children don't start school until they're are six or seven. I wouldn't say that starting school later is the answer - it's about the provision within the school that needs to make the best of the children."
Outdoor learning tunes into children's sense of adventure
Dame Gillian Pugh, co-author of the primary review and member of the government's Early Years Advisory Group, said it was easy to mis-understand the nature of play-based learning.
"We are not saying they should never do any numeracy and literacy until they reach the age of six," she said.
"What we are talking about is a less formally-structured curriculum than where children sit quietly doing exactly what the teacher says.
"Instead, let's get back to their enthusiasm and excitement and push that along a bit."
"Children are born learning - they're naturally curious.
"The way that we engage with young children is that we provide them with the opportunity to begin to read and begin scientific learning - we might call it playing with sand and water - but scientific learning is what it is."


EDUCATION VOLUNTEER RESOURCES
Whether you’ve decided to become a reader, tutor or mentor, you will be making a tremendous impact in the life of a young person!
In some cases, the organization you volunteer with may offer training for their education volunteers before you begin volunteering. You can also participate in United Way trainings at no cost. View the Education Volunteer Training Schedule.
United Way also offers additional resources with tips and advice as you begin your education volunteer experience as a volunteer reader tutor or mentor
The foundation for reading reaches a critical juncture between kindergarten and third grade, when children develop the skills to find meaning in written text. Reading with children engages them in storytelling, opens their minds, and unlocks their imagination. It is a great way for volunteers to support literacy development. As a child grows, reading becomes increasingly important for understanding the world, achieving academic success and succeeding in the workforce.
The foundation for tutoring reaches a critical juncture starting with third grade, when children’s reading skills enable them to learn and retain knowledge. Tutoring - instructing a child one-on-one or in small groups - has positive effects on academic performance, especially with at-risk children experiencing reading problems. The literacy skills and academic supports that children and young people receive through tutoring put them on the path toward high school, college and career success.
Sometimes kids just need to know that someone believes in them. Children and youth need more than academic supports to make it through school successfully. Caring adults support and guide them through their early years. Parents are a foundational resource to their children, but other adults can provide support as well by becoming mentors. Adult mentors provide emotional support that enhances a child’s self-esteem, fosters self-control, and provides guidance and advice that many teens may be uncomfortable seeking from their parents. They can also provide college and career guidance, and encouragement to stay in school.


Katter, Eldon, School Arts
I was sitting in on a meeting the other day and overheard a studio art professor characterize his class of beginning drawing students as being obsessed with objects. "They are quite skilled at rendering objects, but they don't know how to use the shadows and forms in a meaningful, expressive way."
Another professor remarked that her drawing students were also astute observers of objects, but they lacked insight into social, political or spiritual issues. "They don't seem to see the relationship between art and anything else that's going on in their lives."
A third colleague complained that first-year design students seemed to think design was nothing more than an intuitive act. "They are surprised to learn that there are systems for planning and that design is a thoughtful process."
Needless to say, these three colleagues have different expectations about what their students should know and be able to do when entering college. If they had been asked, they would never have been able to agree on the new National Standards. In fact, these three may never stand on common ground. Yet, because their comments seem to imply that there is more to art education than mere skill in rendering objects, they might agree that art involves making connections.
Traditionally, the still life has been painted and enjoyed as a demonstration of the artist's technical and illusionary skill. The history of realistic still life goes back to the legend of the Greek painter Zeuxis in the fifth century BC. His painting of a bunch of grapes was so realistic, birds tried to peck at it. But, beyond realism, the still life has at various times taken on other layers of meaning. Artists of the early Renaissance were concerned to add a spiritual significance to their arrangements of objects. In seventeenth-century Holland, people delighted in decorating their houses with paintings of their own possessions, yet profound messages were often concealed in these still life arrangements. …


April 16, 2007 | Education Notebook on Education
By Dan Lips
The consensus on Capitol Hill is that American education is in crisis. Our colleges are graduating students who are ill-equipped to compete in the global economy, and our public schools leave millions of disadvantaged kids behind. So why is Congress sending precious education funds to a zoo in Akron and the Westchester Philharmonic in White Plains, New York?
This month the White House Office of Management and Budget unveiled a database of "earmarks," which are funding mandates that Members of Congress dole out for specific projects, typically ones benefiting constituents back home. The earmark database shows that the Department of Education's diet is heavy on pork. It received 1,199 earmarks totaling $483 million in fiscal year 2005.
The bulk of this money went to the Office of Innovation and Improvement ($289 million) and the Office of Post Secondary Education ($148 million). Digging further into the database reveals unsavory details of specific projects funded by these offices.
The Office of Innovation and Improvement's 709 earmarks went to entities like the Akron Zoological Park ($198,000) and the Alaska Sealife Center ($248,000) in Seward, Alaska, for its "Marine Ecosystems Education Program." The Westchester Philharmonic in White Plains received $99,000 for music education. Average per-student spending in White Plains topped $18,000 in 2004, more than double the national average.
One of the larger earmarks in 2005 was $15 million for the "Harkin Grant Program." This program, championed by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), provides grants to the Iowa State Department of Education to "help school districts correct fire safety problems and to help school districts leverage local resources to construct new schools or remodel...existing buildings." No doubt other senators are envious that they couldn't deliver $15 million in vanity education earmarks for their constituents.
Defenders of earmarks argue that Members of Congress are uniquely positioned to ascertain local needs. And not all of the money spent on earmarks is wasted; some actually does go to programs that improve educational opportunities, such as more then $3 million for the KIPP Foundation in San Francisco, which has proven effective in serving disadvantaged kids.
Yet American taxpayers and families should question the earmark process, especially when it comes to education. After all, who is in a better position to determine the specific needs of local communities, Members of Congress or local elected officials, such as governors, state lawmakers, and mayors?
Think about how taxpayers and local policymakers could have better used the $483 million put into education earmarks. Those funds could have hired about 10,000 new public school teachers or provided opportunity scholarships to 100,000 disadvantaged kids. If that money had simply been returned to the local level, it could have paid for a wide variety of programs tailored to improving local education.
Pork barrel spending is a microcosm of the fundamental problem with the federal government's current role in education: The federal government is little more than an expensive and heavy-handed middleman. In 2007, American taxpayers will spend more than $66 billion on federal programs for elementary and secondary education. Most of this money will be transferred back to states and localities for specific programs, many of which have proven unsuccessful and make no sense for individual schools.
Two fixes to the earmark problem suggest themselves. First, the Bush Administration has the power to ignore education earmarks in conference reports that don't wind up in the text of the law itself. This would put an end to the haphazard and wasteful earmarking of federal funds outside of the traditional legislative process.
Second, Congress should fundamentally shift power from the Department of Education's programs toward greater state and local control. Rather than allowing Congress and the federal bureaucracy to spend billions of dollars each year, control over funds should be returned to the state and local level. This would deprive Congress of money to earmark.
Replacing federal earmarking with transparency and citizen ownership of education would give governors, state legislators, state school chiefs, state school boards, local leaders, and parents and taxpayers a greater say over how education funds are used. That could mean less federal money for zoos in Akron or music programs in White Plains, but it would be good news for students across the country.


Well done for taking the time to practise the times tables. You should practise regularly and always aim to improve on your personal best.
Take note of the question that took you longest to answer. Can you think of a way of remembering that answer for quicker recall next time? Can you learn from your fastest answer? Do you have a trick for remembering that table fact so quickly? Here is a printable form to write your Tips For Remembering on.
The average time taken to answer the times table by all of the people who have ever attempted it is seconds.
There are other activities that will help you improve your mastery of the times tables. They can be found on our Times Tables page.
Tablesmaster is a great way to practise your times tables. Play it every day to help improve your numeracy skills, mathematical proficiency and mental strength. Here is a printable page on which you can record your personal best times for completing times tables activities.
This program is intended for upper Secondary/High school pupils/students for regular practice of those so important tables long after they have learned when they were younger. More Times Table practice activities can be found on our Times Tables page but if it is a mixed tables activity you need try Beat The Clock.
The data collected by the Tablesmaster program has produced some interesting Statistics which may help teachers focus learning on the more difficult or hard to remember multiplication facts.


This 239 page unit is a complete word study unit for setting up your sight words and word wall and practicing the words all year. Included are all the supporting materials you will need including step by step pictures of how to put it all together!
-Alphabetical Chart of 147 sight words
-Sight Word Lists (for 27 weeks)
-Letters for making a word wall - 2 designs
-147 Word Wall Cards
-Materials to create individual student Word Rings
-Portable Word Wall Cards
-16 Individual Word Checklists (for differentiation and student accountability)
Reading Standards: Foundational Skills
I used Dolch words in order of frequency.


Nurturing music in children
From the moment our clock radios go off in the morning, to the theme tune for the evening news, we are surrounded by music all day long. Listening to music can be a great way to unwind after a long day at work or school, or can be used to energize us before a night out on the town. While it is not crucial to be able to read music or to be familiar with the great composers in order to enjoy music, a musical education has many benefits. Music can be used to facilitate learning and may even accelerate psychological development in children.
Music is one of the most amazing ways to experience the world. Children are able to appreciate music from birth. This is why we sing to babies to soothe them and send them to sleep. Before infants learn to read, or even to speak, they are able to express themselves and to respond to emotional stimuli through music. In light of this, it is crucial that children have access to musical instruments so that they can explore the possibilities of self-expression through sound.
Once children reach school age, they have the intellectual and motor skills necessary to embark upon learning a musical instrument. Basic wind instruments such as the recorder are perfect for introducing children to music-making. Recorder lessons provide foundational skills in reading music and producing different pitches using different fingering techniques.
The intellectual and technical skills practised through learning an instrument benefit children in other areas. Children who begin to learn reading music at an early age typically do better in core subjects such as mathematics and literacy during their primary school years. This head start can set them on the path to lifelong academic success, as well as providing them with the foundations for a skill which can be developed throughout childhood and enjoyed in later life.
As well as giving children the opportunity to experiment with musical instruments and to make music for themselves, it is important to encourage them to develop an appreciation of music. One of the best ways to get children to enjoy music is to take them to concerts and other musical performances. It is important to expose children to a variety of styles from rock music, to classical orchestral performances, so they can develop critical skills and decide what they do and don`t like.
Of course, it is difficult to persuade children to sit through long concerts. Forcing youngsters to sit through three hour operas may put them off music for life. Some theatres and concert halls now put on professional performances aimed directly at children, which are guaranteed to excite the curiosity of young minds, Available to buy via telephone, online or in person at your local Boxoffice tickets for interactive and child-orientated concerts usually sell out very quickly. If you do not have access to venues holding concerts aimed at younger audiences, why not encourage them to join a children`s choir, orchestra or other music group? This will help build confidence in performing, as well as teaching respectful listening skills. Nurturing an interest in musical performance and production will ensure that your children develop a healthy appetite for music and reap the benefits of a musical education.


Anyone who has been to school has learned phonics. Phonics is the basic reading instruction that teaches children the relationships between letters and sounds. Phonics teaches children to use these relationships to speak and write words. According to a study by the Partnership for Reading, the objective of phonics instruction is to help children learn and use the "alphabetic principle"-the systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. Knowing these relationships through phonics helps young readers to recognize familiar words accurately and easily "decode" new words.
Realize that sentences are made up of words.
Realize that words can rhyme. Make your own rhymes.
Realize that words can be broken down into syllables. Start breaking down words into syllables.
Realize that words can begin with the same sound. Practice these first sounds.
Realize that words can end with the same sound. Practice these ending sounds.
Realize that words can have the same medial sounds. Practice these medial sounds.
Realize that words can be broken down into individual sounds. Practice these sounds.
Realize that sounds can be deleted from words to make new words. Practice these.
Start blending sounds to make words.
Start segmenting words into component sounds.
The Public Broadcasting Company has produced informative literature on learning phonics. They state, "As children are exposed to written language, they discover that marks on a page stand for letters and words. You may have heard children singing the alphabet song like this: ellamenopee. With increased and consistent interaction with print, language, and books, children eventually realize that the string of letters is really l, m, n, o, p and sing the alphabet song with greater confidence and ease. To read well, children need to understand that written English consists of letters and groups of letters that stand for a series of sounds."
The PBS article continues, by saying, "Phonics helps children understand the relationships between letters and individual sounds. Children need to understand that the letter m stands for the /m/ sound, for example. Knowing these relationships helps children more accurately read familiar words, analyze new words, and write words. When children understand that bake is spelled with an "e" rather than bak, they are better able to read, spell, and write words like cake, lake, make, take, wake, and snake."
They list the following behaviors that indicate children's growing mastery of phonics.
Know consonant sounds
Know that a, e, i, o, and u are vowels.
Know sounds of digraphs. Example: /sh/ in shell.
Know sounds of consonant blends. Example: /bl/ in block and /str/ in string.
Know short vowel word families. Example: at, an, op, on, it, in.
Break words into syllables.
Find familiar words within unknown words. Example: mat in matter.
Substitute or add letters to make new words. Example: When asked to take away the letter t in the word tan, can the child say the word is an? Can the child put the letter t on an to make the word ant?
The PBS article suggests a few activities to help your child develop phonics skills. They preface theses activities with this statement: "Children implicitly as they hear good books being read and write stories using invented spellings. They also learn through clear and explicit modeling. A balanced approach allows for both types of learning."
Make personal letter cards with each child. Write the upper- and lowercase form of a letter on one side of an index card. On the other side, help children draw, paste pictures, or write words that begin with the sound. For example, on one side write Bb. On the other side children can write, draw, or paste a bat, bee, or boat.
Invite children to play a guessing game. Without revealing it to the child, select an object in the room and provide phonics clues to help the child guess what it is. For example, "I spy something that begins with the sound /t/." Keep offering clues until the child guesses that the object is a table.
Create a stack of cards with pictures that represent words beginning with two initial consonants that you would like the child to work on, for example l and t. Have children say the word and match the picture with the correct initial sound. Invite them to think of other words that might be included in each stack.


Sit, stand, scoot, roll over—repeat! You have a 7- to 9-month-old and he won't be kept down. Independence, inquisitiveness and imitation are your tot's main trademarks as both mental and motor skills take off during these months.
At this age, your baby will move beyond mere babble and start to sound like he's speaking in a foreign language, complete with pauses, questions and giggles. Gestures and facial expressions become important tools of communication. Sitting up, crawling, trying to stand and attempting to explore strange new places are also typical activities.
While it's hard to let your baby go, it's important to let loose a little and allow your budding pioneer to explore his environment. "Babies can be over-stimulated," says Dr. Linda Acredolo, author of Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love and Baby Signs. "Even just by mom tickling, talking, and invading the baby's space. When moms are intrusive like this, by themselves or with toys, babies will begin to fuss...sensitive moms recognize these signals; insensitive moms just try harder!"
There are many ways to indulge your baby's increasing independence and curiosity while staying involved. Try these simple activities with your budding bundle of energy.
- Floor fun. Set your baby down in a large, baby-proofed area of your home. Instead of doling out toys, place a favorite plaything a little distance away from your child so that he has to crawl or push himself to reach it. Don't make the distance too great—champion crawlers can go further than beginners. This activity will give your baby a sense of independence and accomplishment—he'll be exercising his motor skills and feeling the freedom at the same time.
- Secret spot. Your child's driven by curiosity, particularly about adult objects. Indulge your little explorer by placing safe, non-toy objects in drawers and cabinets where he can "discover" them. Lock up all of the kitchen cabinets except one, then fill the unlocked drawer with indestructible plastic bowls, cups and utensils that your baby can pull out and toss around. He'll feel like he's stumbled upon a secret playtime spot.
- Bring out the blocks. Don't limit yourself to 2-Dimensional toys. Bring out the blocks, puzzles and shape sorters. At this stage, spatial and tactile play creates crucial cognitive connections in your baby's brain. Your little one is learning how things work and how to solve problems. 3D play doesn't have to be fancy—just give your baby a set of plastic measuring cups and let him figure out how they fit together. Simple "put the round peg into the round hole" puzzles or stacking blocks can occupy your curious kid for hours.
- Picture play. Your baby's fully focused on familiar faces now and pictures of grandparents, aunties and uncles—or snaps of well-known places and pets—will grab his interest instantly. Break out family photos and point to pictures of people and things while naming them out loud. This will strengthen your baby's ability to associate words and things. Show him a picture of himself and say "I love the baby," in a gentle, affectionate tone. He probably won't recognize his face right away, but eventually he'll put two and two together—and your loving demeanor will make him feel safe and secure.
- Rhythm and rhyme. Music plus words reinforces language skills in children—add rhyme and repetition to the mix and let the fun begin! Nursery rhymes with song, and stories with a musical twist are a great way to begin tuning-up language skills. Sit facing your child and sing or speak in rhyme. Hold his hand or rock him in a swing for the full sensory experience. Try and include some rhythmic talk into your usual daytime chatter as well.
- Beyond babble. Your baby's understanding of words exceeds his ability to produce them at this point. Bridge the communication gap by using your child's natural inclination to imitate you by introducing sign language. "Just like crawling makes babies even more excited about walking, signing makes babies even more excited about talking. That's why we love the phrase, 'Signing is to talking as crawling is to walking,'" says Dr. Linda Acredolo. Research by Dr. Acredolo showed that babies who were exposed to sign language had more advanced verbal language skills at 36 months. Use simple signs at first to supplement, not substitute, for verbal interaction. Incorporate these signs into your daily routine and watch what happens.
You're still the center of your baby's world, but objects and the environment are grabbing your growing infant's attention more and more. Healthy mental and motor skill development requires that your little one be given free reign—with you in attendance of course. Creating a safe space and encouraging communication is the key. So, let your little one loose and watch him blossom!


PirateBox wireless local fileserver
David Darts, Associate Professor of Art Education and Chair, Department of Art and Art Professions wanted to facilitate anonymous file sharing in his NYU classes. He was aware of the deaddrops project and wanted to design a WiFi based portable version which would operate separate from the Internet. “PirateBox is a self-contained mobile communication and file sharing device. Inspired by pirate radio and the free culture movement, PirateBox utilizes Free, Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) to create mobile wireless file sharing networks where users can anonymously chat and share images, video, audio, documents, and other digital content.”
The basic system consists of a lightweight web server connected to a wireless device. David has posted various approaches to the construction of a PirateBox on his website, including tutorials using an OpenWRT router, plug computer, laptop and an Android mobile phone.This entry was posted in code, how-to, Linux and tagged fileserver, PirateBox.