Preparing Lesson Plans
When you talk to any teacher, whether they have been teaching for two months or 20 years, they'll likely tell you that one of their least favorite tasks as a teacher is creating lesson plans.
However, a well-thought out and executed lesson plan is the backbone of every teacher's arsenal in the battle of getting kids to learn. Being able to put together a good lesson plan is one skill that all teachers should work to improve, as it will simplify their daily lives and make teaching easier.
What Is a Lesson?
A lesson is a group of activities that covers a portion of your course. The lesson can take 20 minutes or several hours, depending on the material.
Who is the Lesson For?
Before moving to the lesson itself, you must identify your audience, by asking yourself the following questions:
- Who is the student?
- What knowledge do they already have?
- Why should they learn this lesson?
- What do I want the students to learn during this lesson?
- What can the students do themselves to learn it?
Keep these questions and the answers in your mind as you move through the lesson plan.
Lesson Plan Checklist
As you move through the stages of your lesson plan, this checklist will keep you focused on the goals of each lesson and ensure that nothing is overlooked:
At the start of the lesson:
- Bridge the previous lesson (or a current event) to the lesson to capture the student's interest
- Establish the learning outcomes
- Explain student expectations and prior learning
In the center of the lesson:
- Actively involve students in the learning process
- Use various media to explain lesson concepts
- Keep the lesson flowing from one concept to the next
- Keep the lesson content meaningful
- Give opportunities for the students to give feedback and practice the new concept
- Review the material covered and build the lesson on top of it
At the end of the lesson:
- Assess the material that the students have now learned
- Summarize the lesson and content covered
- Establish a connection between the lesson and the real world, or the following lesson.
How Is Content Presented?
There are many different ways to get your lessons' content across. Generally you want to use a few different methods in order to keep a class interesting (if you go with the two-hour lecture mode you may find your students losing interest after the first 15 minutes). The types of methods you use depend on you, your students, and what type of material you are covering. Here are some methods you can use for various types of teaching:
To present information:
- Case studies
- Selective reading
- Discussion groups
To involve students:
- Field trip
- Open discussion
- Role playing
- Group work
To teach a new skill:
- Lab work
- Practice (with feedback)
- Guided experience
To reinforce the lesson:
- Memory aids
- Written assignment
- Practice (with feedback)
As long as your lesson is presented properly, with changes in materials and types of presentation, you should be able to keep your class interested and make the content relevant to them.
Remember that lesson plans need to keep your students' experience and background in mind. It's a good idea to revisit your lesson plans periodically to see if they are still effective, or to revise them so they're more relevant to your current students.
For more online resources on preparing lesson plans, visit:
- The Lesson Plans Page
- Lesson Plans, from Teacher Planet
- Lesson Plan Library, from Discovery Education
- The Educator's Reference Desk
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Course Number: 270*/3.0 3L (Course Code Explanation)
Open To: B.Mus. and B.Mus./B.Ed. students, non-B.Mus. students
Area(s): Music Education
Instructor(s): Mr. Gordon Craig
Day(s) and Time(s): M: 2.30-4.00, W: 2.30-4.00
Room: HLH 120
An introduction to basic principles of conducting, baton and rehearsal techniques.
This course introduces students to basic principles of conducting and baton techniques. Students will learn to use conventional right-hand conducting patterns for duple, triple and compound duple metres, right-hand cueing, and will analyze compositions to prepare for conducting.
Class activities include movement, creative activities (composition and/or arranging), strength training, peer conducting, small and large group discussions. Course evaluation will consist of participation (required for peer conducting), assignments and quizzes, and a written and practical final examination. Students should be prepared to sing, play one or more secondary instruments, read articles/books, and should provide an individual videotape and a lightweight baton.


After the kids had painted and pieced together a volcanic eruption and played with their dinosaurs a bit, I set up part two of our science play: the Coconut Volcano Science Experiment! This is actually our second time making a coconut volcano and I believe if I had enough baking soda and vinegar, my kids would do this activity over and over forever! I don’t blame them!!
To get ready for our experiment, I added one of our breakfast trays to the tub. Both kids still have plenty of room with the tray in place and it provides a nice surface for them to work without knocking stuff off the side of the tub onto the bathroom floor.
Next I put some baking soda into a plastic yogurt cup. We save these and applesauce cups and use them for everything!!
Then the kids placed our empty coconut shell on top of the yogurt cup. We used the half of the shell that has 3 holes in it from where the eyes were punched out to drain the coconut water. You can see more activities we’ve done with our coconut here.
In a cup, I mixed together our lava!
To make the lava, I simply mixed together vinegar, red food coloring, and a squirt of dish soap. Then the kids used a baby nasal aspirator to suck up the liquid from the cup,
and squirt it through one of the holes on the top of the coconut.
In a few seconds, bubbly red lava would come out of the volcano and ooze it’s way down the sides!!
Once the bubbles would stop, we’d simply rinse the coconut and yogurt cup out in the water, add some more baking soda, put it all back together, and make another volcanic eruption. The kids took turns rinsing the cups and squirting the vinegar. Using their hands to squeeze the aspirator is great fine motor practice which helps with future writing!!
We only used about a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar but we were able to make the volcano erupt many, many times!!The lava eventually turns the kids’ bath water red as it spills off the tray. Yet another fun aspect of this bath!!
The kids had fun touching the bubbles as they came out of the volcano…
and playing with their dinosaurs who were trying to get out of the path of the hot lava coming their way!
This really is one of the most fun science play activities we’ve done so far!!
Now be sure to hop over to Bath Activities for Kids to read all about Mud Science for Kids!
This post may contain affiliate links.


ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Teacher Resources by Grade
|1st - 2nd||3rd - 4th|
|5th - 6th||7th - 8th|
|9th - 10th||11th - 12th|
How-To Writing: Motivating Students to Write for a Real Purpose
|Grades||3 – 5|
|Lesson Plan Type||Standard Lesson|
|Estimated Time||Five 40-minute sessions|
What do students need to know to succeed in fourth grade (or third or fifth)? What supplies are needed? What rules and steps should be followed? These and many other questions provide the framework for students to write how-to essays for a specific audience—future fourth graders. Although this lesson focuses specifically on fourth grade, it can be easily adapted for third or fifth graders. Students first learn about the how-to writing genre by reading an assortment of instruction manuals. This also demonstrates how how-to writing relates to their everyday lives. The teacher then models each step of the writing process as the students write about how to be successful fourth graders. After students publish their writing, the final drafts are saved for the following year's fourth graders to read at the beginning of the next school year.
- Power Proofreading: Students can use this interactive site to complete activities to build their proofreading skills.
- Essay Map: Using this interactive site, students can organize the information they will include in their essay.
Huntley-Johnston, L., Merritt, S.P., & Huffman, L.E. (1997). How to do how-to books: Real life writing in the classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 41(3), 172–179.
- Students need to understand that there are purposes for writing other than for the teacher to read and grade it. Writing how-to essays has been found to be a successful alternative to the traditional research paper or teacher-based essay.
- How-to writing is a genre that appeals to most students because it is applicable in the world. This genre involves exploring interests and needs to identify a topic, conducting several research methods, and working through the writing process.
- When students' writing has an authentic audience beyond the classroom teacher, they can see a direct connection between their lives and their literacy development.


From late December to mid-April thousands of gray whales migrate from the food-rich waters of the Bering Sea to Baja California lagoons where they mate, bear their young and return almost 7,000 miles to the Arctic. Several Southern California organizations provide educational opportunities to learn firsthand about these 30- to 40-ton marine mammals:
The Cabrillo Marine Museum in San Pedro is in its 17th year of whale watching trips. Led by naturalists from the museum, trips continue every day through the beginning of April. There will also be a special one-day class on marine mammals followed by a trip led by Educational Curator Steve Vogel on Feb. 11. For information on the daily trips, call (213) 832-4444. For information on the special class/trip outing, call (213) 548-7563.
Channel Islands National Park, through its concessionaire, Island Packers, offers visitors a chance to explore one of the Channel Islands, as well as view the whales from park concession vessels. Sea lions and killer whales have been spotted on and around the islands. Park rangers will also present educational programs about the whales at the park's visitor Center in Ventura Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For trip information, call (805) 642-1393. For park program information, call (805) 642-8262.
Naturalists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Aquarium-Museum in La Jolla will lead two two-hour cruises to observe migrating whales off the San Diego coastline Feb. 12. The first cruise leaves at 9 a.m., the second at 11:30 a.m. Call (619) 534-4578.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History naturalists will be on board the 88-foot Condor to help participants learn more about whales and other marine life of the Santa Barbara Channel in a series of weekend excursions Feb. 25 through Mar. 19. Call (805) 682-4711.
Participants in the San Diego Natural History Museum's whale watching trips can examine specimens such as a whale rib and baleen plates and possibly sight a newborn gray whale calf. Museum naturalists will offer talks on the weekend trips through Feb. 19. Call (619) 232-3821, Ext. 203.
SCIENCE FOR KIDS
Children, age 7 and up, can examine and learn about local marine life in a one-day field trip, including a boat trip from San Pedro, sponsored by the Westside Arts Center and the Oceanic Society on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (213) 453-3966.
Previously unseen footage of the space shuttle, solar eruptions and northern lights will highlight a new video to be shown at the Los Angeles Astronomical Society general meeting Feb. 13 at Griffith Park Observatory. Admission to the meeting is free, but reservations are required. Call (213) 926-4071.
Human beings first set foot on the moon in 1969. What we have learned about our closest celestial neighbor since that time will be the topic of the Los Angeles Valley College Planetarium show Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. Call (818) 781-1200, Ext. 335.


I am so thankful I have patient blog followers. You've asked for it - and now - here it is! Click on the picture below to get your FREE second grade Common Core activities for Reading Literature. =)
Alright, all that's left is 1st grade and Kindergarten. PHEW! I hope to get them done in the next couple of weeks...
On Pinterest, I was shown this amazing site with all of the literacy standards covered! It is put together by Read Tennessee. They have media, teaching strategies, lesson and unit plans, activities/centers, and assessment ideas that are all FREE! Click on the picture below to go directly to their website! This has soooo many more resources than I can find!
What would you be interested in seeing after I complete K and 1 Reading Literature?
Reading informational text? Reading foundational skills? Writing? Speaking and Listening? Language? Or would you rather see math? What portion - Operations and Algebraic Thinking? Numbers and Operations in Base Ten? Numbers and Operations - Fractions? Measurement and Data? Geometry?
Thanks for your input!


Learning to read is essential for any child and adult. And there are plenty of strategies or techniques that one can employ to do so. However, not all of them are ideal especially in this busy and fast-paced world that we live in. With sight words, though, the amount of time utilized in learning how to read is considerably shortened. And there are also other benefits of learning to read with sight words.
One undeniable benefit of learning to read with sight words is that it helps build a child’s confidence. Nothing encourages a person, adult or child, to learn more than when he or she sees visible proof of accomplishment. Now, a lot of the words used in children’s literature can be found on Dolche’s sight word lists. Thus, children who have started memorizing some of the words on these lists will be easily able to recognize the words even if it is in a book he or she has never encountered before. This automatically reinforces the child’s belief in himself and his ability to accomplish the task. And the ultimate result is that the child feels more enthusiastic and motivated to learn and read more.
Another benefit of learning to read with sight words is that it allows the child to have more focus on reading harder, more challenging words. We adults often forget how hard it is when you start learning how to read. So much energy and focus is used up just “sounding out” the unfamiliar words on a page that it can cause children to feel frustrated. Having to decode each and every word will also place more focus on “reading” rather than understanding the meaning of each word. If children already know some sight words, they no longer need to use up so much energy in reading every word on the page. Instead, they can focus more on just “sounding out” those words that they don’t know.
Learning to read with sight words also enable children to figure out the meaning of sentences. Because children are able to easily read and understand sight words, they are given clues to what the entire sentence could be saying. For example, children who know the sight words jump and play will easily be able to discern what “I will jump in the pool” means compared to the sentence “I will play in the pool.” Pronouns such as I, you, she, and he are also included in sight word lists. And the meaning of these pronouns is very essential to discerning the correct meaning of a sentence.
Sight words also help children learn to read words that do not follow basic phonetic rules. Learning to read using phonics is also essential but there are some words are hard to learn just by “sounding them out.” Words like blue, please, and said are a couple of the most frequently used words in children’s texts and these cannot be learned through simple phonics instruction.


Dissemination Grants Corner: School To School
Dissemination grants empower successful charter schools to share proven best practices information and assistance with both charter and traditional public schools. Project deliverables available to charter school developers, charter school operators, and traditional public school educators often include individual technical assistance, conference and workshop presentations, online and hardcopy manuals, CD-ROMs, and more.
Dissemination Grant Eligibility
Dissemination grant recipient schools should be avenues of educational reform and choice, offering more students the opportunity to learn to rigorous academic state content standards. Charter schools that have been in operation for at least three years, have audit reports free of exceptions and deficiencies, and have demonstrated overall success are eligible to apply for a dissemination grant. According to federal law, "overall success" of a charter school includes substantial progress in improving student achievement; high levels of parent satisfaction; and the management and leadership necessary to overcome initial start-up problems and establish a thriving, financially viable charter school. Pending federal approval of its grant application, the California Department of Education (CDE) will advertise minimum eligibility criteria.
Applying For a Dissemination Grant
Please see the current Public Charter Schools Grant Program Dissemination Grant Funding Profile [http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/profile.asp?id=2354] for application forms and further information.
Active Dissemination Grant Projects
Dissemination grant projects are available to support both public charter and traditional schools. Projects from older grant cycles are generally more established, and more readily available to share with others. A few recipients whose projects have ended are continuing to disseminate information on a limited basis. Contact Dissemination Grant recipients directly for further information regarding their grant projects.
March 2005 Grant Cycle Projects [http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/as/pcsgpdismar05.asp]
Topics: Participatory governance; home study; increasing student achievement and parent satisfaction; best practices in elementary education and developing new schools; best practices in auditing; best practices in educational innovations and accountability; English language learner curriculum; Core Knowledge curriculum; improving academic achievement in science; strategies for at-risk students; working with diverse learning populations.
2005-06 Grant Cycle Projects [http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/as/pcsgpdis0506.asp]
Topics: Integrating the arts into standards-based learning; best practices for English language learners; propelling low achieving students to college; standards-based curriculum, instruction, assessment, and reporting tools.
2006-07 Grant Cycle Projects [http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/as/pcsgpdis0607.asp]
Topics: Project-based learning; parent involvement; middle school leadership program.
Back to Administration and Support [http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/as/]


Listen, Sing, Rattle, Ding
Lesson Ideas to Take a Little Song a Long Way
Grades PreK-2 ·
Use the timeless appeal of folk and camp songs to energize and enrich your lower-elementary classroom repertoire with loads of fun and lots of learning. At first glance, these songs may seem like simple ditties, but innovative educator Mari Schay takes them to a new level with her brain-based lesson plans. Your students will be so busy having fun that they won't even realize they are learning the basic concepts of a solid music education. Plus, every lesson offers every student the opportunity to listen, sing, and play instruments. Printable teaching aids are available on the included CD to further enhance many of the lessons.


Community And Environmental Sociology
Have you ever wondered why people go hungry in the midst of plenty? Or how population changes and new industrial production practices affect the environment? Do you care about the survival of small towns or distinctive cultures in an increasingly globalized and homogenized world? Would you like to learn about new strategies for community development? If so, a major in Community and Environmental Sociology may be what you are looking for.
What Community and Environmental Sociologists Study
Sociologists study human social behavior and the organization of society. Faculty in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology study and teach about a wide range of issues related to the sociology of agrofood systems, community development, environmental sociology, applied demography, science and technology studies and the sociology of labor markets.
We study issues such as:
- Problems of the rural/urban interface, such as urban sprawl and the loss of farmland.
- People and environmental interactions
- The socioeconomic composition of Wisconsin's population
- Poverty and well-being among minorities
- Social impacts of new technologies
- How globalization affects communities in the United States, people in low-income countries and the environment
- The organization of agricultural production and cultural and political dimensions of food consumption
- The development and deployment of new technologies
- How socioeconomic and political factors shape the way that science is conducted
- How people organize themselves to improve the communities in which they live and work
Gear Your Studies To Your Interests
Community and Environmental Sociology faculty teach a wide range of courses for both beginning and advanced students. If you choose to major in Community and Environmental Sociology, you will take a common core of theory and methods courses.
Our faculty are committed to providing a quality educational experience for undergraduates. Each of our majors is assigned a faculty advisor, and professors meet with their advisees at least once each semester to provide guidance in course selection and the overall design of each student's academic program.
Beyond the Classroom
One advantage of being part of a relatively small department is that you can get involved in what we do outside the classroom. Some students find jobs in the department, and there are often opportunities to participate in faculty projects to gain practical experience in research and analysis. The Department of Community and Environmental Sociology has several research and outreach programs – including the Applied Population Laboratory and the Program on Agricultural Technology Studies – which offer students job and internship opportunities. Students who work with our Extension faculty help conduct applied research projects throughout the state.
Community and Environmental Sociology majors acquire a broad range of skills, ideas and social research knowledge that can be applied to a variety of career paths. A degree in Community and Environmental Sociology is good preparation for a wide array of jobs in government agencies, non-profit organizations, education, and elsewhere.
Here are some examples of what our majors have done after graduating:
- Legal Advocate, Walworth County Association for the Prevention of Family Violence
- Director of Policy Development, Missouri Farmers Union
- Research Supervisor, Wisconsin Survey Research Center, UW-Madison
- Research Scientist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Peace Corp Volunteer
Some of our students have double-majored, combining community and environmental sociology with fields such as education, nursing, or wildlife ecology, then gone on to jobs in elementary education, health care and natural resources management. Many of our graduates pursue master's or doctorate degrees in sociology or a related field, or earn professional degrees in fields such as law or social work.
Whatever they do, our graduates are prepared for careers in which they can do positive things to address important issues affecting communities and people of Wisconsin, the nation, and the world.
Approximately $500,000 in scholarships are awarded each year to College of Agricultural and Life Sciences students. Criteria are based on curricular activities and scholastic achievement.
For more information contact:
Department of Community and Environmental Sociology
- 350 Agricultural Hall | 1450 Linden Drive | Madison, WI 53706
- Ph (608) 262-1510
- Department Community and Environmental Sociology
Prospective Student Services: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Undergraduate Programs and Services Office
- 116 Agricultural Hall | 1450 Linden Drive | Madison, WI 53706
- Ph (608) 262-3003
- Toll Free: 1-877-919-CALS (2257)
- CALS Undergraduate Programs and Services
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an AA/EEO institution. University policies create additional protection that prohibits harassment on the basis of cultural background and ethnicity. Inquires concerning these policies may be directed to the appropriate campus admitting or employing unit or to the Equity and Diversity Resource Center, 179-A, Bascom Hall, (608) 263-2378, TTY (608) 263-2473.


School is about to start and with that comes anticipation and excitement. There will be new teachers, a new desk or locker, new school books and of course the opportunity to meet new friends. Whether your child is attending a new school or the same school or moving up to a middle or high school, that same opportunity exists but with that potential can come some anxiety.
The famous quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson "The only way to have a friend is to be one" is something all adults understand. All of us remember how much we learned by interacting with our peers at school. However, establishing new friendships can be difficult for some. That is why it is so important for parents and teachers to work together, watch and be involved in kid's interactions.
The teachers and staff at Utica Community Schools understand and prepare for establishing good friendships within the school. "Teachers plan ice-breaking activities to have the children become acquainted (or reacquainted) with one another and to establish friendships," said Vivian Constand, director of elementary education for Utica Community Schools. "For students who are brand new to the school, the teacher will pair them up with a "buddy" who can help them acclimate to the school, including the lunchroom and playground."
Beginning in September UCS teachers plan cooperative learning activities that focus on bringing children together in different groups so that they have the opportunity to expand and create new friendships. Extracurricular activities such as science or social studies olympiads or enrichment classes are more opportunities to be with friends building those friendships and social interaction time.
Parents also need to be involved
According to a parenting article on SheKnows.com, parents should not only be involved but also be conscious of their actions, which kids will model with their own peers. It recommends modeling cooperative behavior, which will show kids how important it is to get along when working together. It also recommends exploring common interest between kids and between parents, too. Having parents developing friendships will help create a sense of community within the classroom.
One of the best things parents can do is be involved with their kid's school, says Constand. "We encourage our parents to be involved in our schools, both in volunteering and in participating in our parent-teacher organizations. That, in turn, encourages our students to be actively involved in classroom activities and after-school activities. It also sends a strong message that education is a strong priority in the family."
Constand also recommends modeling good behavior and maintaining good communication with school personnel. She recommends that parents:
• Talk with your children about their responsibility to be kind to others so that others will be kind to them.
• Help them develop problem-solving strategies in dealing with others outside of school.
• Ask them to let you know if they are experiencing any problems that they can't solve.
• Encourage good decision-making at home; this will transfer over to the school.
• Have them offer solutions on how they might cope with a situation where someone is bothering them, from the initial step of asking them to stop to reporting if they don't.
• Reinforce their efforts to make good decisions and to solve problems.


Few people are aware of the many new developments in music education today.
Many people feel that they cannot begin music after a certain age. This is a common myth. Age proves no obstacle to the enjoyable pursuit of music. The mature person has a better sense of his or her own needs, makes better use of time and understands the value and need for self-expression.
It is commonly thought that the study of music requires hours a day of boring practice. Rather than long, tedious practice, what is needed is a very efficient and interesting lesson plan in which students can develop their musical ability within the framework of their own available time.
Here are some great quotes on practice. It actually, simply comes down to doing the WORK!!!
How does anyone spend their leisure time? There is certainly no shortage of alternatives. The experience of music is a most satisfying pastime. It grows even more satisfying as students begin to develop their ability to play.
Since music provides an opportunity to develop one's creative capacities, it should be part of everyone's educational experience. The concentration and discipline developed through the study of music is particularly valuable to children or adults who have never been exposed to creative music in the traditional school setting.
Music, so popular with youth, is an excellent bridge to the so-called "generation gap". Music favors neither male or female, adult or child. It provides a unique opportunity for communication between parents and children. Though few take advantage of it, participation in music is one of the finest possible family activities.
Few people are aware of the many new developments in music education today. It is quite common to identify music lessons with the boring and repetitive exercises of many years ago. In contrast to this, our approach and material are uniquely suited to the needs of the contemporary student.
Anyone who has accepted responsibility in life has unavoidable pressure. It is most necessary to have a way to relax from the pressures of daily life. Music, with its emphasis on the relaxed exploration of sound, provides an excellent opportunity to escape from the tension and pressures of daily responsibility.
For instrument specific FREE on-line lessons and other info visit these sections:
Thanks to Chuck Anderson for permission to use the above copy
Content is always being added and updated. So check-in often. Thanks, Curt
Over 500+ lessons, 54 songs and TABS, 240+ archtop luthiers, 200+ ukulele builders, festival information, ukulele links on the web. On the web since the early 90's and growing everyday.
[ UL0 ] STUDYING.PHP | Updated: Saturday, 30th November, 2013 @ 02:40pm


The be all end all of ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLESPatricia,
After reading you thoughts on E & P and how High School students are able to comprehend some of the more sophisticated ones, I wondered if you might be interested in reading Lowenfelds' book, Creative and Mental Growth? He claims that art education for that age group should center around their interests.
Carolyn in Tahoe
----- Original Message -----
From: Patricia Knott
To: ArtsEdNet Talk
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2002 1:11 PM
Subject: The be all end all of ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES
I think 20th century artists introduced an element that is sometimes included on lists and sometimes not TIME
mobiles/kinetic sculpture, evironmental art, installations, performance, film, video, animation... all need to deal with the element of time and viewer manipulation through that time.
I made Time a unit in my Advanced class ( but that was mostly justification for getting computer equipment. In my district, if the curriculum demands something that requires technology then you will probably get the technology)
It seems to me that contemporary art puts in some disregard a "reverence" for the traditional elements and principles and I'm coming to the belief that I'm not sure how important the emphasis is. And I'm also always looking how Western the standards are. I'm department coordinator and I know the the Es & Ps are in the curriculum from day one of art education, but still I get them in high school and they really haven't grasped the expressive qualities of the elements or the power of the principles to direct viewer attention. Sometimes they can name the elements, the principles ????? they don't know. And when you think about it things like balance and rhythm and spatial relationships are pretty sophisticated concepts.
What I do know is, that a lesson that incorporates personal content, meaning and connection makes it much easier to direct the use of structural form in order to communicate that meaning. When there is something they really want to say visually, you can guide them through that communication by suggesting compositional elements. They are much more responsive to listening when they own the result.
P.S. in my experience, the forgotten element is texture


Wild Physics & Cool Chemistry Science Experiments
Think that science for kids is boring? Think again! Our Wild Physics & Cool Chemistry Science Experiments kit contains everything you need to make your own slime, fart putty and bouncing balls. Now that doesn't sound like your average boring physics or chemistry lesson does it? Ideal learning gifts for kids, this fun science experiments kit will teach them all about 'force = mass x acceleration', non-Newtonian fluids, long chain polymers, cross linked gels and calcium being a bonding agent. Watch them learn as they create cool science games such as tadpole soup, real looking guts, slimy monsters and more!
Science experiments for kids are great for show and tell, science fairs and school projects. This fantastic kit contains will cover certain topics of physics and chemistry for kids in a way they will understand.
About Wild Physics & Cool Chemistry Science Experiments
The Wild Physics and Cool Chemistry Laboratory is a box of fun science games.
Create fart putty, bouncing balls, slime, tadpole soup, real looking guts and goo, slimy monsters and more!
This interesting and incredibly fun chemistry set will give children so much fun that they will hardly realise that they are actually learning. This product is so much fun even adults will enjoy seeing science in its greatest form.
Cool Chemistry set Science Phenomena Information
1 x Large Beaker
1 x Small Beaker
1 x Spoon
1 x Pair of Goggles
3 x Pipettes
3 x Stirring Sticks
1 x Sachet of Slime
1 x Empty Slime Jar
1 x Pack of Specimen Tubes
1 x Pack of Calcium Chloride
1 x Large Jar and Alginate
1 x Dish
1 x Work Station
1 x Pack of Colours
1 x Red Water Based Moulding Granules
1 x Glow in the Dark Moulding Granules
4 x Moulds
2 x Wooden Dowel
1 x Booklet and Safety Leaflet


Putting Your Diploma to Use: What You Can Do With a Physical Education Degree
A physical education degree is a great option if you enjoy being active and teaching others about health. After graduating with this type of degree, you’ll be eligible for a number of jobs across the country! Let’s take a look at just what you can do with this type of education.
Elementary Education Jobs
All elementary schools provide children with physical education time, which can include learning how to play sports, playing physically active games, doing exercises, tumbling, and more. When you major in physical education, you can choose whether you’d like to specialize in elementary or secondary education, and if you’re interested in working with younger children, elementary is definitely the way to go!
Physical education in elementary schools may also include classroom learning in the health field at some schools, and you might also have other duties, such as supervising recess, administering national physical fitness tests, and coaching school sports teams. Working at a public school requires you to have a teaching certificate, and in some states, this might be a requirement for private and religious schools as well.
Secondary Education Jobs
At the junior high and high school level, students have more advanced physical education classes. At the secondary level, you’ll do less game-playing and focus more on learning about and playing sports, honing physical skills, and building stamina. Most physical education teachers also help teach health classes, depending on the size of the school where you work, which may cover topics such as growth, first aid, and anatomy. Again, you need a teaching certificate if you want to work at a public school, and depending on your state, you might also need a certificate to teach at a private or religious school – and in any case, most employers want to see that you have this certification.
Other Physical Education Jobs
While most people who graduate with a degree in physical education choose to teach either elementary or secondary students, there are other options as well. You could specialize in physical education for special education students, for example, working with students who may have disabilities. You could also work teaching classes in a gym or other health care facility, and you can also work as a coach or in another health leadership position.
You might also be interested in teaching health at the elementary or secondary level. Many coaches and physical education teachers opt to teach both PE and health, depending on the school. However, some schools hire full-time health educators that teach students how to develop healthy eating habits, in addition to the following, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Assess the needs of the people they serve
- Develop programs and events to teach people about health topics
- Create and distribute health-related posters, pamphlets, and other educational materials
- Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and materials
- Help people find health services or information
- Supervise staff who implement health education programs
- Collect and analyze data to learn about their audience and improve programs
- Advocate for improved health resources and policies


(Kathleen - just letting you know I am passing this on)
Greetings Art Educators,
Kathleen - a new art teacher- shared an idea with Art Education list that I
thought I would pass on.
Maybe some of you have lesson ideas to add for Art about Peace?
From Kathleen Arola
Historical Collage Peace Symbols
I've done this one for fifth grade social studies for a couple of
years, but it could be modified for various age levels.
Start with a large photocopy of a peace symbol. It should be drawn
in thick (1/2" or 1") black marker so it'll stand out. Then I had
some discarded social studies books (5th grade social studies is US
history). Students collaged various elements from the books inside
of their peace symbols. They cut out photographs, artwork, maps,
headlines, text, charts, artifacts, musical notes and lyrics,
timelines and whatever else they liked.
A variation would be to cut large peace symbol shapes out of
construction paper, then place them over the collages to have neat
edges. I also had students fill in white spaces with red and blue
colored areas or patterns to complete the look. Then we cut out the
peace symbols and mounted them on red and blue construction paper
and laminated the entire projects. Some students even did fancy
backgrounds for mounting, such as a construction paper flag with the
peace symbol placed in the middle of the stripes.
Two teaching aspects to be aware of -
1. Students need to be reminded which direction the peace symbol
goes (and do they want their collage to be oriented in that
direction, or images pasted in all directions).
2. Students need to know that it's okay to cut images to fit the
peace symbol spaces, and that most likely they won't find images
that fit exactly, so to work on collage techniques.
Eventually - I will get this idea added to an Art about Peace section -- for
A variation of this would be one large group project for your classroom - a
huge Peace sign.... with images "What Peace Means to Me" filling in the


NATIONAL: More action is needed to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to meet the 2031 target, a national report warns.
The life expectancy gap is 11.5 years for men and 9.7 years for women.
In 2008, federal, state and territory governments agreed on six targets to tackle indigenous disadvantage in life expectancy, health, education and employment.
Only the Northern Territory is on track to close the life expectancy gap, according to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council report released on Wednesday.
Heart attacks and strokes were the most common cause of Aboriginal deaths.
Death rates had declined in Queensland, but not at the needed pace, while NSW and South Australia were not on track to achieve the target, the COAG report said.
Western Australia’s indigenous death rates had also dipped, but the state had not set a target.
The report noted progress in reducing the death rates of Aboriginal children aged under five.
But it found half of Indigenous mothers were still smoking during pregnancy.
Literacy and numeracy skills of Indigenous children were also lagging behind, the report said.
On efforts to increase Indigenous employment, it said only NSW had seen some improvement.
The early childhood education target to improve access to preschool for all Indigenous four-year-olds in remote communities is expected to be achieved this year.
The federal government accepted the COAG report’s recommendation to set a new target to boost attendance levels in preschool programs.
Year 12 completion rates for Indigenous children had improved, and WA, SA, NT and ACT were on track to meet the 2020 target, the report said.
National Congress of Australia’s First People spokesman Les Malezer said the small improvements in the report were welcome, but it also came as a warning that more work was needed.
He reiterated a call for a justice target, to reduce the high representation of Aboriginal people in Australian jails.
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NATIONAL: The families of the three Bowraville murder victims marched on state parliament on November 21st.
The Boomerang Festival was held on the October Long Weekend on Byron Bay.
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Arts Integration Educator Training
PLEASE NOTE: The address for this web page has changed.
About the Program:
The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art is pleased to offer arts integration workshops designed to introduce educators to the value and ease of using artworks and art projects as inspiration and departure points for teaching creative classroom lessons in language arts, science, social studies, and math. Using artworks from the MGMoA collection as inspiration, the workshops demonstrate how art can serve as an effective learning tool, meeting the needs of diverse learning styles.
The MGMoA Arts Integration Educator Training Program has proven to help educators bring the benefits of arts integration to all area students through the use of the unique resources of the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. The program familiarizes educators with the Museum and inspires them to utilize the Museum as a teaching resource. As a result, these teachers introduce art and the Museum to thousands of area students each year, encouraging these students to become life-long learners.
Educators also receive discounts on MGMoA Art Workshops for Adults!
The Talking Stick: Reclaiming our Creative Voice through Nature and Art
with Dr. Madeline Rugh
The ancient practice of art-as-medicine utilizes natural forms as sources of guidance and healing. The talking stick has its origins and current ritual use with Native Americans. The stick was “decorated” with symbols meaningful to the community and was used to control conversation during meetings; whoever held the stick had everyone’s full attention.
In this workshop we respectfully carry forward the understanding that the talking stick is a tool for listening. In this case you will be listening to your inner wisdom and the inner quality of your experiences as reflected in multisensory observations of the stick.
The primary objective for this workshop is to provide the teacher with knowledge of art making in the service of reconnecting with the natural world and with their own (or their students’) inner wisdom.
This is a place-based learning opportunity that will draw from the beautiful grounds around the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art and St. Gregory’s University.
- Participants will learn simple heart-based perception exercises
- Participants will discover the role of walking in awareness
- Participants will become aware of their 53 senses
- Participants will practice synaesthesia (cross over of the senses)
- Participants will learn the 4 ways of engaging the arts that are simultaneously ancestral and modern
Dr. Madeline Rugh is a visiting professor in Art and Psychology at St. Gregory’s University. Madeline holds a masters degree in Art Education and a Ph.D. in Adult Education and Art. She specializes in developing arts-based programs for place-based learning and eco-literacy.
This workshop is free and open to all educators: teachers, professors, university education students, home school parents, museum educators, etc. Materials are provided.
November 16, 1-4pm. Registration is required


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


Uses of Author Interviews for Art Educators & Students
Show professional illustrators demonstrating art techniques and mediums,
for example …
Watch professional illustrators teach the book-making process,
for example …
What is an Author Interview?
- Author Interviews are interviews with authors and illustrators in video, audio, and written formats.
- Meet-the-Author Programs are filmed by TeachingBooks.net in the homes and studios of award-winning authors and illustrators to enable readers to connect with the author the moment they are studying a book.
Authors talk about:
- Working with ideas
- Doing research
- Bringing history to life
- Being a professional author
- Diverse art techniques
- Approaches to book design
- Illustrating fiction and nonfiction
- Being a professional illustrator
Share how you use Author Interviews as an art educator.*
Here are some curricular uses submitted by educators…
- "I share Author Interviews because they give physical descriptions on how the art was used."
- "I use the Author Interviews to have the author explaining, in their own words, how a technique is used—or how the process of creating an illustrated book is done."
- "I use Author Interviews to show art techniques to students, as well as expose them to professions in art education. This brings art and literacy together."
- "After watching an Author Interview, break students break into teams of 4 to come up with some specific questions they would like to ask the illustrator if he or she were a guest in the classroom.
Also, use Author interviews to inspire students and help them to become more excited about making their own work—especially when creating 'minibooks' in the art room."
- "I use Author Interviews to share with the students information that brings history to life, tips on doing research, and ways to approach writing/illustrating."
- "These author/illustrator programs are inspirational for me, exposing me to different techniques that I might use with the class. I also show the videos to my students to inspire them to 'think outside the box.' In particular, I liked Denise Fleming's reinforcement that the use of 'sound words' such as "Crunch, Munch" are particularly effective in story writing."


The First Tee National School Program introduces the game of golf and The First Tee Nine Core Values and Nine Healthy Habits to elementary students during physical education classes. Currently introduced to more than 6,000 elementary schools, this school golf program creates an environment where young people are introduced to the lifelong sport while learning the basic golf motor skills and the inherent values of the game.
Physical educators receive professional development training and are provided age-appropriate materials, junior golf lesson plans, and equipment for effective implementation into their existing physical education programs.
- Provide a complete golf program appropriate for today's elementary school physical education students and teachers
- Enable physical educators to introduce golf consistent with national standards developed by NASPE
- Develop student appreciation for the positive personal and social values associated with the game with each lesson
- Engage students in daily lesson activities that lead to motor skill development
- Present golf to students as a lifelong recreation and physical fitness activity


More to Explore
People and Groups
(born April 5, 1937, New York, New York, U.S.) U.S. general and statesman. He was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–93) and secretary of state (2001–05), the first African American to hold either position.
(born October 3, 1954, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) American civil rights activist and minister. He began preaching at age four and became an ordained Pentecostal minister at age 10.
Salmon P. Chase was a U.S. senator, governor of Ohio and Supreme Court chief justice who served as the U.S. secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War.
Civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson became one of the most influential African-Americans of the late 20th century.
US representative and social activist. Born Shirley St. Hill on November 30, 1924 in New York City. Chisholm spent part of her childhood in Barbados with her grandmother and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946. She began her career as a teacher and earned a Master's degree in elementary education from Columbia University. She served as director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center from 1953 to 1959 as an educational consultant to New York City's Bureau of Child Welfare from 1959 to 1964.
In 1969, Chisholm became the first black congresswoman and began the first of seven terms. After initially being assigned to the House Forestry Committee, she shocked many by demanding reassignment. She was placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, eventually graduating to the Education and Labor Committee. She became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969.
Chisholm became the first African American woman to make a bid to be President of the United States when she ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972. A champion of minority education and employment opportunities throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm was also a vocal opponent of the draft. After leaving Congress in 1983, she taught at Mount Holyoke College and was popular on the lecture circuit.
Chisholm was married to Conrad Chisholm from 1949 to 1977. She wed Arthur Hardwick, Jr. in 1986. She is the author of two books, Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973).
Biography courtesy of BIO.com
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This Day in History
On December 18, 1620, the British ship Mayflower docked at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepared to begin their new settlement,…
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Comparative Study of American and South African Primary Education
LocationJohannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Venda, South Africa
We will explore four regions of South Africa in our comparative study of primary education. To examine the factors of geography, history, culture, the arts, economics and politics as they affect education, we will travel to KwaZulu-Natal to explore the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game reserve and the St. Lucia Estuary before heading to Durban to see the traditional home of the Zulus. From there we move to the Venda region of the country in Limpopo Province to spend two weeks living with host families, running a winter intercession school program for fourth through seventh grade students, and exploring the countryside at the Tropic of Capricorn. On our return to Gauteng Province, we will make a stop at Kruger National Park for some game drives to see "the big 5" before traveling through the scenic route to visit Blyde River Canyon to see the Three Rondavels and Bourke's Potholes and do some hiking.
Once we arrive in the capital city of Pretoria, we will live in University of Pretoria housing for two weeks as we meet with UP faculty and students from the Early Childhood Department to learn more about primary education, teacher education programs, and the issues South Africa faces to educate all learners equitably. During this time we will work in a township school, assisting teachers and providing professional development workshops that afford us opportunities to share what we are learning through our experiences in the schools. Visits to the Voortrekker Museum, government buildings,Freedom Park, as well as visual and performing arts programs will provide the socioculture background for our understanding of this area . Our experience ends with a visit to Cape Town where we will explore Robben Island, the prison for the nation's leaders in the fight for democracy, the wine lands, Table Mountain, and other cultural and historic sites.
South Africa is on the southern tip of the African continent. Our travels will take us from the northernmost province of Limpopo where we will cross the Tropic of Capricorn to see ancient baobab trees and giraffes, kudu, and zebra in the natural habitats. Mpumalanga Province, home to Kruger National Park and the "Big Five" and Blyde River Canon offer stark geographical contrasts in the landscape. Gauteng Province is home to Johannesburg, the "Place of Gold," and Pretoria, the nation's capital as well as anthropological sites for the beginnings of humankind. Cape Town, at the southern-most tip of the country, is home to the country's garden district, winelands, and Table Mountain as well as historical reminders of the country's fight for democracy.
DirectorTeresa Harris | firstname.lastname@example.org | Early Childhood, Elementary, & Reading Education
AccommodationsWe will stay with families for the two weeks we are in Venda; we will stay in university housing for the two weeks we are in Pretoria. Prior to departure for Venda and during our time in Cape Town we will stay in hotels. All meals are provided in the program fee.
Additional Items to Consider
Passports with at least 4 blank pages are required. Cell phones with air time are provided for pairs of students; air time for calls outside of the program are not covered by the program fee. All in-country transportation is covered as part of the program fee and provided by ZOTE International, the people with whom we have worked since 2008.
This program is targeted towards graduate students and designed specifically for education students.
For this program, students are required to submit the following material(s):
JMU Short-Term Application Form
- A supplemental essay addressing the following questions:
- What do you hope to gain from the experiences provided through this study abroad experience?
- What do you plan to contribute to the study abroad experience?
Attend an interview with the program director prior to the application deadline: Teresa Harris | email@example.com | Early Childhood, Elementary, & Reading Education
Submit a completed Faculty recommendation form.
Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.75.
For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.
Official transcript required for first-semester transfer students and non-JMU students.
All dates are tentative and subject to change
CoursesELED 501: Special Topics in Elementary Education: Comparative Study of Primary Education (3 credits)
ELED 510: Creativity and the Arts in Elementary Education (3 credits)


Learn something new every day More Info... by email
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!


Exploring Gamelan - working with genuine Javanese instruments
As part of the National Centre for Early Music's Musical Inclusion programme, Music4U , young people are being given hands-on experience of the instruments and music from another culture. The Exploring Gamelan project invites children from local schools and community groups to take part in practical workshops on Gamelan Sekar Petak, a set of traditional instruments from Indonesia, comprising bronze gongs and metallophones and carved wooden drums. The instruments were handmade in Surakarta, in Central Java, by Tentrem Sarwanto in 1981 and were crafted especially for the University of York. The name Sekar Petak, which translates as 'White Flower', was given in honour of the white rose emblem of York. There is a long history of gamelan playing in the city, with Sekar Petak being the first complete Javanese gamelan in a British university. The Exploring Gamelan project provides opportunities for young people from York and the East Yorkshire and Humber Region to be part of York's gamelan-playing culture.
Through short-courses and one-off workshops, young people are introduced to the traditional music of the gamelan, learning to play Javanese lancaran and gangsaran (short, cyclic pieces). The project offers insights into the cultural background of the gamelan, including discovering how the instruments are made and exploring some of the other artforms, such as puppetry and dance, which go hand-in-hand with this music. Young participants are also encouraged to work creatively and to use the instruments as a sound-source for contemporary composition and self-expression, with some groups developing new work as part of the Music4U Creativity Project . Recordings of young people's work can be heard on Music4U's Digital Musical Map . Playing as part of a gamelan ensemble has been shown to have a positive impact on participants' interpersonal skills and self-esteem. Exploring Gamelan seeks to support young people in developing team-working and communication skills, through work in a collaborative and egalitarian environment. The project also aims to promote self-awareness and confidence by giving young people access to genuine instruments and specialist tuition and by providing opportunities for creative expression.
Exploring Gamelan also provides opportunities for emerging music leaders to develop their skills. The project is led by York-based composer and gamelan specialist, Emily Crossland, assisted by Jade Flahive-Gilbert, a recent graduate of the University of York MA in Community Music, and supported by volunteers from the same MA programme and the University's Music Education Group (MEG). The MA and MEG volunteers are given the opportunity to observe, take part in and reflect on the Exploring Gamelan workshops and to develop their own practice through mentoring and advice offered by the lead musicians.
The project began in April 2014 and has engaged nearly 100 participants, through partnerships with NYMAZ, York High School, Castaway Dance, Castaway Young Musicians, Shipmates Youth Theatre, Accessible Arts and Media's Movers & Shakers and Sensory Movement groups, and the York IMPs.


While getting ready for my “History of Teaching Art” graduate class tonight, I searched through my book shelves for some books that have been written over the years to help art teachers teach drawing. For instance, I always highlight Kimon Nicolaides’ “The Natural Way to Draw” and Betty Edwards’ “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” as two books I know many art teachers have turned to for guidance, including myself.
I also have a copy of “Jon Gnagy’s New Television Art Instruction Book” (1950) that includes a series of lessons on drawing. Gnagy is an unique figure in the history of art education in this country. He became known in the 1950s to millions as “America’s art teacher.” Each week, he led his television-viewing audience through his step-by-step drawing method. The popularity of the program was due in part of Gnagy’s conviction that “everyone is an artist” and that it was simply a matter of learning how to transfer the images imprinted in your brain to your fingertips and on to paper or canvas.
As a history buff, you can imagine my delight when I found the above video on youTube that shows Gnagy presenting one of his TV art lessons. There is also a nice commemorative site maintained by Gnagy’s daughter, which includes a biography, sample lessons, and a link to a wonderful 1985 article written by Susan Morgan on Gnagy’s beginnings on TV.
According to Morgan, In 1939 Gnagy read about Vladimir Zworykin’s experiments in television and decided television was the “ideal teaching medium.” If he were alive today, l’m sure Gnagy would be presenting his lessons online, perhaps in Second Life.


Born: April 20, 1908 | Died: August 31, 2002 Primary Instrument: Vibraphone
Lionel Hampton is one of the most extraordinary musicians of the 20th century and his artistic achievements symbolize the impact that jazz music has had on our culture in the 21st century.
He was born April 20, 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Charles Hampton, a promising pianist and singer, was reported missing and later declared killed in World War I. Lionel and his mother, Gertrude, first moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to be with her family, then settled in Chicago.
He attended the Holy Rosary Academy, near Kenosha, Wisconsin, where a Dominican sister give him his first drum lessons.
Later, while attending St. Monica's School in Chicago, Lionel got a job selling papers in order to join the Chicago Defender's Newsboys Band. At first, he helped carry the bass drum, and later played the snare drum.
While in high school, Les Hite gave Lionel a job in a teenage band. Later, the 15-year-old Lionel, who had just graduated from high school, promised his grandmother he would continue to say his daily prayers and left for Los Angeles to join Reb Spikes's Sharps and Flats. He also played with Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders and a new band organized by Hite, which backed Louis Armstrong at the Cotton Club.
In 1930, Hampton was called in to a recording session with Armstrong, and during a break Hampton walked over to a vibraphone and started to play. He ended up playing the vibes on one song. The song became a hit; Hampton had introduced a new voice to jazz and he became King of the Vibes.
When Benny Goodman heard him play, Goodman immediately asked Hampton to record with him, Gene Krupa on drums and Teddy Wilson on piano. The Benny Goodman Quartet recorded the jazz classics Dinah, Moonglow, My Last Affair, and Exactly Like You. Hampton's addition to the groups also marked the breaking of the color barrier; the Benny Goodman Quartet was the first racially integrated group of jazz musicians.
Hampton and his wife, Gladys, were married Nov. 11, 1936. Gladys served as his personal manager, and developed a reputation as a brilliant businesswoman. She was responsible for raising the money for Lionel to start his own band.
As a bandleader, he established the Lionel Hampton Orchestra that became known around the world for its tremendous energy, dazzling showmanship and first-class jazz musicianship. Sunny Side of the Street, Central Avenue Breakdown, his signature tune, Flying Home, and Hamp's Boogie-Woogie all became top-of-the-chart best-sellers upon release and the name Lionel Hampton became world famous overnight, and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra had a phenomenal array of sidemen.
The band also initiated the first phase of Hampton's career as an educator by graduating such talents as Illinois Jacquet, Cat Anderson, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery, and singers Joe Williams, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter and Aretha Franklin. The Lionel Hampton Orchestra became known around the world for its tremendous energy, dazzling showmanship and first-class jazz musicianship.
As a composer and arranger, Hampton wrote more than 200 works, including the jazz standards Flying Home, Evil Gal Blues, and Midnight Sun. He also composed the major symphonic work, King David Suite.
As a statesman, he was asked by President Eisenhower to serve as a goodwill ambassador for the United States, and his band made many tours to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East, generating a huge international following. President George Bush appointed him to the Board of the Kennedy Center, and President Clinton awarded him the National Medal of the Arts.
As a businessman, he established two record labels, his own publishing company, and he founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation to build low-income housing in inner cities.
In his continuing role as an educator, he began working with University of Idaho in the early 1980s to establish his dream for the future of music education. In 1985, the University named its jazz festival for him, and in 1987 the University's music school was named the Lionel Hampton School of Music. Nearly 20 years later, the University of Idaho has developed an unprecedented relationship with Hampton by ensuring that his vision lives through the Lionel Hampton Center, a $60 million project that will provide a home for jazz, housing the university's Jazz Festival, its School of Music, and its International Jazz Collections, all designed to help teach and preserve the heritage of jazz.
His lifetime of swinging is well documented through hundreds of recordings, many of which rank among the best in jazz, and all of which will be housed and studied inside the Lionel Hampton Center in Moscow, Idaho, slated to open in 2006.


Preservation hot topic: Moving historic houses
When most people hear about house moving, they think of taping up boxes and packing everything but the kitchen sink to relocate to a new house; but for preservationists, house moving can mean much more than that. Though preservationists consider it a last resort, moving historic houses seems to be happening a lot lately, according to recent reports in and around Boston.
Recent efforts to preserve historically important houses in Eastern Massachusetts by moving them off their original sites and to new locations have included:
- the 1901 Charles Tappan House in Attleboro, Mass.
- an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Attleborough, Mass.
- the 300-year-old birthplace of Lowell Mason (1792-1872), founder of American public school music education, in Medfield, Mass.
- an early nineteenth-century house on historic Lexington Green in Lexington, Mass.
- a c. 1830 house built by heirs of Caesar Robbins, a Revolutionary War veteran and freed slave in Concord, Mass.
To read more, visit Hot Topics.


As educators, we are in urgent need of a newly conceived language and literacy curriculum….We need rich visions of classroom possibilities, and that is just what Janet Evans and her colleagues offer in abundance.
Anne Haas Dyson, Michigan State University
When it comes to new and different literacies, children are ahead of the curve. Their daily engagement with popular culture and technology is changing the very nature of what it means to be literate and raising questions for teachers.
How are children shaped by these literacies and how do they shape the popular culture around them?
What's the best way to help young readers capitalize on their cultural and technological knowledge to make sense of the all the messages they take in?
Literacy Moves On tackles 21st century literacy, and demonstrates how you can bridge the gap between children's interests and your curriculum. With an emphasis on celebrating children's development of new and different literacies and their participation in the dynamic and rapidly changing world around them, Janet Evans and a group of internationally known literacy experts:
- examine and demystify some of the influences on contemporary literacy, including popular culture; new technologies; and critical literacy
- enhance your awareness of how these influences connect to the emergence of children's literacy abilities and the development of their critical literacy skills
- show, through special "Implications for Practice" sections, how you can link children's individual, out-of-school interests with the demands of your school's curriculum.
Popular culture and technology are second nature to kids—but not always to their teachers. Read Literacy Moves On and plug your established best-practice teaching into Digital-Age ideas of literacy development. You'll give students the skills they need to not only participate in their increasingly complex world, but to make personalized meaning in it.
Introduction: The Changing Nature of Literacy in the Twenty-First Century
I. "New" Literacies and Children's Ways of Using Them
II. Focusing on Texts with a Critical Eye: Critical Literacy in the Elementary School
- Multimodal Texts: What They Are and How Children Use Them, Eve Bearne
- Moving Stories: Digital Editing in the Nursery, Jackie Marsh
- Children Reading and Interpreting Stories in Print, Film, and Computer Games, Margaret Mackey
- The Dagger of Doom and the Mighty Handbag: Exploring Identity in Children's On-Screen Writing, Guy Merchant
III. Bridging the Gap Between Children's Personal Interests and Teachers' School-Based Curriculum Demands
- Creating Opportunities for Critical Literacy with Young Children: Using Everyday Issues and Everyday Text, Vivian Vasquez
- Beanie Babies: An Opportunity to Promote Literacy Development or a Money-Spinner for the Business Tycoons?, Janet Evans
- Children Reread and Rewrite Their Neighborhood: Critical Literacies and Identity Work, Barbara Comber & Helen Nixon
- Curiosity Kits: Linking Reading and Play in the Middle Years, Ros Fisher
- Writing About Heroes and Villains: Fusing Children's Knowledge About Fantasy Texts with School-Based Literacy Requirements, Elaine Millard
- Getting It Right for Children: Making Meaningful Connections Between Culture, Community, and School, Dominic Scott
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Over the next five days I will post on each of The Duchess of Cambridge’s chosen patronages; providing background on the organization and highlighting Catherine’s interests in regards to the cause. Today, let’s take a closer look at The Art Room.
As described on its website, The Art Room is ” a charity based in Oxford aimed at 5 – 16 year olds who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.” Currently, there are five Art Rooms in both London and Oxford which provide art therapy to the cities’ youth. The purpose of art therapy is to increase children’s overall self-awareness, strengthening their self-esteem, confidence and general independence.
As state above, The Art Room targets children ages 5 – 16 who need the opportunity to learn and expand upon their skills outside of the classroom. These children experience learning hardships in school, whether it be due to a learning disability, emotional difficulties or perhaps they have just arrived in England and need assistance adapting. The Art Room descibres the students as having an “interrupted education;” they may be disruptive in the classroom, withdrawn from lessons and activities and even bullied by their classmates. Students are admitted into the program by way of recommendation from a teacher, the school system, psychologists or social workers and even by their parents and guardians.
Why is The Art Room of Interest to Catherine?
The Duchess of Cambridge has always had a deep-routed passion for the arts. Catherine graduated from St. Andrews University with a degree in History of Art. After graduation, Catherine continued to stay involved with the arts, from painting to photography. While visiting Los Angeles in July, 2011, Catherine, along with her husband Prince William, visited Skid Row – an impoverished community in the city – and painted with the children. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Inner-City Arts, a non-profit which provides free art education to the youth of Skid Row. The visit further fueld specualtion that Catherine would soon undertake an arts program as a chosen patronage. The Art Room is the perfect combination of both her love for art and desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.
The Art Room is always looking for financial donations to enable the continuation of the program. If you would like to donate to The Duchess of Cambridge’s chosen patronage, please visit http://www.theartroom.org.uk/8-02-donate.html. You can also learn about fundraising events here: http://www.theartroom.org.uk/8-04-fundraising.html.
If you are on Twitter, please follow the organization @TheArtRoomUK.
To see The Art Room’s official announcement of the patronage announcement, please visit: http://www.theartroom.org.uk/7-20120105-patron-announcement.html.


- Pick a theme (i.e. family, friendship, love) and create a mixed CD of at least 10 songs that explore this theme.
- Visit a music store and write an essay about what you saw and learned during your visit.
- Present an oral report about a concert you attended.
- Interview a professional musician and present it in class using audio or video format.
- Read a book about a musician or composer and make a book report.
- Watch a TV show about music or musicians and make an oral report.
- Watch a movie about music or the life of a composer or musician and make a film review.
- Create a musical instrument using recycled materials.
- Choose a career in music you're interested in; share more information about it and the reasons why you chose it.
- Choose a musical instrument you're interested in; share more information about it and the reasons why you chose it.
- Bring an item from home that is related to music (i.e. old music albums, old concert programs, old newspaper clippings of music-related events) and share its historical and personal significance.
- Create a video with music and pictures of a musician or composer you admire.
- Music and History
- Music and Language Arts/Phonics/Reading
- Music and Math
- Musical Instruments
- Music Theoy
- Seasons and Holidays
- Music Education Calendar - January
- "We Didn't Start the Fire" - Musical Facts
Music Method Primer
Do you want to suggest a project, lesson plan or links to music-related resources? Email it to firstname.lastname@example.org.


The regional collaboration between New Mexico Highlands University and the Northeastern Region’s Northern New Mexico Network for Rural Educators serves as a great resource for the School of Education. This collaborative effort identifies professional development needs, seeks to match resources to needs, and provides a forum for school districts to discuss staff development issues.
The School of Education offers a micro-teaching laboratory where students in secondary education are videotaped conducting instructional sessions. An after-school reading program utilizes the school's reading laboratory for local school children; both the program and lab provide practical experiences for students in elementary education, reading, and curriculum and instruction programs. In addition, the School of Education has an on-site Child Development Center with educational programs for infants, toddlers and preschool- age children. The Child Development Center provides practicum and field work experience for students in early childhood education, as well as for other university programs.
Established by the School of Education, the Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations studies populations whose needs are unmet and who encounter barriers to services and opportunities, and develops strategies for removing those barriers. The cornerstone for the center is Highlands' Southwest Comprehensive Center for Region IX. This center provides technical assistance to all federal programs under the Improving America’s Schools Act.
The School of Education also has a regional Instructional Materials Evaluation Center that contains publisher-supplied samples of state-approved texts and materials for review by school district administrators, teachers, parents, and education faculty and students. The center also functions as an institutional curriculum library, providing selected samples of resources for short-term loan.
ACCREDITATION | APPLICATION PROCESS | CHALK&WIRE | POLICY AND PROCEDURES


Learning Ladder Year 5
This disc provides the essential literacy and numeracy skills !
Developed with experienced teachers, this disc provides the essential literacy and numeracy skills to help your child excel.
This is step five of Dorling Kindersley's powerful curriculum-based learning system. There are three easy-to-use steps to mastering each topic:
- One-to-One Lessons
- Practice Activities
- Interactive Exercises
From 9 to 10 years old.
What does this disc teach?
- Sentence Construction
- Vocabulary & Audience
- Understanding Grammar
- Writing for Different Purposes
- Improving your Writing
- Fractions & Decimals
- Mental Calculation
- Volume & Perimeter
- The Properties of Shapes
- The Earth in Space
- Sound & Heat
Learning Ladder Year 5 supports the following:
- National Curriculum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Scottish 5-14 Curriculum Framework
- Irish Primary Curriculum
|Platform||Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 7|
- Windows XP*/Vista/7
- 48MB RAM for Windows (512MB for Vista)
- 640 x 480 screen resolution
- 16-bit colour screen
- Double speed CD-ROM
- 20MB hard drive space
- 16-bit sound card
- Loudspeakers or headphones
To access the online feature in this product, you will need Internet access.
Please Note: This product will not work if you have Windows 2000 and a Creative SoundBlaster Live! sound card.
*For XP, this product must be installed & run using an Administrator account.


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- McGraw-Hill Education 2008; US$ 47.00
Special needs provision in schools continues to be a major source of anxiety for teachers and other educators, politicians and parents. The whole area of 'special educational needs' and 'inclusion' is often shrouded with uncertainty about what it means, either in theory or in practice, or what it entails. This book aims to address this... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2013; US$ 39.95
This text traces the development of special educational provision and goes on to concentrate on some of the key issues relevant to professionals currently working in the field. It looks at the recent drive towards inclusion and the implication this has for schools. In the present market-oriented context in education, there are a number of dilemmas... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2013; US$ 21.95
@text:Providing an engaging and complete overview Special Educational Needs: The Basics examines the fundamental principles of the subject from policy to practice. This book covers: Concepts of special educational needs The historical development of special provision and key legislation Identification and assessment of young people?s special... more...
- John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2003; US$ 85.00
Dyslexia and Literacy provides a comprehensive, practical introduction for all professionals seeking an understanding of dyslexia in children. Divided into 4 parts, the book firstly introduces the various theoretical perspectives and follows this up with identification and assessment techniques with an emphasis on practical, classroom related issues.... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2002; US$ 63.95
Addressing the sensitive issue of difficulties in literacy development this practical book outlines what is meant by 'literacy' and the barriers to literacy development such as social class, ethnicity, culture and gender. It emphasises practical strategies and programmes to help reduce these barriers at school, family and community levels. Throughout,... more...
- McGraw-Hill Education 2007; US$ 44.00
In many countries, school populations are becoming increasingly socially and culturally diverse, and delivering effective literacy programmes is becoming more challenging and complex. This book shows schools how to address difficulties with literacy learning experienced by students of diverse backgrounds, by employing strategies that respond to and... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2005; US$ 51.95
The authors of this comprehensive text discuss the root causes of disruptive behaviour, tackle assessment issues and develop effective intervention strategies that will be of practical use to teachers and other educators. Whilst theorising behaviour management from a range of perspectives: psychodynamic, behavioural and socio-cultural, the authors... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2013; US$ 44.95
The challenges posed by the behavior of some pupils can only be properly addressed if support is extended beyond the classroom. Linking theory and practice, this book outlines a range of assessment and intervention techniques at: * District and community level * School level * Classroom level * Individual level more...
- Taylor and Francis 2013; US$ 40.95
The expert contributors to this book make sense of the different approaches to understanding pupil behavior in schools, providing a comprehensive overview thorough discussion of key topics. The book covers: * Cultural issues such as ethnic diversity and the underachievement of boys * Psychological perspectives, including a range of behavioral... more...
- Taylor and Francis 2013; US$ 42.50
Providng an overview of the issues crucial to understanding inclusion and behavior management in schools, this book discusses: * Policy at national, local authority and school level * Inclusive practices in mainstream settings * Issues such as race, ethnicity school disciplines and exclusion more...


101 Ways to Practice One Note, One Measure, One Line… - it's a fabulous list from the silly to serious, written for piano students, but can easily be used by other instruments as well.
I Love to Practice! - written for parents, it reminded me of a few truths about practice, especially Mr. Suzuki's great advice - "Move slowly and never stop."
Lastly, I just taught WonderGirl the dreaded Suzuki Book 1 Etude and was seriously lucky to stumble on some lyrics to it that a teacher posted on the Suzuki site:
Harry Potter Harry Potter had a special friend to play namedRonald Weasly Ronald Weasly, and he brought along his quaffleHarry Potter Harry Potter picked it up and threw it back toRonald Weasly Ronald Weasly, but it crashed right through the window
Dumbledore came down the stairs and called to HagridHagrid came right down the stairs and quickly picked upHarry Potter Harry Potter, picked him up and said, “Bad boy!” andSent him back to class.
She's only 5 so I haven't let her start on the Potter series yet, but she knows enough that it excited her to no end to learn the words AND helped her from getting lost in that maze of repetitions and teeny tiny changes.
I have also found some music education gems on Pinterest! What a fabulous wealth of awesome!


Young Children and Picture Books (2nd ed.)
Item #: 160
# of Pages:192
When you share picture books with young children, you build their lifelong literacy and enjoyment of reading. In beautiful full color, the second edition of this popular book will help you recognize quality in children’s literature and illustration and see how to use picture books to best advantage. Lists of recommended books are included.
To view the table of contents and introduction, click on Preview Content.
"Once again, Mary Jalongo reminds us that sharing children's literature is one of the most important ways that we can support children's language and literacy development. This beautifully illustrated book is packed full of suggestions for how to do it well."
— Dorothy Strickland, Rutgers University


General Program Information
High Touch High Tech delivers quality science activities for kids. Our educational and enriching programs ignite a child's natural curiosity about science, and help to build problem-solving skills, self-esteem and the confidence to try something new.
Our programs are designed to assist educators and program directors by offering science experiments that are aligned with national and state standards and include all the necessary supplies. These easy science projects help students develop an understanding of the many applications of science in our daily life. All High Touch High Tech programs deliver fun science for kids.
High Touch High Tech scientists will come to your location and convert your classroom into a Living Laboratory. Our scientists facilitate hands-on fun science projects. Our programs are creative, non-competitive, inquiry based and promote a positive attitude towards science. This fosters a lifelong love of science and makes the experience both meaningful and memorable for children.


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Home / Browse / Time Period / World War II through the Faubus Era (1941 - 1967) / Brewer, Edwin Cook
Edwin Cook Brewer was a founding member of the Arkansas-based Mid-Southern Watercolorists in 1970 and helped his father, artist Adrian Brewer, organize the Arkansas Art League in the early 1950s.
Edwin Brewer and his twin brother, Adrian, were born on January 9, 1927, in Little Rock (Pulaski County) to Adrian Brewer and Edwina Cook Brewer. The twins had one sister. Brewer received his early art instruction in the studios of his father and his grandfather, Nicholas Richard Brewer, both renowned artists. His grandfather was known as a portrait painter and was represented in multiple exhibitions of the National Academy of Design in New York City beginning in 1885.
Brewer attended Little Rock public schools and Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, first aboard a destroyer and later on a flagship cruiser, the USS Providence. He left the navy in 1946. At age twenty, Brewer went to Sarasota, Florida, and studied with renowned artist Jerry Farnsworth for four years, after which he won a Guggenheim Foundation grant to study at the Institute de Allende in San Miguel, Mexico. In the early 1950s, he and his wife, Maegerine (Maege) Thompson Brewer (whom he had married in 1948) and family moved to Mexico so that he could study art.
Although Brewer pursued creating art as a profession, he also worked as an art teacher and adviser. In the mid-1950s, he taught at the Farnsworth School of Art in Sarasota and at The People’s Art Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He later taught at the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School and Little Rock University (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock). While serving as art specialist for the Arkansas Department of Education from 1963 to 1971, Brewer wrote A Guide to Art Education in Elementary Schools of Arkansas and An Art Guide for High Schools. He was the curator for the first Arkansas Arts Center Artmobile.
In 1969, Brewer was one of fifty artists chosen by the U.S. Marines to serve as a combat artist in Vietnam. The paintings and lithographs recording his impressions of the Vietnamese people and landscape have been circulated by the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibition service, and the artworks are documented in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington DC.
Brewer and his artist wife moved to Santa Barbara, California, in the late 1970s to be near their three daughters. Brewer was actively affiliated with the Santa Barbara Art Association and several local galleries, including Gallery 113, the Delphine Gallery, and the Faulkner Gallery in California.
Landscape and still-life were Brewer’s specialties, and he alternated between oils and watercolors. His paintings hang in private and public collections, including the Smithsonian traveling exhibition service, the National Archives in Washington DC, the World’s Fair Offices in New York, and the Central Arkansas Library System’s permanent collection of Arkansas art in Little Rock.
Brewer died of heart failure on December 14, 2002, at Ventura Community Hospital in Ventura, California.
For additional information:Obituary of Edwin Cook Brewer. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. December 17, 2002, p. 5B.
George, Emmett. “Artist from Arkansas Enjoyed Simple Things.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. December 17, 2002, p. 4B.
Reita Walker MillerLittle Rock, Arkansas
Staff of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
Last Updated 7/15/2009
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