50 STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING ORAL LANGUAGE
Specs: 8.5â³x11â³, 120 pages
Talking to Learn demystifies the process of oral language development with 50 concrete and classroom-ready strategies to help foster literacy development through accountable talk. Featuring powerful instructional insights to assist in managing the challenges of teaching and assessing oral language skills, Talking to Learn makes accountable, purposeful talk an essential and achievable component of a classroom that encourages critical inquiry, collaboration, and independent thought.
- 50 high-yield strategies for social interaction, presentations, and small- and large-group processes
- Tips for assessment and evaluation to help teachers manage the challenges of teaching and assessing oral language skills
- Strategies for linking oral communication to reading and writing
- Opportunities for teachers to use a rich variety of technological resources to support student inquiry and engagement
- Supports for the inclusive classroom where all students, including English language learners, benefit from dialogue and activities based on respect and reciprocity
Jennifer Glass is currently Instructional Coordinator of Kâ12 ESL/ELD programs in a large, diverse school board. Jennifer has supported English language learners and their teachers in a variety of roles â as classroom and ESL teacher, consultant, and additional qualification instructor. Jennifer has written collaboratively for a variety of resources that include school board, university, and Ministry of Education documents.
Joan Green is a distinguished Canadian educator and administrator who has served as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and Director of Education for the City of Toronto. She is the founding CEO of the Ontario Education Quality and Accountability Office and has provided strong leadership at all levels of education. Joan has been a professional development leader provincially, across Canada, and internationally. She is the author of several books and numerous articles on education and leadership issues.
Joan is the recipient of several awards, including the Distinguished Educator Award from OISE, University of Toronto, and Woman of the Year for the Women in Educational Administration in Ontario. In 2012, in recognition of her contributions to public education and her service and leadership in the not-for-profit sector, Joan was invested as a member of the Order of Ontario.
Currently, Joan Green is a Senior Public Sector Consultant at the Phelps Group.
Kathleen Gould Lundy is the Coordinator of Destination Arts at York University and the Principal Investigator of All Iâs on Education: Imagination, Integration, and Innovation, an intensive study currently taking place in 10 school boards across Ontario, which is intended to provide a foundation for the implementation of interdisciplinary assessment and evaluation in math, science, and the arts. Kathleen has coordinated the writing of a number of curriculum documents, including The Treasure Chest: Story, Drama and Dance/Movement in Motion, a resource developed in partnership with the Danny Grossman Dance Company. She has published a number of professional books, including What do I do about the kid whoâ¦? 50 ways to turn teaching into learning.


Download Biology Education and Research in a Changing Planet: by Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini Daniel PDF
By Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini Daniel
This e-book offers chosen convention complaints from the twenty fifth Biennial Asian organization for Biology schooling convention. It clarifies the diversities among the constitution of biology schooling for educators and researchers. It solves open difficulties via making a bridge among organic learn and its software in schooling and the sustainable improvement of groups. The bookâs first subject is Biology schooling in an X, Y, Z global, which gives principles for the way biology may be taught in leading edge methods. the second one subject, The Endangered Planet â How can Biology schooling aid? discusses how people depend upon different species for survival and the way they've got the facility to reason or to avoid extinctions. The 3rd and ultimate subject, learn in Biology, encompasses the turning out to be wealth of organic details as a result of clinical learn, particularly in universities. Educators can use those findings to reinforce their teaching.
Read Online or Download Biology Education and Research in a Changing Planet: Selected Papers from the 25th Biennial Asian Association for Biology Education Conference PDF
Best science for kids books
At the present time, just a couple of humans outdoor of the clinical neighborhood are conversant with the culture of technology and its many breakthroughs. the remaining are scientifically illiterate. So say Frank R. Spellman and Joni Price-Bayer, authors of In safeguard of technological know-how: Why medical Literacy concerns. This e-book explains why usual voters must have an knowing of technology, its equipment, and its groundbreaking discoveries.
Orientation -- The chemistry of lifestyles -- Cells -- mobile energetics -- Photosynthesis -- Molecular genetics -- mobile copy -- Heredity -- variety of organisms -- vegetation -- Animal constitution and serve as -- Evolution -- Animal habit and ecology -- The free-response questions -- Laboratory
Interdisciplinary inquiry has turn into extra pervasive in contemporary many years, but we nonetheless comprehend little in regards to the behavior of this kind of learn or the data difficulties linked to it. This ebook is one in all few empirical experiences of interdisciplinary wisdom practices. It examines how interdisciplinary scientists notice and alternate details and information, highlighting how the bounds among disciplines have an effect on how info is used and the way wisdom is built.
The pendulum is a common subject in basic and secondary faculties, yet its complete power for studying approximately physics, the character of technology, and the relationships among technological know-how, arithmetic, know-how, society and tradition is seldom realised. Contributions to this 32-chapter anthology care for the technological know-how, heritage, method and pedagogy of pendulum movement.
Extra resources for Biology Education and Research in a Changing Planet: Selected Papers from the 25th Biennial Asian Association for Biology Education Conference
She also suggested that childrenâs errors resulted not from domain-general cognitive stage limitations but rather from domain-specific misapplications of developing theories. g. rural vs. g. direct 4 Why Do School Students Have Misconceptions About Life Processes? 33 hands-on experience, including farming, fishing, summer camp activities) and perhaps more remotely, their experiences in more formal learning environments and access to videos, books and visits to the zoo. Duit (2009) has recorded some 8,400 studies across all areas of scientific learning.
The following are the areas of climate change that could be included in the development of interdisciplinary activities and programmes. Biological science and contemporary issues (grade 11) 1. 2. 3. 4. Vulnerability of the Philippines on climate change Impact of climate change on the ecological systems of the Philippines Impact of climate change on the endemic plants and animals in the Philippines Root crop production as climate change adaptation strategies Physical science and global issues (grade 12) 1.
R. (2005). The promise of DNA barcoding for taxonomy. Systematic Biology, 54(5), 852â859. Hollingsworth, P. , Graham, S. , & Little, D. P. (2011). Choosing and using a plant DNA barcode. PLoS ONE, 6(5), e19254. Jeffreys, A. , & Thein, S. L. (1985). Individual-specific âfingerprintsâ of human DNA. Nature, 316(6023), 76â79. Kress, W. , & Erickson, D. L. (2012). DNA barcodes: Methods and protocols. In W. J. Kress & D. L. ), DNA barcodes: Methods and protocols (Methods in molecular biology, pp. 3â8).


About The Artist
Born in 1888 in Bottrop, Germany, Josef Albers began his career as a primary school art teacher. Albers then worked as a printmaker and stained-glass artisan, taking on several prominent public commissions from 1916 to 1919. The artist enrolled at the Weimar Bauhaus in 1920 and excelled at the stained-glass medium. In 1923, Albers was invited to teach the Bauhausâ preliminary course, and in 1925 became a âmasterâ artist at the school. It was at this point that Albers began to focus on painting, and on a technique that prioritized primary colors and abstract rectilinear patterns. The architect Walter Gropius, who established the Bauhaus in 1919, was convinced of the need to abolish the distinction between fine and applied arts. The school was thus designed as a workshop with an emphasis on the study and use of material. Reflecting this system, Albersâ works championed practical painting methods that advanced channels for studying and, more importantly, teaching color.
When the Nazi regime shut down the Bauhaus in 1933, Albers left Germany for the United States. Along with his wife Anni, who was herself a Bauhaus graduate and prominent weaver, Albers began teaching art at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. There, Albers developed a fine arts curriculum that is credited with ârevolutionizing art education in Americaâ and mentored countless prominent artists, including Robert Rauschenberg and Kenneth Noland. During this period Albers made numerous trips to Mexico and became fascinated with the architectural silhouettes of the Mesoamerican flat-top pyramids. These encounters are said to have had a lasting impression on Albersâ work. In 1950, Albers left Black Mountain College for Yale University. At the same time, the artist began working on the first iteration of his iconic Homage to the Square series, featuring concentric squares that mimic the birdâs-eye view outline of a stepped pyramid. Albers resisted masking in this series and instead painted the hard edges free-hand, and he rarely mixed his paints, most often using shades available directly from the tube.
Much in the way of other mid-century abstractionists, Albers sought to maximize the viewerâs subjectivity by excluding all manner of representation or imitation. While Minimalism includes many different variations of its aesthetic, the movementâs core simplified shapes and repetitive pictorial relationships are indebted to Albersâ influence. Prior to Albersâ work, color was predominantly treated as a subordinate vehicle for form and content. By simplifying his form, however, to the canvasâ most basic shape, the square, Albers investigated the ways in which color can be the primary agent of artistic expression. The Homage to the Square series therefore isolates color to test its inherent qualities and to establish âaesthetic absolutes.â With the decongested picture-plane, the viewerâs eye becomes free to appreciate colorâs morphing character which, at different times, can appear to move and blur. In Albersâ extensive body of literature, which includes The Interaction of Color (1963), the artist discusses the optical effects of reducing painting to pure expressions of âhue, tone, and intensity.â Works from the Homage to the Square series were presented at the first ever solo exhibition given to a living artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1971.
Today, Albersâs works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, and the Tate Gallery, among many others.
Gilderhus, Kirsten E. Homage to the Pyramid: Josef Albers in Mexico, The University of Wisconsin - Madison, Ann Arbor, 2011.


By Teachers, For Teachers
Online social networking has become so much more than just browsing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Itâs become a popular professional development tool that many classroom teachers use to help them stay connected with their colleagues, as well as other professional educators. In fact, social networking has begun to transform how teachers communicate with one another. Not only are teachers now able to connect with people all over the world, but they can also easily maintain their professional relationships by simply commenting on someoneâs photo or status, or by privately messaging them. One of the greatest benefits of having a social media account is the ability for teachers to showcase themselves. Today, a prospective teacher can use a social networking platform as an informal resume where potential employers can learn more about them by simply scouring their profile and newsfeed, and learning more about their qualifications and experiences. There are a number of ways that teachers can use social networking to their professional development advantage. Here are a few suggestions.
Utilizing social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (the best professional development platform) can help teachers connect with other educators and gain more information. When teachers use social networking, they are able to form connections with other educators and professionals that can help their students get accurate information to increase their knowledge. For example, if students were learning about space, they can use their social networking connections to Skype with an expert from NASA to help their students gain more information about space. Another great example of using social networking to gain information is if students were learning about another country. The teacher can use their connections to plan a virtual field trip with another classroom to help them learn more information about the studentsâ unique lifestyle and culture from a firsthand resource.
Another way that teachers can use social networking to their advantage is to share their ideas with other educational professionals. These days, almost all social media platforms make professional development easy for teachers to share your teaching techniques and learn from others. Todayâs teachers can compare notes on their techniques and learning styles, which is a great way to enhance their knowledge and learning experience in the classroom. Teachers can search these networking platforms by simply using the hashtags #teachersofinstagram, #edchat, #educator, or #teacherresources.
One of the best things about using social networking as a means of professional development is that it helps to keep teachers âIn the knowâ about what is currently going on in education. In the past, teachers used to have to wait for a sign-up sheet to come out for any professional development training or courses that would help further their knowledge. However, todayâs teachers are able to stay in the loop much easier by simply going on their social networking platform to gain professional development information. They can sign up for online courses, join a group chat, or scroll through their newsfeed to learn valuable information or sign up for a conference or teaching seminar.
One of the great benefits of social networking is its ability to help teachers establish key professional relationships that can help to advance their teaching career. LinkedIn is a great social networking site for professionals because it allows individuals to connect with not only the professionals that they already know, but also their contacts, as well as others in the field which whom they have never met. By building these connections, teachers are now able to establish more professional relationships than they have ever imagined.
Another way teachers can use social networking to their advantage is that it can open them up to diverse views. The more people that a teacher connects with on a social networking platform, the more insight they will get into different perspectives on educational topics. What a teacher once thought may change after connecting to a professional in the field who has a different perspective.
Professional development for teachers has come a long way. Through the use of technology, todayâs teachers are able to connect with other professionals in their field which whom they probably wouldnât have ever had the pleasure of meeting, since many of them are from across the globe. This powerful tool has become a great way to not only further onesâ career in the education world, but to gain valuable insight and knowledge.
We want to hear your opinion on teacher professional development through social networking. Do you think there are benefits to this type of communication? Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic, weâd would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds Masters of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com, TeachHUB Magazine, and Hey Teach. She was also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com for five years. You can follow her on Twitter @empoweringed, on Facebook at Empowering K12 Educators, or contact her at Janellecox78@yahoo.com.


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8:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- Self-contained: Core academics
- Specialists: Art, Music, Physical Education, Latin
Biennial field trip to Washington, D.C., Living History Museum
- Language Arts: The four components are literature, grammar, vocabulary, and composition. Literature studies include works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. In grammar, parts of speech and punctuation are studied. For vocabulary, words from the studentsâ works of literature are used. Composition includes the various prose genre and poetry. Composition knowledge and skills are used in writing pieces for all subjects.
- Math: Middle school students study grade level math, including pre-algebra and, when appropriate, algebra 1.
- Science: During the middle school years, students study astronomy, botany, physical and earth sciences, and life science.
- History: Old world history, new world history, and U.S. history are rotated during the middle school years. Government and geography are integrated into these classes. Each student writes, memorizes and presents a historical impersonation of a famous person.
- Bible: Various topical and book studies are used. Students also memorize Scripture verses.
- Logic: As part of our classical education curriculum, logic is taught to eighth grade students. Logic class culminates in learning logical fallacies, giving students tools with which to evaluate what they hear and read in their daily lives.
- Music Appreciation: Sixth and seventh grade students learn about the various musical periods, and learn to recognize certain pieces from them, including Baroque and Classical, eventually advancing to modern music.
- Art: Beginning in fifth grade and continuing through eighth grade, we explore Art History and the various styles, movements, and artists that have left a lasting impression upon the world.
- Computers: Students perfect their keyboarding skills, learn proper use of the Internet, and learn to use various software programs, e.g. Power Point.
Mr. Muir has taught at SCA since 1999, beginning with lower grades and becoming a middle school teacher in 2002. He graduated from Fuller Seminary in 1981 with a MA degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling and graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a MA degree in Elementary Education in 1999. His background as a therapist in Sacramento, California, has provided insight and understanding that is essential when teaching pre-teen and young teen students.
Middle school students are at an age when their focus shifts from adult relationships to peer relationships. With a budding ability to think abstractly, they like to challenge othersâ opinions and discuss their own thoughts. To supplement lecture-style teaching, Mr. Muir offers opportunities to share and discuss topics in groups and as a class, to collaborate on projects, to perform experiments, to conduct research and present their findings, and to read and critique each otherâs work.
Middle school is also a time of greater self-awareness and reflection. As children become young people, they need resources to help them develop life-long godly character qualities. Mr. Muirâs classroom emphasizes the importance of personal life change at the heart level rather than in behavior only.


Private String Teachers' Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Music Theory
The problem of this study was to determine what materials and pedagogical techniques private string teachers use to teach music theory in private string lessons. The problem was based upon the belief that music theory is a worthwhile and beneficial component to a complete music education. Due to the one-to-one ratio of a private string lesson, the private teacher has an excellent opportunity and setting to teach music theory. The sub-questions of this thesis focused on what materials and pedagogical techniques string teachers use to teach eleven components of music theory, including key signatures, meter signatures, rhythm patterns/counting, major and minor scale patterns, intervals, triads and 7th chords, diatonic chords in major and minor scales, basic harmonic progression, musical form, improvisation, and musical composition.


M.S. in Teaching
Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education
College of Education
Education, Primary--Aims and objectives; Multiculturalism in literature
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this teacher research was to (a) use multicultural literature across curriculum to foster an understanding and acceptance of diversity and (b) examine more deeply how using multicultural literature in this manner might impact student learning, teacher-student relationships, student-student relationships and the overall environment of an elementary school classroom. In response to a cross-curricular multicultural literature unit, the four first grade self-contained participants of this study demonstrated progression from a recognition of physical differences to an acceptance of diversity. My methods for data collection were: keeping a teacher journal, conducting teacher interviews, informal student interviews, read-alouds, audio recordings of student discussion, daily observations and student response activities, such as role playing and drawings. Student responses are analyzed in terms of the impact of multicultural literature on student attitudes, behavior, and learning. The students were able to apply a newfound view of diversity to their daily classroom interactions with one another. Also discussed are the benefits and challenges of using multicultural literature within a special education setting.
Stubblebine, Nina, "Using multicultural literature across curriculum to foster an understanding and acceptance of diversity" (2009). Theses and Dissertations. 670.


Literacy is probably the most fundamental and crucial part of education and life-long learning. Without it, all other learning is impossible.
It is defined as âthe capacity to read, understand and critically appreciate various forms of communication including spoken language, printed text, broadcast media, and digital media.â(DES, 2011 p.8)
In response to the national strategy (2011-2020) to improve literacy and numeracy many organisations provide a range of services and supports. These include:
The PDST provides seminars, continuous professional development and resources to support teachers who have been designated Literacy Link teachers and teachers in general. While the main focus of the seminars has been on oral language instruction, the reading process and writing genres, other invaluable resources on aspects of literacy such as guiding comprehension and guided reading have also been compiled.
Continuing to operate under the DEIS initiative are long established literacy programmes such as First Steps and Reading Recovery. These have been proven to increase the literacy level of children in schools with DEIS status.
In addition to this, the National Education Psychologist Service has also provided a resource pack entitled Effective Interventions for Struggling Readers Good Practice Guide to support teachers in delivering effective programmes.
Outside the literacy strategy, the curriculum objectives of the primary English curriculum are followed at all levels in schools and many supports have been put in place by the NCCA to ensure its implementation. These include writing stories in a multigrade classroom in the context of assessment for learning.
Scoilnet also provides hundreds of engaging English resources at all levels which have been reviewed by Irish teachers. Use our new search function to find one that suits your needs or select one of the resources featured in the Spotlight section.
In 2011, the Minister for Education and Skills published Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011- 2020 as a means of prioritising the literacy and numeracy skills of children nationally.
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To register for a Scoilnet Account you will need to have a Teaching Council number and a roll number for your school in Ireland.
If you already have a Scoilnet Account then you can sign in here.
A Scoilnet account will allow you to upload your resources or weblinks to Scoilnet as well as enabling you to share and add resources to a favourites listing. Users who have a Scoilnet Account will also be able to fully access Scoilnet Maps and Census@School from home.
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- This event has passed.
Developing a Visual Learning and Teaching Toolbox
Tuesday, July 17, 2018 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Presented by Susan Daniels, Ph.D., Educator, Author, and Speaker
Sponsored by Free Spirit Publishing
If you view the recording and would like a CE certificate, join the Social-Emotional Learning, Positive Behavior, and Student Achievement community and go to the edWebinar Archives folder to take the CE quiz.
Emojis, avatars, icons: Our world is becoming increasingly reliant on visual communication. But even as we edge toward a virtual world, itâs still critical for students to read and comprehend images and know how to make simple, meaningful marks to express themselves visually.
In this edWebinar, Dr. Susan Daniels, an educator, author, and speaker, explores creative and practical strategies that enable educators to work with the foundational skills of visual learning in the classroom. Attendees build a âvisual toolboxâ for use in visual learning and teaching. Based on the visual triad model, Dr. Daniels:
- Looks at how we can use the images we see, imagine, and depict while teaching and learning visually
- Examines research based on dual-coding theory, which illustrates how students learn best and have greater retention when working both visually and verbally
- Explores instructional strategies that are part of a âvisual toolboxâ teachers can use in Kâ8 classrooms
Visual tools and strategies help participants promote visual literacy across the curriculum and discover interactive activities to encourage visual learning and communication in all students. Kâ8 teachers will benefit from watching this recorded event.
About the Presenter
Dr. Susan Daniels is a professor, author, consultant, and educational director of a psychoeducational center that specializes in the needs of gifted, creative, and twice-exceptional children. She has been a professional development specialist for over 20 years, regularly providing workshops and training on creativity and visual learning and teaching. Dr. Daniels is an avid doodler who enjoys working visually in her journals, and is dedicated to supporting teachersâ development of visual literacy and enhanced understanding of visual learning and teaching strategies. She lives in Berkeley, California.
If you view the recording and would like a CE certificate, join the Social-Emotional Learning, Positive Behavior, and Student Achievement community and go to the edWebinar Archives folder to take the CE quiz. As a member of the community, youâll be able to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view past edWebinars to earn CE certificates.
edWeb members can download a personalized CE certificate from their edWeb member page. Not a member? Join here!
Free Spirit is the leading publisher of learning tools that support young peopleâs social-emotional health and educational needs. We help children and teens think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world.
Thursday January 31, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST


Traditional Blueprint Dyeing Technique Added to UNESCO World Heritage List
Blueprint dyeing, a traditional Hungarian cloth dyeing technique, has been admitted to the UNESCO intangible world heritage list, the UN educational, scientific and cultural bodyâs committee said at its Wednesday meeting in Port Louis, Mauritius.
The technique, which was nominated jointly by Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, spread in central Europe in the 18th and 19th century. A pattern was traced on cotton or silk with a water resistant material and then the fabric dipped into indigo dye, giving it a characteristic and often intricate beauty.
UNESCO countries signed an agreement on preserving intangible world heritage in 2003. Of Hungarian achievements, the KodÃ¡ly music education method, the MohÃ¡cs BusÃ³ festival, the âdance houseâ method to preserve Hungarian folk dances, MatyÃ³ folk art and traditional falconry have been admitted to the list.
via MTI featured photo: IldikÃ³ TÃ³th, Hungarian blueprint dyeing artist


Students keep the beat with the egg in their right hand during the first phrase. They toss the egg in the air on the âhoodaysâ. Then, in the second phrase, they keep the beat with the egg in their left hand. They toss the egg in the air on the first âhoodayâ. Then, they toss it to their neighbor on the final âhoodayâ.
While researching this game a bit more, I ran across Amy Abbottâs post on Shanghai Chicken. She describes how she plays the game (a variation of whatâs shown above) and offers some great ideas for rhythm practice.
The egg game is great for reinforcing the feeling of the dotted eighth and quarter on the word âhoodayâ. They are feeling the rhythms as they toss and catch the eggs on Hooday.
I created free projectables and worksheets that you can use with this song. Click on the images below to download the files.
The Spring Composition projectable and worksheet can be used in conjunction with the others or as a standalone activity.
If you liked todayâs lesson idea, be sure to check out the 31 Days of Rhythm event happening over at the MusicEd Blogs Community. Each day members (including myself) share a blog post all about teaching rhythm concepts. If youâre a music education blogger, and would like to join the group, feel free to sign up on our website HERE.


Telling the Story: Great Ways to Get Your Message Out
Regularly scheduled arts events open doors to community education. Concert audiences appreciate informative printed program notes or a presentation offering information about the particular compositions to be performed. Ask your music dealer for assistance with preparation and printing. How about sponsoring a lecture/demonstration on certain pieces or styles of music prior to, or during, a performance? A parent or faculty rhythm band accompanying your school group on an appropriate piece during a concert provides an engaging experience for all. Why not ask an audience member to âconductâ a piece that the performers know and can execute quite well?
Ideas to Implement
- Put facts that support music education on marquees and community bulletin boards, such as those at banks or grocery stores.
- Put mailers in monthly credit card statements from a local department store, or insert with monthly utility bills.
- Provide recordings of school performance groups to be played when callers are on hold on the school phone system (obtain all required copyright permissions).
- Provide music-related statements on âtable tentsâ for restaurants.
- Have students write letters inviting community members to school music programs; program information can accompany the studentsâ invitation.
- Stage a âmusic open houseâ in which community members are invited to attend regularly scheduled classes.
Broadcast Your Act
Performing Wonders: Kids and the Arts, A Broadcaster Guide to Teaching Children About the Arts offers ideas to help radio or television stations give arts education visibility.
- Special Report: Arts Education. For a special news report or series, interview school officials and teachers to learn how schools use the arts as a learning tool.
- On with the Show. Follow a student music, dance or drama performance through casting and rehearsals to opening night.
- Profile Student Artists. Stations regularly produce âStudent Athlete of the Weekâ features. Why not give the same kind of visibility to student artists?
To Get the Creative Juices Flowing, Consider the Following:
- A performance where a student or history teacher dresses like the composer of the piece and interjects stories of their inspiration or reasons for writing the piece. Students love to see their teachers participate
in these types of activities, plus it involves your faculty directly (thus allowing them to see the benefits of your program firsthand). And it involves student researchâan interdisciplinary approach! Your administrators will see you as a real team leader.
- Another performance for children and parents could be an informal rehearsal of a quartet staged to demonstrate the collaborative process and exchange of ideas in bringing music to life. Building value for music also means sharing the process, not just the product!
- Give a presentation on the nature of sound and demonstrate the ways in which the various instruments create their own unique voice. The activities could includeallowing children and parents to âtestâ each of the instruments. A connection to science!
- Beginner-of-the-Month Awards. Music teachers identify one beginning music student each month who has demonstrated significant effort, improvement or collegiality. A traveling trophy goes to the studentâs school for display. The newspaper runs the studentâs photo, providing public recognition and increased community awareness. Initially the trophy could be sponsored by the school music dealer.
To assist in recruiting and to help the visual arts and music teachers work together, hold a poster contest each fall and spring. Over a 2â3 week period, students create posters around the theme âJoin Band!â or âJoin Orchestra!â or âJoin Choir!â Teachers select a poster to be displayed in the school. The school music dealer could provide an ice cream party for that studentâs class. Later, display all the posters at a local bank. Local TV stations love covering this event!


Contrary to popular belief, music is not a universal language. The Solesmesâ reasons for intoning Gregorian chants near SablÃ© sur Sarthe, France, have little in common with the Tuvansâ motivations for throat singing in Siberia. The Carnatic vocal music of southern India has scant relation to North American hip hop. Different musical practices reflect cultural differences throughout the world and within contemporary societies. In fact, different musics usually serve the people who engage with them as important means of psychological and social balancing relative to their culturally distinctive worldviews. As a performing musician, researcher, and teacher, Dr. Scott Goble seeks to understand the intentions and effects (personal, social, and political) associated with different musical practices as well as the cultural relationships among them.
In his teaching and performing, Dr. Goble presents and illuminates different musical practices for students and audiences in terms of the meanings they held for those with whom they originated, as well as the meanings they have come to hold for those who presently engage with them. For example, he has prepared and conducted concerts with singers and instrumentalists focusing on the musics of particular communities (such as âA Celebration of Jewish Music,â âJoyeux NoÃ«l: Christmas Music of France and French Canada,â âReflections of Spain: Musics of the Spanish Diaspora in the Americas), on themes of experiences shared in common by different communities (such as âTo Free the Spirit: Songs of Oppression and Liberationâ), and on the musics made by cultural communities undergoing significant social changes (âMusics of the U.S. Civil Warâ). His classes and concerts include spoken and printed content addressing the distinctive worldviews and cultural orientations that are reflected in the musics.
In his book, Whatâs So Important About Music Education? (Routledge, 2010), Dr. Goble shows how the pragmatic philosophy and semiotic of C. S. Peirce might serve to account for the varied musical practices and the different conceptions of music held by people of different communities. One chapter identifies historical factors that have contributed to determining the conceptions of music that have predominated historically in the U.S. Another chapter presents a chronicle of significant rationales and philosophical statements that have served to support school music education there, explaining how the nationâs separation of church and state, its embrace of democracy and capitalism, and the rise of recording, broadcast, and computer technologies have contributed to changing the ways music teachers and concerned others have conceptualized music and its role in education since the European settlement of North America began. His book concludes by presenting a re-conceptualization of the role of music education in the schools of culturally pluralistic, democratically governed nations, one that addresses different musics as societally significant cultural practices.
In one of his current research projects, Dr. Goble is reviewing Canadian music education curriculum documents to see whether curriculum writers are sustaining long-held European art tradition-based concepts (such as aesthetic appreciation, music as a fine art, and notions of musical works as art objects) or are broadening the frame of music instruction to address also the dynamic personal, social, and political effects of different musical practices. He writes: âSchool music education that attends to the pragmatic efficacy of different cultural forms of musical engagement can foster studentsâ thoughtful and critical engagement with musics, support the egalitarian ideals of culturally pluralistic, democratically governed nations, and make more clearly evident to everyone the societal importance of music study in schools.â
Dr. J. Scott Goble


Essential Elements for Strings â Book 1 with EEi
Double Bass Book
Created by Hal-Leonard to engage beginning string students, Essential Elements for Strings Book 1 offers sound pedagogy that is carefully paced to ensure success with beginning players. Essential Elements (EE) features familiar tunes, warm-ups, and rhythm exercises created and arranged for a group learning setting. Specific exercises are included for each instrument, to show each student the unique characteristics of their own instrument.
The Essential Elements series also includes basic music theory and music history examples and gives you access to Essential Elements Interactive (EEi), the ultimate online music education resource that works on any device that can connect to the internet. EEi gives students access to helpful beginner videos, Play-Along tracks for all exercises in the books, duet and trio parts to selected songs, and a listening library of great orchestral music. Videos and audio tracks are available at stream or download. Essential Elements for Strings and Essential Elements Interactive are fully compatible with Essential Elements 2000.
â¢ My EE Library â Instant stream and downloads
â¢ Music Theory and history
â¢ Multicultural music
â¢ Creativity and assessment
â¢ Sight-reading and rhythm pages


These dinosaur alphabet dot to dot worksheets are super fun to practice or learn alphabet.
These dinosaur worksheets provide beginning readers with fun, appealing, and practical instruction that your child, or classroom, will be sure to enjoy.
Our dot to dot printables, are a fun way for early learners, preschool through kindergarten, to practice their letter recognition skills.
*this post contains affiliate links*
Letter recognition is an important foundational skill for a childâs journey to reading and writing.
Alphabet worksheets are a great practice for learners who are not yet able to read or write.
Alphabet Connect the Dots â dinosaurs
As children engage with the activities, they are familiarizing themselves with the letters they will encounter throughout this early learning process.
Letter recognition will eventually lead to the ability to differentiate letter sounds. For learners to succeed in reading, they must begin by learning the names of the letters and how to recognize their shapes for them to establish the concept of letters in language.
These connect the dot worksheets give children a hands-on, fun learning experience. The variety of designs give learners a new and exciting accomplishment.
The dinosaur printables are fun and engaging. The skills are developmentally appropriate for learners 4-6 years old.
Here are all dinosaur designs in this printable alphabet worksheet.
Stegosaurus Dot to Dot
Parasaurolophus Dot to Dot
Triceratops Dot to Dot
Pterosaurs Dot to Dot
Apatosaurus Dot to Dot
T-Rex Dot to Dot
Dinosaur Alphabet Dot to Dot Worksheets
Once these dinosaur alphabet dot to dot worksheets are completed, learners will reveal fun dinosaur designs that can be colored in to make them worthy of any refrigerator display.
Teachers can incorporate these worksheets in their alphabet centers or as morning work.
The directions are easy to understand and can be used any time for independent practice.
You can also laminate the printables to be used over and over again for multiple learners to enjoy for years!
Parents and homeschoolers can use these worksheets for independent, proficiency practice for their children.
They would also be a great summertime activity to strengthen early literacy and prevent any loss of these important foundational skills while they are out of school.
Get These Alphabet Dinosaurs Connect the Dots Worksheets
Get your Alphabet Dot to Dot Worksheet â Dinosaurs Freebie here.
Or Get the Numbers Version
Get them here.


Literacy and numeracy are foundational skills, providing the base on which to learn other, more complex skills. They underpin workforce participation, productivity and the broader economy, and can also impact on social and health outcomes. The importance of literacy and numeracy skills is that they enable us to engage fully in social and civic life.
Literacy involves students listening to, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating oral, print, visual and digital texts, and using and modifying language for different purposes in a range of contexts.
Numeracy encompasses the knowledge, skills, behaviours and disposition that students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations.


Until about a year ago I had never heard the term âPRAXISâ. Now it almost always in the back of my mind. Why is this? Well, the PRAXIS is a test that all educators need to take to ensure that children are receiving a good education from knowledgeable teachers. There are many different PRAXIS tests because of the many different states and all the different grades and subjects. Before I turned in my internship application and I had to register for the PRAXIS. Because of this, I became pretty familiar with the PRAXIS website. In case you are wondering or want to explore the world of PRAXIS you can go to www.ets.org/praxis.
This webpage allows you to register, learn about and find out which specific PRAXIS test your state and major requires. The link below goes directly to the page that details which tests are required for which grades in the state of Utah.
I am an elementary education major in the state of Utah so the test I need to take is the Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test which is test 5031. This means that I will be tested in reading and language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. I am usually a good test taker so I wasnât too worried about this until I read some of the sample questions that can be found on the website. My interpretation of the test is basically like the tv show âAre You Smarter than a 5th Grader?â I actually have thought about watching that show to practice because this test does test content knowledge of grades K-6. While I may still watch that tv show to help me brush up on some of my knowledge, I also looked into buying some prep books. I first looked on Amazon.com and it seems that the trick is to find the book that matches the test number and title that you need to take. Once I started looking for books that were specifically for the 5031 test, I was able to select one that I felt would be best for me. Some of these prep books also contain a practice test which I find will be helpful in assessing where I am and where I need to be. Here is a link to one of the books I found: http://www.amazon.com/Praxis-Elementary-Education-Multiple-Subjects/dp/1607873303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359039878&sr=8-1&keywords=praxis+5031
All of us have different learning styles and maybe some of us remember our elementary school knowledge much better than others but my advice would be to start learning about and preparing for this test soon so that you only have to take it once.


ERIC Number: ED231119
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1982
Reference Count: 0
English Spelling: The Simple, The Fancy, The Insane, The Tricky, and The Scrunched Up. "Great Idea" Reprint Series #612.
The author explains the five-pronged approach to reading and spelling through classifying words into "simple,""fancy,""insane,""tricky," and "scrunched up" categories, and reports average gains of two grade levels in one semester by junior high school students with severe behavioral problems who learned the approach. Examples of the five word categories are "train" (simple), "precious" (fancy), "wuzz" for "was" (insane), "bare"/"bear" (tricky), and "hafta"/"have to" (scrunched up). Included are charts with columns of simple and fancy spelling, phonetic translations and foreign words, and words from the adult world. (MC)
Descriptors: Behavior Disorders, Classification, Elementary Education, Phonetics, Reading Difficulties, Spelling Instruction, Teaching Methods
AVKO Educational Research Inc., 3084 W. Willard Rd., Birch Run, MI 48415 ($1, quantity price $0.50).
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc., Birch Run, MI.


Beyond the classroom: How global skills can overcome the lack of a formal education
Marta Lopez sells homemade baked goods. Higinia Reyes owns a corn mill. Remigia Dominguez is the head of a weaving cooperative. How are these women different from other self-sufficient business owners? They all live in the rural villages of the Lenca Corridor in the western highlands of Honduras, home to some of the poorest indigenous people in the country.
With business training, a support network, and a loan as little as $50 each, the Lenca women can start sustainable businesses that transform their lives and create lasting impact in their communities. Their experience not only demonstrates the power of social and economic inclusion, but also the urgent need to implement new educational models if we are to promote economic empowerment and sustainable development in Latin America.
Todayâs workers need more than foundational literacy and numeracy skills â although these are important. To drive inclusive growth, Latin America must provide all its citizens with the opportunity to master the 21st-century skills they need to succeed in the rapidly evolving global digital economy.
A 2015 report by the World Economic Forum, however, revealed that too many students are not getting the education they need to prosper and countries are facing critical shortfalls in skilled workers to compete in innovation-driven economies.
Education leaders around the world are increasingly recognizing the need to embed global competence in schools and learning. The OECDâs Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is considering adding a new measurement of global skills in its next round of tests. Developing countries should maintain alternative paths to economic development, including microfinance schemes, projects targeting youth unemployment, and entrepreneurship education. As suggested by others who have done extensive work on the state of education in developing countries, what students in impoverished regions need are âlife skills that enable them to improve their financial prospects and well-beingâ.
Rotaryâs collaboration with the Adelante Foundation to empower women in Lenca to achieve economic self-sufficiency offers one robust model for implementing this approach. Rather than just lending to individuals, this microcredit scheme offers the Honduran women non-collateralized group loans, business training, and a tightknit community of support. With Rotaryâs help, Adelante has provided business training and over 600 loans to its clients, and the partnership continues to grow in the departments of IntibucÃ¡ and La Paz. This project demonstrates that microcredit initiatives must combine sustainable social networks, business strategies, mentorship, and culturally sensitive partnerships if they are to help communities escape poverty for good.
Other successful Rotary initiatives that advance inclusive growth by fostering global competence include a microcredit project in the Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador, a vocational training programme lifting indigenous youth out of poverty in rural Guatemala, and an entrepreneurship camp in Haiti.
In developed countries such as the UK and the US, the recognition is growing that years of de-emphasizing vocational education have led to âa significant mismatch in the labour marketâ and that there is a need to âbreak down the barriers between career and technical education, on the one hand, and academic education, on the otherâ.
Developing and middle-income nations face their individual problems, but the lessons of the decline of vocational training are still relevant to them, particularly in the context of sluggish economic growth time. In the Americas, for example, income inequality has been declining, but so has economic growth, and a sizable portion of the population has not benefited from the last decadeâs expansion of social programmes.
Granted, good education with marketable skills is vital to the regionâs social and economic development. Last year, I looked at various interventions to overcome barriers to inclusive and equitable quality education in Latin America.
Yet education reforms are merely one component in the systemic change necessary for reigniting Latin Americaâs inclusive growth in a culturally diverse and digitally-connected world. Mentorship, new models of vocational training, and entrepreneurship initiatives are just as crucial to equipping young people with global competence necessary for stimulating economic activity. After all, some of the worldâs leading entrepreneurs, such as Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg, never completed their secondary or tertiary education.
Lack of formal traditional education should never prevent someone from succeeding in the global marketplace. Latin America has the opportunity to make multiple investments in programmes promoting global marketable skills. This will be critical to help the continent meet the challenge of lifting millions of people such as Marta, Higinia and Remigia out of poverty, despite the trying economic times.
If you enjoyed this post, click the heart button below and recommend it to your network.
An earlier version of this post was published by @weforum for the World Economic Forum on Latin America, June 2016.


Work, Monroe Nathan
by E. D. Johnson, 1994
Related Entries: African Americans
15 Aug. 1866â2 May 1945
Monroe Nathan Work, bibliographer and historian, was born in Iredell County, the son of Alexander and Eliza Hobbs Work, both slaves until the end of the Civil War. He was the youngest of eleven children, six girls and five boys. In 1866 Alexander Work moved to a farm near Cairo, Ill., where his family joined him in 1867.
In 1876 the Works moved to Sumner County, Kans., where Monroe completed his elementary education. As the youngest son, he worked on the family farm until the death of his mother in 1889, when at age twenty-three he entered high school in Arkansas City. An excellent student, he was graduated at the head of his class in 1892. After trying his hand at both teaching and preaching, he entered the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1895 and was graduated in 1898. Deciding that he was not intended to be a minister, he entered the University of Chicago, paying his way by working as a janitor. He took most of his courses in the social studies and received Ph.B. and M.A. degrees in 1902 and 1903, respectively.
In the fall of 1903 he became instructor of history and pedagogy at Georgia State Industrial College, in Savannah, where he remained until 1908. On 27 Dec. 1904 he married Florence Evelyn Henderson of Savannah.
While at the University of Chicago Work began research and writing in the field of Negro history and sociology with an article on "The Negro and Crime in Chicago," published in the American Journal of Sociology in September 1900. Continuing this interest at Savannah, he attracted the attention of Booker T. Washington, who invited him to join the faculty of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
In September 1908 Work became director of the Department of Records and Research at Tuskegee, a position he held until his retirement thirty years later. Charged with collecting, recording, and preserving the history of the Negro in America, he began in 1912 to publish The Negro Yearbook, a compilation of information and statistics on the Negro in America: economic, social, and historical. Of particular interest was his continued record of lynchings in the United States. Work wrote widely for periodicals and newspapers, especially the Southern Workman, published at Tuskegee, and the Journal of Negro History. He was also instrumental in 1915, along with Washington, in starting the annual Negro Health Week, an event later sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service.
In 1928 Work published his major contribution to scholarly research, Bibliography of the Negro in Africa and America, which contained over 17,000 entries, including many rare items found in a tour of European libraries. A review of this work called it "the whole history of the Negro race in outline." The next year he received the William E. Harmon Award for the Negro Year Book and Bibliography. Among other honors, he was awarded the University of Chicago Alumni Citation (1942) and the D.Litt. degree from Howard University (1943). In 1942 Mrs. Betsy Graves Reyneau painted his portrait for the American Negro Citizens Series.
At various times he was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy of Political and Social Science, American Economic Association, American Sociological Society, International Institute of American Language and Culture, Southern Economic Association, Southern Sociological Society, NAACP, and other organizations.
Work died at his home in Tuskegee and was buried in the cemetery on the campus. His wife died on 27 June 1955. They had no children.
Gussie P. Guzman, "Monroe Nathan Work and His Contributions," Journal of Negro History 34 (1949)
Linda O. McMurry, Recorder of the Black Experience (1985)
New York Age , 12 May 1945; New York Times Book Review , 25 Nov. 1928; James Preston, "Monroe Work: A Black Scholar at Tuskegee Institute, 1908â1945" (MSS, Tuskegee Institute Archives)
E. E. Thorpe, Black Historians (1971)
Monroe Nathan Work autobiographical sketch (Work Papers, Tuskegee Institute Archives).
Work, Monroe Nathan. 1965. A bibliography of the Negro in Africa and America. New York: Octagon Books.
University of Chicago Libraries, http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/webexhibits/IntegratingTheLifeOfTheMind/Mo...
"Monroe Nathan Work (1866-1945)." Image courtesy of Blackpast.org, 2011. Available from http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/work-monroe-nathan-1866-1945 (accessed March 12, 2012).
1 January 1994 | Johnson, E. D.


M.S. in Teaching
Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education
College of Education
Memory; School children; Sex differences (Psychology) in children
Elementary Education and Teaching
The purpose of this study was to discover if gender is a significant factor when determining the auditory and visual memory skills of primary grade level students. The study also sought to determine if boys or girls are more able to recall visual or auditory stimuli. Based on the literature related to the subject of gender and memory, differences between males and females vary depending on the tasks performed.
The subjects were taken from first, second and third grade students attending a suburban elementary school in New Jersey. Fifty-two boys and fifty-three girls were subjected to a story on an audio tape then tested to determine their ability to remember the auditory material. Thereafter, forty-six boys and fifty-two girls were exposed to a video tape then tested to determine their ability to remember the material on the video. The tests were separated by gender and graded on a scale from 0 to 9. The mean, median and mode of the boys' auditory tests were determined, as well as the mean, median and mode for the girls' auditory tests. The same statistical procedures were performed for both the boys' and girls' visual tests. A two-way Analysis of Variance was then performed on the scores to ascertain whether a significant difference existed between the boys' scores on the two tests and the girls' scores on the two tests.
Although the boys scored higher on both tests than did the girls, no significant difference was found between the overall scores comparing the two tests in the Analysis of Variance.
Leland, Kathleen P., "Gender differences in primary grade level students in tests of visual and auditory memory" (1998). Theses and Dissertations. 2310.


âPlay is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.â â Fred Rogers
Youâve seen the tagline here at FTCNS and perhaps a handful of other schools â letting you know that we are a PLAY BASED SCHOOL! But what does that mean, exactly? And more importantly, why is it important for your childâs development and education? Well, let us help break down all the learning thatâs going on right before your eyesâ¦
In a play-based program such as ours, you wonât see teachers giving rote instruction on concepts such as letters, numbers, shapes, or colors. Instead, you will see children sorting nature bits or blocks (patterning and math!), pouring water or sand through tubes at the sensory table (science!), painting at the easel (colors and shapes!) just to name a few of the fun, play-centric activities we enjoy in each class. Supported by teachers and parent volunteers who are willing to sit down with them as they play, listen to their ideas, and have conversations with them, children are able to extend their comprehension of how the world works in a concrete and truly enjoyable way.
Another important aspect of education in the early years is literacy development. Teachers in our program encourage a childâs emerging curiosity about reading and writing by setting aside a special space in the classroom, stocked with a wide array of writing materials to explore and use creatively. Teachers work continually to infuse the entire classroom environment with print, showing students many meaningful ways of using writing such as making charts, lists, labels and schedules of daily activities. The children are read to regularly in both large and small groups as well as individually and are encouraged to engage with and explore stories and storytelling. Through play and with the support of teachers, children can explore letter recognition, letter sounds, symbolic thinking, rhymes and other early literacy skills, which build a foundation for eventually becoming enthusiastic readers and writers.
Finally, we must remember that school (and life) readiness skills are not merely a matter of knowing letters and numbers. It is equally important â perhaps even more so â that children have positive social and emotional experiences and develop strong higher-order cognitive skills. Each day, our teachers focus on helping children learn how to function well as a member of a group, make friends, and acclimate to the structures and routines of school. Opportunities for children to develop executive function and critical thinking skills â such as articulating and exchanging ideas, listening to other points of view, reconciling differing opinions, inventing novel ways of solving problems, and planning, strategizing, and organizing â are imbedded in every aspect of our program. These skills emerge naturally in preschool children through play, especially when they are given the time and space to experiment and explore, and to encounter problems and solve them with the support of sensitive adults.
As you can see, there are so many reasons why a play-based early childhood education is important in supporting the development of your whole child so that they are ready for their next step after preschool. At our core, calling ourselves âplay-basedâ reflects our philosophy that children learn best through relevant, meaningful and concrete experiences. Each year, we are proud to send our âplay-basedâ-educated oldest students off to elementary school, knowing that they have great motivation to learn, highly developed critical thinking and social skills, and a strong sense of confidence, self-reliance, and emotional well-being.


This perspective on brainstorming is written by guest blogger Amanda Boyarshinov, author of the blog The Educatorsâ Spin On It.
Are your kids creators? Mine are!
They have their hands in the pompoms with fingers covered in glue almost every afternoon. Iâve got tables smeared with paint and paper tubes in a box marked â do not throw. Creating is fun, but also a very important part of brain development and learning for our children. They need to use all kinds of thinking throughout the day.
As a busy parent, Iâm trying to make the most of our creating time and have really focused on all aspects of the process: brainstorming, making a plan, following step by step instructions, and testing our designs. Today, we will take a closer look at the brainstorming aspect of creating.
Parents and teachers often use the word brainstorming when asking children to come up with ideas in writing, designing, and creating. When we ask children to brainstorm, we are asking them to spontaneously generate ideas related to the given topic. These ideas can be shared orally or in written format. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines brainstorming as âthe mulling over of ideas by one or more individuals in an attempt to devise or find a solution to a problem.â Thatâs really what we are trying to do when we create â get ideas to solve the challenge or task.
Brainstorming activates prior knowledge the child may have about the given topic. It is a very important part of the design process. As brainstorming occurs most often in the beginning, these exercises provide the adults with an immediate sense of how much the child knows.
The reality is, in the brainstorming phase, there is really no wrong answer. As long as ideas are flowing and being shared, then it is a success. Three of my favorite ways to teach children how to brainstorm effectively are using a concept map, making a list, and sketching it out.
A concept map is a graphic organizer that shows relationships between words. We write words that link to the selected word in ovals and connect them to their circle with a line.
For younger children, encourage them to brainstorm out loud and write the words they say in the ovals. All related answers are good answers when in the brainstorming phase.
Make a List
We use Make a List most often in our brainstorming phase. Itâs a quick and easy method to get children thinking about our topic. All the kids can shout out answers and I can add them to the next line on our list. You may notice that the list is similar to the concept map in that we are asking children to come up with related words and ideas, it doesnât identify relationships.
Sketch It Out
Some creative challenges lend well to sketching out ideas during the brainstorming phase. A child may choose to draw one, or a few sketches with ideas. If you are making planets, a sun sketch may show triangle rays of orange around a circle. Another sketch may have the sun blue with pink swirls to show the heat of the sun. In the brainstorming phase, our goal is to get kids thinking more in depth and breadth about a subject. Sketching out a variety of ideas also gives children a chance to formulate the vocabulary. When using the sketch it out, I always ask children to âtell me about your sketch.â
Now itâs time to put your brainstorming skills to use with a fun project: Glowing Planets.
About Amanda :
Amanda is a National Board Certified teacher with oodles of experience in early childhood education. She holds a bachelorâs degree in elementary education and a masterâs degree in Reading for grades K-12. You will often find her in her backyard exploring nature with her kids or doing a hands-on science project at the kitchen table. She loves to walk her dog and snuggle up with a good book when she isnât elbow deep baking blueberry muffins in the kitchen. She shares educational activities for children ages 0-7 at The Educatorsâ Spin On It
About Kiwi Crate:
Kiwi Crate Inc. develops award-winning, hands-on projects and activities designed to spark your childâs curiosity and creativity. Our mission is to encourage the next generation of tinkerers, creators and innovators and help them build creative problem solving skills. Check all of our products covering hands-on learning, STEM, art & design and for kids 3-16+ at kiwicrate.com.
Want to see more about making and creating? Follow Us!


As the world of finance becomes more complex, most of us arenât keeping up. In this series weâre exploring what it means to be financially literate.
Advice on money often boils down to simplistic messages about budgeting, understanding compound interest and avoiding debt. But research suggests financial decision-making depends as much on our values, expectations, emotions and family experiences as information taught at school.
In short, the way people interact with money is highly complex and so the way we teach our kids needs to catch up.
Itâs time for a shift from teaching children rote-learned financial rules of thumb to instilling dispositions and a thinking process that underlies good financial decision-making.
Funnily enough, the debate over âsmashed avocadoesâ illustrates two concepts that can make all the difference to how we approach financial decisions. The first is a future orientation and the second is self-regulation.
Thinking about the future, or a âfuture orientationâ is incredibly important when it comes to managing money. This is a tendency to consider future consequences and a willingness to delay gratification in favour of longer term goals.
Self-regulation is the process by which we control our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Being aware of our financial motivations and having the ability to critically analyse our decisions is also important.
These are the kinds of thought processes necessary for good financial decision-making.
Money is a limited resource
Research shows that both parental behaviour (like discussing financial matters with children) and dispositions (such as future orientation) have an impact on their childrenâs financial behaviour into adulthood.
This means that simply discussing money can help children build financial independence by practising making decisions. For example, parents and children can discuss what they want to do with any money they receive, and maybe encouraging them to bank and save.
Giving children pocket money is another strategy for accomplishing this. Although not everyone has the means or the inclination to pay their children for helping out around the home. And you donât have to.
Research also shows that financial hardship â living on a limited income and going without â can be just as useful in shaping financial understandings as the experience of growing up rich. In fact, there are things that children observe and experience â like problematic gambling and the financial fallout of marriage separation â that can influence them to think and feel more conservatively about money.
As part of my ongoing research, I have spent time working with parents, teachers, and 10-12 year old students. Iâve found that the experience of financial hardship is not lost on children. During interviews some have described the importance of working to earn an income. Others have told me that their parents work multiple jobs to make ends meet and money is stressful.
Some children suggested selling a car to save money, or competently described sophisticated economic concepts (supply, demand and market equilibrium) in relation to buying and selling second-hand goods, particularly electronic games.
These examples show that children for whom money is a limited resource bring valuable insights to their financial literacy education at school. There are ways that parents and teachers can sensitively tap into these insights during lessons.
Promoting critical thinking and financial independence
We live in a world that sells immediacy and makes it easy to tap and go. Figuring out how to balance short term desires with longer term financial goals that may seem out of reach â like funding higher education and purchasing a home â requires focus.
Ultimately, children need practice applying their literacy and numeracy skills to make financial decisions independently. This can take place both at home and in the classroom.
For instance, instead of giving children values-laden advice about what makes a wise financial decision (such as avoiding debt), use questioning techniques to stimulate and guide their thinking.
These could include:
- Reasons: What are your reasons for making that decision?
- Evidence: Can you convince me that is the best decision?
- Argument: What would someone who disagreed with you say?
- Impact on others: Will your decision affect anybody else?
- Consequences: What might happen next?
These questions engage children to think about what drives them and what all their available choices might be.
As painful as it can be, it can also be productive to let go and allow children to experience the odd financial misadventure and mistake. Later, you might askâ¦
- Reflection: How did that work out? What might you do differently next time?
These questions have the potential to promote critical thinking, a future orientation and self-regulation â without seeming to be too judgemental or interfering.


GCSE Maths Passports Grades 1 to 9 Revision
The new grades 1 to 9 GCSE maths passports are a resource designed to encourage students to have independence of their revision. However the maths GCSE passport resources also provides direction for the students about how to revise maths, which maths topics to revise and where to look for maths resources. Students commonly struggle to be able to correctly revise mathematics. Many believe reading through a revision guide is enough no matter how many times you tell the students the need to complete maths questions.
Since the new 1-9 curriculum has been launched, I thought very carefully over whether to make a new version of the passports and I have decided it would agian be useful. A word of caution I have given each passport targeted grades, this does not mean the subjects inside the passports are grade x, it is just roughly what I see students of each ability are generally able to achieve.
The new grades 1 to 9 GCSE maths passport resources are more detailed than ever before. Instead of there being only three passports there are now five. The GCSE maths passports support students with revision of basic numeracy skills up to complex mathematical concepts. There are five different passports in total two foundation, one cross over foundation/ higher and two higher passports.
Passport Break Down
New Grade 1 to 9 Maths GCSE Revisom Passports
Students need to work through each topic using the content provided, if students don't have access to a QR Code reader then there are web links below each QR code. The maths passports resource link to both support videos and practise questions. (These are links to Corbett Maths, Hegarty Maths, MissBsResources and Diagnostic Questions) Unlike previous passports I have categorised the topics into number, algebra, shapes and measures and statistics. I've also eliminated the majority of overlapping topics and questions between the passports and made sure each passport is in line the with the new GCSE specification. However, this isn't an exhaustive list of topics.
Students need to provide evidence to their teacher that have done the tasks, as wel as answering the exam style question in the maths passport. If you are happy a student has completed the topic then you sign it off. This allows you to have a way to check up on the students revision and there revision practices.
I like to keep track of students in a simple spreadsheet of which maths passports and topics they have completed. This also gives me data I can easily provide to parents and tutors to help futher support the student.
Each new maths passports also includes four traveling quizes. The categories are;
- Shapes and Measures
These provide students opportunities to attempt topics which may not have appeared in the passport but are still just as relevant.
So it's time for students to collect their maths air miles by completing the new maths GCSE passport revision resources.
|One||F||1 to 4||Passport One||Answers|
|Two||F||3 to 4||Passport Two||Answers|
|Three||F & H||4 to 5||Passport Three||Answers|
|Four||H||5 to 6||Passport Four||Answers|
|Five||H||7 to 9||Passport Five||Answers|
I Hope you find these resources useful.


What is the difference between disciplines?
For feeding skills:
Speech Therapy (ST) works on the control of food in the mouth and tongue movements for speech and respiration.
Occupational Therapy (OT) works on bringing food to the mouth, control of food in the mouth, and respiration necessary for activity/exercise.
For cognitive skills:
OT and ST together work on helping attain strategies for establishment of new concepts. OT works on using visual perception skills for daily activities. ST works on strengthening foundational skills essential for speaking, developing, and understanding interactive language.
For physical skills:
PT works on strength, gross motor skills, muscle tone, balance, coordination, and speed, in a variety of tasks throughout the developmental spectrum, including sitting, crawling, walking, hopping, skipping, and moving from one position to another. OT works with fine motor skills and functional skills needed for self-care, such as feeding oneself, writing, manipulating buttons and fasteners, hand/eye coordination, all areas of daily hygiene, decreasing the impact of the effects of residual primitive reflexes, and improving posture.
PT and OT together work on normalizing muscle tone so the child can move with control. There is close coordination of interdisciplinary skills in all areas.


**Teach Your Students How to Score Their Evidence-Based Reading Responses Accurately and Efficiently.**
This CCQ Teaching Strategies and Scoring Guide: How to Get Maximum Student Results will show teachers how to train ALL students to write evidence-based writing skills independently.
This guide is also designed to show teachers how to use CCQ Novel Study Workbooks as a valid and reliable Reading & Writing Diagnostic Assessment Tool. For years, we have trained teachers to:
- Scaffold instruction for Special Education, General Education, and Gifted Students.
- Score evidence-based written responses accurately and efficiently.
- Providing teaching strategies and plan lessons to increase learning outcomes.
- Collect accurate, authentic data on each studentâs foundational reading and writing skills.
*You and your students will be amazed with the academic results of our CCQ teaching strategies and scoring guidelines.*
We have condensed this CCQ Teaching Strategies and Scoring Guide:How to Get Maximum Student Results into a concise and manageable 35 page teacher resource. As teachers and staff developers ourselves, we ONLY want to provide teachers and students with EXACTLY what they need.
This CCQ Teaching Strategies and Scoring Guide will show you how to effectively teach the essential, foundational higher-order thinking skills needed to read critically and write evidence-based responses.
This CCQ Teaching Strategies and Scoring Guide: How to Get Maximum Student Results includes:
- 8 Planning options
- Selected-Response Teaching Strategies
- Evidence-Based Constructed Response Teaching Strategies
- Scoring Guidelines for Evidence-Based Constructed Reponses
- Student Rubrics (Printable)
- Student Writing Samples with Scoring Explanations (Printable)
- Reference Sheets (Printable)
- Performance Scales (Printable)
Thank you for everything you do to help prepare our students to develop the foundational skills needed for the future. We wish you and your students a successful school year.


Sometimes in Music Education the subject of hearing conservation does not seem to be given the attention it deserves. At ACS we believe that educating young people about the hazard of being exposed to sound levels over 85dB (A) in musical and recreational environments is crucial, especially when it occurs regularly or over long periods of time.
Music Teachers - Do you have a duty of care to protect your students?
If your students, pupils or teaching staff are exposed to average sound levels of 85dB (A) and over you should by law supply suitable hearing protection that is fit for purpose. Solid foam type earplugs are an auditory block and not suitable for musicians.
For any musician or music lover, high fidelity attenuating hearing protection is the answer in providing suitable protection without spoiling the sound quality. ACS offer a wide range of affordable solutions for education from universal fit to custom moulded hearing protection.
Protect your students today so they can
Play Safe Now and still Hear Tomorrow
For further guidance on hearing conservation within your institution and to discuss exclusive education discounts contact us:
T: +44 (0) 1295 266 665


LEARNZ virtual field trips provide a unique experience for students and teachers in New Zealand schools and an essential part of every LEARNZ field trip is written text, along with other resource material such as photos, videos, audios and web conferences.
A LEARNZ web page is constructed to scaffold reading for students. The following example demonstrates one way that teachers can use the special features of a LEARNZ Background page to help support student reading.
Watch the video
Try it yourself
Have a look at the LEARNZ web page Memorial Park - not just a roading project which is part of a series that backgrounds the Memorial Park project in Wellington, leading up to First World War centenary commemorations on Anzac Day 2015.
After looking over the list of Features, below, we suggest you take a second look at Memorial Park - not just a roading project as if you were a student to become more familiar with these features. Follow the steps in the Suggested Reading Scaffold section, below, to see how you can further support literacy development by using LEARNZ. (Hint: Display this web page side-by-side with the above web page ).
- Listen. Clicking the headphones link at the top of the page plays a recording of the content being read by one of our LEARNZ teachers. Unlike with automated options, New Zealand students will appreciate the familiarity of the accent and how the reading flows smoothly over technical words and common MÄori words.
- Enlarge photos. Clicking any photo on the right displays an enlargement and caption. By hovering the mouse over the left or right side of each photo, students can navigate forward or back through the enlargements.
- Pasifika and Maori keywords. Further down the page there are a series of Language keyword tables that students and teachers can show or hide as they please. MÄori keywords have sound files attached so all New Zealanders can hear them pronounced. Pasifika keywords are provided in the 5 main languages used in New Zealand.
- Print. Notice the little printer icon in the upper-right of the page. Clicking it gives a preview where all the content is displayed in a different layout, appropriate for print.
- Forward and Back. Also in the upper-right are Previous and Next links to enable students to go through the sequence of pages that build knowledge and understanding of the project.
- Two reading levels. The Easy link takes students to an easier-reading version of the page where there is more white space and simpler sentence structure and vocabulary. Typically the reading age is 2 years less.
- Relevance. The text meets the need for current, authentic, local content embedded in a larger story. The Memorial Park project is based in Wellington, with relevance to all New Zealanders.
A Suggested Reading Scaffold
- Emerging readers, click on the headphones at the top to have the page read.
- All students read the page heading.
- Read the summary in the top orange box.
- Enlarge the first image, then click through the rest of the enlargements.
- Click through the enlargements a second time and read the captions
- Read the main text of the page.
- All students, open the MÄori keywords and click to hear them.
- Pasifika students, open the keywords for their language and read them.
- Read the text in the bottom orange box of the page and respond (write text or record a sound file).
- On the pageâs left-hand menu, under Prepare Students, click Activities and attempt Interactive #2 called Memorial Park, which tests comprehension of the page (and one other).
- Click Next or Previous to navigate through the suggested learning sequence of Background pages whereby students gain knowledge related to the field trip topics.
- Click Standard to go to a higher-level version of the page where the reading age is two years higher.
This example is from LEARNZ Memorial Park at http://www.learnz.org.nz/memorialpark134. The web site will ultimately contain four virtual field trips covering the project through to 2015. Feel free to explore the rest of the site and use it in your teaching and learning programme. If you do, it would be great if you would register with LEARNZ at http://www.learnz.org.nz/register
For another view of using LEARNZ field trips as a reading resource, go to eLiteracy leader Jill Hammondâs explanation at


Reading comic books can improve reading skills in children, say experts
12th October, 2018: While conversations about literacy typically begin when children start school, the roots of reading skills begin at birth. The first few years of life are vital for the development of literacy skills, as children absorb the building blocks of language. Through recognising pictures, listening to short stories and eventually identifying words, exploring books at an early age creates a strong foundation for future literacy development.
Experts now advocate for a more natural unfolding of literacy skills instead of formal instruction at an earlier age, because during these developmental years, the children's earliest experiences with books and stories should be about enjoyment.
Comic books, as a genre which combines colourful images with small snippets of text, can be the ideal way to introduce children to reading. Comics can familiarise children with the concept of reading, long before they can read for themselves. At an early age, they can also interact with the pictures in books, such as by gazing at pictures, laughing and even pointing at familiar characters and objects. These recognition behaviours demonstrate the earliest stages of picture and story understanding.
Comic books also have the same elements of plot development seen across a range of genres, with rising action and an exciting climax. Familiarising children with these constructions in stories will help aid their comprehension of storylines across genres, and ultimately help in making their transition to more text-based formats, smoother. Comic books help children not only develop their literacy skills but also their understanding of social norms, values, and complex human emotions.
Fabelizer, a content producer for children, recognises the potential for comic books to teach moral lessons, as well as literacy skills, and is a recommended brand for parents and educators that want their children's superheroes to be strong role models.
About Fabelizer & Aychu:
to stitch together thousands of design components into complete products. Fabelizer products which include comics and videos are produced in 40 languages made possible using artificial intelligence technologies. An application of Blockchain enables artists, over different language skills and methods, to collaborate over the cloud
Aychu comics & videos are only available digitally on platforms such as YouTube, Amazon, Kobo, iBooks Store and Google Play Books. For information on how to secure copies of Aychu E-comic books, please visit www.Aychu.com
For more information, visit: http://www.fabelizer.com


that tell a story have always been a defining characteristic of American
popular music, yet the narrativity of pop music is underrepresented in academic
literature. This paper utilizes a combination of semiotics and narrative theory
to present a systematic method that can be used to analyze and codify the
lyrics of virtually any pop song into one of four major categories based on
whether it has an open or closed reading and a defined or undefined narrative.
It is hoped that this typology can be used both to better understand how pop
music plays a role in cultural storytelling and to aid teachers and students in
the development and understanding of songwriting pedagogy.
Keywords: lyrics, semiotics, narrative theory, songwriting, popular music, music education, music pedagogy
Randle, Quint and Keith Evans. âSo
What Does âSet Fire To The Rainâ Really Mean? A Typology for Analyzing Pop Song
Lyrics Using Narrative Theory and Semiotics.â Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 13, no. 1 (2013): 125-147. https://doi.org/10.25101/13.7


Education in the USA
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The USA does not have a national system of education. All educational matters are left to states. 50 per cent of funds for education come from state sources, about 40 from local funds, and only 6 per cent from the federal government. There are two major types of schools in the USAâ public which are free, and private, or fee-paying. Four of five private schools are run by churches and other religious groups.
Elementary education starts at the age of 6 and continues till 10-11 years. Secondary education is provided from the age 11 â 12. Intermediate school includes grades 6 through 9 for ages 11-12 up to 14â15. A senior high school may include grades 9â10 through 12. A senior high school may be comprehensive, general or vocational. A comprehensive school offers a broad program of academic and vocational education, a general school offers a more limited program. A vocational school focuses on vocational training with some general educational subjects. All such programs â academic, technical, or practical are generally taught under one roof.
The School System A childÂ´s educational progress is divided into elementary school (grade 1 to grade 5 or 6) middle school or junior high (up to grade 8 or 9) high school or senior high (up to grade 12)
Electives Common types of electives include: Athletics (cross country, football, baseball, basketball, track and field, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, water polo, soccer, softball, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, crew, boxing, skiing/snowboarding, golf, mountain biking, marching band) Career and Technical Education, including Agriculture/Agriscience, Business/Marketing, Family and Consumer Science, Health occupations Computer word processing, programming, and graphic design Foreign languages (Spanish and French are common; Chinese, Latin, Ancient Greek, German, Italian, and Japanese are less common) Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Performing Arts/Visual Arts, (choir, band, orchestra, drama, art, ceramics, photography, and dance) Publishing, including journalism/student newspaper, yearbook/annual, and literary magazine
Nevertheless, many students of high school don't finish it. 1 per cent of American citizens at the age of 14 can neither read, nor write. High school students who wish to attend a college or a university go through one of the two standard tests â SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Test). They are given by non-profit, non-governmental organizations.
There are several ways to continue in education: universities, colleges, community colleges, and technical and vocational schools. A university in the USA usually consists of several colleges; each college specializes in a subject area. There are colleges of liberal arts, colleges of education and business colleges. A program for undergraduates usually takes four years. After that, students may leave the university or go on for a graduate or professional degree
College students usually spend four years at the college, too, and get the Bachelor's degree. In contrast to universities, colleges don't have graduate or professional programs. Colleges in the USA differ greatly in size â they may include from 100 students to 5000 and more. Most of the larger institutions fall into the category of universities, the largest being the University of California, State university of New York, New York university, Columbia University and others.
Americans place a high value on education. That's why Kennedy said, "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education".


Open Court Reading gives your students the tools they need to read and succeed both inside and outside the classroom. Strong foundational skillsâcombined with comprehension, writing, and inquiryâensure that students are well prepared for a lifetime of literacy and learning.
Included in the Open Court Reading core curriculum, Foundational Skills Kits equip all students with a strong foundation for lifelong literacy. This easy-to-use program is carefully crafted to build the skills needed to and encode written language, becoming the basis for reading and writing fluency, as well as reading comprehension.
Included in the Open Court Reading core curriculum, Foundational Skills Kits equip all students with a strong foundation for lifelong reading, helping students understand how individual sounds work together to create spoken language. These tools strengthen phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency skillsâallowing learners to master more sophisticated skills.
Word Analysis Kits take students from foundational skills to the application of these skills as they encounter new vocabulary, more complex texts, and more sophisticated writing. When students encounter new words, they have the tools to break down these words into smaller units and make meaning from those units. With these skills, your students will be ready for middle school, high school, and beyond!
The English Language Development Kit provides instruction and activities to help English Learners acquire vital vocabulary and language skills. Students can quickly begin to participate meaningfully in the classroom and everyday life with differentiated instruction that addresses four levels of proficiency: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, and Early Advanced.
Open Court Reading provides all the tools you need to create a foundation for literacy success. See for yourself how the various components of Open Court Reading work together to effectively improve reading, writing, and language arts skills development in your classroom. Request a demo today.