The digital age has seen the web, interactive whiteboards, virtual learning environments, video conferencing, blogs, wikis, podcasts, video and mobile devices have a transformative impact on both learning and teaching. Using technology draws on and enhances pupils’ digital skills, and has opened up subject areas previously unavailable to many pupils.
The new national curriculum for computing has been developed to equip young people in England with the foundational skills, knowledge and understanding of computing they will need for the rest of their lives. Through the new programme of study for computing, students will learn how computers and computer systems work, they will design and build programs, they will develop their ideas using technology, and create a range of digital content.
The Royal Society has identified three distinct strands within computing, each of which is complementary to the others with each component being essential in preparing pupils to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
- Computer science is the scientific and practical study of computation: what can be computed, how to compute it, and how computation may be applied to the solution of problems.
- Information technology is concerned with how computers and telecommunications equipment work, and how they may be applied to the storage, retrieval, transmission and manipulation of data.
- Digital literacy is the ability to effectively, responsibly, safely and critically navigate, evaluate and create digital artefacts using a range of digital technologies.
The creation of digital artefacts will be integral to much of the learning of computing. Digital artefacts can take many forms, including digital images, computer programs, spreadsheets, 3D animations and this booklet.
The computing curriculum brings new teaching opportunities to sit alongside those familiar from the ICT programme of study. There is an increased emphasis on computer science; not only on how to use technology, but on how to make it and how it works. Planning needs to bring together the three strands of computing (CS, IT and DL) and there are many opportunities to have exciting and creative lessons whilst exploring computational theory ( Naace 2006 – 2014).
At Ercall Wood we cater for all these needs by developing a curriculum that allows students to explore computing, practice skills and develop ideas about how to use computers and ICT to enhance their social, economic, cultural and moral wellbeing. Through computational thinking students start to think like a computer scientist. Understanding how computers work and being able to use them creatively gives pupils the power to shape the world around them.
What will I learn? What will I learn?
Key Stage 3: Year 7 students are introduced to Computer Science through programming Scratch and Kodu. Digital Literacy is catered for through a project on internet safety and the use of spreadsheets.
Key Stage 4: is currently split into two groups for Year 10 with one group studying for the ECDL qualification. The other group are undertaking the WJEC GCSE in Computer Science. The majority of Year 11 students are completing their studies in the ECDL qualification whilst the remainder of the year are studying the Edexcel GCSE in Computer Science.
How will I learn?
Computer Science (ICT) will be taught 1 x 100 minute lessons every 2 weeks at both Key Stages for Years 7, 8, 10 & 11. Year 9 students have 2 x 100 minute lessons every 2 weeks. Year 10 option students receive three 1 x 100 minute lessons every 2 weeks.
Students are set according to results in primary school and on general performance in Secondary School.
The department is committed to ensuring all students have equal access to computing facilities. In order to improve their success and allow them the opportunity to extend their knowledge through practice, every night after school we hold a one hour supervised open session. The schemes of work have been structured to improve motivation and extend pupil skills and knowledge. Staff members are on hand to assist students who need extra assistance.


Educational games are a great tool for building foundation math and language skills that today's elementary school curriculum requires. These online learning games and songs for kids are fun, teach important skills for preschool and elementary school kids and they're free. Want educational games that help build skills in math, language, science, social studies, and more? You've come to the right place!
Pulled from the Changes in Matter module in the Matter unit in Physical Science from Science4Us.com, these activities expose K2 students to the concept of physical and chemical changes. Students will learn about chemical changes like, melting, freezing, and burning. They’ll also learn about physical changes like folding, flattening, cutting and rolling. Elementary science is a fun and interactive beginning to learning all about science. Flash games make online science for kids easy to teach.Interest in and knowledge of changes in matter increases as kids are encouraged to play educational science games. Kids become experts on every science subject in no time, thanks to cool online games. Elementary schools and middle schools are incorporating fun online games and science printable worksheets into their science curriculum as playing games, developing science vocabulary, learning songs and watching videos online provides the results teachers want for their students. And best of all, kids have fun while learning!


Are Workbooks Helping or Hurting Your Students?
Workbooks are mass produced for the masses. They are a one size fits all approach to mastering fundamental skills.
Workbooks teach children that reading is about reading a passage and answering questions. Workbooks do not teach children about the many purposes of reading, how to enjoy reading or how to comprehend and read with fluency.
If one of your students is struggling to read, or struggles with comprehension, it is not because he or she is unable to be a successful reader, it is because the child has not been taught to read in a way that makes sense to them.
When you give a child a workbook expecting them to practice reading and become a better reader, you are setting them up for failure. Workbooks don’t work because they don’t teach your students how to think and problem solve on the run. Instead workbooks provide your students with cookie cutter rote practice. Therefore, if your students are working through a workbook using weak strategies or making the same mistakes over and over, they are only practicing making mistakes.
Your students will not become better readers if they don’t learn how to read in a way that builds comprehension, fluency and enjoyment. They will learn to hate reading because repetitive practice is boring. Additionally, if they practice every day with a workbook but do not become a better reader, then your students will begin to see themselves as a failure.
It is more important for children to view reading as a means to gather information or as an enjoyable activity. If you want your students to enjoy reading and improve comprehension, you might try setting a purpose for reading. You could also teach your students how to use specific reading comprehension strategies. Reading comprehension strategies include the following:
- Make Connections
- Ask Questions
- Make Predictions
- Make Inferences
- Identify the Author’s Message
- Determine Importance
- Understand Text Structure
When you teach young readers how to use reading comprehension strategies, you are giving them the tools necessary to fully comprehend and enjoy what they read.


I found a pack of wooden spoons at the supermarket, and they begged me to please buy and repurpose them... The oval shape was perfect for my current subject in my early music education course - penguins! So here's how I made them with the kids:
Step 1: You'll need
- wooden spoons
- black drawing ink
- white paper hole protectors
- white ink or acrylic paint
- felt scraps in yellow and black
- white glue or small glue dots
- damp rug
Step 2: Prepare the spoons
Important: Prepare at least one penguin so the kids will see how it turns out. Make sure the spoons are dyed and completely dry before you start crafting with the kids.
If necessary, pour the ink into a glass with a wide opening. Dip a spoon into the ink until the bowl is completely covered. Allow the excess ink to drip off and put it on a piece of paper to dry. Prepare as many spoons as needed.
Step 3: Now comes the cute part
Step 4: And a little mess
Press one finger into the ink and place it just below the eyes. Repeat if necessary.
Attention: Now the kids should wipe their fingers on the damp cloth. Otherwise, the white ink will come to life and magically appear on every surface ;)


The Office of English Language Learners partners with the most renowned researchers in the field of ELL literacy development. OELL commissioned Dr. Nonie Leseaux and Dr. Julie Harris of Harvard University, Dr.Michael Kieffer of New York University, and Dr. Diane August and Dr. Erin Haynes to write the following briefs on ELLs and how teachers can support their literacy growth.
Supporting ELLs' Achievement: Oral Language Unpacked
Oral language is the system through which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings.Developing English Language Learners’ (ELLs) oral language, then, means developing the skills and knowledge that provide the foundation for their listening, speaking, and writing. Broadly, oral language is made up of five components. Click here to read more.
Disciplinary Literacy for ELLs
Disciplinary literacy refers to the specialized skills and knowledge that students use to read and write about content in the academic disciplines, such as science, social studies, mathematics, and literature. Each academic discipline has its own particular ways of making meaning from texts,so the skills and knowledge that help students read and write some texts for particular purposes will not be the same for other texts and other purposes. For instance, math students reading algebra word problems to solve them will use very different strategies, content knowledge, and language knowledge than science students reading a textbook chapter to learn about earthquakes, both of which use different skills and knowledge from history students reading a speech by Abraham Lincoln to analyze his perspective on slavery. Unlike other approaches to literacy across the content areas, teaching disciplinary literacy starts with the authentic goals for reading and writing held by real scientists, historians, mathematicians, and literary critics. All students deserve access to these complex disciplinary practices and ELLs, in particular, need thoughtful and explicit instructional support to learn to use them. Click here to read more.
The Common Core State English Language Arts Standards require that students read and understand texts of increasing complexity. This requirement is in place to help prepare students to be college and career ready, because both college and workplace readings tend to be of greater complexity than those typically found in K-12 programs, and there is a greater emphasis placed on independent reading in both college and the workplace. Click here to read more.
Distinguishing Language Acquisition from Learning Disabilities
The single biggest error made in placing English language learners (ELLs) into special education is misinterpreting language acquisition as a learning or language disability. In this guide, several questions are raised about how to distinguish language acquisition from learning disabilities (LD) and offer answers for each. Click here to read more.
What is Scaffolding?
Both a structure and a process, scaffolding refers to dynamic and responsive supports that enable learners to develop their full potential and eventually become autonomous learners. With appropriate scaffolding for academic practices, students are able to simultaneously build conceptual understandings, academic skills, and the language needed to enact them. Click here to read more.
We label ideas with words: common ideas are labeled with words that children learn very early (e.g., juice, ball), while complex ideas are labeled with words that are rare (e.g., photosynthesis, fusion). We record our ideas in texts and, with only a few exceptions (e.g., a lecture in a college class), texts contain more sophisticated vocabulary than does oral language. To successfully comprehend texts, readers must have a deep and rich vocabulary. In fact, vocabulary is the strongest predictor of success in comprehending texts. Click here to read more.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2010) call for students to be engaged in increasingly more rigorous academic inquiry—often by engaging with multiple, authentic (and more complex) texts on a single topic—has once again made reading comprehension instruction a central concern for all educators of adolescents. Adolescent readers require many kinds of knowledge and skills in order to comprehend these complex texts (for instance, background knowledge and the skill to apply reading strategies). However, the ability to understand the language of academic texts, also called ‘academic language (AL),’ is fundamental. Click here for more information. To view the accompanying webinar, click here.


Three weeks of summer camp pumped up math, science and computer basics for middle school students and gave a fresh perspective to the university students helping out as their teachers.
The 26th session of the Pre-Freshman Enrichment Program, called PREP 2014, wound up Thursday at California State University, Stanislaus. This year’s class included 88 kids, most of them foster youth or from farmworker families that follow the crops – traditionally among the groups that struggle most in school.
“The take-home moment for me was getting to see students get interested in science,” said Stanislaus State chemistry major Robert Baughn. “It’s good to see it come alive for them.”
Baughn was among some 30 science students and teachers in training tapped to help with the three-week intensive program. All-day classes were divided into two math sessions, two science sessions, one technology period and a time for yoga and meditation, said student coordinator Maria Newsome.
“For the two-period blocks, the first one they were learning fundamentals and the second were hands-on activities. For example, in one they were learning about shapes and in the second one they were making their golf courses. When they learned about intersecting lines, that became making kites,” she said.
The real-world applications used successfully for 25 years in the summer academy are good examples of Common Core teaching strategies, said Newsome, who will be teaching science at Turlock Junior High when the school year starts.
Technology time focused on free-to-all Google applications, including its ubiquitous search engine. Students were encouraged to research their favorite soccer players, their hometowns or other topics.
“Many of these kids have never been on a computer before,” she said. “These are foundational skills.”
Yoga and breathing exercises fit into a session called “mind and body.” A poster noted it was “very fun because you get to take off your shoes.” Dream time while stretching was popular, as was a modified “warrior” pose while yelling. The session let the preteens step away from sometimes stressful lives and learn ways to release tension, Newsome said.
“It is inspiring and invigorating to see these kids’ desire to learn,” said program leader Viji Sundar, a math professor at the university.
The program got its start in 1989, when Sundar despaired that her sixth-grader had learned little that school year. “I realized my child was not prepared for junior high,” she said. Hearing other parents in the class had similar concerns, Sundar said, “I told them, ‘Don’t worry. Give me your kids for four weeks.’ ”
The first year, there were 16 incoming seventh-graders taught by Sundar in classes organized by Rita Glyn, a math department secretary. Glyn stayed with the program through last year.
“Students seem to be telling us that this program made a difference,” Glyn said. “It changed their perception of themselves and helped them become better students. And that’s what it’s all about.”


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In its publication “Making the Case for Arts Education,” the Ontario Arts Council reported that involvement in music helps young people do better in school and in life. This research tells us that young people exposed to music demonstrate improved reading, writing and mathematical skills. Additionally, their ability to think creatively, work in teams, communicate, solve problems and exercise self-discipline is greatly enhanced. Students say that their commitment to music keeps them focused and motivated in everything they pursue, helping them to attain a higher level of achievement in all areas of their life, as well as a sense of personal accomplishment.
The Sudbury Symphony Orchestra believes in the value of music and music education by offering a variety of programs that are designed to teach and inspire students of all ages. During the 2013.2014 season, over 2,800 people were reached through the SSO’s Outreach and Education programming.


By AKOM Guest Blogger Sally Hunter
I am struck by the reality that schools today require teachers to become skilled performers in an increasingly complex and critical balancing act. In more and more public classrooms, elementary teachers are asked to spend the bulk of their day following impersonal lesson plans, preparing students for mandated tests, and completing layers of benchmarks and reports to document their efforts. Schools are overwhelmed with well-intentioned but imperfect government mandates, liability inspired paperwork, over-emphasis on high stakes testing, and the bureaucratic tendency to jump on new ideas and methods simply because they are new. Evaluating schools, teachers, and students has become a checklist of what is easiest to test, rather than what will prepare individual students to become confident, active, productive citizens.
Successful teachers must strive to balance their instruction by finding time and energy to focus on each individual student and help every learner develop crucial connections:
- connections to their own minds, learning profiles, and potential passions
- connections to their own creativity, talents, and personal strengths
- connections to the power each individual has to bond and collaborate with others
- connections to the future through their own dreams and actions today
Without these essential connections, students will never reach their full potential or have truly successful and satisfying adult lives, no matter how skilled they become in reading, math, and science.
My hope for the New Year is that all students would have teachers who tip the instructional scales in students’ favor by creating learning environments in which these connections are inevitable; naturally integrated throughout a curriculum that includes character education, social studies, and the arts. Teachers who provide the structure and flexibility for students to explore the world and apply their discoveries in creative and meaningful ways. Teachers who train students to work together, build on one another’s ideas, respectfully disagree with one another, and provide supporting evidence for their ideas and perspectives. Teachers who encourage students to set and pursue their own goals while helping them develop strategies to achieve those goals. Students must understand themselves and their place in the world before they can begin to understand the rich and amazing possibilities the world has to offer them.
Sally Hunter, a 4th grade teacher at Highland Park Elementary in the Austin Independent School District, was named 2010 National Council for the Social Studies Elementary Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching and writing curriculum, she is a Schools Attuned facilitator for The Learning Center of North Texas.


Renegotiating cultural authority: imperal culture and the NZ primary school curriculum in the 1930s.
History of Education, 35(1) pp. 11–25.
The dominant influences that forged curriculum policy in relation to the literacy curriculum in New Zealand during the 1930s can be seen to be enmeshed in the politics of the wider context of what de Castell and Luke have identified as the 'literacy ideologies of the British Empire'. It was these literacy ideologies and concerns over the cultural authority of 'standard English' that were to spark a growing public and professional condern during the 1930s over new Zealanders' speech and the growing 'insidious' influence of American-derived popular culture. These tensions led to debates that would eventually highlight the need for New Zealanders to develop their own national and cultural identity. They would also bring into question the role of Maori language and culture in New Zealand primary school education, and herald the first challenges to the cultural dominance of the English language in New Zealand's Native schools in teh late 1930s.
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|Home > No Child Left Behind > 4 Great Definitions About Reading in NCLB|
4 Great Definitions About Reading
support the No Child Left Behind
Act because it emphasizes reading, math and science, annual testing of reading
and math, highly qualified teachers, and requirements
that schools and school districts report their progress to the
community every year (transparency).
The term 'reading' means a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following:
(A) The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes, or speech sounds, are connected to print.
(B) The ability to decode unfamiliar words.
(C) The ability to read fluently.
(D) Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension.
(E) The development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print.
(F) The development and maintenance of a motivation to read.
The term 'essential components of reading instruction' means
explicit and systematic instruction in-
(A) phonemic awareness;
(C) vocabulary development;
(D) reading fluency, including oral reading skills; and
(E) reading comprehension strategies.
The term 'scientifically based reading research' means research
(A) applies rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development, reading instruction, and reading difficulties;
(B) includes research that-
(i) employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;
(ii) involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;
(iii) relies on measurements or observational methods that provide valid data across evaluators and observers and across multiple measurements and observations; and
(iv) has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review.
(i) valid, reliable, and based on scientifically based reading research; and
(ii) used for the purpose of-
(I) identifying a child's specific areas of strengths and weaknesses so that the child has learned to read by the end of grade 3;
(II) determining any difficulties that a child may have in learning to read and the potential cause of such difficulties; and
(III) helping to determine possible reading intervention strategies and related special needs.
A Special Message to Parents of Kids with Disabilities
Some parents say, "My child receives special ed services so No Child Left Behind doesn't apply to him."
Yes, it does!
No Child Left Behind requires schools to meet the educational needs of children who are often "left behind" --English language learners, low income kids, minority kids, homeless kids - and yes, children with disabilities.
Most children with disabilities have weaknesses in reading. Read the "essential components of reading instruction." Does your child's reading program pass muster? Has the school given your child a diagnostic reading assessment? What did this assessment show?
Schools that receive Title I funds must publicly report their progress educating all children and subgroups groups of children to parents and the community.
More NCLB Resources
Child Left Behind includes many new responsibilities and requirements
for states, school districts, and schools. The law also includes
new rights and responsibilities for children who attend public
schools that receive Title I funds and their parents. Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind will help you sort through these issues.
articles and resources about NCLB


Goal 1: Our graduates possess knowledge and skills in music.
- Students demonstrate music literacy and performance competency in their principal applied area as well as functional knowledge of keyboard and other instruments.
- Measures: jury sheets and rubrics; student recital programs; piano proficiency exam; videos of recital performances
- Students demonstrate knowledge and skills sufficient to function as a leader and in collaboration on matters of musical performance interpretation.
- Measures: student teaching experience; assignment as section leaders in ensembles
Goal 2: Our graduates understand the music of their own culture as well as other societies.
- Students demonstrate basic knowledge of music history, diverse performing traditions and repertoires through the present time.
- Measures: Music History projects; documentation of repertoire performed in student recitals, juries and ensemble concerts
- Students demonstrate ability to synthesize theoretical concepts and historical perspectives in arranging and adapting musical scores, and in rudimentary composing and improvising.
- Measures: Orchestration and Arranging projects; Praxis II exam; piano proficiency exam
Goal 3: Our graduates use technology effectively.
- Students demonstrate the ability to use technologies current to their area of specialization.
- Measures: competencies identified in music education courses; use of Smart Music and YouTube for applied instruction
- Students use computer and Internet applications to assist in learning theoretical concepts as well as arranging and performing skills.
- Measures: competencies identified in Orchestration and Arranging; use of on-line drills for Applied Theory; use of Naxos Library and Smart Music on-line resources
Goal 4: Our graduates communicate effectively and use analytical skills as functioning musicians.
- Students demonstrate an understanding of the common elements and organizational patterns of music, and possess the ability to employ them in aural, verbal and visual analyses.
- Measures: competencies identified in Written Theory, Applied Theory and Form and Analysis courses; Praxis II exam
- Students demonstrate an understanding of the common elements and organizational patterns of music, and possess the ability to communicate these concepts in diverse musical settings such as rehearsals, performances, and studio and classroom instruction.
- Measures: performances, student teaching experience; competencies in conducting and music methods classes


Kudos to Kentucky, where H.B. 69 was enacted Wednesday to require all districts to implement districtwide use of a response-to-intervention (RTI) system for students in grades K-3. The RTI system must be be for general, compensatory, and special education students, and must provide "interventions implemented with fidelity to scientifically based research" (like the "implemented with fidelity to..." rather than simply requiring interventions to incorporate scientifically based research, since interventions are not always implemented with fidelity!) Districts are to implement RTI systems over a few years, with reading and writing to be implemented by August 2013, math by August 2014, and behavior by August 2015.
Some of the other key components of this legislation:
- The department of education must make technical assistance and training available to all districts in implementing the RTI system districtwide
- Technical assistance must be designed to improve specified components critical to the quality and effectiveness of interventions
- The department must develop and maintain a Web-based resource, to provide ongoing support to teachers in all of the targeted areas--reading, writing, math, and behavior
- The department must encourage districts to use both state and federal funds as appropriate to implement the districtwide RTI system
- The department is not going this road alone. The legislation encourages the department to collaborate with postsecondary institutions on "technical assistance and training on current best practice interventions", and is required to collaborate with specified existing entities, including postsecondary teacher education programs, and state-supported centers focused on literacy development mathematics, and instructional discipline, "to ensure that teachers are prepared to utilize scientifically based interventions in reading, writing, mathematics, and behavior."
- This is no "set it and forget it" policy--there's a reporting component. By November 30, 2013, and each year thereafter, the department is required to report specified components to the interim joint committee on education, including "data on the effectiveness of interventions in improving student performance" in schools in the state.
The aforementioned ECS report makes clear that many retention policies focused on the early grades are likely to minimally impact their goal--widespread reading proficiency by the end of grade 3--without early identification of difficulties and prompt, appropriate interventions. Kentucky's new legislation provides a promising approach to ensuring early identification plus interventions, as the bill states, "matched to individual student strengths and needs."


Details about Literacy Assessment of Second Language Learners:
Experts in the field of assessment of literacy development of bilingual learners have contributed articles that provide tools to help classroom teachers assess literacy. In response to the increasingly diverse bilingual population of our schools, this book offers clear, research-based and class tested perspectives so that teachers can work with the literacy needs and levels of their students. Literacy Assessment of Second Language Learners views literacy as a social, linguistic and cognitive process. Abilities developed in one language are used and transferred to a second language. The approach to assessment is authentic and meaning based as compared to traditional, formal assessment. This text also takes into account the unique circumstances of second language learners. For educators of a Second Language.


Education develops the foundation necessary for an individual to reach their potential. This is especially true for individuals with Down syndrome.
Like all people, individuals with Down syndrome learn and develop at their own rate and in their own way. People with Down syndrome have varied goals for their futures and individual expectations of their roles in the family, school and community. Down syndrome is not a blueprint for potential or a prescription for a given educational or life plan. However, people with Down syndrome often experience mild to moderate delays in their cognitive and physical development and research has shown that educational and therapeutic interventions (such as early intervention services) can greatly benefit learners with Down syndrome. Careful consideration, supports and early planning are often necessary to facilitate employment and community life. Your child’s education begins with Early Intervention and continues through secondary education and beyond. The information we are sharing here is meant to give you a foundation on education, and basic concepts that will help you navigate through the processes to ensure your child receives the appropriate individual support. There are many more resources at both a local and national level which you can access our Links information.
What is early intervention?
Early intervention is a systematic program of therapy, exercises and activities designed to address developmental delays that may be experienced by children with Down syndrome or other disabilities. These services are mandated by a federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law requires that states provide early intervention services for all children who qualify, with the goal of enhancing the development of infants and toddlers and helping families understand and meet the needs of their children before the begin their school years. The most common early intervention services for babies with Down syndrome are physical therapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy. You should work with your case manager and therapist to ensure your child’s goals are documented and agreed upon. Visit our Early Intervention page for additional information.
What is IDEA?
IDEA or The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
In IDEA 2004 Congress defined the purpose of special education: “to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living” and “to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and parents of such children are protected”… (Section 1400(d)).
Special education and related services necessary for each individual student is defined by their unique needs and is supported by an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Additional information on IEP’s and Inclusion can be found on our Elementary Education information page.


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Autism Spectrum Disorder & Music - It been shown how constructive music education is in all areas of cognitive development, but it also proves to be especially helpful to those with ASD. As showcased by this infographic, it basically boils down to the two most indicative symptoms across the spectrum of those with autism. Those being that ASD can be characterized mainly by poor ability to communicate and interact socially, along with being prone to repetitive behaviors and specific interests.
As with almost any neurological or mental health disorder, the symptoms or signs of autism may appear in neuro-typically developing children to some degree. When the symptom becomes more severe, more frequent, and/or more problematic for the child’s...


Applications now open - Spring Bulbs for Schools
Plant bulbs in your school grounds to study climate change. Join this UK wide investigation and improve science and numeracy skills. All schools must apply by the end of July to take part in the following September. Free to all schools in Wales -spaces limited.
More information www.museumwales.ac.uk/scan/bulbs
Science, Geography and ESD&GC.
Making the most of a FREE visit to the Museum.
Entry to the Museum and teacher-led activities are free and we have a variety of free resources to enable you to get the most out of this. Resources include:
- ready-to-use gallery activity sheets and trails
- explorer boxes, that include real and replica objects along with teachers’ notes,that provide facts and ideas for questions and discussion with your class. They must be booked in advance, if you require more information please contact our admin team.
Photography is allowed in the Museum and is a good way to record the visit, refresh memories and generate discussion back at school. Observational drawing is allowed on the galleries with dry art materials.
To book self-guided visits, Explorer Boxes or to find out more please contact learning on (029)2057 3600 or email email@example.com


The last few years have seen educationalists from around the world place heightened awareness onto the importance of computer programming. Policy makers have clamoured to make coding a greater part of the school curriculum to try and raise the IT skills of their respective populations.
Interestingly, the greatest steps have probably been made by third party ventures however. Code Academy is undoubtedly the most well known, with something like 24 million users learning a variety of languages and programming techniques via the site.
Alongside these efforts to educate adult learners however have been a number of projects aiming to teach coding to youngsters. For instance, Hello Ruby is a book aimed for 4-7 year old girls that aims to help them understand the Ruby on Rails programming language. The book follows the story of Ruby, who meets penguin, snow leopards and green robots as she creates her own adventures.
Ricarose Roque from the MIT Media Lab has recently released a new guide for engaging the whole family in learning programming. The guide uses Scratch and MaKey-MaKey as the tools by which to do so. Scratch is a block based language designed to help with learning to code and create games and the likes. MaKey-MaKLy is a tool to help users create physical interfaces for computing systems.
Roque facilitates two-hour workshops using these tools to involve children and their parents in the art and science of computer programming. He’s also created a guide however to form the blueprint for those wishing to establish their own workshop sessions.
The guide comes with lesson plans, journals and other resources to help get things up and running. Each workshop is designed to go through four phases, all of which begin with dinner. The phases are catchily titled Eat-Meet-Make-Share, with the workshops closed with a community fair during which each family shares their projects with the group.
It’s a really nice way to get children learning to code in a fun and interactive way. You can read a bit more about the project in Roque’s own words below, or check out the video introducing the concept at the end of the blog.
Technology pervades all aspects of our lives and young people are growing up playing, learning, and connecting with technology. However, parents, especially those with little to no background in technology, are often unsure what role they can play. These workshops leverage the learning dynamics that families already use in activities like literacy development and support families in using them in the context of computing, enabling parents and children to become more empowered learning partners.


Increasing Fall-to-Spring Persistence among New Students
In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”
Earning a college degree plays a critical role in an individual’s ability to be successful in the increasingly competitive global marketplace. For some students, persevering long enough to obtain a degree is a tremendous challenge.
Throughout California’s 112 Community Colleges, 50% of freshmen will drop out within their first year. Among these dropouts, 42% will be recent high school graduates (Center for Student Success, 2005; 2007). There is an urgent need for California Community College educators and administrators to implement programs that will increase the fall-to-spring persistence of entry students.
Research studies suggest that a students’ academic preparedness is a key factor in college retention. Well-prepared students are much more likely to persist semester to semester. In addition, research has shown the importance of student engagement and connectedness to the campus community. Community colleges need to offer programs and services that integrate new students into the college community so that they feel a part of the campus culture from the very outset.
Many community colleges are adopting programs and services that have proven effectiveness in increasing persistence among new students. These programs include mandatory orientation and assessment, integration of intrusive counseling practices in Basic Skills courses, embedding foundational skills (i.e., reading and study techniques), cohort programs, multicultural and learning resource centers, and learning communities.


Have you heard about The Mozart Effect?
Although this particular study was shown to be exaggerated by the media, other research studies show the positive effects of music education on wellness, brain power and academic performance. The effects are especially beneficial when children are exposed to music education at an early age.
For example, the journal Neurological Research has reported that
Students who were exposed to music-based lessons scored a full 100 percent higher on fractions tests than those who learned in the conventional manner.
Learning how to play an instrument can boost a child’s confidence, too. A McGill University study found that students given piano instruction over a three-year period experienced improved self-esteem.
In our efforts to continue developing educational apps for all musicians, we were inspired by the potential of combining app technology with music for younger audiences. In this current economic climate, the arts and music education are continually at risk of being cut. What better way to supplement your child’s existing musical education than with a fun, accessible app? For example, do your children know what a piano sounds like or what a trumpet looks like?
Our newest release, A Jazzy Day, is an educational tool that showcases music instruments using jazz music, including how sections work together in a jazz ensemble. It’s a great way to help kids learn about music and musical instruments. Hand drawn characters and instruments, along with recordings of live music are animated to help children recognize musical instruments both by sight and by how they sound.
Our goal is to encourage children’s interest in music, and to inspire them to pick up a music instrument and play!


The son of the famous Baroque cellist, Giovanni Battista
Vitali, Tomaso Vitali's fame today almost entirely rests upon a single
composition—the colossal Chaconne in G minor for violin. Tomaso was born on
March 7, 1663 and his early music education likely came from his father. When
the elder Vitali took up the post of vicemaestri di capelli at the d'Este court
in Modena in 1675, Tomaso, then only twelve years of age, joined the court
orchestra as a violinist. He would remain at the Modena court for nearly the
remainder of his life, leaving the court just three years
before his death. From an instrumentalist in the court orchestra, he eventually
rose to the position of orchestral director. In 1703, he became a member of the
prestigious Accademia Filarmonica, of which his father was a founding member.
Within three years of joining, he earned the rank of composer within the
academy. Tomaso died in Modena on May 9, 1745.
All of Vitali's surviving output is instrumental works. His
first published compositions, two collections of trio sonatas (opp. 1 and 2)
influenced by the style of his father and Corelli, appeared in 1693. Another
collection, his opus 4, appeared a few years later and were dedicated to
Cardinal Ottoboni, a prominent patron of music. The famous Chaconne in G minor
is attributed to Vitali based on a manuscript, marked with Vitali's name in the
corner, in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden. It was edited by Ferdinand
David and published in 1867. Much speculation surrounds its authenticity.
Though there is evidence to suggest the manuscript is authentic, many discredit
the work's authenticity because of its wide-ranging modulations. Nonetheless,
it remains a popular composition with violinists, appearing in several
arrangement including one with a full orchestra accompaniment by Ottorino
Resphigi. It has also been arranged for viola and cello.
Copyright 2008-2014 Classical Connect, LLC


ACADEMICS » DEGREES & MAJORS » Early Childhood / Elementary Education PreK- 4
Watch the TEACHER EDUCATION
The early years of a child’s education are filled with wonder, discovery, and development. The foundation of their worldview begins to form as they consider their own identity, the value of others, and the importance of learning.
This process is greatly influenced by their teachers and caregivers. At this crucial period of life, children need teachers who will meet their cognitive and developmental needs from a biblical perspective. Our Early Childhood / Elementary Education program provides you with the biblical education and practical experience that is necessary to point young children to Christ.
Download a printable Early Childhood Education PDF here.
Our program is well-respected within the educational community for its ability to produce graduates who are equipped to teach with excellence in any classroom setting. You’ll receive both practical teaching skills and biblical knowledge, effectively preparing you to be a light for Christ in the lives of young students.
Meet Jenna Bont, a student in the Early Childhood/Elementary Education program.
Read more about Jenne here.
"By far, I can say that the BBC staff has influenced me the most. The professors have been such an encouragement to me." - Jenna Bont, BBC student
BBC offers you two options
Early Childhood PreK, A.A. degree (two years)
Early Childhood / Elementary Education PreK to grade four, B.S. in Educations degree(four years)
In both programs you will gain competence in essential skills, such as methods, approaches, and understanding in early childhood development.
Core courses in both programs include:
Early Childhood Education Theories and Practices
Family, Community and Diversity
Effective Instructional Strategies for the Young Child
Additional courses in the four-year program include:
Reading Methods for the Developing Child
Development of Language and Literacy
Differentiated Reading Instructions and Interventions
Advocacy, Leadership, and Collaboration
Assessment of the Special Needs Child
You’ll gain important practical experience through classroom aiding and observing. As a student in the four year program your senior year will include two periods of student teaching, one in a public school and one in a Christian school.
Many options after graduation
Our two-year Early Childhood PreK program provides you with your Associate’s degree and the experience to efficiently meet the diverse needs of children. You will be prepared to work with children ages birth to age four in various settings including schools, churches, pre-school programs, daycares, and certain social agencies.
You will earn a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Early Childhood / Elementary Education PreK- 4. You will graduate having completed coursework equivalent to a double major in Bible and Education . You may elect to receive a B.S. in Bible instead.
As a graduate of the four-year program, you will receive certification from the Association of Christian Schools International to teach children from birth to grade four. You will also be eligible to apply for Pennsylvania state certification, which will allow you to teach in public schools. The state of Pennsylvania shares certification reciprocity with nearly every state, most likely enabling you to teach in the state of your choice.
The opportunity to teach in other grades can exist as you progress in the profession and gain experience and opportunities.
What they say
“The professors are extremely personal and always willing to go above and beyond to help us. I also love the hands-on aspect of the program. We receive plenty of experience with children in the classroom before we student teach.”
- Becki Price, BBC graduate
“My time at BBC left quite an impact on my life and truly prepared me for my career as a preschool teacher. BBC laid the foundation I needed for continued spiritual growth and the desire to love people as Christ would. My time at BBC adequately prepared me to fulfill my teaching responsibilities, but the most important lesson my time at BBC taught me is never to stop learning!”
- Laura Harding, BBC graduate
For details about the program, contact Caroline Burleigh, Coordinator for PreK-Fourth Grade Program.
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Avid readers may know the joys of "escaping into a good book", but this week, the Brazilian government brought new meaning to the phrase with the announcement of its Redemption Through Reading programme.
The programme offers prisoners the opportunity to reduce their custodial sentences by reading works of literature, philosophy, science or classics. According to Reuters, the scheme is being rolled out in four federal prisons holding some of Brazil's most notorious criminals.
Prisoners selected by a special panel will be able to shave four days off their sentence per book read, up to a maximum of 12 books or 48 days per year. They'll have four weeks to read each book and write an essay which must "make correct use of paragraphs, be free of corrections, use margins and legible joined-up writing."
Few details of the scheme are available, but it's an interesting concept. Can reading really help with rehabilitation?
Or perhaps the question should be, can education help with rehabilitation? Because reading and analysing works of literature, philosophy, science or classics assumes a standard of literacy that many who end up behind bars - at least in this country - do not possess.
Up to 90% of New Zealand prisoners cannot read and write well, according to a 2010 statement to parliament by then Minister for Corrections Judith Collins. The Department of Corrections has since been busy embedding literacy and numeracy education into vocational training programmes.
It's clear that helping prisoners with low levels of literacy to improve basic reading and writing skills has the potential to transform their experiences once released from prison, by enhancing job prospects and their ability to engage in society. Everyday actions like filling in a form, reading a job sheet, reading a bus timetable or applying for a driver's licence require literacy or numeracy skills many of us take for granted.
But Brazil's Redemption Through Reading scheme appears to have a different purpose than simply encouraging literacy or reading. The focus on texts of science, literature, philosophy or classics seems designed to encourage prisoners to challenge their mode of thinking or take a more expansive view.
Speaking about the scheme, Sao Paulo lawyer Andre Kehdi, who heads up a book donation project for prisons, told Reuters that "a person can leave prison more enlightened and with a enlarged vision of the world."
"Without doubt they will leave a better person."
Maybe they will, maybe they won't.
Arguably there are many benefits to ensuring prisoners' minds are kept active. Research published in the British Medical Journal in 2003 concluded that a lack of mental stimulation in prison contributes to poor mental health, frustration, anger, anxiety and even drug use.
But it's not readily apparent, to me at least, how knowledge of classical subjects would translate into a reduction in violent offending or anti-social attitudes, let alone other barriers to rehabilitation like long term addiction and association with other criminals.
The Redemption Through Reading scheme seems likely to benefit those prisoners who already have a reasonable standard of education, rather than those who might benefit most from applying themselves to reading.
Besides, any kind of literacy or educational scheme for prisoners also requires adequate resources and support, such as tutors to guide the students through the books, assist them in writing essays and provide critique. A tall order in a field where staff and resources are often stretched.
Interestingly, this is not the first time reading has been used to reduce time in custody. In May a Californian judge made headlines when she released a man awaiting trial for attempting to sell a grenade launcher, on condition he read "at least one hour every day, and...write reports on those books for at least 30 minutes every day."
Why such a requirement was appropriate in that case or how it would be monitored, was not spelled out by the judge.
Such a carrot-dangling approach is by no means assured of inspiring an ongoing love of books or learning. But in Brazil at least, it seems the authorities have enough faith in the transformative power of books to give it a try.
What do you think? Should prisoners be able to reduce custodial sentences by taking part In literacy or education schemes?


This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3, (MUP), 1969
John Ignatius Bleasdale (1822-1884), Catholic clergyman, was born in Lancashire, England, and received his elementary education in private schools at Preston. In 1835 he began his studies for the priesthood at the English College, Lisbon, completing them at St Mary's College, Oscott, Birmingham, where he was ordained by Cardinal Wiseman in 1845. For five years he served as a military chaplain in Britain before transferring to the newly-formed diocese of Victoria together with priests who responded to the appeal for clergy made by Dr Patrick Geoghegan in 1849-50.
Bleasdale's first appointment was in 1851 to the country mission of Geelong and Colac, where he remained until 1853 when he was transferred to the seminary attached to St Francis Church, Melbourne. When the seminary was transferred to Eastern Hill at St Patrick's College in 1855 Bleasdale was appointed vice-president. While he held this appointment his deep interest in scientific subjects was reflected by several changes in the curriculum. Bleasdale had soon acquired a reputation as the outstanding Catholic clergyman in scientific circles. He was a recognized and popular lecturer in a wide range of subjects and a foundation member of the Melbourne Microscopical Society. He was also a fellow of the Geographical and Linnean Societies and an honorary member of the Medical Society of Victoria. In the public pressure for the establishment of a public museum of natural history in the 1850s Bleasdale was a diligent committee worker and advocated the founding of schools of chemistry and mineralogy in association with the proposed museum.
While vice-president of St Patrick's College, Bleasdale founded the Catholic Young Men's Society in 1859 and was its spiritual director. In 1860 he resigned from his seminary appointment and was transferred to St Francis Church, Melbourne. Throughout the 1860s he continued his work as a writer and committee worker. Several articles were contributed to the Argus and the weeklies on technical education in which he was interested. He became a prominent member of the Royal Society of Victoria, and many of his lectures and papers were published in its Proceedings. Elsewhere he published many papers on colonial wine, hoping 'to see Victorians a healthy, sober, jolly, wine-drinking population'.
Public recognition of his abilities and interests was achieved when he was appointed to the royal commission on planning an intercolonial exhibition in 1865. This was the first of several similar public appointments which included a trusteeship of the Melbourne Public Library, Museum and National Gallery and membership of the Denominational Schools Board, the Central Board of Health and the Commission for Technical Education. In these public fields he was instrumental in obtaining a government grant of £10,000 to finance a hall for the Technological and Industrial Museum and in 1875 a grant of £2000 for the foundation of a school of chemistry. His abilities as a critic on the subjects of mineralogy and new industries were recognized both in Australasian circles and later in North America.
In the 1860s and 1870s Bleasdale's ecclesiastical appointments included the inspector-generalship of schools and orphanages and a term as private secretary to Bishop James Goold. From 1866 he was secretary of the Catholic Education Committee, which he represented at hearings and appeals in connexion with the education bill of 1867 and the Act of 1872. While continuing to serve in this capacity, he was appointed chancellor of the Archdiocese of Melbourne in 1874, and formulated much of its financial policy in the years when its independent education system was expanding. His health failed rapidly in these years and in 1877 he resigned from his Melbourne ecclesiastical appointments and migrated to California. From that time he did not participate actively in public affairs but continued to publish papers on subjects which had interested him. After a long illness he died in San Francisco in June 1884 aged 62.
J. R. J. Grigsby, 'Bleasdale, John Ignatius (1822–1884)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bleasdale-john-ignatius-3015/text4415, published first in hardcopy 1969, accessed online 30 June 2015.
This article was first published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3, (MUP), 1969


1889 - Born on the 15th of April in Neosho, Missouri, USA.
1907 - Benton enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago.
1909 - Moved to Paris, France to continue his art education at the Académie Julian.
1913 - Benton returned to New York City and continued painting.
1919 - Worked as a draftsman in the United States Navy, changed his style significantly.
1920 - Declared him an "enemy of modernism" and began the naturalistic and representational work today known as Regionalism.
1930-1931 - Expanded the scale of his Regionalist works, culminating in the America Today murals at the New School for Social Research.
1932 - Benton broke through to the mainstream.
1933 - Chosen to produce the murals of Indiana life that would become that state's contribution to the Century
of Progress Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois.
1941 - Benton was dismissed from the Art Institute but he remained in Kansas City.
1960 - His work on the Harry S. Truman presidential library initiated a friendship with the former U.S. President.
1975 - Benton died on 19th of January at work in his studio, brush in hand.
Grandnephew of Thomas Hart Benton.
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ISSUES IMPACTING ON MY TEACHING THE ARTS R-7.
â€œThe growing concerns about increasing marginalisation of art in the primary school curriculum and in courses of primary initial teacher educationâ€.
The attitudes of elementary classroom teacherâ€™s towards art have a considerable influence on children when learning the arts (Grace, M. 2001). This statement is true whether the teacher chooses to include art in the curriculum or to ignore it. The lack of interest and the growing importance of The Arts has come to an alarming level. Pre-service teachers are not receiving the appropriate education about how to teach The Arts to children R-7 and therefore the teacherâ€™s curriculums are no longer paying the appropriate amount of attention to arts education. â€œPre-service teaching of elementary generalists is sometimes considered the â€˜black holeâ€™ of art educationâ€, (Duncum, P. 1999). How can arts classes for potential teachers be taught so that art becomes part of the curriculum? What problems do undergraduates face that act as obstacles to including art in their classrooms once they are teachers? How can undergraduates be prepared to include art discussions and art making in their curriculum when there are so many other more legitimised and extreme demands on their energy and time? These are some of the questions that need answers if this issue is to improve for the benefit of both the teachers and more importantly the children.
â€œThe need for art educatorâ€™s to accommodate for a multi-cultural society, when looking at the curriculum for R-7â€.
Art is something people do to give them a sense of themselves, both in thinking and in doing. The way art is made, received, used and valued reflect the values, mores, institutions and ways of doing things held in common by any group of people (Anderson T. 1995). Just like the words of Sarup, â€œit is language that s


Innovative Sustainable Energy Engineering
Program profile and aims
The purpose of the Nordic Master Programme in "Innovative Sustainable Energy Engineering" is to provide state-of-the-art education in the fields of conventional and renewable energy sources like conventional and new power generation, solar energy, biomass energy, wind power, geothermal power, and energy utilization in the built environment by means of economically and environmentally sustainable systems and technologies.
The term ‘sustainable energy engineering' comprises a wide array of practices, policies and technologies (conventional and renewable/alternative) aimed at providing energy at the least financial, environmental and social cost. A strong emphasis is placed on dealing with energy engineering tasks with due consideration of technical, environmental and socio-economic issues. Another strong emphasize is put on the Innovative and Entrepreneurial aspects of the energy society, especially related to how existing and new efficiency improvement innovations can be brought to the market in different countries. The innovative aspects inside the programme are both related to the advanced renewable concept in the Nordic countries as well as regards to new businesses in the energy sector. Advanced methods are applied to identify, describe, quantify and find solutions to a diverse range of energy engineering problems.
Participants gain proficiency in project design and implementation, operation and maintenance, as well as in crucial phases of policy generation. Advanced training in a research-oriented perspective is also included.
Structure and organization
In the double degree programme students study one year at two different universities following a Year one university/Year two university pattern:
- Year one university, 1st and 2nd semesters
- Year two university, 3rd and thesis semesters
The length of the study period in each university corresponds to 60 ECTS.
ISEE is a two-year 120 ECTS Nordic double degree master programme coordinated by NTNU and based on the particular expertise of the participating universities. The faculties/departments responsible for implementing the programme are: the School of Engineering/Department of Energy Technology at Aalto; the Department of Energy and Environment at Chalmers; the Department of Management Engineering at DTU; the Department of Energy Technology at KTH; the Faculty of Natural Science and Technology, Department for Material Science and Engineering at NTNU and the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at UoI.
The programme contains six study tracks covering traditional energy engineering, innovative technologies and renewable energies (year one – year two universities in brackets):
- Bio Energy (KTH – Aalto)
- Energy Systems (Aalto – KTH)
- Geothermal Energy (Chalmers – UoI)
- Heat and Power Engineering (UoI – Chalmers)
- Solar Cell Systems and Materials (DTU – NTNU)
- System Integration of Wind Power (NTNU – DTU)
The programme is adapted to different professional backgrounds among the students. The admission for each study track is dependent on the student's background and bachelor degree. The study track defines year one and year two university, where year two university is the responsible university for the study track. In each study track the students get a background in sustainable energy, energy and environment and energy engineering. Depending on the study track () the students get specific skills in their chosen innovative sustainable energy engineering topic.
The thesis (30 ECTS) is to be a synthesis of the knowledge and competencies gained in the three preceding semesters and the two involved universities will provide co-supervision. The thesis will be presented and defended at the year two university.
Joint Nordic Master's Application
How to apply
Apply using Søknadsweb if your study track starts at NTNU or if you wish to study the MSc in Innovative Sustainable Energy Engineering (regardless of starting university). Exemption: For the MSc in Applied and Engineering Mathematics, all applicants must apply through Aalto University.
The online application form will be made available closer to the application deadline.
Nordic Five Tech alliance
NTNU is a member of the Nordic Five Tech, an exclusive, strategic alliance of the five leading technical universities in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The universities involved have a strong capacity and a long-standing tradition within research and education. The alliance currently offers five joint MSc programmes.


Do your students have trouble remembering all the phonics, grammar and spelling rules? Do you have to continually review past lessons to assure that struggling readers know the foundational skills? Do you find that one day a student has mastered a concept and the next day you have to start at square one? Having to continually review the same old stuff can be a boring chore for everyone involved. However, one of the most effective methods I have employed with my students is helping them to create their own colorful, language arts handbook. What’s more, this activity can be fun, engaging, and memorable.
What Format Should be Used?
I find that it is best to be flexible. Let each student select from doing his or her handbook on a computer or by hand in a photo album, blank book, binder or a notebook.
What are the Secrets to Making a Student Created Handbook Work?
- Make this project exciting and be enthusiastic!
- Let each student come up with their own fun name for their handbook and allow them to create their own colorful cover.
- Give clear directions and provide sample pages.
- Allow your students to use a large selection of art and craft supplies such as paints, magazine clippings (to make a collage), stickers, sparkles and more.
- Encourage your students to share strategies and ideas.
- If needed, break the page into labeled sections so that your students know what they have to include on each page.
- Teach students to place a single concept on each new page.
- If there are a series of steps required to learn a task, help the students define a color-coded sequence of steps. Encourage them to use a numbered list, web, or flowchart.
- Integrate both visual and auditory mnemonics, rhymes, raps, and ditties on each page.
- Include sample problems or examples on each page.
- If the student is highly kinesthetic, encourage them to come up with a hand clapping routine or dance for the rhymes, ditties and raps.
- Tell your students that you will be having contests for the best pages for each new concept. Take these winning pages and scan them for your own, "Best of Language Arts Handbook." This handbook can be used to motivate and give ideas to future students. Try to help each student in the class win at least one page in your, "Best of Language Arts Handbook."
Here is a pinnable image:
If you would like to do something similar for math, come read my blog entitled Mathemagic: Multisensory and Mindful Math Strategies Tailored for the Individual
Here is a pinnable image:
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share them below this blog post.
Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY. To learn more about her products and services, you can go to: www.goodsensorylearning.com, www.dyslexiamaterials.com & www.learningtolearn.biz


Investigative Science I and III
Jennifer L. B. Anderson, Geoscience, Winona State University
This is a two-semester sequence that covers science content for elementary education majors(preK-8). Investigative Science I: "Physical Science in your Environment" covers Nature of Science, Physics, and Chemistry content. Investigative Science III: "Scientific Investigation of your Environment" covers Earth, Space, and Life Science content. The course is taught in a combined lecture/lab format, with minimal lecturing and mostly hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be translated to the students' future classrooms.
Lecture and lab
Public four-year institution, primarily undergraduate
These are the only two science content courses that are required of elementary education majors (preK-8) who do not have a middle-level (5-8) science specialty. "Physical Science in your Environment" is typically taken when the students are freshmen or sophomores. Students then take their Science Methods course and typically gain entry to the education program prior to enrolling in "Scientific Investigation of your Environment." Two sections of each course are taught each semester by faculty from the four science disciplines. The first course is taught by physics and chemistry faculty while the second course is taught by geoscience and biology faculty. There is only one faculty member per class, so a geoscientist also has to cover the required life science content and vice versa. Thus, the faculty work closely together throughout the semester outside of classtime to prepare for the content.
Geoscience content is covered in the second course of the sequence "Scientific Investigation of your Environment" and is taught by geoscience and biology faculty. The course includes the following Earth & Space Science content: Origin of Earth & Solar System, History of the Earth, Plate Tectonics, Rock Classification, Astronomy & Seasons, Weather, The Water Cycle, Climate and Climate Change. Life Science content is integrated within these topics. Students primarily work in groups of 3-4 through hands-on, inquiy-based activities
Skill Goals – At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Synthesize diverse information to draw reasonable scientific conclusions and to support those conclusions with evidence and scientific reasoning
- Solve simple mathematical problems
- Read, interpret and make graphs and diagrams
Content Goals – At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Make connections between the macroscopic and microscopic worlds
- Construct a model illustrating the interactions between geology and biology in specialized environments throughout the world.
- Design and construct simple experiments that can be completed in an elementary classroom.
The goals are primarily achieved through hands-on group activities. One of the critical pieces of these courses that I think really helps our students succeed is our use of "Learning Assistants" in the classroom. Each class has a learning assistant - a more senior student who has either already suceeded in these courses or is an exceptional secondary science teaching major. These LAs assist in course prep and participate in all activities; occasionally, they will lead an activity. The LAs are volunteers who get a credit for participating and the experience that comes with being involved in this type of course.
While I was very active in developing the current version of these courses, it is a group effort by approximately 9-10 faculty from the four science disciplines. Thus far, the College of Education has required only two science content courses for their Elementary Education majors and so we are limited to teaching the four disciplines in those two semesters. The science faculty worked together and decided to teach them in their current format to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of science. Our goals are to model good science teaching methods and strategies for our students and use inexpensive equipment that can be directly translated into their future classrooms. We want to alleviate our students' trepidation toward science and treat teachers as scientists within their own classrooms.
Students are primarily assessed through in-class group and individual assignments and also more standard, hands-on exams. Students first take an individual exam that may have a hands-on component. Then students take a group portion of the exam which is typically a lab experiment or other group activity.
References and Notes:


Music training is good for the brain. Nina Kraus, a prominent brain researcher at Northwestern University, says that "music training leads to changes throughout the auditory system that prime musicians for listening challenges beyond music processing." The research in her laboratory and that from other labs suggests music training does for brain what exercise does for body fitness. She says "music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness."
Musicians are commonly studied models for neural plasticity, which refers to the ability of learning experiences to change the brain chemically and physically. Musicians have more brain grey matter volume in areas that are important for playing an instrument and in the auditory cortex, which processes all kinds of sound. Of course, the effects of music training are most robust for processing of music. But benefit transfers to speech, language, emotion, and general auditory processing.
In general, auditory learning requires formation of efficient sound-to-meaning relation-ships, which in turn require attending to sensory details (fine-grained properties of sound such as pitch, timing and timbre), but also thinking skills related to integrating sensory input and operating on it in working memory.
Music training confers ability to assess the relevance and predictability of information-bearing elements in an auditory signal. So, even in non-musical contexts, such as listen-ing to a speech, lecture, or sound track in a movie for example, musicians should learn and remember more of the content than non-musicians. Musicians also have an advan-tage when it comes to learning the sounds of a new language.
Music training imposes a high working-memory load. That can be a good thing, in that it helps you expand your working memory capacity, and thus reduces the impairing effects on memory of working memory overload. Increasing working memory capacity also improves the ability to think, as manifest in IQ scores. Since musicians usually have greater working memory capacity, it doesn't mean they are smarter than anybody else. But it probably does mean they are smarter than they would be if they were not musicians.
Music training also helps improve certain memory capabilities outside of music. For example, musicians show improvements in auditory verbal memory and auditory attention, but not in visual memory or visual attention. This brings up the matter of learning styles: auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learning. Most people are visual learners, but to the best possible learners they need to develop all three styles. Music training should help their auditory learning style, especially under conditions where the sounds to be learned are embedded in conflicting sound stimuli, such as noisy rooms or learning a new language.
All fine and good, but how does this apply to the masses who are not musicians? Would listening to a lot of music help the brain? I doubt it, for listening does not make rigorous task demands on the brain. Would music training for non-musicians help the brain? Maybe, especially if the training occurred at a young age when the brain is ma-turing.
One study of children showed that fifteen months of intense music training induced structural changes in the primary auditory and primary motor areas. These structural changes were associated with improved auditory and motor skills, respectively. Other studies show children who are musically trained, compared with non-trained children, have a better vocabulary in their native language and a greater reading ability. Pre-sumably, they would be better at learning other languages.
When and how much music training should be provided to children? Formal studies suggest that greatest benefit occurs if training begins before age 7. The benefits also cor-relate with the amount of music practice. However, much remains to be learned about effects of age and duration and nature of the music training.
Nina argues for more and better music education in the early grades of schools. She be-lieves music training may benefit academic achievement by improving learning skills and listening ability, especially in challenging listening environments, which are all too common in classrooms which are usually very noisy, despite research proving that classroom noise impairs learning. Noise not only creates problems of discerning salient sounds embedded in the over-all noise, but also creates a major distraction that impairs focused attention, information registration and memory consolidation.
I have summarized earlier research showing IQ in children improves when they are taught to have larger working memory capacity. Since working memory is apparently increased by music training, and music training also apparently enhances auditory learning, it seems like a no-brainer to suggest that more music training needs to occur in elementary school.
Kraus, N. and Chandrasekaran, B. 2010. Music training for the development of auditory skills. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience. 11: 500-505.


This presentation uses a Queer Theory lens to focus on how young peoples’ identity are partly shaped by how and what they learn in school. Through a queer pedagogy, students who identify not only as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc. (LGBT) but also as heterosexual learn about identity formation in a broader range. Queer pedagogy is an all-inclusive way of learning, and unlearning in some cases, about one’s self and place in the world. Current school curricula rarely teach, protect, and advocate for students of all sexual identities. This presentation examines why school systems and pedagogical practices should be reworked in order to include pedagogy within the queer theoretical framework in order to encapsulate and support the entire school community.
|Presenter:||Carolyn Laurenzi (SUNY Fredonia) -- Laurenzi@fredonia.edu
|Topic:||English & Art Education - Panel|
|Time:||1:45 pm (Session III)|


Weaving From a Draft Pattern
Grades/Subjects: 4-8 Art Education
Related Subjects: Social Studies and Math
- Referring to the coverlets section of the Craft Revival project website, teachers can set the tone of the Craft Revival period.
- Students will be introduced how a weaving was usually initiated by sketching a draft of the pattern, just as artists create a sketch, before making a final work.
- Students will personalize their draft and then go on to weave their drafted pattern on a simple loom constructed from the frame.
- Once the pattern emerges, students can give their pattern a name based on what it looks like.
Teacher will visit the Craft Revival Period website to examine the coverlets and examples of weaving in the database, noticing how patterns were often given names. Images and information may be viewed for preparation of the discussion of the use of drafts. It will be necessary to prepare the wooden frames with the same number of holes, evenly placed from the left and to the right sides.
- Graph Paper
- Colored Pencils
- Wooden frame such as old painting frames w/holes added for warp thread
- Pale colored thread for warp
- Skeins of various colored yarns all the same thickness for wefting
- Teacher will lead a discussion on the weavings based on drafts during the Craft Revival.
- Students will write down highlights of the discussion that will lead into a teacher demonstration.
- Teacher will demonstrate how to make a draft using graph paper.
- Have students make a draft pattern on graph paper, and color it. For younger ages, use only 3 colors; use more for older grades.
- Students will string warp onto their looms.
- Teacher can demonstrate how to apply yarn (weft) to the warp. Then instruct students to weave.
- Students can begin weaving onto their warped loom.
- They may name their pattern and write it on the top of the paper.
- After completed, students can display their weavings and explain the meaning behind their title of the weaving.
Students of Ms. Bates’s math class created and named their own
draft patterns on graph paper
After creating a draft, each student wove with
colored yarn to best match their draft pattern.
Teacher can assess how well students attempted to replicate their drawn pattern, and whether they gave their pattern a unique name. Students may put the finished weaving on display and talk about their experience with the project.
For 7th -8th graders, have them build their own loom frame and maybe have a large one that several can work on. Study the website for further information on weaving, particularly coverlets.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
- Visual Arts Objectives 2.02, 5.05
- Math Competency Goal 5
- Social Studies Objective 5.02
- Bruland, Kriston M., www.handweaving.net Contains drafts and refers to books with drafts; Search: Griswold, Ralph E, Collection of Appalachian weaving drafts.
- Eliza C. A Book of Hand Woven Coverlets. (Boston, MA: Boston Press, 1931)
- Eaton, Allen. Handicrafts of the Southern Highlands. (New York: Russell Sage Press, 1937) p118, Preserving old mountain drafts.
- Monaghan, Kathleen & Joyner, Hermon. You Can Weave! Projects for Young Weavers. (Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 2000)
- Jada Hansen.
This lesson was inspired by one similar lesson taught by Ms. Kris Bates as an 8th grade Math project, Cullowhee Valley School, Cullowhee, NC.


Educational Games or quizes for students aged 5 to 15 or years
K-10. These interactive games provide a fun way to achieve some learning outcomes.
Activities are designed to provide an interest in maths, english, science,
art and general knowledge. Although many students place high value on video games,
online games and downloadable games for relaxation, pleasure or something to share with their friends,
we believe these games need to have a much greater educational value.
English Games K- 3
Online educational games to improve literacy and numeracy skills. Homophones, antonyms, puzzles, typing skills,
attitudes and values, observation kills, spelling, alphabet, excellent for gifted students or dyslexic children.
English Games Years 4 and 5
Educational games for ages 9 and 10 to improve spelling, grammar, plural and singular forms, learn about work places, homophones, antonyms, and gender.
English Games Years 6 to HighSchool
Learn about collective nouns, homophones, antonyms, improve spelling, grammar, singular and plural, improve dictionary and research skills.
Mathematics Games K-3
Challenge mental mathematics, practice addition, subtraction, number flash cards, learn about decimals, improve skills in mixed equations.
Mathematics Games Years 4-5
Clock reading skills, decimals, fractions, times tables, multiplications, division, addition, subtraction, roman numerals, mental mathematics.
Mathematics Games Years 6 to HighSchool
Positive and negative calculations, fractions, flash cards, multiplication, division, roman numerals, clock reading skills, measurement conversion game.


Objective Measurement of Skill
|BikiCrumbs: Objective Measurement of Skill|
Measurement of Skill
Appraisal and measurement are terms used to describe, the processing of assessing, evaluating and determining the quality and quantity or level of skill performance.
- This occurs when the result or decision is influenced by the judges opinion.
- Attempts are made to make subjective assessments more objective by creating set marking criteria.
- Refers to the extent to which the appraisal is independent of the obseverm ie when the result or the decision does not have to be interpreted by the judges.
Skill Related Tests
Apart from assessing the physical capacity of the athlete their motor skill development can also be assessed. Skill related tests can provide an objective method for evaluating the skills requires for success in particular sports.
Validity and Reliability
Validity is a term that describes the truthfulness or honesty of a test of appraisal technique. The test hast o be directly related to the skills being assessed.
Reliability is the ability of the test to produce similar results under similar conditions with similar subjects. It expresses the consistency of the test.
- This page is a stub and is incomplete.
- Why not add to it? Don't be intimidated - we welcome all contributions!


November 5, 2010
Written by Ioanna Makris
Carroll McMath played the cornet through his high school and college music career.
"You will hit 'em, you will wreck 'em. Hit 'em, Wreck 'em. Texas Tech."
It was 1936 and Carroll McMath wrote words to a tune that would one day be sung at every sporting event and every spirit activity.
It was a regular meeting for the chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi when ideas were discussed about creating a fight song for Texas Tech.
McMath and Jim Nevins went to the hallway the same night as the meeting and wrote a song. The tune was inspired by a part of the "Three Days, Fantasia-Overture" by Adolf Lotter, but the words came from McMath and Nevins.
"My guess is back in the 1930s, old Ivy League schools had fight songs and funky words," said Bill McMath, one of Carroll's sons. "They were probably influenced by those songs."
The song was introduced to the chapter and to the band director. Bill said it was later played at a football game once the composition was transcribed for each instrument.
"The first time it was played the cheerleaders liked it, and when the first touchdown happened they asked the band to replay the song," Bill said. "It was not the official fight song at that point, but it started becoming a tradition."
Before McMath attended Texas Tech and created a song that would resonate through the school, Bob McMath, Carroll's eldest son, said Carroll used to play the cornet and probably first became interested in band while in high school.
"It was a big thing in the community to have a marching band," Bob said.
Bob said band was a big part of Carroll's high school years and later became a big part of his college years.
Once Carroll graduated from Texas Tech he began working in the music industry and became a band director at Denton High School.
"People in Denton thought very highly of him," Bob said. "He was a man of great faith and had lots of integrity."
Carroll's legacy not only lived on at Texas Tech, but Denton Independent School District also named a middle school after him.
Today elements of the fight song can be found all through campus, whether watching a TV commercial or attending a sporting event the words and tune to the song are always present.
Current drum major Michael Harrison said he is proud of where the fight song came from, and there is nothing better than being able to hear the fight song play in the middle of football season.
"We have the most student involvement with the fight song," said Harrison, a senior music education major from Austin. "When we traveled to UT their fight song was clean and spectacular, but the crowd does not get into it as much as Tech, and at A&M they are just whooping."
Harrison said the students at Texas Tech are clapping, jumping and getting their guns up.
Through the years the fight song has seen some changes. In the 40s and 70s the fight song was updated in tune to become a little faster and more appropriate for a marching band.
Since 1936 the fight song has resonated through the stadium and the words have become a symbol of Texas Tech.
"The fight song is exciting and meaningful," Harrison said. "The music, not just the words, represent Tech. It is the epitome of school pride."
More information about the fight song legacy.
The College of Visual & Performing Arts at Texas Tech offers a diverse array of programs and courses in art, music, theatre and dance.
The college seeks to prepare students who will be leaders in the profession by employing the highest standards in performance, teaching, research, and artistic and creative vision.
The college includes the:
Connect with them on Twitter.


Music, Gender, Education
Cambridge University Press, 28 mrt. 1997 - 282 pagina's
This is the first book to focus on the role of education in relation to music and gender. Invoking a concept of musical patriarchy and a theory of the social construction of musical meaning, Lucy Green shows how women's musical practices and gendered musical meanings have been reproduced, hand-in-hand, through history. Dr. Green views the contemporary school music classroom as a microcosm of the wider society, and reveals the participation of music education in the continued production and reproduction of gendered musical practices and meanings.
Wat mensen zeggen - Een recensie schrijven
We hebben geen recensies gevonden op de gebruikelijke plaatsen.
MUSICAL MEANING AND WOMENS MUSICAL
women playing instruments
Towards a model of gendered musical meaning
Affirming femininity in the music classroom
From affirmation to interruption of femininity in the music
absolute music activities affirmative feminine argued associated autonomous band body celebrated century Chapter characteristics cited Citron Clara Schumann classical music classroom composition concept connotations constructions of femininity contemporary context creative curriculum definitions of femininity delineated meanings delineation of music discourse surrounding discursive construction discussion displayer drum kit drums electric guitar equally example feel female feminine delineations feminist formance GCSE gendered delineations gendered musical meanings girls and boys guitar improvisation inherent meanings instru instrumental performance instrumentalists interruptive involved jazz keyboard lack listening experience Loleatta Holloway male masculine delineation McClary music education music's inherent meanings musical delineations musical experience musical performance musical styles orchestral patriarchal definitions piano player polyphony popular music position pupils reference relationship reproduced rock rock music role sexual singing social sonata form suggest symbolic teachers teleology tend tion vocal voice woman singer women composers women musicians women's musical Yeah


Five Questions for: Janet Paul Rice
The spring planting of a campus garden at 2,800-student Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., means some local produce for dining services. More importantly, according to Janet Paul Rice, associate director of dining services, the garden will feature a prominent education component. Paul Rice talks to FSD about how both college and elementary students will have the chance to work and learn from the garden.
How did the garden get started?
The idea for a garden began with the food-working group of Concordia's sustainability task force. One of the goals suggested for the advancement of sustainability was the establishment of a campus garden. However, in interviewing other colleges, we found that the sustainability of gardens can be challenging—getting it started is easy, keeping it going can be difficult. As a result, we made our garden part of a history capstone course called "Building Sustainable Communities." The course focuses not only on food history, but also on nonprofit administration. The students enrolled in the course will more or less operate the garden as a nonprofit organization. We also thought it would be a great opportunity to invite elementary school students to harvest items from the pizza garden and then have our culinary team help create their pizzas and teach them about where food comes from. The garden provides the ultimate in local food—it is grown right on campus. It doesn't get much more local or fresh than that.
What were some of the biggest challenges involved with implementing the garden?
The biggest challenge was undoubtedly figuring out how to keep the garden self-sustaining. The food-working group didn't want to go through the work and expense of starting a garden if it was only going to fall away during the year when there were not dedicated volunteers to oversee it. Absolutely all of the credit for the idea of the capstone course, which will keep the garden going, goes to Dr. Gretchen Harvey of the history department. She is also a community garden organizer and a member of the food-working group. It was her brainchild from the beginning. This initial garden is quite small—only about 20' x 50'—so it really cannot generate enough produce to be practical in terms of providing significant amounts of food for dining services. We decided we would begin with this one plot, and hope to incorporate additional plots in various green spaces around campus. We think the potential is very good to be able to demonstrate aggressive urban gardening as a viable model for our students and the community.
What is planted in the garden?
There are a few herbs and ornamental flowers to add aesthetic value, but the bulk of the garden is dedicated to two concepts: a pizza/salsa garden and a Three Sisters garden. The pizza/salsa garden includes a variety of peppers, tomatoes and onions, all of which can be used to make either pizza or salsa, something school children will enjoy a great deal. The Three Sisters garden is a nod to the capstone course being housed in the history department. In keeping with traditional Native American methods, this section promotes the historical concept of sustainable agriculture in the form of companion planting—corn, squash or pumpkins and beans as complementary plants that benefit each other and the soil. The first priority of the garden is to support the learning process. Dining Services has agreed to buy at market prices any excess produce over and above that. We will also sell excess produce at the campus farmer's market, which is also a recent project of the food-working group.
What is involved with the educational component for the college students as well as the elementary students?
Our students will learn not only about food security and sustainability through the history component, but also valuable practical skills in nonprofit administration—not to mention even more practical skills in urban gardening. Elementary school students will have a hands-on view and experience in how plants grow and where food comes from—pizza doesn't have to come in a cardboard box. Not only can you make pizza or salsa yourself, it is very satisfying and delicious to do so. There is great potential to involve our students majoring in elementary education and food and nutrition in developing curricula and learning projects revolving around the garden.
What advice would you give to other operators about implementing a garden?
Start planning early. It takes more time than you think to lay the groundwork, so to speak. Also, make sure you build in a means for sustaining the garden, not just getting it going.


|More UMD News Articles|
Art created by students in the art education teacher training program.
UMD will exhibit a Dia de los Muertos display from 8 am to 9 pm, Mon., Oct. 21 to Fri., Nov. 8 in the Multicultural Center, located in the second floor of the Kirby Student Center.
The Dia de los Muertos Ofrendas (ofrendas means offering) is sponsored by the UMD Latino/Chicano Student Programs, Latino/Chicana Student Association, Office of Cultural Diversity, and the Art Education program in the School of Fine Arts.
Multicultural Center and Art Education Collaboration
The Dia de los Muertos Ofrendas is created by the students in the UMD elementary education program. The students create sculptures, install the ofrenda, and give programs to children about the celebration. They also write Mexican folk art lesson plans for elementary school classes.
Professor Alison Aune has integrated the Multicultural Center celebration into the art education methods courses since 1999. "I want my students to be culturally sensitive, inclusive, and tolerant educators who engage with the community," said Aune. "The Dia de los Muertos event is an effective way to directly share my love of learning, art, children, and community building."
The community stays involved. Marshall High School National Honor Students, with guidance from their art teacher Lucas Anderson (UMD 2008) and the UMD art education students to make objects for the display.
About Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead is a tradition which dates back to the Aztec civilization. The Aztecs believe that the souls of the dead return home to the world of the living. El Dia de los Muertos is one of the most popular holidays in Mexico, and is becoming more widely known throughout the U.S and in other cultures.
The tradition of sugar skulls, yellow marigolds, and bright decorations began thousands of years ago in what is now Mexico. The Spanish Conquistadors invaded Mexico and found the Aztecs participating in a ritual that seemed to "mock" death. The Aztecs saw death as a continuation of life, and celebrated, instead of mourned, their loved ones who have passed. Originally the Aztecs used the whole month of August to celebrate their ancestors, as well as honoring the goddess Mictecacihuatl, also known as Lady of the Dead.
The Spaniards didn't agree on their view of death and tried to eliminate the ritual. When they realized they couldn't get rid of the traditions, they decided to combine it with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which are celebrated November 1 and 2.
Story by Ellie Neigebauer and Cheryl Reitan, October, 2013.
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About This Course
Course Name/Code: Knowing Choral Classroom Methods, SEMU 409
Catalog Description: An online course in which Choral Music Education majors learn principles and strategies for developing a well-balanced quality PreK-12 school choral program. These include developing various classroom issues such as rehearsal techniques, literature selection, scheduling, festivals, funding, facilities and other topics.
Instructors and Texts
Instructor Who Teaches This Course: Dr. Jean Ellen Linkins
Required Text(s): Please use the online campus bookstore to locate required textbooks for the course. Make sure that you search using the correct course code and look for the course with the “OL” suffix in the drop-down list. (See Textbook Ordering Help.)