ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY
Lesson 4 - Principles of Adult Learning
Page 1 of 5
Georgia was a literacy volunteer who was assigned to work with her first student. She was going to begin with Beverly as soon as she completed her volunteer literacy tutor training. Georgia is coming to the training with a very common question. Should she use phonics to teach adults how to read? Her philosophy is that once a learner understands how to decode words, they will have all the skills needed to read.
Questions for consideration as you work through this lesson
What is the definition of reading and reading comprehension? What is the process needed for adults to acquire language skills?
For many people, reading is defined as the ability to pronounce words. Others define reading as the ability to recognize words and understand their meaning. Still others define reading as bringing together words in a text in order to get meaning. Current literacy research supports a more comprehensive definition of reading which includes all of the above definitions and places learning skills in the context of authentic reading and writing activities.
This lesson will introduce you to the theories that underpin adult literacy tutoring. We will introduce you to definitions, approaches and processes. Think globally as you read this lesson. Specific strategies and techniques to teach reading or English as a Second Language and to choose the best materials for tutoring are discussed in detail in lessons six through ten.
Clarification of Terms
These are general terms used in discussion of adult literacy and learning. This training does not promote any theory. However, we want tutors to understand these often-used terms.
- Whole language is a term that describes a literacy instructional philosophy emphasizing a focus on meaning based instruction rather than skill based.
- The phonics method is a term describing teaching reading through emphasis on teaching skills such as decoding and other concrete reading skills.
- Evidence-based reading instruction is a phrase that means that a particular group of instructional practices has reliable, valid evidence to suggest that the program can be used to help learners make adequate gains in reading achievement.
Language development is not linked to one specific strategy or skill. Literacy development is not a linear process. Adults improve their reading skills by experiencing a variety of tasks and by experimenting in a supportive, safe, and guided environment. Remember, in adult education - the adult learner is goal driven.
General principles of adult literacy development:
- Literacy development occurs at a higher level if the skills taught are connected to an overall topic.
- Literacy development is a multi-dimensional social process requiring interaction.
- Literacy development requires focus, engagement, and practice.
- Literacy development requires exposure to a variety of materials and genres.
- Should phonics or the whole language approach be used when teaching reading?
- What types of materials should be used when teaching reading to adults?
- View answers.
Some of the learning principles in this lesson were adapted from material in the publication What Does It Take to Learn? developed by the Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly (CLESE), Bright Ideas - ESL for Elders, at 53 West Jackson Blvd. #1301, Chicago, 60604. Permission to cite this material granted on October 15, 2008. To access the complete article go to http://clese.org/brightideas_prod.htm, and scroll down to What Does it Take for Adults To Learn?


Introducing your child to music education at a young age offers an incredible array of developmental benefits. more
The healthy breakfast pledge
New research reveals breakfast is a low priority for parents when term starts up again, with most families focused on organising school uniforms, school bags and stationery, rather than deciding what to feed the kids for breakfast.
The research from Galaxy also found that despite 25 percent of parents claiming it's a hassle to get their kids to eat breakfast, nearly half acknowledge it is still one of the easiest ways they can help prepare their child for school.
In light of these statistics, Australian parents are being encouraged to make a fresh start to the new school year by taking the Kellogg’s Big Breakfast Pledge, and spend five minutes each day in term one having breakfast with their kids.
Making the healthy breakfast pledge on Facebook
Parents who log on to to the Pledge page, take the Kellogg’s Big Breakfast Pledge and share what they hope their family achieves by putting breakfast back on the table, will go into the running to win a $10,000 cheque for their child’s school, and also receive hints and tips for the back to school period. Parents will have until 22nd April, 2011, to take the pledge.
Father of eight, actor and children’s entertainer Jay Laga’aia knows the importance of giving children the start they need to perform at school, and makes an effort to sit down with his kids for breakfast.
“The Kellogg’s Big Breakfast Pledge aims to encourage families to establish a positive breakfast habit - because breakfast is important, and time with family is important.”
“Having eight kids, my partner and I are busy, so we know just how hard it can be to get the kids to eat breakfast, but we also know how easy it can be to take just five minutes to ensure they get the daily kick-start they need,” Laga’aia concluded.
The research also revealed Australian parents’ main goal in 2011 was to help their child perform to the best of their ability.
About the research
The School Kids’ Breakfast Study was conducted by Galaxy Research in December 2010. 1,045 Australian parents of children aged 6 – 14 years participated in the online research with the sample weighted to national proportions based on the known incidence of 6 – 14 year olds in the Australian population.
Read more breakfast ideas and recipes:
- Kidspot's breakfast recipes section
- All about breakfast
- Healthy breakfast ideas
- Best breakfast recipes
- Breakfast and school
- Breakfast nutrition
- Get a healthy start to the day
- Breakfast for hungry minds
- Breakfast for kids
- Tempting fussy eaters
- The importance of breakfast
- Top breakfast ideas slideshow


In this STEM based major we focus on the role technology and engineering play in shaping people’s quest for solutions to problems. The impacts of technology and engineering on the individual, society, and environment are substantial. Society needs professionals, especially at the K-6(8) level, who can help young learners understand STEM principles, technological forces, and design.
The Integrative-STEM major is designed as a multidisciplinary major for K-6 education majors. There are five (5) K-6 education majors at TCNJ (i) Deaf & Hard of Hearing, (ii) Early Childhood, (iii) Elementary Education, (iv) Special Education, and (v) Urban Education. Below are links to program sheets for our five Integrative-STEM education majors:
- Integrative – STEM Education and: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHST)
- Integrative – STEM Education and: Early Childhood Education (ECST)
- Integrative – STEM Education and: Elementary Education (ELST)
- Integrative – STEM Education and: Special Education (SEST)
- Integrative – STEM Education and: Urban Education (ECEU/ELEU)


Abstract: This exploratory and cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of bullying in a group of students and analyze the data regarding the gender of those involved in the violence. A questionnaire adapted from Olweus was applied in seven elementary education schools in Portugal. The sample consisted of 387 students between 7 and 14 years old. Data are presented in terms of descriptive statistics and differences between proportions were analyzed using chi-square tests. The gender analysis of victimization and aggression shows that boys and girls are both victims and aggressors, and there are significant differences in involvement in bullying between genders and the roles played. Boys are victims more often when considering different types of bullying, although significant differences were only found for physical aggression. Strategies that include gender roles are a priority for prevention and careful attention to this phenomenon in the school context. The questions addressed contribute to a broader understanding of the phenomenon, emphasizing the differential participation of boys and girls in bullying.
This is an open access article distributed under the
Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Export to BibTeX
MDPI and ACS Style
Iossi Silva, M.A.; Pereira, B.; Mendonça, D.; Nunes, B.; Oliveira, W.A. The Involvement of Girls and Boys with Bullying: An Analysis of Gender Differences. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10, 6820-6831.
Iossi Silva MA, Pereira B, Mendonça D, Nunes B, Oliveira WA. The Involvement of Girls and Boys with Bullying: An Analysis of Gender Differences. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2013; 10(12):6820-6831.
Iossi Silva, Marta A.; Pereira, Beatriz; Mendonça, Denisa; Nunes, Berta; Oliveira, Wanderlei A. 2013. "The Involvement of Girls and Boys with Bullying: An Analysis of Gender Differences." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 10, no. 12: 6820-6831.


If you are teaching middle school science, your students probably have a diagram of an electroscope in their textbook. Bring it to life with this super easy home made electroscope!
1Get your supplies. They are listed below.Ad
2Feed the wire through the hole in the rubber stopper.
3Bend a couple of closely spaced "U" bends or loops in the end of the wire that you put through the hole. Needle nose pliers would be useful.
4Twist or twirl the other end of the wire to make a stop to keep the wire from falling through.
5Carefully hook the staples over the "U" bends or loops so that they hang freely. The staples need to be able to swing freely on the wire- they are draped over the wire, not crimped on.
6Carefully lower the whole thing (stopper, wire, and staples) into the glass flask.
7When a charged object (such as a balloon you rubbed on your hair) is brought near to the exposed end of the wire, the staples will swing away from each other!Ad
We could really use your help!
Rome Total War?
Things You'll Need
- An approximately six inch piece of copper wire
- a glass flask with a rubber stopper (the kind with the hole through it)
- two metal staples (or two very fine bent pieces of wire).
Categories: Science for Kids
In other languages:
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 32,599 times.


"Literacy development is a lifelong process. Anyone new to the field should talk to literacy specialists, gather administrative support, research and collect the best materials, and visit other classrooms."
Eleanor Demont teaches fifth grade at the Heath School in Brookline, Massachusetts, a city that is home to many of Boston's teaching hospitals. Heath is the smallest public school in the town with 350-400 students in grades pre-K-8. Its literacy development program spans vertically across grade levels, enabling teachers to be aware of students' long-term development.
Ms. Demont's classroom of 20 is predominantly Caucasian students from Brookline, and includes some minority students that come to Heath through Boston's busing program.
In the featured lesson, Ms. Demont was teaching her students how to use summarization for comprehension of non-fiction texts. She discussed with her students the purpose behind summarization, and they worked together to identify vital information in a passage about Egyptologists. As a class, they applied strategies for summarization that they learned previously throughout the year. These strategies included inferencing, finding important information, coding texts, and making text-to-world connections. Ms. Demont's students knew how to read for important information, but they were just beginning to learn how to use these summarization strategies to make meaning.
After the group discussion, Ms. Demont encouraged her students to select their own texts and decide how they were going to read them (alone, in pairs, in small groups, or with her supervision). By differentiating instruction, Ms. Demont is able to teach the same information and strategies to a broad range of learners, allowing all students to participate equally in the same discussion. For example, in the taped lesson, students chose to read from a set of trade books (on the same topic) that ranged in reading level from third to sixth grade. Ms. Demont made certain that all texts would provide the same essential information despite variations in reading level. She carefully monitored student selections to be certain each was at an appropriate level or a "just right" reader.
Ms. Demont helps students identify "just right" books as a part of the school's literacy initiative. Every week, she spends one-on-one time with each student to discuss his or her literacy goals and progress. Her students read in class for a half-hour daily, allowing Ms. Demont the time she needs for these individual weekly conferences.
Ms. Demont's students applied the strategies learned from the summarizing lesson throughout the school year, segueing into other comprehension activities like research projects and class presentations.


There are a million educational resources on the web, but here are some recommended by teachers from the Connecticut Education Association.
About.com, Math: http://math.about.com
About.com's page dedicated to math has tutorials, lessons, tips, math worksheets and more. Students can print out and work on the materials to get a head start on classwork.
Science For Kids: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz
Science for Kids has experiments, facts, online games, activities, project ideas and more. This easy-to-navigate website is sure to get the most stubborn kids interested in learning about science.
Word Generation: http://www.wordgeneration.org/index.html
Word Generation is a middle school academic language program designed to give students exposure to academic language they need for success in school as they participate in a weekly cycle of five five-minute lessons.
Electronic Field Trip: http://www.bsu.edu/eft/home/11whatIsAnEFT.htm
Take your child on a virtual field trip using the nation's national parks and museums. This web site includes broadcasts of "trips" to a site, as well as lessons and activities to help children learn the content related to the field trip.
Test Prep Review: http://www.testprepreview.com
Free practice tests for ACT, PSAT, SAT and many more. Test preparation tips, vocabulary and more.
School-Library.net is a library of academic resources and technology tools for libraries and schools, educators and students. The site contains software for schools, lesson plans, resources for teachers and more.
In addition to resources suggested by the CEA, there are a variety of state organizations with a presence on the web:
Connecticut State Department of Education: http://www.sde.ct.gov
Connecticut Education Association: http://www.cea.org
Connecticut Science Teachers Association: http://www.csta-us.org
Connecticut PTA: http://www.ctpta.org
Connecticut State Music Teachers Association: http://www.csmta.org
Connecticut Art Education Association: http://www.caea.net
UConn Neag Center for Gifted Education: http://www.gifted.uconn.edu
We tell you what's happening, when it happens, for FREE:
Sign-up for Breaking News Mobile Text Alerts
Subscribe to our Breaking News E-mails
Try the News@3 Newsletter


History journal examines Huguenot refugees, idea of Latin America, global concepts of time
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Articles on Huguenot refugees from Europe, the "invention" of Latin America in the 19th century, global configurations of time, and art education in 20th-century South Africa are featured in the December 2013 issue of the American Historical Review.
The issue also includes the annual AHR Conversation, in which editor Robert A. Schneider, professor of history at IU Bloomington, discusses the topic "How Size Matters: The Question of Scale in History" with Sebouh David Aslanian of UCLA, Joyce E. Chaplin of Harvard, Kristin Mann of Emory University and Ann McGrath of the Australian National University.
Also in the issue are five featured reviews and the journal's usual extensive book review section. The American Historical Review is the official publication of the American Historical Association. Its editorial offices are at Indiana University Bloomington.
Articles in the December 2013 issue include:
- "Between Eden and Empire: Huguenot Refugees and the Promise of New Worlds." During the last two decades of the 17th century, thousands of French Protestants left Europe to settle on the peripheries of the English and Dutch empires. Owen Stanwood examines this “global Refuge,” focusing on the conflict between the attempts by the refugees to establish Edenic new worlds and their imperial and economic manipulation by Dutch and English authorities.
- "The Invention of Latin America: A Transnational History of Anti-Imperialism, Democracy, and Race." Michel Gobat rethinks the origins and significance of the idea of "Latin America." Although the concept was associated with an ideology of whiteness imported from Europe, he argues that it was also imbued with a democratic ethos constructed against U.S. and European expansionism.
- "Whose Time Is It? The Pluralization of Time and the Global Condition, 1870s–1940s." Focusing on the diverse commercial and intellectual centers of Bombay and Beirut in the increasingly globalized world of the 19th century, Vanessa Ogle explores the ways in which European concepts of uniform, standardized time competed with other varieties.
- "Two Stories about Art, Education, and Beauty in Twentieth-Century South Africa." Daniel Magaziner examines the training of black art teachers in South Africa. Writing about the Ndaleni School between 1951 and 1981, he suggests that intellectual life under apartheid both constrained and encouraged creativity and the pursuit of beauty.
Additional information, including more complete summaries and JSTOR links to full-text articles, is available on the journal's website. The American Historical Review is published five times a year by Oxford University Press.


17. Families who do not speak the same language as the caregiver are able to share their language with the child care program
•Written description of how the program supports English language learners by having parents teach the caregivers basic phrases in their language
•Describe how the program incorporates materials such as books, music, labels in both languages, etc.
•Description of any other ways the center supports these children
Why Is This Important
"Inclusion of diversity … goes beyond having materials showing diversity displayed or accessible for children to pay with. Instead, representing diversity is a regular part of the daily experiences that children have throughout the day, each day. These experiences are the usual rather than the unusual." (Cryer, D., Harms, T., & Riley, C. (2003). Chapter 28: Promoting acceptance of diversity, . In All about the ecers- r (p. 294. Lewisville, NC, USA: Kaplan Early Learning Company.)
http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/spring10_diversity.pdf (supporting bilingualism in child care by Texas Child Care Quarterly)
http://www.naeyc.org/yc/article/many_languages_one_teacher_magruder (Many languages, one teacher: supporting language and literacy development for dual language learners from NAEYC)
Career Ladder Training
For more information, feel free to contact CCPDI at firstname.lastname@example.org or 1-855-531-2468.


Philosophy - Core Elements
Meet the Director
Classes & Recreation
Parent & Me Classes
School's Out Days
Children as Constructivist Learners
• The school’s curriculum emerges from child development combined with the children’s interest.
Children construct their own learning as opposed to teachers dictating facts.
• Children engage in Project Based Learning, which enables them to integrate knowledge and skills in
meaningful ways, incorporating math, literacy, science, social studies and physical education.
• A project is an in-depth investigation of a worthwhile topic. The teachers’ focus is to guide the children
to ask questions and, therefore, the children become more interested in what they are learning.
• The cognitive, social, emotional, language, literacy and physical skills are developed through the
learning experiences that the children participate in each day.
Families as Engaged Partners
• Family engagement is essential to building a quality school community. We actively incorporate parents’
perspectives into how we think about teaching and learning.
• Families have opportunities to joyfully celebrate Jewish life with their children.
• Communication about each child’s development is on-going, relevant and supportive.
• Families are involved in adult learning to support their own and each other’s parenting and Jewish journeys.
• Children and families are represented in the classroom environment, creating a sense of belonging.
• Space is flexible and materials open-ended, stimulating exploration and inquiry.
• Children have freedom to interact with the environment and manipulate materials.
• Aspects of the natural world are present in the classroom, engaging the senses.
• Attention is given to indoor and outdoor classrooms and common spaces to create community,
build connections and allow opportunities for Jewish living
Directors as Visionaries
• Inspired by Jewish values, directors work with the parents, teachers and lay leaders to create an
environment that cultivates a diverse and vibrant community.
• Create professional learning opportunities for the faculty. Arrange consistent and adequate time
for the teachers to learn, grow and reflect with their colleagues, families, students and community.
• Ensure that the goals of the early childhood center are aligned with the mission and goals of the JCC.
Integrate the JCC staff and lay leaders with the early childhood center.
• Cultivate professional and lay leadership to promote a sustainable early childhood learning center.
Meet the Director, Veronica Maravankin
• Early Childhood Educators are considered by the JCC and view themselves as Professionals.
• Engage in deep meaningful learning experiences, collaboration and mentoring with all members of the community.
• Fluent in the standards of excellence set by the state and accrediting agencies and have a passion to
go beyond these definitions.
Catch (Coordinated Approach to Child Health)
• Based on a foundation of Jewish values, Discover CATCH Early Childhood nurtures a love of
physical activity in children and encourages them to develop life-long healthy eating habits.
• The physical education component incorporates activities that develop flexibility, strength,
muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
• Featured activities and games develop fundamental motor skills and rhythm.
• A “no elimination” philosophy assures all children are moving at all times while having fun.
Teachers as Professionals
• Teachers have an authentic relationship with Israel allowing the children to create a strong bond with the
“Israel of the imagination.”
• Different aspects of Israel are experienced on a daily basis to seamlessly create powerful images and
representations in the minds and hearts of our children.
• Israeli music, dance, customs, foods and language come alive at the school.


GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Marvelous Explorations through Science and Stories project now has teacher’s guides available online through the national Head Start program and at the Florida Museum of Natural History website.
The fun and educational science-centered guides provide a challenging and engaging curriculum for early childhood students and teachers. The guides cover a range of science topics including animals, physical science, the environment and the human body.
Shari Ellis, project director at the Florida Museum’s Center for Informal Science Education, said the curriculum was created for preschoolers, but can be easily adapted for early elementary grades.
“The goal was to provide open and free access to these guides so that more teachers can become comfortable exploring science with young children,” Ellis said.
Marvelous Explorations through Science and Stories was developed by a partnership among the Florida Museum, and Head Start programs and public libraries in Alachua and Marion counties. The guides were field tested in more than 100 classrooms for eight years, and are available on the Florida Museum website, www.flmnh.ufl.edu/education/cise/mess.htm, and at http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/, the Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center website.
“We found that most teachers really enjoy teaching science to young children, but they sometimes lack developmentally appropriate resources,” Ellis said. “Often, teachers find activities online designed for older children and then may give up on science because the activities don’t work well. Teachers who use the MESS guides consistently report they are amazed at what their students can learn, and the children’s parents are, too.”
The goal of MESS is to foster children’s language and literacy development, curiosity, motivation, problem solving and general knowledge through science experiences.
Grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and ChevronTexaco Foundation provided initial funding. Additional funding to expand the program was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families, Florida Museum Associates, Thomas H. Maren Foundation, Sonny’s, Wachovia Foundation and the Alachua County Community Agency Partnership Program.
- 30 -


National Standards for Music Education
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
2. Have students observe what is alike about the shoes: material, construction, soles, purpose, etc. What makes one shoe more “in” than another? Lead students to discover that although the basic function of footwear is the same, it can take on many different forms, shapes, sizes, colors, and materials. Trends come and go, and the styles of shoes and clothing that you wore as a toddler are not fashionable now. Although trends can be a strong influence on our choices, each person has individual needs and has the obligation to themselves to make his/her own choices accordingly.
3. Suggest to students the idea that, as with fashion trends, music trends come and go. Often the best of those return to popularity years later. Distribute the “Music and Fashion” worksheet found at the end of this lesson.
4. Direct students’ attention to the “Look” section of the 1940’s. Ask students if, from this description, they would wear those clothes today. Play the teacher selected recording of the 1940’s swing music. Have students briefly describe what they hear in simple musical terms: melody, rhythm, texture, timbre, etc. Add students’ ideas to the 1940’s “Elements” section of the table.
5. Show VH1 Fan Club: ABBA, Segment 1. Instruct students to add their observations of the “Look” and “Musical Elements” of the 1970’s to the appropriate section of the table.
6. Have students share and discuss their findings, comparing their observations of the “Look” and “Musical Elements” of the 70’s with those of the 40’s. Are the findings of the 70’s drastically different from those of the 40’s?
7. Lead students in a short discussion about ABBA and their continuing popularity, and share the following ABBA facts:
8. Remind students of the discussion with Justin’s friends during the program. At one point, they tell us that others make fun of him because he listens to ABBA and not other popular artists such as Brittany Spears. Ask students to comment on whether it is important to always wear the “in” clothes, have the “in” hairstyle, and listen only to the “in” music? Lead them to discover that, like the shoes they wear and the information in the “Music and Fashion” table, the choice of what a person likes is up to them, regardless of what is popular, and that those choices may change over time. At the same time, though, is it always a good idea to only look at things from one point of view, to only eat one type of food, to only watch one type of television program, to only wear one style of clothing, or to only listen to one style of music? Guide students to appreciate the importance of a well-rounded lifestyle.
9. Assignment: Ask students to add their choices of current music and fashion trends to the ‘00’s section of the chart. Audio examples are definitely encouraged. Students should keep their work for later reference (see Lesson 2).
Curriculum connection: Art, Social Studies, and Technology
Standards for Music Education
These standards-based materials are provided through a partnership with MENC: The National Association for Music Education. This lesson plan was created by MENC member Christopher Fitzpatrick, Theater Division, The Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA.


July 10, 1895 - March 29, 1982
born in Munich, Germany, composed during the Modern period
Although his fame rests on the success of a single work, the famous and frequently commercially mutilated Carmina Burana, Carl Orff was in fact a multi-faceted musician and prolific composer who wrote in many styles before developing the primal, driving language which informs his most famous work. In addition to his fame as the creator of Carmina burana, Orff enjoyed international renown as the world's pre-eminent authority on children's music education, his life's work in that area represented by Musik für Kinder, five eclectic collections of music to be performed by children, eventually developing into a more extensive series known as Orff Schulwerk.
Born in 1895 to an old Bavarian family, Orff studied piano and cello while still a young boy. He later studied at the Munich Academy of Music, graduating in 1914. The music that he composed during this period shows the influence of several composers, including Debussy and Richard Strauss. In 1914, Orff was appointed Kapellmeister at the Munich Kammerspiele, where he remained until joining the military in 1917. Discharged from service the following year, Orff continued to work as a conductor, accepting further positions in Mannheim and Darmstadt during the 1918-1919 seasons. Returning to Munich in 1919, Orff studied composition privately with Heinrich Kaminski while supporting himself as a teacher. In 1924, he founded the Güntherschule for music and dance with Dorothee Günther, dedicating himself to making musical performance accessible to children. Under his guidance, an entire orchestra of special "Orff instruments" was designed, enabling children to play music without formal training. The following year, Orff made three stage adaptations of works by Monteverdi. Continuing his work in the area of Baroque music, Orff became conductor of the Munich Bach society in 1930, a position he held until 1933. The experience of performing Baroque music, particularly sacred works for the stage, convinced Orff that an effective musical performance must fuse music, words and movement, a goal no doubt partly inspired by his work with the Güntherschule. Orff embodied his conception of music in the fabulously successful Carmina Burana (1937), which in many ways defined him as a composer. Based on an important collection of Latin and German Goliard poems found in the monastery of Benediktbeuren, this work exemplifies Orff's search for an idiom that would reveal the elemental power of music, allowing the listener to experience music as an overwhelming, primitive force. Goliard poetry, which not only celebrates love and wine, but also pokes fun at the clergy, perfectly suited Orff's desire to create a musical work appealing to a fundamental musicality that, as he believed, every human being possesses. Eschewing melodic development and harmonic complexity, and articulating his musical ideas through basic sonorities and easily discernible rhythmic patterns, Orff created an idiom which many found irresistible. The perceived "primitivism" of Carmina burana notwithstanding, Orff believed that the profound appeal of music is not merely physical. This belief is reflected by many other works, including musical dramas based on Greek tragedies, namely, Antigonae (1949), Oedipus der Tyrann (1959), and Prometheus (1966). These works, as well as some compositions on Christian themes, followed the composer's established dramatic and compositional techniques, but failed to repeat the tremendous success of Carmina burana. His last work, De temporum fine comoedia (A Comedy About the End of Time) premiered at the 1973 Salzburg Festival. Nine years later, Carl Orff died in Munich, where he had spent his entire life. ~ Rovi Staff, Rovi


Standard Macedonian or Literary Macedonian (Macedonian: Книжевен македонски јазик or Македонски литературен јазик) is the standard variety of the Macedonian language and official language of the Republic of Macedonia used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas. Several prestige dialects have developed around the major urban centers of Skopje, Bitola, Kumanovo and Prilep.
It was only in the 1940s, however, that the Macedonian language was able to be implemented, after being formally declared the official language of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The rapid pace at which the standardization process took place was in part owing to an already existing interdialect (see Spoken Macedonian). The standard language is phonologically and morphologically based on the central Western Macedonian dialects (in particular, the Prilep-Bitola and Skopje-Veles dialect) with its lexicon influenced by all Macedonian dialects.
Educated speakers will usually use, or aim to use, the formal standard in public settings and in most forms of written language. Probably the best exemplars of this type of speech, though not always the case, are actors, teachers and writers. A high degree of social prestige and respect is assigned to those who correctly use the standard language in the appropriate situations. In extremely rare examples, some speakers will use the formal code exclusively in everyday conversational speech.
While acquisition of the formal code constitutes a significant part of elementary education, during which children are taught the relationship between their local dialect and the target code, the formal literary language. Most educated speakers switch to the colloquial register of the standard language, Spoken Macedonian, when communicating in less formal circumstances, but tend to aim for more formal usage in circumstances where educated speakers are present or as a sort of "interdialect" in the case where the company is not exclusively local.
- Victor Freidman. "Macedonian", (2001) p. 6
- Transliterated, Kniževen makedonski jazik. Also, "Литературен македонски јазик" (Literaturen makedonski jazik).
|This Indo-European languages-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.|


The Costs of Education
By John Vaizey
Routledge – 2012
This is the first book which authoritatively reviews the UK expenditure on education from 1920 – 1955, both by local authorities and private schools. The book takes the main elements of education in turn and discusses them in detail. There are original studies of local authority finance, of teachers’ pay and of the economics of private education. It examines educational spending by social class and compares the growth of educational services in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Foreword. Preface. 1 Introduction and Summary. 2 The Educational Background. 3 The Finance of Education. 4 Expenditure on Education in General. 5 England and Wales. 6 Scotland and Northern Ireland. 7 Private Education. 8 Universities. 9 Teachers’ Superannuation. Appendices: A Expenditure at Current and Constant Prices. B Teachers’ Salaries. C Price Indices D Population E Elementary Education F The Relative Costs of Old and New Schools G Method of Adaptation of Accounts and Sources and Methods. Bibliography. Index.


As touchscreen tablets become the hot holiday gift for children -- even for tots still learning to walk and talk -- parents can be forgiven for feeling a little confused and skeptical about this new trend, especially when it comes to claims about education. The iTunes App Store boasts more than 700,000 apps and, as the Joan Ganz Cooney Center discovered earlier this year, nearly 80 percent of the top-selling paid apps in the education category are aimed at children. Many of these apps make claims about helping children learn to read. It's an alluring promise -- but are they all they are cracked up to be?
As partners with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a national coalition examining reading problems, we set out to answer those questions. For the past eight months, we scanned the technology and literacy landscape examining new products and programs. What we found was a digital Wild West, especially in the teeming app marketplace. Tens of thousands of apps are labeled educational and marketed to parents who receive little to no information about whether and how they work.
Most of the top-selling reading apps appear to teach only the most basic of literacy skills. They lean toward easy-to-teach tasks, such as identifying the ABCs, but don't address higher-level competencies that young children also need to become strong readers, such as developing vocabulary and understanding words in a narrative.
This imbalance comes as research shows that knowing the ABCs and other basic literacy skills, while important, are not enough to help children become strong readers. Children need background knowledge and vocabulary, too, as made clear last week in the release of vocabulary scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The scores, which are distressingly low for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, showed an integral link between vocabulary and reading comprehension.
But apps aren't the only problem. We also examined the most popular children's ebooks in the iTunes store and found missed opportunities for literacy development. Ebooks have real potential to exploit interactive features for engaging parents and children around stories, while also providing prompts and assistance when words are too difficult to sound out. But our data on ebooks, while based on a small sample, showed that the e-titles that parents download are not the ones taking full advantage of technology to help children learn to read and understand the story. Few ebooks give children on-ramps to new vocabulary or background knowledge in subjects they may not come in contact with everyday (art, science, history).
By contrast, good ebooks for building strong readers will ask questions that lead to interactions with on-screen images that add meaning to the story or help reinforce the storyline.
More than two-thirds of fourth graders unable to read at grade-level (and numbers far worse for low-income children, blacks, and Hispanics). We have to find new ways to help or we will continue to sap the potential of millions of young children.
With the advent of new technologies, we are at an opportune moment for harnessing digital media to support parents, educators, and children in building the next generation's reading skills. But technology's potential to be a game changer will not be reached unless technology is tapped to provide vital new supports for parents and educators. At its best, the technology complements the work of trained teachers and parents. It doesn't replace it.
Lisa Guernsey is director of the Early Education Initiative at the New America Foundation. Michael H. Levine is executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. They are authors of "Pioneering Literacy in the Digital Wild West," a new report from the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.


- 2012 (our goal) – RSPCA Qld Animal Care Campus will expand to include a state-of-the-art Education Centre devoted to the gathering of minds to improvement animal welfare in Australia.
- 1876 – The Queensland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was first formed at a meeting in the Chamber of Commerce, Town Hall, in Brisbane on 11 September. Unfortunately, public interest was low and the Society folded.
- 1883 – On 23 August, the Society was reformed under the Presidency of the Mayor of Brisbane, Alderman A R Byram.
- 1890 – The Constitution of the Society was amended to include protection for children and the Society changed its name to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty.
- 1901 – The Society took a leading role in the move for more effective legislation to prevent cruelty to animals, culminating in the passage of the Animals Protection Act in 1901.
- 1920 – In the early years of the twentieth century, it became increasingly obvious that the Society needed some kind of refuge where animals could be cared for until new homes could be found for them. On 4 March 1920, 5 acres of land at Yeronga were set aside as a Reserve for Refuge of Aged and Starving Horses and Lost and Strayed Dogs. This Reserve is now the site of the present RSPCA headquarters and shelter at Fairfield.
- 1925 – The second Animals Protection Act was passed by the Queensland Parliament. Up until then, the Society had no legal standing and its officers no more authority than any other citizen. The new Act gave legal status to the Society and specific powers to its Inspectors.
- Late 1920s – Cats were also being accepted at the Refuge.
- 1951- The annual intake of dogs and cats at the Refuge had increased to 9,241. Over time, extra accommodation and facilities were added so that all types of domestic pets, farm animals and wildlife could be accepted.
- 1963 – The administrative headquarters of the Society moved from the city into a new building at the Fairfield Refuge, as the Society gradually extended its operations throughout the State, with branches and refuges opening in regional centres.
- 1970 – The involvement in the protection of children and older people ceased.
- 1974 – A devastating flood hit Brisbane, inundating all animal accommodation at Yeronga and causing serious financial loss to the Society as the premises were not covered for flood damage. Every animal had to be evacuated during the night.
- 1978 – Brisbane City Council opened a desexing clinic for neutering animals on the Fairfield Refuge site.
- 1994 – The inaugural RSPCA Million Paws Walk was held in Brisbane and was so successful it went national in 1996.
- 2001 – The Animal Care and Protection Act was passed, strengthening the laws against cruelty to animals and substantially increasing the penalties for mistreating animals.
- 2002 – The State Government committed $2.5 million dollar-for-dollar funding towards substantial capital works in upgrading refuges throughout Queensland.
- 2002 – The Society’s new mobile classroom, known as the EMU (Education Mobile Unit), was launched.
- 2002/3 – The Fairfield Refuge took in a total of 19,645 animals, consisting of 6,996 dogs, 8,750 cats, 10 horses, 605 livestock, 2,227 wildlife, 610 other small pets, and 447 birds. The total intake for all the Queensland shelters for 2002/3 was 33,984 animals.
- 2008 – RSPCA Qld welcomed a pledge of a $19 million lead gift from the Queensland Government towards the construction of the RSPCA Qld Animal Care Campus, to be built at Wacol. In an Australian first, this purpose-built facility will combine state-of-the-art shelter care with on-site headquarters for an expanded, state-wide Humane Education Program. Due for completion at the end of 2011, the new Campus will replace our Fairfield Shelter.
- 2012 – RSPCA Qld launches its Animal Care Campus at Wacol, which will revolutionise animal welfare across the state, and will be a vital tool in delivering care for animals, educating people and improving animal welfare in Queensland.
- 2012 – RSPCA Qld Animal Care Campus houses a 24hr Wildlife Hospital, devoted to the improvement of welfare and care for all wildlife in Queensland.


This chapter, entitled “Learning From the Ancients: Education Through Movement” begins with the suggestion that in the process of change and innovation, we have taken movement and music, two front pieces to a quality education in years gone by and thrust them aside. This chapter takes a look at education in different ancient era and cultures.
Ancient Orient – this section details the merging of Confucian philosophy with Buddhism and Taoism into what children were taught about the “five relationships”: sovereign and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, brother and brother, friend and friend. The family was the first place children were educated about these five relationships. Elementary education, yes, geared to boys, was to instruct in the “language and literature of the ancient texts” from memory and oral recitation to writing; math was done in practical real-life activities.
Ancient Greek Education – training in music and gymnastics to develop “control of passion and command of reason.” Games at home progressed into the Pentathlon, which included jumping, running, throwing the discus, throwing the spear, and wrestling. (Some of you will recognize the Pentathlon as a hallmark of the fifth grade in Waldorf Education). This section, and how the marrying of Platonic philosophy and Oriental aestheticism helped form Christian monasticism, was fascinating.
The Roman mode of education and the Dark Ages, the Nestorians and science are in the next section of this chapter, followed by a section on the Age of Chivalry. Lastly, the contributions of the McMillan sisters, Friedrich Froebel, Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner are discussed.
The general themes for most of education throughout the centuries has included movement as learning, speech, music (including singing and chanting), rhythm and routine and community.


June 24 2010
Carrie L. Lukas
Congress is considering legislation to establish regular "workshops to enhance gender equity" in the hopes of remedying the supposed "gender gap" in math and science education.
However, despite conclusive results of German, Swedish, and Australian researchers as well as a 2005 study by the RAND Corporation indicating that the alleged "gender gap" is an exaggerated non-issue, legislation to "close the gender gap" remains on the table.
As Congress debates the dubious gender issues, an even bigger "gap" is emerging...
According to recent studies and widely accepted statistical results, it is the men who are lagging in everything from elementary education, to college, to today's job market.
Women have quite simply been out-performing men at home, school, and work - an unavoidable fact that many seem to overlook in their crusade for "gender equality."
In April of 2007, well before Congress' proposed science "workshops" and Obama's signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Krista Kafer of the Independent Women's Forum asserted that
[B]oys... are more likely to be suspended or expelled, need special education, smoke, drink and do drugs, repeat a grade, commit suicide, become incarcerated, leave school without attaining literacy, drop out of school or be unemployed. Marginal advantages in math and science for boys pale compared to the sheer advantage girls enjoy throughout school.
However, while politicians and educators have joined forces to ensure that these boys' "marginal advantages in math and science" are reduced, there has been little-to-no effort made on a national level aimed at improving boys' lagging, precarious performance.
This reluctance to help men is not due to mere oversight or unwillingness to consider unavoidable facts. It is due to women's status as a pseudo-protected class and fear on the part of both men and women. Men do not want to seem sexist in advocating improved standards for boys and women fear that if they "give an inch, they'll take a mile."
Promoting gender equality is not a zero-sum game. That is to say, women's success does not necessitate men's simultaneous failure.
The radicalized bra-burning, shoulder-pad-wearing, men-hating feminists of the 1970s and 80s were a necessary force in the women's movement, willing to go to extremes to challenge the male-dominated status quo. However, a steadfast adherence to the feminist dogma of previous generations - a dogma that regarded men and the institutions they monopolized as "the enemy" - will only inhibit the maturation of the women's movement and imminent establishment of true equality.
Modern women cannot continue a crusade against men, nor can they reject women such as Nikki Haley or Sarah Palin for not heeding the traditional pro-choice, work-first-babies-later feminist manifesto.
To be truly equal to men is to promote their success as equally as we women would our own, rather than continue to feel threatened by the virile "enemy."
As society progresses and we move out of the industrial, manufacturing era, "we have seen a decline in the overall welfare of males," claims Carrie Lukas of the Independent Woman's Forum. In an interview with FrumForum, Lukas affirms that while there are a host of opportunities offered to women, "it is bad news for women if men aren't succeeding."
In the African-American community, women are excelling leaps-and-bounds beyond men - a phenomenon that has posed a host of counter-intuitive issues for women who increasingly find themselves unable to relate to the enormously less successful majority of African-American males.
"It is time to end this concept of us versus them... we want to see our husbands, sons, and brothers succeeding right along with us," rightfully asserts Lukas.
An unwillingness on the part of politicians, employers, and men and women alike to acknowledge women's unthreatened, growing success will not only negatively impact men, it will eventually hurt the establishment of equality ... which is - and always has been - the ultimate goal.


Parents' Questions About Two-Way Immersion
- What advantages are there for my child in a TWI program? Are the advantages the same for language minority and language majority students?
- How do students in TWI programs compare academically to students in other types of educational programs?
- When do students perform at grade level on standardized achievement tests in their first and second languages? Is the time frame different for 90/10 vs. 50/50 models?
- Within TWI programs, how does the academic performance of native English speakers compare to that of English language learners?
- What are the characteristics of students who are successful in TWI programs?
- How can TWI program parents help families who don’t have children in the program understand its benefits?
- How can TWI parents work with the school board and district administrators to help them understand the importance of supporting TWI programs?
- What should a TWI program do to promote home-school connections? What can I do as a parent to get involved?
- How can I help support my child in doing homework in the second language, particularly if I don’t know that language? What kind of homework support can the program provide?
- What resources exist for parents of TWI students? Are there conferences that I might enjoy attending?
8. What should a TWI program do to promote home-school connections? What can I do as a parent to get involved?
As in other education programs, strong home-school connections are essential to the success of TWI programs. There are many things that programs and parents can do to help foster these connections.
First of all, programs can promote positive home-school connections by ensuring that all communications with parents, oral and in writing, are in both languages of instruction. This accomplishes the dual goals of ensuring clear communications with parents and promoting the goals of the program.
Programs can also sponsor periodic meetings to educate parents on TWI related topics such as program design, language acquisition, helping with homework, biliteracy development, and assessment practices. In addition, programs may offer ESL classes for parents of English language learners and classes in the partner language (e.g., Spanish) for parents of native English speakers. Ideally, these language classes should be structured to bring the two groups together on a regular basis in order to allow parents to practice the second language with native speakers.
Finally, programs can foster good home-school connections by recognizing the skills and strengths that families bring to the school and by seeing them as valuable resources that provide critical information about their children. TWI teachers and administrators can visit students’ homes and communities, in order to develop firsthand knowledge of students’ funds of knowledge (Moll, 1992a, 1992b).
There are many things that parents can do to strengthen the home-school connection. Calderón and Minaya-Rowe (2003) provide a detailed list:
- Volunteer in the classroom.
- Share with students aspects of the home language and culture such as music, dance, literature, and foods.
- Attend parent education workshops on dual language programs.
- Participate in TWI family social gatherings.
- At dual language conferences and meetings, co-present with teachers, administrators, and students.
- Assist with ongoing recruitment for the program by sharing experiences with prospective parents and students.
- Contribute to the section of the school newsletter that deals with dual language issues.
- Serve as chaperons for program class trips, both domestic and international.
- Keep in touch with other dual language parents about program developments. For example, two volunteer parents (one representing each language background) can help get the word out to other parents about potential budget cuts or an important upcoming event. In some programs, parents have formed an electronic email list along with staff, and they use that forum to discuss all sorts of issues. Parents without home computers are able to use the school’s computer lab to join in on the discussions that take place bilingually. Parents help each other with the translations.
- Support their children’s language and literacy development in two languages, as well as their emerging cross-cultural appreciation. They can do this by exposing their children to books and movies in both languages; attending cultural festivals; and providing opportunities for authentic language exchanges.


COLUMBIA — A picturesque scene — a pond, water lilies, reflections, natural light and children — made up a secret garden at MU.
Eighteen Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School second-graders visited MU's Wildlife Pond, between Stephens and Lefevre halls, to learn about the prominent artist Claude Monet and re-interpret his artwork by painting their own.
“Today we’re studying artist Claude Monet,” said Ann Mehr, art specialist of Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School. She explained slowly to the students who sat quietly by the pond: “We’ll paint the blooming water lilies outdoors today.”
Mehr, who has been teaching at Lee Elementary for 25 years, asked her inquisitive-looking students: “What's Monet’s style?”
The children quickly raised their hands and yelled, “Impressionism!”
As the children started to appear impatient, anxious to grab their drawing utensils, Mehr made sure they understood to focus on their own perspective about nature.
“Paint the color that you see, not what Monet saw,” she emphasized.
Diane Gilbert, the students' classroom teacher who has been coming to the pond every fall for the past eight years, said the field trip was an integration of art and science classes.
“We’re studying animal habitats, so they can actually see animals in their natural environment,” she said.
Gilbert said the students enjoy it because they love being outdoors, seeing nature and creating artwork.
The teachers said they think the integration is something worth doing every year.
Mehr said this field trip authentically shows what Monet painted.
“I have a big print of Monet’s water lilies in the art room," she said. "Now they can understand why he loved painting outdoors so much."
Some students agreed with their teacher.
Connor Gibson carefully walked near the pond and tried to catch fish with his plastic cup.
“I like this because it’s cool seeing the Koi fish, and I think the black fish are moles,” the 7-year-old said with a big grin. “My favorite animals are frogs and toads. I have two toads, one turtle and a few fish.”
Connor’s father, Phil Gibson, also felt very positive about the integration and said art should be incorporated into every class.
“In elementary schools, art should be the focus point in bringing the math and science,” he said. “As you get older, I found it important to not to forget the art, because that’s what helps give meaning to what you do.”
Gibson said he is glad Lee is located on the edge of MU.
“We’re lucky here in Columbia because we have this special elementary school and the university is right here,” he said. “So there’s a multitude of diversity; there’s a multitude of resources available for the kids. In everywhere I look, it’s a win-win situation.”
On the other side of the pond, student teacher Adair Stokan was about to add a final touch to her water lilies painting. Stokan completed her art degree at Columbia College and is now working on getting the art education certificate. She will be teaching with Mehr at Lee Elementary for eight weeks until October.
The school is fantastic with incorporating art and music into their curriculum, Stokan said. “They figured out a way for everybody to benefit: for the students, the classroom teachers, and art and music.”
The second-graders left in a hurry with their teachers, but Stokan said they will be going over the childrens’ little masterpieces at the next art session.
She said her students are lucky because other schools do not get the luxury to go on as many field trips.
“These kids really get to go out into nature and actually experience it," she said.


Recently I read this great post for teachers by Deborah of Teach Preschool about a preschool craft project which looked cute but wasn’t really that much fun for the children to complete. In fact, the teacher ended up doing most of the preparation and assembly herself! Now as a teacher I can honestly say we all have those days when, for whatever reason, a project we think will be a hit is very clearly a miss. So what can we, as parents, learn from this? Well, I think we can learn to more closely examine the projects we choose to do with our own children to assess whether they are likely to work well. And to this end, here is a list of…
5 questions to ask yourself when considering an art or craft project for your child…
1. What is my motivation for choosing this project? Did I think it was cute or is this project likely to be of real interest to my child?
2. Will my child find this project fun and engaging?
3. How much of this project can my child do themselves?
4. Does this project allow my child to respond individually, to express themselves creatively? Will the result be unique to my child?
5. Is this project appropriate to the age of my child and their level of development? Is it challenging without being so far beyond their capability that they lose motivation?
If you answer the majority of these questions positively, then I believe you are much more likely to be choosing an activity which will be a hit with your child.
And next time you enter an early childhood learning space, look around and ask yourself, ‘Do the art and craft items I see displayed look like they were completed by the children? Is each one unique to each child or do they all look the same?’ Because when it comes to art and craft with young children, unique, individual and child focused are all good things to see
Is there anything else that you would add to my list?
Looking for inspiration for creating with kids, check out my new book, Time to Create: Hands On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children.


Zoltán Kodály (16 December 1882 Kecskemét – 6 March 1967 Budapest) was one of the most outstanding personalities of 20th century Hungarian culture: composer, ethnomusicologist, music pedagogue and linguist. His internationally acknowledged concept of music education is the basis for general music teaching in Hungary and also plays an important role in the training of professional musicians. Zoltán Kodály played a prominent role in Hungarian public life, holding several public posts and being a member or head of numerous boards and committees. He was also acquainted with many influential public figures (musicians, artists, scholars and politicians).
Follow the links on the right to find out more about Zoltán Kodály and his lifework.
Visit the Hungarian Museum of Photography website for Kodály photos and their copyright information.


Learning Sight Words can be a challenge. Worse, it can be boring. But there is help! Here at Quiz-Tree.com you will find a treasure trove of free fun games, videos and printables.
Why Sight Words?
Sight Words (sometimes called the Dolch Word List) are some of the most frequently used words in the English language. Even though they number only about 200, Sight Words make up approximately 50 to 70 percent of any given general, non-technical text (you can verify it here). Therefore, teaching Sight Words as early as possible is considered a crucial part of elementary education.
We hope that you will find our Sight Words materials helpful and easy to use!
This engaging game will help your children memorize 220 Dolch Words. The goal of the game is to touch clouds with the appropriate word while controlling the bird. It takes less than a minute to learn, but offers hours of educational fun!
"I love this site and recommend it to all professionals that ask for computer sites."
- Pamela S., Teacher. Fort Worth, TX.
Sight Words Sentence Builder Game.
With this fun and simple game, your children can practice Sight Words in context. The goal is to assemble short sentences from the given words. The player receives visual and auditory feedback indicating whether the response is correct. Once the student answers correctly, the game moves to the next sentence.
Tip: Don't forget to click on the blinking checkmark when the answer is ready.
Do you happen to have a mobile tablet? This top-rated educational game is also available on iPad, Android and Kindle Fire!
Wordsearch puzzles are a great tool for helping children improve their language arts skills. Manually creating wordsearch puzzles is a time-consuming process. Besides, the number of already available puzzles is limited. So what's a teacher to do? Quiz-Tree.com to the rescue! Our super-fast Wordsearch Puzzle Generator will create a new puzzle for you in seconds.
Here's how it works:
1. Click on one of the links below.
2. On the next page you will see a puzzle generated using 10 or 20 random words from one of the standard Dolch lists.
Hot tip: To get another puzzle variation, simply reload the page and a new puzzle will be created for you automatically.
But there is more! If you want to choose the number of rows and columns, the amount of words, and other puzzle features, please use the Wordsearch Puzzle Generator.
Who Needs Them?
Reading is one of the most critical skills taught at school. It is virtually impossible for a person to live a productive life in our society without being functionally literate. Children with reading difficulties will undoubtedly have trouble mastering nearly all school subjects even if they are motivated to study. Conversely, children who learn to read in the early grades acquire one of the most basic skills needed to continue their education and be fully-functional as adults.
In many schools students are expected to be able to read simple material by the end of the second grade. One of the most important goals in teaching young students to read is making sure they are completely proficient with Sight Words.
There are two additional reasons why it is important to give Sight Words an extra priority. Firstly, phonetic analysis can't be applied to many of these words. Secondly, quite a few of them cannot be taught through pictures (e.g. "if", "soon", "but", etc.).
Even though it may take a considerable effort for children to learn the entire Dolch Word List, it is well worth it. Having the ability to recognize these words can dramatically increase confidence and improve reading proficiency of the beginning reader.
Because complete fluency with Sight Words is the foundation of literacy, a variety of techniques are used to teach them to children. Repetition and practice are very important in making Sight Words recognition automatic. For example, there are numerous group activities that help in teaching Dolch Word List in elementary school setting. These activities are often supplemented by interactive games that involve flashcards and computer software.
Clearly, exercises and games like the ones presented on this website can be most valuable when used as a part of a comprehensive reading education program that employs a variety of materials and activities.
Sight Words Buddy for Windows can help your children master Dolch Word List and have some fun too. The exercises are simple and it takes just a few seconds to learn how to use them. When the exercise starts, the student will hear one of the Sight Words. The student's task is to select the right word. After the student answers correctly, the game will move to the next word.


Leo Kestenberg's influence on the shaping of music education policy during the Weimar Republic represents, taken as a whole, a great moment in the often difficult relations between the state, society and art.
As a pianist who became a politician, Kestenberg was visionary in his ability to formulate music education as a socio-political task and, moreover, to anchor that vision in concrete measures for actual political reform. In so doing he always maintained a balance - both practical and theoretical - between elite and popular culture, between professional standards of proficiency and quality and a ‘people's education' approach whose goal, in the broadest sense, was to make cultural opportunities available to all social classes. With what became known as the Kestenberg Reform of the 1920s, he created structures throughout the entire field of music school education and private music instruction in Germany that have continued to define the field until today.
In keeping with his central desire "to introduce the people as a whole to productive participation in the development of music", Kestenberg aimed from the start to establish a unified system of music education from kindergarten through secondary school to the music academy and university level. In fact, it was Kestenberg who was the very first to found the modern type of music school.
Kestenberg's influence on Berlin's musical life contributed greatly to the image often conjured up of the "golden" twenties: His courageous policy of appointments brought personalities such as Schreker, Pfitzner, Busoni, Schönberg, Hindemith, Erich Kleiber, Klemperer and many others to Berlin. With the famous but also controversial Kroll Opera project, he attempted to create an accord between Modern aesthetics and the idea of a ‘people's opera'.
Kestenberg's personal fate, his intellectual biography and his pedagogic vision can generate impulses for our time that are especially necessary and highly relevant today.
Born in 1882 as the son of a Jewish cantor in Rosenberg (Roszahegy, Ruzomberok), then in Hungary, now Slovakia, Kestenberg grew up in Prague and Reichenberg/Bohemia. In Berlin he met Ferruccio Busoni, whose pupil he became, and came under Liszt's sphere of influence. The turn of the century found Kestenberg earning his living as a pianist, teaching piano at various conservatories, and working as a music organizer and editor, primarily in Berlin. In 1918, he advanced to the post of music advisor in the Prussian Ministry of Education and the Arts. He used this important office with single-minded determination to promote wide-ranging efforts of reform. Upon his dismissal by the authoritarian right-wing regime, which succeeded in deposing the last free Prussian government in 1932, Kestenberg's political engagement on behalf of music in Germany came to an abrupt end. Slandered by the National Socialists and subjected to attacks, Kestenberg went to Prague in 1933, where he devoted himself primarily to organizing an international network for activities in the field of music education. In 1938 Kestenberg moved to Palestine, where he was the general manager of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra and contributed to building the field of music in Israel. Kestenberg died in 1962 in Tel Aviv.
Today, more than sixty years after the end of World War II, and soon after the entrance of the nations of Eastern Europe into the European Union, Kestenberg's contemporary relevance, as one who paved the way for a democratically based universal concept of musical education, is apparent.


Sharing Education Lessons Across Cultures
By Ashley B. MacDougal, Graduate Student, Wheelock College
After browsing through the various resources connected with Wheelock College’s Global Challenges and Opportunities Conference that took place last week, I was excited to learn so much about topics I am already passionate about. I have just completed my undergraduate studies at Wheelock to become an elementary education teacher, and I am now continuing as a graduate student to gain certification in special education as well. Because of these background interests of mine, I was especially enthralled by the focus of education and also how it connects to basic human health and well-being. At Wheelock, I have taken many courses that highlight the importance of experiences involving hands-on education and play to ensure a child’s healthy development. Cara McAuliffe, a colleague of mine, did a wonderful job of highlighting the significance of this connection, and why education should in turn be considered a fundamental human right. Jenna Brashear suggested a wonderful way to improve education on a global level, which is by learning from others by seeing they way they do things and getting to know their opinions.
I truly realized how crucial this is when I took a service-learning trip to Barbados with Wheelock this year. We visited several public primary schools on the island and saw how differently, yet also similarly, they regard education. Education held high importance, but was often approached very differently from what we were used to. I found that this take-away of mine directly related to the discussion started by Alicia Selman, who talked about how many different countries have different viewpoints on education. For example, Alicia discussed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states education to be a fundamental human right but does not clearly determine who is control of choosing a child’s education. In some countries, the teachers and the education system are in charge, whereas in others, parents or guardians are given the right to determine their child’s path. I found that in Barbados, parents believed teachers to be the experts, whereas here in the U.S., often what a parent says goes. This is just one of the stark differences I was able to observe between education here, and on the Caribbean island of Barbados.
It is important to remember that there is no one “right” way of doing anything; we should be respectful of other cultures and how they decide to approach education, especially as there is so much we can learn from each other. The most enlightening thing I saw on my service-learning trip though, was how much the teachers and other educators wanted to hear about how things are done “over there in the U.S.” They lacked so many resources and felt that even without anything else, they could at least take advice from others on how to help their students succeed. I was glad to see this connection of caring about children’s success and well-being between both this foreign country, and my home. Overall, I was so glad to see education as a focus of this conference, but I was also inspired to see the connections between all three topics. As a future educator myself, I truly believe in education as a basic human right because it is so fundamental to children’s health and quality of life. I was happy to see arts and culture having a large emphasis and impact, especially as the education system seems to rely more and more on standardized testing and evaluations. The children are our future, and policymakers cannot forget that if they are going to ensure a beneficial education for all students. This is a lesson that can be learned globally, and this conference was a great way to get the conversation started. As Cherie Blair, keynote speaker, stated, coming together in collaboration can create beautiful things!
Ashley B. MacDougal is currently a graduate student at Wheelock College. She is certified in elementary education and is currently advancing her license to be certified in special education. In accordance with Wheelock College’s mission statement, She is interested in anything that is important in improving in the lives of children and families, especially when it comes to education and human rights.


IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies (TLT) is an archival journal published quarterly using a delayed open access publication model. TLT covers research on such topics as Innovative online learning systems, Intelligent tutors, Educational software applications and games, and Simulation systems for education and training.
From the October-December 2014 issue
Impact of Using an Educational Robot-Based Learning System on Students' Motivation in Elementary Education
By Kai-Yi Chin, Zeng-Wei Hong, and Yen-Lin Chen
Educational robotics has been regarded as an effective instructional tool over the past decade. Many studies have tested the role of robots in supporting educational classroom activities. However, reliable empirical evidence confirming the effectiveness of educational robots remains limited. Therefore, this study developed an educational robot-based learning system that provides an attractive teaching application that combines multimedia objects with an educational robot. This study examined the impact of the proposed learning system on student learning performance and motivation. The four-stage experimental procedure involved a pre-test, post-test, learning activities, and questionnaire survey. The participants comprised one homeroom teacher and 52 second-grade students from two classes at an elementary school in Taiwan. All of the students were assigned to use either the proposed learning system or a PowerPoint-based learning system. The pre-test and post-test results show that the proposed learning system improved student performance more than the PowerPoint-based learning system did. A questionnaire based on the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) was employed to measure four motivational factors (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction). The IMMS survey results show that satisfaction and relevance were the highest rated motivational factors among students who used the proposed learning system. The experimental results indicate that the students were motivated to use the educational robot-based learning system. Thus, using educational robot-based learning systems in classrooms demonstrates a significant advantage for students, by improving overall learning interest and motivation.
Editorials and Announcements
- Get Your Journals as eBooks for Free
- Open access is now available for the July-September 2013 Issue and all 2008-2012 Issues of TLT
- Editorial (Oct-Dec 2014)
- Editorial: A Message from the Editorial Team and an Introduction to the July-September 2014 Issue
- Editorial: A Message from the Editorial Team and an Introduction to the April-June 2014 Issue
- Editorial: A Message from the Editorial Team and an Introduction to the January-March 2014 Issue
- Editorial (Oct-Dec 2013)
- Editorial: A Message from the Editorial Team and an Introduction to the July-September 2013 Issue
- EIC Editorial and Introduction of New Associate Editors (April-June 2013)
- Editorial: A Message from the Editorial Team and an Introduction to the January-March 2013 Issue
- EIC Team Farewell and New EIC Team Introduction (Jan-March 2013)
- Special Section on Social Computing and Social Knowledge for e-Learning (July-Sept 2014)
- Special Section on Learning Systems for Science and Technology Education (July-Sept 2013)
- Special Section on Semantic Technologies for Learning and Teaching Support in Higher Education (April-June 2012)
- Special Issue on Intelligent and Innovative Support Systems for CSCL (Jan-Mar 2011)
Call for Papers
Access recently published TLT articles
Subscribe to the RSS feed of latest TLT content added to the digital library.
Sign up for the Transactions Connection newsletter.
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies is a joint publication of the IEEE Computer Society and the IEEE Education Society
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies is Indexed in ISI.


Horizon Broadening Classes
After-school classes and extracurriculars expand kids' horizons.
Like grownups, kids can get stuck in a rut. Based on their interests or skills, a child can find himself pigeonholed early on — a strong athlete may not think to give art a try; an avid writer might be hesitant to audition for a play. To gain exposure to subjects not featured in most classrooms, kids can broaden their horizons by taking up a more unusual extracurricular activity.
To open your child’s mind to something different, it’s best to acclimate her to trying new things at a young age. The French Communication Institute in Philadelphia instills an early interest in foreign language by a running a bilingual preschool.
Kids spend part of the day immersed in French and the other speaking English, all while enjoying traditional preschool experiences. “During the first half of the day when the children speak French, they’re still learning other subjects such as math, science and history,” says institute owner Lee Corley.
Although teamwork is emphasized in school when students partner up for assignments, kids can also learn the skill while getting acquainted with a unique activity. At Dancing Classrooms Philly, trained artists travel to participating grade schools twice a week for 45-minute 5th-grade ballroom dancing lessons. Kate Rast, DCP’s artistic and education director, says the class teaches more than just dance moves.
“Many kids in 5th grade don’t think about dancing with a partner, so we’re not just teaching them dance but also how to work together,” Rast says. “It’s about gaining confidence and developing focus and discipline, both physically and mentally.”
Rock star reach
Rock to the Future’s MusiCore Afterschool Program in Philadelphia lets kids express themselves through their inner rock star. The program, which enrolls 35 9- to 17-year-olds at a time, begins each session with tutoring and homework assistance, then moves to the music room where kids learn guitar, bass, drums, keyboard or vocals from trained musicians.
“Kids have to keep up with their schoolwork in this program in order to participate — it teaches them to set goals and manage time,” says program director Josh Craft. “Through music — from songwriting to rehearsal — they get a creative environment for emotional expression.” The program also gives students the opportunity to play in a band, learn music theory, record their songs and play live at local venues. “When the kids get to play a show with their band and see a crowd, they feel their accomplishment of the goals they set for themselves,” Craft says.
Art for all ages
At the University of the Arts’ Pre-College Programs in Philadelphia, students of all ages hone their art skills, whether they’re a preschooler with no prior experience aside from finger-painting or a teen interested in delving deeper after taking an introductory photography class. The program offers courses in art forms kids are not traditionally exposed to in their formal art education.
“We teach subjects most students wouldn’t learn in a typical high school,” says Rosi Dispensa, interim director of Pre-College Programs. Options include individualized classes in screen-printing, welding, jewelry making, metals and different levels of graphic design. High schoolers in pursuit of a creative career can enroll in a portfolio-building class. And although elementary- and middle school-age students probably aren’t thinking about college admissions yet, Dispensa says the program teaches them a new way to express themselves.
“For our younger kids, it’s a unique outlet, especially in the Philadelphia area where there’s not much exposure to art in public schools,” she adds. While possessing a talent from a young age is beneficial, it’s equally rewarding for kids to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new.
Cheyenne Shaffer is a MetroKids intern and journalism student at Temple University.


Teachers: A Force for 21st Century Global Citizenship
At the heart of the educational system, teachers hold the keys to a better future for all. In their mission to transmit universal values such as human rights, respect, justice and cultural diversity, they help transform younger generations into global citizens of the 21st century.
The world is facing global challenges that cannot be fully resolved within national boundaries. Sustainable solutions have to be found through collaborative and coordinated responses, at both local and global levels, that involve a wide range of stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
We also need engaged and globally-minded citizens able to take up the challenges to build a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable world. This implies rethinking education and how it can contribute to the formation of global citizenship.
In a globalized world, education cannot be limited to reading, writing and numeracy skills alone. It must also seek to nurture non-cognitive skills such – ie. empathy, interpersonal communication, self-confidence, curiosity - that are conducive to international understanding and solidarity.
This approach to education includes valuing schools and centers of learning as places where all girls and boys, women and men, can develop competences that allow them to consider their rights and obligations to promote a better world and future.
With this concern in mind, what is the specific role of teachers in developing global citizenship? How can they be change agents in the classrooms and the wider school community? How can we best design teacher training systems to support these goals?
These questions and more will be discussed at UNESCO Headquarters on Friday 4 October 2013, in celebration of World Teachers’ Day. The speakers taking part in the debate include:
- Soo-Hyang Choi, UNESCO Director of the Division of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development
- Utak Chung, Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) in Republic of Korea
- Bahia Baalbaki, Head of Educational Affairs Committee in Public Secondary Schools' Teachers in Lebanon
- Charles Gitau Mwaniki, Acting Senior Assistant Director of Education, State Department of Education, Kenya.
The panel will be chaired by Oliver Liang of the International Labour Organisation.
During this discussion, UNESCO will share an operational definition of global citizenship education (GCE) and related competences that was sketched out at the recent Technical Consultation on Global Citizenship Education that took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in September 2013.
UNESCO is leading the global reflection on this shifting paradigm where school is considered as an active contributor to building a peaceful and sustainable future on a global scale.
To attend events at UNESCO HQ contact : firstname.lastname@example.org
Back to top


Calendar of Events
Summer Camp: Super Heroes
Entering Kindergarten or 1st grade
Look up in the sky!
It's a bird! It's a mammal! It's a reptile! It's an amphibian... it's...it's... just what is it?!?!
Join us as we meet the superheroes of nature. We'll explore the powers of nature's super heroes and how they fight their villains. Campers will learn about the powers of Superwoman and Superman (mammals), Batman (bats), Hawkman (birds and raptors), Spiderman (spiders) and Aquaman (lake creatures) to name a few.
Instructor: Stefanie Fort, B.A. Early Childhood, B.A. Elementary Education, M.A. Instructional Leadership, National Board Certified Teacher


Professional musicians usually begin playing their instruments at a very early age. Violinists may start as young as the age of three, when they first learn the fundamentals of musicianship and the basics of their instruments. Classical violinist jobs are extremely competitive and scarce, especially if you want to perform with a professional orchestra or become a soloist. But you don't need to be a virtuoso or play for a world-famous orchestra to have a career as a classical violinist -- local orchestras, churches and other ensembles also employ talented classical violinists.
Although the exact amount of practice time varies by individual, several hours of practice on a daily basis is a must for becoming a classical violinist. But in an article for his blog, the Bulletproof Musician, classically-trained violinist, psychologist and Julliard School faculty member Dr. Noa Kageyama states that practice must be mindful. Practicing without intent or merely repeating specific pieces won't do you much good. An hour of concentrated practice is better than eight hours of distracted, unfocused practice. Write down a daily schedule and the names of the pieces you want to focus on. Stick to it, even if you don't feel like it -- it's easier to become sidetracked by other tasks when you're not feeling motivated.
Take Private Lessons
Practicing alone is helpful for becoming a classical violinist, but training with a professional teacher can help you make the most of your practice time. Private lessons may help you achieve certain musical and technical goals. A teacher can also help you work through difficult pieces and provide you with constructive feedback. In an article for the Unconservatory, a non-profit organization dedicated to music and the arts, violinist, composer and educator Ken Blacklock advises aspiring violinists to study with an accomplished teacher who performs with local or professional ensembles.
Join an Ensemble
Exposing yourself to other aspiring professionals by participating in an amateur, university or semi-professional musical ensemble or chamber group is an important step to becoming a classical violinist. Performing in a group provides you with contact with other musicians, allows you to play new or unfamiliar pieces and provides you with the insight and expertise of your group's conductor or musical director. Performing with an ensemble will allow you to hone your technical skills, enhance your overall level of musicianship and help you become more comfortable performing in public. The ACMP, which is also known as the Chamber Music Network, is a helpful resource for connecting musicians with like-minded players in your area.
Study at a Conservatory
While the most talented violinists may not ever receive post-secondary training, many aspiring violinists choose to study at conservatories or universities that offer specialized training in classical music performance. Conservatories provide a comprehensive music education that can result in a bachelor's or master's degree -- some also offer doctorates. You'll have the opportunity to study with top-notch teachers, learn from your classmates, make valuable professional contacts and perform in public recitals and with near-professional musical ensembles.
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images


10 June 2013 New figures today from the United Nations educational agency show that the number of children out of school dipped slightly last year over 2011.
Fifty-seven million children were out of school in 2011, according to the UN Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics, down just two million from the previous year.
The agency also points out that the challenge of getting more children into school is being compounded by the fact that aid to basic education decreased for the first time in more than a decade.
“We are at a critical juncture,” said the Director-General of the UN Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova. “Now is not the time for aid donors to back out.”
She stressed that the world must move beyond simply helping children enter school to ensuring that they actually learn the basics literacy and numeracy skills when they are there.
UNESCO notes that at least one out of every four children that do enrol stay in school – a figure that has not changed since 2000. About 137 million children began primary school in 2011 but at least 34 million are likely to drop out before reaching the last grade.
The figure drops to one out of three students in Sub-Saharan Africa, and South and West Asia, which have the highest rate of early school dropout.
“Our twin challenge is to get every child in school by understanding and acting on the multiple causes of exclusion, and to ensure they learn with qualified teachers in healthy and safe environments,” Ms. Bokova said.
Aid to basic education declined by six per cent between 2010 and 2011, according to new analysis from the Education for All Global Monitoring Report. Six of the top education donors that year cut funding, among them Canada, the Netherlands and the World Bank (IDA), leaving the United Kingdom as the largest bilateral donor to basic education.
In addition, the report calls for donors to prioritize countries and regions most in need. Only $1.9 billion was allocated to low income countries in 2011, according to UNESCO, a reduction of nine per cent and significantly short of the $26 billion needed to fill the finance gap for basic education.
Countries in sub-Saharan Africa account for more than half of all out-of-school children and have the highest out-of-school rate, the Institute for Statistics reported. Aid to Nigeria, for example, the country that is home to the largest number of out of school children in the world, dropped by more than a quarter from 2010 to 2011.
More than 20 per cent of African children have never attended primary school or have left school without completing primary education. By contrast, countries in South and West Asia, which also have high drop-out rates, have made considerable gains over the past two decades, reducing the number of out-of-school children by two-thirds from 38 million in 1999 to 12 million in 2011.
“Children in poor, remote areas, those affected by conflict, or those belonging to ethnic, racial and linguistic minorities are denied an opportunity for schooling,” UNESCO said in a news release.
In addition, children from poor households are three times as likely to be out of school as children from rich households. Access to education is particularly difficult for girls from poor households in rural areas.
The release of the figures comes ahead of tomorrow’s high-level discussions in New York in support of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Global Education First Initiative and Mr. Ban’s Special Envoy for Education Gordon Brown, to put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship by the end of 2015.
In 2000, Governments meeting in Dakar set six education goals to be met by 2015. One of these, Universal Primary Education, was also set as one of the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are to be achieved by the same date.
To accelerate progress towards universal education, Mr. Ban launched last September his Global Education First Initiative. UNESCO hosts its Secretariat.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue


Achieve your life goals with SELF-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR! With abundant strategies based on research, this psychology text guides you through exercises for developing skills in self-analysis and teaches you how to apply these skills in different settings. Case examples demonstrate how other students have successfully used the book's techniques, including one student who used shaping to gradually increase her ability to study, and another who learned to be more sure of himself on dates by consciously modeling a friend's confident behavior.
David L. Watson is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a Charter Fellow of the American Psychological Society. Watson is well known for his work in social anxiety, having developed the original scale to measure it. He has written textbooks in introductory psychology, social psychology, and learning skills. Watson is an enthusiastic world traveler, having visited over 100 countries. He speaks French and Greek, and is a certified master gardener, specializing in xerophytic plants. He divides his time now between Honolulu and Albuquerque.
Roland George Tharp is a distinguished researcher, psychologist, educator, writer, and filmmaker. Over the course of his career he has received repeated recognition for excellence and leadership in every arena of his work. Tharp is professor emeritus of education and psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Hawaii. He is the founding director of the national Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) and the Kamehameha Elementary Education Program (KEEP). His research focuses on human development, psychotherapy, community psychology, education, culture, anthropology, and applied linguistics. Tharp is considered a distinguished researcher, practitioner, and author in the areas of education, educational reform, and the development of sociocultural theory. His work spans more than 40 years.
1. Adjustment and the Skills of Self-Direction. 2. Forethought: Specifying Targets, Anticipating Obstacles, and Creating Goals. 3. Self-Knowledge: Observation and Recording. 4. The Principles of Self-Regulation. 5. Antecedents. 6. Behaviors: Actions, Thoughts, and Feelings. 7. Consequences. 8. Developing a Successful Plan. 9. Problem Solving and Relapse Prevention. 10. Termination and Beyond.


Art is a medium through which a child expresses his/her thoughts, feelings and fantasies. A child's artwork depicts his/her perception of the world around him/her.
|Children who are encouraged to express through art, their thoughts, feelings and imaginations are broadened and enriched. Art promotes creativity and ability to think. Art is an integral part of early childhood education. Approximately 30 to 50 percent of children in preschool programs engage in art-related activities during each school day.
German Village by Ankush Bhatia
According to Enid and Laura Zimmerman, three views of art teaching have influenced art education for young children over the past fifty years. First view, a child's artwork is a reflection of natural inner processes of development. A second view, based upon a cognitive developmental approach, focuses on children's construction of general knowledge about the world. The third view, art education promotes self-development so that children can understand themselves in relation to the society in which they live.
Gardner (1980) suggests that children's natural art abilities unfold if adults provide equipment, materials and encouragement. There should be no direct intervention from adults, so children's natural abilities could unfold (Schaffer-Simmern 1947). For toddlers and preschoolers freely exploring colors, textures, characteristics of materials and expressing feelings, perceptions and ideas seem good goals. The process is more important than the product.
Once the child completes his/her artwork, instead of a word of praise, have a dialogue with the child. You will learn more about the artwork and the child's thoughts. Write brief notes and attach it to the artwork (of course with the child's permission). Always date the artwork. A child's artwork helps an adult track a child's development. Be an advocate of your child's artwork!


Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
"A counterpart to the base line appears in drawings as a sky line. This is
usually drawn at the top of the page, and the space between this and the
base line is identified by children as being air. As adults we usually
think of the sky in pictures as coming down to ground level; however, this
is actually an optical illusion. Not only does the sky never actually meet
the ground, but of course there is no tangible sky, only an accumulation of
air over a dark background. The concept of the sky above, ground below,
and air between is just as valid as our concept that the sky and ground
meet. Both are illusions."
CRAIG ROLAND. Associate Professor-Art Education.
Department of Art, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida.
32611-5801. (352) 392-9165 - Art Ed Office (352) 392-8453 - Fax