From Houses to Homes believes that education is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty; however, there are many obstacles. Guatemala’s education system is severely underfunded. Although elementary education is supposed to be free, most schools require students to purchase uniforms, books and other supplies that teacher’s request. This presents a problem for the over 70% of Guatemalans that live below the poverty level. As a result, most children who are fortunate enough to start school at all, do not continue, or they only attend intermittently. Here are some sad facts:
- 3 out of 4 students read below grade level
- 7 out of 10 students do not continue their education after 6th grade.
- 49 out of 50 Guatemalans could not pass a college entrance exam
From Houses to Homes finds this unacceptable, and that is why we are dedicated to a high quality education for these poor children.
Escuela Kemna’oj , which in the Kechiquel language means “weaving minds, weaving knowledge,” offers children just that, a quality education. María de los Ángeles Jiménez Rosales, Principal/Director, and Rocxana García González, Psychologist, along with a staff of 10 dedicated teachers and volunteers are extremely supportive to students not only in the area of education but also regarding needs that may be identified outside of school. Poverty presents many problems that cannot be ignored; for example, often children are undernourished, which impacts their ability to learn. The staff of the school is aware that FHTH is in favor of identifying and meeting all the needs of the children.
We offer the opportunity to sponsor a student at the Kemna’oj School. This means that for a donation of $60 per month you would receive a picture of a student, and quarterly updates on how your student is progressing in school. You are invited to go to our website and view the students picture and choose the student you would like to sponsor. Currently there are 100 students enrolled and we have sponsors for 13 students.
Jean and John Scott of New Jersey, who sponsor a student say, “We chose to sponsor a child because of our belief that education is one of the most important opportunities to break the cycle of poverty that afflicts Mayan villages such as Santa Maria de Jesus. We chose to sponsor a girl because it has been shown worldwide that the education of women is one of the best ways to limit the size of families and (again) break the cycle of poverty.”
Hester Bury volunteered with FHTH and while building a home she noticed that many children did not go to school. She states, “It troubled me that the whole week we were there I saw very few of the children leave for school, although many of them were certainly of school age. When we visited the school I learned how hard it is for those families to afford the books necessary for the children to attend school. I was very moved by the whole trip, but felt that when I came back to my comfortable home where education is available for everyone, my most effective contribution would be to sponsor a child.” Hester sponsors Martina Chavez Antun.
The cost for FHTH to educate a child is approximately $60 per month. Through the initiative, every child receives two meals a day. It just takes $2 a day to offer a child an opportunity that can impact her life forever. This is a great project for a family to do together.
To learn more about how YOU can make a difference in the lives of the poorest of people in Guatemala, visit our website at www.fromhousestohomes.org. If you would like to contribute to one of our projects, click here to DONATE NOW!
I also invite you to join us on Facebook by clicking the “Like” button in the top right hand corner of the page. Find out about what people are saying about their experiences or share your own!


Ensemble Pedagogy (MUED3604)
UNIT OF STUDY
Choral and/or instrumental ensemble programs are a significant component of school music education and commonly involve the music teacher in various musical roles in addition to those of co-ordinator and/or administrator. This Unit of Study is creative and practical in nature and provides students with both a general understanding of the fundamental components of school choral and instrumental work and a more detailed understanding of how to establish, maintain and sustain successful school choral and instrumental music programs. Key pedagogical issues are considered and relevant skills are practised, including creating scores and leading and conducting rehearsals.
Our courses that offer this unit of study
Further unit of study information
Three 2-hr workshops per week for 6 weeks
Submission of an arrangement/composition in short score of two pieces of music, for choral and for mixed instrumental ensemble; submission of original composition or arrangement in detailed full score using notation software; planning and conducting of r
Faculty/department permission required?
Study this unit outside a degree
If you wish to undertake one or more units of study (subjects) for your own interest but not towards a degree, you may enrol in single units as a non-award student.Find a non-award course for this unit of study
If you are from another Australian tertiary institution you may be permitted to underake cross-institutional study in one or more units of study at the University of Sydney.Find a cross-institutional course for this unit of study


May 27, 2010 -
Every day, the students of Juan Morel Campos Secondary School walk by this abandoned building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Few have ever really noticed it. One or two students may have snuck a quick peek into the burnt-out ground floor, but most of the students, when asked, imagine the building is filled with rats. And dead bodies. And ghosts.
The true story of this abandoned building is even more colorful. In the early 1980's, it housed a Jewish synagogue on the ground floor and artist studios on the upper floors. "The rabbi was the landlord," said Ron Rocco, an artist who first leased a studio space in the building in 1984. Rocco recalled seeing huge matzo ovens in the back of the building and, in the basement below the synagogue, handmade mikvehs - the ritual baths used to purify members of the Hasidic community.
This all came to an end in 1989, a second artist from the building recalled, with a "dramatic arson story... a typical case of 'Catskills Lightning'." Ron Rocco was there on the day of the fire - "It was like 9:30 in the morning and all of the sudden I see this big black billowing smoke coming up from the the floorboards... nobody died or was injured but there was huge amounts of structural damage. I had a 20 foot by 10 foot hole in my floor in two spaces. All my walls were collapsed." The synagogue on the ground floor was destroyed, and never again reopened.
What followed was even more painful. "We weren't going to leave unless we absolutely had to leave, so we rebuilt by ourselves," recalls Rocco. It took about 5 years to repair the studio spaces, and throughout the 1990's, artists worked in the building and exhibited at a Rocco's in-house gallery space, Bernadette Salvage Fine Art. But, according to one artist, "the ownership of the building was in dispute since [the fire], and though artists living in it sought to gain control, eventually they lost the many court battles, under some nasty circumstances." Even as Williamsburg was becoming a hotspot for artists from around the country, the residents of this building were struggling to cope with the costs of 13 years of litigation.
Rocco and his fellow artists were forced to leave the building in 2003. "There is so much history in this place, there is so much violence in the process of what happened to this building, and to us in this building," Rocco recalled. "And then finally to then get pushed out... just left a very bitter bitter edge to the whole thing." To say goodbye, two other artists in the building remember organizing "a big 27-artist and multiple-band show/party for the eviction, called Everything Must Go."
The building has remained empty and abandoned since 2003. On the ground floor, all that remains of the synagogue is a large safe that may have once housed the Torah. A cat skeleton lies nearby on a dirt covered floor. On the upper floors, a squatter has created a home. A homemade bed, covered in a layer of undisturbed dust, has a baseball bat laid across it. Nearby are glass bongs, a knife, unused needles, empty 40s. On the floor are dozens of 35mm slides and a magazine about homeless photography, implying the squatter may have also been an artist. From one corner, a giant skull lamp looks out. In a closet, two dead pigeons are strung up.
To Ron Rocco, who spent almost 20 years here, this building tells a story "about real estate and the arts in New York.... Its a dirty story and art is supposed to be pristine... but the fact of the matter is that it has been dovetailed and undermined by the real estate presence in this town, because its the first wedge that brings in gentrification. The artists themselves don't have anything to gain from it - they just become pawns in the game."
These photographs were commissioned by the BRIC Rotunda Gallery and were exhibited at the gallery in an installation titled This Building Has A Story. Organized by artist Angela Earley, this installation included artwork by the students of Juan Morel Campos Secondary School, who were inspired by my photographs. This Building Has A Story was included in the 22nd Annual BRIC Contemporary Art Education Exhibition, titled Invent/Onsite, and curated by Hawley Hussey, BRIC's Director of Education. Invent/Onsite was on view at the BRIC Rotunda Gallery in May and June, 2010.


Even though I am an adult, I love reading children's picture books. I especially like books that can teach children about a specific topic. In Gatsby's Grand Adventures: Book Two, August Renoir's' The Apple Seller,' by Barbara Cairns, children are introduced to a painting of famous artist, Auguste Renoir.
I admire Ms. Cairns for coming up with this ingenious way to help children acquire appreciation for art. The author uses humor, and adventures to capture the mind of children. I love this concept because it is a very effective way to introduce young minds to the abstract world of art education.
Gatsby, the adventurous cat, is very adept at jumping into paintings at night, in the art gallery, where he lives with owner Annabelle. The fun begins when Gatsby must figure out a way to jump out before sunrise or everything in the painting will be changed.
The illustrator, Eugene Ruble, uses pastels to portray the adventures in a unique way. I am also hugely impressed with Ms. Cairns' play with words in order to bring this story to life. Here's my favorite passage:
"One night, Gatsby crept
downstairs into the gallery. He padded
across the floor and stopped. His big
eyes stared at 'The Apple Seller' by
Pierre Auguste Renoir. Maybe those
little girls will play with me. Gatsby's
tail twitched. His whiskers itched. His
haunches hitched. SNAP!"
Lastly, Ms. Cairns provides the reader with art information and many websites at the end of the book. In my opinion, this is a valuable resource .Teachers and parents can use the information to encourage further study on the topic of art education.


Before independence in 1960, Mauritania had only few French educational institutions. What dominated were traditional Mauritanian institutions of Islamic education. Such institutions could range from buildings with libraries to single men who moved around large regions. Compare to other African countries, Mauritania at the time had comparatively good structures. In 1955 the Institute of Islamic Studies was founded at Boutilimit. Other important centres of Islamic education were at Chinguetti, Kaedi, Mederdra, Oualata and Tidjikdja.
The path ahead towards a modern educational system has proven long, and even in the 2000's the nation comes short compared with other North African countries.
Preserving the Islamic core to education has had great priority. This element has been defined as necessary to preserve culture and tradition and to promote national unity. Arabic has been forced upon the many non-Arabic speakers, only as late as in the 1980's was the instruction in the other national languages Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof introduced into the primary school curriculum (see Languages and Peoples. Still, Arabic was emphasized at all levels. For long French was used in many schools as the primary language of instruction, there was effectively two parallel educational systems. A major reform was introduced in 1999, when the two systems merged.
Expenditure on education was estimated at 2.9% of GDP in 2006, which is a very low figure internationally, and even more som considering how very low GDP per capita is in itself.
The literacy rate of Mauritania remains poor, right above 50%. In 1985 the adult literacy rate was estimated at between 17 and 25%. There are no general programs to educate adults.
Practically all boys and girls between ages 4 and 6 attend Koranic school. Some instruction in writing Arabic is given here, but the main focus is on memorizing the Koran.
School is by law compulsory for all children and free for all. But there are many obstacles, for poor family, the cost of material and food may be forces many kids out of school. Equally detrimental are problems with transportation to and from school, a major challenge in many rural areas. Participation is not clear, figures from different sources vary immensely, suggesting that 61 and 83% attend primary education. Many children never start school, and a percentage drops out every year.
Primary school last 6 years, beginning at the age of 6. With the 1999 reform, Arabic is the teaching language in the 1st year. French is introduced in the 2nd school year, and used as instruction language in Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
Primary education is concluded in a national exam, where pupils are tested in 7 subjects (4 in Arabic and 3 in French). Those succeeding are awarded the Certificat d'Etudes Primaires Elémentaires (CEPE).
Attendance to secondary schools is low, general figures given are 21%. It is divided into two stages, the first in the "College" has a duration of 4 years, the second in the "Lycée" is 3 years.
Continuation from the College to the Lycée either is from a satisfactory report from the school without exam, or by a general exam. The diploma from the College is called "Brevet d'Etudes du Premier Cycle" (BEPC).
At the Lycée, pupils follow one of 4 specialized programs: Arabic and Islam; Modern languages; Natural sciences; and Mathematics. The difference between Natural Sciences and Mathematics is the wider focus in Natural Sciences.
Upon completion of the Lycée, students pass a national exam to obtain the Baccalaureat, by which entry to university is permitted.
The country's only university, the University of Nouakchott was opened in 1981 and has about 10,000 students and 250 teachers (2004). It is divided into 3 faculties: Arts and Social Sciences; Economy and Law; and Technical Sciences. Studies are divided into a lower degree obtained after 2 years, the "Diplome du Premier Cycle d'Etudes Universitaires", short "DEUG"; and the higher degree, another 2 years of studies, leading to a diploma of "Maitrise".
At university level, programs to promote local language have been introduced by the establishment of a research department.
Higher institutions besides the university include National School of Administration (ENA); National Teachers School (ENI); Normal Higher School (ENS); Scientifical Institute for Islamic Studies and Research (ISERI); National School of Public Health (ENSP); Higher Institute of Medical Specialization (ISSM); Higher Centre of Techinical Education (CSET).
Many study at technical schools, where two they may pass three stages of 2 years each. By the completion of each stage a degree relevant for work life is obtained. It is considered attractive to continue to higher stages, the highest degree is the "Brevet de Technicien Supérieur" (BTS) after 6 years. It is considered the equivalent of a university diploma.


Posted 2 years ago on Dec. 16, 2011, 10:42 a.m. EST by paulg5
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Building a case for Human Rights Violations (articles in whole or in part) that were committed against OWS and the 99%
Articles taken from The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights at http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/#atop
These are some of the human rights violations I have observed in many cities in the United States and countries throughout the world since the inception of the OWS and 99% movement on September 17, 2011
Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
Article 20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Article 21. (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
Article 23. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests
Article 25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26. (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.


Elementary education consists of eight years of study divided into two cycles. The first four-year cycle teaches basic contents with universal methodology.
The second four-year cycle features contents organized into subjects and more specific educational activities. The structure of this level has been designed to provide students with an integral, general and basic education. Integral in that the system encompasses all aspects of human development: affective, cognitive and ethical, focusing on the process of growth and personal self-affirmation and providing guidelines as to the way the person relates with others and with the world.
General in that it promotes lessons learned and a wide range of knowledge pertaining to humanistic, scientific and artistic areas. Elementary because it provides the minimal formal education required in keeping with study plans.
Additional information is available at the Educational Establishment Directorate.
This post is also available in Spanish


Self-Paced Phonics: A Text for Education
The concentration of this is not on whether or not phonics should be included in beginning instruction, but how phonics can be taught most effectively. >Includes more current references, updated standardized tests, and phonic examples from the latest Basal Series Programs. Significantly expands the chapter practices and cumulative reviews to provide more opportunities for work with both the content and pedagogy of phonics. Educators of reading fundamentals.
23 pages matching sound represented in this book
Results 1-3 of 23
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Activity analyze Answers will vary approach ask the child Assessment auditory discrimination beginning reading child's responses Circle Clymer consonant blend consonant phoneme consonant sounds CUMULATIVE REVIEW current basal series decoding diagnostic diphthong distinguishes one word emergent literacy emphasis English language Examples following nonsense words following words contains grade identify Illinois State University individual sounds isolation learning to read letter names letters that represent letters that stand long sound long vowel macron Open syllable oral language orthographic symbol phonemes are represented phonemic awareness phonics instruction phonogram r-controlled vowels Record the child's represents a phoneme REVIEW OF CHAPTERS rime schwa sound Searfoss short sound short vowels silent single phoneme single vowel sound sound represented Spache synthetic phonics taught teachers teaches children teaching phonics Thomas Baer tion unit of pronunciation unknown word visual discrimination vowel digraphs vowel grapheme vowel phoneme word list word recognition word that contains


Luther was born November 10, 1483 in Eisleben in Thuringia. He was
baptized the following day in the church of Saints Peter and Paul. His
parents were Hans (ca. 1460-1530) and Margarethe Ziegler Luther
(1460-1530). He was the second of three sons, James (1481) and Jacob
(1490). He may also have had four sisters, Christine (1485), Barbara
(1490), Dorthea (1495) and Elizabeth (1517). Soon after Luther was
born the family moved from Eisleben to Mansfeld where Hans first
worked in the copper mines, and then rented a forge and began his own
Margarethe Luther by Lucas
Cranach the Elder, 1527
Martin's father had improved his social and economic position and he
had plans for his son. He received a good elementary education in
Mansfeld and then in Erfurt.
In 1501 he entered the
University of Erfurt where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1502
and his Master's in 1505. He then entered the law school, but he
withdrew almost immediately and entered the Black Monastery of the
Augustinian Hermits in Erfurt. This caused a deep rift between Martin
and his father which was not completely healed until Martin left the
order and married.
In 1506 he was ordained into the priesthood and began
the study of theology at the University of Erfurt. In 1507 he was
ordained as a priest. In 1511 he was transferred to Wittenberg. He
lived in the newly constructed Black Cloister, and was assigned to
study theology at the University of Wittenberg which had been founded
by Frederick the Wise in 1502.. In 1512 he received his Doctorate and
was admitted to the faculty of the University. He was also the priest
at the city church in Wittenberg.
Martin Luther as Doctor of
Theology by Cranach, 1521
the next three years he lectured on the Psalms, Romans and Galatians.
He was appointed the Augustinian vicar for Meissen and Thuringia, with
responsibility for eleven Augustinian monasteries.
The Black Cloister in Wittenberg


GRADE 9 pupils have registered a dismal average score of 12.7% in mathematics and 35% in first additional language in the Department of Basic Education’s second annual national assessments of pupils’ mathematics and literacy abilities.
The outcomes, released on Monday, showed a general improvement in Grades 1 to 6 but poor results for Grade 9 pupils tested for the first time.
The test results will fuel the debate on the quality of South Africa’s mathematics and science education, and whether it is failing to prepare pupils for further study or the workplace.
Last year’s results caused shock in many quarters, with Grade 3 pupils achieving an average score of 35% for literacy and 28% for numeracy, while Grade 6 pupils achieved 28% in language and 30% in mathematics.
This year’s tests — which focused on mathematics and languages, regarded as the key foundational skills in basic education — were conducted among 7.2-million pupils at 24,000 schools.
The differences for Grade 9 mathematics by province were stark, with Limpopo — where 0.5% of pupils achieved more than 50% in the test — ranked last at 8.5%, while top-ranked Western Cape achieved an average score of only 16.7%.
Pupils in Grades 1 to 5 all showed a marginal increase in mathematics ability, while Grade 6 pupils, who achieved an average score of 30% in 2011, managed only 27% this year.
Grade 3 pupils showed the largest improvement in mathematics, increasing their average score from 28% in 2011 to 41% this year. The number of Grade 3 pupils achieving at least 50% increased from 17% last year to 37%.
In languages, all grades except Grade 1 showed marginal improvements. Grade 1 pupils achieved 58% in their home language, slightly down from 59% last year.
In the World Economic Forum’s 2012-13 World Competitiveness Report, released earlier this year, South Africa was ranked 133rd out of 142 countries in terms of the "quality of its educational system". The forum ranked South Africa second last in terms of mathematics and science education, ahead of Yemen.
The Department of Basic Education has presented the results as a diagnostic tool for intervening in the education system.
It said on Monday that the results of last year’s tests led to interventions to improve this year’s outcomes, such as the provision of workbooks, the repackaging of statements on changes in the academic curriculum, and the provision of exemplar questions and tests to schools during the course of the year to expose teachers and learners to the kind of questions they could expect in tests.


Digital Storytelling in Curriculum
Prior to the advent of the writing systems, storytelling was the only tool available by which individuals within their communities could pass down their beliefs, traditions, and historical culture to future generations. After the invention of the printing press in 1450, storytelling became even more important to society because printed stories became more available and accessible to many people who could learn from the historical stories and pass down their knowledge and heritage to future generations.
As the oldest form of education, storytelling contributes uniquely to children’s language and literacy development. However, storytelling is found in all types of teaching as an instructional strategy or a learning tool. Regardless of the story-telling format, a common element identified in the storytelling is its educational nature—to distribute knowledge and share understanding among people across different cultures.
Digital storytelling uses new digital tools to help ordinary people to tell their own real-life stories,is the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component, and can be instructional, persuasive, historical, or reflective. It can be effectively applied to nearly any subject.
For more information, please view the following materials.
- Integrating Digital Storytelling into Teaching and Learning (PPT Slideshow in PDF format).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Windows Movie Maker (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Windows Live Movie Maker (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with iMovie (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Photostory-3 (pdf).
- Tutorial on Creating a Digital Story with Storybird (pdf).
- Tutorial on Uploading a Video Clip to Youtube (pdf).
- Tutorial on Screen Capture with Jing (pdf).


By Rachael Carnes
Every person can learn from dancing. Not everyone will grow up to perform dramatic leaps in a corps de ballet or to shuffle off to Buffalo with the Rockettes, but every child deserves the opportunity to dance. For babies and toddlers, creative movement offers a range of experiences that facilitate natural, easy play and proper development of alignment, neurological coordination and a fundamental exploration of baseline concepts that are the building blocks for future learning. For preschoolers, children about 2 1/2 to four, movement play in a creative dance setting can help to provide an essential educational experience. Through movement, songs, games and rhymes, children not only flex their muscles as they gain strength and endurance, but they challenge themselves emotionally and cognitively as well.
Creative dance for small children approaches many ways of learning. Inherently kinesthetic, a solid creative dance class should be appealing to both boys and girls, offering ample opportunity to hop, bound, run, dive, leap, jump, turn, kick, and stretch. Kids, of course, love to move. As an educational model, dance uses rhythm, honing children's aural skills, and giving them a chance to approach conceptual ideas through their bodies. Creative dance also relies on linguistic play like rhymes and games that involve the use of fun new language and vocabulary. Academically speaking, in a ten-week session of creative dance for preschoolers, your child can and should be exposed to most of the basic academic bases they'll climb to in their elementary education. But they'll tackle these new ideas not through tests and standards, but through fun, playful and engaging activities.
When children dance together, something amazing happens. Creative dance is a tremendous learning modality for the individual, but what's thrilling to see as a teacher and parent is the way children begin to embrace new ideas that foster community building and social connections. Under the care of a dedicated teacher, even the tiniest dancers can look at and appreciate each other's choreographic efforts, applaud each other's determination and zeal and work together to solve problems. While they're just having a great time singing and dancing and being silly, they're also addressing important meta-cognitive learning needs. Simply put, these small dancers can begin to see the differences in the way they think and feel compared to other people, to accept and celebrate these differences, and to have the necessary vocabulary to sort out their experiences. This level of objectivity about other people is something that will serve any child well as he or she encounters the larger classes and variety of experiences that loom in early educational experiences. The creative dance method offers children and their caregivers tools for learning for a lifetime.
As with any enriching educational activity, consistency is key. You and your child can play at the pool once or twice over the course of a few months, and have a great time. But if your goal is to have your child become safe and comfortable in the water, you're probably going to want to take regular lessons. That's why it's recommended that children be involved in a regular creative dance class, so they can get to know the teacher and his/her classmates, so they have the chance to build on the conceptual vocabulary that has been worked with in previous weeks and so they can gain a greater understanding of the material. But most importantly, consistency and the repetition and affirmation it affords will provide your child with a wider launch pad for their own creativity both in and out of class.
Here are a few of the benefits of Creative Dance for preschoolers:
- Increased body awareness, kinesthetic comfort and ease
- Improved alignment, flexibility and neurological patterning
- Emotional and social growth and development
- Greater self-esteem and autonomy
- Linguistic and aural (listening) skills enhanced
- Beginning understanding of academics such as math, reading, spelling and science
- Approaches 'classroom skills' necessary for school experiences, such as taking turns, following directions, listening, sharing and communicating needs and feelings
- Develops an early creative spark in individuals and groups
For more information on the benefits of dance and other art forms on early childhood education, please refer to this website's links to other organizations dedicated to improving children's learning experiences.© 2003-2008 Rachael Carnes


Learning to Read with Phonics Games
Developing phonics skills and an understanding of the alphabetic principle is one of the most fundamental skills a child needs to master on their learning to read journey. Learning to read with phonics games is one of the most effective ways for your child to learn these critical skills.
What are Phonics Skills?
When a child has an understanding of phonics and the alphabetic principle, they understand how letters relate to the small units of sound that make up words, called phonemes. The letters of the English alphabet directly relate to particular sounds, and phonics instruction helps young readers apply their understanding of the alphabetic principle in their reading.
Analytic and Synthetic Phonics
There are two types of phonics instruction – analytic and synthetic. Analytic phonics instruction teaches kids to approach whole words, and pick-up an understanding of phonics by comparing and contrasting the sounds that make up the whole word. This type of instruction is rather implicit in its nature. Instruction in the individual sounds that letters and letter combinations make is inferred, rather than overtly stated.
Synthetic phonics instruction introduces young readers to all of the letters of the alphabet and the sounds that they make before they learn to read. The synthetic phonics approach is widely accepted to be the more effective form of phonics instruction, as it helps children approach words bit-by-bit, sounding them out and learning which individual letters link specifically to which sounds.
How Phonics Games Help Children Learn to Read
Phonics games can help children in the following ways:
1. Identify Letters
Phonics games will usually introduce the child to each letter of the alphabet, demonstrating what the letter looks like and the name of the letter. In Reading Eggs, each letter of the alphabet is introduced in its own lesson, presenting the child with multiple visual representations of the letter to help them commit the letter to memory.
2. Link letters to their sounds
The most critical part of phonics games is the explicit link they demonstrate between an individual letter of the alphabet and its sound. Each lesson in Reading Eggs introduces a new letter of the alphabet with a focus on reinforcing letter-sound relationships and highlighting the alphabetic principle. For example, an early lesson introducing the letter m uses a highly engaging a highly engaging animation of Sam the Ant who introduces a range of interactive activities to reinforce the letter’s sound and its shape. This part of the lesson also features a memorable song that helps to the child retain the letter and its sound to memory.
3. Apply letter sounds to reading
Once a child has an understanding of the letters of the alphabet and their sounds, most phonics games, including those in Reading Eggs, help kids understand how letters and their sounds feature in words. In Reading Eggs, these same words feature in the ebook that children read at the end of the lesson. These ebooks, which are carefully matched to the child’s current reading ability, give children the opportunity to practise the letter-sound correspondences they have learnt in this and earlier lessons by reading extended text.
Learning to Read Phonics Games http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/freeIndex.htm
More Learning to Read Phonics Games http://www.familylearning.org.uk/phonics_games.html


- 1 School Improvement Partners (SIPs) e-newsletter: Autumn 2009
- 2 Primary: Use of key mathematics materials
- 3 Primary: Supporting SIPs to challenge and support improvement in the EYFS and key stages of transition
- 4 Primary: Using CLLD resources to support self-evaluation
- 5 Primary: Launching 'priority learning' local authorities
- 6 Secondary: The role of the SIP in specialist school re-designation
- 7 Secondary: Assessing pupils' progress in ICT
- 8 Secondary: Delivering the behaviour challenge
- 9 Secondary: Modern Foreign Languages – the role of SIPS
- 10 Cross-phase: Addressing disproportionality in school attendance
- 11 Narrowing the Gaps for underachieving, disadvantaged children
- 12 What Works Well
- 13 SIPs and pupil referral units
- 14 RAISEonline: new reports to support the 2011 target setting process
- 15 Narrowing the Gaps: Targeting the underachievement of vulnerable groups
- 16 Masters in Teaching and Learning
- 17 Key events
- 18 Key resources
- 19 Information, advice and guidance
Primary: Using CLLD resources to support self-evaluation
Headteachers are finding that many of the tools and resources within the Communications, Language and Literacy Development (CLLD) programme are particularly useful in supporting robust self-evaluation and clear evidencing of impact. Key resources include the:
- phonics tracking sheet and assessment guidance supporting judgements about how well children are doing (A2 level). These resources also help schools to judge if assessment is robust and moderated in schools and whether data is being used to identify children at risk of underachievement.
- audit tools and the prompts for the evaluation of teaching and learning of early reading and writing that help schools to evaluate the provision for the teaching of early literacy (A3 level). These resources also help schools to evaluate to what extent the school is building on internal and external good practice to sustain improvement.
All these resources, and other materials and guidance to stimulate development and improvement in relation to early literacy, can be found on the CLLD section of the National Strategies web area.
- What does phonic phase-tracking tell the school about current pupil progress in foundation stage and Key Stage 1?
- Is the leadership and management of the early reading agenda supporting schools' capacity and ability to sustain improvements?


Introduction to Reading. Reading and Deafness. Communication Systems and Reading Development. Phonemic Awareness and Phonics. Fluency. Vocabulary. Comprehension and Text-Based Factors. Comprehension and Reader-Based Factors. Multiple Literacies and Literate Thought. Conclusion. Appendices. Author Index. Subject Index.
About the Author
Dr. Beverly Trezek is a licensed Special Education teacher with more than 12 years of teaching experience who holds PreK-12 certification in the areas of Hearing Impairments and Learning Disabilities. In addition to her teacher certifications, Dr. Trezek is also a licensed Visual Phonics trainer. Dr. Trezek served as a consultant on three Federal grants that employed the use of technology to enhance reading, language and vocabulary instruction for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her role in these grants included writing grant proposals, assisting with the development of computer technology, designing interventions and test protocols, implementing interventions, collecting data and collaborating with teachers, teacher assistants and administrators in the three states where field-testing occurred. Dr. Trezek has also conducted numerous presentations and training sessions on using innovative instructional strategies, such as Direct Instruction curriculum supplemented by Visual Phonics, to improve reading achievement for students. An article summarizing the results of a study based on her work with these instructional practices was recently published in a prestigious scholarly publication The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. Dr. Trezek is continuing this line of research and is currently serving as a Direct Instruction trainer and coach to the Houston Public Schools Hearing Impaired Program in Houston, TX and a Visual Phonics consultant and coach to the Columbus Public Schools Hearing Impaired Program in Columbus, OH. In her position as an Assistant Professor in the Language, Literacy and Specialized Instruction department at DePaul University, Dr. Trezek teaches courses in Reading and Learning Disabilities.
Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning (Integrated Teaching & Learning) in the College of Education at the Ohio State University. One of his major responsibilities is teacher education for individuals interested in the education of deaf and hard of hearing students. Dr. Paul's research interests involve the areas of vocabulary, literacy, and literate thought. Dr. Paul has published extensively on language and literacy development of individuals with severe to profound hearing impairment. His scholarly texts include Education and Deafness (with Stephen P. Quigley), Toward a Psychology of Deafness, and Literacy and Deafness. Dr. Paul (with Stephen P. Quigley and others) has also worked on educational materials, particularly special reading series for deaf and hard of hearing students - Reading Milestones and Reading Bridge. The College of Education at Ohio State University presented Dr. Paul with the 2000 Senior Faculty Research Award for outstanding research in the field of education.


Music Education Liaison
PreConference Report 1
Preconference Report 2
VOCAL HEALTH REPORT - Pre-Conference Report -
Current practices and concerns regarding vocal health and music education
- Musician health is a topic of much interest and concern. Committee members strongly believe that most music educators have encountered voice health issues in their own voices or in those of their students. During their undergraduate and/or graduate education, however, voice health and protection was not addressed at all, or the information provided was minimal and may have been general instead of specific to professional needs. Musician health is not a topic to consider only when entering the performing or music educator professions, but is critical at all stages of musical development—childhood to geriatric, amateur or professional.
- While the topic of musician health is of vital importance, there is not a clear undergraduate and graduate curriculum which has been defined for this area of learning. There are excellent resources available from a variety of sources, but there are not standard courses to address the topics such as those within musicology (theory, aural skills, history, composition, etc.) applied music (standard repertoire or best practices for lessons) ensemble/performance (large, chamber, standard repertoire, adjudication categories), etc. Music education has standard courses for methods, history and philosophy, field experiences, and student teaching. The appropriate inclusion of “health" areas has not been as clearly addressed by accreditation organizations such as NASM, MENC, and State Standards committees. Developing "best practices" and "recommendations" may be helpful in this regard; nevertheless, there may be considerable debate regarding whether developing another area of accreditation or regulation is in the best interest of the profession.
- Correspondence within the voice subpanel indicates that currently there are no national education standards requiring vocal health and pedagogy instruction to be included in the curricula of undergraduate or graduate students in music performance or education, even though voice is often the primary instrument involved. In those settings where curricula have been developed, the course(s) appear to be a survey of current voice teaching methods, and no course on vocal anatomy, physiology, acoustics, common disorders and hygiene is included. In addition, choral conducting methods courses, typically, do not include experiences that are related to the effects of conductor gestures, verbal and nonverbal communication, and the spacing of singers on the relative efficiency and inefficiency of voice use in singers. Due to these curricular shortcomings, a large percentage of vocal music educators and choral conductors are under-informed or misinformed with regards to the basics of vocal anatomy, development and physiology. Most importantly, these educators/conductors are also often unaware of the important role they play in the vocal health of the people under their direction. As a result, incomplete or inaccurate information about vocal function and health may be perpetuated from generation to generation within the field of music education.
- Universities and conservatories that have close associations to medical schools may have a distinct advantage in obtaining information on musician health. There remains a need for interdisciplinary teaching and research, however, and anecdotal evidence reveals that such teaching, research, and practice in the field may not be financially supported in times of economic constraint. A topic for discussion may be to ascertain whether school districts are likely to fund programs for musician health in a time of academic accountability pressure. For example, when arts programs are in danger of being cut, will teachers be willing to ask for inservice on their own health? The path to assisting musical professionals in the area of vocal health may be personal knowledge and empowerment through best practices at a personal level for each musician when institutions are not likely to provide change. The alternative of litigation and exploration of workman’s compensation issues must be considered, but may not provide the best initial focus for the activities of this advocacy group.


Sister Eliza Healy was both an educator and noted first African American Mother Superior of a Catholic convent. Healy was born on a plantation near Macon Georgia on December 23, 1846 to a white father, Michael Morris Healy and one of his mulatto slaves, Eliza Smith. Healy spent her childhood on the plantation until her mother died suddenly in the spring of 1850, and her father died that August, leaving Eliza Healy and two of her younger siblings, Amanda and Eugene, orphaned. The executors of Michael Healy’s estate sent the children to New York where they were cared for by their older brother Hugh.
The three children were baptized as Catholics in the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York on June 13, 1851. That same year Eliza and Amanda were sent to Notre Dame in St. Johns, Quebec. Their older sister Martha had joined the sisterhood earlier that year. Healy finished her elementary education and was enrolled in Villa Maria, a Catholic girls’ secondary school, in Montreal. After Healy graduated, she and Amanda rejoined their family in Boston, Massachusetts and then later the family purchased a home in nearby West Newton. She remained in West Newton for over twelve years.
In 1874, Healy entered as a novice into the Congregation of Notre Dame in Montreal, just as her older sister had done almost a quarter century earlier. She entered the convent at age twenty-eight in order to pursue a career as a religious nun and teacher. She took her first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the church and God in 1876, and completed her final vows six years later. Healy was now called Sister Mary Magdalen.
Over the next few decades Healy would transfer to several different Catholic schools in Ontario and Quebec, taking up both the position of teacher and appointed superior. In 1903, she took up the most important and most vilified position of her career. She became the superior of Villa Barlow at St. Albans, Vermont. The school was well-known and held in high prestige as many of the daughters of wealthy New England families attended the academy. It was her job to help reign in the disarray occurring at the school. There were several outstanding debts, too few teachers for the number of students, and a constantly fluctuating enrollment. As headmistress of the school and superior of the convent, she displayed strength and calm in her ability to solve the problems the school faced. She was also revered among the other nuns for her ability to pray for incredibly long hours during the day, her obedience of gospel discipline and her good manners.
After fifteen years at Villa Barlow, Healy was transferred to the College of Norte Dame on Staten Island, New York where she once again was given the post as superior. It was here that she spent the last year of her life. Eliza Healy (Sister Mary Magdalen) died from cancer in 1918.
Rayford W. Logan and Michael R. Winston, eds., Dictionary of American
Negro Biography (New York: W.W. Norton, 1982); James M. O’Toole,
Passing for White: Race, Religion and the Healy Family 1820-1920
(Amherst and Boston: University of Massachusetts Press, 2002).
University of Washington, Seattle


-- IS 103 Series
-- Being Your Best You
-- Library Skills
-- Maida Kamber
-- Microsoft Office
> Skill Areas
> Library Resources
> Learning Resources
> Microsoft Office
> Social Technologies
> Foreign Language
> Math - Testing
> Med: Nursing
> Political Science
> Social Sciences
Home > Resources > Math > Courses > MATH 111 > Objectives
MATH 111: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I
MATH 111 is designed to give prospective elementary education majors the depth of understanding necessary to teach mathematics in the elementary classroom. Topics will include numbers, operations on sets, patterns, functions and algebra. Emphasis will be on understanding, communication, problem solving, representing mathematical ideas, and reasoning and proof.
Upon successful completion of MATH 111, the student should be able to:
- Explain ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems.
- Perform various operations on sets; union, intersection, etc.
- Identify and describe various types of patterns and functional relationships.
- Use symbolic forms to represent, model, and analyze mathematical situations.
- Solve a variety of problems.
- Communicate mathematical ideas verbally, in writing, and through mathematical representations to various audiences.
- Apply appropriate mathematical reasoning to justify solution paths to various problems.
MATH 111 resource page
Community College - © 2002-2009. All Rights Reserved.
4303 Diamond Head
Road, Honolulu, HI 96816 | 808.734.9206
Established: July 17, 2002 - Send


::: recipe card collages
When the children from last year made their alien head gear, we gave them an instruction card of what they could attach to the base and how many of each they could use – a bit like a recipe.
We thought we would have some more maths fun with these children but with a slightly different focus.
We made a set of four math style ‘recipe cards’ and they chose which one they wanted to follow.
We provided the children with baskets so they could collect their bits and pieces …
and set out PVA glue and heavy cardboard for their pastings.
They could make any picture they liked and could add or pull it altogether with drawings.
Some children chose to replicate the recipe layout on the card …
while others followed the recipe to create their own ideas.
Then there were those who chose a ‘recipe card’ but did their own thing.
and some just … did their own thing!
As always though, their designs were unique and creative!
This one was a bit of a standout as this child invented his own recipe card! What an amazingly open ended math concept for children!?
This post has been added to the Teach Preschool Everyday Math in Preschool Linky. Be sure to pop on over and see how other preschoolers are developing early numeracy skills.


Also on these boards
The writing rubric would be an excellent idea to have hanging in the classroom for the students to reference to while doing in class writing activities. The standards that would correspond with this pin would be any writing standard within the third grade level. For example 3.W.1: Writing: Text types and purposes. Writing opinion pieces on topics or texts
Help your students show their friendly side by providing them with a letter writing experience in this "Message Center" activity. This Free Download Includes: -"Friendly Greetings" Poster to help guide student letter writing ideas -Student letter writing printable -I've been picked place markers for Class "Message Center"
Bubble Poster Set for Spelling & Phonics Instruction for the 37 Most Common Rimes - Large Cards (1 per sheet) and Small Cards (4 per sheet)


Common Core has become a household phrase for those involved with the school district. Across the nation schools are adopting more rigorous curriculum, and changing the way information is presented in the classroom. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is the name for the national education movement, but Kodiak Superintendent Stewart McDonald said not all states were required to adopt those specific standards.
“They had to have standards as rigorous as the common core state standards or their equivalent. And some standards opted to go with their equivalent. The new Alaska standards are essentially the common core standards with some significant differences. In language arts they made some adjustments in the earlier grades to make sure that developmentally those standards were appropriate. But in mathematics, the new Alaska standards that are common core based are actually arranged differently and broken into a better sequence through kindergarten through fifth grade. But after that they are essentially t he same thing as the common core state standards.”
Jenny Schauf is the curriculum coordinator for the district and said the idea is that each grade level builds upon the one before, and students will be required to demonstrate knowledge learned in all previous grades, in addition to whatever they are learning for a particular academic year.
“So if you look at the kindergarten standards in reading, for example, standard one in reading is looking at text based evidence. At the twelfth grade level it is also looking at text based evidence, but it’s scaffolded. So at an early level the foundational skills are put into place so kids are specifically taught or expected to learn certain things so that when they get into the upper grade levels they are allowed to focus more on the content and not the foundational skills that are needed.”
While the federal or state government isn’t mandating how
things are taught in a classroom, the new standards are definitely
shaking up the way information needs to be presented in order for
students to meet the new requirements. McDonald said teachers are having
to rethink how they help students understand subject matter because
they will have to demonstrate the knowledge in different ways.
“So if a standard only asks for you to use rote
memorization: know something or actually write a sentence that contains a
noun and a verb, that sort of thing, than all you’re doing is, the
level of instruction is – well, like the level of instruction we all
received growing up. But when the standard itself is asking for higher
level application to demonstrate meeting the standard, it’s the game
changer. This is what is significantly different about these new
standards. They ask for things to be measured in their application. Not
just do you know, but can you actually apply it, and then to what degree
are you applying it.”
He said the shift toward this type of learning and testing has been
coming to the whole state for some time, and Kodiak has been slowly
implementing it in various grade levels.
“The communication between the state and school districts
over the last couple years has been tough. It’s not been real clear.
There hasn’t been a single piece of paper, outlining and bulleting the
requirements in a very plain, user-friendly way to read it and
communicate with the public. So most people and most school districts in
the state think that this is stuff each district is dreaming up, or
they’ll find a district that hasn’t decided to move on these things yet
and they’ll say well that district isn’t doing it so why do we have to.
Well I mentioned procrastination, I believe if people don’t like what’s
happening here today, what’s happening in those districts that are
waiting will even be worse.”
McDonald said Kodiak has had to fast track these teaching
and learning methods into the classroom because now the federal
government is looking to measure how students are doing with common
core. He said students will be taking pilot tests this spring that will
do just that.
While the new state and national standards have certainly
changed curriculum for students, they’ve also changed how that
curriculum is graded. Tune in to KMXT’s newscasts tomorrow to hear more
from Superintendent Stewart McDonald about grading policies have
changed, and how teachers are adapting.


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.


- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Ships from: Columbia, SC
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from: West Valley City, UT
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
The unique focus of this second edition of Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy: Birth through Kindergarten integrates constructivist learning, diversity, and instruction-based assessment, and helps translate principles into practice for emergent literacy teachers.
Why Reviewers Can’t Put This Book Down:
“This text provides far more examples of real children’s language and literacy acquisition than other texts do. It grounds theory in practice, and its strong emphasis on using children’s literature to support language and literacy acquisition make it a valuable resource for instructors and students alike.”
–Jennifer Geringer, University of Northern Colorado
“The philosophical base for this book is absolutely right on target. Constructivism, respect for diversity, and instruction-based assessment are essential for any effective Early Childhood program. The authors did an excellent job keeping these threads throughout the book.”
–Mary Medo, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee
“I love the organization of the text! It will be a great help for students who may not be motivated to read because of the vignettes, questions, and term definitions at the start of the chapters and the summaries at the end. This is SQ4R in action! This is also a good model for the students as future teachers.”
–Diane S. Maletta, Purdue University North Central
Unlike any other book on the market for ages birth—kindergarten, Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy blends a constructivist/emergent literacy perspective with science-based instructional practices that have proven successful in supporting young children’s reading, writing, and speaking development. Renowned and respected authors Vukelich, Christie, and Enz describe a continuum of approaches to reading instruction, ranging from emergent literacy to scientifically based reading research. They advocate a combination of meaningful engagements with print and age-appropriate instruction on core literacy skills. There is also extensive coverage of working with children from diverse backgrounds, family literacy, and assessment strategies that can be used to inform instruction.
What’s NEW TO THIS EDITION?
|ch. 1||Foundations of Language and Literacy||1|
|ch. 2||Oral Language Development||15|
|ch. 3||Facilitating Oral Language Learning||40|
|ch. 4||The Beginnings of Reading and Writing||66|
|ch. 5||Sharing Good Books with Young Children||91|
|ch. 6||Building a Foundation for Literacy Learning||120|
|ch. 7||Teaching Writing and Reading in a Balanced Literacy Program||143|
|ch. 8||Ongoing Assessment and Adapting Instruction to Meet the Needs of Diverse Students||166|
|ch. 9||Organizing the Curriculum and Classroom Environment||195|
|ch. 10||Helping Families Facilitate Language and Literacy Development||219|
|App. A||Quality Literature for Young Children||249|
|App. B||Literature for Hispanic Children: Preschool and Kindergarten Level||256|
|App. C||Caldecott Medal Books||258|
|App. D||Internet Resources for Children's Book Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers||260|
|App. E||Childrens Literature Cited||262|
Posted July 12, 2008
Ok, so most people read textbooks because they have to, but this is one you will want to read. It is full of useful, up to date information on language and literacy and has creative ideas that beginning or experienced teachers and administrators can use in a classroom.Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.


The oldest known inhabitant of the Philippines was the Callao Man dating back 65,000 years ago. The second oldest was the Tabon Man of Palawan, whose skeletons were carbon-dated to over 24,000 years ago. The first know migrants are known to be that of the Austronesians that came from Taiwan in 4000 BCE.
From 1521 until 1821, the Philippines was a territory of Spain. During the span of over 300 years, the country was opened to international trade. First was the trade route to Acapulco, which brought fruits and crops from the Americas to the Philippines. By the 19th century, the country was open to world trade, bringing with it shifts in society, creating incredibly rich Spaniards and mestizos and further divided the social classes.
During the Spanish reign, schools and universities were built, as well as hospitals and many infrastructure. Roman Catholicism was also spread throughout the country, converting majority of the Philippines to Christianity. In 1898, the country was sold to the United States for an amount of $20 million, in accordance to the Treaty of Paris. On the same year on June 12, the Philippines had also declared independence from Spain, which the US did not recognize, leading to the Philippine-American war.
By 1935, the US had granted Commonwealth status to the country but plans on developing the nation were halted by the Japanese invasion during World War II. When Allied Troops defeated the Japanese, the country was then given full independence from the US on July 4, 1946. However, the Philippine government regards June 12, 1898 as its official independence date.
The Philippines is an archipelago located on the farthest Western part of the Pacific, and also the farthest eastern country in Asia. It is an archipelago made of 7,107 islands, with 3 main islands called Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The islands are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which means it is susceptible to earthquakes and its proximity to the equator exposes the country to a number of tornadoes each year. But despite these plausible natural calamities, the country is also endowed with abundant natural resources.
The highest peak is Mt. Apo, found on the island of Mindanao, which is at 9,692 feet above sea level while the deepest point is the Philippine Trench, which is the 3rd deepest point in the world.
The country is made of 17 regions, 81 provinces, 144 cities, 1,491 municipalities, and 42,028 barangays or small communities. The head of the state is the president, elected by popular vote through national elections. The government is democratic, and governed through a constitution. The president, who stays in office for 6 years on a single term, appoints his own cabinet and also holds the position of commander-in-chief of the army. The Senate is the upper house of the government while the lower house is the House of Representatives. The judicial system is governed by the Supreme Court, with the Chief Justice its presiding officer.
Thousands of tropical islands make the Philippines a tropical paradise. Aside from its spectacular beaches and natural wonders, the country is also filled with historical monuments and buildings.
The most popular island in the country is Boracay - a small island of white sand beaches and crystal blue waters. Its bustling nightlife is legendary, making it the perfect party paradise for locals and tourists. The Chocolate Hills on the island of Bohol consists of over 1,000 small hills that look like chocolates during dry season. Its origin has never been explained and remains as one of the country's most visited places. The San Agustin Church in Manila is the oldest stone church in the country and boasts of the best example of Mexican-influenced interiors in the Philippines. And lastly, the Banaue Rice Terraces is a prehistoric engineering marvel that is a must-see. Carved mountain ranges are used for rice planting, which was created over 2000 years ago. The site is still being used for planting rice until today.
There are over 600 public schools in the country, with over 1000 private institutions. Elementary education is compulsory and free public elementary and high school are provided. The nation's university is the University of the Philippines, which is the nation's top ranking school. The oldest is the University of Sto. Tomas, which is also the oldest university charter in Asia, having been built in 1611. According to the QS University Rankings, the University of the Philippines is currently ranked as the 67th best university in Asia.
The people of the Philippines make up the largest diaspora in the world, with over 12 million Filipinos spread all around the cities of the world. The country is the text capital of the world, with an average of 450 million text messages sent every day. It is also the only Christian country in Asia.
Last Updated : September 18, 2014
Asian Games News and Live Updates


UMD's Jean Stevenson Researches
the Life and Work of Arnold Lobel
Jean Stevenson digs for treasure in the specially designed underground caverns of the Elmer L. Anderson Library. Stevenson conducts research for the Anderson Library's Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota. It is one of the world's great children's literature research collections and it includes books, original manuscripts, original illustrations, and related materials.
This summer, in celebration of the UMD play, A Year with Frog and Toad, directed by Chancellor Kathryn A. Martin, Stevenson did some research on the children’s book author, Arnold Lobel.
“I was sitting alone in the Kerlan, with all my stuff around me,” said Stevenson. “I pulled out a folder, and inside was a manuscript written by Arnold Lobel." This is what she read:
One day in summer
“I burst out laughing,” said Stevenson. “It is such wonderful writing — so simple and childlike. In a way, I felt like I was sitting next to Arnold Lobel as he was writing it. You can hear that he wrote in breath spaces, so it sounds right when it is read aloud.”
The manuscript was only one of the incredible treasures of Lobel’s in the Kerlan Collection. Stevenson brought copies back to UMD and they can be viewed in a display case in the hall near the UMD Library. Stevenson found a facsimile of a black and white Lobel drawing that depicts Toad in his bathing suit and animals laughing at him. It’s from the chapter, “A Swim” in the book Frog and Toad are Friends. "You can see that the publishers added color and made two illustrations out of one," Stevenson said.
She also found a holograph, which is the handwritten text of the manuscript. The holograph is from the chapter “Spring,” the first chapter of the same book. “It was like I could see Lobel writing and revising the work,” said Stevenson. "He wrote with a sure hand. They are hardly any corrections.We know that Lobel wrote and drew every day and it is evident in the holograph."
Another of Stevenson’s finds was a corrected typescript of the same chapter. This one had corrections in another person’s handwriting, possibly the publisher’s.
Research of this kind is familiar territory for Stevenson. She prepares portfolios, which are resources for teachers, to bring to grade-school classrooms. The portfolios contain facsimile copies of original manuscripts and illustrations by well-known children’s book authors. "I show kids what came first,” said Stevenson. “I often have a manuscript. Then I show them what came second. Most often that is materials from the publisher. Then I show them the published books.” When Stevenson can show the students an illustration, it makes the session a special event.
Stevenson’s life work is the study of children’s literature. Her doctoral dissertation, “The Writing Processes of Theodore Taylor and Jane Yolen,” is influencing her current projects. She is preparing a Kerlan portfolio on Theodore Taylor, author of The Cay. She is also preparing a Kerlan portfolio on Myra Cohn Livingston, children's poet, anthologist, and author of many books including I Like You If You Like Me and Celebration.
This spring, Stevenson was asked to make the presentation as the renowned artist and children’s book illustrator Louis Slobodkin was posthumously awarded The Kerlan Award in Children's Literature.
Stevenson teaches Language and Literacy and Children's Literature & Integrating Arts in the Education Department at UMD. She is an assistant professor and the elementary education program coordinator. This spring, she received an Outstanding Faculty Adviser Award.
"I teach the college students to bring reading and writing into the classroom," she said. Stevenson tells her UMD students about one experience she had in a third grade classroom. The third graders wrote every morning as part of a daily writing workshop. "The kids would come in, grab their folders and and write. They had actually started writing as they walked to school or as they rode the bus," she said. "You learn to write by reading. You learn cadence and how to convey ideas. There is a connection."
Stevenson teaches the UMD students something else through her example. She teaches them to be passionionate about reading, writing, and literature.
— written by Cheryl Reitan
UMD Homepage 2007
Did you find what you were looking for? YES NO


Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
A 13-year-old girl interviewed me last week about my job, through which I communicate with journalists around the world about climate change and other environmental issues. She is part of the generation that worries about such things, according to a new poll. It’s the generation from which real leadership on climate change will emerge.
The UNICEF poll found that three-quarters of British 11- to 16-year-olds were concerned about how global warming will change the world. Two-thirds of them also worried about how climate change would affect other children in other parts of the world.
The poll said these concerned children want their government to act on climate change, but they may need to do that themselves. They will need to be teachers too. This is because the British government had decided to remove climate change from the national curriculum for children under 14. It’s a move that scientists, business leaders and others have criticised as “unfathomable and unacceptable”.
It is more than this. Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change — which was agreed in 1992 and entered into force in 1994 — nearly 200 governments agreed to promote actions to develop and implement “educational and public awareness programmes on climate change and its effects”.
Their track record so far has been pitiful. By 2010, only Belgium (on behalf of the European Union), Colombia and the Dominican Republic had submitted reports on their activities. When I wrote about this on Under the Banyan in 2011, most of the readers from around the world who commented said their governments did little or nothing to educate their population on climate change.
More recently, some countries have begun to act. Last year, the government of El Salvador made it mandatory for all educational institutions to incorporate climate risks into their teaching materials. In March this year, the Dominican Republic launched a national teacher training programme on climate change. In the United States, new science teaching standards will include extensive lessons on human-made climate change. Suddenly it looks like British children are being left behind.
Kenya’s new national climate change action plan – unveiled in March 2013 — called for climate change and its impacts to be on the primary school curriculum. It says students at secondary schools also need “to be equipped with skills to support a future climate resilient economy” and that “at university level, climate change should be infused into the various professions.”
It says: ”Civil engineers, for example, need to learn how to design and develop structures that can withstand climate shocks. Doctors need to be aware of the effects of climate change on human health, while architects should have the skills and training to design houses that are climate-proofed and energy efficient. Teachers ought to be equipped with knowledge about climate change in order for them to be suited to teach a curriculum that integrates climate change across all subjects taught at schools in Kenya. Whereas it is already the case that climate change as a subject is now being taught at Kenyan universities, there will be a need for institutions of higher learning to develop policies to ensure that all students educated there are familiar with climate change, its impact and strategies for adaptation and mitigation.”
These are all initiatives to applaud. But given that governments took nearly 20 years to act upon pledges to educate their people on climate change, it seems clear that the people will also need to teach themselves.
While parents have a role to play in climate change education, they find it hard to be truthful about climate change without scaring their children. The Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media published a long essay on this topic. But where governments fail and parents feel unsure, young people can talk with confidence to their peers.
They include Esther Agbarakwe, the 19-year old Nigerian who each Wednesday uses Twitter to coordinate a live conversation between climate experts and anyone worldwide who is interested (see #climatewednesday). Or 18-year old Merna Ghaly from Egypt, a leading member of the Arab Youth Climate Movement. This month Newsweek Magazine, in the United States, named her one of the top ‘125 Women of Impact’, alongside heads of state and business leaders. Or Esha Marwaha, the 15-year old student and member of the UK Youth Climate Coalition who organised a campaign that called on the UK Department for Education to reinstate climate change into the school curriculum.
These three young women are just some of the members of new band of passionate communicators who are not waiting for teachers or parents or politicians to lead the way. They are growing in number and are increasingly connected. They cooperate internationally in ways that nations will need to if they are to tackle climate change. They are the future and they are here today. More power to them.


Online music education
Online music education is a recent development in the field of music education consisting of the application of new technologies associated with distance learning and online education for the purpose of teaching and learning music in an online environment mediated by computers and the internet.
The origins of online music education may be traced to the use of technologies to supplement face-to-face learning in traditional classroom settings, however in recent years it has expanded to include the offering of entire degree programs - even doctoral degrees - online.
The rise of technologies leading to the development of online music education is well documented, and such studies have become particularly popular in the United States in recent years (Schlager, 2008; Webster, 2007). Salavuo (2006) has examined the recent popularization of informal engagement with music technology in online social networks, which may embody a form of informal community music education. The potential of online music education to create positive change in terms of professional development has been noted by various scholars (Hebert, 2008; Sherbon & Kish, 2005); However, concerns have also been raised regarding the absence of a sufficient research base concerning the effectiveness of online music education (Hebert, 2007; Webster, 2007). It is likely that more studies will be seen in this high-growth area in the coming years.
Institutions offering online music education
The following is a partial list of North American institutions that offer online degree programs in music education:
- Auburn University
- Boston University College of Fine Arts
- Duquesne University
- East Carolina University
- Ohio University
- Stephen F. Austin State University
- University of Hawaii-Manoa
- University of Southern Mississippi
The most common degree offered online in this subject area is a Master of Music, although one institution also offers a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. As of mid-2008, one institution - Boston University - has over 800 online graduate students in music education.
- Music education
- Online education
- Distance education
- Music technology
- Comparison of music education software
- Hebert, David G. "Reflections on Teaching the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music Online." International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music 39 no. 1 (2008, June).
- Hebert, David G. "Five Challenges and Solutions in Online Music Teacher Education." Research and Issues in Music Education 5 (2007).
- Salavuo, Miikka. "Open and Informal Online Communities as Forums of Collaborative Musical Activities and Learning." British Journal of Music Education 23 no. 3 (2006), pp. 253-271.
- Schlager, Ken. "Distance Learning." Teaching Music 15 no. 6 (2008, June): 36-38.
- Sherbon, James W. & Kish, David L. "Distance Learning and the Music Teacher." Music Educators Journal 92 no. 2 (2005): 36-41.
- Webster, Peter R. "Computer-Based Technology and Music Teaching and Learning: 2000-2005." In Liora Bresler (Ed.), International Handbook of Research in Arts Education (New York: Springer, 2007): pp.1311-1328.
- International Society for Music Education
- MayDay Group
- Dr Fung's International Music Education Links
- Links from MENC: The National Association for Music Education
- Research and Issues in Music Education
- International Journal of Education and the Arts
- Visions of Research in Music Education
- Online Music Education Games
- Free Online Music Courses
- ThinkQuest Music Notes
- Music, Education, Technology - MusTech.Net
- Articles about online music education at Netsounds


Booster packs for Key Stage 2
Put KS2 literacy and numeracy skills into action with hundreds of activities to boost your child's knowledge and confidence. Covering all the core learning objectives for Years 3-6 in English and maths, you'll discover fun ways to support learning in these fantastic booster packs:
Maths and English homework help is at hand!
If you dread being asked by your child to help with their maths or English homework - fear not! We've got two excellent eBooks that will help you instantly find the answers you need. Maths Homework Helper brings together everything you need to get to grips with this vital subject and life skill. With it, you can support your child's maths learning effectively at home. You’ll discover how to tackle all the different topics your child will encounter – from addition and subtraction, to ratios and percentages – and get familiar with all the latest methods used in schools.
Literacy Homework Helper covers the ins and outs of reading, writing and spelling as they are taught in the primary national curriculum. Whether you are trying to help with a specific piece of homework, your child has a problem with a topic they’ve covered at school, or you just want to give an extra boost at home to their literacy learning, this resource is designed for you to be able to quickly find relevant information for you and practical ideas and activities to help your child.
Key Stage 2 is one of the most important periods in your child’s education. It’s in these school years that your child is introduced to some of the core learning concepts that they need to master before secondary school. They’ll review and consolidate learning done throughout primary school and be tested frequently to check that they are acquiring and retaining the right information.
Whether your child is struggling, jumping ahead, or you just want to check they are right on track, you can boost their child's confidence throughout Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 with TheSchoolRun Key Stage 2 Book Bundle.
There are 3 of our best-selling books in the bundle. Maths Homework Helper eBook covers all the core maths topics, from the basics of addition and subtraction to multiplication, division, working with measures, shape and space, and handling data. Grammar Made Easy eBook gives you confidence in the grammar basics so you’re fully prepared to help your child and Spelling Made Magic – our best-selling book - is packed with tips and tricks to help your child master this literacy essential.


Teaching License Degrees and Programs
Most public and private schools in the U.S. require teachers to meet state licensing and certification guidelines. Teaching license programs give individuals the preparation they need to study for their local state licensing exams. While teaching license courses won't directly lead to a license, they can fulfill the education requirement for state licensure.
Teachers for subjects like bilingual education, science and mathematics are in demand across the country, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Opportunities for employment may also be greater in rural communities and urban areas in need of education reform.
Get your teaching license to qualify for classroom jobs
Most teachers start with a four-year bachelor's degree in teaching or a related subject. Some teachers with a bachelor's degree in another field may earn a teaching certificate to meet state requirements. Some school districts require teachers to eventually earn a master's degree. Even where it is not required, many schools offer a higher salary for teachers with a graduate degree.
Teaching license courses vary depending on the grade level and area you want to teach. Elementary school teachers may take courses in child growth and development, child psychology, and literacy development. At the middle school and high school level, many teachers specialize in a particular subject such as social studies, math or music. In addition to subject-specific courses, all teachers generally study teaching methods, testing and assessment techniques and educational philosophy.


A female third-grade student looked ruefully at a male third-grade student seated across from her. Both children were painting shoebox-sized models of Greek temples as a group project, but the male student was jabbing his paintbrush violently at the roof of his temple.
The columns were coming undone, and the art project was beginning to deteriorate.
"You're not going to finish, and your group's going to be mad at you," the girl said.
"Uh, uh," the boy replied obstinately.
What happened next is a matter of dispute. According to the girl, the boy said something crude. According to the boy, the girl invented the story to get him in trouble.
Enter Victoria Walchak, art teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary School in Alexandria and, for the moment, judge.
"Sit down over here and write your side of the story," she told the boy.
While the defendant was making his case on paper, the judge took testimony from the plaintiff. Then she read the defendant's document, asked a few questions from each side and made a quick ruling: The girl made the story up.
JUSTICE IS SWIFT in Walchak's classroom, and petty arguments will not get in the way of creating and learning. Juggling roles as an art teacher, role model, psychologist and judge seem to be effortless for the 45-year-old New Jersey native who has taught elementary school art for the past eight years.
"It's a balance," said Walchak. "You want to have guidelines, but you also want to give the students freedom."
Striking the right balance between authority and expression is crucial to Walchak's larger goal: creating actualized citizens. One of the books that she returns to again and again is Herbert Read's 1942 treatise "Education Through Art," in which the British essayist theorized that the objective of art education is not the production of more artworks but the creation of better people and better society.
"What I like about kids' art is that it's so free," she said. "I like seeing the pride that students exhibit in their art. And that's a pride that can make individuals more actualized, which can help create better communities."
Teaching is a profession that came to Walchak in one of those accidental ways that sometimes dot the important moments of life, like reading a certain book or being in the right place at the right time. Or both.
FOUR YEARS AFTER she graduated from the Corcoran School of Art and Design, she answered a newspaper advertisement to help create a decorative frieze for Barnard Elementary School in Washington, D.C. She was reading "Education Through Art" at the time and thinking about how art could be used to forge stronger communities. While drawing a strawberry motif on the wall of the school, she struck up a casual conversation with the school's principal.
Within minutes, Walchak was offered a job. Although she had been making good money waiting tables in downtown restaurants to supplement her art career, the prospect of teaching children seemed to offer an intriguing way to break out of the day-to-day monotony of the hospitality industry.
"It was really a trial by fire," she said. "My training was in art, not education. So I had to find new ways of thinking about art."
As a child, she had imagined a career for herself that involved art and teaching. So the chance encounter at Barnard Elementary School was the spark that lit an important fire. After a few years, she knew that she had responded to her calling, so she got a master of arts and teaching in elementary education from Trinity College. But eight years of teaching art in the District of Columbia came with its share of bureaucratic headaches. So last year, she began looking for available positions at Alexandria schools.
This is her first year teaching at Patrick Henry Elementary School, a working environment that she says is "like heaven."
"SHE'S A TEAM player, and she's really helped bring out the creativity of our students," said Patrick Henry Principal Coleen Mann, who hired Walchak shortly before the school year began. "She has been a great asset to the staff, and we're fortunate to have her."
Walchak is so impressed with Alexandria City Schools that she is considering moving to Virginia with her husband, whom she married in 2003. She currently commutes from Takoma Park, Md., where she has lived for the past six years. Although she enjoys watching the sun rise behind her as she drives across the Memorial Bridge each morning, living closer to Patrick Henry Elementary School would give her more time for planning lessons and making her own art.
"I'm still following my muse," said Walchak, whose art appeared in a solo show at the Takoma Park Municipal Center last year. "My recent work has been moving toward installations and mixed media."


For some reason, Terry and I have come across quite a few articles lately for parents on encouraging young readers. Since I had several articles stacked up, I decided to share them with you this week. I'll be back next week with Tip #2 in my new Tips for Growing Bookworms series (Tip #1 is here). But for now, here are ideas from a variety of smart people across the blogs and the press.
The Book Chook, Susan Stephenson, shared a fun post about the "sheer pleasure" of playing with language. She said: "Children are hard wired to enjoy nonsense, (as are Book Chooks!) and playing with language is something they take to immediately. From early peek-a-boo and finger rhymes, through nursery rhymes, poems and songs, we are exposing our kids to new vocabulary, and the rhythms of language, as well as reinforcing the sheer pleasure of messing about with words." She then suggested several fun wordplay activities for parents and their children.
The Eden Prairie (MN) News recently shared tips from Heather Peterson for motivating "reluctant readers". For example, "Family reading time. Families read together - either aloud or silently, either the same book or separate books. It is a time when adults model good reading habits for their children."
The FirstBook blog published a guest post from Tina Chovanec, the director of Reading Rockets.org, chock full of suggestions for helping "parents jumpstart reading and learning together". I especially liked "Game night. Start a new weekend tradition centered around family games. Rediscover classics like Memory, Scattergories, or Scrabble, or explore something new."
At Moms Inspire Learning, Dawn Morris suggested that an important way for parents to raise literate children is by listening. She said: "Before children learn to read or write, they first need to listen to what people are saying and respond in an appropriate manner. The more they are spoken with and read to, the greater the chances that they will grow into active listeners, speakers, and storytellers. THEN they can become the strong independent readers and writers we so want them to be." She also included some concrete suggestions for more active listening and support of literacy development.
The Bolingbrook Sun published an article with simple steps for parents to help students read better. The author (no name was listed) focused on helping kids improve their reading comprehension by asking them frequent questions, and thus teaching them to think critically about what they're reading. I think this makes sense, to a point, as long as you don't stop and ask so many comprehension questions that you make the whole thing feel like work. The author added: "Experts suggest that what they read is not as important as the fact that they read. Encourage her to read often from a variety of resources; books, magazines and newspapers, just get them reading! Let them see you read as well. Children learn to value what the caring adults in their lives value. If they see you reading, they may be more willing to read regularly, too." (All of which you know I agree with.)
In a related vein, at Parents and Kids Reading Together, Cathy Puett Miller shared resources to help parents find the right books for their children. The column placed particular emphasis on resources for gifted readers, but the author said that "many of the resources here will also be terrific for all families, with children of all ages so read on and see what you can find that works for your child." Here's a snippet, "Remember that you are the commercial for reading and that motivation is an important indirect component." Cathy also included lists of book recommendations, including "books under the 9-12 year area that are "safe" content for younger children."
Finally, The Hindu Newspaper's Magazine section published yesterday a detailed, thoughtful article for parents about the benefits of raising readers, and ways to do so even in today's digitally-saturated environment. Aruna Sankaranarayanan wrote "Reading can give children analytical skills in this age of information overload. As another Children's Day comes around what can we do to foster this habit". She concluded: "For India to achieve 100 per cent literacy in the fullest sense, it is not enough to simply teach the mechanics of reading and writing. Ultimately, literacy informs a way of life. Instead of children reading under pressure, we should strive to be a nation full of children reading for pleasure." Of course, her ideas apply to children everywhere, not just in India.