Note: This is the loose-leaf version of Creating Environments for Learning and does not include access to the Enhanced Pearson eText. To order the Enhanced Pearson eText packaged with the loose-leaf version, use ISBN 0133412571.
Author Julie Bullard has thoroughly revised Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age 8. The Second Edition continues to provide students with a highly visual, practical, interesting, and useful resource. Bullard’s book enhances the student reader’s level of understanding of learning environments, and features the most up-to-date information on research, curriculum standards, and play-based learning, with prime examples and 140 color photos that enhance the quality and practicality of the book. Covering birth through age eight, it provides a balance of theory and application to help novices and practicing early childhood professionals understand why and how to set up, arrange, and make changes to early childhood learning environments. Creating a Learning Environment: Birth to Age 8, 2/e, an invaluable resource, assists students in designing environments that help children achieve national and state standards through a play-based curriculum. Through reading this book, students not only learn basic information on environments and curriculum, but also see environmental and curricular possibilities to broaden their horizons as an educator of the youngest of learners. The Enhanced Pearson eText features embedded video.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Understanding the Importance of the Environment
Chapter 2 Establishing an Emotionally Supportive and Equitable Environment
Chapter 3 Establishing a Context for Learning
Chapter 4 Planning a Play-Based Curriculum
Chapter 5 Arranging an Effective Environment
Chapter 6 Design Considerations
Chapter 7 Developing Dramatic Play Centers
Chapter 8 Developing Manipulative and Sensory Centers
Chapter 9 Developing Block and Building Centers
Chapter 10 Developing Literacy Centers
Chapter 11 Developing Science Centers
Chapter 12 Developing Math Centers
Chapter 13 Developing Art Centers
Chapter 14 Developing Music Centers
Chapter 15 Integrating Technology
Chapter 16 Special-Interest Centers
Chapter 17 Creating Outdoor Environments
Chapter 18 Creating Spaces for Families and Teachers
Chapter 19 Meeting Environmental Challenges


Diagram of a helium atom
There are helium atoms inside stars. The star makes helium by squashing four hydrogen atoms together into one new helium atom. So stars are made mainly of hydrogen and helium atoms. When a star runs out of hydrogen, it begins to turn helium atoms into carbon atoms instead.
But the helium people use on Earth mainly comes from mining underground gas pockets of helium. The helium gets underground when radioactive atoms like uranium (that are underground) decay and shoot off alpha particles, which are the same as helium atoms without their electrons. Still underground, the alpha particles find electrons and join up with them to become helium atoms.
Because helium atoms are small, they are very light. Like hydrogen, helium is lighter than air, so when you fill balloons with helium, they float. But the main thing people use helium for is to keep things from exploding. Helium atoms are very stable - it's hard to get them to combine with other atoms into molecules. So if you are working with materials that might explode, you can do it more safely in a helium atmosphere. Welders, for example, use a lot of helium this way.
To find out more about helium and atoms, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Science for Kids home page
Kidipede home page


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Kim Cattrall on Antony & CleopatraWednesday, 1st April 2015 07:00 - Sky Arts 1 HDKim Cattrall revisits the role of the great Queen of Egypt in Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra. Read more: My Shakespeare: Kim Cattrall on Antony & Cleopatra
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A History of Ideas - Aristotle on flourishingAvailable until Thursday, 31st March 2016 09:00In this episode of A History of Ideas, philosopher Jules Evans wants to prove there's been a revival of Aristotle's... Watch now: OU on the BBC: A History of Ideas - Aristotle on flourishing
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Company law in context
The legal issues involved in setting up and running a business can be complex and...
The legal issues involved in setting up and running a business can be complex and confusing, especially when some of the terms used don't seem to have clear meanings. This unit from the College of Law gives a basic introduction to the legal concepts of companies, partnerships, assets and liabilities.
After studying this unit you should be able to:
- Part A:
- describe in general terms what a business is;
- demonstrate an appreciation of the concept of capital.
- Part B:
- identify the main types of business medium;
- demonstrate an understanding of the key characteristics of businesses run as sole traders;
- demonstrate an understanding of the key characteristics of businesses run in partnership;
- identify in broad terms where the risks of business failure lie;
- determine what are the assets and liabilities of a business using numeracy skills.
- Current section: Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 General introduction to company law and practice
- 2 Introductory concepts
- 3 Sole traders and partnerships as business mediums
- 3.1 Key themes and learning outcomes
- 3.2 Forms of business organisation, or ‘business mediums’
- 3.3 Sole traders
- 3.4 Partnership
- 3.5 Review of learning outcomes
- 4 Reflection on this unit
Company law in context
In this unit, we will consider the nature of businesses and the principal forms of business organisation. The themes covered in Part A are company, business and capital; and in Part B, business mediums, sole traders, partnerships or firms, and assets and liabilities.
This study unit is an adapted extract from the Open University course W223 Company law and practice, which is no longer taught by the University. If you want to study formally with us, you may wish to explore other courses we offer in this.


Calculators will be banned from primary school maths tests for 11-year-olds in England from 2014, it was announced.
The change follows the publication in June of a draft primary school curriculum which recommended that children should not use calculators until the later years of school.
Education and Childcare Minister Elizabeth Truss said children were using calculators "too much too soon at primary school" and as a result, were not getting the rigorous grounding in mental and written arithmetic they needed to progress in maths.
Calculators should only be introduced after pupils had mastered the basics, such as knowing their times tables off by heart and understanding the different methods to add, subtract, multiply and divide, she said.
Eleven-year-olds in England take their Sats exams in the final year of primary school, in year six. Pupils are allowed to use a calculator for one of the two written maths papers, and also have to sit a short mental arithmetic test.
Ms Truss said: "Maths influences all spheres of our daily lives, from working out the change from your shopping to an architect’s calculations in designing the latest London skyscraper.
"The irony is that while maths is all around us, it seems to have become acceptable to be ‘bad with numbers’.
"The habit of simply reaching for the calculator to work things out only serves to worsen that problem.
"By banning calculators in the maths test, we will reduce the dependency on them in the classroom for the most basic sums."
Research by King’s College London showed that the number of 11- to 14-year-olds with a poor grasp of basic calculation had more than doubled over the last 30 years.
Professor Celia Hoyles, director of the National Centre for the Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, said: "Children develop greater confidence and success in mathematics if they know a range of methods; for example mental and written calculation alongside quick recall of relevant number facts.
"It is important that calculators are used appropriately: so children do not become dependent on them for arithmetic but at the same time are able to use them as a tool to support their own problem solving."
However, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers told the BBC that children should have a "range of tools" at their disposal to use to solve maths problems.
She said: "It may not be appropriate to use calculators for the whole of the maths paper, but it is a retrograde step to ban them completely as it will diminish the skills set for primary pupils and leave them floundering in secondary school."


|Magnificent in theory
By Tony Staley
|Jon DesChane ’12 (above) and Jeff LaJeunesse ‘13 worked with Erik Brekke (Physics) to construct this Rubens tube as a means of demonstrating sound waves and resonant frequencies. The device is attached to a propane supply and a speaker is placed at one end. Changes in the sound affect the height of the flames.
Before Meagan Murphy ’15 took Physics in the Arts, she didn’t know how the scientific principles of physics might apply to her.
Now, she knows that they do, whether it’s a question of playing the guitar or seeing her reflection in a window.
“I’m learning a lot of interesting things and how they apply to my life,” says Murphy, of Chicago. She now knows how the air she blows into her instrument, the trumpet, makes sound waves and “how temperature change affects sound, so that I can better predict how my instrument sounds.”
Holly Nickerson ’15, a political science and leadership major from Fremont, Ind., says she has learned how physics relates to playing the clarinet, and that “it’s not just honking.” Lessons about light refraction, cameras and lenses have improved her photography, too.
“Now I can deal with shadows before I shoot, rather than in the computer,” says Nickerson, whose photos chronicle her life. “I am taking better pictures now and my family tells me they can see it.”
Erik Brekke (Physics) says that’s the point of the class: teaching non-science majors to see the world and technology in a different way, by understanding the physics involved in light and sound, and how they are produced and perceived by the ears and eyes.
Learning about waves, reflection, refraction, lenses, oscillations and resonance gives students interested in theatre, music, photography and painting new understandings about how their instruments work; the way sound travels; how to mix colors and manipulate lighting.
“For example, they learn that when they play an instrument there’s more to the sound than blowing, and where their finger is,” Brekke says. “They learn why it makes that sound, what affects the sound and why sounds differ. It’s not just what happens, but why.”
Beyond that, Brekke says: “The idea is to teach them a better appreciation of the things they do or use. It’s about a new way of thinking, of problem solving, of thinking about what happens and why.”
Maggie Berens ’14, of Elmgrove, Ill., an elementary education major, says she is not only learning things she will use in her classroom, but also how to make connections and critically analyze what she observes. “In theater, the sound is transmitted through microphones, but when I’m in the theater I don’t think about that. Now, I will slow down and explore that,” says Berens.
Besides attending three lectures each week, students have a weekly lab where they experience physics with such scientific instruments as motion detectors, tuning forks and mirrors.
To demonstrate the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure, Brekke uses a visual device, the Rubens – or standing wave flame – tube. The tube, which has numerous holes in the top, is attached to a propane supply and a speaker is placed at one end. Changes in the sound affect the height of the flames.
That demonstration and the labs, combined with what students learn in lectures and assignments, “open the world to them in a new way,” Brekke says. “There’s a lot most people haven’t thought about in physical phenomena. We just take it for granted. Physics explains why technology works. I want them to think about where these things come from, why they work and how we can make it work better. It requires a different way of thinking.”
The lesson about light and lenses changed how Eddie Kepes ’14, a business major from Homewood, Ill., perceives his contact lens. “It’s weird to know about the science behind that little piece of plastic that goes into my eyes every morning.”
July 8, 2012


You are here
Ohio Northern's SMArts is Creative Education
Students from two area elementary schools are participating in Ohio Northern University’s SMArts (Saturday Morning Art) enrichment program, learning art and more. Each Saturday in October, 19 ONU teacher candidates are leading 50 students from Ada and Bath schools through an innovative and multi-leveled program of art and learning.
Linda Lehman, visiting assistant to the director of the Center for Teacher Education, explains that the class is designed to prepare classroom teachers to meet Ohio’s five standards of art education. Because fewer schools can afford full time art instructors, many classroom teachers see art requirements added to their long list of duties.
Divided by age levels, the Saturday morning students learn about art production, art criticism, art history, aesthetics and connect those areas back to academic subjects, all while reveling in visual and tactile fun.
Kindergarten and first grade students are making paper. Then they dye pulp and learn a process called pulp painting. This process is used in Denise Fleming’s children’s books, which introduce the children to language arts. In the end, the children create their own stories through art.
For second and third graders the medium is sculpture and the message is creating art and art criticism. After viewing the sculptures on ONU’s campus and discussing them, the students design and create their own sculptures, again using their work to tell their story.
Fourth, fifth and sixth graders use photography to experience art history, criticism and aesthetics. After an introduction to Ansel Adams’ photographs, they discuss how and when photography can be considered art. They then use 35mm cameras to photograph and create their own stories.
“This kind of art instruction,” says Lehman, “combines art and academics.” Children who may not enjoy reading or math can find a reason to use those skills while creating their art. “It’s wonderful to see children excited about quality visual images,” she says.
The SMArts program is funded by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. Transportation for the program is funded by Procter and Gamble. To learn more, contact Linda Lehman at (419) 228-2057.
Created: October 17, 2006 12:00 am


I think that there is a great need for such a resource, but not just for us
art educators who would very much appreciate this book...but for those K-2
regular classroom teachers who do not have the benefit of having an Art Specialist
at their school and are soley responsible for their student's Art education.
With an approach to teaching Art by connecting it with so many other
subjects, this type of curriculum book can show the general classroom teacher/special
ed teacher/music teacher/etc, that Art is a comprehensive subject not to be
scared of if they have no formal art training. I know that my primary classroom
teachers are very apprehensive of any Art type project, (painting, gluing,
cutting, sculpting), that they ask for my "consultation" every step of the way.
What about those teachers who do not have an art teacher to consult?
There are not many resources out there for younger children that
deomonstrates the complete package for Art. I can find you holiday and seasonal craft
books galore....but a true Art curriculum with connections to other subjects and
disciplines. A book like this, in my opinion, would be a treasure. Make sure
it is not only available in art catalogs, but classroom teacher curriculum
catalogs as well! Show it with the math, science, social studies, music and
drama curriculum resources, let all of those classroom teachers know how Art can
connect all subjects even at the younger ages.


Note: The Enhanced eText features are only available in the Pearson eText format. They are not available in third-party eTexts or downloads, such as CourseSmart.
Written for Courses in Early Childhood Curriculum and Environments in Early Childhood Education in Education departments or in Child and Family Studies.
Covers Birth to Age Eight. This invaluable and beautiful resource presents a balance of theory and application to help novices and practicing early childhood professionals understand why and how to design, arrange, and make changes to early childhood learning environments that help children achieve national and state standards through a play-based curriculum. Vivid contemporary photos of indoor and outdoor centers make reading this resource an enriching and aesthetically pleasing experience.
The Second Edition of Julie Bullard’s Creating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight is a powerful resource for today’s early childhood professionals that helps students learn the basic content and principles on environments and curriculum, and see environmental and curricular possibilities in practice–-developmental and learning theories, current research, curriculum standards and outcomes, children’s interests and their motivation to play, children’s diversity, assessment of learning, and evaluation of the environment. It also contains a wealth of practical ideas and tips, lists of materials, and engaging vignettes and examples from the author’s vast classroom experience.
This new edition enhances students’ understanding of curriculum by improving upon how curriculum is developed, and by teaching how to advocate and/or design a play-based curriculum, preparing them to use the latest research knowledge as they do so. Still organized by chapters on centers, this text helps pre-service and practicing teachers learn to create, maintain, and enrich indoor and outdoor learning environments to support children’s development from birth to age 8. This is a must-have book for any college course or program that wants its teachers to know how to intentionally set up engaging and appropriately challenging early childhood learning environments and to understand the evidence and reasons for why they’re doing it.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Understanding the Importance of the Environment
Chapter 2 Establishing an Emotionally Supportive and Equitable Environment
Chapter 3 Establishing a Context for Learning
Chapter 4 Planning a Play-Based Curriculum
Chapter 5 Arranging an Effective Environment
Chapter 6 Design Considerations
Chapter 7 Developing Dramatic Play Centers
Chapter 8 Developing Manipulative and Sensory Centers
Chapter 9 Developing Block and Building Centers
Chapter 10 Developing Literacy Centers
Chapter 11 Developing Science Centers
Chapter 12 Developing Math Centers
Chapter 13 Developing Art Centers
Chapter 14 Developing Music Centers
Chapter 15 Integrating Technology
Chapter 16 Special-Interest Centers
Chapter 17 Creating Outdoor Environments
Chapter 18 Creating Spaces for Families and Teachers
Chapter 19 Meeting Environmental Challenges
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By Deanne W. Swan and Carlos A. Manjarrez
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, IMLS
The public library is the one place that offers all children, rich or poor, equal access to information. Libraries provide resources and experiences that support children’s literacy development, such as arts and crafts, songs, drama, and story-telling. The link between public libraries and children’s literacy is exemplified by the many children’s services offered across the nation.
Unfortunately, these resources are unevenly distributed, and they are underutilized in some areas in which they are needed most. In a recent analysis of utilization of children’s services at public libraries in the top 100 metropolitan areas, IMLS found that attendance at programs and circulation of children’s materials were lowest in areas with the highest levels of child poverty and children of immigrant parents. This pattern was found most often in metros in the South and Southwest.
The full commentary is available online at MetroTrends, the Urban Institute’s report card and toolkit for researchers, students, journalists, elected officials and the public on the state of metropolitan economies: http://www.metrotrends.org/commentary/libraries-imls.cfm
To learn more about efforts to promote equity of access, especially to reach children in underserved communities, check out the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).


Developing Writing and Spelling at Home
By: Reading Rockets
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Writing is a terrific way for children to express their thoughts, creativity, and uniqueness. It is also a fundamental way in which children learn to organize ideas. And learning to write well helps children to be better readers.
When engaging in writing, young children often mirror what they see around them; adults and older children writing lists, notes, text messaging. They are observing the way writing is used in our everyday lives.
Writing at home
- Have your child write instructions for taking care of the family pet. These will be useful as you plan your summer vacations!
- Write a letter or thank you note to a relative. Talk through what your child wants to say before writing begins.
- Make a shopping list before going to the grocery store.
- Write an online review of a book or an item you recently purchased (www.amazon.com) or a recipe you tried (www.allrecipes.com).
- Talk about the presidential election and write a description of the kind of president you want.
- Find a picture in the newspaper and write an article to accompany it.
- Start keeping a personal diary, a household guestbook, or a baby book for a younger sibling.
Does spelling count?
Early attempts at spelling are not the random swings they sometimes appear. Children's "invented spelling" gives us a window into what they understand about written language. A good teacher will be able to tell the difference between the misspellings that indicate normal literacy development and those that suggest a possible learning disability. If you have questions, talk to your child's teacher or reading specialist.
What should I write about?
Help your child get their thoughts together in an organized way. Especially when a child starts writing, he may need help planning out what he wants to say.
- Use wide lined paper which helps kids line up and space their letters
- Use a whiteboard, which allows them to easily erase and try again
- Use a keyboard, which also allows kids to easily edit
*To view this file, you will need a copy of Acrobat Reader. If it is not already installed on your computer, click here to download.
Reading Rockets (2009)


Education and British Imperialism
Edited by J. A. Mangan
Routledge – 2012
This volume concentrates on the processes and practices of formal education, which shaped, and were shaped by, imperial values, attitudes and behaviour. It is concerned with:
The book features chapters by educationalists, historians and sociologists on education as a cornerstone in the construction of imperial control.
Introduction: Imperialism, History and Education J A Mangan 1 Imperialism in the Study and Teaching of History Richard Aldrich 2 English Elementary Education and the Growth of the Imperial Ideal: 1880-1914 Pamela Horn 3 The Nineteenth-Century English Preparatory School: cradle and crèche of Empire? Donald Leinster-Mackay 4 Imperialism and the Irish National School System John Coolahan 5 The Newfoundland School Society 1823-55: Missionary Enterprise or Cultural Imperalism? W P McCann 6 Imperialism, Patriotism and Kiwi primary schooling between the Wars R Openshaw 7 Socialisation, imperialism and war: Ideology and Ethnicity in Australian corporate schools 1880-1918 Geoffrey Sherington and Mark Connellan 8 Race, Gender and Imperialism: A Century of Black Girls’ Education in South Africa Deborah Gaitskell 9 Public-School Freemasonry in the Empire: ‘Mafia of the Mediocre’? Paul J Rich 10 Education, Emigration and Empire: the Colonial College, 1887-1905 Patrick A Dune 11 British Colonial Educational Policy: A Synonym For Cultural Imperialism? Clive Whitehead. Index.


Florence Nightingale Levy
Florence Nightingale Levy’s most significant achievement was the founding of the American Art Annual in 1898. A comprehensive directory of the American art world, the Annual catalogued schools, associations, exhibitions, and artists nationwide. Levy went on to perform invaluable editing, organizing, and educational roles in the American art world for the next fifty years.
An only child, Florence Levy was born on August 13, 1870, in New York City, to Joseph Arthur and Pauline (Goodheim) Levy. She studied art at the National Academy of Design, but turned to art history and criticism. She went on to further study at the Louvre in Paris under curator Gaston Lafenestre (1894–1895), at Columbia University, with leading American artists (including John La Farge), and with art historian John C. Van Dyke.
Known as “Florence the Clipper” for her habit of clipping articles from newspapers, Levy turned her clipping collection into the first volume of the American Art Annual in 1898. For the next twenty-one years, she edited the Annual. In December 1901, she also began publishing the weekly New York Art Bulletin. In six years, it grew to twenty-four pages, became a national newssheet, and was eventually sold to Art News. Her other major publication, Art in New York, a guide to the New York art scene, went through six editions between 1916 and 1939.
Levy’s knowledge of the New York and national art communities led her to art education, museums, and an exploration of the relationship between art and industry. She began teaching private art history classes in 1901. In 1908, she helped edit a guide called Art Education in the Public Schools of the United States; other guides followed, including Professional Art Schools in the United States (1914) and Art Education in New York City for Artists and Artisans (1916). In 1909, Levy was a cofounder of the School Art League of New York, an organization that brought art into public schools. In that same year, she also helped to create the American Federation of Arts, dedicated to promoting art through means such as traveling exhibitions.
Levy worked on the staff of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1909–1917), and later became director of the newly founded Baltimore Museum (1922–1926). During the hiatus between museum positions, she began her involvement with art and industry and with vocational guidance, areas that would shape the rest of her career. From 1917 to 1919, she ran the Art Alliance of America, which urged industrial use of American arts and design during World War I. In 1922, she published a survey of the silver industry in Art in Industry. From 1927 to 1932, she was director of the Arts Council of New York City (renamed the New York Regional Art Council in 1929). The council was affiliated with the National Alliance of Art and Industry, for which Levy served as the supervisor of vocational service (1932–1934). In 1934, she became director of the Federated Council on Art Education (later renamed the Art Education Council), where she focused on vocational guidance and edited Occupations Requiring a Knowledge of Art.
Levy was a member of Congregation Shaarei Tefila. She died in New York on November 15, 1947. Known for her dedication, efficiency, and ability, she left a major legacy of national and New York–based arts advocacy and organizing.
AJYB 6 (1904–1905): 138, 24:171, 50:519; BEOAJ; Howes, Durwood, ed. American Women, 1935–1940: A Composite Dictionary. Vol. 1 (1981): 524; Leonard, John William, Woman’s Who’s Who of America, 1914–1915 (1914); Levy, Florence Nightingale. Papers. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., and Florence Nightingale Levy Collection. New-York Historical Society, NYC; National Cyclopaedia of American Biography; NAW; Obituary. NYTimes, November 17, 1947, 22:2; “Preface.” American Art Annual. Vol. 1 (1899); UJE; Who’s Who in American Art. Vol. 4 (1940–1947): 284; WWIAJ (1926, 1928, 1938).
How to cite this page
Swinth, Kirsten. "Florence Nightingale Levy." Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on March 27, 2015) <http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/levy-florence-nightingale>.


VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS (USA)
National Standards have been established for arts education in Dance, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts. National Visual Arts Standards are as follows.
Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
- Students know the difference between materials, techniques and processes.
- Students describe how different materials, techniques and processes cause different responses.
- Students use different media, techniques and processes to communicate ideas, experiences and stories.
- Students use art materials and tools in safe and responsible manner.
Using knowledge of structures and functions
- Students know the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to convey ideas.
- Students describe how different expressive features and organizational principles cause different responses.
- Students use visual structures and functions of art to communicate ideas.
Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas
- Students explore and understand prospective content for works of art.
- Students select and use subject matter, symbols and ideas to communicate meaning.
Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
- Students know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures
- Students identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times and places.
- Students demonstrate how history, culture and the visual arts can influence each other in making and studying works of art.
Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their [a student's own] work and the work of others
- Students understand that there are various purposes for creating works of visual art.
- Students describe how people's experiences influence the development of specific artworks.
- Students understand there are different responses to specific artworks.
Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
- Students understand and use similarities and differences between characteristics of the visual arts and other arts disciplines.
- Students identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum.
For more information, visit the National Art Education Association website.
Would you like to submit an article or opinion regarding art education and creativity? Send it to us at firstname.lastname@example.org
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Although everyone is not given the opportunity to have formal music lessons, they in some way are touched daily by music. Music comes to us in many forms: instruments, the voice, the rhythm of the rain, a bouncing ball, and clapping hands.
Each sound presents its own rhythm.
Children learn new information by adapting it to a familiar song. Toddlers learn to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and later learn the alphabet by singing the same tune. Formal music lesson, whether individually or in the classroom, teach many other concepts. Music includes math skills, hand-eye coordination, language skills, reasoning and reading skills, and develops memory.
Learning to play an instrument helps a person to think creatively and solve problems. Music teaches discipline and requires focus. Hard work and perseverance are rewarded by an excellent performance. The excellent performance, in turn, brings about confidence and builds self-esteem. Performances also help the student to conquer fear and take risks.
When in a classroom, music students develop teamwork. They must use listening skills, cooperate, and communicate with one another. Playing together increases self-control for the reason that everyone must play the same rhythm in order to bring synchronization and a pleasing sound to the listening ear.
Music education is taught at Faith Christian School. Students in grades K3 through six are learning life skills through music that are beneficial regardless of the career path each student chooses. The FCS staff believes that music theory is priceless.
Call 229-6707 for more information about enrolling your little musician at Faith Christian School today!


Philosophies and pedagogies of mathematics
Handal, B. (2009). Philosophies and pedagogies of mathematics. Ilköğretim Online (Elementary Education Online), 8 (1).
The paper discusses major philosophical stances on the nature of mathematics as held by foundationalists and quasi-empiricalism supporters. It is argued that the contrasting philosophical views between the two groups parallels in many respects the pedagogical debate between behaviourism and socio-constructivism. It is also argued that behaviourism has been influenced by foundationalist conceptions of mathematics while socio-constructivism has been influenced by quasi-empirical philosophies.
Link to Publisher Version (URL)
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In accordance with Clarke Universities’s mission, the music department is committed to creating an environment that facilitates musical growth of students and the community by providing instruction and experiences that promote the appreciation and performance of music, while encouraging global awareness, social responsibility and spiritual values.
- The music department provides a solid curriculum and background for those seeking a career in music professions, emphasizing personal, musical and intellectual growth of students through training in practical, theoretical and aesthetic aspects of music.
- The implementation of the university’s general education core is supported by the music
- Provides a rich musical environment for students and the community that will enable them to appreciate today’s global society, including aspects of Catholic and BVM heritage.
- Helps students understand the physical world and the diverse cultural and social systems of the past and present, through perceiving the interconnectedness of knowledge.
- Serves as a link between the university and the community (regional, national and international) to encourage professional relationships and to promote social responsibility.
The music student will be able to:
- Perform, analyze and compose music of various styles and cultures at a high level of technical and artistic skill.
- Synthesize information from various musical eras and cultures to create expressive and stylistically-informed musical performances; and to conduct research and integrate ideas in a musically literate style.
- Implement technology in support of teaching, creating, recording and performing music.
In addition, the music education student will demonstrate knowledge of and proficiency in the methodology of music education by:
- Performing proficiently on secondary instruments.
- Evaluating and applying current and historic music education methodologies.
- Creating lesson plans, curricula, and projects demonstrating an ability to sequence musical concepts and an awareness of multicultural and diversity issues.


- 4 updates
The OECD report on numeracy and literacy in 24 countries said basic skills among young people in England and Ireland were "bound to decline" unless "significant action" is taken.
An OECD survey of 9,000 people in 24 countries, has showed that England and Northern Ireland have some of the highest proportions of adults scoring no higher than Level 1 in literacy and numeracy.
- 24.1% or around 8.5 million people scored at or below Level 1 in numeracy (basic sums), compared with an OECD average of 19%.
- 16.4% or around 5.8 million people scored the lowest level in literacy (simple texts), compared with an OECE average of 15.5%.
A major international study has revealed that the literacy and numeracy skills of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are among the lowest in the developed world.
In England, young people were 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy in a list of 24 countries, falling far behind countries like Japan, Finland and the Netherlands in the basics.
Those in Northern Ireland did slightly better.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned that despite facing a tougher labour market, the UK's young people have skills similar to those who are retiring from the workplace.
Latest ITV News reports
The literacy and numeracy skills of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are among the lowest in the developed world, a major study revealed today.


Master of Science in Education
The Master of Science in Education is an online degree program that has the goal of contributing to the professional growth of teachers and encouraging them to be reflective, competent, and dedicated educators of children. It is designed for persons who have an undergraduate degree in education from an accredited college or university. Upon successful completion of the graduate program, students are awarded the Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) degree.
Students in the program choose to focus their studies in one of four areas of emphasis – Instruction, Leadership, Special Education, and Educational Technology. Students may also choose to complete a double emphasis, or to earn a master's degree and post-baccalearuate licensure simultaneously.
The program design contains the following:
- A core of courses relating research to the principles and practices of elementary education.
- An emphasis choice in one of four areas:
- Instruction: the development of general understandings and skills of a master teacher
- Leadership: a focus on the roles and functions of a leader in schools and that person’s responsibility for the supervision and improvement of instruction
- Special education: a focus on the curriculum, instruction, and assessment specific to children with special needs
- Educational Technology: a focus on curriculum integration of technology, school technology leadership, and employing technology to expand educational offerings
- Successful completion of 36 credits that include a capstone option for either 3 or 6 credits or a comprehensive examination.
Note: The master's degree program is not intended to fulfill state licensure requirements in any state for any purpose. However, (D)MLC graduates between the years of 1970 and 2001 can enroll in the post-baccalaureate licensure program and earn their master's degree and K-6 Minnesota state teaching license simultaneously. For details, see our information regarding the
The purpose of the special education emphasis is to help the generalist teacher work with children in the regular classroom.


Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Promoting Pollution Prevention Through Information Exchange
GLRPPR Sector Resource: Pollution Prevention for Arts Education Topic Hub
The Pollution Prevention for Arts Education Topic Hub describes the health and environmental hazards found in art education settings, including the theatrical arts. Ideas for using pollution prevention in the art classroom, including suggestions for alternative, more environmentally-friendly materials and products, are provided. The contents are applicable to all educational institutions, including K-12, colleges and universities, and informal education programs. Theater groups may also benefit from the information provided by this Topic Hub. In addition to the standard features of a Topic Hub (as described above), this Topic Hub includes a glossary of terms; information on environmental regulations related to art health and safety; a section identifying regional and national suppliers of non-toxic and least-toxic materials for art education; and a "Curricula" section that provides a selection of high-quality educational tools for teachers seeking to offer alternatives for their students, with links to educational materials and programs. The Pollution Prevention for Arts Education Topic Hub was developed by GLRPPR staff members with technical input and review provided by professionals from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. EPA Region 5 and the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Date of Publication:
One East Hazelwood Drive; Champaign, IL; 61820; (800) 407-0261; email@example.com


A leader in education innovation, The University of Texas Elementary School (UTES) is the proud recipient of two recent Google Grants. Recognized for constantly finding new ways to enhance their students’ learning experience, UTES has been at the forefront in adapting Google’s multiple resources for use in an elementary education setting.
UTES was awarded a $15,000 Google Grant to upgrade the school’s technology. The grant will be used to implement a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) program starting in Pre-K. UTES’ focus on early implementation of STEM programs is unique and provides students with the necessary education and skills to be successful in the digital age while also allowing the school to promote internet equality and fight the digital divide before it begins.
The second grant, a Google Goodware Grant, provided UTES with ten computers and a printer for the second grade class. The class is using the computers to create a collaborative blog with the help of Google Docs, using Andromo to build apps, and refining their search skills using a Google Wall.
UTES Executive Director Dr. Melissa Chavez said, “Technology offers so many exciting tools for independent and collaborative learning at all grade levels. Our students get so excited about technology-based classroom activities and what they learn during those activities—we love seeing them become engaged and confident as they take charge of their own learning.”
As a demonstration school for urban education, UTES teachers will share best STEM instructional practices with other teachers in the greater Austin area.
UTES is one of several Austin organizations receiving grants from Google this year, Google believes that technology will continue to play an important role in shaping our future, and the youth of today will help innovate and drive these technologies for years to come. This year, Google awarded 30 new organizations from 18 different countries. Combined these grants will reach more than 90,000 children in 2013, helping inspire and teach the scientists and engineers of tomorrow.
For more information, please visit http://www.utelementary.org/. UT Elementary School is part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.


Introducing your child to music education at a young age offers an incredible array of developmental benefits. more
Your baby's eyes need to be gently cleaned with a cloth every day. The best way to do this, is to:
- Wash your hands before you begin.
- Soak a cotton ball in water. Squeeze gently.
- Clean the eye, by gently wiping the cotton ball from the inside corner to the outside corner.
- Use a different clean, moist cotton ball for each eye to avoid potential cross-infection.
- Some babies don't like to have their eyes cleaned. Do make sure that the water is comfortably warm but beyond that, it's usually best to just clean quickly and move on.
Cleaning sore eyes:
- If your child has an eye infection, it will clear up quickly with the regular cleaning of the eye.
- When cleaning a sore or infected eye, ensure that you use clean cotton balls and that you use each ball only once - wipe from the inside to the outside corner once and then dispose of the ball. If you need to continue cleaning the same ye, use a new cotton ball.
- Wipe the eye when it's closed - don't try to clean inside the eyelids (even if this is the source of the infection) as you risk damaging the cornea this way.
- Use warm - not hot - water, and be firm while you clean to ensure that you dislodge any sticky discharge or pus.
- Sign up for your expert FREE weekly email guide to baby's first year
- Eye infection in babies
- Baby cough and cold
This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include SA Government's Parenting and Child Health.


The Visual Arts have the power to enrich the lives and endeavors of humankind. In a highly technological society such as ours, the visual arts serve as a humanizing force, giving dignity and a sense of worth to the individual. They provide the means by which aesthetic quality and order are derived from the exercise of an individual’s creativity and critical understanding.
- Through Visual Arts Education, students learn the meaning and value of creativity and innovation,
- Demonstrating originality and inventiveness in work and being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives.
- Developing, implementing, and communicating new ideas to others.
- Acting on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the domain in which innovation occurs.
- Through Visual Art Education, students obtain critical thinking skills that shape their efforts and affect their personal value choices,
- Exercising sound reasoning in understanding and making complex choices and decisions.
- Understanding the interconnections among systems; identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions.
- Framing, analyzing, and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions.
- Through Visual Arts Education, students learn to communication through visual images for complete literacy includes the ability to understand, respond to, and talk about visual images,
- Articulating thoughts and ideas clearly through more than written and spoken word.
Visual Arts Education prepares students for success in school, work, and life:
- Strengthing LITERACY as the visual arts are an essential language.
- Seveloping a GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE workforce since the visual arts develop essential skills for global competitiveness in the 21st century.
- Nurturing ENGAGED LEARNERS for the visual arts promote active and complex learning.


ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
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Giant Story Problems: Reading Comprehension through Math Problem-Solving
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|Estimated Time||One 30-minute & one 60-minute session|
- Published Comments
September 03, 2011
I think that it would be great fun and very useful for my students to set up photo ops to illustrate a combination of stories such as the teachers at the table with some whole and some broken crayons. Post the digital photograph, and have the students write the story (stories) to go with the photo including equations. This would require that they focus on specific data in the photo for a particular story and eliminate the extraneous material that does not pertain to their purpose.
December 18, 2010
I just want to thank you for sharing this lesson and the step by step directions, this was very beneficial. Thanks!
April 14, 2010
i thought the lesson was very effective!
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Increasing homework completion and engaging today’s digital students can be challenging. If you want to improve information retention and increase student achievement, all while teaching your students important 21st Century skills, you’ve found the perfect Premium Resource.
SimpleK12 is thrilled to present to you this FREE printable project and we hope it will bring new life to your classroom.
Craft a Writer’s Workshop Blog
In this FREE Premium Resource lesson plan, Students will create a creative writing blog featuring their own writing using a blog host site, such as WordPress.com, that you will …
The following is a guest blog post from Carol Nelson, an Elementary Education Instructor at Central Christian College in McPherson, KS.
Socks or Puppets?
This morning two apps on my iPad caught my eye. They were Sock Puppets and PuppetPals. Saved in my “digital storytelling” folder, I had downloaded these upon recommendation of others. Several weeks ago I was privileged to see a student produced Sock Puppet project in a nearby school. However, unto this point I had not tried either of these myself.
Sock Puppets drew me in first.
This is …
Attention Educator friends, colleagues, and PLN -
The Bunnies want YOU to join our SimpleK12 family. We’re looking for Guest Bloggers to share their thoughts, advice and expertise with our readers. Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or just getting started, here’s a great opportunity to showcase your work. The content of your post is up to you – but it must be related to the field of education.
Topics we’re looking for:
If you’re familiar with the SimpleK12 blog, it’s not hard to tell what we like to blog about. But …
Ever thought of using a blog to enhance your classroom?
Or perhaps you have one and are looking for some awesome ideas to bring your blog (and classroom!) to life.
Here are 15 examples that come out of just ONE of the 100′s of digital teacher workbooks inside of our Teacher Learning Community.
Meet the Author
When reading a work written by a contemporary author, invite the writer to interact with your students using a blog. Ask students to brainstorm and post questions and comments about the text for the author …
The following is a guest post from Kay Cantwell, an Education Officer of Digital Learning at Brisbane Catholic Education in Brisbane Area, Australia.
13 Reasons Teachers Should Use Diigo
Diigo stands for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff.” It is a social bookmarking program that allows you to save your ‘favorites’ online, so that they can be accessible from any computer with an internet connection. However, Diigo does much more than this.
So…here are 13 reasons every teacher should use Diigo:
Diigo provides a free, efficient, effective and …
The following is a guest post from Steve Katz, who currently teaches social studies and is the middle school technology integration specialist at Korea International School in Seoul, Korea.
37 Teacher Favorite iPad Apps
I collected a list of favorite iPad apps that were shared by attendees at the 5th @pple Meetup on Friday, September 23 at Apple Korea Headquarters. If you are a progressive educator who is integrating technology in your classroom in Korea & would like to be invited to future Meetups, please leave a comment on the @pple Meetup …
Have you ever wanted to share your thoughts, advice and expertise with education readers from around the world? Here’s your chance! Join the SimpleK12 blogging team and your dreams will become a reality.
Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or just getting started, now is the perfect time to showcase your work. The content of your post is up to you – but it must be related to the field of education.
Ideas & Topics To Write About:
ANYTHING fun, exciting, and education-related! Tips to managing your students, your favorite web tools, …


- Posted February 25, 2014 by
Leveraging the Demographic Dividend and Building a Knowledge Economy
India is amongst one of the largest and most populous countries in the world. It has a population that exceeds over 1.2 billion people. The majority of people in this population are young people who comprise a major part of the population. It has been estimated that by 2012, India will be having one of the largest reserve of young population with the average native being 29 years old. This gives India a competitive advantage over other nations of the world whose population is aging with time.
With such a huge resource at the disposal, there come a lot of challenges and responsibilities for the government in order to manage them. Providing for the basic necessities of this population is definitely a challenging task for the government. Amongst these basic necessities, education is a matter of prime concern for the government and the people of the country too.
India is a country where a larger chunk of the society is living below the poverty line. They do not have enough resources to meet their daily needs. They live from hand to mouth. For such a poverty struck majority, education is a luxury for the poor which they cannot afford. Poverty is depriving children to attend schools.
Dream of India:
Not too long ago, India had seen a dream that it could emerge as another superpower of the world by progressing and making its place in the highly developed nations of the world. India has the true potential to fulfill this dream because it van bank on the biggest resource that it possess, which the human resource. This resource is incomparable to any other resource. It has been highlighted by many politicians that they aim to achieve “a demographic dividend and build a knowledge economy”
Demographic Dividend and Knowledge Economy:
India is a huge country with people of different ethnicity, race, background, religion, castes, beliefs and social statuses. There is little consensus or coherence in terms of similarities in the nation. It is not just their beliefs that vary drastically but also their social setups. There are extremes in the county. There are people who are extremely rich and on the other side, there are people who are extremely poor and are living below the poverty line. Within a country, that is so scattered and divided I terms of their living standards that government faces many perils in developing and providing for the equal accessibility of basic necessities for all.
The government wishes to bring equality within this widely dispersed country by providing equal means to demographically scattered people. There biggest hope in this attempt is to develop a knowledge economy. Knowledge economy is one that provides equal opportunity to all the inhabitants of the country at a fair chance to attain education. This means making education accessible to all people. For this purpose there needs to be the development of educational infrastructure in the country and there is a dire of adopting newer modes of making education accessible far and wide.
The True Picture:
Despite the tall claims made by the government to develop a knowledge economy in which everyone would be literate and knowledgeable, the attempts and statistics do not represent a rosy picture. The very base of building a knowledge economy is dependent on the fact that the country should have a strong and sound education system but we can observe deepening crisis in India’s education system.
According to UNESCO’s 11th Education for All Global Monitoring Report, 90% of children from poor families still remain illiterate despite attending and completing four years of education.
Around 30% of children remain illiterate despite attending and completing five to six years of school.
Despite the government’s effort to make elementary education free and compulsory, it has managed to improve the enrollment of children in school but it has miserably failed in implementing the element of quality in education.
The quality of learning is declining in Indian schools because emphasis is placed on enrolling children and not on imparting them with actual knowledge and empowering them with the basic enlightening purpose of education.
According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2013, there has been a drastic spurt and growth in the number of private schools across the country.
The government releases many funds for the improvement of education but a larger part of it is spend on capital cost and salaries of teachers and not on improving the quality of education.
The situation is equally bad for the higher education system.
According to the National Skill Report 2014, only 34% of Indian graduates are employable. Rests of them are just adding to the burden of the economy.
This is not the first warning for the government. They have been highlighted with the issue before as well but not many efforts have been done to improve the condition. It is high time that the government realizes its responsibility and makes persistent efforts towards developing a knowledge economy and leveraging the demographic dividend.


With a 90-year background of talking with educators and parents, Scholastic designed a series of workshops to help school leaders make the greatest impact in the following areas:Building Partnerships That Support Student Achievement and Development
Administrators and educators receive an overview of how to make FACE work for them. It explores ways to maximize FACE’s comprehensive tools and apply them to in-school initiatives by linking to curriculum goals that support student development.Supporting Literacy Through Family and Community Engagement
Learn how to engage families and child-care providers with key strategies to support reading at home and in the community. Educators develop relationships with the community to continue children’s literacy development outside the classroom.Creating Parent Academies That Foster Learning
District leaders and administrators develop valuable community-building skills needed to foster sustainable, productive partnerships with children’s parents in support of in-classroom initiatives.Using Data to Build Family and Community Engagement
Get familiarized with the role that data plays in helping establish strong relationships with your surrounding communities to develop more effective, research-backed programming.


Recent Event Highlights: 50th anniversary of the 1956 anti- pass campaign in South Africa, The Equal Opportunity Law in Japan, First Black woman as Vice Chancellor of UCT, Right to vote in South Africa for black women., Friends Service Council Nepal, Frst Muslim female prime minister, and 13 more...
Created by mayritha on Apr 17, 2011
Last updated: 04/19/11 at 10:35 AM
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Monarchy System was abolished.
Women across the country celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1956 anti- pass campaign.
In Japan, The Equal Opportunity law was put into force until 1999.
People's war [People's Movement (April 2006)]
Mamphela Ramphele is appointed Vice Chancellor of UCT. She becomes the first Black and woman to hold such a position in South Africa
Black women were given the right to vote and stand in elections
FSCN is a non-profit making national level, non-government organization working in socio economic development and human rights in Nepal.
Oly 22% of women in Pakistan are literate.
Nepal ended the patriarchal society.
Frst female prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.
The Equal Opportunity Law passed to eliminate inequalities between Japanese men and women.
The United Women's Organization is formed. This became instrumental in the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1984.
Increase in women's movements in Brazil.
Only 25% of women in Pakistan are literate.
Asma Jahangir and Hina Jilani form the first law firm established by women in Pakistan. Also formed WAF (Women’s Action Forum) the same year
Women in labor force increased.
Women are seen equal to men in government.
The number of economically active women in South Africa is at 15.5%
Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW) is formed and the formation brings together women from the ANC, the South African Indian Congress, the Trade unions and self-help groups
Five articles about Japanese women were included in the new constitution and the Occupation Policy.
Japanese women were given the right to vote.
The Muslim Personal Law gave back certain rights to women; example: inheritance of property.
The National Council for African Women is founded at the All African Convention with Charlotte Maxeke as president. This organization is concerned with the welfare of women and members are usually teachers and nurses
Acces to school and employment for women.
Women were given the right to vote.
White women in South Africa were given the right to vote and stand in elections
November, Mary Fitzgerald is the first female City Councilor in Johannesburg
Only 4 in 1,000 Muslim females were literate.
Charlotte Maxeke, formerly a Kimberley schoolteacher, becomes the first South African Black woman to receive a Bachelor's degree
Public Elementary Education for men and women since 1872 in Japan.
Caste laws were farther articulated in the National code of 1854.


When are students leaders and experts?
When we hand over the stage to them to play in.
When we give them more to do than listen to us.
When we trust them to be responsible and capable.
Yesterday I saw evidence of this at The State Library of Victoria’s Listen2Learners. Thirteen school teams, some collaborative, presented their learning to adults. They were articulate, intelligent, knowledgeable and impressive. The buzz in the room was palpable.
Young people may be learners today, but tomorrow they are employees, employers, citizens, CEOs and community leaders so decision makers in government, business, industry and the social arena are taking notice of how young people learn with technology.
What young people think and have to say is helping to shape decisions and inform policies.
I was impressed and excited by the showcase of what kids – many of them primary – can do given meaningful, collaborative, real-life projects and connected through technologies to learn from and with real people. My excitement was tempered by the thought of them entering secondary school, the fear that this freedom to learn would be taken away from them due to a fear of technology and the restrictive nature of a score-centred curriculum.
The groups showcased a variety of focus, approach and location. Sacred Heart School, Tasmania collaborated with Pularumpi School, Northern Territory. A student from the Tasmanian school said that the best part of the project was meeting the other students, learning about how different people and places can be in your own country. They worked in Google docs, online social networks, and used Skype to communicate and collaborate.
Students from Prospect Primary School, South Australia, became teachers when they reversed roles to show more than 70 teachers and school leaders how to produce a movie.
Their work had all the hallmarks of good teaching and learning; planning and storyboarding, brainstorming an authentic enquiry question, setting assessment criteria, modelling and coaching.
Students ran an online radio station, they demonstrated how rural schools connect for the best science education, created video games, prepared a cybersafety program for incoming primary students for orientation day, created applications to help users develop numeracy skills, used technology to learn instruments and play in online bands, designed a Multi-user Virtual Environment (MUVE), connected with students from around the world in virtual classrooms, and more.
It was extraordinary to see what these young students were capable of doing, and inspiring to witness their passion, engagement and enjoyment.
These kids really knew what they were talking about. They had to ask the hard questions throughout the process, and in many cases they had to provide written applications for a place on the team. They knew what they were talking about because they worked through the process and were engaged, not because they had listened to what they teacher had told them or studied a text. When I listened to these kids it was obvious that they had worked through the what/how/why and understood the thinking around and inside their project and process.
This was by far the most inspiring learning opportunity for me this year. And, to boot, I got the opportunity to chat with Stephen Heppell.
Read about the schools taking part in this event.


Numeracy skills are "blighting" millions of people's lives, as they struggle to understand their payslips or calculate money in shops, education campaigners warned on Friday.
Being bad at maths should no longer be seen as a "badge of honour" or down to genetics, according to National Numeracy. The new organisation, which aims to challenge the nation's entrenched negative view of the subject, has warned the UK's attitude to maths must change.
Chris Humphries, chair of the group, said that poor numeracy skills will leave people at a higher risk of being excluded from school, or out of work as an adult.
Figures from a Government survey, published last year, show that 17 million adults in England have basic maths skills that are, at best, the same as an 11-year-olds, he said.
The Skills for Life survey, which questioned 7,000 16 to 65-year-olds, show that almost half of the working age population has numeracy skills roughly the same as those expected of primary school children, and the proportion has risen (from 47% to 49%) in the last eight years.
Speaking at the launch of National Numeracy, Humphries, former chief executive of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, said: "That's a scary figure, because what it means is they often can't understand deductions on their payslip, they often can't calculate or give change.
"They have problems with timetables, they are certainly going to have problems with tax and even with interpreting graphs, charts and metres that are necessary for their jobs."
He added: "It does matter, poor numeracy seriously blights an individual's life chances.
"Young people with poor numeracy are twice as likely to be excluded from school, we know adults with poor numeracy are twice as likely to be unemployed."
Humphries said that poor maths skills are also "highly damaging to the UK economy".
Mike Ellicock, chief executive of National Numeracy, said: "We want to challenge this 'I can't do maths' attitude that is prevalent in the UK.
"And it's often a boast, or a badge of honour and that's across the whole of the social spectrum."
He added: "A huge part of the message is breaking down this view that's held in this country that maths is a can do, can't do thing, that 'It's genetic, I can't do it, my mum couldn't do it' and that kind of thing.
"There's absolutely no evidence for that whatsoever."
Ellicock said it was vital that all primary school teachers understand key maths concepts, as young children who fail to learn the basics will suffer later on.
"For my money Key Stage 1 (five to seven-year-olds) is the crucial area, so there has been talk about having specialist maths teachers in Years 5 and 6, but my view is Key Stage 1 is crucial, and if you look at children and young adults that struggle with maths later in their lives you can pretty quickly trace it back to the ideas that they met in Key Stage 1."
A YouGov poll of 2,068 adults, commissioned by National Numeracy, reveals that while four in five (80%) would feel embarrassed to tell someone they were bad at reading and writing, just more than half (56%) would feel embarrassed about saying the same of their maths skills.
Humphries suggested that the relevance of maths has been "downgraded" in the UK, and that since the Second World War, more attention has been paid to the arts and humanities.
He also warned that international studies show that the UK is lagging behind other nations.
In 2006, it was ranked 17th out of 30 developed nations in terms of the proportion of people with low or no qualifications, with 35% at that level, double the number of countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany and Sweden.
Humphries said that National Numeracy was at the start of an "ambitious" journey.
"The history of attitudes and concerns about mathematics in the UK, and particularly in England, date back 40 years, and we're quite realistic, we don't expect to transform this particular issue overnight."
He added that there was no "straight answer" as to why the UK had a poor attitude towards maths.
"I think it's a whole history of struggling with maths in the past, downgrading the relevance of maths, so that there was a much stronger focus that we had in this country since the war on the arts and humanities and social science that maths became slightly less trendy, progressively not as many people did maths," he said.


WHAT DO CAKE DECORATORS DO?
Do you have an eye for art and a stomach for sweets? Then you might be ready for a job as a cake decorator. Cake decorators work in large and small bakeries to apply icing, chocolate and other confectionary delights to cakes. There are many different tools that cake decorators can use depending on the size, shape and type of cake, such as dipping vats, airbrushes, carving tools and more. Cake decorators are artists and craftsmen who work to make cakes that are visually appealing as well as delicious. Their attention to detail and steady hand all works to sell cakes to customers. These could be wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cupcakes or commercially available cakes sold to stores.
HOW MUCH DO CAKE DECORATORS MAKE?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the 2010 median income for cake decorators was $24,400, or $11.73 an hour.
WHAT ARE THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?
Cake decorators usually have a high school diploma or equivalent, and those making more intricate decorations may have some art education or background. Many are trained on the job.
JOB SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS
- Math: Cake decorators may have to use fractions mixing icing or use math to create elaborate cake decorations.
- Attention to Detail: Cake decorators need to keep a close eye on what they are doing when creating decorations, to make sure the design is uniform. Intricate designs require keen eyes.
- Artistic Ability: Thinking up and executing elaborate designs requires an artistic eye.
- Stamina: Cake decorators are often on their feet for long periods of time.
- Color Vision: Being able to see different colors and hues when mixing icings and creating designs is critical.
- Mechanical Skills: Some cake decorators will need to use specific tools, like airbrush guns, modeling tools and mixers.


Teaching Music Musically (Classic Edition)
Routledge – 2012 – 110 pages
'There are countless gems within these pages … Swanwick seems to write from more experience as a musician and teacher than most others who write for this audience. There is a real sense of his having been there.’ - Patricia Shehan Campbell, Professor of Music, University of Washington, USA
'… contains the essential and highly valued hallmark of its author: well-articulated philosophy that will surely filter through to practical work in classrooms.'- British Journal of Music Education
'Among the virtues of this thoughtful study is that Swanwick supplies the terminology and the arguments to turn the potentially commonplace into fresh thought.' - Times Educational Supplement
This classic text is essential reading for all music educators, including practising and intending teachers in schools and colleges, and instrumental teachers. It is re-released in this special edition with a new preface by the author exploring what’s changed since the book was first published, where the field might go from here and why the themes and idea are as relevant now as ever. Teaching Music Musically considers:
Illustrated throughout with practical examples, Teaching Music Musically introduces important ideas about music education to all those curious about the role of music in our lives.
1. Musical value 2. Music as culture: the space between 3. Principles of music education 4. Why and how of musical assessment 5. What of the future?
Keith Swanwick is Emeritus Professor in Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London.


September 6, 2012 - Do you feel energized after having attended a concert or a play?
Our own Value of Presenting Survey of the General Public revealed that 'bringing energy and vitality' is perceived by Canadians to be the top benefit of having performing arts presented in one's community. Such a finding was corroborating other Canadian reports that had come to similar conclusions: the Summative Evaluation of the Arts Presentation Canada Program (2008), and Developing and Revitalizing Rural Communities Through Arts and Culture (2009).
A recent Health Promotion Research Forum held in Norway brought into light more evidences of links between performing arts attendance and increased vitality, this time among individuals.
One research found that fine arts stimulation – attending films, concerts, or art exhibitions, or singing in a choir – improved perceived physical health, social functioning, and vitality (L.O. Bygren et al, Cultural participation and health: a randomized controlled trial among medical care staff, 2009). Participants' vitality was measured with questions on their level of energy or tiredness.
Another research found that attending cultural events increased participants' perceived vitality (T. Theorell et al, A note on designing evaluations of health effects of cultural activities at work, 2009). Participants self-rated their vitality using a visual analog scale ranging from extreme tiredness on the left hand side to extreme vitality. Theatre and music performances showed the highest increases in vitality, while dance performances and movies showed smaller increases.
Based on these research findings, increases in vitality appear to be one of the strongest benefit of arts presentation, both at the community and the individual level. Moreover, these findings provide further evidence of a cause-to-effect relationship between arts attendance and health.
- Singing increases energy, joy and elatedness. In particular, singing increases the level of oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone." Read more
- Listening to music after a surgery reduces postoperative pain. Read more
- Singing in a choir improves the health of older adults and reduces doctor visits. Read more
- Music education reduces cortisol (a stress hormone) levels among elementary school students. Read more
Dancing provides emotional benefits and increases self-esteem. In particular, beneficial effects were found related to the emotional dimension, as well as physical, social and spiritual dimensions. In addition, the positive benefits were also linked to self-esteem and coping strategies. Read more
- Cultural activities at work have a statistical association with mental employee health. There are particularly pronounced statistical protective effects of frequent cultural activity at work on likelihood of emotional exhaustion among employees. Read more
- Attendance at cultural events was found to significantly reduce diastolic blood pressure in participants. Read more
Prepared by Frédéric Julien, for CAPACOA
Posted: September 6, 2012; revised: October 25, 2012
Previous and Related News Articles


One of the big concerns Waldorf educators hear from prospective parents is about the school’s lack of testing. How will we know our children are being well educated? What if they can’t keep up with their hard-driven peers after graduation?
The underlying question is, “How do we know this theory of education works?”
Nov/Dec 2011 Harvard Education Letter reports that: “Waldorf students tend to score considerably below district peers in the early years of elementary education and equal to, or… considerably above, district peers by eighth grade.”
When it comes to alternative education with positive results, The Waldorf school system is not the only educational microcosm to study. Finnish school’s have been a popular news topic lately as U.S. educators try to tease out how their system, like Waldorf, which lacks testing and rigorous early academics, can outperform the U.S. on the very tests it seem to shun.
Findland’s average scores on 2009 PISA tests – ranks them #3 in the world. The U.S. average scores equal rank #17.
The New York Times, in a December article, discussed highlights of a lecture given at a NYC private school by Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, Director General of the Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation in Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture.
In summary, he discussed the Finnish philosophy which, according to the Times reporter Jenny Anderson, “scorns almost all standardized testing before age 16 and discourages homework, and it is seen as a violation of children’s rights for them to start school any sooner than 7.”
To Waldorf parents, these values will ring true, as will the values underpinned in Sahlberg’s quote about why tactics from the Finnish education system will not work if bolted onto U.S. public school policy.
“You know, one big difference in thinking about education and the whole discourse is that in the U.S. it’s based on a belief in competition,” Sahlberg said. “In my country, we are in education because we believe in cooperation and sharing. Cooperation is a core starting point for growth.”
This quote, from an NPR article covering the lecture at Minshift.kqed.org, is followed by an analysis of the key factors to Finland’s education success. The culture in Waldorf education mirrors these values:
Teachers are in charge: At Waldorf schools, teachers run the school. The same is true in Finland. “We have very carefully kept the business of education in the hands of educators,” says Sahlberg.
No tests in early grades: Children in elementary school are rarely tested in Waldorf. Sahlberg says, “Finns don’t believe you can reliably measure the essence of learning.”
Teaching is a valued profession: Waldorf schools could not exist without long-term committed teachers and the Waldorf system focuses on raising money to give staff free continuing education opportunities. Henna Virkkunen, Finland’s Minister of Education says, “In Finland, we think that teachers are key for the future and it’s a very important profession—and that’s why all of the young, talented people want to become teachers.”
Teachers are trusted to teach: Like in Waldorf schools, “Teachers in Finland can choose their own teaching methods and materials. They are experts of their own work, and they test their own pupils,” Virkkunen said.
So when parents ask if education systems like these can work, the answer is yes. But don’t take our word for it – go forth and read the research!


IỊisaġvik College offers a series of courses that help students master the foundational skills necessary for college success. Classes focus on strengthening English and Math skills, so students can confidently and successfully transition into 100-level courses.
- Demonstrate ability to organize materials in a logical manner.
- Demonstrate leadership and participative skills to collaborate effectively.
- Demonstrate research skills necessary to retrieve digital and textual information.
- Demonstrate sufficient reading, oral and written English skills to be able to succeed in college-level courses.
- Demonstrate sufficient mathematical skills to be able to enter Math 105.
- Be able to apply mathematical operations including fractions, decimals, percents, ratios and basic linear equations.
- Demonstrate basic computer literacy skills.
- Demonstrate understanding of real numbers, equalities, inequalities, exponents and polynomials by solving systems of linear equations.
COMPASS is a computer-adaptive placement test that helps to place students into the appropriate course level. Students do not pass or fail the test; they do not earn a grade. The sole purpose of the test is to place the students in the course level that they are able to complete successfully. Students are placed into foundational courses based on the following scores:


ACADEMICS » DEGREES & MAJORS » Music Education
teach and mentor through music
Music enriches the lives of people of all ages. Students learn to glorify God with their talents and need teachers who will instruct the technical and worshipful aspects of making music. The Music Education major provides you with a strong biblical foundation for teaching that music’s highest purpose is to magnify God. Through private lessons from accomplished musicians and courses in theory and education, you will learn to teach and mentor younger students in music. The hands-on training and events will challenge you, but you will become a well-rounded musician with superb skills and valuable experience.
Making an impact
Growing up music class was your favorite, whether it was weekly piano lessons, singing in choirs, or playing in the band. You are passionate about worshiping God through your musical talents. You have a heart for students, and want to mentor and teach them to be excellent and God-honoring musicians.
Get the training and experience you need to impact the lives of young musicians for the glory of God.
Meet Jenean Truax, a piano and voice instructor for the BBC Music Department.
YOU WILL LEARN TO ...
- Teach one-on-one and class music lessons.
- Create engaging lessons and learning environments.
- Lead professionally and biblically with integrity.
- Compose, arrange, and conduct music.
YOU WILL LEAVE BBC WITH ...
- Performance experience alongside distinguished faculty.
- Solid biblical philosophies of music and education.
- The ability to mentor others in music development and performance.
QUICK FACTS ...
- 145 Credits
- A semester of student teaching fulfills twelve academic credits. You will be placed in Christian school and public school settings.
- Upon graduation, you will be certified by the Association of Christian Schools International to teach music in grades K-12. You will be eligible to apply for Pennsylvania state certification, which shares reciprocity with most states.
- There are many opportunities to participate in vocal and instrumental ensembles and events throughout the year. Learn more here.
- Auditions are required of all students who wish to join a musical ensemble or who are applying for entrance into a music department program. For audition information, click here.
COURSES INCLUDE ...
- Teaching Music in Elementary Schools
- Vocal Composition and Arranging
- Psychology of Learning and Education
- Group Vocal Technique
SEE MORE IN OUR COLLEGE CATALOG.
For questions or more information, contact The Department of Music at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Creating the Curriculum
Is there an ‘ideal’ primary school curriculum?
Who should decide what the curriculum is?
Should teachers have autonomy over how they teach?
The curriculum is the heart of what teachers teach and learners learn: effective teaching is only possible with an effective curriculum. Yet in spite of its importance, there has been a crisis in curriculum that has been caused in large part by governments assuming direct control over the curriculum, assessment, and increasingly, pedagogy.
Creating the Curriculum tackles this thorny issue head on, challenging student and practising primary school teachers to think critically about past and present issues and to engage with a new wave of curriculum thinking and development. Considering curriculum construction and its impact on teaching and learning in the four countries of the UK, key issues considered include:
- who should decide the curriculum, its aims and its values
- the extent to which issues in primary education swing back and forth
- Subjects versus thematic organisation, stages and phases, progression, breadth and balance
- prescription versus teacher autonomy
- the key features of effective classroom practice
- strategies for assessing the whole curriculum
- how language in the classroom influences curriculum design
- understanding curricula in the context of children’s social and personal circumstances
- creativity, curriculum and the classroom.
Illustrated throughout with strategies and case studies from the classroom, Creating the Curriculum accessibly links the latest research and evidence with concrete examples of good practice. It is a timely exploration of what makes an effective and meanginful curriculum and how teachers can bring new relevance, motivation and powerful values to what they teach.
168 pages; ISBN 9781136296864
, or download in or
Title: Creating the Curriculum
Author: Dominic Wyse; Vivienne Baumfield; David Egan; Louise Hayward; Moira Hulme; Ian Menter; Carmel Gallagher; Ruth Leitch; Kay Livingston; Bob Lingard


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


The Official Website of the Arizona State Department of Education
These are handouts from Anita Archer’s June 20-23 presentation in Pheonix Arizona.
Student Engagement in Intermediate and Secondary Classrooms
Content Area Textbook Examples
Effective Reading Strategies for Older Students
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Read Alouds for Expanding Comprehension
Reading Comprehension Examples For Teachers and Students
Dynamic Vocabulary for Intermediate and Secondary
Explicit Vocabualry Instruction
2010 AZ English Language Arts Standards Training K-12This page offers links to the … [Read More...]
Copyright © 2015 Arizona Department of Education. All rights reserved.


Enthusiastic about Education
Classroom teachers face many challenges: preparing lesson plans that meet curriculum standards while simultaneously capturing students′ attention, adapting coursework to meet the needs of a roomful of students with a wide range of abilities, handling behavior issues, communicating effectively with administrators and parents, and much more. Teaching is a demanding profession that requires dedication, energy, love - and experience. The education majors at Geneva College are provided numerous opportunities to develop their skills and obtain vital experience by working with local students in a variety of settings.
Whether part of a course requirement or through a volunteer opportunity, Geneva education students are involved at a number of area schools. "They do good work - and have fun doing it," says Associate Professor of Education Dr. Nancy Johnson.
Last semester, 10 elementary education majors from the Teaching of Science and Teaching of Social Studies classes volunteered to lead activities for 50 elementary students as part of the Mohawk Elementary Super Science Fridays program. During the day, Geneva students conducted interactive and engaging science experiments for children in kindergarten through sixth grade.
"As they plan, they must adapt the same activity for different grade levels," explains Dr. Johnson. "So they get practice in differentiating to meet the different levels of students."
Also, some special education majors chose to participate in the Special Olympics held at Western Beaver High School on April 29, 2011. "The students wanted to help out in any way the possibly could," says Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Beth Belcastro. The Geneva students were matched with special needs students who needed "buddies," helped with races, acted as cheerleaders, and did whatever else they were asked to do.
According to Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Yvonne Trotter, opportunities like this are invaluable: "I believe that any opportunity to work with individuals with special needs provides the students with experience in all aspects of their future career - inside and outside of the classroom. The more they know of specific disabilities, traits and characteristics, the more they enhance their skills. And the experience allows them to see each student as an image-bearer of Christ."
Both elementary and special education majors also participate in advanced field experiences through block classes during the junior year, which provides extensive field experience prior to student teaching. As class assignments, students enrolled in elementary education block classes this semester took part in Hopewell Area School District′s Margaret Ross Elementary School Science Fair Day, and the special education majors assisted in the administration of the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) testing for students with special needs at The Watson Institute in Sewickley.
Elementary education major Bonnie Hunter can attest to the value of the experiences offered to Geneva students. She says, "Get as much exposure in the school setting as possible because you will become more comfortable in the classroom and gain valuable experience with children." Bonnie encourages all of her classmates to make the most of the many available field experiences: "The professors in the education department are always announcing opportunities for college students to help with area schools - take advantage."
And through these activities, Geneva students continually demonstrate to the community the excellent level of preparation they receive. When Dr. Johnson visited the students during Science Fair Day, one teacher told her, "When I heard that Geneva students were coming to Science Fair Day again, I thought, âOh, good. I love Geneva students. They always do a good job.′"


A recent commentary (Science Education and the Future of Humankind) by Leon Lederman, the Nobel Prize winning physicist, asks, “Can we modify our educational system so that all high school graduates emerge with a science way of thinking?”
And of course he calls upon scientists to get involved especially in educating science teachers. Who can actually argue with this? No question about it, teachers are the key component, especially those in elementary education for two reasons. One, they reach kids during formative stages, and two, they are among the most woefully poorly trained to teach science.
Now I’ve recently commented on increasing the amount of science in liberal arts core curriculum, but I’m not going to hold my breath about any change there. We can probably teach teachers to become better at instructing science, but not without drastically changing the way we educate teachers. Teaching is a profession. Can you name any other profession that does not demand post-graduate education? Part of the problem is that teaching gets the shorted in terms of educational demands. How can anyone become proficient in a subject area and proficient in a profession is a 4-year curriculum? I maintain that it is not possible, although many teachers do manage to do a fine job, it is in spite of their education not as a result of it. Teachers should earn a regular BS/BA degree before embarking upon professional study to become proficient in teaching.
But even this isn’t going to solve the problem because deeply rooted religious beliefs are antithetic to scientific thinking. All those people who seek accommodation between religion and science are on a fool’s errand because very few religious practices are fully compatible with science (Unitarians being the one obvious exception).
I have seen the conflict first-hand in too many students. If they accept an evidence-based way of thinking, their religious experience is threatened and they find themselves faced with accepting ideas that they do not believe or want to accept on the basis of their religious beliefs. If faith is important, then evidence is not, and vice versa.
In a senior seminar class of mostly biology majors I presented a lesson on the morality of stem cell research. I am careful not to present anything that might be considered my position. Most agreed that human life began at conception, except one Jewish student who said it begins at birth. I had them seek information and discuss other ideas of when human life begins. As they got more sophisticated and were exposed to more different ideas, many of them modified their positions as they gained knowledge, for example, in the UK embryos less than 12 days old are used because up until this time twinning can occur. This one simple fact was very significant to many students, as was the idea of brain death and the commencement of higher level brain activity at around the 25th week of development. However a few dogmatically stuck to their guns (“life begins at conception”), forcing them to ignore or dismiss any information that ran counter to their religiously-based positions.
Pitting scientifically based learning in school against religious indoctrination at home and at church will only increase the divide and probably generate more pressure to publically fund religious schools or allow people to opt out of public school taxes on religious grounds.
Lederman is one smart guy, but he hasn’t been down in the educational trenches in a long time, if ever, and he just doesn’t know what most people are thinking.
Friday Fabulous Flower - snow Trillium
46 minutes ago in The Phytophactor