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In The Best Schools, Armstrong urges educators to leave narrow definitions of learning behind and return to the great thinkers of the past 100 years—Montessori, Piaget, Freud, Steiner, Erikson, Dewey, Elkind, Gardner—and to the language of human development and the whole child.
The Best Schools highlights examples of educational programs that are honoring students’ differences, using developmentally appropriate practices, and promoting a humane approach to education that includes the following elements:
*An emphasis on play for early childhood learning.
*Theme- and project-based learning for elementary school students.
*Active learning that recognizes the social, emotional, and cognitive needs of adolescents in middle schools.
*Mentoring, apprenticeships, and cooperative education for high school students.
Educators in “the best schools” recognize the differences in the physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual worlds of students of different ages. This book will help educators reflect on how to help each student reach his or her true potential, how to inspire each child and adolescent to discover an inner passion to learn, and how to honor the unique journey of each individual through life.


The latest trend in educational excellence is parental engagement. Schools across the country are struggling with how to get parents to even come through the door, much less be truly involved. It is particularly difficult for adults who didn’t have good experiences when they were students or those who are unfamiliar with the U.S. education system.
But a model for true parental engagement does exist, and it’s been evolving and innovating for 30 years – family literacy.
It is the most important step communities and schools can take to help parents leverage their important role into meaningful change and improvement. There are some who believe striving for parental involvement is too difficult a task and that parents are not interested in being involved in their children’s education. This is far from the truth.
There are thousands of family literacy sites across the country where parents come to their children’s school on a daily or weekly basis, and nontraditional adult populations are taking on school leadership roles.
The family literacy model has transformed lives. For the last 20 years, the National Center for Family Literacy and Toyota have worked together to create, duplicate and innovate model laboratories of learning in 50 cities across the country. Multiple generations come together to learn, and the benefit extends not just to the adult or child but is magnified to the entire family and community. Such is the case in Chula Vista, where an NCFL program was implemented in 2006 aimed at immigrant families. The program, still helping families today, operates out of Harborside, Loma Verde and Vista Square elementary schools.
Over the past 20 years, this partnership has improved the education and economic attainment of more than 1 million U.S. families. These families face some of the biggest hurdles to improving educational outcomes. Nearly 60 percent of the parents have less than a 10th-grade education. More than 90 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced lunch. And, yet, the model we deploy is producing dramatic results.
National research verifies the success of family literacy priorities and programs:
• A mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic success, outweighing other factors such as neighborhood and family income (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development).
• Children who have parents who help them learn to read score 10 points higher on standardized reading tests.
• The national institute’s work with Hispanic/Latino and other immigrant families in 30 cities through the Toyota Family Literacy Program has experienced extraordinary outcomes in English language and literacy development, parent involvement and engagement, literacy behaviors at home, and school-related attitudes.
The proven track record is here. The question then becomes: How do communities and schools effectively implement family literacy – especially during challenging budget times?
Here is what we’ve learned through our 20-year partnership with Toyota:
First, public and private partnerships should be leveraged to develop approaches that work and can be replicated. Private resources present the best opportunities to fuel innovation. In addition, seed money from private sources encourages collaboration, which is often a leading barrier to change.


About This Course
Course Name/Code: Knowing Music Program Administration, SEMU 410
Catalog Description: An online course in which Music Education majors learn principles and strategies for developing a well-balanced quality PreK-12 school curriculum. These include developing various a Philosophy, Conceptual Framework, Mission Statements, Aims, Course Objectives, Units, and Lesson Plans throughout the curriculum. Other “nuts and bolts” topics will be addressed relating to curricular issues facing the professional music educator.
Instructors and Texts
Instructors Who Teach This Course: Dr. Rick Townsend
Required Text(s): Please use the online campus bookstore to locate required textbooks for the course. Make sure that you search using the correct course code and look for the course with the “OL” suffix in the drop-down list. (See Textbook Ordering Help.)


1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ávila (province)
|←Ávila, Gil Gonzalez de||1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 3
|See also Ávila (province) on Wikipedia; and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer.|
ÁVILA, a province of central Spain, one of the modern divisions of the kingdom of Old Castile; bounded on the N. by Valladolid, E. by Segovia and Madrid, S. by Toledo and Cáceres, and W. by Salamanca. Pop. (1900) 200,457; area, 2570 sq. m. Ávila is naturally divided into two sections, differing completely in soil, climate, productions and social economy. The northern portion is generally level; the soil is of indifferent quality, strong and marly in a few places, but rocky in all the valleys of the Sierra de Ávila; and the climate alternates from severe cold in winter to extreme heat in summer. The population of this part is mainly agricultural. The southern division is one mass of rugged granitic sierras, interspersed, however, with sheltered and well-watered valleys, abounding with rich vegetation. The winter here, especially in the elevated region of the Paramera and the waste lands of Ávila, is long and severe, but the climate is not unhealthy. In this region stock-breeding is an important industry. The principal mountain chains are the Guadarrama, separating this province from Madrid; the Paramera and Sierra de Ávila, west of the Guadarrama; and the vast wall of the Sierra de Gredos along the southern frontier, where its outstanding peaks rise to 6000 or even 8000 ft. The ridges which ramify from the Paramera are covered with valuable forests of beeches, oaks and firs, presenting a striking contrast to the bare peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. The principal rivers are the Alberche and Tietar, belonging to the basin of the Tagus, and the Tórmes, Trabáncos and Adaja, belonging to that of the Douro. The mountains contain silver, copper, iron, lead and coal, but their mineral wealth has been exaggerated, and at the beginning of the 20th century mining had practically been abandoned. Quarries of fine marble and jasper exist in the district of Arenas. The province declined in wealth and population during the 18th and 19th centuries, a result due less to the want of activity on the part of the inhabitants than to the oppressive manorial and feudal rights and the strict laws of entail and mortmain, which acted as barriers to progress.
Towards the close of this period many improvements were introduced, although the want of irrigation is still keenly felt. Wide tracts of waste land were planted with pinewoods by the ducal house of Medina Sidonia. The main roads are fairly good; and Ávila, the capital, is connected by rail with Salamanca, Valladolid and Madrid; but in many parts of the province the means of communication are defective. Except Ávila there are no important towns. The principal production is the wool of the merino sheep, which at one time yielded an immense revenue. Game is plentiful, and the rivers abound in fish, specially trout. Olives, chestnuts and grapes are grown, and silk-worms are kept. There is little trade, and the manufactures are few, consisting chiefly of copper utensils, lime, soap, cloth, paper and combs. The state of elementary education is comparatively good, rather more than two-thirds of the population being able to read and write, and the ratio of crime is proportionately low.


The Suzuki Violin Method in American Music Education by John Kendall. For Violin. Reference Textbooks; Textbook - Instrumental (Suzuki). About Suzuki Series. Book. 40 pages. Published by Alfred Music (AP.0280).
This booklet was written by the first American string teacher to observe and study the Suzuki MethodÂ® in Japan, Mr. John Kendall. Kendall's gift is in large part his ability to bring the concepts and practicalities of the Suzuki MethodÂ® to the doorstep of the American private and classroom teacher in language that can be readily understood. The author takes a stab at clearing up the misconceptions sometimes applied to Suzuki, among them: Teaching "en masse," playing with recordings, and a magic formula. The booklet provides a succinct set of ten key factors in the Talent Education process: begin at an early age * regular listening * lessons are private * parents help with practice * all music is memorized * note reading is introduced later * all students follow the same sequence of pieces * carefully selected music * cooperation, not competition, is the motivation * flexibility and freedom of movement. "...some totality of understanding -- some vision of the basic concepts -- is essential for an intelligent application of the ideas." Thus John Kendall sums up his brilliant analysis of the Talent Education process, always leaving the door open for the American teacher to tailor the basic philosophy to his or her unique teaching situation.


Adult Literacy Program
The Program Background
One out of every five American adults has trouble with day-to-day literacy activities. Things like reading a prescription label, writing a phone message, identifying the differences between cat food and tuna fish are impossible tasks. This does not mean these adults lack intelligence. It simply means they did not get the kind of reading and writing help they needed when they were young. The problem exists in big cities and in rural areas. It exists in Beaumont.
In 1993, the Beaumont Library District, under the administration of Clara DiFelice Library Director, received funding from the California Literacy Campaign and the U.S. Department of Education to start a literacy program. She engaged La Vergne Rosow to design and coordinate a leading edge volunteer program based on her research. Twelve members of the community volunteered to become pilot tutors. After being paired with an adult learner, convenient times for both were established. Each tutor volunteered for a minimum of 50 hours or six months of student contact time. Most served as volunteers for considerably longer. Additional learners heard about the program from fliers, newspapers, TV public service announcements, radio programming, or word of mouth. Initially, most teams met at the Beaumont Library. As the program grew, the Beaumont community provided quiet places where two people could work together. San Gorgonio Hospital and Wyle Labs generously offered space in order to further the cause of literacy.
How to get involved!
VOLUNTEER AS A LITERACY TUTOR
Interested individuals attend an orientation meeting, followed by tutor training for those who decide to volunteer. Ongoing support for tutors and learners is readily available. Staff, more experienced tutors, and advanced learners in the program are all willing to help. Bi-monthly Tutor Roundtable meetings are held and Beaumont tutors are encouraged to attend. Materials, workbooks and other supplies used by tutors are made available by the program. Tutors are also provided with opportunities to attend local and regional workshops and conferences.
The Beaumont Library District has a rich collection of books on the subject of literacy development. Search Library Catalog using the following keywords: Literacy or Adult Education. These books are recommended to tutors, future tutors, parents who want to help their children become better readers and writers, students who plan to enter a teaching program, and others who are interested. There are also resources available to you on our Resources page that may help you as a tutor as well as Monthly Tutor Reports and Tutor Interest Forms.
SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER TUTORS:
- Read and write comfortably in English
- Are at least 21 years old
- Need no previous teaching experience
- Are stabe, mature women and men
- Have good listening skills and a great sense of humor
- Are flexible and nonjudgmental
- Have basic computer skills
- Are able to learn and use a variety of teaching methods, including computer assisted instruction (training is provided)
- Have patience and empathy
- Are willing to try new things
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Adults interested in enrolling as learners or volunteering as tutors may call the Adult Literacy Program office at 951-845-1357.
Learners will be invited to come in for a basic assessment to determine appropriate placement to help them reach their goals. Afterwards, the learner will have a follow-up interview to gather additional information so staff can prepare an individual learning plan.
ADULT LEARNERS ENTERING THE PROGRAM ARE:
- English speaking
- At least 16 years old and not in a regular high school ( continuation and adult education students are eligible)
- Women and men from diverse backgrounds
- Seeking better skills for their job futures
- Wanting to help their children succeed in school
- Often able to do some reading and writing, but not enough to participate effectively in today's rapidly changing world.
Each adult learner is unique. No two tutor/student pairs are alike. Following are just a few examples of successful outcomes for adult learners:
- Earned a GED
- Got the first job in her life
- Read to his child for the first time
- Entered community college
- Wrote a letter to a long-lost relative
- Wrote a poem to a spouse
- Discovered reading glasses were key
- Requested and got a promotion
- Entered a college teaching program
Have questions regarding Adult Literacy. The FAQ page can help answer questions that you may have.


Focus on Education
A documentary looks at global education
|The second installment in the multi-year documentary project follows children in seven countries to update their progress in school. Pictured: Joab from Kenya. (Photo: Frederick Rendina/Thirteen/WNET New York)|
May 22, 2007
Each year, millions of children around the world are unable to go to school. To draw attention to this widespread problem, the United Nations (UN) is putting education first.
Recently, the UN screened a documentary film called Back to School. The film is the second in a series of documentaries for the project Time for School, in partnership with Wide Angle—a program from the Public Broadcasting System.
These films follow seven children from seven different countries. This 12-year project began in 2003, when the children first started school.
“This is something we could do to help the education crisis in the world,” said producer and writer Judy Katz. “Documentary filmmakers can get deeply involved in a problem and do something about it.”
More than 100 million children will never set foot in a school. Sixty percent of those children are girls. Cheryl Faye, a panelist at the screening event, is head of the UN Girls Education Initiative. She spoke about the many factors that prevent girls from getting an education.
|Joab Onyando, a 10-year-old who lives outside of Nairobi, Kenya, considers himself lucky to crowd into a 70-student first grade classroom without desks or chairs. (Photo: Frederick Rendina/Thirteen/WNET New York)|
One problem is the long distance many children must travel to get to school. Also, girls in many cultures are traditionally expected to marry early and work to help their families.
”We need to make a special effort for girls,” Faye said.
As part of the UN’s Millennium goals, the organization wants every single child to get at least an elementary education by 2015. They hope the documentary will draw attention to this problem and raise awareness of the need for global education.
Students from Lawrence Middle School in New York were inspired to take action when they saw the film. The seventh-grade class is raising money to help build a library on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, where Joab—a child in the documentary—lives.
The class teacher, Karen Weiner, and the class are known in their school as the “Kenya crew.” All the kids were really happy to support Joab and said they felt great about their fund-raising efforts.
Joab is 10 years old. When his mother died, he dropped out of school to help out at home. Fortunately, his principal was able to find him and get him back on track with his education.
But even in class, Joab has to learn with 70 other students and only one teacher! His first-grade classroom does not have desks or chairs.
But like the seventh-graders at Lawrence Middle School, kids can work together to make a difference in places like Nairobi. By raising money for education, kids can help children on the other side of the world have a chance at a better, happier life.
To learn more about how you can get involved, visit this Web site.
Critical Thinking Question
Read today's news story, and then answer the following question.
Samantha Group is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.


The Costs of Education
By John Vaizey
Routledge – 2012 – 260 pages
This is the first book which authoritatively reviews the UK expenditure on education from 1920 – 1955, both by local authorities and private schools. The book takes the main elements of education in turn and discusses them in detail. There are original studies of local authority finance, of teachers’ pay and of the economics of private education. It examines educational spending by social class and compares the growth of educational services in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Foreword. Preface. 1 Introduction and Summary. 2 The Educational Background. 3 The Finance of Education. 4 Expenditure on Education in General. 5 England and Wales. 6 Scotland and Northern Ireland. 7 Private Education. 8 Universities. 9 Teachers’ Superannuation. Appendices: A Expenditure at Current and Constant Prices. B Teachers’ Salaries. C Price Indices D Population E Elementary Education F The Relative Costs of Old and New Schools G Method of Adaptation of Accounts and Sources and Methods. Bibliography. Index.


Under the Education Act 1998, the Minister for Education and Skills may set down the curriculum for recognised schools. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is a statutory body, whose function is to advise the Minister of Education and Skills in matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and the assessment procedures employed in schools and examinations on subjects that are part of the curriculum. This includes the subjects to be offered, the syllabus for each subject and the guidance and counselling provision to be offered.
Under the Education Act 1998 the Minister:
The revised primary school curriculum was introduced into national schools in 1999. It consists of 6 curriculum areas that are further divided into 11 subjects. These are:
There are guidelines on the time to be allocated to each of the curriculum areas.
The aims of the curriculum are to ensure that all children are provided with learning opportunities that recognise and celebrate their uniqueness, develop their full potential and prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The focus is on the child as learner, and the use of a variety of teaching methodologies is an essential feature of the curriculum.
The curriculum aims to foster the development of key skills in communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, inquiry, investigation and analysis, and social and personal awareness and interaction. In particular, it places key emphasis on the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills.
The curriculum emphasises the need for greater attention to be paid to students with special educational needs and emphasises the importance of achieving functional literacy and numeracy. It also draws attention to the needs of gifted children.
Under Article 22 of the Education Act schools are obliged to "regularly evaluate students and periodically report the results of the evaluation to the students and their parents". In general children's learning and achievement are regularly assessed in primary schools using a variety of tests and other methods. Circular 0138/2006 Supporting Assessment in Primary School, states how assessment should carried out. From 2007 all Irish primary schools must administer standardised tests in English and mathematics to their pupils twice during their primary school years as follows:
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has published Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum: Guidelines for Schools (pdf). It has also published explanatory leaflets for parents about the standardised tests.
The primary school curriculum is set out in 23 documents, consisting of a introduction, 11 curriculum statements and 11 teacher guidelines
Each curriculum statement contains the rationale, aims, objectives, structured content and assessment approaches for each of the 4 class levels: infants; first and second; third and fourth and fifth and sixth. The teacher guidelines are designed to provide resource material to support teaching and learning.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has prepared a guide for parents that provides an outline of the broad content and emphases in the curriculum, as well as advice on how parents can support teaching and learning at home and in school.
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment was established as a statutory body in July 2001. Its function is to advise the Minister of Education and Skills in matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and the assessment procedures employed in schools and examinations on subjects that are part of the curriculum. This includes the subjects to be offered, the syllabus for each subject and the guidance and counselling provision to be offered.
Primary Professional Development Support Service
The Primary Professional Development Service (PPDS) includes and develops the work of the former Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP) and School Development Planning Support (SDPS). PPDS advisors work with schools supporting individual teachers, groups of teachers and whole staffs in implementation of the primary school curriculum and in organisational and development planning.
School development planning
Planning is a statutory requirement for schools under Section 20 of the Education Act 1998. Every school is required to have a school plan and the boards of management are given responsibility for ensuring that the plan is prepared, reviewed and regularly updated. A school plan deals with the curriculum and with the organisation of all the school's resources, including staff, space, facilities, equipment, time and finance. It also includes the school's policies on a range of administrative and organisational issues and, where appropriate, the school's strategies for implementing official guidelines and regulations. Information about school development planning in primary schools is available from the Primary Professional Development Service - see 'Where to apply' below.
If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.


Many parents want their children to have an appreciation of music and knowledge of composers – but if they are not musical, they may not know where to start. I know this definitely describes me!
Over the years I have found various CDs and books and even CD Rom games that I have used with my children – and now I have found a whole curriculum aimed at teaching elementary students music appreciation.
Mary Prather, from Homegrown Learners, is a homeschool mom with an undergraduate degree in Music Education and a Masters Degree in Education and she has produced a curriculum called SQUILT – Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time.
Each week you study a different composer. Everything you need is provided: definitions, links to websites where you can listen to the music and fun printables.
Mary gave me a review copy and I just love it and wish I still had a young student to use it with. There are 10 lessons in each volume and the idea is for you to take a week over each. You sit together and listen to the music – but this is “active” listening. As you listen students complete their SQUILT notebook page and record what the Dynamics, Tempo, Instruments used and the Mood for each piece are.
You may be wondering how you will know if your child has got these things correct. Fortunately, Mary provides direction for the teacher so you know what to listen out for and how to prompt your children. If you have ever used Meet the Masters for art – this is done in a very similar style.
This is the table of contents for the first volume which is on Baroque Composers. The second volume on The Classical Era is also available and Mary has further volumes in the pipeline.
Each volume is currently priced at $8.99 and comes as an eBook – so you can get it immediately and easily print off what you need. This also means you can use it with multiple students which makes the curriculum perfect for classroom or home use. You can purchase them at Squiltmusic.com.
And … I am pleased to tell you Mary has agreed to provide one copy of Baroque Composers free to one of my blog readers, so be sure to enter the Giveaway below.


Female Teachers Anxious About Math Make Girls Less Confident in Their Abilities?
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In spite of the multitude of research indicating otherwise, the assumption that boys are biologically better at math than girls is alive and well at schools across the nation. And a new study indicates that when female teachers believe the stereotype, they pass their own mathematical anxiety on to the girls in their classes.
While the perpetuation of the idea is troubling, the implications are more so: The girls who believe their gender possesses inferior math skills do significantly worse in the subject than the girls who don’t.
Researchers at the University of Chicago conducted a yearlong study of 17 first- and second-grade teachers and their classes. They found that a female teacher’s math anxiety did not affect boys’ performance — but it did affect girls’ math achievement.
Their results, published in the Jan. 11 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that a highly math-anxious female teacher may lead girls to conform to the stereotype that, when it comes to math, they just can’t compete with the boys.
The findings are particularly worrisome since women make up more than 90 percent of elementary school teachers in the United States. Teaching certificates require very little mathematical knowledge or preparation, and research has shown that students majoring in elementary education have higher rates of math anxiety and lower proficiency rates in it than other college majors.
To determine the effects of a teacher’s math anxiety on her students, researchers tested individual students’ mathematical achievement and gender stereotypes at both the beginning and the end of the school year. They also assessed each teacher’s level of anxiety.
After hearing gender-neutral stories about students who were good at math and good at reading, students were asked to draw a picture of a child who was good at each subject. The researchers used the drawings (Did Susie draw a boy or a girl as the good-at-math student?) to assess gender stereotypes.
When school started in the fall, student math achievement wasn’t related to their teachers’ feelings about math. But by the end of the school year, the more anxious a teacher was about the subject, the more likely girls — but not boys — in her class had adopted the view that “boys are good at math and girls are good at reading.”
The girls who believed the stereotype scored six points lower in math achievement than either the boys or the girls who hadn’t developed an opinion on it. This suggests that the lack of women in math- and science-intensive fields like engineering needs to be addressed much earlier in the game than initiatives providing college scholarships for women going into engineering or chemistry.
The authors of the study echo the sentiments of Leon Botstein, suggesting that elementary school teacher preparation programs require more math in their curricula and address teacher uncertainties about the subject.
However, they leave untouched (perhaps wisely) the “multiculturalism-to-math ratio” debate.


We recently stumbled across this great article about parents roles in their children’s development: how parents keying in to their progress in school during this crucial time is “a determining factor in [the child's] success as an adult.” They stress the importance of actively aiding a child’s progress:
“Parents … should also take the time to learn what’s being covered under the lesson plan and what’s up next on the curricular agenda. Make a point of working on those skills at home, too … Remember, education and learning don’t stop the minute your child walks out the door of her preschool or child development center.”
Keep your kids’ brains active with playful learning games and toys with foundational skills. Melissa and Doug offers great supplements for providing educational fun in the home.
Block play is a great foundational skill for stacking, counting, and sorting.
Plugging in shapes is great for hand-eye-coordination skills.
Whether they are building predetermined patterns or exploring with shapes, they will learn about space


Anne M Reece
Investigation of the multiple natures of literacy development. Students study the impact of culture and family on literacy development by reading and discussing a variety of texts while also experiencing the development of their own learning through literature study, the writing process, and oral presentations. Prerequisite: elementary TEP student.
TEP 531 is the first of the three-course sequence in literacy. It will focus on the building blocks of literacy learning and instruction as well as different contexts in which literacy is enacted and learned. We will explore literacy in the lives of children and develop understandings about the literacy process including comprehension, word identification, vocabulary, fluency, writing process, reading/writing connections, and reader response. From there, we will focus on preparing to teach reading and assessing studentsí reading abilities. Next quarter, when you are placed in schools, we will continue our focus on reading instruction and add writing instruction. Our overall goal is provide high-quality instruction to meet the needs of students of all abilities and backgrounds so they become competent, engaged, and thoughtful readers and writers.
To become an effective literacy teacher you must develop: an understanding and appreciation of literacy learners/users in and out of school; a developmental perspective on literacy learning and curriculum; deep subject matter knowledge about reading and writing processes; a variety of pedagogical strategies for teaching reading and writing; and the ability to assess studentsí literacy strengths and needs.
Student learning goals
Develop an understanding and appreciation of literacy learners/users both in and out of school
Acquire a deep understanding of the strategies and skills students apply when they are efficient, effective, and engaged readers, with a special focus this quarter on emergent reading, word identification, fluency, and comprehension
Learn to assess studentsí reading strategies and skills so you can provide appropriate instruction
General method of instruction
Whole class and small group work.
Purchase and preread text books to familiarize yourself with the course content. Read chapters 1 and 2 of Cooper in preparation for our first class. The class website will be opened soon - you will receive an email with the link.
Class assignments and grading
Assignments will be discussed in class.


Newark, DE : International Reading Association, c2009.
xiii, 178 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-172) and index.
Motivate your grade K-3 boy students by incorporating picture books with characters who demonstrate positive values and using strategies targeted to boys' unique learning needs. Elementary educator Debby Zambo teams with William G. Brozo, author of the bestselling "To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader: Engaging Pre-Teen and Adolescent Boys in Active Literacy", to bring you this essential resource on getting young boys hooked on reading at an early age. You'll learn how boys develop cognitively and emotionally, find ways to structure your classroom to meet the boys' needs, and discover ideas for using books to capture the attention and interests of boys. In addition, you'll find ideas for getting family and community members involved in boys' literacy development. Additional resources include "Learning From a Character" segments that give suggestions of books with positive values you can use to get boys excited about reading. It features 'About a Boy' vignettes that give voice to real-life young male readers; and an extensive appendix of engaging picture books specifically for boys, organized by the positive values the books demonstrate. (source: Nielsen Book Data)


Gold Standard Study of Blended Learning Reading Program in Michigan Shows Significant Effects for Adolescent Learning Disabled Students
Students in System 44® Significantly Outperform Their Peers in Control Group
NEW YORK, April 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough research on a blended learning program for students who struggle severely with reading is among the few to show significant effects for students with learning disabilities. The study of System 44®, a foundational reading program from Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) that helps older struggling readers catch up to their peers, took place in Saginaw, Mich., and evaluated student growth on multiple assessments compared to a control group of students receiving other interventions.
Conducted by RMC Research during the 2011-2012 school year, the research showed that System 44 had significant effects on the students enrolled in the program in grades 4-8, more than half of whom were identified as learning disabled. The study found a positive, statistically significant effect using several different reading measures. For example, the estimated effect size on CTOPP Elision, a measure of phonemic sensitivity, was 0.27 for all System 44students and .36 for learning disabled students using the program, equivalent to students improving their skills by11 and 14 percentile points, respectively.
The result of a collaboration between Scholastic and two leading experts on phonics instruction and educational technology -- Dr. Marilyn Jager Adams, Visiting Professor, Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences Department, Brown University and Dr. Ted Hasselbring of the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University --System 44brings a research-based instructional model to classrooms that blends teacher-led instruction with powerful, adaptive technology that delivers personalized instruction to students and data to teachers.
The System 44 adaptive software provides each student with individualized instruction in phonics and foundational reading skills, deliberate practice, visual representations, instruction in multiple modalities, and second language support in Spanish – essential supports for students who face learning challenges or have special needs.
The study in Saginaw followed 368 students in several schools within the district, half of whom were randomly assigned to System 44 and all of whom began the year reading far below grade level expectations. The researchers used multiple independent assessments to measure student growth from the beginning of the school year to the end.
"The results of this study show that with the right combination of research-based teaching methods, cutting-edge technology that helps teachers individualize instruction, and a relentless focus on data and the needs of each student, children facing tremendous obstacles can learn to read and succeed," said Margery Mayer, President of Scholastic Education. "It's humbling to know that the work we put in day after day to help open doors for students to college and career is paying off."
The results of this study add to the scant body of literature on the impact of reading intervention for upper elementary and middle school students with reading disabilities. The significant improvements in performance for students receiving System 44 suggest that we can change the course of learning for our most at risk, older struggling readers, thereby opening the door for later learning and success in life.
"As educators, we feverishly seek practices that will allow all of our students to reach their highest academic potential. System 44 has demonstrated that through a strong implementation practice, it can have a positive impact on student reading," said Dr. Carlton D. Jenkins, Superintendent of Saginaw Public Schools. "From these results, I gained a strong sense of confirmation about what can occur for all students when you design learning partnerships around appropriately trained teachers, building level instructional leaders and committed partners like Scholastic."
"I am truly amazed at the results System 44 was able to produce, particularly with our middle school learning disabled students," said Melinda Carroll, Director of Special Education for the Saginaw schools. "Its intense, prescriptive, laser-like focus, was able to move struggling readers forward by grade levels, in such a short period of time."
For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.
SOURCE Scholastic Inc.Back to top


Tuesday, September 7, 1999 Published at 18:27 GMT 19:27 UK
Deaf children helped to beat numeracy gap
Deaf children are behind with numeracy skills
A few hours of extra teaching can help deaf children overcome numeracy problems, which leave them struggling to keep up with their peers, say researchers.
It is estimated that deaf children are three and a half years behind hearing children in numeracy skills.
Researchers at the Institute of Education in London believe one of the reasons is that they miss out on much non-direct learning.
This includes games which help teach children numeracy skills and general background conversation, for example, about shopping and the value of money.
Professor Terezinha Nunes, one of the researchers, said: "Hearing children may find out how numbers work through incidental learning in everyday life.
"Deaf children have fewer opportunities to pick up on environmental conversation so miss out on crucial bits of experience which is vital for maths.
"So much of education of deaf people is geared to teaching about words."
The researchers have developed a simple extra lessons which they think can accelerate learning.
"It doesn't take weeks. It's a matter of hours or minutes. It involves teaching deaf people how to use a particular mathematical concept."
Teachers have been experimenting with the system and the researchers are analysing the results to see if it closes the learning gap.
The researchers also studied the emotional and social development of 36 eight- and nine-year-old deaf children in mainstream and special schools.
They studied their relationship with hearing children and found that hearing children did not exclude deaf children when choosing friends.
Some even expressed an interest in learning sign language so they could better communicate with their deaf friends.
The researchers also spoke to the parents of deaf children and found that the birth of a deaf child to hearing parents could provoke a crisis in communication.
Some 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents.
Professor Nunes said parents had to decide how to communicate with their child and some rejected sign language, fearing it was a very visible sign of disability and could stigmatise their child.
Others chose to use hearing aids and other hi-tech gadgets, telling their children that many children had problems and deafness was just another thing to be overcome.
"They choose a medical model, seeing deafness as something like needing glasses to read. But for most deaf people it is not as simple as that," said Professor Nunes.
"Sign language might not solve all the problems, but at least it is a more direct way of trying to communicate with children."
Special schools for the deaf are increasingly being closed, with the government trying to get more pupils into mainstream education.
The researchers said their study was important to ascertain the social and emotional development of children in special schools so they could measure whether their absorption into mainstream schools made any big difference.


The Georgia Performance Standards for Fine Arts are based on The National Standards for Arts Education as referenced in the National Standards for Arts Education, Copyright ©1994 by MENC: The National Association for Music Education. The National Standards outline what every K-12 student should know and be able to do in the arts. The National Standards were developed by the Consortium of National Arts Education Association, through a grant administered by The National Association for Music Education (MENC).
As described in the National Standards for Arts Education, arts education benefits both student and society. The arts cultivate the whole child, gradually building many kinds of literacy while developing intuition, reasoning, imagination, and dexterity into unique forms of expression and communication.
The Georgia Performance Standards support the arts in the “academic” standing in that mere participation is not the same as education. The standards affirm that discipline and rigor are critical to high academic achievement. Performance-based assessment has long been used in the arts that include the practice of portfolio review in the visual arts and the assessment of performance skills through auditions used in dance, music, and theatre. The content of the standards for the arts attends to creating, performing, and responding which is consistent with and informs the perspective of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).


I'm considering developing a lesson that would tie
into the Read Across America event that is held
annually on the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
What I'm thinking of doing it reading a children's
book to the class and then assigning each student the
text from one page. The student would then illustrate
that page without being able to reference how the page
was rendered in the book.
When everyone has completed their page they can be
displayed in the hallway with the appropriate text
from the book under or on each piece of art. The end
result would be viewers could walk down the hall be
able to read an entire children's book as interpreted
and recreated by the children.
This lesson would also teach them about the career of
book illustrating. I just would absoultely NOT allow
them to view the illustrations in the book because
they would be tempted to try to duplicate that.
I'm still thinking this one out so I would welcome any
suggestions or comments.
--- Judy Decker <firstname.lastname@example.org> wrote:
> Greetings Darren,
> Why don't you submit some quality lesson plans to
> Incredible Art
> Department to show teachers how to do a lesson that
> gets quality
> results, but allows for choice/more creativity?
> I am always looking to add new lessons to the site.
> When I get totally
> bored someday, I will rewrite lessons that appear
> too restrictive.
> If you want to see some lessons that are way off the
> charts - check
> Linda Woods sites. She has somewhat structured
> lessons (teacher
> directed) but provides choices within the lessons.
http://www.sjs.org/stories/default.asp?L2=3&newsid=44754 > Go to Lower School Gallery. Linda teaches 2nd, 3rd,
> 5th and 6th (6th
> is middle school). Weezie Johnston teaches 1st, 4th
> and 6th.
> If you interested in total choice - check out TAB
> Choice Yahoo list.
> Browse their archives and resources first if you
> wish. The archives
> are open to all.
> Find resources here:
> Those of you designing curriculum now might want to
> consider leaving
> it more open to allow for more choices. Be carefull
> about making it
> too restrictive. Go for essential understanding -
> big ideas - and
> leave it open for students to explore more.
> In planning lessons, got more for the processes on
> how artists get
> ideas. Here is page to get you thinking....
> If you really read the National Standards, they are
> geared MORE to
> Choice Art Education - with students selecting
> subject and materials.
> Really read content Standard 1 (I believe that is
> where it is).
> In defense of the rabbit lesson.... If the objective
> is for students
> to draw a rabbit from life - from the rabbit that
> was brought into the
> classroom - then the results will all be a rabbit.
> Or if the objective
> was to draw a fish from life - the students will all
> draw the fish.
> Before you are too critical of lessons you find
> online, you might want
> to consider what the objective may have been?
> If you reply to this message to the list - please
> cut out my email address.
> Judy Decker
> To unsubscribe go to


Contributions to Cyberculture from Elementary Education in Mexico
Inclusion of IT into Mexican public education dates from 1985, but it was not until some ten years ago that efforts were redoubled in early adolescent schools (13-15 years of age) and some primary schools. The program with the broadest coverage in the country, installed in 120,000 classrooms, has only been in operation for five years. Moreover, all the experiences to date have been carried out under the banner of IT as a mere tool aiding the teaching of curricular content. Consequently, current curricula do not include the technical skills recognized as indispensable for students to become competent in utilizing information technologies: navigators who are analytic and evaluate information, problem solvers, creative and efficient users of productivity tools capable of communication and collaborative work. This leads to a problematic knot for initial and continuing development for primary school teachers.
This paper presents some results of the diagnostic study of teachers in Mexican primary schools that have incorporated IT. From a practical point of view this paper goes on to present arguments that sustain an elementary teacher training program aimed at developing their technological competencies within the theme of learning sites. We present the program that is designed to broaden the horizons through what moves teachers today so that they may participate in innovation and express themselves with ease in the intersection of linguistic, visual, and auditory languages to become citizens of primary school cyberculture.
Keywords: Elementary Teacher Training Program, Technological Competencies
Laura Sánchez Rosete
Profesor, Área "Tecnologias de la Información y Modelos Alternativos, Üniversidad Pedagógica Nacional


Majoring in Elementary Education involves the study of pedagogy, or the method and practice of teaching. You’ll develop the skills and insights to become an effective elementary school (K-6) teacher and lifelong learner. Concordia also offers a variety of pre-school, kindergarten and middle-level (Grades 5-8) specialty endorsements (including Communication Arts/Literature, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) for you to extend your major to include additional grade levels at which you would like to teach.
You’ll gain knowledge and skills that are important for any teaching career as you take 57 credit hours towards a Bachelor of Arts degree, and the elementary education curriculum meets the Minnesota Department of Education requirements for a teaching credential (passage of standardized examinations of content and pedagogy are also required).
You'll also have real opportunities to learn in a series of classes, field experiences and student teaching opportunities that make for an effective blend of theory and practice. Because we design our elementary education program to be responsive to the exact needs of the marketplace (the department has key partnerships with Concordia’s Hmong Culture and Language program, St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod schools and five Twin Cities public charter schools authorized by Concordia), it will be a relevant degree if you’re considering a career teaching grades K-6 within private or public elementary schools.


begins at the end of the scribbling stages
When having new experiences, help the child notice more. Use questions. "How does it feel? How big are are the ears? How does it smell? How many legs are there? Can you walk that way?"For permission to make copies or handouts, e-mail the author.
Think of ways to build awareness. Children draw what they remember. They remember what they notice.
All rights reserved. This page © Marvin Bartel.
Many authors and researchers in art education have written about the stages of artistic development.
Viktor Lowenfeld made many observations and described the stages in his book, Creative and Mental Growth. The 4th edition of Creative and Mental Growth by Viktor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain. 1964 includes a summary with charts describing the development stages in Chaper 13. pages 395 to 402.


Students at the Governor's School of Excellence joined the lead dance to form a "thousand-hand Bodhisattva" (qian shou guan yin).
Classical Chinese Dance is a unique dance heritage. Classical Chinese dance has as its foundation China’s divinely inspired culture of five thousand years. The unique art of Chinese dance that we know today, with its impressive scale and system, is the product of generations of dancers’ many years of artistic experience combined with their refining, reorganizing, and reworking of the art form.
Classical Chinese dance has its own complete set of training methods in foundational skills, a strict regimen for perfecting bearing and form, and means of training for skill sets such as jumps, turns, and flips, as well as extremely demanding aerial techniques.
It is the deeper resonances of traditional Chinese culture, however, that imbue a dancer’s movements with such rich expressive power. The dancer is thus capable of not only portraying a given figure’s disposition or mood, but even the vivid expressions unique to a certain age, whatever the land or time.


The 100th Monkey Studio began as an open art studio providing anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation, a safe and affordable place to use art materials. Through the evolution of the community the studio has become a place multiple small businesses call home.
While September 2012 brought some structural changes, fine art and art therapy programs have continued to consistently to run in our space administered now by Beth Ann Short LLC. Joy Leising still remains in the space as a teacher, art party/special events coordinator, administrator of the Youth Art Club, Messy Monkeys and No School Art Studio, as well as a dear friend and art advocate in the studio community.
Today the studio is home to multiple creative businesses, Evolve Gallery, an extensive Art Therapy Program, Fine Art Education and Joy Leising's Youth Art Program.
If you are interested in finding out ways you can be involved in the studio contact Beth Ann Short HERE.
What is an open studio?
Jennifer Mercede at work on our mural.
An open studio is a studio or work room that is open to all, where artistic or creative work can be viewed and created collaboratively. Artists and non-artists come together in the open studio to celebrate the social act of collaborating. An Open Studio is intended to foster creativity and encourage experimentation in a welcoming atmosphere of cultural exchange, conversation, encouragement, and freedom of expression. Open studios can be traced back to 17th century Paris where artists and other creative intellectuals gathered. Other art forms such as beat poetry can be traced back to originating in open studio settings. Post-WWII New York saw many open studios. One famous example, The Factory, was created by Andy Warhol.
What can I do at the studio?
Painting class in our workshop.
Our studio offers creative opportunities to all!
What's with all the monkeys?
The name of the studio was inspired by a story of positive social change. It is a story that some believe to be fiction, but the message is one we can all benefit from.
The Japanese monkey, Macaca Fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. It was documented that in 1950's, on the island of Koshima, scientists had been leaving the monkeys sweet potatoes in the sand in exchange for a look into their social culture.
In 1958, one female monkey was documented as washing the sweet potatoes in a nearby stream to rid it of the dirt and sand. She was also documented as teaching the habit to her mother and her playmates. The new trait spread throughout the island. Suddenly not just on this island, but the trait seemed to spread to surrounding islands and onto mainland Japan, where the monkeys were found to be washing their food.
The number 100 is merely a symbol, but in the story it was used to recognize when the trait forever changed the species. This magical occurrence was named the 100th Monkey Phenomenon.
The name The 100th Monkey Studio was adopted because the founders saw the opportunity for humankind to have the same sort of “phenomenon” in relation to using art as a means of self-care as well as self-expression. It is our goal that art making in a community setting become infectious, bringing art and creativity into people’s everyday life. In this creative community space any one is welcome to come and learn from each other, while supporting and embracing each others differences.


In order to prepare students to be successful in the 21st century, it is imperative for them to develop strong literacy skills that are supported and valued by teachers, parents, and community members. The Mayor's Book Club, a partnership between the NJ League of Municipalities and the School of Education at Monmouth University, focuses on promoting a strong collaboration among the school, home, and broader community. This model program engages and motivates students to read broadly.
This program is designed to support and enhance the literacy development of first graders. The first graders who participate in the Mayor's Book Club will read a total of eight books over a four-month period starting in January and will have the opportunity to be read to by a special guest reader, their own Mayor! Each student who participates in the program will receive a book at the conclusion of the program. In addition, each school that has read at least 1,000 books will be given $1,000 to be spent on books for their first-grade classroom libraries.
The Goal of the Mayor's Book Club
This program outcome is for community leaders, librarians, teachers, university teacher candidates, and families to collaborate for the purpose of assisting and supporting the literacy needs of young readers and promote achievement.
The Monmouth University School of Education Dean and literacy faculty member Lynn Romeo; literacy faculty members Kerry Carley-Rizzuto, Lilly Steiner, Carolyn Groff; and university teacher candidates serve as a resource to students and teachers as they participate in this collaborative project.
Lynn Romeo, Dean of the Monmouth University School of Education, said, "We are always excited to partner with local mayors and community leaders on this important initiative to help develop strong literacy skills of young readers and prepare them to be successful in the 21st century."
The sponsors of the Mayor's Book Club are Barnes and Noble, JCP&L, NJ American Water, NJ Natural Gas/NJ Natural Resources, and United Water
The following mayors and schools are participating in the Mayor's Book Club for 2014:
The following mayors and schools participated in the Mayor's Book Club for 2013:
To ensure that students reached their goal, Kevin Iozzi, Principal at Margaret L. Vetter School, said teachers collected reading logs and sent new logs home. According to Iozzi, the students almost doubled their goal by reading a total of 1,980 books. "The immediate and most important benefit in participating in this program is the amount of reading that each child completed in the four-month period. They far exceeded their goal." Iozzi said. "The monetary award for the classroom libraries is a bonus and will benefit future classes through the purchase of more books".
MAYOR'S BOOK CLUB KICK-OFF HELD ON FEBRUARY 4, 2013
MAYOR'S BOOK CLUB KICK-OFF HELD ON FEBRUARY 10, 2014
THE LINK NEWS: MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY'S MAYOR'S BOOK CLUB KICKS OFF


Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform, discusses how charter school innovations have improved options for all children.
When the first charter school opened its doors to Minnesota students in 1992, few could have predicted that it would mark the beginning of what would become the fastest growing and most significant reform in modern education.
Charter pioneers sparked a wildfire of reform that swept the nation, fueled by parents who refused to accept a one-size-fits-all approach to education parents who set high standards and demanded accountability in meeting them. Education was changing one child and one school at a time.
Major changes in public policy would follow from standards, to curriculum, to more choices for parents and more options for children. And a changing legislative landscape paved the way for the significant growth of charter schools.
Today, there are nearly 3,000 charter schools serving close to 800,000 students in 37 states and the District of Columbia. And in most cases, these schools are meeting the needs of at-risk and disadvantaged children long-since abandoned by many traditional schools. Parents wait anxiously for an opportunity for their children to benefit from the innovation and flexibility charters provide. In fact, over 70 percent of charters across the country have waiting lists equal to their enrollment.
Free of bureaucratic and regulatory micro-management, charter schools can design and deliver programs tailored to educational excellence and community needs. Charters offer at-risk programs and state-of-the-art education. In charter schools, you'll find teachers that are there because they want to be, because they have more authority over the programs and approaches they use than they did in all their years in traditional public schools.
This year a number of charter schools reached a milestone - the graduation of the very first class of students who were with them from the beginning. Schools such as Washington, DC's SEED Public Charter School and the Hyde Leadership Public Charter School; Newark's North Star Academy; San Jose's Downtown College Prep and Dorchester (MA)'s South Boston Harbor Academy Charter School watched as their first classes received diplomas. And one hundred percent of their students yes, each and every one have been accepted to college. These charter schools have proven that high levels of achievement are not reserved for elite prep schools. Schools serving overwhelmingly minority and low-income students can set equally high standards and they can, indeed, meet them.
But it is not just students inside these schools who have benefited from the charter movement. Charters have been like pebbles, causing ripples in their wake leading schools and districts to alter behavior or improve offerings. Studies out of charter-rich states such as Arizona and California show that charters are producing innovations that are being adopted by the traditional schools in their districts. And in some districts, increased student achievement in neighbor public schools suggests charter competition is raising the bar for all schools.
As we celebrate the progress of the charter school movement and the individual successes at schools such as Amistad we are also reminded that there remain far too many children who grow up in this country without the educational opportunities they deserve. The wildfire of education reform will not and cannot slow down until each and every child can share in the success.
The Center for Education Reform (CER) is a national advocacy and research organization working with states and communities to provide more choices in education and better schools for all children. For additional information, visit http://www.edreform.com.
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Performance Practices in the Classical Era
As Related by Primary Sources and Illustrated in the Music of Mozart and Haydn
by Dennis Shrock
The Classical era, from 1751 to the 1830s and beyond, is one of the most revolutionary and creative times in the history of music. However, critical details about the performance of music during this extraordinary time have too often been lost to generations of re-interpretation, opinionated colorings, and changes in fashion and taste.
In this remarkable volume, noted scholar and choral conductor Dennis Shrock brings together in one place writings from more than 100 Classical-era authors and composers about performance practices of music during their time.
These primary sources represent the entire time span of the Classical era, writings from throughout Europe and the United States, and details on virtually every type of performing medium and genre of composition common in the era. Dr. Shrock quotes from diaries, instruction books, dictionaries, letters, biographies, and essays all written during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Dr. Shrock organizes all of these comments—complete with detailed music examples—in sections devoted to sound, tempo, articulation and phrasing, metric accentuation, rhythmic alteration, ornamentation, and expression.
What emerges is an insightful and colorful portrait certain to assist anyone who seeks to better understand the music of Mozart, Haydn, and other noted composers. Performance Practices in the Classical Era is a vital resource for any conductor, performer, or aficionado of classical music.
Dennis Shrock is Director of Choral Activities at Texas Christian University and a frequent lecturer, guest conductor, and clinician, serving as Artist-in-Residence and member of the Conducting Institute at Westminster Choir College (2010), Guest Lecturer and Conductor at Yale University (2009-2010), Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Chorus (2010), and lecturer at American Choral Directors National Conferences (2009, 2011). He is author of Music for Beginning Conductors and Performance Practices in the Classical Era (GIA) as well as Choral Repertoire and Choral Scores (Oxford University Press).
Past positions have included Visiting Professor of Music at Boston University (2009–2010), Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale (1999–2004), Director of Choral Activities and Graduate Choral Studies at the University of Oklahoma (1978–2006), Artistic Director of Canterbury Choral Society (1981–1999), and Assistant Conductor and Choral Director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic (1990-1998).
Dr. Shrock has been called one of the very top choral scholars in the United States. For his exceptional work the City of Santa Fe declared December 22, 2003, “Dennis Shrock Day,” Westminster Choir College granted him an “Alumni Merit Award,” the state of Oklahoma conferred on him a citation for “Contributions of Excellence,” and the University of Oklahoma granted him two “Distinguished Lectureships” and named him a “Presidential Professor.” < BR>
Dr. Shrock received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College and both master’s and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from Indiana University.
Number of Pages : 454
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"Understanding University Success" is the result of a two-year study, in which more than 400 faculty and staff members from twenty research universities participated in extensive meetings and reviews, designed to answer two questions: (1) What must students know and be able to do to succeed in entry-level university courses? (2) How can universities make better use of state high school assessments in their application decisions?
Analysis of the data obtained at the meetings and reviews was compared with national academic content standards documents. From there, multiple peer reviews were conducted to polish the standards and ensure their validity. The next step involved the use of consultants with expertise in standards development to review all results thus far and contribute suggestions for further improvement. The result of this extensive effort is thought to be the most comprehensive and thoroughly grounded set of standards for college success developed.
The culmination of this project is wealth of information concerning the foundational skills and content standards, or knowledge and skills for university success, in English, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, second languages and the arts. The resulting 80-page book and CD address each discipline in a separate chapter, with each chapter including information on foundations and standards.
The foundations include skills, behaviors and attitudes expected of incoming students. The standards list the content knowledge required to maximize the probability of success in entry-level university courses.
How might this material help you? Well, in short, using these standards as a guide for preparing home schooled students for college can identify the knowledge and skills needed to succeed at the university level. Further, there are 250 work samples included to provide students with a glimpse of the rigor of college level work. These standards have been licensed to the College Board and will be used as a foundational element in future versions of the SAT, PSAT, and AP tests. "Standards for Success" is an excellent compilation of standards across subjects that homeschoolers can use to insure that they are including, in their education, areas of study that will be critical for success in college.
I would recommend considering adding this information to your homeschool reference materials as it is comprehensive, understandable, and a good reference as you prepare your children for the possibility of college. It is a very inexpensive "check" against what you are currently including in your homeschooling curriculum with what is expected at the college level.


Speech and Language Impairments in Children
Causes, Characteristics, Intervention and Outcome
Edited by Dorothy V.M Bishop, Lawrence Leonard
Psychology Press – 2000 – 320 pages
Delayed development of speech and/or language is one of the commonest reasons for parents of preschool children to seek the advice of a paediatrician.
Accessible to non-academic Speech and Language Impairments provides an overview of recent research developments in specific speech and language impairments, written by experts in the field. Topics include normal and disordered development of problems , crosslinguistic studies, pragmatic language impairments, early identification, educational and psychiatric outcomes, acquired epileptic aphasia and experimental studies of remediation. The book concludes with a chapter by Michael Rutter that gives guidelines for conducting and evaluating research in this field.
The range of topics covered in the book provides a commendable reference source for researchers and practitioners. All chapters are built on a sound edifice of research providing sufficient depth to evaluate contrasting views. - Julie Dockrell, Institute of Education, in Child Language
Foreword. M. Tomasello, Acquiring Syntax is Not What You Think. M.L. Rice, Grammatical Symptoms of Specific Language Impairment. R. Plomin, P.S. Dale, Genetics and Early Language Development: A UK Study of Twins. G. J. Whitehurst, J.E. Fischel, Reading and Language Impairments in Conditions of Poverty. J. Stackhouse, Barriers to Literacy Development in Children with Speech and Language Difficulties. D.V.M. Bishop, Pragmatic Language Impairment: A Correlate of SLI a Distinct Subgroup, or Part of the Autistic Continum? L.B. Leonard, Specific Language Impairment Across Languages. P. Tallal, Experimental Studies of Language Learning Impairments: From Research to Remediation. S.E. Weismer, Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Delay. M.E. Fey, K. Proctor-Williams, Recasting, Elicited Information and Modelling In Grammar Intervention for Children with Specific Language Impairments. R. Paul, Predicting Outcomes of Early Expressive Language Delay: Ethical Implications. G. Conti-Ramsden, N. Botting, Educational Placements for Children with Specific Language Impairments. I.M. Goodyear, Language Difficulties and Psychopathology. M.J. Snowling, Language and Literacy Skills: Who is at Risk and Why? T. Deaonna, Acquired Eplieptic Aphasia (AEA) or Landau-Kleffner Syndrome: From Childhood to Adulthood. M. Rutter, Research into Practice: Future Prospects. Index.


The goal of this class is to engage teachers (string and non-string majors) in continued practical, relevant skill development so students in their ensembles will have the best possible musical, academic, and social-emotional experience.
Necessary Supplies: One or two string instruments to play throughout the week.
I. Teaching Rhythm and Group Pulse in Orchestra
II. Successful Teaching Practices
III. Keys to Teaching Good Classroom Intonation
IV. Rehearsal Hierarchy
V. A Year One Teaching Sequence That Works
VI. Teaching Vibrato in the Heterogeneous Class
Terry Shade is a nationally recognized Middle School/Jr. High School Orchestra Specialist whose past orchestra programs have been selected to perform at the Southern Division Music Educator’s National Conference, the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and the Atlanta International Band and Orchestra Conference. Following these performances, she was featured in the Instrumentalist Magazine discussing effective teaching methods and practices. After teaching for years in Gwinnett County, Georgia, she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to continue her career in the Clark County School District.
Ms. Shade worked as a Project Facilitator with the district, mentoring a large staff of orchestra teachers (approximately 80 teachers) and performing supervisory duties for the Secondary Fine Arts Department. Under her supervision, the Clark County Orchestra Program experienced huge growth and national recognition.
She received a state award for her work with the Las Vegas teachers; The Steve Maytan Contribution to Education Award was presented to Terry at the NMEA Conference. Also while in Nevada, Terry was playing violin professionally in the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Nevada Chamber Symphony and performing for various celebrities on the Las Vegas Strip. In the past several years, Ms. Shade was invited to conduct Jr. High All-State Orchestras and Honor Orchestras in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Louisiana and Nevada.
Terry contributed a chapter in the ASTA Publication String Teaching in America: Strategies for a Diverse Society about her experiences teaching orchestra in at-risk schools throughout her career. Published by Kjos, she is the co-author of the comprehensive new method book String Basics: Steps to Success for String Orchestra. She currently resides in the Seattle, Washington area where she is continuing to be active as a conductor and clinician.
The goal of this class is to engage participants (string and non-string players) in continued practical, relevant skill development so students in their ensembles will have the best possible musical, academic, and social-emotional experience.
VI. Making orchestra a place where all students want to be!
VII. Performance Assessment
VIII. Practical Music Theory and History – What can you teach through the repertoire?
Wendy Barden has been a music educator in Osseo Area Schools (Minnesota) since 1977, and currently serves as K–12 Music Coordinator for a department of 55 music educators. Her teaching experience spans elementary through college levels in instrumental and general music classrooms.
She was named a Yamaha National Mentor Teacher, MENC Nationally Registered and Certified Music Educator, and 1992 Minnesota Music Educators Association Band Educator of the Year. Under her leadership, Osseo Area Schools has been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education for multiple years.
Dr. Barden’s extensive work in the classroom has provided the basis for several groundbreaking publications for band, strings, and general music, all published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company. Barden is the author of the Maximizing Student Performance series, and co-author of Artistry in Strings and Recorder Excellence.
She is also a contributing author of the Standard of Excellence Beginning Band Series and String Basics: Steps to Success for String Orchestra, and author of the Standard of Excellence Music Theory and History Workbooks Teacher’s Editions. Barden is an active clinician, and has presented workshops for music educators in 31 states and Canada.
Wendy Barden holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in music education from the University of Minnesota. Her Ph.D., also from the University of Minnesota, is in music with emphasis in music education and musicology. She has pursued additional studies in assessment, arts integration, and creativity.
Dr. Barden has actively served on the board of directors of Chamber Music Minnesota, and as president of both the Minnesota Band Directors Association and Minnesota Music Educators Association. She is a member of Phi Beta Mu.


Lrng Envir-Liter Diverse Popul (ERLA 550)
Provides overview of research on how differences among learners influence literacy development. Explores influence of factors on that development, including language, culture, intellect. Examines theoretical/research bases for developmentally appropriate learning environments fostering literacy growth. Focuses on methodologies, research-based programs, best practices promoting literacy and language development; examines interrelationship of assessment/instruction. Describes creating inclusive learning communities that promote literacy growth, respect for all learners, and family and community involvement. Involves technology/classroom applications. Pre-Requisites:Graduate Status. Typically Offered Summer Only
Use the search to find the course(s) that you are looking for.


Aboriginal Bark Paintings: Free Lesson Plan Download
Grade Level: 3-5 Art Education Lesson Plan
Art Elements: Line, Contour Line
Art Skills: Observational Drawing
Art History: Aboriginal Art, Australia
* Get more free lessons like this, on our Lessons Page
This lesson plan helps 3rd grade students learn about contour line. They will be using a visual library, which I posted about here, to look at animals and try to draw an accurate outline of that animal.
Then, in the style of the Aboriginal Artists of Australia, students will draw X Ray Vision inside the animal and paint dots using the traditional colors of red, black, white and yellow.
I love this lesson because it has the “Trifecta” of art lessons.
1. Not Cookie Cutter! – Each project turns out different, because kids can differentiate based on skill and interested by choosing their own animal to draw
2. Art history This has a great cultural connection that makes the art element of Line much more interesting and desirable to a 3rd grader
3. They Look Good! – As much as well all say the process is more important than the product, a visually pleasing product that students can be proud of is a very important part of the artist process.


Emergent Computer Literacy
A Developmental Perspective
Routledge – 2009 – 198 pages
Series: Routledge Research in Education
The United States is currently grappling with how to prepare our students to be computer literate citizens in the competitive technological world we live in. Understanding how children develop computer knowledge, and the ways that adults are able to guide their computer learning experiences, is a vital task facing parents and educators. This groundbreaking book is an attempt to fill a gap in current understanding of how we become computer literate and proposes a theory of how computer literacy skills emerge in computer users.
A Choice Outstanding Book of 2009
"The book is essential for anyone studying literacy or looking for suggestions on curricular inclusion of computer literacy. Quantitative and qualitative researchers will find this book valuable for the design and execution of the study. Robinson’s text is incisive and most immediately complementary to scholarship in education, English, psychology, sociology and information science… Highly recommended."—L.H. Taylor Jr., Choice (2009), Vol. 46, No. 11
"Emergent Computer Literacy is an admirably concise study with a number of important implications for future research on children and computer literacy in the "information age". The book will enlighten both researchers and parents alike and ask them to reconsider the development of their children and their assimilation into a technologically driven society. I recommend this book to researchers and also parents as an important starting point to consider the role of the new digital literacies affecting children’s education around the world."--Jeremy White, International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society ( 2009), Vol. 7, No. 2
1. Introduction 2. Review of Related Research and Literature 3. Research Study 4. Research Findings 5. Research Implications 6. Supporting Early Computer Literacy Development 7. Summary, Issues, And Future Research. Epilogue
Helen Mele Robinson is Assistant Professor in the Education Department at CUNY, The College of Staten Island. She has published journal articles in Perspective: The New York Journal of Adult Learning.


For Building Successful Readers and Writers
David Booth and Larry Swartz
- Author: David Booth and Larry Swartz
- ISBN: 978-155138-173-2
- Media: 160 pp/paper
- Grade Range: 0-6
- Item No: WEB-8173
This revised handbook is even more useful for elementary teachers who want to explore the best techniques for teaching reading and writing. The second edition of this popular guide has been totally rewritten and offers more than one hundred procedures and activities based on the latest research. In this superb collection of proven strategies, teachers will find old favorites as well as new approaches they will want to try— from using reading comprehension strategies and the writing process to working with information texts and technology.
This overview of best practices for encouraging literacy helps teachers reflect on their own teaching style as they explore innovative approaches to learning. It contains hundreds of practical ideas to meet the particular needs of every student. Each strategy includes a brief discussion of the issues and then focuses on ready-to-use ideas for any classroom. Some of the topics addressed include:
- joining the literacy club—from conditions for literacy learning and gender issues to supporting literacy growth and using parents as partners;
- structures for literacy learning— from creating a print environment and guided reading to independent reading and tutoring struggling students;
- reading strategies—from tapping into background knowledge and monitoring comprehension to encouraging oral, written, and visual response;
- writing strategies— from using notebooks and tricks of the trade to writing in genre and applying the conventions of language;
- organizing a literacy classroom— from timetabling and involving the library to essential classroom resources in all genres.
Literacy Techniques for Building Successful Readers and Writers also includes checklists and guidelines—many in reproducible form—for easy classroom use.
Table of ContentsPreview the book online!
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Part A: Supporting Literacy Learners
Part B: What's in a Word
Part C: Meaning-Making with Texts
Part D: Responding to Texts
Part E: The Reading Workshop
Part F: The Writing Workshop
Part G: The Conventions of Language
Part H: Organizing a Literacy Classroom
Appendix 1: Black-Line Masters
Appendix 2: Book Lists
About the Authors
David Booth is Coordinator of Elementary Programs at OISE/University of Toronto. For more than 25 years he has worked with teachers in creating, applying, and evaluating approaches to how children learn to read and write. >more


Learn how to find the top schools of music in the U.S.
Schools of music are educational institutions that offer professional and advanced training in music composition, appreciation, history and performance. Music schools may be part of a larger liberal arts college or a university, or they may be stand alone institutions, often called conservatories.
Conservatories allow students to concentrate on music and other types of performance art, such as drama and dance. Students who attend schools of music can work as professional musicians, composers, music teachers and music industry professionals.
According to the College Music Society, there are 4,314 institutions of higher learning in the United States and of these, 1,739 institutions have programs granting degrees in music and music education. The College Music Society further estimated that there were 330,534 students enrolled in schools of music in 2006 to 2007, representing 1.9 percent of the entire student population.
While each school of music offers a unique curriculum, each degree program will contain similar core material, based on widely accepted standards. The National Association of Schools of Music, founded in 1924, establishes nationally recognized criteria for awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees in music.
Educational institutions are ranked according to a number of factors, including cost of tuition, quality of institutional facilities, number of students who achieve professional employment post graduation, and achievements and awards given to former students and faculty.
News organizations such as U.S. News and World Report publish lists ranking the nation's academic institutions according to various factors, including the number of students who graduate after entering a degree program and the success of graduates in entering the professional environment. Schools of music are listed in U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of liberal arts colleges.
There are also international organizations, such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), that publish annual reviews of educational organizations worldwide. The ARWU uses a number of factors in determining the quality of the institution, including the achievements of school alumni and the achievements of school staff and adjunct faculty.
In 2005, Rolling Stone magazine began publishing an annual review of music schools, which contains information about the music "scene" surrounding the school. Though a more informal approach, Rolling Stone's "Schools that Rock" provides useful information for students who are hoping to build careers within the popular music industry.
In addition to ranking lists, students looking to enroll in schools of music should evaluate the school's faculty. Some schools of music may employ faculty members with expertise in classical and jazz music, while other schools may employ faculty whose expertise extends to other genres.
The following music schools are considered among the finest in the United States, based both on official ranking and popular opinion:
The Juilliard School of Music, located in New York, N.Y., is one of the best-known schools of music in the United States. Juilliard consistently places high in ranking lists and has also achieved fame because many of the school's graduates have achieved prominent positions as performers and educators.
The Juilliard School was founded in 1905 and became the nation's most prominent school of music in the 1930s. Composer William Schuman, who won the first Pulitzer Prize for music, served as president of the school in the 1940s, during which time Juilliard gained an international reputation for excellence.
The Peabody Institute, which was founded in 1857 as a department of John's Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., is one of the most prestigious schools of music in the country. Prominent alumni include pianist and composer Philip Glass and singer Tori Amos. Peabody focuses on classical and jazz music with an emphasis on performance. Even students focusing on music industry management are expected to achieve a high level of skill in both composition and performance.
While Peabody and Juilliard top most ranking lists, musicians and industry leaders argue that there are many high quality schools of music in the United States. A student's ultimate choice must therefore depend partially on personal preference and the unique educational opportunities offered by specific programs.


WACHUSETT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Holden-Paxton-Princeton-Rutland-Sterling
Core Curriculum in Our Schools
Our core academic curriculum is built on the following truths about learning:
- Writing is Decision-Making
To ensure these ideals are embedded in daily teaching and learning, the Wachusett Regional School District is a "workshop district." The workshop model allows a structured, comprehensive approach to learning that nurtures understanding, builds on foundational skills, and provides customized learning for all students.
21st Century Learning in Our Schools
The Wachusett Regional School District is committed to helping our students develop the college and career readiness skills they will need to find success beyond our schools. Given our challenges, we will need to innovate our approaches, find efficiencies where possible, and support the ongoing efforts of our teachers and administrators to embrace 21st century learning. To this end, the District embarked on a number of initiatives through our AIM21 campaign. In order to provide students with career competencies they will need, our schools are building 21st Century Skills into all curriculum areas. As we address the demand for digital literacy in the 21st century, classrooms are integrating digital Learning Tools as a vehicle for instruction. Digital Conversion and green school efforts are reducing waste and energy consumption to realize financial efficencies and protect our environment.
Response to Intervention in Our Schools
The goal of Response to Intervention (RTI) is to improve student learning through a collegial, team-based process. RTI validates ‘good teaching’ methods while providing for a sharing of more ideas to yield success. The RTI process results in a consistent problem-solving approach for struggling students. Intervention plans are developed around a three tiered-approach. FInd out more about our approach to RTI in the District.
Professional Development in Our Schools
Job-embedded instructional coaching is the primary mechanism for professional development in the District at the K-8 level. Instructional coaching allows teachers to bridge knowledge gathered in workshops and professional readings to classroom application. Find out more about instructional coaching in the District.


Why Use Assessments?Assessments help you identify areas of instruction to meet every student's individual needs. Foundational skills require mastery before students can become fluent readers and comprehend what they are reading. Identifying key foundational skills and complex reading behaviors with assessments helps you focus your instructional time on concepts students struggle to understand. pose.
How to UseAn assessment is any formal or informal measurement of student progress used to improve overall learning. Use our formal assessment tools to help diagnose a student's instructional needs and their understanding of the instruction delivered. Then, find resources from within Reading A-Z’s vast collection to differentiate your instruction based on each student’s assessed needs.
Use a variety of Reading A-Z resources as opportunities for students to practice important skills measured by Common Core ELA assessments scheduled to replace most formal end-of-year state tests in the 2014-2015 school year. Be sure to look for opportunities for
- close examination of text
- mastery of complex literary and informational reading
- inferring meaning from what is read
- answering text-dependent questions
- building arguments using evidence from the text.
Provide students opportunities to practice some of these assessed skills with increasingly complex texts in our Leveled Book collection and by using our Leveled Book Support Resources, including Common Core Supplements, Discussion Cards, and Comprehension Quizzes, along with other resources such as Close Reading Packs.
Other Assessment Tips
After the reading, talk to the student about some of the things she or he did during the reading. Reinforce and praise certain behavior with comments and questions that focus on specific behaviors. For example, after the student reads the text, you might focus on a self-correction and ask, "How did you know it was people and not persons?"
Reading Observation Checklist
In addition to the things revealed by the running record and retelling, there are other behaviors you should be identifying. The behaviors to look for will vary with the reading level. They include the following:
- Does the student have mastery of directionality, one-to-one correspondence, return sweep, and so forth?
- Did the errors made by the student make sense or sound right?
- Did the student attempt to self-correct?
- Did the student use the meaning, structure, and visual cues to identify words and get meaning from the text? Did she or he use them in an integrated way, or did she or he rely heavily on one particular source of information?
- Did the student make an attempt to read a word before asking for your help?
- How was the student's fluency? Did she or he just word-call?
- Did the student seem to recognize phrases?
- Were there many pauses? Were the pauses lengthy?
- How was the student's expression or intonation?
Other Uses of Running Records
You can use a blank running record form to perform a running record assessment on a non-benchmark book, or if you want to assess a reader's accuracy for the entire text of a book.


How to Become a Teacher
Becoming a teacher in BC - what are my options?
Generally, if you intend to become a teacher in British Columbia you must plan to spend approximately five years in full-time study at a post-secondary institution. You may choose to study on a part-time basis, but this lengthens the time it takes to complete your credential(s) and become qualified to teach.
Teacher education options in British Columbia are available in three areas: Elementary Education (Grades 1 - 5), Middle School Education (Grades 6 - 8), and Secondary School Education (Grades 9 - 12). Some elementary education programs, such as UFV's TEP can cover both elementary and middle school preparation.
Teacher education programs in BC - how are they organized?
The five years of study are divided into two areas:
a) the academic, or university portion: here you learn about what you will teach (e.g. English, History, Math, etc.)
Elementary school teachers are considered "generalists" and will need a broad curricular background, in order to be prepared to teach many subject areas.
Secondary school teachers are considered "specialists", who will complete a major or minor in one or two teachable areas, which they will eventually teach.
Middle school teachers can benefit from the broad curricular background similar to elementary school teachers, but can also have a specialization area.
The academic, or university portion of your education normally takes four years of full-time study to complete an undergraduate degree (Bachelor degree). Many students balance university studies with work commitments and volunteer work, thereby taking more than four years to complete the Bachelor's degree.
b) the teacher education portion: this is also referred to as your professional teacher preparation year. At UFV this is a one year full-time program (TEP). You will a) complete the requirements for the teacher education program, i.e. learning how to teach, and b) put that learning into practice by going out on extended teaching practica. At this time, the teacher education portion of the program can be taken on a full-time basis only. At UFV the teacher education portion is the TEP, after the completion of a four year undergraduate program (Bachelor degree). You have the option of entering into the TEP elementary program, or TEP secondary program. The secondary program will support four teachable subjects in two streams (science/math and humanities).
Putting together an educational plan that meets your needs and interests:
The structures of teacher education programs vary, depending on the institution and the option you choose. At UFV the Teacher Education Program is a post baccalaureate professional program. In other words it is a one year program after applicants have completed a bachelors degree. If you have questions about what program options are best for you and how you can develop your program plan towards the teaching profession, you are advised to attend one of the TEP Information Seminars or see the Educational Advisor for an appointment.
Click here for more information on education programs across Canada.


British Art Around 1900: Looking to France - National Museum Cardiff
Between 1880 and the First World War British artists turned to France for new inspiration.
This gallery reflects the different developments in British art at that time.
By the 1880s there was a growing dissatisfaction within the British art world.
Artists were frustrated with the dominance of the conservative Royal Academy which favoured art with traditional subjects such as literature and history. The curriculum offered by British art schools also seemed old-fashioned.
Paris offered an alternative as the centre of the avant-garde art world. Artists turned to modern French art for inspiration.
Like the Impressionists, British artists began to paint contemporary subjects and the world around them. They also started to experiment with techniques, colours and tones.
In 1886, a new exhibiting society, the New English Art Club, was founded to promote these British Impressionist works.
Art education in Britain also began to absorb these modern ideas. The Slade School of Art, London was particularly influential. Many leading British artists studied there, including women, who were now able to study as equals.
This progressive new climate in British art led to the formation of a number of different artist groups which took these ideas in exciting new directions.
National Museum Cardiff


Debates in Music Teaching
Edited by Chris Philpott, Gary Spruce
Routledge – 2012 – 272 pages
Series: Debates in Subject Teaching
Debates in Music Teaching encourages student and practising teachers to engage with contemporary issues and developments in music education. It aims to introduce a critical approach to the central concepts and practices that have influenced major interventions and initiatives in music teaching, and supports the development of new ways of looking at ideas around teaching and learning in music.
Accessible and comprehensive chapters will stimulate thinking and creativity in relation to theory and practice, and will facilitate readers in reaching their own informed judgements and rationalising their position with deep theoretical knowledge and understanding. Throughout the book, international experts in the field consider key issues including:
Debates in Music Teaching is for all student and practising teachers interested in furthering their understanding of the subject. Including carefully annotated further reading and reflective questions to help shape research and writing, this collection stimulates critical and creative thinking in relation to contemporary debates within music education.
Philosophical, Sociological and Psychological Foundations
The Pedagogy of Music
Chris Philpott is Dean of the School of Education and Reader in Music Education, University of Greenwich, UK.
Gary Spruce is Senior Lecturer in Education with responsibility for Music ITT, Open University, UK, and presently co-editor of The British Journal of Music Education.