Schools Need a 'Neotenic' Revolution
We are in the midst of a period of unprecedented interest in schooling and its improvement in the United States. The past three years have seen a flood of commission and task-force reports that threatens to drown us. Until recently, these reports focused almost entirely on secondary schools. Elementary schools have been virtually ignored.
Our society's habitual patronizing of those who work with children results from our persistence in viewing childhood as a stage on the way to growing up (rather than as an important and valid stage of its own), a vocabulary that undervalues the roles of people who work with children, and the habitual reluctance of elementary educators and others who deal with children to speak out about the importance of their work. Although this is not a conscious conspiracy, it is clear that something basic is wrong in the way we regard the different levels of schooling in the U.S.
Yet there is a growing body of evidence to support what we have known for a long time: What is learned in elementary school (and earlier) provides the foundation for all future learning. Furthermore, with the rapid changes in family structure, alterations in traditions, the influence of the media, and the impact of new technology, elementary schools play an increasingly important role in stabilizing the lives of children.
Secretary of Education William J. Bennett's recently formed Elementary Education Study Group provides an opportunity to call attention to the importance of viewing the different levels of schooling as a continuum in which each element must be defined by reference to the others, rather than as a hierarchy in which the latest stage is the most significant. By adopting the idea of a continuum, we can begin to make learning as effective as possible by:
• Appreciating opportunities for continuity;
• Building a better-articulated curricular sequence from kindergarten through high school (and beyond);
• Integrating concepts;
• Making connections between various areas of the curriculum; and
• Calling attention to the interrelationships along the continuum.
In short, we must consider where a child is coming from, as well as where we want him to end up.
By dignifying the primary importance of the elementary school, we will be able to acknowledge that there is much in elementary-school practice that can serve as a model for improving practice at all levels of schooling. Toward this end, Secretary Bennett's study group has the ability and legitimacy to rally forces for a carefully conceived, gradual, yet vigorous neotenic educational revolution.
The concept of neoteny, as defined by Ashley Montagu, refers to "the retention into adult life of those human traits associated with childhood." Stephen Jay Gould and others view neoteny as having evolutionary consequences in the human species. Borrowing this concept and applying it to schooling, one can identify many characteristics traditionally associated with elementary schools that have implications for secondary-school (and even collegiate) reform and improvement.
As a matter of fact, a number of recent reports and studies suggest improvements in secondary schools that reflect practices that have always been intrinsic to elementary schools. Some of these are: an emphasis on teaching students rather than on teaching disciplines; flexibility in scheduling; responsibility for monitoring the performance of individual students; familiarity with subjects across the curriculum; a variety of instructional approaches; a clear curricular progression.
As we look to various elementary-school practices to improve other levels of schooling, likewise we should foster--rather than extinguish--certain childlike characteristics that contribute to the aims of a learning community and make schools more vital places. Among such characteristics are a desperation to learn (the inquisitiveness most children bring to school), playfulness, curiosity, a propensity to question, a willingness to make mistakes, imagination, enthusiasm, humor, flexibility, and energy.
Montagu observes that these traits tend to disappear as people grow older. It would be useful to examine what aspects of elementary-education practice encourage these qualities and can be sustained in secondary schools. We might also analyze what in secondary-school practice weakens these desirable traits.
A neotenic educational revolution will not be easy to accomplish. Neither will it--nor should it--happen all at once. We need to begin by fostering a change in attitude. We must recognize that after the family, the elementary school is the most important institution in a child's life. We must embrace the notion and articulate the consequences of viewing schooling as a continuum that reflects the characteristics noted above, rather than as a hierarchy that leads to increasingly valuable stages of learning. We must accept the notion that there are many elementary-school practices that can contribute to improved performance in secondary schools and colleges.
In keeping with our nation's historical willingness to take a revolutionary stand against what we see as no longer functional, or not in our best interests, the Elementary Education Study Group has the chance to fire the "shot heard round the world" in the neotenic educational revolution.
Vol. 05, Issue 23, Page 36


Students of color, low-income students, special education students, and students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) lag significantly behind their peers and achieve at levels below average in Washington state. There has been no clear progress in closing these gaps and, in some cases, the gaps are growing. Funding for public education in our state should include substantial resources focused on addressing and ultimately eliminating these gaps in academic outcomes. There is no “silver bullet” but there are many promising approaches for closing the opportunity and achievement gaps.
Closing the preparation gap
Significant gaps exist before children enter kindergarten. High-quality early childhood learning opportunities can significantly reduce gaps and prevent or mitigate gaps in later years.
Research has demonstrated the important and lasting effects of brain development from birth to age five. Kids who are behind early on usually do not thrive in school later on. Conversely, students enrolled in an early learning program are more prepared for kindergarten, more likely to graduate high school, are healthier, more likely to be employed and report higher income. They are also less likely to repeat grades, be placed in special education, be involved in the juvenile justice system, and commit crimes as adults.
Studies show that for every dollar invested in quality preschool, we see returns of seven dollars or more. In our state, pre-K costs more than in-state college tuition, making it unaffordable for many families. Unlike higher education, however, early learning does not receive much public funding.
Access to rigor and excellent instruction
Placing the most effective teachers where the needs are highest
The importance of high-quality instruction is well-established. But in many schools, the most effective teachers are assigned to the highest-achieving students, not to the students who need the most support.
When highly effective teachers transfer from a higher-achieving to a lower-achieving school, student outcomes improve significantly, especially in elementary school. Even with financial incentives for teachers who transfer, this method is more cost-effective than other successful methods (such as reducing class size).
Students of color and low-income students are as likely as their white or upper-income peers to attend schools offering Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, but they are much less likely to enroll in the courses. Students who participate in these types of upper-level courses have higher GPAs and four-year college graduation rates. Federal Way Public School District increased the number of low-income and minority students taking upper-level courses by 2.5 times over a four-year period while keeping exam pass rates stable. During the 2013 legislative session, the League of Education Voters worked with community partners and advocates to pass legislation (HB 1642) encouraging school districts to adopt academic acceleration policies.
Culturally responsive instruction
Research has shown that different learning conditions can have better outcomes for children from some cultural backgrounds than others. Research also suggests that strategies that make learning more relevant and more personalized for students results in improved academic outcomes and may be more effective than strategies such as using rewards and punishments.
Providing support for educators so their skills match the needs of their students
The percentage of Washington students served in special education increased by more than 75 percent between 2004 and 2013. The percentage of students with a language other than English spoken at home almost doubled in the same period of time. More than 1 in 5 schools in Washington have 10 percent or more students enrolled in the Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program. Despite this high and growing need, fewer than 200 teachers graduated with an ELL endorsement in 2010 from a Washington state university teacher-credentialing program. All educators should be supported so that they have the skills and tools necessary to teach all of our children.
Students can’t learn if they aren’t in the classroom. Every year, thousands of Washington students are excluded from school. Higher rates of suspensions and expulsions lead to higher dropout rates, increases in grade repetition, and a rise in incarceration rates. Students of color, low-income students, and special education students are disciplined at higher rates than other students.
During the 2013 legislative session, we worked closely with community partners and advocates in a statewide coalition committed to transforming school discipline policies. In convening this coalition, we helped pass Senate Bill 5946, which makes discipline data public and keeps more students in school by limiting the number of days students can be removed from class.
English Language Learners (ELLs)
Transforming School Discipline (January 2014)


It is not known exactly when West Auckland was first inhabited but there is evidence
of the existence of "Auckland West" in the history of St. Cuthbert in the 11 Th Century.
The Boldon Book in 1183 showed West Auckland was inhabited by a number of Serfs who
were part of the tenantry of the Bishop of Durham, Hugh de Puset, the first of the
The creation of a church dedicated to St. Helen in the 13th Century in "Auckland
West" heralded th beginning of a separate community in what was later known as St.Helen
After the opening of the Darlington and Stockton Railway in 1825, the search for
coal escalated, so drilling started in 1826 in West Auckland and 1828 in St Helen
Auckland, so with the better prospect of jobs the population rose from 978 in 1801
to 1,509 in 1840 and increased to 3,651 by 1891. By the turn of the century West
Auckland Colliery employed 620 men and St Helens Colliery 352 men.
A school that catered for only 20 children was enlarged in the 1870 and then amalgamated
into a National School to accommodate 533 Children. 1880 Elementary Education was
West Auckland made criminal history in the 1870's when Mary Ann Cotton, a miner's
wife, was convicted and hanged in Durham Jail for poisoning her stepson, Frederick
at their home at 13 Front Street.
Although only convicted on one charge, she was believed to have murdered 20 people
by poisoning and to have been the greatest poisoner ever - as witness her entry in
the Guinness Book of Records.
West Auckland Brewery operated behind the old hall that had been the home of the
Eden Family. It was begun by J.H. Taplin but was taken over by a limited company
of wealthy tradesmen.
West Auckland Football Club won a world football cup in 1908 to 1909 when they beat
a Milan team and then, two years later, beat teams from Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
The trophy, donated by Sir Thomas Lipton, used to stand in a display case in West
Auckland Working Man's Club. Unfortunately, it was stolen in 1994 and to date has
not been recovered. An exact replica has been put in its place
The Boldon Book
As many people know, the famous Domesday Book of 1086 does not cover English lands
north of the River Tees. For whatever reason – be it that the area had been ‘wasted’
by the Normans in previous years, or, more likely, that the region was considered
ungovernable – the surveyors
studiously avoided the present-day counties of Northumberland and Durham when the
most famous manuscript in English history was compiled 900+ years ago.
King William I was happy to let the infamous Prince Bishops of Durham get on with
it up here, it seems. And they were pretty powerful men in their day. Perhaps the
most famous of them, Hugh de Pudsey, considered himself so important, in fact, that
he commissioned a ‘Domesday Book’ of his own in 1183 – a work that came to be known
as ‘The Boldon Book’.


Red And White Striped Alphabet Letters
In this alphabet worksheet, students cut out red and white striped letters. All alphabet letters are on this sheet. Letters could be used on a bulletin board display.
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Goal 4: Quality education
Photo: UN in Lao PDR/Daniel Hodgson
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
By 2014, Lao PDR had met MDG target on enrolment, with a primary education net enrolment ratio of 98.5 percent. However, survival rate to grade 5 remains low, at around 78.3 per cent in 2014/15. Although the survival rate has increased by over 7 percentage points from that in 2012, it still needs to be much higher for full achievement of MDG 2, which involves completion of primary education. The Mid Term Review of the Education Sector Development Plan 2011-15 linked the low survival rate to high repetition and dropout.
The early years are a key bottleneck within the country’s basic education system. The low survival rate is a consequence of most children dropping out in the first year of school or not progressing to the next grade level. Children’s lack of school readiness is a key factor. Other causes for dropping out include incomplete schools, the limited capacity of teachers, irregular teacher attendance, poor quality of teaching and learning, the direct and opportunity costs of schooling for families, and insufficient funding for investments in education quality.
The construction of “complete primary schools” has enabled many more children to go to school. The proportion of complete schools rose from 48 percent in 2007/08 to 80 percent in 2015 of all primary schools. Nonetheless, an estimated 1,500 primary schools are still incomplete, mostly in remote rural areas, forcing children to leave school before finishing their primary education. Around 10,000 primary students drop out from primary education every year.
The access to early childhood education is limited. The percentage of new entrants to grade one having preschool experience in 2014/15 was 51.2 percent, with most of these enrolments in urban areas. Access to early childhood education varies significantly across districts, ranging from an enrolment rate of 18.6 percent in Toumlarn District to 80.2 percent in Sisattanak District, a 61.6 percentage difference (2013/14).
Secondary education gross graduation rates, which are much lower than gross enrolment rates, indicate significant dropout during the secondary cycle. From 2012 to 2014, the lower secondary gross graduation rate increased to approximately 56 percent, while the upper secondary gross graduation rate increased to around 34 percent. Non-completion of secondary education may be due to the low demand from communities, grade repetition in secondary school, which may lead to loss of interest and dropping out, and difficulty in access to secondary schools. The government is expanding the construction of secondary schools with dormitories for children and this has contributed to increasing female enrolment in lower secondary and upper secondary.
Children from certain ethnic groups face particular challenges. Those from non-Lao Tai communities face the difficulty of being educated in a language that is not their mother tongue, which has a direct impact on their ability to learn the foundational skills required to graduate from primary education. Despite the national policy on inclusive education, children with disabilities face difficulties in attending school, even if they are able to enrol at a school.
Although the Government has made significant investments in expanding non-formal adult literacy programmes, progress has been slow. Lao PDR has a low literacy rate, even among youth, possibly because of the large proportion of children not continuing to secondary education. The number of learners within the non-formal education for the lower secondary level has increased rapidly. However, the quality and efficiency of such learning programs need improvement.
Quality education is one of 17 Global Goals that make up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. An integrated approach is crucial for progress across the multiple goals.
Learn more about the targets for Goal 4.


Sir William Russell Flint (4 April 1880 – 30 December 1969) was a Scottish artist and illustrator who was known especially for his watercolour paintings of women. He also worked in oils, tempera, and printmaking.He was born in Edinburgh. From 1894 to 1900 Flint apprenticed as a lithographic draughtsman while taking classes at the Royal Institute of Art, Edinburgh. From 1900 to 1902 he worked as a medical illustrator in London while studying part-time at Heatherley's Art School. He furthered his art education by studying independently at the British Museum. He was an artist for The Illustrated London News from 1903 to 1907, and produced illustrations for editions of several books, including W. S. Gilbert's Savoy Operas (1909) and Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1912).Flint was elected president of Britain’s Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours (now the Royal Watercolour Society) in 1936 to 1956, and knighted in 1947.During visits to Spain, Flint was impressed by Spanish dancers, and he depicted them frequently throughout his career. He enjoyed considerable commercial success but little respect from art critics, who were disturbed by a perceived crassness in his eroticized treatment of the female figure.Flint was active as an artist until his death in London on 30 December 1969.


Resources › For Educators Primary Education: Teaching Number Sense With Ten Frames Using Visual Aids to Better Understand Numbers Share Flipboard Email Print s-cphoto / Getty Images For Educators Special Education Math Strategies Applied Behavior Analysis Behavior Management Lesson Plans Reading & Writing Social Skills Inclusion Strategies Individual Education Plans Becoming A Teacher Assessments & Tests Elementary Education Secondary Education Teaching Homeschooling By Jerry Webster Special Education Expert M.Ed., Special Education, West Chester University B.A., Elementary Education, University of Pittsburgh Jerry Webster, M.Ed., has over twenty years of experience teaching in special education classrooms. He holds a post-baccalaureate certificate from Penn State's Educating Individuals with Autism program. our editorial process Jerry Webster Updated November 05, 2019 Starting in kindergarten and moving through the first grade, students of early math begin to develop a mental fluency with numbers and the relationships between them known as "number sense." Number relationships—or math strategies—are comprised of several crucial functions: Complete Operations over places (i.e. from tens to hundreds, or thousands to hundreds)Composing and Decomposing Numbers: Decomposing numbers means breaking them down into their component parts. In Common Core, kindergarten students learn to decompose numbers in two ways: decomposing into tens and ones with a focus on numbers 11-19; showing how any number between 1 and 10 can be created using different addends.Equations: Mathematical problems that show that the values of two mathematical expressions are equal (as indicated by the sign =) Manipulatives (physical objects used to facilitate a better understanding of numerical concepts) and visual aids—including ten frames—are important teaching tools that can be used to help students get a better grasp of number sense. 01 of 04 Making a Ten Frame When you make ten frame cards, printing them on durable card stock and laminating them will help them last longer. Round counters (the ones pictured are two-sided, red and yellow) are standard, however, pretty much anything that fits inside the frames—miniature Teddy bears or dinosaurs, lima beans, or poker chips—will work as a counter. 02 of 04 Common Core Objectives Math educators have increasingly acknowledged the importance of “subitizing”—the ability to instantly know "how many” on sight—which is now part of the Common Core Curriculum. Ten frames are a highly effective way to teach the skills required to recognize and understand number patterns that are essential for operational fluency in math tasks including the ability to add and subtract mentally, to see relationships between numbers, and to see patterns. “Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).”—From CCSS Math Standard 1.OA.6 03 of 04 Building Number Sense Emerging math students require plenty of time to explore number concepts. Here are some ideas to get them started working with a ten frame: What numbers don't fill one row? (numbers less than 5)What numbers fill more than the first row? (numbers greater than 5) Look at numbers as sums including 5: Have students make the numbers to 10 and write them as composites of 5 and another number: i.e. 8 = 5 + 3.Look at other numbers in the context of the number 10. For example, how many do you need to add to 6 to make 10? This will later help students decompose addition greater than 10: i.e. 8 plus 8 is 8 plus 2 plus 6, or 16. 04 of 04 Manipulatives & Visual Aids for Special Needs Students Children with learning disabilities will likely need extra time to learn number sense and may require additional manipulative tools in order to achieve success. They should also be discouraged from using their fingers when counting as it may later become a crutch when they reach the second and third grade and move on to more advanced levels of addition and subtraction.


Although your toddler's energy might exhaust you, an active toddler is a healthy toddler. Children 1 to 3 years old should have at least an hour of daily unstructured physical activity and at least 30 minutes of adult-led physical activity, according to the National Association of Sports and Physical Education. Exercise helps toddlers maintain healthy weight, develop gross motor skills and decreases the risk of serious illnesses. Teaching toddlers the importance of exercise also helps establish healthy habits that will continue into adulthood.
Shake It Up
One of the easiest ways to exercise with your toddler is by dancing. Songs with silly lyrics or playing follow the leader with your dance moves engages and entertains toddlers. The Hokey Pokey or Where is Thumbkin, for example, help toddlers name and wiggle their digits, building vocabulary and fine motor skill development. Since dancing engages the entire body, toddlers increase coordination, strength and endurance, according to the National Dance Education Organization.
Stretch It Out
Another way to improve your toddler's balance and coordination is through stretching exercises such as yoga. Try simple stretching poses like downward dog or crescent moon. Switch to child's pose or rag doll to relax your little one at the end of a long day. Yoga focuses on breathing and balance, but remember to keep it light and fun. Poses with funny names like frog pose or ostrich pose can help to keep toddlers engaged. Yoga not only enhances flexibility and coordination, but it also helps develop a sense of calmness and concentration, according to Yoga Journal.
Run For It
Your 2-year-old is ready to follow simple instructions and since they learn through play, relays are a good way to encourage them. Fro example, you can line up three or four familiar objects and have your toddler race to get the one you call out. You can have your toddler kick balls back to you instead of carrying them or have them hop back with a stuffed animal. Toddlers develop gross motor skills through jumping, throwing and kicking, according to the National Library of Medicine. These skills are new for toddlers, so be sure to clear a safe level space for them to run.
Hopping like a kangaroo, crawling like a crab, slithering like a snake or waddling like a penguin can teach your child about animals while keeping them active an entertained. You can play a game of charades and have your little one guess what kind of animal you are, then have them act like their favorite animal. By 18 to 24 months, kids should be able to name animals and body parts, according to the National Library of Medicine. This activity will not only work their muscles, but also stimulate their creativity and language development.
- National Association for Sports and Physical Education; Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children From Birth to Age 5
- National Dance Education Organization: Standards for Dance in Early Childhood
- Yoga Journal: Yoga for Kids
- National Network for Child Care: Toddler Development
- National Library of Medicine: Toddler Development
- Amos Morgan/Photodisc/Getty Images


Digital technologies are often blamed for contributing to self-control problems in children. But with the right apps and games, the same activities thought to be a recreational distraction can prove to be powerful tools for training Self-Control. The best apps and games to improve Self-Control help kids manage a range of self-regulations skills, from better managing emotions, reducing anxiety levels, and inhibiting impulsive behavior.
The selected apps listed below can help children experience a calm and peaceful state of mind, freeing them from the anxiety that can sometimes cause impulsive decisions. The games, on the other hand, support fine-motor skill development, allowing children to gain more control over their more physical urges and compulsions.
Some of Our Favorite Apps and Games to Improve Self-Control:
iReward Chart is an app designed to give kids positive reinforcement of good behaviors. Individuals can set up different chores and responsibilities, with stars being awarded for the completions of such tasks. Parents can set different rewards based upon the amount of stars earned, incentivizing children to build up a record of good behavior.
Naturespace’s soundscapes are soothing and offer a controlled ebb and flow of some of the most calming natural sounds. Crackling fires, light rain, crickets, and peaceful, subtle bird calls are among some of the sounds included. When children feel pressure or anxiety start to build, they can use Naturespace to find balance and serenity. The free version of the app offers five free sounds, and the natural sounds can serve as a sleeping aid or study tool for ignoring external distractions.
Another relaxation aid, Breath2Relax provides children with video tutorials for learning calming and proper breathing techniques. Children are to implement the techniques, logging their stress levels before and after completing a breathing cycle. Children can then track their progress on a graph for comparison, helping to identify stress triggers. Learning to use breathing as a way to calm oneself is a simple way to help regulate feeling of stress and anxiety in kids.
Video games that require children to be physically active during gameplay are especially helpful for children who have trouble with self-control. In Sports Champions: Disc Golf, children use the PlayStation 3 Move controller to toss a Frisbee at a target. It takes a combination of finesse and force to hit the target in the least amount of throws. Children must avoid obstacles, account for wind, and avoid tossing the disc out of bounds. The throwing motion must be carefully monitored, and children must harness and control any urge to use too much force when tossing.
Golfing video games tend to move at a slower pace than games like basketball, hockey, or football. Because the pace is slower, children are forced to concentrate on the many nuances associated with the golf swing. Player with Xbox Kinect, the game requires no controller, instead, children simply pretend to grip a club, and swing accordingly. Driving the ball requires a more forceful swing, while a short putt necessitates a gentle gesture, playing the roll and pitch of the course. Controlling the speed of the swing takes finesse and self-control — especially after a bogey, or a ball hit out of bounds.


Millions of children in developing countries don’t attend school regularly or at all. The number of out-of-school girls is higher than for boys, and women account for more than 60% of sub-Saharan Africa’s adult illiterate population. Despite the huge inroads made by cell phones and the Internet in sub-Saharan Africa, radio remains the primary means of communication. However, in most areas electricity is scarce or non-existent and the high cost of batteries makes them unaffordable to the poor. Important informational and educational programmes often do not reach the groups they are meant to benefit.
Succeed Lifeline Energy provides technology solutions for off-grid learning. Lifeline designs, manufactures and distributes solar-powered and wind-up media players and radios that operate anytime, anywhere. Despite the inroads made by computers, tablets and smart phones, radio remains the most important communication medium in Africa and in other parts of the developing world. It’s not only effective, radio makes learning cost-effective, too. Operating mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, their work supports orphans and other vulnerable children, women, refugees and people who are ill. Since 1999 more than 550,000 wind-up and solar powered radios and media players have been distributed, chiefly in Africa. Millions of listeners have been reached, as classrooms of up to 60 children or listening groups use each radio or media player.
Success Story Although LifeLine Energy’s footprint is mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, their products are used in many developing countries around the world. For example, in Ethiopia and Mozambique the Lifeplayer MP3s are providing English-language training, while in South Sudan they’ve been been pre-loaded with primary school curriculum to help children attain an education. Lifeplayers are being used to gain agricultural and market information for pyrethrum farmers in Rwanda. LifeLine Energy’s solar and wind-up Prime radios are providing crucial information and education access in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia.
Kristine Pearson conceived the idea of the successful Lifeline radio, the first radio designed and engineered for distance education and children living on their own. Her innovative work with the Lifeline radio led her to be honored with Silicon Valley’s prestigious James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award and TIME magazine named her as a Hero of the Environment. She is a fellow of the Schwab Foundation and serves on the Global Agenda Council’s New Energy Architecture Committee, both of the World Economic Forum. Kristine serves on the Women’s Leadership Board of the Kennedy School at Harvard University, the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, and the UN Foundation’s Sustainable Energy Practitioner Network.


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


The implementation of the Mathematics Program at Dandenong North is based on direct, explicit teaching with the use of concrete materials. This teaching philosophy allows students to develop the foundational skills required for them to be able to solve problems that are essential to everyday life.
The Mathematics Program is delivered daily with the focus on the Mathematical dimensions of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. Student progress is measured against the standards outlined in the Victorian Curriculum using diagnostic testing. This strong focus on assessment ensures that the required knowledge is being attained and will determine the types of learning experiences needed; as well as the strategies that need to be employed to meet the needs of individual children.
At Dandenong North we believe that all of our children can achieve success in the Mathematics domain. Children who are not achieving at the expected levels in Years 3-6 attend small group intervention classes that concentrate on the dimension of Number and Algebra, which aims to make all of our children numerate. This smaller setting allows children to ask questions and it is designed to meet the individual needs, build knowledge, skills and confidence at an increased pace.
Children who are achieving above expected levels in Years 5&6 are provided with many opportunities to extend and enrich their mathematical learning through their attendance of a Mathematical Extension Program. These children are taught by a Mathematics Specialist Teacher, who plans challenging activities and mathematical based projects.
Michael Ymer is a Mathematics consultant to Dandenong North, providing professional development for our staff in the form of demonstrating lessons and lesson delivery.
Through the implementation of our Mathematics Program, students will have an understanding of mathematical concepts, as well as a positive attitude towards this curriculum area.


“How can I motivate my students to practice piano at home?” This is a question parents and piano teachers have long reckoned with. Today, this challenge is even greater thanks to technological developments. Let’s face it – smartphones, tablets, and computer games are more exciting than the average practice book. But distracting devices needn’t be your enemy.
On the contrary, new digital tools can liven up your students’ practice routines in new and exciting ways. After all, electronic devices have revolutionized just about every aspect of our lives. We buy plane tickets on our smartphone, boost our fitness with the aid of an app, and carry enormous libraries of films, books, and music in our pocket everywhere we go. Why not explore the benefits of innovative technologies for teaching piano, too?
It’s hard to find a child who isn’t fascinated by smartphones and tablets these days. Having noticed this, some resourceful piano teachers have already begun to make use of this enthusiasm for technology. The simple inclusion of a tablet PC in piano lessons lends an inexplicable “coolness factor” that makes learning a little more thrilling. Ear training and other music theory exercises become fun games to play on the go in the form of an app.
If you’re keen to give your teaching a technological edge but aren’t sure where to start, check out Christopher Sutton’s great guest post on making the most of online resources. Online communities are a great way to learn from other teachers’ experiences, ask questions, and find inspiration. Research and start experimenting with a range of tools. Soon enough you’ll find the ones that suit your students’ needs.
The kids of today have grown up with a love of digital devices, and a few innovative tools are often enough to make even the most frustrating practice sessions fun again. This goes for older students, too. Most piano students who learn to play piano as an adult often have two things in common: they want to improve fast, and they don’t have much spare time on their hands. The solution? Make practice efficient and fun with the help of an app.
One such app even provides an entirely interactive learning environment. With flowkey students can engage with a friendly and intuitive app that gives them immediate feedback on their progress. Apps like these show that new technology isn’t just a distraction for piano students. Far from it! By making the most of devices, apps, and online resources, students are able to create a practice routine that truly suits them.
flowkey is our newest advertiser here on Music Matters Blog, and we are grateful for their support of the online music education community! If you are interested in finding out more about how you can promote your company, event, or product, just send us an e-mail and we will let you know about our advertising packages.


Why should your child be enrolled in a music program?
Below you will find information that will give you information about music programs and how it can be imporant in your child's life. The data presented here shows the benifits of a quality music education.
1. In a 2000 survey, 73 percent of respondents agree that teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems.
- Americans Love Making Music - And Value Music Education More Highly Than Ever, American Music Conference, 2000.
2. Students who can perform complex rhythms can also make faster and more precise corrections in many academic and physical situations, according to the Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills
- Rhythm seen as key to music's evolutionary role in human intellectual development, Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills, 2000.
3. A ten-year study indicates that students who study music achieve higher test scores, regardless of socioeconomic background.
- Dr. James Catterall, UCLA.
4. A 1997 study of elementary students in an arts-based program concluded that students' math test scores rose as their time in arts education classes increased.
- "Arts Exposure and Class Performance," Phi Delta Kappan, October, 1998.
5. First-grade students who had daily music instruction scored higher on creativity tests than a control group without music instruction.
- K.L. Wolff, The Effects of General Music Education on the Academeic Achievement, Perceptual-Motor Development, Creative Thinking, and School Attendance of First-Grade Children, 1992.
6. In a Scottish study, one group of elementary students received musical training, while another other group received an equal amount of discussion skills training. After six (6) months, the students in the music group achieved a significant increase in reading test scores, while the reading test scores of the discussion skills group did not change.
- Sheila Douglas and Peter Willatts, Journal of Research in Reading, 1994.
7. According to a 1991 study, students in schools with arts-focused curriculums reported significantly more positive perceptions about their academic abilities than students in a comparison group.
- Pamela Aschbacher and Joan Herman, The Humanitas Program Evaluation, 1991.
8. Students who are rhythmically skilled also tend to better plan, sequence, and coordinate actions in their daily lives.
- "Cassily Column," TCAMS Professional Resource Center, 2000.
9. In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels.
- The Arts Education Partnership, 1999.
10. College admissions officers continue to cite participation in music as an important factor in making admissions decisions. They claim that music participation demonstrates time management, creativity, expression, and open-mindedness.
- Carl Hartman, "Arts May Improve Students' Grades," The Associated Press, October, 1999.


Music educators sometimes forget that they have a powerful teaching tool all around them at their disposal: Catchy popular music. From chart-topping hits to folk music traditions, well-known music is informing the musical world surrounding your students in a big way . One feature that makes popular music so infectious and memorable is the ostinato. Few musical features are able to bridge the gap between classical and popular music styles so effectively, making the ostinato a hugely useful teaching tool. Today, we’re celebrating ostinatos and sharing some guidance about how they can be used to teach your students.
What are ostinatos?
Ostinatos are continually repeated rhythms or musical phrases. From the music of Debussy and Philip Glass to Radiohead and The Kinks, listen to music long enough, and you’ll soon encounter this important musical staple. Ostinatos can consist of both repeating passages of percussion and pitched phrases, including those with harmonies. Ravel’s Boléro is perhaps the most well-known use of ostinatos in a classical context, while The Verve’s orchestrally driven hit “Bittersweet Symphony” is one of the clearest examples of them being featured in popular music.
In rock music, ostinatos often show up in the form of guitar riffs, like in Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man.” Repeating musical figures in jazz, funk, hip hop, pop, and other genres are sometimes referred to as vamps. The repetitive harmonic material in Stevie Wonder’s song “Superstition” is a well-known example.
Uses of ostinatos in music range from providing harmonic structures to developing catchy hooks to get stuck in a listener’s head.
The ostinatos as a teaching tool
Unlike other important staples in music, ostinatos are uncomplicated and easy to understand, making them ideal for teaching. From young children learning about music in the classroom for the very first time, to teenages students honing in their music reading skills, ostinatos have a great deal of teaching value to offer.
Early music education
The inherent simplicity of ostinatos make them hugely effective teaching devices in early music education. Proven teaching methods like Orff Schulwerk use simple repeating patterns of notes through claps, snaps, stomps, and simple instrumentation to introduce young classrooms to musical concepts.
The same qualities that make ostinatos ideal for making music catchy and memorable are the ones that make them ideal early music education tools. These musical devices are simple and can usually be played by musicians and non-musicians alike of virtually any age. Ostinatos are particularly great when it comes to getting a classroom full of kids excited about music. Musical games like call-and-response exercises can pump up young music students and other ostinato explorations help to solidify lesson information in the minds of your students like note symbols and music terminology.
Music theory and notation
Ostinatos are a great teaching tool for music theory and notation because of how often they show up in the musical world. Educators can select well-known ostinatos from both popular and classical music and break them down in theory and notation contexts in lessons. The power of ostinatos here lies in the realm of relatability. Educators often try to explain music as if it’s not something that’s already an inescapable part of the world their students are living in. Ostinatos are a great opportunity to teach notation and theory concepts through instantly recognizable sections of music. Whether it’s syncopation, harmony, intervals, or 16th notes, these simple musical devices can help you teach a variety of music subjects.
The inherent simplicity and approachability of ostinatos makes them a perfect way to introduce students to music performance. Students typically begin by clapping or playing basic repeating phrases in unison before learning to perform ideas that are independent of one another. This prepares young students to take on more challenging material in band and orchestral performance settings later on.
Music education is sometimes thought of as a discipline strictly dealing with complicated concepts, but ostinatos are a reminder that some of the most impactful music lessons are simple and instantly memorable.


Edwin M. Gardner
“Hoe in Hand” by Edwin M. Gardner.
Edwin M. Gardner, illustrator, portraitist, and cartographer, was born near Pulaski in Giles County, but while still a young boy, he moved with his family to Mississippi, where he probably had some formal training in art. While in his teens, Gardner fought in the Civil War as a member of Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry. Following the war, he began his formal art education in Memphis, then moved to Europe to train at the Royal Academy in Brussels, with later studies in France and Italy.
Upon his return to the United States, Gardner resumed study at the National Academy of Design in New York. Afterwards, he moved to Aberdeen, Mississippi, where he taught art at a female academy. He next moved to Winchester in Franklin County, where he spent five years on the faculty at Mary Sharp College.
Gardner made his last home in Nashville, where he had his greatest artistic influence. He made the first woodcuts and pen portraits for photoengraving used in the local daily newspapers, including the first published pen portrait of Sarah Childress Polk.
Although Gardner was listed in the catalogue of the 1885 Watkins Institute art show as a teacher there, he actually taught under the auspices of the Nashville Art Association in the art room which Watkins provided. His first official association with Watkins's Night School probably came in September 1910, when he was hired to teach industrial art. (School commissioners were perhaps still uncomfortable with the term "fine" art.) Gardner's presence on the Watkins Institute faculty gave the school a teacher trained in commercial and fine arts. He encouraged his students to draw by taking casts and using live models, and this laid the foundation for the school's Department of Fine Art.
Published » December 25, 2009 | Last Updated » January 01, 2010


The economic value of skills
Skills that pay the bills
Jan 7th 2014, 17:16 by C.W. | LONDON
HOW well are your skills rewarded? There is surprisingly little research on that question, and what does exist is pretty much entirely focused on America. A new paper* from the OECD, a rich-country think-tank, tries to fill this gap.
The research uses survey data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), released only a few months ago. The database is a big improvement on what has come before: not only does it look at people of all ages but the sample size is large. Over 150,000 people in 24 countries were interviewed: respondents were given numerical, literacy and problem-solving tests. (The results were then standardised on a 500-point scale.) The same survey asked people about their work.
The raw results of the PIAAC survey are fascinating. South Korean high-school graduates have better numeracy and literacy skills than Italian university graduates. Younger folk in Finland do substantially better than their elders.
Overall, the effect of skills on earnings (what economists call “returns-to-skills”) is unsurprising. The authors focus on numeracy and show that people with more skills earn more. A one-standard-deviation increase in numeracy skills is associated with an 18% wage increase among “prime-age” workers (workers between 25 and 54).
But there is massive variation in returns-to-skills:
Why? The authors conduct a series of regressions and, some would argue, show the limitations of social-democratic policies:
[R]eturns to skills are systematically lower in countries with higher union density, stricter employment protection, and larger public-sector shares.
The analysis shows, for example, that a 25% point increase in union density (the difference, say, between Belgium and the United Kingdom) leads to a 3.5% point lower wage increase for each one-standard-deviation increase in numeracy skills.
But free-market types should not gloat. Pretty much unexplored in the paper is the question of whether high returns-to-skills are a good thing. Highly skilled people might simply be extracting “rents”—economists’ shorthand for earning more than they would need to continue doing what they are doing. And when the skilled do extremely well, dystopian predictions like those discussed by Tyler Cowen in a recent book are never far away.


“How early is early learning in Kumon? If my child is 2 or 3, is she too young for Kumon?”
The only way to know for sure if your child is ready for Kumon is to bring her or him in for a free placement test at the centre. Generally, we have found 2 year old children do not usually have the patience to sit and study daily for at least 15-20 minutes, and advise that you begin around 3 or 4, depending on the personality and patience of your child with focused seat work.
If a child is not quite ready, we will usually recommend to re-test in 3-6 months. Often by that time, the child has become eager and prepared to begin learning Kumon.
Levels 7A and 6A of the Reading program, and 6A and 5A of the Math program, are designed to help young children not only develop strong pre-reading and basic numeracy skills, but also begin to develop study skills that will stand them in good stead throughout their life – good pencil hold, good posture, fine-motor skills, neatness of presentation, concentration/focus and the facility to study steadily instead of being constantly distracted, and so on.
In 5A through 3A of Reading and 4A and early 3A of Math, students prepare for the big transition to the main study area of Kumon where they will be developing more and more independent study skills at a pace comfortable for each child.


The brain is a plastic organ! No, not literally, but it does possess qualities that allow it to repair itself or adapt to new pathways. The latest study from Carnegie Mellon University demonstrated that students with dyslexia “permanently rewired” their brains after only 100 hours of intensive remedial reading instruction. The study, published in the August issue of the journal Neuropsychologia provides some exciting possibilities for the future of special education.
The instruction resulted in brain activity in the cortical region of the brain, the one associated with reading. Moreover, those gains not only continued, but also solidified a year after the training. Scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the alterations in the portion of the brain responsible for language development and reading. Specifically, that is called the “parietotemporal area, which is responsible for decoding the sounds of written language and assembling them into words and phrases that make up a sentence.” Prior to remediation, poor readers showed less activity in that region than did good readers. That differential between the two groups decreased immediately after the dyslexic students participated in the remedial course. “However, at the one year follow-up scan, the activation differences between good and poor readers had nearly vanished, suggesting that the neural gains were strengthened over time, probably just due to engagement in reading activities.”
These findings contradict earlier beliefs that dyslexia results from visual problems, like transpositions of letters such as b and d, p and q, Only about 10% of reading difficulties have a visual cause. A much larger percent –70%– arise from “a difficulty in relating the visual form of a letter to its sound, which is not a straightforward process in the English language.”
The remediation consisted of specially trained remedial reading teachers working with three students per group for an hour a day. “The training included both word decoding exercises in which students were asked to recognize the word in its written form and tasks in using reading comprehension strategies.” The brain imaging study was the first to test students in their understanding of words in sentences, rather than simply word recognition.”
Clearly, this study can have significant implications for curriculum development in areas other than reading. Also re-training the brain to overcome some learning disabilities is a distinct advantage over medicating students. Targeted instruction may be the wave of the future in education.


National Orchestra For All
“The National Orchestra for All is the only national non-auditioned orchestra I know of, anywhere in the world – we all have much to learn from this distinctive accomplishment.” – Eric Booth, author and Sistema Global Advisor
What is the National Orchestra for All?
The NOFA is a unique, mixed ability orchestra made up of 100 musicians aged 11-18 from across all four countries of the UK. Young musicians are nominated by their music teachers for their dedication and commitment to music in the face of challenging circumstances. Regardless of their background, Orchestras For All set high artistic standards for the orchestra and programme a season of innovative and exciting repertoire in partnership with leading artistic organisations from a range of genres, including the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Academy of Music, National Youth Jazz Collective and One Dance UK.
Why does NOFA exist?
NOFA provides a platform to young people who would not normally get the opportunity to participate in music-making together and helps to ensure young people are better equipped with the skills they need to achieve their aspirations.
The importance of access to musical experiences and a high quality musical education is widely accepted. Research indicates the importance of music-making as it:
· Transcends educational ability, socio-economic status and disability
· Gives young people a unique way to express themselves
· Can provide a safe space for young people to escape from challenging home or school lives
· Brings multiple benefits: confidence and self-esteem, self-efficacy and cultural awareness
Playing in an ensemble provides additional proven benefits, including providing access to a broad and diverse social network and improving teamwork and communication skills.
Yet music education and high quality musical experiences are inconsistently resourced across the UK, and young musicians with complex lives are often the first to miss out. Opportunities for orchestral music-making too often go towards those who are already privileged in some way. A 2014 Youth Ensembles report conducted by the Association of British Orchestras highlighted that 92% of British Youth Orchestras set a minimum entry standard and 80% charge an annual membership fee.
This is deeply unfair. It means disadvantaged young people repeatedly miss out on the unique opportunity of ensemble music-making and cannot realise all the non-musical benefits that playing in an ensemble can develop.
Who is eligible for membership?
Nominated musicians must fulfil Criteria 1 and Criteria 2 and at least one statement from Criteria 3 for NOFA membership as detailed below.
- Criteria 1: Commitment to music and music-making in and/or out of school
- Criteria 2: Sufficient emotional maturity to benefit from and contribute to a residential course
- Criteria 3 – nominees must fulfil at least one of the following statements:
- Recipient of Free School Meals (FSM)
- Emotional, Social or Behavioural Difficulty (ESBD)
- Mild Learning Difficulty (MLD)
- Physical Disability
- Physical Health Condition
- Mental Health Condition
- Young Carer
- In Care / Looked After
- Refugee / Asylum Seeker
- No Fixed Abode
- English as an Additional Language (EAL)
- Resident of Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) area
- Resident of a Low Participation Neighbourhood
- Student at Teach First Partner School / Attainment Challenge School
- Late Start on an Instrument (began playing in year 7 or later)
- Limited Accessible Local Music-Making
NB: This list of criteria is not exhaustive: should the young person you wish to nominate face another challenge that acts as a barrier to accessing music-making opportunities, contact Orchestras For All!
Membership in NOFA is free of charge for the young person.
To find out more, and to nominate a young person for membership, visit the Orchestras For All website here. Nominations will close on Friday 15 March 2019.


Arithmetic Teaching Apparatus
In the early years of the Republic, arithmetic was generally taught to teenaged boys planning careers in commerce, often by private tutors. With the advent of free common or elementary schools established in Northeastern states from the 1820s onward, arithmetic teaching became part of the educational experience of American girls and boys. Such schools gradually spread across the country.
Throughout most of the nineteenth century, students studied mathematics not only because of its practical utility but because educators believed that it promoted general mental discipline. Toward the end of the century, a new breed of university-educated psychologists challenged this view. They found no evidence that study of arithmetic and geometry promoted achievement in other areas. In part as a result, early twentieth century textbooks placed new emphasis on those aspects of arithmetic thought to be of greatest general use. Some topics— such as finding cube roots— which had long been a part of arithmetic teaching disappeared from the curriculum. Some routine drills were also eliminated. Newly introduced standardized tests came to be widely used to diagnosis student difficulties and predict future achievement, encouraging efficient use of school time.
Professional research mathematicians took relatively little interest in elementary education during this period. In the years following World War II, the expansion in the school–aged population, the need to replace mathematicians who had emigrated to the U.S., and fear of the Soviet Union combined to encourage new, more sophisticated mathematical curricula. Advocates of the “New Math,” as this movement was called, encouraged more abstract studies of arithmetic. At the same time, funds from the federal government and private foundations encouraged a variety of experimental approaches to teaching arithmetic and other topics.
The first machines that could perform arithmetic date from the seventeenth century, and commercially successful adding and calculating machines from the nineteenth century. These were far too expensive for general use in the home or the school. However, in the early 1970s, with the advent of the microchip, inexpensive handheld calculators became commonplace. Some manufacturers built new teaching devices using the technology. More generally, the electronic calculator challenged longstanding assumptions about the place of arithmetic in American education.


Instructional technology and literacy performance.
Hillebert, Amanda R.
MetadataShow full item record
SubjectEducational technology.; Information literacy -- Study and teaching.; Teaching -- Aids and devices.
Technology use in schools appears to be growing rapidly in many school districts, so this researcher wanted to determine if the instructional technologies being purchased by schools were in fact beneficial to the students. This thesis was completed to address the research question of how instructional technology impacts literacy development in students. To answer that question, the researcher conducted an extensive literature review and research synthesis. The collected studies were organized into five categories: instructional technology with computer software, with interactive white boards (IWB), with digital story booking/podcasting, with mobile devices, and impact of teacher attitude on instructional technology. Analysis of the studies in each category produced the following findings: that instructional technology impacts literacy development in a positive way, specifically by improving reading and writing skills, increasing student participation and engagement, increasing standardized test scores, and increasing reading comprehension across content areas. Instructional technology with digital story booking/podcasting increases literacy development in emergent literacy skills, student performance, and vocabulary. Instructional technology with mobile devices increases phonemic awareness skills and student responsibility. Findings also show that teacher positive attitudes towards instructional technology influence student positive attitudes towards instructional technology, which in turn improves student literacy development. The findings of this literature review are applicable to all teachers in all content areas because instructional technology is used in all content areas at all grade levels.
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The Drake equation, also known as the Green Bank equation, is used to yield the number of technically advanced civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. The equation uses astronomical, biological, and psychological factors to determine this number. The formula was first discussed in 1961 at a conference on the “search of extraterrestrial intelligence”, formulated largelyContinue reading “The Drake Equation”
Scientists believe that Jupiter has 79 moons, the most in the solar system. This is most likely because Jupiter is more massive, therefore is can hold on to more massive stuff the orbit around it. Additionally, the fact that Jupiter developed further away from the Sun in the formation process giving it access to moreContinue reading “Jupiter’s Moons”
There are four different processes that shape planetary surfaces; volcanism, tectonics, erosion, and impact catering. Impact catering is the creation of a bowl-shaped impact crater by asteroids or comets striking a planet’s surface. Volcanism is the eruption of molten rock, or lava from an interior onto its surface. Tectonics is the disruption of a planet’sContinue reading “The Geology of Mars”
The aurora borealis and aurora australis – often called the northern lights and southern lights – are mysterious and unpredictable displays of light in the night sky. The most common occurrences of this phenomena take place at higher northern and southern latitudes, less frequent at mid-latitudes, and are almost never seen near the equator. AurorasContinue reading “The Aurora”
The impact that spectroscopy and light has had on the world has not been recognized enough. The discovery of spectroscopy has allowed us to know so much more about astronomy and what makes up our universe. Spectroscopy is the investigation and measurement of spectra when matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation. In astronomy, we look atContinue reading “The Importance of Spectroscopy”
What is the Cosmic Calendar? Carl Sagan, a famous astronomer, promoted this idea of the cosmic calendar, that essentially is a tool used to help people visualize and understand how far apart events in the Universe are. Sagan has chronologically arranged the hallmark events of the Universe’s 13.8 billion year lifespan into just a singleContinue reading “The Cosmic Calendar”
Hi! My name is Emily Moody. I am currently a freshman at Vanderbilt University studying elementary education. I am originally from Garden City, New York. This blog is for Astronomy 2110: The Solar System. I’m looking forward to an awesome semester!


Elementary Education Online, cilt.17, ss.1944-1959, 2018 (ESCI İndekslerine Giren Dergi)
This research was conducted to determine the levels of conscious use of school canteens by the 4th grade primary school students. For the validity and reliability, scale was applied for 231 primary school 4th grade students. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used for construct validity according to the data obtained from this application. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of .70, which is 16 items, explains 42.14% of the variance. Using School Canteen Consciously Scale (USCCS), which consists of subdimensions such as “quality”, “responsibility” and “need”. After the pre-implementation, the scale was applied to 1071 elementary school students in 4 primary schools, 513 (48%) girls and 558 (52%) boys. As a result of the research, it was found that 4th grade primary school students did not consciously use the school canteen at the desired level and it differentiated significantly in favor of women at the level of using school canteen consciously in terms of gender of students, those studying at private schools in terms of the quality of type of school, and those who always go to school after having breakfast at home in terms of whether they go to school by having breakfast before school or not. It differs to a great extent against the students with low levels of family income in terms of quality, liability and scale according to their family income levels; according to the situation of getting money from their families, quality, responsibility, level of the needs and in terms of the total scale it differs in favor of the students who take weekly allowances.


MADE – Museum and Art education for Deaf Empowerment is an ERASMUS+ Youth project. It started in February 2019 and lasts 24 months. There are eight project partners from six European countries (Austria, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia).
The aim of the project is to develop a learning model to train young Deaf people aged 18 to 35 to become museum guides for Deaf museum visitors. This leads to greater inclusion in society and at work for young Deaf people. At the same time, museums become more attractive to a Deaf audience. The project looks at diversifying the interpretative tools and practices, spaces and collections of museums. In this way, museums become a tool for the inclusion of Deaf people.
At the same time, museums become more attractive to a Deaf audience. The project looks at diversifying the interpretative tools and practices, spaces and collections of museums. In this way, museums become a tool for the inclusion of Deaf people.
Why focus on museums and art?
People do not need specialist knowledge and learning to understand and enjoy art. What is important is the art itself. When young Deaf people train as museum guides, other people from the Deaf community become interested too. It changes the relationship between the Deaf community and the museum community. This creates new opportunities and new possibilities for art interpretation by a community that communicates through visual language.
During the project, the partnership expect to achieve the following results
Production of knowledge about the best contents and methodologies to make able young Deaf people to learn about art.
Definition and implementation of a curriculum for young Deaf people for becoming museum guides for Deaf audience, so to boost their social and working inclusion.
Improvement of young Deaf people competences about the interpretation and communication of works of art.
Acquisition of competences by young trainers and elaboration of open educational resources.


As technology revolutionizes the digital economy, we’re redefining what it means to be successful at work. Aside from technical proficiency, studies show that employees will also need a versatile mix of human skills, business enabler skills, and digital building blocks skills. In fact, according to edX’s 2018 survey findings, only a fifth of the respondents surveyed consider the education from their college major to be translatable to their current field.
But what mix of skills will spell success? Burning Glass Technologies, in partnership with the Business-Higher Education Forum, examined 150 million job postings to determine the skills employers are seeking in today’s job market. In their research they found that three key categories of skills, dubbed the “New Foundational Skills,” will be essential to job mobility and success as the labor market continues to evolve. Having elements of one or two of these skillsets is desirable, while all three is a winning trifecta.
Three Skill sets
Human skills – Sometimes referred to as “soft skills,” apply social, creative, and critical thinking to work, leading the way to innovation and collaboration. These skills allow teams to work cohesively and are in high demand across the digitally intensive economy.
Courses to help you build soft skills
Business Enabler Skills – Allow other skills to be put to work in practical situations. This skillset enables individuals to connect the capabilities of digital technologies to broader business goals.
Courses to help you build your business enable skills
Digital Building Block Skills – These skills are the focus of most programs aimed at closing the digital skills gap. Digital skills leverage technology to add value and align with functional domains that are critical to the information economy.
Example courses of digital building block skills


Classworks is a web-based instructional software that provides interactive lessons, customized learning and assessment in K-12 Math, Reading, and Language Arts. Elementary Science lessons are also available. Classworks units are based on state standards and offer interactive instruction through a multi-sensory approach that includes voice, pop-up text, audio support, video, photographs, artist drawings, and animated clips. The multiple modalities may be helpful for those with limited English proficiency or learning disabilities, or as a Response to Intervention.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
Content Area: math, reading, science, writing
Grade Level: early elementary, intermediate elementary, middle school, secondary
IDEA Disability Category: autism, emotional disturbance, major-other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment
English Language Arts: Language, Reading: Foundational Skills, Reading: Informational Text, Reading: Literature
Math Counting & Cardinality, Expressions & Equations, Functions, Geometry, Measurement & Data, Number & Operations in Base Ten, Number & Operations – Fractions, Operations & Algebraic Thinking, Statistics & Probability, The Number System


Over the past few months, our girls have been taking part in a few kids triathlons. The bike part of these is the most challenging for them, and is something we've tried to help them with.
With the triathlons involving riding on roads in some cases, we have been trying to take our girls out on the roads on their bikes to learn the road rules. Fortunately we live in a quiet suburb, so there are plenty of safe places to practice turns, roundabouts and signalling, and each time we go out, they are learning more and improving.
Cycling Proficiency in the UK
Growing up in England, when I was at primary school (about our girls age) we had cycling road rule lessons at school. The playground was set up with cones and road markings and we cycled around learning the road rules. At the end of our 'training' we took a Cycling Proficiency Test and if we passed got our cycling proficiency badge and were ready to cycle on the roads. This test has since been upgraded to a programme called Bikeability. There are now 3 levels and badges, but no test at the end. I think it is such a great idea and programme to help prepare kids for biking on the roads.
Here in Australia unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a national bike programme like Bikeability. I have just discovered that one of the local state schools here in Cairns, has a bike education programme for their kids, with a mock road set up complete with street signs and traffic lights. Learning to cycle and follow the road rules is apparently part of their school curriculum ! What a great idea and resource for the school to have.
Our school does not have a programme like this, so I will continue to take our girls out myself and teach them road rules, getting them to practice and learn from real experience on quiet roads.
I do wish there was an equivalent to the Bikeability programme here in Australia - and making it part of the primary school curriculum is a fabulous idea. I would be all for that!
Is there a bike learning or safety programme for kids in your country or your school? How did you yourself learn road safety on a bike? and how are you teaching your kids this?


Take a couple of moments to watch a cool chosen and extremely simple to understand Mode Median Mean science kids video:
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Thunder Radio is an online podcast channel of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre that is focused on First Nations education in Manitoba and in Canada as a whole. There are currently 16 episodes on the online channel, covering topics including Indigenous Literature, Indigenous Knowledge, and Virtual Learning on Reserves. This resource provides glimpses into current topics in Indigenous education through the eyes of Indigenous educators, students, and other contributors. The list of official podcast followers is online, so there is also the potential for listeners to connect with one another across communities. This oral medium is important for stimulating discussion regardless of time and place, enabling listeners to engage with the information as if they were being told a story or conversing with someone right in front of them.
This article explores art education and place-based education as a means of developing ecological literacy. It explores the integration of the real-world, community-centred learning of place-based education with art. It provides information about a model art and environmental educators to create experiences for students regarding self and community.
This article explores aboriginal expression in the arts and media. It explores tv, film, theater, radio and music networks and the internet. It explores opposing viewpoints including the erosional of cultural foundations and the empowerment in reappropriating various forms of artistic representation.
This is the website of Muskrat magazine and the article “Pass the faether to Me” Aboriginal Arts Collective” promotes a classroom art exchange program between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth, teachers and artists. It promotes using visual culture to transcend logistic and financial barriers and is attempting to create co-operative and respectful interrelations for future generations. MUSKRAT is an on-line Indigenous arts, culture magazine that exhibits original works and critical commentary. It’s mandate is to use media arts, the Internet, and wireless technology to investigate and disseminate traditional knowledges in ways that inspire their reclamation.
This article from the Canadian Journal of Communication Explores the idea of “Travelling Through Layers” and how Inuit artists are beginning to appropriate new technologies. It discusses how the Inuit are mapping traditional concepts, values, and metaphors to make sense of contemporary realities and technologies.
This article discusses the Woodlands School of Art and the impact Norval Morrisseau had on the changing the conversation in the universe about what it means to be native. Norval’s belief that the process of learning is essential to culture and so is the process of teaching culture was expressed through art. It discusses Ojibwa Culture and Art and how art can be used to bridge gaps within and between cultures.
Aboriginal media that is created, controlled and operated by Aboriginal people can greatly benefit lanaguage retention and cultural preservation and can play an important role in bridging social and economic divides. As I’ve been working through this course, I have continually come across resources and news events published by the Canada’s First Nation Radio Network (CFNR). It is owned and operated by Northern Native Broadcasting and is a member of the Western Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters. While I haven’t listened to the radio station (not yet available where I live), I have accessed many articles on the the website and appreciate that they continue to cover Aboriginal initiatives throughout not only the province but also the country. Many of the articles also contain audio interviews and links to related resources.
CFNR Network. (2015). Canada’s First Nation Radio Network. Retrieved from http://cfnrfm.ca/
WAAB. (2015). Western Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters. Retrieved from http://www.waab.ca/


Nakba, in Arabic, simply means, Catastrophe, or Tragedy; for Palestinians, it is the most tragic nightmare to happen to a whole nation in modern history.
The irony is that while Palestinian commemorating the 68th anniversary of their Catastrophe, the Palestinian exodus, Israelis celebrate what they call “independence day”.
The wonder is how people can celebrate what they call independence while they know that this was on the account of others people tragedy, a celebration that reflects the sick and twisted minds of such celebrators.
This independence was achieved only after expelling Palestinians from their lands. Over 750.000 citizens were forced out of their homes, at least 450 cities, towns and villages were evacuated, dozens of towns and villages were demolished and more than 24 massacres were committed against innocent people. Thousands of people were killed.
On May 15 1948, after decades of oppression by the British forces and confrontations between Palestinians and Zionist gangs, who were fully supported by the British mandate government, Israel was founded.
The United Nations partition plan, resolution 181 was adopted on 29 November 1947. The resolution stated that Palestine must be divided between the Zionist gangs and the Palestinian people, 56.47% of the land would be given to the Zionists, and 42.88% for the state of Palestine, while Jerusalem and Bethlehem would be placed under special international protection.
The resolution also called for the withdrawal of the British mandate forces by the 1st of August1948, while the two independent states would be established by the 1st of October 1948.
However, war broke out; and the partition plan was never implemented, Zionist gangs – well-equipped with weapons, supported and backed by the British Mandate government– succeeded to occupy more than 20% of lands assigned to the Palestinians in the partition plan.
On the14th of May 1948, some of 500.000 Zionist immigrants, announced “the Israeli Declaration of Independence”.
Since then, Palestinians have faced ethnic cleansing, deportation, and massacres. It was obvious that the world chose Palestinians to pay the price of the Holocaust committed by the Nazis.
After 68 years, the Nakba still continues, all bets on the Palestinians to forget their plight were unheeded. New Palestinian generations prove that they stick more to their right to return and to have their own independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
New Palestinian generations, inside and outside Palestine, when asked where they come from, they answer with the town or village their ancestors were born, not the place they are living. They believe that they will return no matter how more years this will take.
After 68 years of Nakba this is a reminder to the Free and Democratic World, that there will be no peace in this region if Palestinian Nakba continues, and if this conflict will not have a just end.
By:Rashid Shahin …… a Bethlehem based Palestinian writer.
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Washington, D.C. (Jan. 28, 2016) — A new report (en español) on preschool-to-third-grade, or P-3, alignment from the Center for American Progress examines the extent to which race and socioeconomic status affect a child’s access to high-quality early education and whether exposure to classrooms with teaching practices that build on and strengthen that early foundation vary for children from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
CAP’s research finds that among children with access to center-based prekindergarten programs, Hispanic children are more likely to access high quality than black children, and children from middle-income families have the least access to high quality. The report is the last in a series of three from CAP on P-3 alignment. Prior research examined state and local efforts around P-3 alignment and aligning access to teacher quality.
“It is critical for children to have consistency in their learning experience as they move from preschool into their early elementary education,” said Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath, Policy Analyst at CAP. “To help make this happen, federal policymakers should consider steps to expand access to high-quality early learning, support the alignment of standards across the P-3 spectrum, and ensure that teachers have the skills and support they need to facilitate healthy child development and learning.”
“Quality matters for young children, yet too many of their experiences in child care and elementary school are of low quality,” saidDanielle Ewen, senior policy advisor at Education Counsel. “As states, districts and the federal government look for opportunities to improve outcomes for all children, new investments that increase access and raise quality through aligned professional development and integrated approaches for children from birth to third grade will be critical for success.”
A closer look at access to center-based care shows that Hispanic children are the most likely to be in high-quality settings, followed closely by their white peers. Meanwhile, black children are the least likely to be in high-quality settings and, worse yet, most likely to be in low-quality early childhood programs. Ten percent of black children are in low-quality programs—a higher proportion than Asian, Hispanic, and white children—a trend that has been confirmed by other researchers.
CAP’s examination of data also revealed that measures of quality in early childhood and those in early elementary school are not similar or aligned. Additionally, in early elementary grades—kindergarten through second grade—teachers appear to spend less time developing the higher-order thinking skills that are critical for school success, despite the high expectations outlined in state education standards.
The CAP report offers recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers to adopt when considering P-3 alignment in order to improve access to quality for all children. Those recommendations include:
- Expand access to high-quality early education by increasing investments at the federal, state, and local levels
- Create aligned quality standards between early childhood programs and third grade and develop consistent metrics and data systems to track access to quality between these years
- Ensure that teacher preparation programs and professional development opportunities incorporate information about children’s development in all domains to support higher-order skill building
CAP’s report notes that continuous access to high-quality learning environments and experiences between preschool and third grade would better support children’s early development and contribute to success in their academic career and beyond.
Click here to read “Examining Quality Across the Preschool-to-Third-Grade Continuum” by Danielle Ewen and Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath.
The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values. We work to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and international problems and develop policy proposals that foster a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”


Learning + Play = Success
What do you want for your child’s future? Studies show that high-quality relationships between children and teachers are the highest indicators of student success and that a child’s oral language is the highest predictor of literacy success. At Creative Scholars Preschool, teachers build strong relationships. Teachers read more, they have more conversations with children, children engage in rich experiences that spark their vocabulary. At Creative Scholars Preschool, children learn more. They create. Collaborate. Build confidence. Come see us for yourself, and experience our warm, welcoming and nurturing environment.
Creative Scholars Preschool Classes
6 weeks – 18 months
18 months – 36 months
3 year – 5 years
Our Jr Kindergarten Program provides the older preschool aged child the opportunities to collaborate, build self-regulation and problem solving strategies, and engage in literacy, math, and science activities that set the foundation for kindergarten.
All day preschool: 7:00-6:00
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Why Creative Scholars Preschool
Confident. Creative. Collaborative. Curious.
At Creative Scholars Preschool, we provide an engaging and nurturing environment for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years where intellectual curiosity, cognition, and creativity are developed.
The Creative Scholars Difference
The development of early literacy skills and understanding happens along a continuum at Creative Scholars, a continuum that is so deeply integrated into our days that it the practices of reading and writing have become woven into the fabric of the classrooms. At Creative Scholars, we are writing and reading every day in every classroom. We write for the pure kinesthetic joy of it, for functional purposes, and as one of many ways we communicate our thoughts and ideas. We read for pleasure, as we explore language concepts, to gather information, to create community.
Math and Science
The development of early math and science at CS is focused on providing children with opportunities to participate in the scientific method, build a familiarity with the languages of math and science, and develop a drive to investigate and problem solve. Our primary goal is for children to develop strong intellectual dispositions as they relate to working with math and science; we strive to help children develop the desire and capability to problem solve, to think flexibly, to collaborate, to question, to experiment, and to discuss. In the early years, particular science concepts are not the focus as the children’s interests dictate what types of phenomena are explored.
Our Play Space
At Creative Scholars we understand the importance of gross motor play on a child’s health and development. Young children are constantly on the move; this movement builds their brains, strengthens their bones and muscles, and supports their self-confidence. Every day, the children spend at least an hour at the indoor playground. With large skylights bringing in natural light, our play is not tampered by the elements; even when it is raining, the heat is extreme, or the cold falls below freezing our students have a safe and engaging place to get exercise and large movement in their day.
About Creative Scholars
Opened in April of 2009, Creative Scholars Preschool offers all day preschool to children ages six weeks through five years. The environment within is warm and nurturing. Creative Scholars Preschool is a safe, engaging, collaborative place for children to learn. As a daycare and child care center with a focus on early literacy development, fine arts, and social-emotional intelligence, CSP offers a curriculum that enables teachers to discover the unique gifts each child possesses.
Our teachers are supportive, qualified, talented and caring. Together they have decades of experience in early childhood education and hold degrees in areas like Early Childhood Education, Educational Psychology, Elementary Education, Arts Teaching, Fine Arts, Theater Performance, and more. Together they share a passion for art, music, and drama. Prior to joining Creative Scholars, our teachers have held positions teaching in toddler classrooms, kindergarten classes, pre kindergarten classes, children’s theaters, and more.


More effective parent-teacher communication and greater flexibility is needed to improve literacy rates for children on the autism spectrum, an Autism CRC study has found. The study was led by Griffith University Associate Professor, Dr Marleen Westerveld.
Researchers aimed to understand parental views of the importance of literacy learning for their children on the spectrum, and the challenges to literacy learning that parent have encountered during and following their child’s transition to school.
Dr Westerveld from the School of Allied Health Sciences will present the study at the Australasian Society for Autism Research Conference this week.
She said while literacy learning begins from birth for all children including those on the spectrum, many children on the spectrum struggle with learning to read and write.
In the study 32 parents of children on the spectrum participated in semi-structured interviews following their child’s first 6-12 months of formal schooling.
Parents were found to hold invaluable knowledge about their child’s strengths and weaknesses and used this information to implement targeted and individualised literacy activities at home.
“Parents explained to us the importance of ‘using visuals’ and ‘telling the child what you want him to do in little steps’.
“However, the child’s school did not often utilise this knowledge, and parents reported challenges with home-school collaboration and limited teacher understanding of the specific literacy needs of children on the autism spectrum,’’ Dr Westerveld said.
“One parent told us “It’s not about inclusion, it’s about conformity…they are expected as little square pegs to fit into round holes, sandpapering the edges to try and fit them into something that is not designed for them”.”
This study is part of a program of research into early literacy development in children on the autism spectrum supported by the Autism CRC.
Autism CRC is the world’s first national cooperative research centre focused on autism. Autism CRC takes a whole-of-life approach to autism focusing on early years, school years and adulthood.


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What would happen if we were allowed to embrace the arts and not have to apologize for it? This pioneering work dares to chart a new path—one that stops justifying the arts as useful in teaching “core” subjects, and argues instead for the powerful lessons the arts can provide students. Davis is a cognitive developmental psychologist and founder of the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She provides a set of principles and tools for arts advocates and instructors already working to secure a strong place for the arts in education, and reaches out to those who care deeply about education but have yet to consider what the arts uniquely provide. She acknowledges and respects those who advocate for testing to provide assurance that students are learning as well as those who want students to have knowledge and experience that defies measurement and encourages thinking “outside the box” of standardized curriculum. Co-published with Teachers College Press.
150 pgs. (2008) ISBN 0-80774834-3
“Equips educators and advocates alike with a rich vocabulary and clear examples of HOW TO TEACH AND HOW TO MAKE THE CASE for the essential and unique place of the arts in the school curriculum.“
—Richard J. Deasy, Director, Arts Education Partnership, Washington, DC
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Lin Fengmian (林風眠, 1900-1991) is a Chinese painter and art educator who sought to blend the best of both Eastern and Western art.
The son of a painter, Lin Fengmian learned traditional Chinese painting techniques as a child. After graduating from high school, he moved to France, where he studied European painting at the Dijon Art College and the Ècole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1922 his oil painting The Autumn was exhibited at the prestigious Salon d’Automne in Paris. The following year his Chinese ink paintings were again shown at the Salon d’Automne, and 42 of his paintings were displayed in the Exhibition of Chinese Ancient and Modern Art at Strasbourg, France.
In 1925 Lin Fengmian returned to Beijing, where he had his first solo exhibition one year later. Lin strove to capture the essence of both Eastern and Western art in order to achieve a new synthesis. He studied the stone engravings of the Han dynasty as well as the porcelain drawings of the Song and Yuan dynasties. He also emulated aspects of the distortion and simplification of Chinese folk art in his use of rich colors and bold, rapid brushstrokes. Into this he integrated the emotive qualities of European masters such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Rouault. These influences led him to create paintings—set against a monochromatic background of ink wash-and-line drawing—that were deftly furnished with gorgeous colors set in forceful motion. The resulting rhythm of clear but changeable light and intense sentiment became known as the “Lin Fengmian Style.”
In 1927 Lin became a member of the Committee for the National Art Education and helped to establish the National Art College (now known as the Zhejiang College of Fine Arts). In 1938 he became director of the National Art Academy, an amalgamation of the Hangzhou and Beiping art academies. Lin Fengmian was a pivotal figure in shaping the development of Western art training in China. He went on to teach some of the most renowned painters in 20th-century China, including Li Keran (李可染), Wu Guanzhong (吳冠中), and Zhao Wuji (趙無極). He also published numerous articles that explored the interrelation of Eastern and Western art and discussed the future of Chinese painting.
In 1966 the artist was targeted by the Cultural Revolution. Fearing prosecution, Lin destroyed many of his experimental works but was nonetheless imprisoned for four years. In 1977, when the Revolution ended, he traveled to Hong Kong and had a hugely successful exhibition, the first of many successful international retrospectives of his work in the late 20th century. Lin Fengmian lived in Hong Kong in his late years.