October 14, 2014 - 14:38 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Children who speak two languages outperform their monolingual peers in the classroom because they are more likely to filter out disruptive noises, according to a research, The Telegraph reports.
Pupils raised bilingually develop a more acute sense for words – even when presented with background chatter in the classroom – that allows them to remain “on task” during exercises, it is claimed.
The study, led by academics from UK’s Anglia Ruskin University, found that pupils speaking only one language fell behind in reading tests by the age of nine.
Researchers found that noise negatively affected their ability to pay attention, especially when comprehending more difficult sentences.
The findings “shed new light” on the positive effects of learning a second language early in life, with significant knock-on benefits as children grow up, academics said.
It is also likely to help explain why children who speak English as a second language – including those from refugee and asylum seeker families – are starting to overtake native speakers in some subjects. For the first time in 2013, they gained higher scores in a range of academic GCSEs than their peers with English as their mother tongue, it emerged.
The conclusions follows a government decision to make languages a compulsory part of the primary school curriculum from the age of seven for the first time this year.
The study – published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition – involved children aged between seven and 10 at a Cambridge primary school. Researchers selected two groups of pupils – 20 who were monolingual English speakers and another 20 with an additional language. This includes those who spoke Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Armenian, Bengali, Polish, Czech, Russian and Portuguese.
Pupils were asked to complete a computer-based reading game, with noise distractions filtered in through headphones to simulate the classroom environment.
The study, which was also conducted with academics from Northwestern University in Chicago and Birkbeck, University of London, said that bilingual pupils could process the information in a more efficient way as the game increased in difficulty, according to The Telegraph.
It emerged that the level of accuracy in comprehension was 63 per cent among bilingual pupils compared with 51 per cent for monolinguals.
Researchers also found that the ability to overcome verbal interference improved with age in bilingual speakers but not in monolinguals.


Music Purpose of Study
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.
The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
- Learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
- Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
Use their voices expressively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
- Play tuned and untuned instruments.
- Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live music and recorded music.
- Make and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.
At Shere we want children to develop a passion for music that will last a lifetime. Children and practitioners will have plentiful opportunities to sing together because we recognise the power of collective music to heal, promote happiness and in forging social bonds. Children will listen to a wide variety of different musical traditions and genres. They will be given the freedom and the time to create original, fluent and distinctive music of their own which will be heard and appreciated.


Waiting for answer This question has not been answered yet. You can hire a professional tutor to get the answer.
What is a literacy narrative? It is a personal story about a significant experience that has to do with your literacy development. For the purpose of this essay, you should stick with a fairly narrow definition of literacy that focuses on your personal reading and/or writing experiences.
To make an effective essay from one of your personal literacy experiences, you must not only tell the story but also explain how and why it was an important moment both in your literacy development and your life. What did you learn from this experience? How did it help you change and grow? What can you say about this experience that will help others to identify with it or learn from it?
Sample literacy narrative essay topics and thesis statement
For your narrative essay, you will need to reflect on how personal experiences have shaped your literacy development. "Literacy" refers to reading and writing for the purpose of acquiring knowledge. You will choose from one of the following topics:
- Narrate an experience you had with a writing or reading task that you found (or still find) difficult or challenging. Explain the significance of this experience.
- Describe an important moment or event in your literacy development. Explain the significance of this event.
- Narrate a time when your literacy skills have helped you achieve a personal goal or accomplishment. Explain the significance of this accomplishment.
- Describe a time when you have used reading or writing to learn in an environment other than the classroom. Explain the significance of this event.
As you decide on a topic, think about which one would allow you to make a larger point. In other words, in addition to describing one of these moments or events and telling a story, you want to explore how it has impacted you on a greater scale. Ask yourself: are there additional life lesson(s) that I learned along the way? The answer to that question could lay the groundwork for your thesis statement.
Here is an example of a thesis statement for a narrative essay that describes the writer's experience of using literacy skills to achieve a goal:
When I set out to save a historical grist mill in my community that was slated for demolition, I learned how valuable my writing skills could be. My letters to the local newspaper got the attention of community leaders and turned the tide of public opinion about the mill's value, and the grant I wrote raised money for a restoration project.
The first paragraph of your paper, the introduction, should grab the reader's attention, provide general background information on the topic you are addressing, and conclude with your thesis statement. Consider the following outline for the introduction:
A. Attention Getter: First, pique your reader's interest by identifying the important literacy moment for your reader.
B. Background and Context: Then, provide details that set the scene for the reader so s/he will understand why the moment was important.
C. Thesis: Finally, end your introduction with your thesis statement. Your thesis will have a claim that explains the importance of your particular literacy moment and 2-4 points of support that explain why it was significant. These 2-4 points of support will be developed in the body of your essay.
The template below is a useful one for a literacy narrative thesis:
______________________ is one of the most important moments in my literacy development because ____________, ________________, and _________________.
In the body of the essay, the writer will explore each of the three supporting points (how she used writing to get the attention of community leaders, how she used writing to affect public opinion, and how her writing skills helped her get funding for a project she believed in).
The paragraph following the introduction should begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces the first supporting point presented in the thesis statement. Make sure each thesis point is developed into at least one body paragraph of your essay.
In the conclusion, you should include your thesis statement and a 1-2 sentence summary of each of the points discussed in the paper.


Northern Marianas is an archipelago, or string of islands, in the North Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines. It is a Commonwealth of the United States, meaning the U.S. provides support and military protection. The first settlers came from Southeast Asia between 4,000 and 2,000 B.C. They are known as the Chamorros. The Carolinian people came to Northern Marianas from the Caroline Islands in the 19th century.
Since the 1500s, Northern Marianas has seen Spanish, German and Japanese rule. During World War II, the Northern Marianas islands became a war zone, with U.S. and Japanese soldiers fighting each other. After the war, the island became a territory of the U.S.
The southern islands are made of limestone and are surrounded by coral reefs. The northern islands are formed from volcanoes, some of which are still active. Northern Marianas has a tropical climate that remains constantly mild most of the year. The islands do experience rainy and dry seasons.
Fun Facts about the Northern Marianas for Kids
- 55,000 people live in Northern Marianas.
- Northern Marianas has a land mass of 183 square miles.
- People in Northern Marianas can expect to live 77 years.
- 97 percent of adults can read.
Northern Marianas Vocabulary
- Archipelago: cluster or string of islands
- Military protection: protection against invasion
- Mild: calm
Learn More All about the Northern Marianas
Here’s a great video for kids all about the Northern Marianas:
A video tour of the seascapes in Northern Marianas.
Northern Marianas Q&A
Question: Where are the Northern Marianas Islands?
Answer: The islands sit 3,700 miles west to southwest of Hawaii. Near the islands, lies the Marianas Trench, the deepest ocean depth known at 35,810 feet deep.
Map of the Northern Marianas
Here’s a map of the country of Northern Marianas and all its cities and villages. Zoom in to get into street level or zoom out to see other countries around Northern Marianas! You can see the terrain, but also see the roads, images of the buildings and even take a 3D tour through the streets of the cities of Northern Marianas, as though you are actually there!
Enjoyed the Earth Science for Kids all about Northern Marianas info? Take the FREE & fun Northern Marianas quiz and download FREE Northern Marianas worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.
Cite This Page
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Northern Marianas Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 21 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-the-northern-marianas/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Northern Marianas Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-the-northern-marianas/
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The National Federation of Blind has many members and friends who pursue careers and hobbies related to music. Please watch our video about the importance of Braille music literacy.
The ability to read and write music, therefore, is the cornerstone for anyone who is planning to make a serious commitment to the art. A blind student needs to have that ability just as much as his sighted peers. — David Goldstein, Director, National Resource Center for Blind Musicians
Braille Music and Technology
Braille Music Kit
A plug-in for Windows that allows the creation of Braille music scores.
Dancing Dots Music
Scan scores, listen to results, or convert to Braille music. Convert to print notation, Braille score, or audio.
Software and Braille music resources.
Provides Braille transcription from MIDI and NIF files. It incorporates a notation editor and sequencer, and displays the translated Braille indexed to the original score.
Education and Listservs
NFB Blind Musicians Group
NFB Performing Arts Division
Summer residential intensive program for children age nine through high school. It teaches Braille music, art, yoga, and independent living. Participants attend classes in voice, keyboard, and instruments, and integrate Braille music into practical performance situations.
Braille Music Symbols
Course for Teachers of Braille Music at UMASS Boston
Illustrious jazz musician who reads Braille music and promotes Braille literacy.
Music Education Network for the Visually Impaired
Listserv and Braille music resources especially for students, educators, and parents.
National Resource Center for Blind Musicians
Articles, lists of resources, and information about summer training in Braille music and technology for blind music students.
Southern California Conservatory of Music
Provides private instruction to blind and sighted students at preparatory, conservatory, and adult levels. Its Braille Music Division teaches Braille music and prepares musicians to compete at the highest levels, and it "houses one of the most comprehensive music reference libraries in Braille."
Braille Music Scores
National Braille Association
National Library Service of the Library of Congress
Alternate Text Production Center
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (Canada)
Danmarks Blindebibliotek (Denmark)
La Bibilioteca Italiana i Ciechi (Italy)
Via G. Ferrari 5/A
American Printing House Louis Database
Royal National Institute of Blind People (United Kingdom)
Schweizerische Bibliothek fur Blinde und Sehbehinderte Braille Press Zurich Albisriederstrasse (Switzerland)
SVB Studie-en vakbibliotheek voor visueel en andrszins gehandicapten (Netherlands)
Molenpad 2 1016 Gm
Verein zur F'rderung der Blindenbildung (Germany)
26, Blekstrasse, Hannover
- "Resources for Helping Blind Music Students," Mary A. Smaligo, Future Reflections, Spring 1999
- "LEARNING AND TEACHING BRAILLE MUSIC: Resources, Explanations, and Pointers for Student and Teacher," David Goldstein, National Resource Center for Blind Musicians
- "Music Education: Not Just a Frill," Dr. Ralph Bartley and Karen McDonald, Future Reflections, Convention Report 1997
- "Music in Education," Richard Taesch, California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, Inc., Journal, Spring 2008
- "The Literacy Movement - What Does Braille Music Have to Do with It?," Richard Taesch, National Resource Center for Blind Musicians


The Importance of Piano Accompaniment in Vocal Music Learning
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With the vigorous development of modern music industry and music education, piano accompaniment, as an art form, plays an important role in vocal music learning and is increasingly valued by the education community. Piano accompaniment is an important part of vocal performance. Under the piano accompaniment, students can perform the music more emotionally and accurately. Piano accompaniment plays an important role in vocal music learning. It not only makes vocal works more perfect, but also plays an important part in suggesting and guiding students' vocal music through teacher accompaniment. This paper first introduces the concept of piano accompaniment, then explains the significance, the problems of piano accompaniment as well as and relationship between piano accompaniment and vocal music learning, and finally the importance and application of piano accompaniment in vocal music learning. The summary aims to provide a theoretical basis for the importance of piano accompaniment in vocal music learning, thereby to improve the quality of vocal music learning.
Piano accompaniment; Vocal learning; Importance; Application


Édouard Manet was born in Paris on 23 January 1832, to an affluent and well connected family. His mother, Eugénie-Desirée Fournier, was the daughter of a diplomat and goddaughter of the Swedish crown prince, Charles Bernadotte, from whom the current Swedish monarchs are descended. His father, Auguste Manet, was a French judge who expected Édouard to pursue a career in law. His uncle, Charles Fournier, encouraged him to pursue painting and often took young Manet to the Louvre. In 1845, at the advice of his uncle, Manet enrolled in a special course of drawing where he met Antonin Proust, future Minister of Fine Arts and subsequent life-long friend.
At his father's suggestion, in 1848 he sailed on a training vessel to Rio de Janeiro. After Manet twice failed the examination to join the Navy, the elder Manet relented to his son's wishes to pursue an art education. From 1850 to 1856, Manet studied under the academic painter, Thomas Couture. In his spare time, Manet copied the old masters in the Louvre.
From 1853 to 1856 he visited Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, during which time he absorbed the influences of the Dutch painter Frans Hals, as well as the Spanish artists, Diego Velázquez and Francisco José de Goya.
In 1856, Manet opened his own studio. His style in this period was characterized by loose brush strokes, simplification of details and the suppression of transitional tones. Adopting the current style of realism initiated by Gustave Courbet, he painted contemporary subjects such as beggars, singers, Gypsies, people in cafés, and bullfights. After his early years, he rarely painted religious, mythological, or historical subjects. The roughly painted style and photographic lighting in these works was seen as specifically modern, and as a challenge to the Renaissance works Manet copied or used as source material. His work is considered 'early modern', partially because of the black outlining of figures, which draws attention to the surface of the picture plane and the material quality of paint.
He became friends with the Impressionists Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro through another painter, Berthe Morisot, who was a member of the group and drew him into their activities. The grand niece of the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Morisot had her first painting accepted in the Salon de Paris in 1864, and she continued to show in the salon for the next ten years.
Manet became the friend and colleague of Berthe Morisot in 1868. She is credited with convincing Manet to attempt plein air painting, which she had been practicing since she was introduced to it by another friend of hers, Camille Corot. They had a reciprocating relationship and Manet incorporated some of her techniques into his paintings. In 1874, she became his sister-in-law when she married his brother, Eugene.
Unlike the core Impressionist group, Manet maintained that modern artists should seek to exhibit at the Paris Salon rather than abandon it in favor of independent exhibitions. Nevertheless, when Manet was excluded from the International exhibition of 1867, he set up his own exhibition. His mother worried that he would waste all his inheritance on this project, which was enormously expensive. While the exhibition earned poor reviews from the major critics, it also provided his first contacts with several future Impressionist painters, including Degas.
Although his own work influenced and anticipated the Impressionist style, he resisted involvement in Impressionist exhibitions, partly because he did not wish to be seen as the representative of a group identity, and partly because he preferred to exhibit at the Salon.
He was influenced by the Impressionists, especially Monet and Morisot. Their influence is seen in Manet's use of lighter colors, but he retained his distinctive use of black, uncharacteristic of Impressionist painting. He painted many outdoor pieces, but always returned to what he considered the serious work of the studio.
Throughout his life, although resisted by art critics, Manet could number as his champions Émile Zola, who supported him publicly in the press, Stéphane Mallarmé, and Charles Baudelaire, who challenged him to depict life as it was. Manet, in turn, drew or painted each of them.


The youngest children at our school delight in exploring the world around them. Even routine activities such as feeding and diapering provide opportunities for our teachers to sing, talk, and interact with your child.
Toddlers learn best in the context of relationships within small groups. In our program, the approach focuses on the recognition that a curriculum must be based on both care and education, those being one and the same for toddlers. Promoting children’s secure attachment relationships with caregivers and families through primary care-giving with a consistent adult is given the highest priority. Our curriculum centers on connections and relationships where adults respect and respond to children’s cues and interests. The caregiver/teacher will get to know the children and families well so that experiences enhance and blend with home life. The small group size of 8 toddlers with two primary caregivers/teachers and a part-time Afternoon Teacher to cover breaks and planning allows this to happen. Link to our 8.18.17 ToddlerLearningStory
Toddlers are curious and examines all that is seen as the infant works to understand the world. Caregivers create an individualized curriculum in a safe and interesting environment to enhance the infant’s natural curiosity, allowing the infant or toddler to discover, investigate and learn about the world. Engaging your infant in language play, responding to non-verbal cues and encouraging socialization with other infants and adults helps your infant learn to communicate.
Promoting growth in all areas of your toddler’s development is incorporated into the day. Creative experiences with art materials, playing in the classroom area to learn about daily life, participating in music and dance, playing with toys that can be built with, exercising and developing large muscles, and listening to stories are among the many experiences your child will enjoy. Since language is developing rapidly at this age, learning to communicate and hearing language is an integral part of their day.
Toddlers are also learning self-regulation, that is, how to manage their strong impulses and emotions in ways that will help them successfully negotiate their world. Adults provide a positive supportive environment as toddlers struggle to learn these skills.Toddlers are developing their independence and many opportunities are provided for them to do this. The caregivers/teachers work with the families to introduce, encourage and practice new skills. Learning to dress and feed themselves and use the toilet are important milestones for toddlers.
Building Blocks Preschool realizes the importance of outdoor experiences and has an area outdoors for infants and toddlers to enjoy and explore nature. We go outdoors daily, weather permitting.
Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the programs in Reggio Emilia, has taught us that children express their thoughts and feelings through 100 Languages, the spoken word certainly, but also through gesture, music, constructing, dramatic play, dance, paint, clay, and drawing to name a few. Exploring these languages prepares children for their future journeys during the preschool years.
Hands-on and authentic experiences guide the curriculum for children to discover. Children are encouraged to use their senses as they explore the world around them. Through early literacy experiences, children learn to appreciate language, gain new vocabulary, and learn to use new words and concepts. Simple participatory songs and finger plays are important introductions to speech patterns, motor skill development, and math concepts.
Project work often steers their curriculum. Our teaching staff observes the children’s interests through their play. Activities are developed and items are added to the environment to encourage further exploration, questioning, and discovery. It is proven that children learn more when the subject stimulates them; therefore colors, numbers, and emergent literacy are all strengthened through the Project Approach.


The Secondary campus offers a year 7 to 10 Victorian curriculum, Vocational Education Training program (VET) and Foundation Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). The year 7 to 10 Victorian curriculum incorporates an Integrated Curriculum which enhances students’ knowledge and skills, focusing on the acquisition of communication, mobility and positive social behaviours.
All students have an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) where student goals are developed at their point of readiness to learn.
An integrated approach to teaching and learning is implemented to enhance student understanding, learning and outcomes by making logical connections between curriculum areas.
The English curriculum aims to ensure that students learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on a variety of spoken and written texts. Students learn to appreciate, enjoy and use the English language in all its variations to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, and facilitate interactions with others in a meaningful way.
Our English curriculum is based on the Daily Five Literacy Model. Daily 5 is a literacy framework that instills behaviors of independence, creates a classroom of highly engaged readers, writers, and learners, and provides teachers with the time and structure to meet diverse student needs. Programs are developed in collaboration with the Therapy team, responding to individual learning needs such as communication or sensory input.
The Mathematics curriculum aims to develop useful mathematical and numeracy skills for everyday life. Students see connections and apply mathematical concepts. The curriculum is organised by the three strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability.
The Mathematics curriculum is used to develop understanding from the students point of need and is delivered to suit the unique learning needs and styles of each student. This is facilitated by the use of whole group, small group, peer learning and one-to-one, aimed to target skill acquisition through modeled, guided and shared understandings.
The Science curriculum aims to ensure that students develop an interest in science as a means of expanding their curiosity and willingness to explore, ask questions about and speculate on the changing world in which they live. The curriculum is organised by two strands Science Understanding and Science Inquiry Skills. At the Secondary campus year 7 to 10 , science is highlighted as a termly sub-focus and integrated into classroom programs. Students are encouraged to experience science through their senses, making observations, predictions and gathering understandings from simple scientific investigations.
At the Secondary campus year 7 to 10, the Humanities curriculum is organised by two strands: Geography and History. The humanities curriculum provides a framework for students to examine the modern world, in a context that is meaningful to their own lives and the lives of those around them understanding the uniqueness of cultures including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Geography and History are highlighted as a major focus and integrated into classroom programs.
Health and Physical Education
Health and Physical Education focuses on students enhancing their own and others’ health, safety, wellbeing and physical participation in varied and changing contexts.
HPE is incorporated into daily classroom programs in consultation with the Therapy Team. The delivery of the learning area of HPE recognises the individual learner and their unique learning style. The HPE program focuses on movement and physical activities, therapies, building social competencies, wellbeing, healthy lifestyle and self-care.
The programs offered at the Secondary campus are:
- Weekly Wellbeing with a specialist teacher (years 7 – 12)
- Daily Sensory Motor Program (years 7 – 12)
- Weekly Swimming lessons with a specialist swim teacher (years 7 -8)
- Interschool Sports program (year 9)
- Tennis program (year 10)
The Technologies provide a framework for students to learn how to use technologies for a range of purposes. The curriculum has been designed to provide practical opportunities for students to explore the capacity of information systems (e.g. Interactive Whiteboards, Computers and iPads) for the purpose of learning. Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist School is an eSmart school where Students are encouraged to employ digital technologies safely and responsibly.
The Arts enables students to develop their creative and expressive capacities by learning about different practices, disciplines and traditions. Students are both artist and audience in the Arts. The Arts are incorporated into daily classroom programs reflecting the needs of the individual learner and responding to each unique learning style.
Personal and Social Capabilities
SMRSS recognises the individual learners and the need to teach students to understand themselves and others. Personal and Social Capabilities are taught within structured classroom programs and incidentally throughout the school day. This is facilitated by the use of whole group, small group, peer learning and one-to-one learning experiences, aimed to target skill acquisition through modelled, guided and shared understandings. Formal programs at the Secondary campus include: Wellbeing, The Zones of Regulation, School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), and Respectful Relationships.
Note. VCAL is offered for Year 11 and 12 Students.


Primary Schools, or more specifically the people working in Primary Schools, make such a difference to young people’s lives. Fine motor, gross motor, and sensory development skills along with social and emotional learning competencies, are the foundations to adult life.
Getting young children passionate and enthused about literacy and mathematics can sometimes be problematic, so here are 10 ways to improve literacy and numeracy skills in your Primary School.
1. Listen to 'the pupil voice'
Listening to your children whilst achieving the national curriculum objective is number one on our list. Allow your pupils to make creative choices in their learning and encourage them through coaching to identify their own learning needs. Your pupils will tell you what interests them, then it’s up to you to embed learning into their interests.
2. Let the children build a business enterprise
Buying, selling, supply chain, sales, marketing and finance are all job roles that can be undertaken by little people. Get them to write an application for the jobs they want, whilst building teams that sell, earn, and run profitable businesses. Teaching children the value of things, the importance of applying ideas, commitment and execution of strategy are all valuable skills that allow children to learn whilst having fun and thinking practically.
3. Encourage literacy at home
Get parents and responsible adults involved, challenge the children (and adults) to read in unconventional places (on a fairground ride, on top of the washing machine, or in the shed!?) … the children should take photos and write their account of it (along with synopsis of their chosen story). Family literacy nights are also important, encourage parents to promote the books they used to love as children, and all read them together.
4. Fit bodies and minds
Incorporate physical activity and the great outdoors with your literacy and maths. Count running laps of the playground, work out how many laps are in a mile, measuring out metre lunges or how many star jumps can be achieved in 30 seconds. Likewise, embrace dynamic adaptive learning techniques, such as a nature walk to collect objects that form an acrostic poem. Get them out, get them learning, get them having fun.
5. Build things
Using fine and gross motor skills to build something with a practical purpose i.e. a bench, bird seed table or herb garden is not only a bonding experience for peers and friends, but an application of real life skills such as exact measuring, counting, twisting clockwise and anticlockwise; with a visible output and a real-world purpose that the children can evidence and be proud of.
6. No budget, no problem
Negotiation, persuasive writing, creative problem solving. Ask the children what they would most like to see in the school playground and get them to come up ideas as to how they might get it, think of a name, produce purchase costings, a budget (if any), and write instructions for use i.e a herb garden, mud kitchen, sand trays, reading huts, a phonics bus, a reading rocket, an upside down fountain – let their imaginations run riot – if they can work out a way to make it happen, who knows where you could end up!
7. Practice that feels like play
Engage children in their own, personalised learning and inspire out of the box thinking with imaginative play. Encourage the pupils to think about the job they would most like to do as an adult. What research do they need to undertake? What sort of questions might they need to ask? How will they work out their weekly salary? Self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play make learning fun and pupils often take greater responsibility for their own learning.
8. The element of competition
Some children, statistically boys, struggle with the concept of poetry, but have no problem with writing raps and lyrics. Why not have a rap battle? Exploit the power of story, rhyme, drama and song to fire children’s imagination and interest (boys as well as girls).
9. Be brave
Staff need to be empowered with confidence to make their own founded professional decisions, to innovate and experiment with the creative approaches that can be taken in learning and the confidence to take risks, buck the trend and try something new. Setting up a safe environment to do so will help to reduce any associated risks but be brave. Nothing changes whilst staying the same.
10. Learn from others
Listening and learning from others is a key skill instilled into small people and one that adults should heed. Visit other schools, bring in the professionals and don’t be afraid to sponge ideas from all areas of life!


Everyone knows how important it is to maintain and improve good health throughout your life. However, today more than ever we are exposed to harmful influences, such as pollutants in food and the environment. Today’s diversity of information on health does not make it any easier to understand what is healthy or unhealthy. Each individual must therefore ask himself the question how he can increase knowledge, motivation and consistency on his own in order to promote his health in everyday life.
What is health literacy exactly and why is it important?
Interest in health literacy (or competence) is increasing due to the growing number of people for whom their health has top priority. But what exactly does this term mean?
Health literacy means that you are competent in dealing with your own health. A central skill for this is the search, selection and understanding of health information as well as its conscious implementation in everyday situations. For example, it is competent in terms of health if you understand and follow the instructions of your doctor or the information in medical brochures and medical packaging.
At the same time, higher health literacy means that you can better communicate your questions and concerns about your health, whether to health insurance companies, authorities or other service providers such as doctors and therapists. This exchange is an important factor if, for example, you need to take medication or prepare for a medical procedure. Health literacy is also important so that you know how to recover more quickly from an illness or medical intervention.
How can you improve your health literacy?
- Read a lot about health. There are many good books, magazines and websites to keep you up to date on all health topics
- Make your everyday life healthy. Learn from good books, from sports groups or health workshops how best to do it
- Keep moving, because only an active everyday life is healthy. The motivation to move daily, to do sports and to learn more about one’s own body is an important factor to improve health competence
Improving health literacy in society
Enabling individual health competence also has a social dimension. To make it easy to develop this competence, public authorities and service providers must play their part. This includes the following aspects:
- Scientific research and dissemination of accurate, easy to understand and implement safety and health information
- Promoting positive changes in the medical system that improve communication, the quality of health information, access to health care and individual decision-making
- Integrating development-oriented health education in education and child care
- Support for health-oriented adult education
- Work with academic, governmental and philanthropic institutions to improve guidelines for health literacy development
- Health information must be easy to understand. Medical professionals should make it their task to ensure that patients understand complex health information, such as illustrations, information graphics, videos and images
The promotion of one’s own health competence should be important to everyone in order to maintain or improve the quality of life. On the one hand, it is the responsibility of each individual to acquire knowledge on the subject of health and to implement it in everyday life with the right motivation. On the other hand, service providers and authorities must understand the dissemination of well-founded, target-group-specific health information as a social obligation. This will make it even easier for each individual in the future to inform themselves in a time-efficient manner and to make competent decisions for their own health.


We live in an image-saturated world but few of us possess the critical tools to analyze images and to understand their use.
The Art History major introduces students to the specialized language and strategies of image making as well as provides them with a comprehensive history of the creation, interpretation, and circulation of images.
Drake’s curriculum employs new models of teaching and theorizing Art History in response to changes in the field. For example, rather than following an outdated emphasis on chronology in beginning surveys of Art History, a chronology that was almost exclusively Western in scope, the introductory courses at Drake employ a thematic approach that traces formal and conceptual concerns across multiple time periods and cultures. Upper-level courses offer critical re-examinations of the categories fundamental to the founding of Art History including national tradition, stylistic periods, and definitions of modernity. Throughout the curriculum, students learn appropriate methods for conducting independent research and presenting their findings, culminating in the Senior Capstone.
Unlike many comparable programs, the study of Art History at Drake is fully integrated within the studio and design areas of the department. The Art History major combines studio experience with an introduction to the practices, theories, and debates of the discipline. Students therefore gain experience in interpreting visual images as well as in creating them.
The Art History degree is intended for students who wish a career in art history or in another arts-related field. It may also be pursued as a complement to other academic disciplines, including studio art, graphic design, art education, and disciplines in the humanities. Additionally, the Art History program offers quality elective coursework for all students at Drake University.


The paper "William Dawson" is an outstanding example of an essay on music. William Dawson was born on 26 September 1899. He was a last born of a family of seven, and he loved music. As a child and from attending rehearsals at Anniston grocessor he discovered that the jazz band he admired was led by a Tuskegee Institute graduate. He then decided to sell his bicycle and enroll himself for Tuskegee. It was at this institute that William learned how to play the euphonium and the trombone. He participated in singing in the school choir he also took classes in piano.
In 1921, he graduated with top honors’ from Tuskegee. He did not stop at that, in 1925 he earned a bachelor’ s degree from Horner Institute that was in Kansas City. William had a social life he married Cecile, who was his wife after a second marriage his first wife had died in 1927 (Johnson, 1999). Career and Legacy From 1926-1927, William was the principal trombonist, Chicago Civic Orchestra, and he also composed a folk symphony while he was a music director of Tuskegee Institute.
He made many choral compositions and even arranged for American-African spirituals in 1934. In the same year, he organized the Tuskegee choir to perform for the U. S president. In building his career, he won several awards that include Chicago Daily News that was held in 1929. In 1930, he won the Wanamaker contest prizes (Johnson, 1999). Tuskegee Institute also awarded him with an honorary doctorate. In 1955, he was named to Alabama Arts. During his time as a principal trombonist in Chicago, he attended composition classes and graduated with a master’ s degree.
He shifted to New York for the purpose of studying music and returned to Tuskegee to direct music, and he created a new music school. He worked at this Institute until 1955 when he retired. William achieved many awards and under his leadership, the Tuskegee Choir become famous the choir traveled to major venues in North-eastern where they sang spiritual and other music. With their enthusiastic performance, both Presidents Herbert and Franklin organized for this choir to perform in their homes. The U. S State Department influenced the choir to tour Russia, Europe, and England.
Williams Negro Folk Symptom that he wrote in 1931 was sent to Stowisks way after this work impressed a financier from New York after watching performances by Tuskegee. It was an achievement for William since this symphony was the first done by an African-American musician and had an opportunity of being premiered by an American orchestra that was majorly known. The ancient voice of Africa transferred to America was how this wok was described. It used a spiritually influenced language and some modern elements His career progressed while at Tuskegee, and he not only was a music director but he also became a leader, a lecturer, a panellist at a music education conference and a guest of good conduct.
The most widely enjoyed work was the Negro song that aired on both radios and televisions. Even after his retirement, he still directed choirs in Spain and Fisk University. He attended choral festivals at the nationals and directed these concerts. In 1966, he directed the guest appearance in Nashville Symphony Orchestras.
He was honored with a plethora of honorary degrees. In 1990 during his 90th birthday, he led the Tuskegee Choir reunion performance (Floyd, 1990). At the pioneer institute of higher education, he found it hard coping being a small-town boy. The difference in the social classes was quite hard for him to survive to have no money to eat at the high table like others at the dining table. However, Booker T Washington helped him secure a job in the agricultural department at school. With the many awards William had worn, it was still difficult for him to be admitted to attend classes in music programs this was because of the segregation in black schools that were in Kansas City.
However, segregation was done to Horner institute a white institute (Dawson, 2001). During white classical musician performance, a piece William had composed was also performed and it was well-received at the occasion with this achievement he still was not allowed to take the stage during the graduation. Conclusion William Dawson was a well-celebrated composer who impacted music during his musical life he managed to win various awards and also brought change to music.
Since he travelled to many places in the world, his impact on music was therefore not based at the U. K only, but everywhere he went. He had little controversy that was created due to his African-American origin. His music was enjoyed by both blacks and whites he sang to all groups of people, and this is what popularized his music career (Dawson, 2001).


It’s only words…
April 29, 2015
By Dr Ida Fatimawati Binti Adi Badiozaman
“Excuse me teacher, how to say…?”, “Madam, how to write this more formally?”, “Can I use Google translate?”, “Which word should I use from the dictionary to mean the same thing?”
These excerpts are some of the most common exchanges within the academic reading and writing classes that I have taught. They reveal not only the challenges that the learners face as part of their literacy acquisition, but a more pressing concern of their lack of academic vocabulary.
Vocabulary plays a vital role in language proficiency and literacy development. Studies have indicated that a second language learners’ lexical or vocabulary knowledge could determine the quality of their competency in both receptive (listening and reading) and productive skills (speaking and writing). This is because with adequate lexical knowledge, a learner has sufficient input to partake in productive skills, namely oral communication and written work. Similarly, lexical competence also ensures ability to cope with various types of reading.
Since there are a very large number of words in English, the usefulness of a word is measured by its frequency of occurrence. For this reason, a distinction is made between the high frequency words of the language, as represented by the most frequent 2000 words recorded in the General Service List, and the large number of low frequency words of the language. Additionally there are also specialised vocabulary and sub-technical vocabulary such as the Academic Word List. The Academic Word List refers to words that appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts. To achieve reasonable comprehension, 98% of all the words in any text must be known.
It has also been suggested that that knowledge of 10 000 frequent words may be required to cope with the challenges of university study in a second language as it ensures comprehension of challenging academic texts. This is disconcerting since a study by Kaur (2013) which investigated Malaysian pre-degree students’ vocabulary size revealed that the learners have a mastery level of only 1000 to 3000 words, which is far below the minimum level required for tertiary education. A further analysis of 360 Malaysian undergraduates’ vocabulary knowledge revealed that out of the 360 students; only 10% passed the University Word List (UWL) test. Note that the UWL test assesses students’ vocabulary knowledge of academic terms.There is a strong relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension at all levels of language proficiency. According to Averil Coxhead (2012) who is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics (in Victoria University of Wellington) and the author of Essentials of Teaching Academic Vocabulary, for reading authentic texts, a comprehension of a minimum of 3000 written word families is required, including 83% of the Academic Word List. Thus, for learners with lexical weakness, this would severely impact on not only their reading, but also writing competence, which in turn impacts on their ability to fulfil course requirements.
Despite the value of vocabulary in ensuring second language acquisition and subsequent academic performance, the emphasis on vocabulary in the Malaysian education context is often overlooked. There is a lack of explicit vocabulary instruction and vocabulary learning strategies prior to university. This is disconcerting as not only are all subjects taught in English, but also the demands in higher learning institutions often entail written-based assessments, be it in the form of large extended writing (e.g. projects, proposal and reports) or short response essays (e.g. examinations and quizzes). Clearly, as students face increasingly cognitively challenging tasks, the vocabulary demand will intensify.
It is likely that there is a wide lexical gap between students’ vocabulary knowledge and what is demanded in the university academic setting. Possessing limited or insufficient vocabulary can hinder the learning process for university students when they have to listen to academic lectures, give presentations, read and comprehend texts and write papers. In fact, a research done by Gebril and Plakans in 2013 on how vocabulary impacted on students ability to write revealed that a proficiency threshold must be crossed for students to be able to synthesise information appropriately from the source text in their writing.
Clearly, there is a need to diagnose the vocabulary knowledge of learners in order to design and prescribe effective programmes of strategies for vocabulary expansion. The findings would provide potentially useful information for implementing a functional classroom practice which may include promoting explicit vocabulary instruction by focusing on the academic word list and developing independent vocabulary enhancement skills in language classrooms.
Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” – Wilkins, 1972
Dr Ida Fatimawati Binti Adi Badiozaman is a lecturer with the Faculty of Language and Communication at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus. She is contactable firstname.lastname@example.org


1. Strengthen Foundational Math Skills
Algebra is about taking the information you already know about numbers, expanding it, and then applying. Students who do not have a solid foundation in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, and fractions are going to struggle when they reach 8th-grade Algebra. Building and improving those foundational skills can help set your child up for greater success.
2. Check Your Child’s Understanding for Solving Basic Equations
Solving equations is the core of 8th-grade algebra. Students start by learning to solve simple linear equations with just one variable, such as 35 = 4x + 7. If students have not had a solid foundation in learning how to solve equations, then this sort of equation may be challenging for them.
The key to teaching your child how to solve equations is to think of the problem like a balance: each side has to remain balanced and the equal sign is the pivot. In order to determine what the variable is, you need to add, subtract, multiply or divide to “get rid of” the numbers surrounding the variable. However, because it is a balance, whatever you do to one side of the equal sign, you have to do to the other.
So, in the example 35 = 4x + 7, you would begin by subtracting the seven from both sides of the equal sign. This gives you 28 = 4x. To solve for x, you then need to divide both sides by 4.
3. Check That Your Child Can Use the Distributive Property
Once your child understands how to solve linear equations, they will face more complex algebra problems. A student may, for example, have to solve:
-9 – (9x -6) = 3 (4x +6)
In order to begin solving this problem, the student must simplify it by using the distributive property.
The student “distributes” the negative sign in front of the (9x – 6) and the 3 in front of the (4x + 6).
Distribution involves multiplying everything inside the parenthesis by the coefficient. In the case of the – sign, the coefficient is – 1. Now the problem becomes -9 – 9x + 6 = 12x + 18. The student combines the -9 and + 6 to yield -9x – 3 = 12x + 18, and the problem is solved as a simpler algebraic expression.
Failure to understand and properly apply the distributive property from the start will make this algebra problem seem very difficult. This is why understanding certain skills and strategies is so important for algebra.
Join a Digital Math Tutoring Program to Help with 8th Grade Algebra Problems
Have you noticed your child struggling with 8th-grade algebra problems? There are different math help solutions available, and a digital math tutoring program, like Thinkster Math, can help your child improve their algebraic skills.
With Thinkster, your child gets a certified coach right in the comfort of your own home. Whether your child needs extra help with foundational math skills that were taught before 8th grade or current algebra problems, Thinkster can help conveniently and effectively.


Exam Boards: Edexcel, AQA and OCR
1-year GCSE (Suitable for Year 11 or repeating students)
The 1-year GCSE entry course has been designed to ensure that students will achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs at the end of their studies. This will enable students to move onto the next stage of their education, training or employment. The curriculum is necessarily narrow so as to accommodate students who have moved to the UK from other countries, had an interrupted education, moved from another school or not previously achieved 5 GCSEs A* – C. In most cases, time factor has a critical impact on the successful outcomes at GCSE.
Subjects studied to be examined in summer 2020 include: Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Citizenship.
This curriculum will enable students to achieve 6 GCSEs if they sit triple science examinations or 5 GCSEs if they sit double science examinations. As many of our students aspire to move on to further Level 3 qualifications and ultimately a degree, this course satisfies most university requirements of a minimum of 5 GCSEs including Maths and English Language.
In addition, students will enjoy non-examined subjects including PHSE and PE. ICT provision will be integrated across the curriculum.
Maths, English & Sciences
This course is particularly relevant for students who have not attained passes in English, Mathematics and Sciences. Passes in these subjects ensure that students have the requisite literacy and numeracy skills for their A-Level studies, irrespective of the subjects chosen, and are usually required by universities and employers in later life.
On occasion, students may proceed into the Lower Sixth but simultaneously improve on one subject at GCSE level. Whether this is a suitable option depends on the number of subjects being taken at A-Level and the grades previously received at GCSE.
Individual Learning Plan
Students studying in the 1-year GCSE course will revise all Year 10 and 11 content within the syllabus and undertake extensive examination practice. Students also devise a Personal Development Plan, in conjunction with their teachers, to help identify the steps required for a higher level of achievement.
Supervised Study & Personal Development Programmes
Additionally, students will undertake several sessions of Supervised Study each week to ensure that they are carrying out sufficient independent learning. A Personal Development Programme is also an integral part of the 1-year GCSE timetable and students can expect to learn about a myriad of topics, such as democracy and online safety.
Assessments & Parent Reporting
Students undertake a number of assessments during the academic year including progress tests, which assess unit based knowledge, and more formal end of term or mock examinations which are a test of large parts of or the entirety of the syllabus. Parents are kept updated with student progress via written reports and parents’ evenings.


Channel Tunnel is a tunnel below the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. This rail tunnel connects Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in France. It is also known colloquially as ‘Chunnel’. The work on Channel Tunnel started on December 15, 1987, and it was officially opened on May 6, 1994. It is the 11th longest tunnel in use and also has the longest undersea portion of all the tunnels in the entire world.
The average depth of the tunnel is 50 meters below the seabed. Channel Tunnel was included in the list of the seven wonders of the modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Fast Facts: –
- The first proposal for this tunnel was put forward by a French mining engineer, Albert Mathieu.
- Queen Elizabeth II and the President of France, Francois Mitterrand inaugurated the tunnel by opening it officially.
- Up to 400 trains pass the tunnel daily and they carry more than 50,000 passengers.
- Almost 85% of total car passengers are British.
- There are three different tunnels in the Channel Tunnel. Two are single-track running tunnels and one is service tunnel.
- The diameter of both the running tunnels is 24 feet. Total 11 boring machines were used to dig the tunnel.
- The tunnel is operated by the company Eurotunnel.
- A Formula one driver named John Surtees raced through the tunnel in 2009 for charity.
- It takes approximately 35 minutes to travel the length of the Channel Tunnel.
- This tunnel occasionally causes immigration issues.
- The rubble removed for the construction of the tunnel was turned into a park.
- Total 10 workers were killed during the construction of the Channel Tunnel.
- The deepest point of the tunnel is 250 meters below the surface of the water.
Cite This Page
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In this paper, we examine the role of trade shocks in promoting the diffusion of elementary education in subnational units in Brazil during a period (1889-1930) in which they had relative financial autonomy to collect export taxes and spend on public goods. The argument is that trade shocks affect asymetrically the tax revenues of state governments and, thus, their expenditures on elementary education per capita according to what crop mix they had. We then show that states with more egalitarian and democratic institutions use positive trade shocks to invest in education, while the opposite takes place in states with less democratic institutions (e.g., in states that had more slaves). We also show using OLS and instrumental variables that positive trade shocks increased expenditures on education per capita and led to higher literacy rates and to more schools per children. The resulting distribution of human capital across states persists until today.


In last week’s blog I reported on year 8’s ‘beautiful work’ and suggested that music had a strong presence in the school because it enriched the pupil’s knowledge and understanding of the world they were growing into. Quite a wild claim and a rather big idea, you might say.
Well, pupils were knowing how to make Blues music; how to improvise freely and knowing that a particular cultural practice has social-cultural-political significance. So not so unreasonable.
And it does connect with the three music educational purposes I have been working on, expressed here in question form.
- What does a music education qualify people to do; what knowledge and dispositions are needed in order to make music well and to think about it critically?
- How will a music education induct newcomers into existing practices, into the cultures of making-music, which practices, which cultures of music making? How will a music education recognise the cultural energy pupils already possess’?
- How will a music education help children and young people to become unique individuals, subjectively enriched and able to feel a sense of personal freedom, even emancipation through a music education?
But what about the teacher in this case?
The music teacher in collaboration with the teachers of History and Drama took time to fine tune their purposes and in the light of these made judgements about how they would teach and the kind of education they were taking responsibility for. Gert Biesta sees the teacher as one who is continually making judgements in what are always ‘new, unique and concrete sitiuations.’
‘Sometimes education needs to be flexible and personalised; in other cases it needs to be strict, structured and general. In some cases education needs to be centred on the student; in other cases it needs to be centred on the teacher. In some cases everything that we expect from students should be visible and clear to them; in other cases we need to work with a sense of mystery and openness.’
There could be many more ‘sometimes education needs to be … ‘
And for ‘education’ we can read ‘music education’.
Biesta’s point is that we need to be clear about what we seek to bring about. Purposes will need to be balanced. There will be trade offs.
In seeing every situation as new and unique the teacher will be a natural risk taker, one who is an artist rather than a technician. It is this that helps to avoid categroical statements about how a teacher should be – instructor, stand back supporter, interventionist, co-musician, director, facilitator, didact etc.. In this way fads and fashions are kept at bay.
Biesta likes to ask ‘what is good education?’ And to begin to answer this we need to work out what education is for, what music education is for. This will involve working out what is the nature of music, what is music in the world, what is education. And it is this that comes to be represented by the purposes I have set out above. As Jason Kubilius maintains, simply promoting music as a good thing is a deceit and misses the mark.
 For fuller context see https://jfin107.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/what-is-music-education-for-in-the-age-of-measurement/?preview=true&preview_id=1132&preview_nonce=f7de6ffb9b&post_format=standard and https://jfin107.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/music-education-without-a-centre/?preview=true&preview_id=1250&preview_nonce=1f68e4cd81&post_format=standard
I am persisting in discussing the purposes of a music education in which the school plays an essential role. I am not at all convinced by the proposal that the achievment of a strong musical identity is the ultimate goal of a music education. While such achievment is worthy, even necessary, I don’t think this it is sufficient in the context of the school and its purposes.
 Biesta, G. (2015) Good Education and the Teacher: Reclaiming Educational Professionalism in (eds.) J. Evers, J. and R. Kneyber, Flip the System: Changing Education from the Ground Up. Routledge: London.
 Ibid page 82.
 See https://teachingmusicking.wordpress.com/ which has got me thinking more about purposes 1 and 2 above. 1 is about ‘qualification’ and 2 about ‘socialisation’.


Our research project was a study of differing methods of teaching theoretical knowledge and aural skills in an elementary level general music classroom. We studied a number of elementary age students, ranging from grades 2-5, at a local public elementary school. Our control group, consisting of half of the population of each grade, took part in traditional teacher-led, whole group classes. The other half of the students spent several weeks in small groups of 3-6 cycling through a series of “music centers.” Each center was in itself a single, student-led lesson pertaining to the same material that was being taught in the control group lessons. Before beginning this series of lessons, we administered an assessment. At the end of the lesson series, we gave the same assessment and compared students’ growth. The assessment consisted of multiple-choice questions relating to musical theory knowledge and an aural component wherein students displayed the ability to match pitches.
I was invited to take part in this research project by my professor, Dr. Daniel Johnson of the UNCW department of music. I am also currently majoring in music education, with a special interest in elementary level teaching. I am currently undertaking my practicum semester, and I thought that the time spent in a classroom would be a beneficial experience to prepare me for this semester.
I gained a deeper understanding of how to properly plan for and implement centers-based instruction. Because of the nature of the two groups, I learned strategies for using the same education material and content to create multiple types of instruction. One of the biggest challenges that this project faced was creating instructional centers that were relevant and easily accessible for all four of our targeted grade levels. The nature of the school’s music class schedule, in which all four of the target grades came to the classroom for music within a relatively short period of time, made it impractical to create and implement specialized centers for each grade. As a result, small tweaks had to be made to a standardized set of centers to make them relevant and accessible to each of the grade levels while remaining workable for the teacher. Doing this taught me a great deal about the developmental differences between each of the grades and how best to teach students at their respective levels.
One of the largest things that I took away from this project was, as mentioned, an understanding of some of intricacies and eccentricities of lesson design in my field. I also benefit from the amount of time spent in a music classroom as a result of this study. Thanks to my participation in this project, I have had the opportunity to spend more time in a wider range of elementary music classrooms than some of my fellow undergraduates. I am able to claim a greater level of relevant experience, and the experience that I have goes beyond simply observing the teaching process. I have gained real world experience for things that would remain theoretical for many undergoing a similar degree program.


<b> Forum for elementary education ESL/EFL teachers </b>
1 post • Page 1 of 1
As an educator, we can use computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in our language classrooms. We can use CALL for collaborative projects—small group of students working together on a research project. The students can use graphics, charts, and text for their presentations. We can also use CALL for peer-editing of compositions where the students can exchange their essays for peer editing. Also, teachers can easily write their comments on the final drafts through this technology. The third usage of CALL is Email; we can communicate with our students and collaborate with other teachers through emails. Our students can also use emails to write to their pen pals around the world. The fourth way of using CALL is blogging. The students can quickly write their thoughts, interact with others, get feedback, post photos, and so on. Two other ways that teachers can use CALL in our classroom are web-based bulletin board communication and reinforcement of classroom material. We can create an opportunity for our students to communicate in their L2 on the bulletin board discussion sites. Also, we can use the CD-ROM that comes with the text books to allow our students to practice the skills learned in class. What other ways can we use CALL in our classrooms?


A little rusty on what 1, 2, or 3-point perspective is exactly? Have no fear, here is a short crash course on the three modes of perspective taken from Michael Solovyev’s new book The Lord of Illusions.
The first basic rule of drawing in perspective is that things that are closer look larger. Which is why drawing in perspective requires at least one Vanishing Point. The amount of vanishing points determines the perspective that is being used. Hence, 1 vanishing point=1-point perspective, etc. Since, we live in a 3-dimensional space the maximum amount of vanishing points we can use is…that’s right, 3!
The next important aspect of drawing in perspective is the Horizon Line. The horizon line is always situated at the level of your eyes and the first and second vanishing points always lie on the horizon line.
In 1-point perspective that means placing the vanishing point in the center since you are looking head on.
In 2-point perspective that means placing the vanishing points on opposing sides of the horizon line.
Finally, in 3-point perspective we get a ‘true to life’ cube. One that is able to reflect the spatial distortion of height on an object by placing a third vanishing point above or below the horizon line.
Michael Solovyev is an art director, illustrator, fine art painter and designer of architecture, theater sets and costumes. He has 12 years of professional experience, has won numerous awards and his fine artwork is featured in public and private collections in 10 different countries. For nearly a decade he’s been transmitting his classical European art education to up-and-coming artists through teaching engagements in Canada and in his native Russia.
To buy a copy of Michael’s book The Lord of Illusions visit: http://www.blurb.com/b/6580252-the-lord-of-illusions


The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is launching today, 3 December, the SDG 4 Data Digest 2018: Data to Nurture Learning, which demonstrates how data can contribute to improve learning, as ministers and policymakers gather at the Global Education Meeting in Brussels to take stock of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education for all .
Inequality in education is high on the agenda in Brussels but, as the UIS points out, it cannot be tackled without robust monitoring to track whether children, adolescents and adults are gaining the skills they need. This monitoring is vital, given that six out of ten children and adolescents worldwide are still unable to read a simple sentence or handle a basic mathematics calculation, according to UIS data.
“Inequality lies at the heart of the global learning crisis that stunts the lives of 617 million children and adolescents,” says Silvia Montoya, UIS Director. “Inequalities in learning are seen and felt not only at the individual level but across countries and communities, with entire societies held back by poor education and skills gaps.”
The Digest is blunt about the scale of the task ahead. One-third of the children and adolescents without basic literacy and numeracy skills are out of school and urgently need access to the education that is their right. But two-thirds of these children and adolescents are actually in school.
“Far from being hidden away or hard to reach, they are sitting in classrooms, in schools that are unable to provide them with the quality education they have been promised,” says Montoya. “That promise has been broken far too often.”
This matters, given the critical importance of learning for the achievement of all SDGs, from reducing poverty to tackling gender discrimination and building healthy, peaceful societies. The Digest voices concern about how these goals can be reached by the 2030 deadline if significant numbers of people continue to lack basic skills.
The Digest explores the internationally-comparable data needed to reduce inequalities and ensure the lifelong learning envisaged by SDG 4. It covers a wide range of assessment initiatives from early childhood education to adult literacy programmes. It also presents a series of tools to help countries make informed decisions about the types of assessments that will meet their specific needs, as well as guidance on participation in assessments and building the essential human capacity to improve learning outcomes through the effective use of data.
Making a strong case for investment in evaluation, the Digest argues for a shift in perspectives about the perceived costs of learning assessments by donors and governments. Participation in major international or regional assessments can cost each country roughly $500,000 every four years, which seems like a major expense for a smaller economy. However, it is minor when set against the overall cost of providing schooling, and the even greater economic consequences of inadequate education. The UIS estimates that solid data on learning to gauge whether approaches are working or whether reforms are needed could improve education spending efficiency by 5%, saving an average of $30 million per year in per country, which would pay for the cost assessments hundreds of times over.
For more information, contact Amy Otchet, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, firstname.lastname@example.org +1 514 343 7933
Infographics and social media materials are available here.


What is art? For many it is categorized in two ways; a live performance or a visual piece. Audiences seat in a concert hall or walk through an exhibit and art is presented to them. In this model art is a thing, but I believe it to be much more than a tangible object. When an experience can alter your thoughts, challenge your opinions, or create a revelation, true art is achieved.
The pragmatic philosopher and educational pedagogue, John Dewey described art as something felt rather than known. He believed so strongly in this that in the later years of his life he called on society to live artfully. According to Dewey, to live artfully meant that a person does not take what is given to them as fact until they explore and find its depth, vividness and meaning. To live artfully means to be engaged in the world.
I may be biased, but I believe that music is the greatest aid to this artful lifestyle. When submersed in the music making process, a person naturally forms opinions and executes decisions, all within a community of other people. Take the video below, which outlines an approach to public school music education, as an example.
Living artfully can be clearly attainable and seen in the music classroom. It gives students all the tools to be in charge of their learning, to have a say in their world. But this is not just a model for education, it is a model for social change.
I believe that The Noon Project shares the same ideal and hope for an artful lifestyle. The organization’s hope is to educate our community on the inhumane acts occurring in the Middle East, while at the same time creating a community of understanding and peace in the region, all through the medium of art. It is a daunting tasks, but luckily for The Noon Project they are joining an artistic movement that already has an incredible leader: The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
As you read this blog and explore The Noon Project’s website, I hope that your thoughts are provoked. I hope that you begin to reflect on the world and its cruelties, and begin to think of what you can do to better it. I hope that you begin to live artfully.
Anthony Madonna is a musician, educator and administrator based in the New York Metropolitan area. As an educator he has worked with all age levels in both public school and community music settings. In 2015 Anthony received second prize at the American Choral Directors Association’s National Undergraduate Conducting Competition. He is currently part of The Juilliard School’s Professional Intern Program where he works with the Vocal Arts Department. Anthony received his B.A in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Westminster Choir Colleges. His mentors are Dr. Amanda Quist, Tom Shelton, Dr. JJ Penna, and Zehava Gal. For more information please visit his website: apmadonna.weebly.com


City Life Worksheet – FREE Geography Hidden Words Puzzles
All About City Life Worksheet – Get our educational FREE Geography Hidden Words Puzzles.
Our FREE worksheet on City Life includes a fun search a word puzzle as well as a find the words seek puzzle for kids.
This fun yet educational printable Geography worksheet on City Life is completely FREE for parents and teachers to download and use at no charge and you are allowed to use this activity sheet as often as you require at home or in school!
The Geography words puzzle about City Life is a fun way to get your child’s attention in a science enrichment class, homeschooling, distant learning lessons, regular school science classes or while the child participates in early learning activities.
This FREE City Life hidden words puzzle is ideal for Grammar school kids who are in First to Fifth Grades. Additionally, kids in Preschool will also easily learn from this fun worksheet on City Life.
Your kids can have fun while learning fun facts on City Life through this worksheet while doing word searches activity.
Your children will enjoy to learn fun facts all about City Life while playing the printable word search puzzle game.
Kids in Elementary school from Grade 1 to 5 can enjoy this City Life worksheet as a reading comprehension tool.
Your children will learn well and enhance their reading skills since they will have to read and re-read the City Life fun facts to identify what the missing words are. This exercise will not only enhance their science knowledge, but also improves the ability to remember what they read and also betters their reading comprehension skills.
Preschoolers and Kindergarten kids who do not yet know to read can benefit from this free fun facts City Life worksheet as an exciting listening comprehension game.
Educators can read out loud to the kids the City Life fun facts. Next, they can help the kids to recall what they think are the missing words. And then, kids learn to identify words and find them in the City Life hidden words puzzle.
Parents doing homeschooling activities with their kids can use our City Life worksheet to arouse their children’s curiosity and interest in City Life and in Earth Science.
Teachers and private tutors are welcome to use our FREE City Life worksheet to add to the traditional science classes at school and interest children in learning all about City Life. Particularly advantageous is to use our free science worksheet for children on City Life in combination with the free interactive online quiz with score on City Life.
Our Top Science Kids website offers hundreds of FREE printable fun Geography worksheets for children and hidden-missing-word search games. Download and use our fun science word puzzles to make learning science fun for your children!
What do you know about City Life? People often ask if it’s better to live in the country side or in the city. What is city life vs. country life like? What are the advantages of living in the city? What infrastructures are needed by a city?
Learn more easy science facts about City Life by downloading our free City Life worksheet for children!
FREE All About City Life Worksheet
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " City Life Worksheet - FREE Geography Hidden Words Puzzles ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 21 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/city-life-worksheet-free-geography-hidden-words-puzzles/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). City Life Worksheet - FREE Geography Hidden Words Puzzles. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/city-life-worksheet-free-geography-hidden-words-puzzles/
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In today’s world, no society is culturally homogenous. People have migrated and settled in different parts of the world currying along their cultural ideas and practices. This diversity is thus present in every society and every classroom. In this regard, understanding learners cultural diversity help in make a teacher responsive to the learners needs. The key points in the assigned readings on “Understanding learners and their cultural backgrounds” are as noted bellow.
In Gallavan’s “Helping teachers unpack their ‘invisible knapsacks” the key point is equipping teachers with knowledge and increasing their confidence, competence and preparedness that will bring about the needed variety of approach towards all learners, learning institution and classrooms (Gallavan, 2005). “Home/school communication for literacy development” by Schmidt Patricia and Izzo Andrea is mainly concerned with importance of self knowledge in appreciating cultural differences; it thus emphasizes understanding oneself a core for understanding others., thus provides a modality for strengthening the links between community, homes, schools, and classrooms through the understanding of cultural diversity (Schmidt & Izzo, 2003). In the third reading “Educating Teachers for Diversity: Elements 9 and 10” the key point is that teacher must be educated on how to embrace diversity, and that this can be best achieved by teacher forging strong interpersonal relationships with the learner.
Buy Educating teachers for diversity essay paper online
Based on my experience, I can incorporate the information share in this reading in various ways. First I will us Gallavan’s ideas to create a classroom and learning instructions that address the challenges diversity. The classroom and instructions will embrace diversity. With Schmidt Patricia and Izzo Andrea ideas, I will incorporate the understanding of the learner’s communities, and cultural background to create instruction that forester corporation among the learner enabling them to understand themselves and thus appreciate each other’s cultures. Finally, based on “Educating Teachers for Diversity: Elements 9 and 10” I will ensure the classroom activities encourage students to corporate with me (as their teacher) to develop a strong interpersonal relationship and use my understanding of their cultural backgrounds to create teaching instruction that embraces diversity.
In sum, cultural diversity is part of our society, and teacher must embrace it and understand the cultural and educational need of individual learners. The readings collectively provide a modality of teachers understanding the learners’ need which are influenced by their cultural backgrounds. To incorporating them in classroom, I will create a classroom and learning instructions that forester collaboration, and provide me with an opportunity to understand every leaner as well as allow learners to discover themselves and understand and appreciate each other.
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Weather Forecasting Activity Sheet – Free Printable Find the Words Activity Sheet
Weather Forecasting Activity Sheet – Download our fun educational and interesting FREE printable find the words activity sheet for kids. Our activity sheet all about weather forecasting for kids includes a find the hidden word search puzzle in addition to a missing words hunt game for children. You are allowed to print and use the how to forecast the weather activity sheet for kids for free as many times as you want.
This fun facts about weather forecasting activity sheet is suitable for Primary school kids in Grade 1 to 5, as well as younger kids in Preschool and Kindergarten.
Our free printable find the words activity on weather forecasting is a fun and an easy way to awaken your kids interest in science and make learning science fun and enjoyable. Kids can enjoy to learn fun facts all about weather forecasting with this activity sheet.
Junior school kids from Grade One up to Grade Five can enjoy our free printable weather forecasting activity sheet for kids as a reading comprehension exercise.
Kids will learn well about how to forecast the weather and remember what they read, since most kids will need to read a couple of times the weather forecasting fun facts to find what the missing words are.
This exercise will not only improve their science knowledge but also enhance their reading skills.
Preschoolers and kids in Kindergarten who don’t know how to read, can use the free forecasting the weather activity sheet for kids as an exciting listening comprehension game. Educators can read the fun facts about weather forecasting for kids and then ask the children to recall what the missing words are.
Young kids can also enjoy playing the hidden words puzzle while learning to spot and recognize letters and words.
Parents can use our weather forecasting for kids activity sheet to do fun homeschooling science activities or after school science enrichment lessons with their kids. You can also use our free find the words activity sheet for early learning science games with younger kids.
Teachers can use our weather forecasting find the words activity sheet to engage kids interest during science lessons and to make learning about weather forecasting methods interesting for kids. Private Tutors can use our activity sheet all about weather forecasting for kids for extra curriculum learning programs or after school science activities.
EasyScienceforKids.com is the best online science resource for free activity sheets. We offer many free printable find the words activity sheets and missing hidden word search puzzles. Download and use our fun science activity sheets to make learning science fun for your children!
Forecasting the weather dates back to 650 BC. People in ancient times predicted the weather using primitive weather forecasting instruments and their observations. Today, there are different modern ways how to forecast the weather. How do weather forecasters predict the weather?
Learn fun facts about how to forecast the weather by downloading our free weather forecasting activity sheet for kids!
Free Weather Forecasting Activity Sheet for Kids
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Weather Forecasting Activity Sheet - Free Printable Find the Words Activity Sheet - ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 24 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/weather-forecasting-activity-sheet-free-printable-find-the-words-activity-sheet/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Weather Forecasting Activity Sheet - Free Printable Find the Words Activity Sheet -. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/weather-forecasting-activity-sheet-free-printable-find-the-words-activity-sheet/
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Sherlock Bones and the Times Table Adventure
Publication Date: 19/03/2020
Categories: Activity & Puzzles
About the Book
Sherlock Bones and his trusted accomplice Dr Catson are embroiled in a frenetic times-table adventure. They must follow a teasing trail of multiplication-themed puzzles. It’s up to the reader to find the answer to each fiendish problem, all in the hope of foiling Professor Moriratty’s evil plan.
Ideal for children aged 7 to 11 (KS2), this charming activity book is a fill-in book allowing children to test their numeracy skills.
- 'A charming, beautifully produced KS2 maths activity book', The School Run


There are actually MANY different roles that fall under the term “Museum Educator,” such as, Director or Chair of Education, Director of Public Programs, Curator of Education, Education and Interpretation Supervisor, Education Assistant, etc.
We like to think of museum educators as the pioneers of the museum world, working hard to share their museum’s unique collections and stories with the world by creating engaging and educational programs for visitors of all backgrounds and ages.
Museum Educator Job Description
Museum educators are responsible for developing and carrying out all of the museum’s various education and public programs, e.g., lectures, family, community and school programs, etc.
Educators are also sometimes in charge of their institution’s community outreach programs and writing curriculum around their museum’s collection.
Check out this job description for a Museum Educator at the University of California Berkeley:
This position involves planning and presenting educational programs that enhance public understanding of STEM subject areas. Contributes to educational research efforts, and assists in the development and production of written educational materials. Develops and presents gallery talks, lectures, seminars, symposia, and other educational programs. May coordinate volunteers and/or docents.
- Present high-quality STEM education programming and effectively manages instructional materials under general supervision.
- Under general supervision, develops instructional materials and activities.
- Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of effective partnerships.
- Document program evaluations and makes recommendations for improvements in a timely manner.
- Effectively executes some administrative responsibilities related to STEM education programs..
- Effectively applies basic organizational and problem-solving skills.
Museum Educator Salary
Most museum educator salaries fall in a range between $20,000 – $48,000 per year. Of course, it depends on the educator’s level of experience, responsibilities, job title, the size of the museum, and the type of museum.
Here are some examples of salaries from past museum educator jobs on museum.jobs:
- Museum Educator at the University of California Berkeley
- Education Director at the Imagine Museum in Florida
- Mary Ann MacLean Educator at the Illinois State Museum Society
Museum Educator Education Requirements
To become a museum educator, you typically need a degree in something similar to education, museum studies, or public history, and LOTS of previous work experience in the education field.
Some institutions with a particular focus, such as science, natural history, or art, may require a degree specifically related to their collection.
Most museum educator jobs do not require more than an undergraduate degree, however, having a Masters or Ph.D. can put you ahead when looking for higher salaried and titled positions.
Check out these awesome schools for museum educators and related programs:
- Museum Education Program at Tufts University
- Art Education Program at the Academy of Art University
- Art Education Program at the University of Georgia
Museum education is a great route for those that have always wanted to teach but aren’t sure that the classic classroom setting is the right fit for them.
As a museum educator, you will have the opportunity to work with, educate, and learn from a range of ages and groups, use real artifacts and works of art, and transform the museum into a welcoming space for growth, education and inspiration.


today and for the future.
Here are a few Tip Sheets for supporting your child’s language and literacy development.
Children’s Book Lists
Explore these lists to find great reads for your young children:
To find out more about how you can help build your child’s literacy and language skills and lay the groundwork for lifelong learning, we suggest the following on-line sites:
Healthy Baby Healthy Brain – this Canadian site has short videos about talking with your baby or child
MyLanguage.ca – the importance of using your home language
National Literacy Trust – a British web site with a full section for families.
Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University) – a wealth of information about brain development and more.


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A maths intervention for struggling primary school pupils delivered by a specially trained teacher either one-to-one or with small groups.
An approach to learning that teaches and develops primary school children’s metacognition skills.
1stClass@Number is a maths intervention targeted at struggling primary school pupils.
Working Memory Plus
One-to-one and digital intervention aiming to improve the numeracy skills of Year 3 pupils
App using a virtual teacher to deliver reading, writing and numeracy
Philosophy for Children
An educational approach which aims to develop children’s critical thinking, reasoning and meta-cognitive skills through philosophical discussion.
The Tutor Trust
A scheme which provides affordable tuition to primary and secondary schools by recruiting and training university students as paid tutors.
A scheme which provides free healthy breakfast food to schools with a high percentage of Free School Meals eligible pupils.
A series of mathematics programmes for primary or secondary schools.
A computer-based approach to maths for KS1 to KS4 based on ongoing assessment, with limited evidence of effectiveness for primary maths and no evidence of effectiveness for secondary maths.


Fun Locusts Quiz – FREE General Knowledge Quiz for Kids Online
Enjoy this Easy Science for Kids Locusts Quiz – you’ll get your quiz score after completing this fun general knowledge quiz. You need to answer all the questions to be able to get your score. You can do this fun Locusts quiz again, till you get the perfect score and become a quiz champion!
Tip: To get it right the first time, read the page with fun facts about the Locust.
About Our FREE Online Locusts Quiz
Our easy science quizzes are a free general knowledge quiz for kids resource for teachers and educators of kids in elementary school, grammar school and preschool. This fun Locusts quiz helps your kids learn fun facts about the Locust while enjoying this FREE quiz for kids online.
If your kid is being home-schooled, or is in a special education program, then this is a fun activity, with reading comprehension benefits for kids in grades one to five. Kids will enjoy competing against their classmates and friends, to see who scores the best, doing this general science quiz about Locusts.
As a reading comprehension educational activity for kids, you can set a timer to encourage kids to do the reading comprehension activity faster, or restrict the number of times the kids can read about the Locust quiz topic, before they do the actual easy quiz questions for kids.
Younger kids who cannot yet read or write, such as Pre-K kids, Kindergarten kids or Preschool kids, will benefit from doing this Locusts quiz and our other fun online quizzes for kids, as a listening comprehension activity; you read out to them about the topic and then read the general knowledge questions and answers. You will select the Locusts quiz answer they think is correct, and at the end you get the quiz score. Your child can try this quiz about Locusts many times, till he or she gets the perfect score faster, as he or she learns to listen more carefully and develop a better memory and attention span!
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You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Fun Locusts Quiz – FREE General Knowledge Quiz for Kids Online - ." Easy Science for Kids, Feb 2020. Web. 28 Feb 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/fun-locusts-quiz-free-general-knowledge-quiz-for-kids-online/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Locusts Quiz – FREE General Knowledge Quiz for Kids Online -. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/fun-locusts-quiz-free-general-knowledge-quiz-for-kids-online/
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The life of a teacher is not an easy one. In the regular classroom, every teacher is likely to have classes that include:
- Students from broken or breaking families;
- Students who come to school hungry;
- Students with English as a second language;
- Students who do not have good social skills;
- Students who have significant behavioural issues
- Students with specific labels such as ADHD.
To this we add pressures such as a new National Curriculum, external literacy and numeracy testing, school comparison tables, and parents with high expectations and forceful approaches. In this environment, the inclusion of students with a disability can be seen as an additional burden for which they do not feel adequately prepared or supported.
Include is concerned with ‘skilling the willing’. Through workshops on literacy development, inclusion and a range of other topics, plus direct support in the classroom we can reduce the load. We can help teachers get back to their job being fun, fulfilling and making a real difference in the lives of their students.