The focus on Education means ensuring that children and youth have the opportunities they need to learn, grow and succeed. One of the aspirations is to increase the number of youth who complete high school. This is a proven indicator that increases the likelihood of achieving economic success, and decreases the chances of someone falling into poverty. Right now, a quarter of youth in the Capital Region do not graduate high school within five years. That has to change, and it has to start early. Every baby and toddler should reap the benefits of early development; and every child and youth should have the supports they need to prepare for, and then be successful, at school - with their families, teachers and mentors included in the circle of support.
67,162 people were helped through United Way investments
32 United Way Funded Programs & Partnerships helped:
- 7,259 people in Early Childhood Development
- 6,637 people with School Readiness Programs
- 48,684 with Success in School
- 4,582 people through Out of School Programs.
Of those people:
- 4,262 participants chose to identify as Aboriginal
- 4,275 participants chose to identify as an Immigrant and/or Refugee
How we do it.
United Way invests in our region's success by providing funding where the need is greatest. Our strategy is 100% local, shaped specifically for the Alberta Capital Region and impacts families right here in our community.
Early Childhood Development
United Way invests in several programs and initiatives that increase access to quality early childhood learning and care opportunities, to enhance development and support healthy parent-child attachment.
Out of School Programming
Children who participate in positive activities during this critical time demonstrate improved school performance. United Way focuses on providing quality out-of-school programs and improving access and participation for children and youth in these programs.
Low-literacy skills impact all aspects of a person's life. United Way invests in family literacy training programs to increase parent and caregiver understanding of the importance of a language rich environments for child development.
Success in School
United Way investments ensure students have access to the supports they need to thrive in school and, identifies students at risk of disengaging from school and supports activities to re-engage them in their education.


PK-8 General Music
PK-8 General Music Maps*
Learning in general music classes is most effective when students are actively involved and have quality aural experiences. Performing, working in small groups, active listening, creating, moving to music, and independent projects result in deeper learning than lectures and worksheets. Courses in general music, therefore, should provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for performing (voice, guitar/ukulele, keyboard, percussion, handbells, electronic generated music and other instruments); responding (movement, listening-based classes such as music history and literature); creating (electronic music, improvisation, composition); and making connections to other arts, disciplines, cultures, and personal life. Because performing, responding, and creating are the modes through which musical understandings are achieved, even listening-based classes should include appropriate performing and creating activities. Recommended activities, such as listening, performing, creating, improvising, and responding are efficient hands-on learning modes, attract and hold the students’ interest, and give students a key to lifelong enjoyment of music.
Special consideration needs to be given to developmentally appropriate early childhood music education. As stated in the Wisconsin Music Curriculum guide, “Music education for young children involves a developmentally appropriate program of singing, moving, listening, creating, playing instruments, and responding to visual and verbal representations of sound.
*Standards maps may be reproduced if Wisconsin Music Educators Association is cited as the original source.


This blog is about music education, and is for music teachers and students who are interested in how we learn music and in finding ways to teach it (or learn it) more effectively. I created the blog in Spanish with the idea of helping to make known in Spanish speaking countries certain ideas on music education that up to now have been translated very little into Spanish, especially Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory. I will be suggesting ways of adapting Gordon’s ideas in countries where the fixed Do system is used, which includes not only Spanish speaking countries but many others. For example, I suggest a new system of tonal syllables that can be used to develop audiation (the ability to think music) without the confusion the traditional syllables cause when used together with the fixed Do. I also discuss why this subject (developing the ability to audiate) is so important in music education. If you live in one of these countries the information in this blog may be of interest to you.
My intention is simply to share ideas that I have found give the results I have been searching for over the years. Some of them propose a radical change of habits, while others are only there to remind us about things we often forget in our day to day teaching, the most important of them being that everyone knows music (that’s the title of this blog) and we as teachers should help our students to discover what they already know, develop it and apply it, whether it be singing, playing or simply enjoying music. I will also try to pass on some of what I was enormously fortunate to learn from the great Russian pianist and pedagog Leonid Sintsev (1944-2008), who opened my eyes to what music could really be.
If you live in a country where the fixed Do is traditionally used in music teaching (that is, where the names of the notes are do, re, mi…) and are interested in Gordon’s Music Learning Theory and how to apply it with your music students or in your own musical education without having to adopt the moveable Do system (with letter names for notes) that he uses, do not hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to explain in English how I use alternative tonal syllables to develop my students’ musical ear and their comprehension and enjoyment of music.
You can reach me at:
Thank you for visiting my blog!


Digital Citizenship | News
Edmodo, Common Sense Launch Social Learning Digital Literacy Curriculum
A partnership created by Common Sense Media and social learning platform Edmodo is providing teachers with student activities designed to foster responsible use of social media and other technologies. Through the collaboration, Edmodo users have free access to "Digital Literacy and Citizenship in a Connected Culture" curriculum for K-12.
Teachers who use Edmodo, which is free for teachers and students, have access to Common Sense Media lessons on cyberbullying, plagiarism, and Internet privacy. Each lesson provides an overview and objectives for teachers, a list of student activities, information and handouts for parents and students, and homework. Separate curriculum is provided for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12, and it aligns with International Society for Technology in Education and American Association of School Librarians standards.
The digital literacy curriculum, provided by Common Sense Media, which is a nonprofit organization, is based on the GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and studies by Howard Gardner.
According to the project's Web site, "We are investigating the ethical character of young people's activities in the new digital media, including online games, social networking sites, blogs, and other virtual communities. We seek to understand how young people conceptualize their participation in virtual worlds and the ethical considerations that guide their conduct."
"Teaching kids to think critically and behave responsibly in today's fast-paced digital world is essential, and Edmodo is a perfect platform on which to provide these important foundational skills. It's learning about technology by using technology," said Mike Lorion, general manager of education at Common Sense Media. "Giving teachers and students access to our curriculum through a private social learning network is a unique opportunity to put digital literacy and citizenship lessons into practice."
For more information, visit commonsense.org or edmodo.com.
Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at email@example.com and followed on Twitter @editortim.


The most comprehensive Student Edition. Includes the Essentials of Geography, North America, Central America & the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Russia & the Eurasian Republics, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southwest Asia & North Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia, the Pacific Rim and Antarctica
"Sinopsis" puede pertenecer a otra edición de este libro.
Peggy Altoff's experience includes teaching middle school and high school students, supervising teachers, and serving as adjunct university staff. Peggy served as a state social studies specialist in Baltimore and as a K-12 facilitator in Colorado Springs. She was president of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) in 2006-2007 and was on the task force for the new NCSS National Curriculum Standards.
Ms. Altoff's monograph is titled Active Learning Geography Classroom.
Mark Bockenhauer is a professor of geography at St. Norbert College and a former geographer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society. Mark has extensive experience in teacher professional development. He co-wrote Our Fifty States and the World Atlas for Young Explorers, 3rd edition--both for National Geographic. Mark is coordinator of the Wisconsin Geographic Alliance, and he served as president of the National Council for Geographic Education in 2007.
Dr. Bockenhauer's monograph is titled National Geographic Connections.
Andrew Milson is a professor of social science education and geography at the University of Texas at Arlington. He taught middle school history and geography near Dallas, Texas. Andy conducts research on geographic education and the use of geospatial technologies in education. He has published more than 30 articles and is an elected member of the Executive Board of the National Council for Geographic Education. He serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Geography.
Dr. Milson's monograph is titled Technology in the Geography Classroom.
Professor of Education Arizona State University Dr. David Moore taught high school social students and reading in Arizona public schools before entering college teaching. He currently teaches secondary school teacher preparation courses in adolescent literacy. He co-chaired the International Reading Association's Commission on Adolescent Literacy and is actively involved with several professional associations. His twenty-five year publication record balances research reports, professional articles, book chapters, and books. Noteworthy publications include the International Reading Association position statement on adolescent literacy and the Handbook of the Reading Research chapter on secondary school reading. Recent books include Teaching Adolescents Who Struggle with Reading (2nd ed.) and Principled Practices for Adolescent Literacy.
Dr. Moore's monographs include: Direct Instruction: Targeted Strategies for Student Success, Robust Vocabulary Instruction, Build Reading Power: Strategies for Comprehension, and Reading Comprehension Strategies, Why Vocabulary Instruction Matters, Science through Literacy, and Supporting Geography Learners with Texts.
Jan Smith is a professor of geography at Shippensburg University. Jan began her teaching career as a high school teacher in Virginia where she served as a teacher consultant for the Virginia Geographic Alliance for many years. Her primary research interest focuses on how children develop their spatial thinking skills. Jan served as president of the National Council for Geographic Education in 2008, and she is currently the coordinator for the Pennsylvania Geographic Alliance.
Dr. Smith's monograph is titled Thinking Like a Geographer.
"Sobre este título" puede pertenecer a otra edición de este libro.
Descripción National Geographic School Pub, 2012. Hardcover. Estado de conservación: New. book. Nº de ref. de la librería M0736289984
Descripción National Geographic School Pub, 2012. Hardcover. Estado de conservación: New. Nº de ref. de la librería DADAX0736289984
Descripción National Geographic School Pub, 2012. Hardcover. Estado de conservación: New. Never used!. Nº de ref. de la librería P110736289984


Music and teenagers go hand-in-hand. Most teens today have music with them on-the-go almost everywhere, and they listen to about 2 1/2 hours of music every day, according to a 2008 article at NYTimes.com. The effect that music has on them can be positive in several ways. Songs can enhance their mood, help them study and provide an outlet for creativity and emotion when they play, write or sing. Music is a tool that, when used appropriately, can affect teens in a positive way.
Music's Bad Side
The potential dangers of music to society have been noted since Plato. In "The Republic," Plato notes that "[A]ny musical innovation is full of danger to the whole State, and ought to be prohibited." The American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 1999 in the journal “Pediatrics” that more than 1,000 studies had been done at that time that tied exposure to mass media, including music lyrics, to violence.
However, there is a flip side to the dangers of music and teenagers. If used well, music can positively affect how they feel. Teens who choose music with positive messages or soothing sounds can help themselves relax and to feel better. The stresses of puberty can be mitigated by listening to or creating music with positive sounds and words. The University of Hawaii study found that music can elevate emotions among college students, and Bach’s music was found to make the “‘brain work in a balanced way better than any other genre,’” according to Arthur Harvey, a neuromusicologist at the University of Hawaii, quoted in a 2009 BBC article.
Tobias Greitmeyer of the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom studied groups of students and how listening to different types of music affected them, according to a 2010 article in “The Guardian.” One group listened to “pro-social” music and acted kinder and more empathetic than those who listened to songs with neutral lyrics or those that did not have any message in their words. A researcher would “accidentally” knock a cup of pencils off the table as one measure of how music affected behavior. Students listening to the positive message music picked up the pencils faster and almost five times as many on average than the other groups. The BBC report also stated that the Australian Music Association found that an education in music can lead to increased social and team skills.
Music can help your teen study better and earn higher grades, too. In the May 2006 issue of the “Journal of Educational Psychology,” the research of E. Glen Schellenberg, was featured, which found that music lessons in childhood correlated significantly with better grades and a higher IQ in young adults. The Stanford University School of Medicine found that music positively affects the areas of the brain for attention, updating events in memory and making predictions. The Australian Music Association further found that music education can help a child have better reasoning and problem-solving skills, as well as a better memory and math and language performance. Choosing the right genre that does not distract a teen from working and concentrating is important because some music can be distracting in both its lyrics and its rhythm and tones.


If you have seen the new movie, “Hidden Figures”, you witnessed the stunning achievement of three African-American women working at NASA alongside employees and astronauts. The resiliency, self-awareness and perseverance demonstrated in this film on several accounts are skills that are necessary to succeed in life- life skills as we call them in 4-H.
After seeing “Hidden Figures”, I was even more exciting to hear the news that in 2017 NASA and 4-H will be teaming up to help students develop these life skills. This new partnership with NASA and 4-H will bring lessons and content built around important foundational skills.
“Expeditionary Skills For Life” will feature lessons and content built around important foundational skills. The initiative launched with a video from Peggy Whitson, a 4-H alum and NASA astronaut currently serving aboard the International Space Station (ISS), highlighting the new program that is now available to the public. The curriculum pairs Whitson’s stay on the ISS with monthly themes such as self-care in January, cultural competency in February, leadership and followership in March and teamwork in April.
For partnerships like this, 4-H brings more than 100 years of experience in developing hands-on, science-based out-of-school experiences for youth and NASA contributes its extraordinary resources and expertise. Together they work with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on strategic planning and innovative resource development for STEM education.
4-H offers students, teachers and parents a range of other STEM resources for youth including the 4-H National Youth Science Day, the world’s largest youth-led science experiment. In 2016, the Drone Discovery Challenge encouraged youth to explore activities surrounding unmanned flight, from piloting to the computer code behind the scenes.
For more information about the Expeditionary Skills For Life curriculum and to see a video of Whitson, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/4H.
*Adapted from 4-H and NASA Partner on Space Age STEM Curriculum press release, USDA NIFA, Dec. 2016.


To ensure that every child in the nation receives education till the matriculation level, the government of India is planning to make the studies in government schools free of cost till class 10th.
The Human Resource Development Ministry has planned to reform the pre-school level and secondary level education system in the country so as to provide quality of education to all the students in the nation. Dr. SC Khuntia, secretary, school education and literacy, as per an English news daily: "We have formed a committee in the HRD Ministry to evaluate the education for classes 9 and 10, which should be universalized. The government is planning to tackle the issue by overhauling the education policy and shifting focus on pre-school education". This initiative will, in turn, help students belonging to the families that have a financial crisis to complete their matriculate studies without any burden.
In accordance with our Constitution, free and compulsory education is being provided up to Class 8 under the Right to Education Act. According to a report by the UNICEF, as much as 36% students in India leave school even before completing elementary education. Therefore, this initiative will be a massive step towards a brighter future of these young guns who will contribute to the progress of the nation in the near future.
For more such news across the nation, stay tuned here at Brainbuxa.


A career in art education can take many forms. You may choose to work in a traditional school setting, for a museum or in private art classes on your own. Whatever career path you take, the requirements are usually the same. While artistic talent is important, a career in art education focuses less on the aspect of talent and more on a thorough knowledge of the subject of art and the people you teach.
Education and Training
Most professional art education jobs require at least a bachelor's degree in art education or another art-related major. The degree program should consist of studio courses in multiple mediums -- drawing, painting and sculpting, for example -- as well as courses in art appreciation, theory and history. You need to take courses in curriculum and assessment and child development, particularly if you plan to work in a traditional school setting or as part of a museum program.
Certification and Licensing
Many states set certification or licensing requirements for art education teachers. While the certification requirements vary by state, most require a degree or completion of a certification program in art education from an approved university. Passing scores on exams related to general art knowledge and teaching principles are typically required. Some states have their own tests, but many use the "Principles of Learning and Teaching" and "Art: Content Knowledge" exams offered by The Praxis Series.
You may have a talent for sculpting or really enjoy working with watercolors, but as an art educator, you must be able to work with multiple mediums and know a variety of techniques. In addition to traditional art mediums, you must also be proficient in working with art-related computer programs, such as basic computer drawing programs and programs to help display or present art. In the classroom, you use technology for sharing information, displaying art and presenting student work using scanners, computers, interactive whiteboards and digital cameras.
As an art educator, you need a lot of patience. Most students will not have artistic ability, and you must be willing to work slowly and focus on the basics to help them develop basic skills. You must also love art, and that love must be contagious. Your job as an educator is to teach students the value in art and help them find excitement or something notable in every work of art. You must know about art from multiple periods, cultures and mediums and often have to talk positively about artwork that does not appeal to your particular taste or style.
- National Art Education Association: Careers in Art Education
- Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design: Careers in Art Education
- University of Wisconsin - Stout: B.S. Degree in Art Education
- The University of Iowa: College of Education: Art Education
- Lebanon Valley College: Art Education Teacher Certification Program
- ETS: The Praxis Series: Art: Content Knowledge
- Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images


An insight into some of the strategies adopted by the Janshala Programme in its quest for universal elementary education.
The Janshala (GOI-UN) Programme was a collaborative effort of the Government of India and five UN agencies—UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO, ILO and UNFPA - to provide programme support to the efforts of GOI towards achieving UEE. Janshala, a community-based primary education programme, aimed to make primary education more accessible and effective, especially for girls and children in deprived communities, marginalised groups, SC/ST/minorities, working children and children with special needs. A unique feature of Janshala was that it was a block-based programme with emphasis on community participation and decentralisation.
Though Janshala operated mainly in rural areas, an interesting development had been the implementation of the programme in urban areas of some States. Rajasthan became the first and only State with exclusive urban coverage, with Janshala being implemented in four cities of the State. In other States, too, one or two cities had been taken up, apart from the rural blocks. Janshala sometimes was also referred to as the first government programme on primary education in urban areas. The programme blocks had been selected on the basis of indicators such as low female literacy, incidence of child labour and presence of scheduled caste and scheduled tribes population in non-DPEP districts.
Janshala, literally meaning ‘community school’, had the primary objective to initiate and promote such processes and practices that facilitated increased involvement of community in all aspects of primary education and in effective school management. To this end the programme States had initiated a number of activities and processes at the habitation and school levels. The programme recognised the fact that more than 80% of formal primary schools in the country were multi-grade and, therefore, there was a need for appropriate teaching methods to be adopted by teachers in these schools. The States had tried to address this issue by developing the skills of teachers in the use of a variety of strategies for better classroom practices. Along with this, the effort of the programme had been to improve the performance of teachers in the use of interactive, child-centred, gender-sensitive methods of teaching. Through its various other interventions and activities the programme aimed to make primary education more accessible and effective, especially for girls and children of deprived communities.
This document describes some of the activities and processes that were taken up by States in five focus areas – community mobilisation and micro-planning; capacity building of teachers; interventions for girls and children with special needs; and alternative schools and urban interventions. The last chapter suggests some of the lessons that the programme had thrown up in the course of its implementation for over five years.
New Concept compiled, edited and designed this document on Processes and Interventions of the Janshala Programme.
Disclaimer: New Concept Information Systems Pvt. Ltd. is not a book store (online or otherwise), we do not buy or sell books. Our resource library links you to books that are available online and have been uploaded by various organizations (government and non-government). If you wish to get copies of any publications, kindly contact the concerned organization (the organization under whose name the book has been published).


The therapist and caregivers work as a team to implement strategies. At weekly sessions, the caregiver reports how things are going and new recommendations are made. The caregiver also helps facilitate communication between the child’s teacher and the therapist in order to facilitate carryover of recommendations and strategies to the school environment when appropriate. Sometimes, special school visits are arranged to allow the therapist to observe the child in the school setting and to connect with the teacher directly.
The length of therapy is different for every child. It usually depends on how many areas of concern there are, the rate of progress, and how much carryover of recommendations occurs across settings. Communication between caregivers and the treating therapist is also very important so that the therapy program can be adjusted as needed and specific skill areas can be targeted when needed.
My child has difficulties with new people and places. What can I do to prepare him/her for the evaluation?
You can decide how much you want to tell your child depending on his/her age and level of understanding. It is important you explain that the person your child will be “playing” with will be asking him/her to do several things to get information about what he/she is good at and what things might be more difficult. Some of the activities will involve writing and drawing, playing games, and others will involve moving his/her body. It is really important that your child be a good listener, follow directions, and try his/her best. It might be helpful to plan a special reward for after the appointment so that your child will be motivated and interested in doing his/her best.
Occupational therapy and physical therapy are very much related to each other, as they both fulfill the purpose of maintaining the health and fitness of the individual. Both of them strive to cover all the aspects of human health – psychological, mental, and physical. While occupational therapy focuses on restoring function, physical therapy focuses on restoring mobility in a patient.
What is the difference between school-based occupational therapy and private/clinic-based occupational therapy?
School-based occupational therapy is designed to enhance the student’s ability to fully access and be successful in the learning environment. This might include working on handwriting or fine motor skills so the child can complete written assignments, helping the child organize himself or herself in the environment (including work space in and around the desk), working with the teacher to modify the classroom and/or adapt learning materials to facilitate successful participation. Private/clinic based occupational therapy can address all areas of occupation including activities of daily living/self-care, play, motor skill development, social skills, sensory processing and modulation, etc.
My child has sensory processing challenges and his/her school therapist seems unwilling to address this area. What should I do?
Sensory integration is one frame of reference or perspective which might be used in the occupational therapy intervention process. The service or therapy that school districts are mandated to deliver is occupational therapy. In the schools, the focus of OT is on the child’s ability to function in the educational environment. As long as the child’s educational needs are being appropriately met, the school-based OT is operating within his/her scope of practice and training. Each occupational therapist, using professional judgment, evaluation data, and expected outcomes, selects a particular frame of reference which will guide the intervention. You are encouraged to discuss your concerns with the school therapist to help you understand the reasoning used to guide the intervention. It is important to note that the school environment might have limitations in terms of sensory equipment available, but this depends on the specific school setting. Also, sensory strategies can be easily integrated into the school setting while use of specific suspended equipment might not appropriate.


rising generation, to act the part and perform the duties of free, intellectual, and moral beings. So far as the nature of the human mind and the foundations of human knowledge remain the same from age to age and generation to generation, a liberal education is the same thing in every age and generation; so far as the condition of society varies from age to age, and as the accumulated capital of extant knowledge increases, the liberal education of one generation will differ from that of another. There are, therefore, both constant and variable factors in our problem. It is with the variable factors, as modifying our conception of the liberal education of the nineteenth century, that I have here chiefly to do.
I reckon five leading influences which are acting powerfully to modify all our old theories, and slowly working out a new ideal of liberal education: 1. A truer psychology, giving us for the first time a true theory of elementary teaching. 2. Progress in the science of philology, enabling us to assign their right position to the classical languages as elements in liberal culture, and giving us, in modern philological science, an improved and more powerful teaching instrument. 3. The first real attempt to combine republican ideas with the theory of liberal education—in other words, to make the education of the whole people liberal, instead of merely the education of certain privileged classes and protected professions. And when I say the whole people, I mean men and women. Nothing, I will say in passing, to my mind so marks us as still educational barbarians, so stamps all our boasted culture with illiberality, as an exclusion of the other sex from all share in its privileges. No education can be truly liberal which is not equally applicable to one sex as to the other. 4. As the influence more profoundly modifying our conceptions of liberal education than any other, I reckon the advent of modern physical science. 5. I count among those influences the growing perception that art and aesthetic culture are equally necessary as an element in all education worthy of the name. Let me give the few words, which are all the time will allow me, to each of these influences.
And, first, the advance we have been making toward a truer education-philosophy, based upon truer conceptions in regard to the growth and early development of the human mind, is pretty well disposing of what, perhaps, I may be permitted to call the old-fashioned grindstone-theory of elementary education; the doctrine, namely, that, as preparation for higher culture, all youthful minds require a certain preliminary process of sharpening upon certain studies, valueless or next to valueless in themselves, at least so far as regards the vast majority of their recipients, but quite as needful, nevertheless, to them as to all others who are hereafter to be considered as liberally educated, for the indirect benefit their pursuit was supposed to confer. The accepted theory of liberal education has heretofore been, that it was a certain very special kind of training which required this peculiar pre-


All About Fossils
When an animal or plant dies, it usually decays quickly. Dead animals are often eaten. Sometimes, though, an animal’s body sinks into thick mud. The mud contains no air so the remains don’t decay. Animals can’t disturb the remains.
Here the remains may rest for thousands or even millions of years. Over time, more mud presses down on the remains. Minerals dissolved in the mud turn the remains to stone. These remains are called fossils and they give scientists clues about what life was like on our planet.
Fun Facts About Fossils for Kids
- Without fossils, we wouldn’t know about dinosaurs.
- Some fossils are of footprints or animal burrows, rather than the animals themselves.
- Fossilized poop is called coprolites. Scientists have found coprolites from Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs that contain bits of crushed bones.
- It’s pretty unusual to find a whole fossilized animal. Scientists usually find shells, bones and teeth instead.
- Scientists have found fossils of feathered dinosaurs.
- Sometimes animal and plant remains are preserved, but they’re not turned to stone. Insects were stuck in sticky tree resin. The tree resin turned to amber over millions of years, but the insects are completely intact inside.
- Decay: rot
- Remains: dead animal or plant material
- Fossil: any animal or plant remains that has been preserved for more than 10,000 years
- Coprolite: fossilized poop
- Resin: sticky sap from trees and plants
All About Fossils Video for Kids
Here’s the best kids Fossil video you can watch right now to learn more all about Fossils:
Question: What do you call the scientists who studies fossils?
Answer: They are called Paleontologists. Paleontology is the scientific study of prehistoric life.
Question: How do you find fossils?
Answer: Paleontologists work at dig sites looking for fossils, but fossils are often found accidentally when people move or disturb rocks or soil.
Enjoyed the Natural Science for Kids all about Fossils info? Take the FREE & fun Fossils quiz and download FREE all about Fossils worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.
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The science department at the REC is a 7-12 aligned program offering students the opportunity to build comprehensive knowledge in science.
Students enrolled at Reyburn Intermediate may be enrolled in 7th grade life science as they start junior high where they will build foundational skills necessary to inquiry based science through scientific reading and writing. Students will study basic cellular biology, ecology, and the human body as they navigate their curriculum.
8th grade science students have the opportunity to enroll in 8th grade physical science where basic chemistry, physics, and Earth and space science are explored. Honors 8th grade science courses are offered for those students who have a sincere desire to gain scientific knowledge and who meet the requirements of the course.
All students enrolled in Reyburn's 7th and 8th grade science courses will gain the skills of scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and laboratory techniques required of their high school courses.
CLOVIS EAST SCIENCE
Students entering high school can tailor their high school science coursework to fulfill high school graduation, CSU, and UC entrance requirements. Basic courses offered include earth science, biology, honors biology, chemistry, honors chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, zoology and. Advanced coursework includes AP biology, AP chemistry, and AP environmental science. AP courses are designed to prepare students to meet the demands of college level science and prepare students to take designated AP exams in the spring. Enrollment in these courses includes taking prerequisite science and math classes along with teacher recommendations.
Please review the AP College Board website for additional information.


Thousands of packages promising to help teach kids to read and write, playing on parents fear or not doing enough their kid. Here is a new program that claims to bridge the gap but does it work?
And the man who invented it claims starting to learn at 4 is too late but with hundreds of programs and just as many promises, mums and dads have good reason to be confused. “Just no comparison - it's the best thing I've ever done for my kid” says one parent.
“Think this is an exceptional program that allows children to work at their own pace” says another.
For a parent teaching their child how to read is probably the most important lesson they can ever give. But at what age should they be able to read and count to 100? “I think any child 2 1/2 to 3 can do this program.” Ted Bennet is the creator of Game Time for Kids, a computer-based literacy program that uses music to teach the alphabet and numbers.
“They learn the songs, they are sublimely there are absorbing the information, then they can play with games books audio CDs and they bring it to the conscience level. A very simple process which is achieved very very quickly.”
Game Time for Kids is a departure from the school curriculum of 'wholewords' learning. “Mine goes back to the way of phonetics based learning so by teaching them properly the phonetic way they are then able to master wholewords pronunciation so it's all part of the process” says Ted.
Nine preschool children - tested on their understanding of letters and numbers. “Well at this stage a few of them know a few letters either lower case or upper case in particular knew all 26 letters and some don't know any letters at all” say Ted.
They'll all spend half an hour a day for the next twelve weeks singing to pictures and colours.
“I believe there are a lot of children who start primary school without having any base at all of this type of learning and I believe they are disadvantaged” adds Ted.
It's a bold claim in a fiercely debated topic - early childhood learning is a very lucrative market.
Reading Game continued…
‘We have plans in train at present to have it scientifically tested we have two universities who are interested in doing those case studies for us [but currently] no” says Ted.
It may lack academic credibility but does it work, the kids are back after twelve weeks to find out.
The improvement is obvious. Tionie has made great progress. “I found that before we started the program Tionie could only write Tionie and could only recognise these letters... now she's counting to 100 with ease and she's able to read and write some letters and words. She's just really excelled” says Tionie’s mum.
Dean was shy.
“He's singing, he's laughing and he's learning at the same time and he doesn't even realise it and he's having a lot of fun and that to me is more important to me” says Dean’s mum.
And Leticia's now eager to learn. “Before the program started she was disinterested, once it started she liked the self direction like the opportunity to run at her own race - and likes to be independent” said Leticia’s mother.
“I don't think parents need a package, especially to two and three year olds but really you don't need a package at all.” Dr Leonie Arthur is Director of Early Childhood Australia. It's her view the $30 start up fee is not necessarily giving children a head start.
“If you are just looking at singing to learn to read I would really be questioning how much learning is going on there how much the child is understanding about what they're singing about whether or not they are able to transfer that learning to another context I would be questioning” says Leonie.
But it's hard to argue with the turnaround. Sure it won't work for everyone but for many it could just be the key for their children to master their ABC's.
For more information for Game Time for Kids visit: http://gt4k.com or phone (02) 4393 1000.


This week will be a week of transition and learning new procedures and schedule for the students. Students will all read independently for 5-15 minutes daily in the classroom. Please encourage them to begin to read independently at home as well. (using the reading skills they have learned in school to be ACTIVE READERS) I am adding a different phonics time that will give students more focused phonics instruction. I have grouped our weekly story with our social studies and science time at the end of the morning. I have added structure to our calendar and dismissal time that will hopefully help with late dismissals and lost clothing. The students should also be moving into their shiny new lockers sometime this week. The lockers will be specifically for their winter clothing. They will share a locker with one other student. They will still keep their backpacks in the room on a hook. I will soon be implementing a book check out system so students can bring home my books nightly or weekly. Those are some of the exciting changes in room 110.
We are reviewing how to be an active reader. Some skills we have learned so far are: Being a reading detective (finding the key details of the story, characters, setting, etc.), visualizing (making a movie in their head), predicting (before and during reading) and making connections (connecting our lives to something in the story/book).
We are going to learn how to use story webs to organize stories and make sentences.
Long and short E
Reviewing unit 2 and numbers to 20. Using a ten frame.


As registration is open for kindergarten, most parents of young children find themselves asking the question "Is my child ready for kindergarten?"
Below are some questions to ask yourself to help determine if your child is ready for kindergarten:*
1) Can my child listen to instructions and then follow them? Children need these skills to function in class, to keep up with the teacher and with their peers.
2) Is s/he able to put on his coat and go to the bathroom by himself? Children need to be somewhat self-sufficient by school age.
3) Can s/he recite the alphabet and count? Most kindergarten teachers assume that children are at least familiar with the ABC's and numbers though these subjects will be covered as part of the kindergarten curriculum.
4) Can s/he hold a pencil? Cut with scissors? These fine motor skills are necessary to begin working on writing the alphabet and to keep up with classroom projects.
5) Does s/he show an interest in books? Does s/he try to "read" a book by telling a story based on the pictures? This is a sign that language development is on a par with other kindergartners and that your child is ready to start learning how to read.
6) Is s/he curious and receptive to learning new things? If a child's curiosity is stronger than their fear of the unfamiliar, they will do well in school.
7) Does s/he get along well with other children? Does s/he share and know how to take turns? They be interacting with other children all day, so your child's social skills are particularly important for success in school.
8) Can s/he work together with others as part of a group? The ability to put their needs second, to compromise and join in a consensus with other children, is also part of emotional competence.
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions and "sometimes" to the rest, your child is most likely ready for kindergarten. If not, your child might well benefit from another year of pre-kindergarten.
- Small class sizes where children are able to receive more individualized attention.
- Curriculum is aligned to the State Board of Education and K-12 Common Core State Standards
- Hands-on activities that provide extended opportunities for discovery.
- Children will have the opportunity for intergenerational interaction which benefits both the children and seniors. Learn more about the benefits here.
- Year round program—no need to find care during summer and winter break. Open Monday-Friday, 6:00am-6:00pm.
- Before and after school care and meals is included in the $371.00/month tuition. We will honor this price during breaks and summer 2016.
- Class is every Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm (September 1st-June 15th) Salem-Keizer School District is implementing full-day kindergarten this fall.
- Teacher Kelly Scalise, Degree in Elementary Education, University of Montana's Phyllis J. Washington College of Education. Read about our teaching team here.
For more information about our kindergarten program or kindergarten readiness, please contact Karen Offield, Director, at 503-363-5812 or via email.


Music can be very beneficial in relaxing, rejuvenating, exciting and stimulating a person’s mind. Often, we will remember something in the past simply by hearing a song that we had listened to at the time. Music comes in various forms and should be shared with the younger generation in order to give them the same benefits that the older generation has experienced. Here are a few ways to keep music alive.
Around The Home
Make it a point to keep music on radios or televisions whenever possible. Make sure to switch the genre so the child will get a vast amount of different types of music to listen to. If family members play music, children will be inclined to do the same.
Share Your Own Experience
A child that sees a family member play an instrument or sing regularly, will be more willing to try the same when they get a little older. Make it a habit to continue your own musical talents within the home so the child will be able to witness the effects it has. Share with them your experience of being in a band in junior or high or singing with after-school groups. Any experience you have had may have a strong impact on them.
Have a child sign up for group lessons in the school band or chorus. They will learn the differences in pitches, sounds, volume control and singing or playing in a group setting. This is a fun way for a child to make new friends while exploring all that music has to offer.
Learn from Experts
When a child joins a group in school, they may find that they either want to switch to a different instrument or they may want to have additional lessons to expand on what they are learning. Individual lessons by a teacher that has a master’s in music education would give the child the best resources available. A teacher with the right education would be able to help the child soar with the instrument or vocal performance in which they are seeking extra help.
If the child decides they are not interested in a specific instrument or in singing, do not push them to continue. Instead, offer alternative instruments or suggest they sing at a different pitch. It can become frustrating if they feel they are not succeeding in their musical endeavors. Switch them to a new sound and see if it makes a difference. Be there for all performances and praise the child often on their advancement.
Getting others to appreciate and experience music in a positive way is simple with these tips. Keeping them engaged and excited about music can make a big difference in their lives.


It’s March which means there’s much to celebrate! Like the spring equinox on the 20th, St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th and the beginning of the U.S. college men’s basketball showdown—March Madness—on the 14th (GO Cards!). March also provides an opportunity to celebrate reading, as it is Read Aloud Month. This recognition is promoted by Read Aloud 15 Minutes, a non-profit dedicated to ensuring every child is read to every day for at least a quarter of an hour, a perfectly reasonable target for little children.
Reading to children is a solid anchor for literacy development, both in the early years and throughout schooling. It also creates a launch pad for relaxed conversations between children and adults regarding books’ content, and authors’ and illustrators’ artistry. It is those conversations that build the Family Scholarly Culture in households of any income level that can all but ensure children’s success in school and beyond.[i]
Reading with children for just 15 minutes each day is a simple investment in their growth and a solid choice about how to spend time—even if it means letting kids choose what they want to read over doing prescribed homework. Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post wrote about the clear benefits accrued by eliminating homework for elementary school students. In her article, “What happened when one school banned homework—and asked kids to read and play instead?,” she reports how one principal’s decision to nix homework gave children “time to be creative thinkers at home and follow their passions.” Parents said “…their kids now have time to pursue things other than math work sheets, and many report that students are reading more on their own than they used to.”
As this article suggests, research indicates that homework does little to extend learning in elementary school and perhaps even diminishes achievement for many children. Homework could be keeping kids from enjoying their childhood and, most importantly, from the perspective of most parents and educators, keeping them from reading self-selected books during their free play time.
Homework can sideline literacy in other ways, too, because it can be a brain drain. Consider a child working on those math worksheets or building a dinosaur diorama or researching and memorizing spelling/vocabulary words and then finishing right before bath time. Afterwards, when given an option to share a book with dad, their already tired brains just want to do something mindless, like play video games or watch TV.
However, when time is allotted for a couple video games or a little TV and a chance to join dad in continuing with that book on dinosaurs, or reading and discussing the next chapter in an historical novel or planning together the design and proportions of a homemade kite, such invitations sound like nice wind-down options after a busy day.
Reading together offers a wonderful way to enhance the joyful activities of childhood and family bonds. Relaxed time spent with books helps children embrace and nestle into the culture of reading that stimulates vocabulary growth, comprehension depth and an expanding fund of knowledge about the world. Given these circumstances, kids could blow right past that 15 minute read aloud target and not even notice.
Now that’s something to celebrate!
[i] Evans, M.; Kelley, J.; Sikora, J. & Treiman, D. J. (2010), ‘Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations’, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 28 (2) , 171 – 197.


Professionals go through training to excel in their field. But why are most students never taught the tools of learning and studying?
Effective studying and learning skills can (and should) be learned. A person with consistent, thoughtful study skills and learning habits will eventually do better than someone who is “just smart,” especially as school subjects become more and more difficult. It’s not enough to merely “try harder” (like how most diet plans fail), but a student must also study and learn smarter and more effectively.
We have developed foundational study skills lessons that allows our students to make the most out of their limited time and effort in middle and high school years. These skills equip students with foundations for independent and lifelong learning. We focus on teaching “how to learn” by oneself based on these foundational skills: goal setting, note taking, time management, and organization skills. Development of these skills lead to better higher order skills such as critical thinking, executive functioning skills, and metacognition.
Our Essential Studying and Learning Course is taught in just three sessions. It is simple enough for middle school students, yet it is flexible and practical for high school and college level courses. We uniquely help students to integrate good studying and learning habits and skills into their current academic subjects for immediate improvements and lasting academic success.


The National Endowment of the Arts offers support funding in grants for projects and organizations in artistic communities.
Funding for the NEA Recent proposals by President Trump in his first federal budget plan proposed eliminating the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) among other programs. The NEA is an independent agency of the United States government. Created in 1965 by an act in Congress under President Lyndon B. Johnson, the NEA offers support and funding for projects and organizations exhibiting artistic excellence.
Implications 65% of the funding for the National Endowment of the Arts goes to smaller art groups flourishing the arts in rural and undeserved communities. Organizations in these communities would feel the greatest effect of the agency’s elimination—Organizations that, although do not receive funding from private donors, bring the arts to audiences including children and veterans most often in impoverished neighborhoods. Larger institutions in the U.S will also be affected by the lack of NEA funds, however the impact will not be as keenly felt by smaller groups outside of cities that do not receive private donors.
Funding cuts will affect these discipline categories and more
- Folk and traditional arts
- Media arts
- Arts education
Mechanisms of Arts impact
Material/Health The arts build personal ties and promotes volunteering, which improves Health. It increases the opportunity for self-expression and enjoyment and reduces delinquency in high-risk youth.
Cognitive/Psych Improves individuals sense of belonging or attachment to a community
Interpersonal Builds individual social networks and enhances the ability to work with others and communicate ideas
Benefits of the Arts in our Communities
Direct Impact In the communities, the arts account for millions of jobs both in and outside of cities. Funding cuts and elimination of the NEA could potentially cost the jobs of millions of Americans. In a cultural sense, the arts provide communities with an increased sense of personal identity and efficacy. The arts also help build social capital by getting people involved, by connecting organizations to each other and giving participants experience in organizing and working with local governments and non profits.
Audience Participation People spend money on attending the arts and on local businesses. Local. It builds community identity and pride leads to positive community norms, such as diversity, tolerance, and free expression. The arts also allow people to connect with one another who otherwise might not have come into contact with each other.
Presence of Arts in the Communities Increases the opportunity for community members to participate in the arts. This increases attractiveness to the areas to tourists, businesses, and investments. Spurs economic growth in creative industries.
Personal Benefits Relief of stress, increases opportunities for enjoyment, increases tolerance for others by being exposed to different disciplines
Merit School of Music
The Merit School of Music, based in Chicago, Illinois; is a non-profit organization that transforms the lives of Chicago-area youth through removing barriers to high quality music education. The institution is nationally accredited with high quality music instruction of over 4,000 students by 125 passionate teaching artists in the Chicago area. Their primary goals include: removing the economic barriers to participation, helping the youth achieve their full musical and personal potential and stimulating educational and personal growth through music education. This non profit organization provides kids with the tools needed to succeed in life- whatever they choose to pursue. 100% of their graduates attend colleges and universities around the country. The Merit School of Music offers substantial financial scholarships for its participants through grants provided by the National Endowment of the Arts. These scholarships allow kids from many impoverished, low income neighborhoods to participate in activities they otherwise would not have the opportunity to given their financial circumstance. Elimination of the NEA affects organizations such as this and many others that depend on financial leverage from grants.
Anthony and Demarre Mcgill
Born in a troubled neighborhood of Chicago, Anthony began his musical studies on clarinet alongside his brother Demarre on flute at the Merit School of Music. Today they are coveted musicians in the classical music world, holding prominent seats in world renowned orchestras. These brothers are examples of those who have benefited greatly from these NEA funded programs.
Musician David Byrne and Neil discuss the vital importance of arts education
The arts matter because they help us see the world from different perspectives. They give us empathy and help us understand people, places, periods of history, and issues with which we may otherwise be unfamiliar. They comfort us in grief and energize us in celebration. They are important because they can act as a catalyst for change…they can start a revolution! The arts ignite something in our brains that I can’t explain, but I know it’s essential for life. — Jennie Terman, National Endowment for the Arts


Shyama Shastri (1762 -1827) was the oldest of the Trinity of Carnatic music. He was a contemporary of the other two, Tyagaraja and Muthuswamy Dikshitar, and was a personal friend of the former. Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri were good friends. They often met and spent hours together singing. Shyama Shastri had deep regard for Tyagaraja.
Venkata Subrahmanya, affectionately known as Shyama Shastri, was born to Visvanatha Iyer and Vengalakshmi on April 26, 1762 in a Tamil - speaking brahmin community known as auttara vadama. His parents though scholarly, had no particular interest in music. His forefathers were archakas in the temple of Goddess Bangaru Kamakshi.
At the age of seven, his Upanayanam was performed. Initially his father taught him devotional songs and has given sound education in Sanskrit and Telugu languages and attained scholarship in these languages at a very young age. Finding the aptitude for music, his mother requested her cousins to teach him the fundamentals of music. However this got no further than the elementary stage in music education.
When he was eighteen years old, his family moved to Tanjore. There, they got a chance to host a sanyasi (monk), Sangitaswami, a master of dance and music, who was spending some four months in Tanjore. The sanyasi was quick to discover Shyama Shastri's keen intellect, melodious voice and musical talent and foresaw greatness in him. He obtained the father's consent and taught Shyama Shastri all aspects of raga, tala and swara prastharaas. The teacher found that the student could absorb even the intricate details very quickly, all in a matter of four months or less. Sangitaswami presented Shyama Shastri with a few rare treatises on music and certified that the student had gained full knowledge on the theoretical aspects of music. He advised his student to seek the friendship of and listen to the music (but not learn anything from) one Paccimiriyam Adiyappayya, a composer of the famous bhairavi ata tala varnam, viriboni, and a court musician in Tanjore. Shyama Shastri duly did as he was advised. The influence of Adiyappayya is reflected in his svarajati kamakshi in Bhairavi raga.
Over the years, Shyama Shastri became a well-known and respected musician, scholar and a composer


Technology can help young learners when used correctly
Technology is increasingly prevalent in 21st century classrooms, even those filled with our nation’s youngest students. While elementary math learners are no strangers to technology – many have been using tablets, video games and computers for as long as they can remember – the question remains whether or not employing forms of virtual learning in the classroom will be helpful or detrimental.
The consensus among educators and education experts seems to be that technology is, in fact, quite helpful when used appropriately – particularly in the case of young learners who have come to expect their information to be delivered digitally. In an effort to ensure that early childhood learning uses media and technology effectively, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning have released a position statement to guide school districts in the right direction.
“We believe that when used appropriately, technology and interactive media have tremendous potential to nurture early learning and development,” Rita Catalano, executive director for the Fred Rogers Center, said in a statement. “The position statement is intended to support all those who care for and about young children in making informed, child-centered decisions about these news tools.”
According to NAEYC, research has shown that the use of computers in classrooms can improve children’s elementary math skills, as well as their social, cognitive, language, literacy and writing abilities. The question is how to best integrate computer use into classrooms and curricula.
Lorah Neville, executive director of curriculum and learning services in Tempe, Ariz., believes technology that has been intelligently designed will give students the most benefits academically.
“We need to be very clear about how and why we’re using it,” she told Education Week. “We don’t want to replicate core instruction in a digital format. We want to enhance it.”
Adaptive learning software is particularly adept at supplementing teacher instruction. Many of these programs are specifically designed to tailor instruction to the needs of each individual student while simultaneously collecting data and feedback that teachers can use to personalize the learning experience of their students and help them be academically successful.
According to Education Week, experts agree that young students respond best to technology that is interactive, has lots of animation, and is connected to situations that they may encounter in everyday life. The bottom line is that teachers should be incorporating technology into their lesson plans in an engaging way.
Technology in the Classroom
“[Kids] have access to technology at home, so they expect it at school,” Jacinta Sorgel, one of the Tempe school district’s educational technology specialists, told Education Week. “They’re able to stay motivated because it’s something they do all the time.”
While some parents may be concerned that technology is receiving too much emphasis in classrooms, the joint position statement from NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning emphasizes the fact that engaging technology and interactive media can be extremely effective when used appropriately.
Educators that employ technology in a measured way and use it to supplement their teaching and engage elementary students will be able to have a positive impact on young learners.
Stay up-to-date on the latest ed-tech innovations with the EdWeb.net Blended Learning Community! Join the conversation with thousands of educators, decision-makers, and influencers!
Latest posts by Jessie Woolley-Wilson (see all)
- Teachers & Technology: Unlocking Learning Potential through Powerful Partnership - June 7, 2017
- The Power of High Expectations in Equitable Education - August 17, 2016
- Reflections during Women’s History Month 2016 - March 15, 2016


Earlier this year, I approached Rose Bard, a language teacher in Brazil about doing an interview about how she uses Minecraft with her students. As we discussed arrangements, I found out more about the game world Rose had created for her students to access and use… and then it struck me – why not do the interview in Minecraft?
It took a bit of experimenting to find out how I could capture the game and record Skype audio at the same time (I managed it eventually but not perfectly which is why I am a little quiet) but it was great to see the detailed world Rose and her students had created for themselves.
It was even better to hear about the way in which this world had come to exist. This was not a curriculum-driven project or a top-down imposed activity. It was something that had grown organically from a teacher taking an interest in her students and wanting to learn more about the game they were all into to in such a big way.
Here is a prime example of how games can be a great leveller when used as learning environments. There is no hierarchy of ‘teacher as expert’ with students in need of new knowledge and skills. Instead, the learners can take the lead, first of all teaching the teacher the basics of the game (see my article “Learning to Play the Students’ Way” on the Store page for an example of this). In terms of language, this emerges from the game and the teacher is on hand to help the students with the necessary vocabulary, phrases, structures and pronunciation to relate their in-game experiences.
It was also encouraging to hear where Rose plans to take this next by working with the ICT department to bring Minecraft into school as a learning tool and using it as a way to both learn and teach coding skills. Rose – I wish I was a student in your class.
Anyway, enough from me. Here is the interview from my YouTube channel:
Part One: The Quickfire Round
Part Two: A Magical World
Like what you see?
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel for more interviews and game-based learning guides:
EVO 2017 Minecraft MOOC
Rose will be part of the moderator team at the next EVO Sessions (January 2017). You can find out more about the Minecraft MOOC and how to register from this link.
Rosemere Bard has been an English teacher for almost 20 years with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She’s currently pursuing a B.A. in Computer Science for Education and a specialization in Instructional Design. She works for a regular school with its own language institute. She’s been exploring authentic (digital and non-digital) games for language learning lately, and is interested in simulation, role-play and play.
Follow her blog at https://rosebardeltdiary.wordpress.com/


Special education and art integration have proven to be beneficial on many levels for special needs students. Art helps special needs kids in their self-expression, life skills, literacy and coordination. Anne Minnich-Beck, director of education at the Indianapolis Art Center reports that children with special needs run into more failures and disappointments in life than typical children. But she says art is a great way for special needs kids to find success in life. By knowing what some of the benefits of special education and art integration are, parents and educators can find inspiration to introduce art into their school’s curriculum.
Exploring Racial and Cultural Identity
Special education and art integration allows special education students to discover their own racial and cultural identity. The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts published a study showing how special needs students develop an understanding of their cultural identities through art. The study's authors argue that an understanding of their cultural background is essential for healthy development and that learning through art is an ideal way to achieve many aspects of self-recognition. Self-portraits are often taught to special needs kids to help them connect to their racial identities.
The Center for Arts Education has teamed up with autistic children, revealing that art education is beneficial to helping them improve their behavior. Colors of Play, an arts-based special education center offers artistic programs to special needs kids with an objective to help them better cope with behavioral problems. Engaging in work with clay and paints stimulates children with special needs and helps them become more aware of their senses and emotional capacity for self-control. When art is integrated into special education, children not only have fun exploring their creativity, they receive therapy.
Helps Development and Coordination
Special education and art integration helps special needs kids develop coordination. This ability develops naturally in healthy individuals as they begin to explore their bodies and the world around them. But special needs kids are slower at making these discoveries. Art helps special needs students connect with their world and their own identities. Dr. Eric Strickland says that you can’t “make” a special needs student’s development happen; you can only support it by providing an environment for children as they reach particular points of development. Art is integrated into special education in part to help foster development and coordination. As kids learn to connect to their world by painting, their development and coordination accelerates.
Improves Socialization Skills
Special needs kids have major challenges when it comes to exercising socializing skills. The Orlando Sentinel explores this subject through March Creative Connections — a program offered through the Orlando Museum of Art that involves special needs children in art education. During the program special needs kids viewed works of arts, identified colors and engaged in discussions about the art before creating their own work. Leader of the program Jan Clanton praises art for unleashing special needs kid’s imaginations — something vital to the development of their socialization skills according to Dr. Emily Forrest, a pediatrician from Florida Hospital for Children’s Center for Child Development. Art helps engage special needs kids with their expressive side and nurtures channels of openness for socialization.
- Indy's Child: Encouraging the Arts for Children with Special Needs
- The Intersection of Arts Education and Special Education: Exemplary Programs and Approaches by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- The Center for Arts Education: Special Education
- Colors of Play: Family Art Therapy and the Child With Special Needs
- Scholastic.com: Physical Development: Strength and Coordination
- Orlando Sentinel: New Orlando Arts Programs Benefit Children with Special Needs
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images


Ten lessons on ten different musicals. Read about the story and background, watch video clips, work on one printable per lesson, take an online quiz, and explore links to outside sites with other materials to enrich your study. The ten musicals are Annie, Seussical, Cats, James and the Giant Peach, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mary Poppins, Newsies, Annie Get Your Gun, The Music Man, and The Wizard of Oz.
Gena Mayo is a homeschooling mom of 8 who has been teaching music in various forms for over 20 years. She has a Bachelors degree in Music Education and a Masters degree in Vocal Pedagogy (teaching voice lessons). It is her desire to help all homeschoolers include music in their homeschools.
"This is so exciting! My children didn't want to stop going through the musicals....We LOVE musicals, thank you making this a part of our studies." ~Jamie
"My boys are already working through [Gena's] 20th Century Music Appreciation Course (and loving it), but now they want to take a detour and soak up all the info about the 10 musicals included in this course, since there are quite a few that they aren't familiar with. You can bet that they'll all be into it within a couple days. And why shouldn't they? Not only are musicals fun and entertaining, but they are often a memorable depiction of different points in history, and are full of clever tidbits that have been sewn into the verbal fabric of our culture! Knowing where those sayings come from and the context for them makes language and relating to others more fun! The course says it's for elementary students, but older kids (and YOU) will enjoy it too." ~Erica Johns, owner of Enrichment Studies.com, mom of 4 teen sons


For some time I have been grappling with the idea of ‘Music for Boys’. Each time I see a piece referred to as ‘For Boys’ or information published about how certain pieces would be great FOR BOYS I have an increasing sense that our industry is doing a great disservice to children by perpetuating gender stereotypes and limiting our students’ learning opportunities.
So here it is:
7 reasons that I think this persistent trend is codswallop!
- There is no such thing as ‘girls’ music and ‘boys’ music. I’m fairly certain that Beethoven, Bach, Schumann, Kabalevsky, Rochelle and Milne didn’t compose their pieces with the idea of being gender divisive. They wrote music. Music to be learnt, performed, listened to and enjoyed by PEOPLE. Not a gender.
- Where is the evidence to suggest that this ‘music for boys’ provides better pedagogically sound education for boys? Show me the research that demonstrates there are better learning outcomes attained by a specific gender as a blanket rule when one style of music is played. Why is this a good idea?
- If I limit my students to playing works by one composer, era or genre, am I providing them with a well-rounded education? How is limiting boys or girls to a particular style of music in their best interests? Developing a student’s range and musical palette is a core responsibility of instrumental teachers.
- Believing that boys like fast, loud and driven songs suggests that this is exclusive to boys and that masculinity precludes the ability to create nuances and subtleties outside of this range. This also makes assumptions about the range of music that is ‘suitable’ for girls to learn, impeding them from expressing themselves with fast, driven and loud pieces. An educator’s perceptions and projections of gender stereotypes affect educational outcomes for students. Gender bias and stereotypes have no place in music education. Stop it.
- As educators we should be teaching an individual, not perpetuating social constructs of masculinity and femininity. The way a person learns and their unique circumstances should be the platform from which we develop personalised learning programs for students. Recently the ‘Like a Girl’ campaign demonstrated how these social gender constructs influence behaviour. Why would we seek to perpetuate such division with music?
- Segregating students through musical styles only serves to perpetuate stereotypes. If at recitals, the only students who perform fast, driven material are boys, this further enhances the masculine stereotype. Male and female members of the audience alike see the difference: boys play the ’masculine’ pieces; girls play the more ’feminine’ material. No. Just no. Stop it.
- Gender equality in the music industry is seriously lacking. The overwhelming majority of printed material is composed by males. Inclusion of female composers in list pieces for examination syllabi of major national examination boards is significantly lower than males and the numbers of educators in the piano teaching industry is overwhelmingly female dominant. The industry is already burgeoning with gender inequality. Teachers perpetuating the gender divide by promoting divisive masculine and feminine stereotypes only serve to further divide and limit the potential of our students and industry.
We are educators, teaching individuals. So please, cease and desist with this ‘for boys’ concept.
A student’s gender does not determine their educational path.


Elementary Education K-6: Math
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What’s on the Elementary Education K-6: Math Exam?
Taking the FTCE Elementary Education K-6: Mathematics exam can be a daunting task. Because its goal is to test your classroom readiness across the spectrum of content, it covers a lot of ground.
50 multiple-choice questions are designed for entry-level educators to show their knowledge and skills needed to teach math for grades K-6. The test consists of questions about a variety of topics relating to Instructional Practices, Algebra, Number Theory, Data and Statistics, and Geometry.
Taking the FTCE Elementary Education K-6: Mathematics exam can be a daunting task. Because its goal is to test your classroom readiness across the spectrum of content, it covers a lot of ground. This breadth can make it hard to know how to prepare. Luckily, if you understand how the test is organized and what it is testing, you will have no problem prepping for this test. In order to cover everything needed to teach elementary math, the exam is broken 5 competencies.
What to Expect
|Questions||Time Limit (Minutes)|
You will have 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete the 50 questions on the Math subtest.
NOTE: If you take 3 or more subtests in a single session, you will receive a 15 minute break.
The FTCE Elementary Education K-6: Mathematics exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions. The test is administered via computer. Because of this, there can be a variety in the style of questions that are asked. You should expect to see three main types of questions: single-answer, stimulus-based, and cluster. You should expect most questions to require you simply to click an oval next to the correct answer. However, there may be questions that utilize the technology more. They may ask you to zoom in on details in a graphic or picture, click boxes next to all that apply, click on check boxes, click on parts of a graphic or sentence, use a drag and drop feature, or select your answer from a drop-down menu.
Your score will be based on the number of questions you answer correctly. Each subtest is graded separately. So, for each subtest, you will need to score at least a 200 to pass. While you will take all four subtests at once, it is not an all-or-nothing system. You can pass some tests, but not others.


A comprehensive new report out Monday outlines the benefits and limits of arts education by digging into the data and outlining what research has been established in the field.
Among the findings: Learning music can boost students' IQ scores and visual arts likely help students' understanding of geometrical reasoning. But the report also notes that there's no evidence theater and dance help with overall academic skills.
The report, called "Art for Art's Sake: The Impact of Arts Education," is from the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation based in Paris at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The authors reviewed research databases in a variety of languages including Dutch, English, German, Italian, French and Korean.
Here are a few of the findings from the executive summary:
- Music education strengthens IQ (intelligence quotient), academic performance, word decoding and phonological skills and there is preliminary evidence that music education might facilitate foreign language learning. While there are a number of studies showing a positive impact of music education on visual-spatial reasoning, the sole longitudinal study on this question detected no persistent influence after three years of music, which suggests the need for caution. There is also no evidence that music education has any causal impact on mathematics scores, even though mathematicians may be attracted to music.
- Strong evidence shows that theatre education in the form of enacting stories in the classroom (classroom drama) strengthens verbal skills, but there is no evidence for a link between theatre training and overall academic skills.
- While there is no evidence that training in visual arts improves overall academic skills or verbal skills (literacy), two new correlational studies reveal that students who study the visual arts are stronger in geometrical reasoning than students who do not study the visual arts. However, causality has yet to be established. And one experimental study found that learning to look closely at works of visual art improves skills in observing scientific images – a typical instance of close skills transfer.
The 270 page report calls for additional study on arts education.
"There is far too little research on the impact of arts education on student outcomes of creativity, critical thinking, persistence, motivation and self concept and this prevents us from making strong conclusions about the outcomes," wrote Barbara Ischinger, director for education and skills, in the report's foreword. "The arts can be taught in a way that enhances these outcomes, or they can be taught poorly."
You can also listen to a podcast covering the report with coauthor Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin.


Welcome to the Literacy page for Portobello High School. Here you can find information about literacy initiatives we have at Portobello High School, plus resources, news and updates from the school.
Within Curriculum for Excellence, literacy is defined as:
“the set of skills which allows an individual to engage fully in society and in learning, through the different forms of language, and the range of texts, which society values and finds useful. ”
(Principles and practice: Literacy across learning, 2009).
In simple terms this means that all of our students should be able to:
- communicate effectively using their talking and listening skills
- communicate effectively in writing
- Read, but not only for information: they also need to be able to work out if and when people are aiming to persuade or influence them.
Literacy across learning – what is this?
In Curriculum for Excellence Literacy across learning is one of the three areas which are now seen as the responsibility of all staff. Literacy experiences and outcomes are used in all subjects to help promote the development of Listening and Talking, Reading and Writing. Across these subjects, pupils are provided with opportunities to develop their skills within the three elements of the literacy framework:
Listening and talking for learning
- engage with others in group and class discussions
- learn collaboratively
- explain their thinking to others
- explore factors which influence them and persuade them in order to help them think about the reliability of information
Reading for learning
- find, select, sort, summarise and link information from a variety of sources
- consider the purpose and main concerns in texts, and understand the differences between fact and opinion
- discuss similarities and differences between texts
Writing for learning
- make notes, develop ideas and acknowledge sources in written work
- develop and use effective vocabulary
- create texts – for example, presentations – which allow learners to persuade/argue/explore ideas
Literacy across learning – the principles
Literacy is important in all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for our students in all aspects of life and work. It also contributes strongly to the development of all four capacities of CfE, making our students: Independent Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors.
Having skills and confidence in literacy is essential for progress in all areas of the curriculum. Because of this, all teachers have a responsibility for literacy development. Young people should be supported and encouraged to explain their thinking, debate their ideas and read and write at a level which will help them to develop their language skills further.
Literacy in Portobello High School
The school has two literacy coordinators in place to oversee what is happening across faculties. The coordinators are Ms Kirkwood and Mr Reid, both teachers in the English department.
Portobello High School has an excellent and dedicated working group who meet regularly to share responsibility on developing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating Literacy initiatives for the school.
There are many literacy based initiatives happening in school at the moment:
- Pupil reading groups
- A whole school correction code
- S1 Scots IDL Project
- S1 Book Club
- Literacy Mats
- S1 Literacy Library Project
- SRA Corrective Reading Program
- S2 History Research Project
- EAL Lunchtime Social Group – “The Social Network”
- S3/S3 “Religious Beliefs and Values” Unit
Portobello High School Literacy Blog
For further information about Literacy in Portobello High School, as well as regular updates, please visit our blog:
Literacy Mats have now been launched in PHS, and can be found in a wide range of classrooms across departments in the school. These A3 sheets can give advice on numerous skills, such as report writing, working in groups, and tackling exam questions. They’re also available to download below:
(Many thanks to our colleagues in Beeslack Community High School for the development of some of these materials)


Investigating the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Grade 6 English Home Language Literacy: A Case Study of one Primary School in the Western Cape
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Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), through the use of iPads in English Home Language in the Intermediate Phase, with a special focus on Grade six, at one primary school in the Western Cape. Through the lens of the Sociocultural and Constructivist theories, the study investigated how iPads were used for language and literacy development in the Grade six classroom where English was the main medium of instruction. The study was purely a qualitative single case study involving one teacher and one class of 28 learners at a well-resourced former-white school in Cape Town. Data was collected through classroom observations and interviews. The interviews were conducted with six selected learners, one Grade six teacher, the Head of Department (HOD) and the Principal. The analysis of the transcribed interviews, video recordings and documents was done through the Atlast.Ti 7 software package. The findings of the study show that Grade six learners had good access to ICTs, and had no difficulties in using iPads for language and literacy learning. Their competence was associated with their high socio-economic backgrounds as most of them were from middle class families. The findings also indicated that teacher disposition had a positive impact on ICT implementation in the English lessons. Another interesting finding was that while the school had successfully adopted ICT as a teaching and learning resource, the Grade six teacher’s pedagogical strategies did not enhance learners’ comprehension of certain language (English) aspects such as grammar because there was no special training for integrating ICTs in language teaching. Overall, the results showed that the iPad is an extremely potential tool for literacy development and it encourages not only learners’ active engagement and collaboration as directed by the teacher, but also learner initiated engagement and collaboration. The study concludes that while many well-resourced schools seem to do well with regard to access to ICT and its integration in teaching and learning, technology cannot completely replace the role of the teacher in the classroom. There is a need for teacher development to enhance their own understanding of ICTs and how to use it for effective language and literacy teaching and learning.


The development of this project was the outgrowth of a meeting where New Jersey members of HRE USA determined that a curriculum integration guide tied to the NJ social studies standards would be a very helpful resource for educators. The core group of lesson authors emerged from that initial meeting, and other participants have joined the project since that time.
This guide is designed to provide model lessons to assist social studies and other educators in implementing HRE within their daily practice. Although the Guide is tied specifically to the New Jersey social studies standards, it can be used as a model for any educator seeking to integrate human rights into their curriculum, and can serve as a template for other states.
Each lesson is tied to Common Core curriculum standards and contains suggested modifications for ESL populations and classified students, as well as suggestions regarding how each lesson supports literacy development.
During the first phase of the project (2014-2015), eight lessons with related learning resources have been mounted on the project section of the HRE USA website. As of mid-February 2017, five additional lessons have been mounted for a total of thirteen lessons with related materials now available for use.


Unsung Heroes: Highlighting Influential African American Females
Women have made numerous contributions to society throughout history. Unfortunately, due to the misogynistic beliefs that were commonly held in the past, they have largely gone unrecognized. Whether in politics, education, civil rights advocacy or entrepreneurship, women have worked
Whether in politics, education, civil rights advocacy or entrepreneurship, women have worked behind the scenes to make powerful and much-needed changes. This black history month, it is important that we highlight a few African American women and the impact they have made in various sectors of society.
Madam C.J. Walker
America’s economy is in part built on a foundation of individuals whose entrepreneurial spirit created numerous opportunities for themselves and others. Madam C.J. Walker is a prime example of this at work. Afflicted with hair loss, severe dandruff, scalp ailments among other things, she used the knowledge she had gained from her time as a commission agent for Annie Turnbo Malone and her brothers, who were barbers, to develop her own haircare product line aimed at helping African-American women with similar issues.
She later established the Lelia College to train hair specialist and employed thousands of women to handle various aspects of the business. In later years it expanded to supply products to the Caribbean and other territories and Madam Walker began to teach black women the traits to become successful entrepreneurs. She made generous donations to organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored and various HBCUs.
Today, she is lauded as the first self-made female millionaire in America. An accolade she earned for using her knowledge of business to not only elevate her own circumstances but to inspire African American women to use their skills to establish their independence.
The civil rights movement was an important event in American history and it is a topic often discussed. However, an aspect that is commonly overlooked is the role women played in making it successful. One such woman was Ella Baker. She was a revolutionary who focused on adolescents. She served as the chief mentor of the younger members of the civil rights revolution and with her student apprentices, she helped found SNCC, the student nonviolent coordinating committee. Her role in the movement is often lost as it primarily focused on ministers and other religious leaders and left little room for women in leadership positions. However, aid from her and SNCC helped the civil rights movement to widen its base and gain traction. She is thought of as one of the most significant black leaders of the 1900s and one of the most important women.
Political positions of power in America are commonly filled by men. However, women like Shirley Chisholm challenged the status quo and became influential politicians. She was the first African-American female elected to Congress in 1969 from her district in New York City, where she served for fourteen years.
Chisholm attended Columbia University where she earned a master’s degree in elementary education, which she later parlayed into a position as a consultant at the New York City Bureau of Child Welfare. Consequently, she used her experience to propel her into the political field where she worked as a state legislator before moving on to the US House of Representatives. She was involved in numerous organizations aimed at improving the power of blacks in politics, including the Congressional Black Caucus. In 1972, she vied for the position of president by entering the Democratic primary. She is the first black candidate to attempt to gain a major party nomination, paving the way for others such as Barack Obama.


This bill requires the board of directors of a school district, beginning august 1, 2009, to adopt a student promotion policy that facilitates collaboration among teachers, parents, and guardians of the student, and the school district, to support student reading at grade level. Beginning july 1, 2012, the bill prohibits a school district from promoting a student enrolled in grade three to grade four if the student is more than one year below grade level in reading, unless retention at the current grade level is determined not to be in the best interest of the child. A student cannot be denied promotion more than once. Beginning july 1, 2010, students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a school district must be assessed from the beginning of and throughout the school year using ongoing assessments of reading skills or early literacy development including phonological awareness, reading fluency, and alphabetic principle. The department of education is required to establish by rule, and provide each school district with, a list of approved reading or early literacy development assessments. The bill also requires the board of directors of each school district to provide interventions to improve a student’s reading skills, and notify the parents and guardians of students of the options under the school district’s reading instruction program. An intensive reading instruction plan, including specialized tutoring, must be developed and implemented by a school district for any grade three student who is one year or more below grade level. After july 1, 2012, if a student is more than one year below grade level in reading, the school board can decide in favor of the student’s promotion only if the school board concludes that if promoted and provided with additional or continued interventions, the student is likely to perform at grade level. The bill requires the director of the department of education to conduct a review of school district student promotion policies and to submit findings and recommendations resulting from the review to the general assembly by december 1, 2010, and biennially thereafter. The bill requires the state board of education to submit recommendations for modifications relating to student promotion in a report to the general assembly by december 1, 2011.