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Helping Children Learn Through Music

If the thought of your children's development is music to your ears, you may want to share the joy of music with your kids--and it seems the sooner you do it, the better.

Exposure to music during the early years of childhood enhances the learning process by promoting language development, creativity, coordination and social interaction, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The group says vocal and speech development can improve through singing; listening and concentration can improve with aural training; and the values of cooperation are reinforced by the sharing of instruments and encouragement of other students.

To help their children develop a love for music-and for learning-many parents participate in classes facilitated by groups such as Music Together. The organization developed a research-based curriculum that takes a music and movement approach to early childhood music development. It's open to infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarten children, and their parents or caregivers.

"The whole purpose of our program is to enable children, as well as the adults participating with them, to become more comfortable with musical expression and to develop musically at their own pace," says Kenneth K. Guilmartin, founder and director of the group. "Childhood music development is a natural process, just like language development."

The program works in harmony with recent findings at an Early Childhood Summit stating that music education is basic education and therefore integral to the education of children at any age-a statement the U.S. Department of Education agrees with.

The Role Of Parents

Guilmartin says an important key to his program's success is parental involvement. "The participation and modeling of parents and caregivers--regardless of musical ability--is essential to a child's musical growth," he explains. "Of all the programs available for preschoolers, it is the only one which has based its curriculum on that fact from the beginning."

Atmosphere plays an important role as well. Music Together works to create a playful, nonperformance-oriented environment that Guilmartin describes as musically rich, yet immediately accessible to the child and the adult. "We believe all children are musical," explains Guilmartin. "They can all reach basic music competence with the right help."

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The Special Education IEP and the Parent Underdog

Are you a parent of a child with a learning disability? The deck is stacked against you for achieving a quality, special education IEP. Learn how to get the best possible program for your child.

What is an IEP ?
The special education IEP (Individualized Education Program) process was created by the Federal law called IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) to ensure that students with learning disabilities would receive an appropriate education. The IEP process can be confusing, stressful, and sometimes terrifying to parents. The process comes to a head at the IEP meeting, so this is often the most stressful part of the IEP process.

Why is this process so difficult for parents? Through a series of 3 articles, we’ll look at the IEP process, why the deck is stacked against parents, steps to take to even the odds, the IEP success method to follow for an effective IEP meeting, and how to prepare for IEP 911.

What are the IEP Process Steps?
Identify that a problem exists and it cannot be solved
Educate yourself about the IEP process
Assess and test the student
Analyze the test results
Prepare for the meeting / get and give input in advance
Meet to review information and create (or deny) an IEP
Evaluate the plan and alternatives
Execute the plan or alternative
Negotiate changes
Monitor progress
Manage transitions
Repeat the process, at least annually

The IEP - Why are Parents at a disadvantage?
1. You are usually outnumbered.
2. The other attendees are speaking a language that is difficult for you to understand-educationese, legalese, and medicalese.
3. Your child is one of many students. This is their job, but your child. This sets you up for emotional reactions.
4. Because you are emotionally involved, it is harder to be objective. You feel you have more to lose; it’s easy to become defensive or lose your temper.
5. The people sitting across from you are people you learned to respect, obey, and / or fear as a child. Principals, medical people, teachers. You may not see yourself as an equal.
6. You are asking for something. It is implied that anything you ask for will take away from another student.
7. Some of these people attend dozens of IEP meetings every month. You may go to one or two a year. They have experience on their side.
8. The school personnel earn a salary while they attend these meetings. You may give up some salary to attend.
9. The school district has an attorney. You may know of an attorney!
10. You may not be sure what is “wrong” with your child.
11. You have no way of judging if the school’s recommendations will help your child or not.
12. If your child attends the meeting, hearing certain things may upset your child, then you.
13. If the school rejects the IEP, you may feel as if you have just lost your lifeline.
14. If you have argued before, threatened legal action, complained about an IEP and on and on, the relationship inside the room might have moved over to confrontational or adversarial. The above are true even if you are in a cooperative, collaborative meeting and all working together. You can continue the list from here if you have moved over to an adversarial meeting!

How do you even the odds?
1. You need to prepare for the IEP meeting and review test results before the meeting.
2. You need to study negotiating before the meeting.
3. You need to be organized and to have everything written down.
4. You need to bring a short list of topics you want to discuss such as a particular teacher / problem, etc.
5. You need to come ready with a written plan (See Part II and III).
6. You need to cite or quote the evidence and experts as proof of the validity or correctness of your plan and follow the IEP Success Method in Part II.
7. You need to understand the legal basis for what you are asking for.
8. If the meeting focuses on negatives, you need to redirect the meeting by pointing out your child’s strengths. Discuss successes your child had outside of school.
9. You need to stay calm and bring someone with you to take notes so you can focus on the meeting.
10. If necessary, you need to bring an advocate or a relative with you who can be less emotional but is acquainted with your child.
11. If you are confused or not happy with the entire IEP, you need to remain calm and state that you need time to review the IEP before you sign.
12. If there is any area you are unsure of, you need to postpone decisions you are unsure of until you do the research.

Next: Part II will discuss the special education IEP Success Method and IEP Meeting Mottos.

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Factors to Consider for Borrowing Student Loans

Under the accepted standards of borrowing student loans, it is stressed that you can borrow up to the cost of attendance, as determined by your school, less other financial assistance you might be receiving. Other financial assistance refers to grants, work-study, and scholarships. And, the cost of attendance typically involves tuition, books, fees, room and board, and other miscellaneous living expenses.

Also, the cost of attendance as determined by your school has figures that are meant to apply to a wide group of students. Oftentimes, you may not need to borrow as much as your school allows. Note that it is best to borrow the minimum amount possible so that you can lessen your overall financial obligation later.

If you prefer to consider borrowing student loans to finance your education, just expect that some of the lenders these days have borrowing limits placed on student loans. For instance, the federal government places annual and aggregate borrowing restrictions on federal student loans, and the aggregate limit is usually the total amount that every student can borrow in the span of his or her education. Given this fact, it is then necessary to examine and evaluate the terms of every loan you plan to take on for the annual and aggregate loan restrictions.

Aside from that, carefully and honestly assess your current financial status, including any financial commitments you have made before entering the school of your own choice. Understanding the repayment obligations of every commitment you’ve made is the key here. Note that over time you will be responsible for these prior obligations in addition to any education debt you take on, and your education loans are not given to cover these prior obligations you have.

Finally, consider the realistic determination of your future income. You can perform some research on the current job market and start salaries in the area you plan to pursue. Just note that you will be paying for your education with your future income. So, when choosing a student loan program, be sure to do some investigations on the loans that offer you alternative repayment plans which can assist you in managing your payments, especially early on in your own career.

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Ensuring The Viability Of A Home School Diploma

In this society, hard work towards a specific goal generally culminates in a celebration when that goal is achieved; there is no better example than that of graduation from school. A milestone of every school-aged child, graduation means the end of twelve years of schooling and the opportunity to go on to higher education in pursuit of a career. But when you home school a child, it is important to ensure that their home school diploma is accredited and acknowledged.

Children today often face the challenge of low-quality education, overcrowded classrooms, or programs ill-equipped to meet their particular educational needs. In such circumstances, or in an instance where a traditional public or private school does not offer a learning environment in line with a family’s religious or cultural beliefs, the parents of these children are often moved to implement a home school program. In most states, the only requirements to provide home schooling is the desire to do so and the commitment to offering consistent and quality instruction in keeping with the educational guidelines set forth by the state and particular school district. Parents offering home schooling do so with the help of specially designed curriculum to keep students on par with the lessons being traditionally taught in their grade level. And in many cases, the quality of education achieved through home schooling not only matches – but surpasses – the traditional in-school education.

Parents or qualified instructors have a responsibility to ensure that the students in their care are meeting the educational benchmarks set forth by the state. But when schooling comes to an end, it is also vitally important to ensure that the home school diploma will be recognized by the school district, and subsequently by any colleges or universities to which the student may apply. Each particular state has home school guidelines that explain the procedure necessary to provide an accredited home school education that will earn a student a recognized home school diploma.

No less impressive than a diploma received through a traditional school program, the home school diploma celebrates the hard work of a student and represents the beginning of a whole new chapter in life.

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Music Education And The Smarter You

Music education makes you smart. Smart people educate themselves with music. Both are true to an extent. What is it about music that increases you brains efficiency? From a teacher’s standpoint, the answers are quite obvious. Because music education is such a broad topic, let’s condense it to the studying of an instrument... more specifically the piano.

Teachers have noticed through the years that students seem to get sharper mentally with every lesson. Even the ones that don’t practice a lot seem sharper at the end of a lesson as compared to the beginning… although many teachers can think of a couple of past students who seemed to get more sluggish with every lesson. Thankfully, those types of pupils were the exception rather than the rule. So what aspects of mental capacity are improved by piano playing?

Hand eye coordination vastly improves with instrumental training on the piano. You can better judge distances between notes while playing of notes simultaneously, and there are a whole list of coordination demands that come from the gradual improving of fine motor skills.

Reading skills expand. If you think of music as a language, you are constantly improving your musical vocabulary with more compositions and technical exercises.

Memory, both visual and touch, is given a workout. In this regard, the phrase “use it or lose it” comes to mind. Musicians who constantly memorize new pieces just seem to be sharp in the memory capacity, provided they have a fairly healthy lifestyle.

EQ is forced to develop when performing the works of other composers. You really must feel and understand what a composer felt when composing a work; you will have trouble performing the work effectively for others if you don’t.

Apart from studying the piano, the study of theory and history go hand in hand with the study of any instrument. Knowing about the history of a composer helps you to interpret a piece and improves your music knowledge base. Interpretive improvement is also achieved through the comprehension of a piano piece’s structure. This understanding is obtained through theory knowledge. Music theory is often compared with math and it can be improved gradually, provided the student has a sound foundation.

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San Francisco Schools’ Small Schools Program

San Francisco Schools’ Small Schools are Effective

The Small Schools program in San Francisco Schools was established back in 2000. One successful example of a small school is the San Francisco Schools’ Leadership High School. This high school has a total of only 345 students, uses high standards and close relationship with teachers to help at risk students. Leadership High School was established about 5 years ago and now has some of the highest test scores in all of the San Francisco Schools. Mainly the idea is to take large schools, usually high schools, into several smaller schools that can focus on the students needs better.

San Francisco Schools have become a leader in a growing trend that has spread across Northern California. The idea behind breaking up large schools is an attempt to provide an alternative to the status quo. Students in a small school tend to have higher rates of graduation, higher attendance rates, and higher university attendance. The small school environment succeeds due to a more personalized learning environment. The small schools of the San Francisco Schools use a mentor system that gives guidance to that they are personally engaged in their work. Students are motivated while being connected to the school community. The National Longitudinal Study for Adolescent Health reports that students in a small school environment were less likely to use alcohol, illegal drugs, become pregnant, or experience emotional distress.

San Francisco Schools’ Small Schools for Equity

The Small Schools for Equity program is an innovative partnership between San Francisco Schools and a local university. This high school has one hundred students from all of the San Francisco Schools. This high school will be housed on the university’s campus and be supported by the College of Education while being managed and funded by San Francisco Schools. The students, teachers and administration will have a say in curriculum development. Students who attend the Small Schools for Equity program were chosen by San Francisco Schools’ officials. The high school students will study a rigid curriculum that will include high school level math, science, English, humanities, world language, art and Japanese. No college courses will be offered.

The Small Schools for Equity program provides the College of Education with a great opportunity in teacher education. San Francisco Schools has allowed university students seeking teaching credentials to teach and observe in schools throughout the San Francisco School district for years, now the College of Education will have a high school on campus that will benefit from modern educational theory and practices. The high school will be housed in Burk Hall and run a full school day from 8AM to 3PM, the rest of the day Burk Hall will be used by education students.

San Francisco Schools Board of Education Reviews Small Schools

The San Francisco Schools Board of Education is, this summer, reviewing a policy that would support the San Francisco Schools Small Schools By Design. The policy is being introduced by San Francisco Schools Acting Superintendent Gwen Chan and is supported by school board president Norman Yee and San Francisco Organizing Project, a community organization that supports the small schools initiative. San Francisco Organizing Project is a collection of religious congregations, schools and community centers. Those opposed to the program claim that the money spent does not equal the benefits but supporters say that the Small Schools offset the difficulties of declining student enrollment and the flight of families from San Francisco Schools. The current policy up for vote would create a task force to determine the locations and needs of San Francisco Schools which would benefit most from Small Schools.

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Becoming a Snob

When you talk to a lot of parents, its amazing how many consider the public school system to be the only option for getting a quality education for their children. It seems that this limited view of education would have fallen by the wayside by now with so many options for getting your kids through school. But that is how effective the government sponsored public schools have been at maintaining the myth that they are the only way to go and that public school is the end all and be all of education for kids like yours and mine.

When it comes to private school, there is another myth or misconception that we would do well with dumping. And that is the image of private school being only for the super rich and that they are full of snooty prep school girls and boys who are dropped off by chauffeurs and spend their summers in the south of France. This concept that to move your child to a private school somehow makes you a “snob” is worth discarding so that all of us can have options to consider rather than being trapped into the tyranny of enduring whatever the public school system tell us we must endure.

All you have to do to overcome this conception you might have that you have to be a snob to take advantage of private schools is take a day and visit a handful of schools in your area. You will find that the variety and diversity of schools is truly amazing. But more importantly, you will see that the kids in private schools are just like your kids, that the cars their moms and dads drive are the same kind you drive and that ordinary people just like you and I take advantage of the higher quality education and the better educational experience that is available for kids in private school.

Whether or not you keep your kids in public school or send them to private school should not be a matter of economic status or whether you fit in any particular social circle. While there are many good things about public school, the fact is that public school is not for every child and not a good fit to the educational goals of every family. And if you did take some time to visit several popular private schools in your area, you may find that there are kids of families you know using those facilities and kids who would provide a good peer group for your child if you did move her to a private facility for the next phase of her education.

We tend to view private schools as being the enemy of public school but that is also to some extent a myth. In a lot of way private schools are an excellent supplement to provide high quality educational options for certain niche students that the public schools cannot serve as well. Public school is, after all, an institution set up to serve the entire community of school age children. This is a big challenge so the school administration has to put the majority of their resources and energies into managing the education of for that large group of “average” students.

But many students benefit from the smaller environment and from specialized skills and focus areas that private schools can afford to take care of. This includes children with special needs such as educational or physical challenges. But it also includes children who are high achievers in certain areas such as the sciences, mathematics or the performing arts. Private schools can also provide an isolated environment for families who want an education built around faith based curriculum which is just not possible in a public school setting.

So there is no reason to shy away from considering private school along with all of your other educational options for your child. If you do consider private school and then decide to take advantage of the services they offer, you are joining thousands of other families who are benefiting from the diversity of educational options we have at our disposal today. And in doing so, you are in no way becoming a “snob”. You are just being a good parent by giving your child the best education possible. And nobody would fault you for that noble desire.

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Philadelphia Schools Receive Grant To Improve Literacy With Art

The Philadelphia Schools and the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership (PAEP) established a good working history in 2006 with the successful “Artist in Residence Program.” Through this initiative the Philadelphia Schools’ Office of Creative and Performing Arts teamed with PAEP to place working artists in ten-day residencies in schools without art or music specialists. Artists and teachers worked together to integrate literacy and arts instruction for over 14,000 students in selected Philadelphia Schools. While the project participants claim success, a full report of the model will be available at the end of 2007.

Apparently, the Department of Education has confidence in program. Philadelphia Schools will continue this successful model with a grant from the Department of Education to fund Art Bridges over the next four years. Art Bridges will provide 5 schools with onsite artists who will instruct students and collaborate with classroom teachers towards the goal of achieving state and local literacy goals.

The goal of the initiative is for Philadelphia Schools to: improve academic performance in reading; improve students’ attitudes of self and school; help classroom teachers integrate arts and literacy; improve teacher capacity; and improve teacher understanding of core curriculum. Philadelphia Schools will provide on-going professional development to both the artists and teachers involved in the project. Artists will represent organizations like the Philadelphia Theatre Company and the Clay Studio. Poets, playwrights, and artists are among those involved.

The proposed bridge will work by targeting 4th, 5th and 6th graders from underachieving Philadelphia Schools over the four-year life of the grant. “Hard to reach” students will be motivated by creative activities that are tied to specific works of literature, and driven by literacy standards. Philadelphia Schools were selected for participation based on the following criteria: a neighborhood elementary housing at least two grades of 4, 5, and 6 grade classrooms; the school must employ an art and music specialists; and it must be defined as low achieving by Adequate Yearly Progress markers. Qualified Philadelphia Schools that applied were then chosen by a random lottery.

Since President Bush enforced the “No Child Left Behind Act” in 2002 large, urban, schools districts, like Philadelphia Schools, have been challenged to find ways to meet the new standards. Instituting an art-based curriculum at a time when most schools are getting math and reading intensive to ramp up state test scores is a markedly different approach. Yet it is one that most educators in Philadelphia Schools approve of.

The issue of how to reach and connect with students from the city’s low socio-economic and minority base has puzzled administrators since public education began. Philadelphia Schools continue to deal with issues of truancy, high dropout rates, teacher turnover and low academic achievement. If Philadelphia Schools can show success with this approach, the impact on arts education and the education of at-risk students could be huge.

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5 Things You Must Do If You Want To Attain Financial Freedom Through Forex Trading

With the amazing growth of the forex market, you are going to see an astounding amount of traders lose all their money. Unfortunately, they haven't followed the simple steps I have laid out for you. Go through these steps and give yourself the greatest opportunity to achieve your goals.

1. Have Faith In Yourself

To reach the level of elite forex trader, you must trust in yourself and your forex trading education. You must be willing to make all your trading decisions, instead of relying on someone else's thoughts or ability (or lack of). Of course, you will prepare yourself fully before every risking any money.

2. Accept Your Learning Curve

Unless you are a veteran trader, you will lose money trading the Forex market. This is a near certainty. I don't say this to talk you out of trading. In fact, quite the opposite. You will be trading against others that fall to this reality day in and day out. You, however, will not risk a dime until you have learned the skills you need to make money trading the forex.

3. Decide What Type of Trader You Are

There are many ways to trade the forex. They range from very active to very patient. You must decide which style suits you best. The best time to learn this about yourself is while you are trading a demo account. There is no need to allow your learning curve to cost you money.

4. Get Educated

Education is the shortest path to elite forex trading. Regardless of your ultimate goals, you will reach them quicker with a great forex trading education. Take some time to review different options before deciding on who to trust with your forex trading education needs. A forex seminar will help shorten your learning curve drastically.

5. Continue to Get Educated

In order to achieve and retain elite forex trading skills, you must constantly be adding to you knowledge base. Your education should never end. In fact, one of the key points to look for in an elite forex trading course is ongoing education. It's nice to have an ongoing relationship with the person/people helping you to achieve your goals.

What separates an elite forex trader from all others is their desire and ability to be independent. Many traders are willing to follow signals, systems, strategies, or anything else you may call them. By taking this approach, however, these traders are only as good as the people they follow.

An elite forex trader will lead. Their decisions will be calculated and analyzed to near perfection. They will make decisions with no hesitation, and handle the growth of their account in a predetermined, intelligent fashion. Take your trading to their level and you will never look back.

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Earning A Health Care Degree Online Is Possible

Many people enjoy working in the health care field, the career being an attractive one for many reasons. After all, you're helping others, the job opportunities abound and the field of medicine is an exciting one that's developing constantly. A career in health care is an exciting one, with hands-on experience and being personally satisfying. However, individuals wanting to break into the medical world need strong credentials and up-to-date training to have good employment opportunities with hospitals, private practices and ambulatory care centers. Finding that training can be difficult, but there are options available, thanks to technology and a widening recognition of virtual instruction. Obtaining a health care degree online is a smart choice for landing satisfying employment.

Online education is transforming the way individuals receive instruction for top careers. The fields of opportunities are expanding and being able to earn your health care degree online is a perfect example of just how far education has come. Accredited universities and colleges provide high-quality instruction, leading to Bachelors and Masters Degrees that are recognized by employers. The training has a leading reputation amongst hospitals and health care facilities of all kinds, making individuals valuable assets to the medical field.

Obtaining your health care degree online can help with upward mobility on the ladder of success and increase job opportunities in the medical field. Expanding your education can improve communication skills and promote individual value to the mid-level management section, allowing students to respond to ever-widening community diversity. Interpreting and analyzing data as well as identifying human values, moral choices and fundamental beliefs are just part of what a health care degree online can provide to individuals. Courses within this field of online education touch on varied subjects, such as anatomy, legal issues, the aging process and research methods.

There are other reasons why pursuing a health care degree online is advantageous. Education in the virtual world allows students to easily balance studies with employment, meaning that individuals can continue to work and earn income while earning credits towards a degree in their own time. Home life, education and employment blend very easily, allowing students to combine all three areas of their lives without needing to take time off work to study or put off raising children to obtain an education. Also, pursuing an online degree allows individuals to save money on costs of transportation and commuting to educational facilities or having to pay for lodgings on or near a campus.

Employment opportunities in the health care field are continually broadening as the world's population ages. Research and technology allow people to live longer, providing ample careers to those who pursue a profession in the medical field. As our population of senior citizens continues to expand, the needs for skilled professionals able to tend to individuals increases and finding employment is usually easy, for those who have the qualifications and credentials of accredited educational facilities. Top schools and universities have responded to the demands and offer excellent, recognized training to students in a manner that matches the technological revolution of today's computer-based world.

Government offices continually demand high-quality workers and their predictions claim that having solid training is a must for those entering the health care world. Consumers and clients of hospitals, private practices, ambulatory care centers and home health agencies are also asking for better-quality care from those who tend to their needs. The advantages to earning a health care degree from a reputable educational facility are many and the long-term results will provide individuals with solid, satisfying and exciting careers.

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