ShutterstockThe 2005 National Review of School Music Education found many Australian students missed out on music education, with massive disparities between states. In 2020, our research for the Tony Foundation found the same issues, despite the fact that the Australian Curriculum for Music should guarantee some level of consistency. We now have evidence that we should be concerned about music education not just for the sake of music itself, but also because of its impacts on language learning and literacy. Research about how participating in music affects the brain – a field known as neuromusical research – has taught us a lot about how the brain processes language. Significantly, it processes language in the same way as music. If we...
Shawn Hayes is a Black American falconer. In this short film, we’re given a glimpse into the life that Hayes has carved out for himself among the raptors. There’s something romantic about the idea of falconry. That a human and a wild bird, two distinctly dissimilar creatures, can form such enduring companionship defies comprehension. As Hayes puts it, “the commitment to being a game hawker is big.” Some liken falconry to raising a child — a process that demands mental, emotional, and physical attention at all times. Hayes knew he wanted to be a falconer before he could read. He crafted his first falconry kit — jesses, lures, leashes — from his mother’s old purse. In the decades since, game...
One of the things I love the most about the Earth Party curriculum and teaching the online class is being sensitized to the living world around me. Why did I write this curriculum? My daughter attended an elementary school where year after year, they covered life cycles….butterflies, birds, fish, tadpoles, etc. I wondered, why do they keep going over the same material and not digging deeper to explore the amazing life out there, and how forms are similar and different from each other? The Earth Party curriculum takes a kingdoms approach where students in grades 1-6 learn about each of the 5 kingdoms: Bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. Surprisingly, many student’s favorite kingdom is fungi, which includes mushrooms, molds,...
We measure access to electricity no better than we do the rate of literacy. Both are easy to define—a population’s share connected to the national grid or to a local source of electricity, and the ability to read and write—but such definitions do not make it possible to get a truly informed verdict. There is an enormous difference between the hesitant reading of a simple text and the comprehension of classics in any language, and between filling out vital information on a short questionnaire and writing lengthy polemic essays. Similarly, having a distribution line (often illegally rigged) running to a dwelling tells us nothing about the usage of power or the reliability of its supply. Knowing how many solar panels...
Quick learning depends on good comprehension and breaking down information into small, easily digestible chunks. While not everyone is born with the capacity to grasp information and comprehend it quickly, anyone can develop and improve their learning and memorization skills. These techniques may not necessarily work in all situations, as complex topics will sometimes require more reflection and studying, but with practice and patience you can easily improve your learning and comprehension skills. [Edit]Steps [Edit]Practicing Learning Techniques Take an active interest in what you're learning. This may sound obvious, but it's easiest to learn anything when you actually have an interest in the thing you're learning. Whether it's a musical instrument, a chapter from your school textbook, or something you're...
