Since first writing about Outdoor Education for All, the bill passes with a large percentage and Oregon became the first state in the nation to have a law stating that dollars were to be allocated to fund outdoor education for every 5th or 6th grader in the state. That was a gigantic Win. Now it is up to the legislature to figure out how to do that. A difficult task to say the least!
The passing of the Outdoor Education for All bill was truly a wonderful milestone in Oregon. However, no dollars were allocated to make it a reality. In order for that to happen the legislators need to vote to provide money or a referendum needs to be on the next state ballot. To show your support please go to http://www.outdoorschoolforall.org and sign the petition that indicates you would like our legislators to step-up and provide the means to make this important legislation to happen.
The passing of the Outdoor Education for All bill was truly a wonderful milestone in Oregon. However, no dollars were allocated to make it a reality. In order for that to happen the legislators need to vote to provide money or a referendum needs to be on the next state ballot. To show your support please go to http://www.outdoorschoolforall.org and sign the petition that indicates you would like our legislators to step-up and provide the means to make this important legislation to happen.
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Outdoor Education for All is now headed for the November ballot, if enough signatures are collected. All of you Oregonians keep your eyes and ears open to find out how you can sign a petition to make that happen. It's an important step in assuring that all of Oregon's kids get to experience Outdoor Education, an event that will be life changing for many. Please, join me in making this happen!
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On July 1st some very important legislation took place in Oregon. A bill to provide Outdoor Education for every 5th and 6th grader passed and will become law. What a tremendous and important achievement. I am in the middle of reading Last Child in the Woods, Saving Our Children From Nature-Defict Disorder by Richard Louv. It is a book that heightens our awareness of the importance of children being connected to nature. This Outdoor Education bill will help to assure that, making a lasting difference in the lives of many children; introducing them to places, species, activities and life-changing experiences. If you're not familiar with the book, find it and take it seriously. In the electronic age that encompasses our children, Adults need to be all the more vigorous in being sure our children are familiar with nature. As the book explains, it's not just a good thing to do, it's a matter of survival; of the planet and of those who inhabit it, human and other.
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Following is an article I found interesting and wanted to pass on. Hope you also enjoy reading about this fun, interesting Head Start program.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/02/08/proven-early-education-still-catching-salem/23013021/
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/02/08/proven-early-education-still-catching-salem/23013021/
Walking into Mrs. Maria Rodriguez's classroom at the Bethel Head Start in east Salem is a lot like walking into your best friend's cozy living room.
Natural light pours in from the north wall windows that look out over sprawling farmland. The room itself is filled with children at small tables who hold different games that, at a glance, seem like they would be played just for fun: blocks, glass containers with colored sand, coloring stations and Play-Doh.
But look a little closer and it becomes apparent that the kids, ages 3-5, are not just playing around. They are stacking colored blocks into recognizable patterns, forming the Play-Doh into shapes and writing letters in the sand with their fingers.
They're engaged in "purposeful choice time," said Stephanie Whetzel, student services coordinator for Early Childhood Programs in the Salem-Keizer School District. This time includes activities meant to enhance fine motor skills, communication and sharing.
Student projects also mark the walls and shelves throughout the classroom — and one hanging above the carpeted area opposite the windows seems to display the effectiveness of these activities.
Natural light pours in from the north wall windows that look out over sprawling farmland. The room itself is filled with children at small tables who hold different games that, at a glance, seem like they would be played just for fun: blocks, glass containers with colored sand, coloring stations and Play-Doh.
But look a little closer and it becomes apparent that the kids, ages 3-5, are not just playing around. They are stacking colored blocks into recognizable patterns, forming the Play-Doh into shapes and writing letters in the sand with their fingers.
They're engaged in "purposeful choice time," said Stephanie Whetzel, student services coordinator for Early Childhood Programs in the Salem-Keizer School District. This time includes activities meant to enhance fine motor skills, communication and sharing.
Student projects also mark the walls and shelves throughout the classroom — and one hanging above the carpeted area opposite the windows seems to display the effectiveness of these activities.
The project tracks the students' progress in drawing self-portraits. White pieces of paper mounted on black cardstock show portraits drawn by the students in September and January. In September, a student named Melissa scribbled messy lines and egg-shaped circles across the entire sheet of paper. Four months later, she drew what was clearly a person with stick legs, eyes, a nose and hair.
"With our self-portraits, we are definitely working on fine motor skills. Students are also learning about what people look like, how people are different and how they are alike. They are developing basic math skills such as shape recognition and understanding the part-to-whole relationship. They are naming facial features and are learning to follow steps in a sequence," Whetzel said.
"With our self-portraits, we are definitely working on fine motor skills. Students are also learning about what people look like, how people are different and how they are alike. They are developing basic math skills such as shape recognition and understanding the part-to-whole relationship. They are naming facial features and are learning to follow steps in a sequence," Whetzel said.
The American Educational Research Association wrote in a 2005 article that it was becoming widely accepted that quality early childhood education helps prepare students for school and helps decrease racial and ethnic achievement gaps. Studies found that at-risk children who participated in high-quality programs had better language and cognitive skills in their first few years of school than their counterparts who did not participate. They tended to score higher on math and reading tests and were less likely to repeat a grade, drop out and get in trouble with the law.
Economic analyses indicated every $1 invested in early childhood learning generates a return to society of $3 to $17 because of reduced costs in special education and crime rates, and increased higher adult earning and tax revenues, according to the article.
Economic analyses indicated every $1 invested in early childhood learning generates a return to society of $3 to $17 because of reduced costs in special education and crime rates, and increased higher adult earning and tax revenues, according to the article.
A couple of years ago, federal guidelines about the level of education required to be a teacher in federally supported child care programs shifted from a two-year degree to a four-year degree. By September 2013, 50 percent of Head Start teachers throughout the country were required to have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related degree with early childhood education courses, according to Head Start's Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center.
