Malka Haas (1920-2021) was a key pioneer in the founding of Israeli kibbutz kindergartens, and she profoundly influenced both the curriculum and practice of early childhood education (ECE) for the entire country. The article reviews Haas's biography, her professional development, and the main principles in her educational approach: "the…

Scott Joplin was an African American composer and pianist of singular merit and influence. This article is the final entry in a three-part series considering the biographical, artistic, and cultural contexts of Joplin's life and work and their use in K-12 general music education. "Ragtime Spaces" focuses on cultural globalization and the…

A troubling observation is that--outside of Black History Month in February and Women's History Month in March, during which students are acquiring some knowledge about noteworthy women and minorities--teachers in every grade level often teach about the same figures rather than expanding their lessons to include less-conventional or…

Educational pioneers believed that the early childhood curriculum was inappropriate for most of the children. It needed to be modified to meet each child's maturing needs, abilities, and interests. The pioneers advocated that education should be more hands-on and assist children to function successfully in society. They recommended the initiation…

Miss Isabel Little was a Scottish infant teacher who immigrated to New Zealand in 1912. She was described as a "Froebel trained Scot from Edinburgh" and known around Wellington education circles for her "modern methods". In contrast to known Froebelian pioneers, Miss Little's historical footprint is light but the few glimpses…

This article describes a scenario that highlights an important challenge facing educators in primary grade classrooms. The discussion in this article addresses this challenge by showcasing scholarly literature that examines the importance of infusing culturally relevant material into K-2 classrooms. Following the discussion, methods of using…

The author of this article, president of NCSS (2004-2005), is a professor of social studies education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This address was delivered at the 84th NCSS Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, November 2004. The author's vision for social studies and NCSS in the twenty-first century comes from growing up in a…