Article: Journal for Enlightened Education V, 1

THE JOURNAL FOR ENLIGHTENED EDUCATION:
NEW REALITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN

published by Creative Educational Systems

Volume 5, Issue #1 January 30, 2008

"The outcome of education must not be a foregone
conclusion; rather it must be an unending quest
for enlightenment. An enlightened education is,
by its very nature, neither rigid nor undefined,
but flexible, as it must serve as the given
context of our society, while accommodating
the ever-expanding universe of our children."
--William Thomas Sly, Founding Director
Creative Educational Systems

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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:

POSSIBILITIES OF HOPE:
Alternative Approaches to the Status Quo

. Norway Spending Billions for Rainforests
. The "Anti-Bias Classroom" (ABC)
. Greek Myths to your Email
. Historical Primer on Economic (In)Equality
. Sell-Art-Smart Newsletter for Visual Artists
. Newsletter for the Art World

NEWS

. UNESCO's "Education To All"
. NYC CAE Responds to School Grading System
. Movie: The Great Debaters

LITERARY CORNER

. Ben Franklin: from
"Proposals Relating to the Education
of Youth in Pensilvania"

EVENTS

. Jazz Across the Curriculum Retreat
. Americans for the Arts Annual Convention
. Arts Advocacy Day
. NY CommonGround 2008 Conference
. International Summer School on Human Rights

RESOURCES

. Slavery in NY, PA, NJ and the Caribbean
. Plays for Black and Women's History Months
. The New Math of American Elections
. Grace Abounding - An Anthology of
African American Literature, Music and Art
. Teambuilding Workshops

JOBS

. OTB Jobs database
. Director of Thomasville, GA. Cultural Center
. Early Childhood Teacher
. Arts in Education Intern
. Development Associate
. NYFA Job Classifieds

FUNDING

. DCA Cultural Development Fund

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

. The Waldorf Schools

HUMOR

. The Wit of Benjamin Franklin

CES OPENS WESTERN REGIONAL OFFICE

ABOUT US

* For a list of Things You Can Do to help
our children receive the education our
future deserves, go to
www.creativeeducationalsystems.com/web_files/Do.html

* For a list of Principles of Enlightened
Education, go to
www.creativeeducationalsystems.com/web_files/Principles.html

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POSSIBILITIES OF HOPE:
Alternatives to the Status Quo
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NORWAY SPENDING BILLIONS FOR RAINFORESTS

Norway's prime minister has committed his country
to spending more than $500 million a year to
preserve the world's endangered rainforests.
Trees and rainforests absorb carbon dioxide from
Earth's atmosphere and in turn release oxygen -
a process opposite to the cycle of automotive
and industrial pollution that has been pumping
increasingly huge quantities of greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere. Experts say deforestation
is responsible for as much as 30 percent of
global greenhouse gas emissions each year.
With proper management, forest resources
can be sustainable, guaranteeing steady
production of wood and other forest products
while preserving the forests themselves.
In recent years, however, the potential revenue
that rainforests represent has stripped bare
large areas of forest in many developing
countries. For more information, go to
www.truthout.org/issues_06/printer_121007EB.shtml

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TEACHING TOLERANCE'S "ANTI-BIAS CLASSROOM (ABC)"

The website TeachingTolerance.org, an online
publication of the Southern Poverty Law Center,
publishes teacher resources (for which there is
no charge) called the "ABCs" (Anti Bias Classroom).
To view the current edition, "The ABCs of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Legacy," go to
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?p=0&ar=904&pa=1.
Past issues have included "The ABCs of Bullying,"
"The ABCs of Sexual Misconduct" and "The ABCs
of Domestic Poverty," all available at its site,
http://www.teachingtolerance.org

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GREEK MYTHS to your EMAIL

TellmeOmuse is, by the description on its
website, "creating products that inspire,
educate, and entertain. The authenticity of
the ancient stories found in Greek and Roman
mythology and classic literature is magically
brought to life through the company's own
original artwork. TellmeOmuse products are
designed for educators, students (and parents
of students), classicists and mythophiles."
You can sign up for monthly myths delivered
to your email inbox. To sign up for the monthly
myth series Tell Me A Myth, please email
Stories@TellmeOmuse.com

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HISTORICAL PRIMER ON ECONOMIC (IN)EQUALITY

The edition "The ABCs of Domestic Poverty,"
of the Anti-Bias Classroom series, offers
activities tied to U.S. history, math,
language arts, economics and life skills,
as well as core material to help teachers
better support students living in poverty.
On its website, Teaching Tolerance.org
states "Educators with whom we spoke in
developing this edition of the ABCs told us
that their instructional coverage of poverty
was largely limited to service activities
like canned food drives for the 'needy' or
focused on poverty outside the U.S. Many
expressed concern about how one should teach
about poverty when many of the children
studying it also would be living in it.
While Teaching Tolerance has no hard-and-fast
answers about ways to balance this tension,
studying the nature, scope and history of
poverty can help children across the
socioeconomic spectrum understand the world
around them and the ways in which they
experience it." To read more, and to download
the curriculum, go to
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/printar.jsp?p=0&ar=875&pi=apg

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SELL-ART-SMART FOR VISUAL ARTISTS

Art-Exchange, as described on their website,
is "a business-to-business exchange designed
to serve the needs of the Supply Side of the
fine art market (artists, publishers and other
sellers) and the Buy Side (designers and dealers).
We bring these professionals an array of
services making the selling or buying of art
more efficient." They also offer "SellArtSmart,"
a no-cost newsletter for the visual artist.
Visit http://www.art-exchange.com/index.aspx
for more information.

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NEWSLETTER FOR THE ART WORLD

"Art Knowledge News," a no-cost newsletter
sponsored by the Art Appreciation Foundation,
describes itself on its website as "bringing
to its readers unbiased information and news
about art, the art world, museums, artists,
exhibitions, articles reprinted from renowned
art publications, art resources, features,
photos, commentary, and a vast array of art
information found nowhere else in one source."
To subscribe, or find out more, go to
http://www.artknowledgenews.com

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NEWS
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UNESCO's "EDUCATION FOR ALL"

"A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education for
All," is a publication which is a joint UNESCO
and UNICEF framework for the realization of
children's right to education and rights within
education. The result of intensive collaboration
between UNESCO and UNICEF, the publication brings
together the current thinking and practice on
human rights-based approach in the education
sector. It presents key issues and challenges
in rights-based approaches and provides a framework
for policy and programme development from the
level of the school up to the national and
international levels. To download, go to:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001548/154861E.pdf
For information, contact:
Linda King, l.king@unesco.org

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NYC CAE RESPONDS TO SCHOOL GRADING SYSTEM

An article by Richard Kessler, Executive
Director of the Center for Arts Education
(issued in a press release November 7, 2007
and now on the Center's website) looks at
the NYC Department of Education's school
grading system. An excerpt is reprinted here.
"While The Center for Arts Education (CAE)
supports increased accountability, these
reports only paint part of the picture of
what is happening in our city's public schools.
"We hope that these reports will not discourage
those receiving lower grades from continuing
to provide access to the arts for their students
and instead venturing down a harmful path
of a limited, less dynamic curriculum."
The full press release is at
click here

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MOVIE: THE GREAT DEBATERS

Many schools are now taking students to see what
is acknowledged as one of the finest movies of
the year, "The Great Debaters," produced by Oprah
Winfrey and directed by and starring Denzel Washington.
The movie offers a brilliant understanding of
prejudice in the United States during the 1930's,
and chronicles the story of a debate team from
Wiley College which, because of its excellence,
became the first African American college debate
team in the country to take on debate teams at
white colleges.

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LITERARY CORNER
*******

From Ben Franklin's 1749 pamphlet on the aims
of education, "Proposals Relating to the Education
of Youth in Pensilvania," which led directly to
the founding of the Academy of Philadelphia,
since 1791 known as the University of Pennsylvania.

"On Historical Occasions, Questions of Right and
Wrong, Justice and Injustice, will naturally arise,
and may be put to Youth, which they may debate in
Conversation and in Writing. When they ardently
desire Victory, for the Sake of the Praise attending
it, they will begin to feel the Want, and be sensible
of the Use of Logic, or the Art of Reasoning to
discover Truth, and of Arguing to defend it, and
convince Adversaries. This would be the Time to
acquaint them with the Principles of that Art.
Grotius, Puffendorff, and some other Writers of
the same Kind, may be used on these Occasions to
decide their Disputes. Publick Disputes warm the
Imagination, whet the Industry, and strengthen
the natural Abilities."

***
Benjamin's Franklin's birthday was January 17.
In the month of February, the following people
have birthdays: Rosa Parks, 4th;
Abraham Lincoln, 12th; Susan B. Anthony, 15th;
and George Washington, 22nd.
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EVENTS:
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JAZZ ACROSS THE CURRICULUM RETREAT

Jazz can be a teaching tool in any classroom.
On Feb 7th-9th, Jazz House Kids will immerse
educators in a professional development teachers
retreat, in a jazz environment where they will
experience how jazz combines with other
disciplines, and come to see endless possibilities
for bringing jazz into any classroom. The event
kicks off with jazz concert by A Christian McBride
Situation at Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, NJ.
Overwhelming evidence shows that music
education enhances social skills, and increases
cognitive abilities in young people. Upon
completion, educators will begin to design their
own jazz-based units, and return to their
schools to implement what they've learned. The
three day program costs $100. To register,
email retreat@jazzhousekids.org, or call
973-744-2273.

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AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS ANNUAL CONVENTION

This year's Americans for the Arts Annual
Convention, "American Evolution: Arts in the
New Civic Life" will take place in Philadelphia
on June 20-22. Preview rates end on Feb. 1.
To book a hotel or register online, go to
http://www.americansforthearts.org/events/2008/convention/003.asp

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ARTS ADVOCACY DAY

The 21st annual Arts Advocacy Day is the only
national event that brings together a broad
cross section of America's cultural and civic
organizations in Washington D.C., along with
hundreds of grassroots advocates from across
the country, to underscore the importance of
developing strong public policies and appropriating
increased public funding for the arts. Save
the date March 31, 2008 for the 21st Annual
Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy
by Daniel Pink, best-selling author and expert
on innovation, competition, and the changing
world of work. Also attend the "Emerging Arts
Leaders Networking Reception" and the following
day, April 1, join the Congressional Arts
Breakfast and hear from members of Congress
and celebrity guests. For more information, go to
http://www.artsusa.org/events/2008/aad/default.asp

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COMMON GROUND CONFERENCE

Partners for Arts Education will sponsor this
year's CommonGround 2008 arts conference at the
Crowne Plaza in Albany on April 9-11, 2008. The
annual New York State arts-in-education conference
brings over 200 administrators, teachers, teaching
artists, and community members together for three
days of policy setting, planning, exchange of
skills and inspirational speakers. This gathering
contributes to fresh curriculum design, school
reform and new models for classroom learning.
For more information, go to
http://www.arts4ed.org/conference/CG08/index.shtml

INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The 19th International Summer School on Human
Rights will be held in Warsaw-Miedzeszyn, Poland,
between June 21 and 28, 2008. The School is intended
for human rights activists, university teachers
and representatives of the institutions from all
levels of public administration dealing with human
rights issues from Central, Eastern European and
CIS countries. English and Russian are the working
languages of the Summer School. Admission is
competitive. Out of 65 participants, 35 can attend
the School free of charge. The other 30 people
must cover the expenses themselves. To download
an application pack go to
http://www.hfhrpol.waw.pl/news130-en.html.
Closing date for the Summer School applications
is 20 February 2008.

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RESOURCES:
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SLAVERY IN NY, NJ, PA and the CARIBBEAN

For an understanding of slavery in New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania and the Caribbean Islands,
take a look at the 2-disk CD-ROM set "Road to
Freedom" new from the Lawrence E. Walker Foundation.
Also available with or without the CD-ROM set
is the Music CD "I Shall Not be Moved", featuring
African American traditional and modern musical
compositions by Allen Group. For more information,
go to
http://www.creativeeducationalsystems.com/web_files/BlackHistoryinAmerica.html

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PLAYS FOR BLACK & WOMEN's HISTORY

CES's website offers delightful, comical and
insightful play scripts to help your celebration
of Black History Month and Women's History Month.
Get the collection of "Plays for the Study of
Black History" at
http://www.creativeeducationalsystems.com/web_files/black_history_plays.html,
or get the scripts for black and women's history
individually at
http://www.creativeeducationalsystems.com/web_files/playcategories.html.
Give your students a live experience with
the subject matter, and build their self-esteem
as you do so.

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UNCOUNTED: THE NEW MATH OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS

David Earnhardt has released a searing documentary
about how American elections are being co-opted by
illegal and unfair practices of a variety of natures.
To read more about it, and to involve students more
energetically in the democratic process of fair elections,
go to http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_david_ea_071106_new_film__22uncounted_22.htm.
To visit the film's website, go to
http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/about-the-film.html

Editors Note: We do not champion any political
position, party or candidate. We do, however, believe
that fair elections are at the cornerstone of democracy.

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GRACE ABOUNDING - ANTHOLOGY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
LITERATURE, MUSIC AND ART
The Core Knowledge Foundation offers a downloadable
publication entitled "Grace Abounding: The Core
Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature,
Music, and Art." This website contains teacher
resources for use with Grace Abounding. Certain
resources can be accessed directly at no charge,
including selections for further reading, grade-
level recommendations for the literary selections,
web links for research, and complete indexes.
Reading-check tests, vocabulary tests, and other
assessments, answer keys, and additional skills-
related lesson plans (covering a host of topics
in grammar, writing, research, and other language
arts skills) are also available. All tests,
answer keys, and lesson plans are available as
downloadable, printable PDFs. (In order to prevent
student access, some materials are available
for a nominal fee). According to its website,
"the Core Knowledge Foundation is an independent,
non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated
to excellence and fairness in early education.
It was founded in 1986 by E. D. Hirsch, Jr.,
professor emeritus at the University of Virginia
and author of 'Cultural Literacy: What Every
American Needs to Know' and 'The Schools We Need
and Why We Don't Have Them.' The Foundation
conducts research on curricula, develops books
and other materials for parents and teachers,
offers workshops for teachers, and serves as the
hub of a growing network of Core Knowledge schools.
For more information on "Grace Abounding," go to
http://coreknowledge.org/grace-abounding/index.htm

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DEGREES IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE STUDIES

Application Deadline: January 31, 2008

A PhD in Human Rights and Peace Studies, and an
MA in Human Rights is being offered by the
Office of Human Rights Studies and Social
Development, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol
University in Thailand. Applications can be
downloaded at www.humanrights-mu.org. The deadline
for applications is January 31, 2008 for the
academic year beginning in June, 2008.
OHRSD will also host the first "Asia Pacific
Transitional Justice and Peace-building" training
from May 11-24, 2008 in Bangkok. This training
has been developed by OHRSD along with the
U.C. Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center and the
Asian International Justice Initiative at the
East West Center, Hawaii. For more information
please email admin@humanrights-mu.org,
ohrsd@yahoo.com or visit
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/summerinstitute.

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JOBS:
*******

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OBT JOB DATABASE

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow
( http://www.obtjobs.org/index.php/52 )
provides a listing of available jobs in
such areas as counseling, ESOL instructor,
etc. Click the link above for more information.

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DIRECTOR of THOMASVILLE, GA. CULTURAL CENTER

The Thomasville Cultural Center, a thriving
arts center and home of the renowned Plantation
Wildlife Arts Festival, is seeking qualified
candidates for the position of Executive Director.
Check the NYFA classified postings at
www.nyfa.org for January 16, 2008.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER

East New York Prep Charter School is seeking an
immediate hire of an early childhood teacher.
In addition, it is looking for experienced teachers
for the 2008-2009 academic year. Please send a
resume together with a letter indicating why
you would like to be a part of the East New York
Prep family and what expertise you can bring to
the school, to jobs@eastnyprep.org. The posting
may be seen at the Idealist.org website for the
next few days at
http://www.idealist.org/en/job/258786-257

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ARTS IN EDUCATION INTERN

Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn has
advertised for an Arts in Education Intern.
Though the posting has expired at Idealist.org,
Arts-in-Education coordinator Shannon Davis may
be reached at 718-636-9312 x 100 or at
shannonD@creativeoutlet.org

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DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

Brooklyn Information and Culture Arts Media is
hiring a seasonal part-time development associate
to work on its summer festival's membership
development campaign. The link for the job is
active for the next few days at Idealist.org at
http://www.idealist.org/match/945999447-239

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NYFA JOB CLASSIFIEDS

The New York Foundation for the Arts provides
a Jobs Classified board (and many other resources)
for members (there is no charge for membership).
Organizations may post job openings, and
individuals may seek them. The wide variety of
postings include Executive Assistant
to the President of Lincoln Center, Development
Officer for Yale University Art Gallery, and
Managing Director of the NY Musical Theater
Festival. Go to www.nyfa.org to register.

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FUNDING
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DCA CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

Deadline: Feb. 4, 2008

On an annual basis, the Department of Cultural
Affairs solicits and considers proposals from
nonprofit organizations in every cultural
discipline and from every area of the city.
Any arts or cultural organization interested
in receiving Programs support from the Department
may submit public service proposals. For details,
go to
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/html/funding/program_eligible.shtml

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
*******

THE WALDORF SCHOOLS

We have long been supporters of the quality of
education offered by the Montessori school system.
In response to our inquiry about Waldorf Education,
Lori Freer, in the letter below, writes to the
"Journal" about how she considers it exceptional
and worthy of our interest.

***
"Waldorf education is based on indications given
by Rudolf Steiner. I really like that it integrates
practical, artistic, and intellectual elements and
is given context by working with the natural
rhythms of everyday life. The Waldorf approach
emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning,
developing thinking that includes a creative as
well as an analytic component. Observing my own
children going through the phases of development
and working with the Waldorf guidelines, I became
more and more convinced of the benefits of this
type of education. Another aspect of the curriculum
is that child development follows the same stages
of consciousness as the evolution of human
consciousness and the stories of earlier times
are provided during the most appropriate time
developmentally--this allows them to learn the
lessons of each stage (through stories) when
they best resonate. Teachers are trained to really
observe students and also to "meditate" on their
students. Waldorf acknowledges the spiritual
aspects of the world and holds highly the understanding
of the human being. In keeping with this, teachers
are trained to teach the students primarily, and
the teaching of a particular subject is of secondary
importance. The teachers are encouraged to allow
their own creativity to manifest in how best to
teach the students.

"Montessori and Steiner had much in common in
terms of their observations of children, but their
approaches grew out of very different contexts.
The Italy of art and emotional expression, in
part, guided Montessori's approach. Steiner was
moved by the European context in around 1900, and
felt that human beings educated toward freedom
would bring about the most natural and well-suited
expression of the work that each individual could
manifest in his/her lifetime.

"I hope this short synopsis is clear and does
justice to question... If you wanted to direct
your readers to more information you could add
this link:
http://www.awsna.org/education-intro.html.

Thanks for your interest. Wishing you all the
best in the new year!

Lori Freer

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HUMOR
*******
The wit of Benjamin Franklin:

"Fish and visitors smell after three days."
***
"Beware of the young Doctor & the old Barber."
***
"God works wonders now & then; Behold! a Lawyer,
an honest Man!"
***
"A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than
an ignorant one."
***

Benjamin's Franklin's birthday was January 17.
In the month of February, the following people
have birthdays: Rosa Parks, 4th;
Abraham Lincoln, 12th; Susan B. Anthony, 15th;
and George Washington, 22nd.

*******
CES OPENS OFFICE IN LAS VEGAS AREA

Creative Educational Systems is happy to announce
the opening of its new western regional office in
Boulder City, NV. To contact us for programs or
publications from that region of the country,
write CES West, P. O. Box 60698, Boulder City, NV 89006.

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ABOUT US
*******

Creative Educational Systems, the publisher
of the "Journal for Enlightened Education," is
an arts and cultural organization which helps
organizations and individuals to find the best
ways the arts may be used for purposes of
communication, to teach curriculum, to raise
consciousness, to build community and to prevent
violence. For specific products, services and
more information, go to
http://www.creativeeducationalsystems.com.

*******
"May you, all you are, all you love, and all
you touch, and those who love and touch you,
be blessed with peace, prosperity, perfect
health, harmony, happiness and compassion,
always, forever."
-- Thomas

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Copyright � Creative Educational Systems, 2008