The Key to Making Every Child’s Dreams Come True – Found at SAR Academy

~Guest post by Sharon Marson

Schoolwide Enrichment Program Coordinator, SAR Academy, Riverdale, New York

A teary-eyed parent says, "Now my child feels really successful. Thank you for what you are doing.” Another shared that Tuesday (the day our new program is scheduled) is “a day my child refuses to be absent. I'm not allowed to pull him out of school for a doctor's appointment and he has even tried pretending he is well when clearly he has fever, in order to not miss an E-slot." The children themselves ask, "How many days until next Tuesday?" and stop me in school regularly to thank me for "making" this program.  

 

What has brought such joy and excitement to parents and children? The Schoolwide Enrichment program. This has enabled me to bring to fruition the dream of providing every early elementary child with the opportunity to participate in an Enrichment slot (E-slot) during the course of their week. It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey. No longer are only a select few of those who are high performing in reading or math given the opportunity to participate in Enrichment. Now, more than 450 children are able to choose among seventy offerings that are aligned with their passions, strengths, and/or interests. The offerings, primarily facilitated by a talented faculty and parent-body, correspond with multiple-intelligence theory, engage children in project-based learning, and are built on the pedagogy of Dr. Joseph Renzulli, seminal thinker, innovator, and researcher in the field of Gifted Education.  

The program is based on the idea that we should apply the pedagogy of gifted education to enrichment opportunities for all students. The broadened conception of giftedness, allows children to explore an area of interest, talent, or passion in depth, while in a small multi-age group with other students and a facilitator who also shares this interest. Enrichment Clusters are a delivery vehicle for disseminating enrichment pedagogy to every student and is founded on the belief that everyone has the potential to demonstrate gifted behavior. They are organized around interdisciplinary themes and are built on inquiry and advanced content and methodology, which allow students to secure and then apply new skills to real-world issues that are personally meaningful. The challenging learning pursued is grounded in the production of a product, performance, or service for an authentic audience. Our ultimate goal with this broad enrichment initiative is to help children discover and take pride in the diverse gifts and talents with which he or she is endowed, develop their interests and strengths, and understand how they can share their gifts with the world.

What is success? 

Just ask the kids and you’ll find there isn't a child who can't tell you when he or she feels successful or which activity engenders a sense of accomplishment. That is what our program is doing for children. We are giving students the equal-opportunity to succeed. They are happy. They are defining themselves as gifted in multitudinous ways. They feel accomplished. That is why they can't miss a moment of it.

 

See what this looks like in action at the video below. You can help the school raise money to grow their endeavor to create life-long, impassioned learners with a vote for the video at this link.

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Want to connect with others who are discussing the Schoolwide Enrichment Model?  Join us on Facebook here.

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What can we learn from Caine's Arcade?

Editor’s note: In yesterday’s post about Caine’s Arcade I shared several questions to ponder when watching the video.  Here is one reader’s insightful responses.

By Jo-Anne Tracy

Great post, (to both Lisa Cooley & Lisa Nielsen). It is very inspiring to come back from a week long internet hiatus and see this post. I will take a stab at answering some of the questions.

What subjects did Caine learn?
When looking at the 3Rs...

• Caine has mastered measurement, and spatial reasoning (math). I am certain he learned some basic physics in designing his games. (science).

I not only look at traditional 3R subjects but also look at the Seven Cs of 21st century learning as defined by Bernie Trilling of the Oracle Foundation.

• Critical thinking - Caine has shown abilities in critical thinking as he worked out problems to create a claw machine and to make the soccer game more challenging creativity and innovation. Caine has mastered this one!!!
• Collaboration - Perhaps, there was some collaboration shown, when Caine discussed his project with his dad and Nirvan.
• Cross-cultural understanding - not demonstrated
• Communication - Caine learned the power of this when Nirvan mustered a flash mob
• Computing technology - Caine learned the power of this when Nirvan mustered a flash mob. He also worked out an algorithm to verify authentic passes.
• Career learning - Spending time with his dad at work and developing his own brand show that Caine is well on his way to mastering this one.

What is the role of adults?

• His father was there as a facilitator, answering questions and allowing him space to work and develop his project
• Nirvan helped Caine assess his games. Nirvan’s enthusiasm encouraged Caine to explain his reasoning, showing his mastery and understanding of his critical process.

How much funding is necessary for such an endeavor?
As with other natural, passion led learning projects, there was little or no cost involved. Caine did rely on his father’s business for space. However, the cost of putting Caine into another summer program would definitely offset that cost.

What is the role of technology?
For Caine, he was able to learn the basics of algorithms when designing his pass verification system. Even though the system used very basic technology resources, the process to develop would not have changed substantially if he had used more sophisticated technology.

How can teachers bring the stories of the Caines in their classroom to the world?
The Vimeo video would be a great place to start. Then allow interested students to develop a website looking for other stories of success, such as Adora Svitak, Eva Ridenhour, Line Daile, Taylor Wilson (nuclear fusion generator)

What would have happened if there were texts? teachers? tests?
Caine would likely have lost interest, had testing been inserted into the process. He would never have achieved the level of creativity, if required to find textbook sources.

How should parents and teachers be empowering young people to use the power of social media to help them pursue their dreams?
The power of social media in this situation was great. It did help him achieve his dream, as he had refined his arcade. However, if pushed to use social media prior to the refinement, Caine may have been discouraged from negative reaction to his incomplete designs. The timing of the use of the media, must take into account the readiness of the child for the authentic assessment that comes from using these media.

How can we fight against school policies that try to limit the ability for young people and their teachers to harness the power of social media?
We can use Caine’s story, and that of other successful children to show the power of social media to administrators and legislators. This may encourage them to look at the benefits of authentic assessment. (However, I think, their reasoning against it is firmly entrenched. That is a different matter altogether.)

I think that this is a great example of the power of natural passion led learning. Caine likely learned more useful skills in completing this project that he would in an entire year at school.

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Jo-Anne Tracey was a classroom mother who became a passion-led learning advocate, when the school system decided her 9 year old son did not have the ability to learn to read and write.  So, the Tracey family left traditional schooling behind and became homeschoolers.   After 9 years of a passion-led, unschool education, her son is now studying geoscience at university.   

Jo-Anne, now advocates for passion-led learning.  Recently, she created an online learning community, Discovery Portal Active Learning Community, www.discoveryportalalc.com offering homeschoolers the active learning challenge program that she designed with her son and other virtual learning opportunities.    

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5 Questions Every Parent and Teacher Must Be Able to Answer

While test-prep mania, quality reviews, and data driven assessments rule the roost in schools today,  what's most important is often overlooked.  If you're not able to answer these five questions for every child in your care at school or at home, than you need to re-focus on what is most important. 

1. What are your child's passions, talents, and interests? 
2. Is your child's talent/passion portfolio documented and used to drive learning?
3. Does your child have a personal success plan aligned to those passions with measurable goals?
4. How are you supporting your child in displaying evidence of learning in meaningful ways that will lead to academic, career and life success?
5. Is your child provided with opportunities to learn with those who share his passions and interests rather than just grouped with others by date of manufacture?

So, how many of these were you able to answer?  If it's not all five, what is your plan to refocus and place your child(ren) in the center of their learning?

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Why I Agree That Our School System Results in Teachers Hurting Children

Most high school students find school boring and irrelevant

In her popular post, What Parents Really Want to Tell Teachers: What You Do Hurts Our Children, parenting expert Laurie A. Couture compiled a list of concerns for teachers to consider in the context of their own education. I shared her post here on The Innovative Educator blog and while it was met with some support, in many cases it was met with hostile criticism from teachers who felt attacked.

Couture’s post was in response to Ron Clark’s article What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents. While she was criticized for using generalities, her post was directed toward those teachers who believe parents need to head Clark's advice. There were teachers who were upset that I would publish a piece like this on my blog. Unfortunately, some followers even unsubscribed. Despite this, I shared Laurie’s concerns for two reasons.

1. Laurie is connected with many parents whose children have been hurt by what teachers are compelled to do in our educational system. She does a good job representing why parents have issues with teachers such as these. Her son, who was one such child, does a good job as well. You can read his response to Ron Clark here.
2. I agree with Laurie’s concerns, her advice, as well as the observation she shares with John Taylor Gatto: Most teachers are working in a system that is forcing them to hurt children. I have worked in the public school system for many years and have found that every school has teachers and/or administrators that could benefit from her advice because much of what they are being told to do in the name of kids is detrimental.

I suggest we learn from Laurie’s advice and shift focus to look at the type of teacher the system is breeding. While I understand many teachers who read this blog are not the ones that engage in these actions,we know these are the actions the system we are a part of breeds and rewards. If we really want to help children, we must help ensure they are no longer treated this way. Laurie's concerns are worth considering in making a change where we teach. 


To follow, in two parts, I am sharing my thoughts about why I agree with these concerns and am also providing a call to action. Below is the response to her first five points. In part two I will share my reaction to her last five points.



1. Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• My thoughts: We are so afraid that teachers are going to suddenly become child molesters if they have true connected relationships with students, that we demand they be treated as subjects rather than people. Contact outside of school is frown upon in most places including contact using digital media. If we are so afraid that a teacher who develops relationships with their studentst will engage in inappropriate conduct, we must deal with that teacher, not make blanket policies that do not serve children best.
• Call to action: Connect with your students and develop relationships inside and outside of school. Publicize the wonderful connections you make with kids by writing about it, celebrating it and ask your kids to do the same. Showcase how doing so can enrich each of your lives.

2. Respect the student’s basic human body functions

• My thoughts: If we are not respecting children and fostering their independence then we are not allowing children to develop the vital trust of and connection with self needed to be healthy and happy.
• Food: When I started teaching I found it odd that eating and drinking was so regulated. This didn’t work for me. I like to have a beverage with me at all times and I like to have snacks around when I am hungry. In many schools lunch times are ridiculous with some kids having lunch at 10 a.m. and others at 2. I fought to deregulate the food rules in my school. Kids and adults could eat and drink as they pleased. They cleaned up after themselves and if something was inadvertenly left behind, students helped me clean up at the end of the period.
• Drinks: I will never forget being in first grade and feeling like I was literally dying of thirst. The teacher didn’t want me to leave because it would disrupt her lesson. I begged a few more times and was told no. So, I told her I had to go to the bathroom really bad and might have an accident. She let me go. I ran to the water fountain and started to drink when a classmate came running after me telling me to get back to class. The teacher sent him out to check that I wasn’t lying about the bathroom. When I got home that night I had 104 fever. I had been sick in class but the teacher, so focused on her lesson, hadn’t bothered seeing me as more than a mere distraction. In most schools I do not witness teachers trusting children to eat and drink when they please.
• Bathroom: One of my favorite educators recently told me the story of his son peeing in his pants because he didn’t want to make the teacher mad by asking to go to the bathroom. I too have witnessed teachers getting mad at students for asking to leave. On a personal note I have a close family member who was diagnosed with Crohns disease at the end of high school. She did not feel comfortable moving on to college for fear that her teachers would not allow her to leave if she needed to use the restroom or understand if she had to arrive late due to stomach problems.

• Call to action: Show your children respect by allowing them to make decisions about eating, drinking, and using the restroom. This may require fighting a bureaucratic system. Do it. Get your kids involved. This also might necessitate deeper discussions about food, nutrition, and health. Bonus!

3. Think carefully before assigning labels

• My thoughts: I have written extensively on the “disease” that hits most close to home for me personally and in public schools, ADD / ADHD. I have connected with numerous medical professionals, educators, and parents who have learned that discovering and addressing the child’s true needs most always alleviates the need to drug children. I have been labeled as ADD/ADHD. So has Aaron Iba. Thank goodness neither of us succumbed to being drugged into compliance. Many labels such as these would be unnecessary if we saw everyone as having optimum environments for learning and enabled them to function in these environments.
• Call to action: Every single student has special needs and I don’t mean that in the cheesy, feel good way some people talk about kids with labels. Connect with children and their parents to find out what their special needs are. Work hard to honor and respect the special needs of all your children. Consider fixing your children's learning environment before fixing and/or drugging children. Allow children to have multiple options and alternatives and empower them with the independence to figure out how to learn in the best way possible.

4. Understand, respect, and value the importance of play

• My thoughts: Teachers know that children need play yet they often blindly follow authority when they are required to rob children of this important need. This is done through reducing the amount of time children have for recess, stealing their time after school with homework, eliminating or greatly reducing play from the days of children in early elementary and putting test prep / academics in its place. Our society knows this is a big contributing factor to the childhood obesity problem and is also linked to depression yet most teachers comply to the demands of a test prep obsessed system.
• Call to action: Close your door. Put up a curtain in your window if necessary. Give your children free time EVERY day. Watch them. See what they love. See who they are when you aren’t telling them what to do. Know that you are not slacking, but instead giving your students something very valuable to their development.

5. Consider the research when it comes to homework that robs children of time with family, friends, play, exercise and exploration of passions

• My thoughts: The amount of homework has increased dramatically in recent years. Children are left with less time to explore their own passions because they are forced to do work they often do not care about. The time when there is daylight after school that was once used for play is often taken up with homework today. We need to release children’s hold from the curriculum when they leave school and provide them with the necessary time they need to be with friends and family, explore passions, and play.
• Call to action: Homework can be a suggestion rather than forced. Provide time during the day for students to do the work you would normally assign as homework. Those who have done it in advance, have free time. Those who couldn’t do it, get your support. Those who have not done it have time to do it.

Public school teachers see much of this occurring in our schools and we know it is not best for children. We must stop following orders and start taking actions. As a teacher what actions will you take? As a parent what actions will you demand of your child’s school?

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The 12 Most Important Things to Know About 21st Century Learners

The 12 Most blog is pretty cool.  It asks writers to contribute the 12 most of anything.  This could be a great authentic opportunity in a writing class.  Angela Maiers put together a post identifying the 12 Most Important Things to Know About Kids Today.  In her post it becomes clear that when it comes to “kids today” (Gen Y or The Millennials) those who label them as entitled, directionless, having twitter-sized attention spans— are the ones with the problems.  


Below are the five ideas that resonated most with me because these are ideas that are often left behind in classrooms driven by outdated data and instruction.  

4. They are global learners and excellent teachers.

• Angela explains...“Kids today have redefined themselves as learners, teachers, and leaders. They are self-reliant and independent. They don’t wait for school to find out how or what.”


• In the past...Educators were front and center holding onto the knowledge and power.  


• Today...Teachers need to step off the stage and realize that in the 21st century the playing field is leveled and we all have access to information as long as we are not banned or blocked from doing so. 

7. They are challenge-seekers.

• Angela explains...“These learners thrive on change and challenge that is authentic and fair. They are very adaptable, flexible and hate being asked to operate inside the box. They want to create, invent, and innovate.”


• In the past...Students were expected to accept as a challenge sit and git instruction then take a test or read the chapters in a book and answer the questions at the end.  


• Today...Being disconnected and tied to a desk doesn’t work for today’s young people.   I haven’t met a single kid who feels this need is met by filling in bubble sheets on a computer or paper.

9. They are question askers.

• Angela explains...“The next generation is happy to question everything and anything and do so not to rebel or prove a point; but to forge change. They are asking questions and seeking to understand WHAT they believe and WHY they believe it.”


• In the past...Teachers were the main askers of questions expecting students to answer with their pre-determined responses.


• Today...Educators must be prepared to answer questions like “Why do I need to know this?” and allow young people to develop and explore questions and answers about topics they find meaningful. 

10. They value friends and relationships

• Angela explains...“Today’s kids are deeply committed to friendships. Friends hold immeasurably influence and kids are willing to commit to these relationships.”


• In the past...Children weren’t connected to their friends 24/7.  While friends were important they weren’t a constant presence in the lives of young people.  


• Today...Educators must not ignore 21st century tools that students use to build and develop relationships.  They must recognize the strength of friendships and help guide students in helping those friends to become valuable members of their personal learning networks.

11. They are changing the world.

• Angela explains...Children want to and can do work that is worthy of the world or as Angela calls it (WOW work). They want to serve somewhere they believe is doing good work and makes a positive impact on the world and they are willing to lead the effort.


• In the past...Work was often confined to a classroom and handed into a teacher with no relevance or connection to the world.


• Today...Young people want to make a difference and be a part of change. In many cases the greatest help a teacher can provide is to remove the blocks and barriers that school often puts in the way from helping this to occur. 

Check out all 12 things Angela suggests you know about kids today along with great examples of each here.  

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Nine Tenets of Passion-Based Learning

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model is Alive at The Island School

MindShift, a site that explores the future of learning, recently provided an overview of the passion-driven learning talk I gave with other esteemed panelists (Angela Maiers, Amy Sandvold, and George Couros) on the Future of Education. Steve Hargadon moderated the conversation during which we discussed “passion-based” learning. 

Mindshift pulled together nine key points we discussed during the talk along with some additional thoughts from John Seely Brown, co-author of A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change, and educator Jackie Gerstein.

Here are the nine tenants of passion-based learning

1. REACH OUT TO THE DISENFRANCHISED.
2. SHOW RELEVANCE TO LIFE OUTSIDE SCHOOL.
3. INDOCTRINATE PASSION INTO THE SYSTEM.
4. TRY USING THE SCHOOLWIDE ENRICHMENT MODEL.
5. DIGITAL MEDIA IS KEY.
6. TAP INTO THE WISDOM OF YOUR TRUSTED PEERS.
7. BECOME A DIGITAL CITIZEN.
8. PASSION IS INFECTIOUS.
9. CONNECT WITH PARENTS.

Now if these were the guidelines we used to drive public education, many innovative educators would feel a whole lot better about their work.  


To read about each idea and the rest of the article visit this link. 

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Connecting School Life to Real Life

I will be speaking to educators at The 140 Character Conference on August 2nd about connecting school life to real life.  In the talk I ask the question, "If school should be preparing young people for the world, why does the world behind school doors look so different from the world outside those doors?" I explain that if we want students to be successful in the real world, schools need to get better at connecting school life to real life and give students the freedom to learn.

Here is the presentation I will use as I speak.  It was created so others can download, copy/edit and share.  I invite others to take and share these ideas. 

Click on the picture and the presentation will open in a new window.

I'm thrilled to be joined by some of the most influential members of my PLN on this day including Chris Lehmann, Tom Whitby, Steve Anderson, Christian Long, Adam Bellow, Shelley Krause, Dale J. Stephens and others!!!!

If you are a 21st educator, this is one event you should attend.  There is a special rate of only $1.40 for educators.  Shhh...don't tell.  Regular folk have to pay like $140 bucks.  You can find the educator application here.  I hope you'll be able to attend.  If you have any presentation feedback, please share.  

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Join The Innovative Educator in a Passion Driven Summer Book Club

I bought The Passion-Driven Classroom last month and regrettably I didn't finish reading it. Here's why.  For me, with the internet, reading has become a conversation.  I love to read, discuss, and write. Lately, I have found I'm less likely to finish books when I can't discuss it with others like I can online.  It's just not as much fun as the conversation that can happen when reading on the web.

Well, I'm soooo excited to share that Heidi Hayes Jacobs and her leadership team at The Curriculum 21 Ning have selected the The Passion-Driven Classroom for their summer book club study.  How awesome is that???!!!  I'll be able to read the book and have conversations with amazing educators like Heidi as well as the authors of the book.  I'm so excited.

It is free to participate in the book club.  It begins on June 14th, with a discussion about the Preface and Chapter One. I hope readers of this blog will join me in what promises to be a powerful conversation about the role passion plays in teaching, learning, and student achievement.


You can click here to join the group (and join the Curriculum 21 Ning) to take advantage of the reading and discussion opportunity! If you haven’t purchased the book, Eye on Education is giving book club members an exclusive 10% discount. Enter this code and it will enable you to purchase the print book, eBook, or the bundle pack. If you’re interested in multiple copies of the print or eBook, please contact Jon Rothman at rothman@eyeoneducation.com for multiple copy discount information.

If you want to know more about the book, check out this review from The Blue Skunk Blog.

Note: Membership in the Curriculum 21 Ning is moderated. To become a member, you must register with a clearly identifiable education or education-related e-mail domain.

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