SMART thinking!

Here’s a terrific program more schools need!!  This from fathers.com:

Background

WATCH D.O.G.S.^® is the father involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering that was founded by Jim Moore, a concerned father who chose to take action in response to a 1998 middle-school shooting in Jonesboro, AR. Moore wanted to help prevent violence from occurring at his children’s school or at any school. The first program was launched at George Elementary in Springdale, AR, the school of Moore’s oldest child. Today, more than 2127 programs in 40 states and New Zealandparticipate in WATCH D.O.G.S.^®

Program Goal

To help every school in America be positively influenced by the committed involvement of fathers and father figures in lives of their children and students.

How WATCH D.O.G.S.^® Works

WATCH D.O.G.S.^®, a K-12 program, invites fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or other father figures to volunteer at least one day all day at their child’s/student’s school during the school year. Individuals sign up at a kick-off event such as a “Dads and Kids Pizza Night” or “Donuts with Dad” or in the office at any time throughout the school year. The program is overseen by a “Top Dog” volunteer who partners with the school administrator to coordinate scheduling and identify opportunities for WatchDOGS to provide assistance at the school. WatchDOG volunteers perform a variety of tasks during their volunteer day including monitoring the school entrance, assisting with unloading and loading of buses and cars, monitoring the lunch room, or helping in the classroom with a teacher’s guidance by working with small groups of students on homework, flashcards, or spelling.

SMART thinking!!! What do you think??? Comments above left.

Related SMART thinking articles

Blessings in a Backpack

Cool Cafeterias and Healthy School Lunches

Feeding America Backpack Program for Kids

Thanks to Peter Lippman, Assoc AIA, REFP of JCJ Architecture, author of Evidence-Based Design of Elementary and Secondary Schools: A Responsive Approach to Creating Learning Environments for pointing out this lovely school in his recent article The Responsive Designer in the Spring Issue of Learning by Design.

The Gateway School Program Strengthens Individual Learning Styles

The Gateway School, New York, NY – designed by Andrew Bartle Architects Studio is a wonderful example of a school built around the problem-based style of instruction.  The Gateway School is a leader in  the education of children with learning disabilities.  The following is an excerpt from the program’s description statement.

The Gateway Lower School Program is a unique setting in which the academic, social, and emotional growth of students with learning disabilities is carefully fostered. Enrollment is limited to allow small classrooms of eight to ten students where learning is highly individualized as well as opportunities for the student body to meet together for large group learning experiences. These larger learning contexts facilitate a strong sense of school community and help prepare students for transitions to mainstream educational programs.

Instruction in reading and math is conducted in smaller group settings in order to teach to the specific needs and skill levels of each child. …These multi-sensory approaches to learning ensure that students develop a strong structural basis for future academic success.

…Gateway’s atmosphere is structured, warm, and nurturing. Emphasis is placed on the development of each child’s strengths and talents as well as the foundational instruction necessary to address his or her specific learning challenges. Gateway is committed to helping each child develop a strong sense of self-worth and independence, a concomitant respect for others and an ability to function well as a member of a group.

Because the program calls for small group, individual, and group activities, the school is designed to be highly flexible and agile – allowing students independence within the learning setting.  The reception provides a sense of lightness and color with intimacy and texture, providing a kid-scale, welcoming entry.

Welcoming Entry at the Gateway School

The classroom area is small but flexible with integral small group breakout.  Individual attention can be provided to students by teachers or peers in a way that is subtle and non-threatening.

Gatway Classroom is highly flexible with integrated small group rooms.

Hallway alcoves cleverly provide an area for one-on-one interaction that is fun and “cave-like”; they are located adjacent to classrooms so as to provide maximum visibility with auditory privacy.  The alcoves make great places for students that prefer a higher level of privacy and quiet for reading or study.

Alcoves off the Hallway provide areas for Study and One-on-One Learning

The Gateway School is SMART thinking!  What do YOU think?  Leave your comments on the upper left.

Related SMART thinking! Articles

To See or Not to See

Emotions in Working and Learning

Creativity Crisis in American Schools

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15 Things to Consider in 21st Century Learning Environments

Modern One Room Schoolhouse

School of One Turns Educational Models Inside Out

I love this blog entry by J Bevacqua recapping idea from author Marcia Tate…. on his blog Figuring it Out:

Five things to Look for in a Purposeful Classroom:

1. Students Talking
The research tells us that the person talking is doing the most learning

Students Talking

2. Students Moving
The research tells us that moving activates muscle memory and procedural memory

Students Moving

3. Students making connections with their learning
Some brain based learning strategies that help students make connections include: writing, the use of storytelling, using visuals, role playing, games, using technology and listening (or creating) to music.

Making Connections

 

4. Positive Atmosphere
Classrooms that are imbued with humour and build students’ confidence increases learning.  In addition, teachers that are passionate  and show enthusiasm create a climate conducive for  learning.

Classroom Humor

 

5. Purposeful Classroom
Students do better when they understand the learning goals for the lesson and when they can relate to the lesson on a personal level.

Purposeful Classrooms Make Positive Students

 

SMART thinking!  What other qualities would YOU add?

 

Related SMART thinking! articles:

The Amazing Khan Academy: Open Source Education

Animated Ken Robinson Talk

“What Teachers Make” by Taylor Mali

EdTech Lesson Plans

“Do Schools Stifle Creativity?”

Since 2008, Sal Khan has produced over 1,400 videos that are viewed all over the world by anyone (students, parents, teachers…) interested in learning more about any one of a variety of subjects:  Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, Banking, Finance…you name it.  The website is so popular Khan Academy boasts over 24 million hits and is growing.

Image from Fast Company

According to a recent Fast Company article, Khan wants to “disrupt” education ….a term that has become popular in recent years referring to the need for new paradigms in teaching in learning.  Here’s an excerpt from the article -

How would he change education? By turning it upside down. First, he says, we should “decouple credentialing from learning.” Instead of handing out degrees, standardized assessments would be the measure of employee competence. Anyone could learn at their own pace in their own way: in an internship, as an entrepreneur, or at home on the Internet. Then, everyone, no matter how they were educated, would be equal before the evaluation. Additionally, he thinks the assessment could be more meaningful than whatever abilities a college degree actual signals to employers.

Second, lectures would become homework and teacher tutoring would occur during class time. In traditional classrooms “despite the fact that you 30 humans in the room, it’s a very unhuman experience.” Some of Khan’s devoted following of teachers are already substituting his lectures for their own, and assigning the videos as homework. It saves them time and allows more personalized education during school hours.

You can visit the Khan Academy website at www.khanacademy.org.  SMART thinking!!

Related SMART thinking! posts:

Nine Great Educational Websites

EdTech Lesson Plans

100 Video Site Resources for Teachers

50 Best Blogs for Education Leaders

Back-Channeling in Schools

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Love this adaptation of Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk by RSA Animations!  SMART thinking!

Here’s the Youtube description: 

In this talk from RSA Animate, Sir Ken Robinson lays out the link between 3 troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools’ dwindling stake in the arts, and ADHD. An important, timely talk for parents and teachers.

If you’ve been following SMART thinking! for awhile, you probably remember our story on Feeding America’s Backpack Program (click here to read that entry).  Today’s story follows a similar vein with the Blessings in a Backpack story from Huffington Post Edu:

Breakfast and lunch meals at school may help needy students get access to food during the week. When the weekend comes, however, many are left to fend for themselves.

Teacher Elaine Heyler saw her students struggling at her South Florida school because of this. She told NBC Miami:

“Parents are working and they’re not at home because they need to keep two jobs, [some are] single parents. Some kids have no food.”

So she decided to act. Heyler joined the national Blessings in a Backpack program, leading student volunteers in packing backpacks full of food for needy students to take home on the weekend, reports NBC Miami.  Click here for the full story…

SMART thinking! Ms. Heyler….

What do YOU think? Are you interested in incorporating this program in your school? COMMENT Here!

Here’s a great resource for educators, architects, and facility planners! Wenger has published a great planning guide for music facilities.

Click here for the free download

This Planning Guide is designed to help you — music educators, administrators, facility planners, architects and consultants — focus on the fundamental requirements of the Music Suite. Though it is written from the perspective of the music educator, your entire planning team can use this information to create a Music Suite that is both effective and exciting. The following guidelines are the culmination of 50 years of Wenger experience. By visiting with thousands of music educators, we understand what it takes to make a Music Suite successful and what seemingly insignificant design elements can jeopardize its effectiveness.

This Planning Guide is designed to help you — music educators, administrators, facility planners,architects and consultants — focus on the fundamental requirements of the Music Suite. Thoughit is written from the perspective of the music educator, your entire planning team can use thisinformation to create a Music Suite that is both effective and exciting. The following guidelines are the culmination of 50 years of Wenger experience. By visiting with thousands of music educators, we understand what it takes to make a Music Suite successful and what seemingly insignificant design elements can jeopardize its effectiveness.

SMART thinking!  Thank you Wenger!!!

What do YOU think? Is this guide helpful? Post your comment below.

Thanks to Janell Weihs of CEFPI for pointing out this GREAT video/poem by Taylor Mali.

From PCMag:

The following are nine of the top blogs or websites (we think) to share with students and colleagues:

Bubbl.us

www.bubbl.us
By Corinne Iozzio
This free Web application helps you organize your thoughts into easily readable and colorful mind maps to print or post online. Bubbl.us lets you interact with your team to pool and sort out your thoughts in a clean, crisp way that leaves the usual conference-room mishmash and endless e-mail threads behind.

Evil Mad Scientist

evilmadscientist.com
By Lance Ulanoff
Learn about wacky, interesting, and unusual inventions and devices from technology, food, mechanics, industry, and so forth on this incredibly entertaining blog. There are neat invention dissections, and projects that help you re-create great “mad scientist” inventions from years gone by.

Footnote

www.footnote.com
By Lisa Ruefenacht
For genealogists, history buffs, and even the average passerby, Footnote is the quintessential Web-2.0 example of how to use your Web-browsing time wisely. This site has a deal with the National Archives to digitize and upload every document housed in the archives. You can find anything from handwritten notes from the Continental Congress to Project Blue Book UFO sightings. Users can even upload their own content, so you may be able to find your own high-school yearbook plastered on one of Footnote’s pages.

Futurismic

futurismic.com
By Carol Mangis
This forward-thinking blog divides its focus among news and opinions on current cutting-edge science andtechnology, its impact on culture and people, and extrapolations on how all this will affect our future. Futurismic also features enjoyable “speculative fiction”—sci-fi stories. It’s a feast for those who love to think about the future in all its manifestations.

Librivox

www.librivox.org
By Sean Carroll
Audiobooks are ridiculously expensive: The latest “Harry Potter” title lists at $80 on CD. Librivox, however, provides pod fodder for free. The site features a collection of public-domain books read by volunteers—and anyone can volunteer. The audio quality is good (MP3s at 64 or 128 Kbps, as well as OGG Vorbis files). Some narrators are better than others—some may have listened to a little too much NPR—but almost everything is at least decent, and some performances are quite good. The collection (a bit more than 800 Project Gutenberg works so far) is a bit of a hodgepodge, with everything from Walt Whitman to Edgar Rice Burroughs. You’ll have to wait about a hundred years for The Deathly Hallows, though.

MAKE: Blog

makezine.com/blog
By Carol Mangis
Are you a hands-on type who can’t resist taking gadgets apart, figuring them out, and trying to make them better? An offshoot of the quarterly print magazine of the same name, MAKE: blog features tech-focused content from the mag and lots more in the way of projects, contests, and fun reading in general-enough to keep any DIYer busy for years.

ScienceHack

www.sciencehack.com
By Jennifer L. DeLeo
ScienceHack is a video search engine dedicated to the world of science, including physics, green energy, and space. What sets it apart from the rest is that every indexed video is screened and approved by real scientists. Search for a video by keyword or by selecting a tag. Clicking on “Chemistry” led us to over 20 videos on the topic, such as “Jay Leno and Josh Duhamel Sniff Sulfur Hexafluoride.”

Ugallery.com

www.ugallery.com
By Christopher Ewen
Ugallery.com helps college artists find recognition; it includes artists from more than 60 universities nationwide. They’re not all Picassos, but the site vets artists’ work before letting them in and claims to accept only 25 percent of applicants. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a complete newbie when it comes to buying art, Ugallery is worth a look. It’s a pleasure to browse and anaffordable way to get your hands on a beautiful piece of original art.

Wikisky.org

www.wikisky.org
By Kyle Monson
Much as Google has figured out how to harness user-submitted content to improve Google Earth, Wikisky.org turns the collective wiki-eye on the vast reaches of space. Check out the draggable space model with constellations highlighted, learn more about distant stars (or submit your own info) or you can even see a model of the stars that are above you right now.

SMART thinking!

From CNN:

In Memphis, Tenn., middle school principal Bobby White has introduced a comical policy to keep students from wearing baggy pants, WMC-TV reports.

Inspired by 90s T.V. character Steve Urkel, White and the staff of teachers use zip ties to transform each pair of baggy pants into a high-waisted nerdy pair. For students, being “Urkeled” is an embarrassment that administrators hope will change their clothing choices.

Noting that students often act the way they dress; i.e. “like a gangsta”, Mr. White hopes to change student behavior with proper dress.

SMART thinking!!

SMART thinking! This from Nourishlife.org

The Nourish Middle School Curriculum Guide offers a rich set of resources to open a meaningful conversation about food and sustainability

Nourish is a multi-year media and education initiative. The purpose of Nourish is to open a broad public conversation about our food system that encourages citizen engagement, particularly among young people and families. To inform and inspire, Nourish combines television programming, short films, web content, and learning tools. With a distinctly positive vision, Nourish celebrates both food and community.

The Nourish Middle School Curriculum Guide offers a rich set of resources to open a meaningful conversation about food and sustainability. Beautifully designed and brimming with big ideas, the materials contain a viewing guide, six learning activities, action projects, student handouts, suggested resources, and a glossary.

Download the Guide

Nourish is a project of WorldLink, an Emmy Award-winning media group with twenty years experience in designing education and outreach programs. To maximize the effectiveness of Nourish, WorldLink is collaborating with more than 40 organizations dedicated to creating a sustainable food future.

Wow. These are some powerful statements about the condition of our schools – as viewed by students. Please take time to visit the “Through Your Lens” exhibit by clicking HERE.

Linda, New Orleans

This From the 21st Century School Fund:

Through Your Lens is a collaboration of The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign to raise awareness of the need to fund school buildings that support learning and provide a safe, healthy environment for students and teachers.

By sharing photos and stories of what they see every day at school, students and teachers will provide us all with an honest window into today’s school buildings.

Background

This year, Congress met to discuss the future of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known most recently as No Child Left Behind. ESEA is the major federal vehicle for providing funds and support to K-12 education in low-income communities. It also sets the criteria and standards by which the federal government measures school improvement. However, through numerous Congressional hearings and the issuance of a White House Blueprint for Reform, school buildings have largely been absent from the conversation.

Participating Students from McKees Rocks, PA

School buildings must be part of nation’s conversation about education. Quality education requires quality spaces, something that millions of students lack.

We know that millions of children, especially those living in low-wealth school districts, spend their school days in poor quality, unhealthy, and overcrowded buildings that cause health problems and limit educational opportunities. All students and teachers have the right to adequate, appropriate learning conditions that will allow them to strive for and achieve the goals being set for them. No single level of government can accomplish this alone. We must create a new federal, state, and local partnership to ensure that each and every single community has sufficient resources to provide high-quality school buildings to their students.

We need to show our elected leaders what our nation’s school buildings really look like and how important they are to student learning. That’s why we’re gathering and exhibiting photos from students and teachers across the country showing the reality of their school building conditions.

Help make sure that decision-makers at all levels of the conversation have a clear view of our nation’s public schools: invite your legislators to view the exhibit today!

SMART thinking! kudos to 21st Century School Fund.

Counter Productive

We could do with more SMART thinking!!

spotted on “Rising Tide” at http://risingtide.org.uk/resources/cartoons/5

Here on SMART thinking! we write alot about creativity and it’s place in education.  We came across this orchestra and just HAD to post their video. Talk about creative!!

Worldwide one of a kind, the Vegetable Orchestra performs on instruments made of fresh vegetables. The utilization of various ever refined vegetable instruments creates a musically and aesthetically unique sound universe.

This first video is of the Vegetable Orchestra making their instruments and in concert and the second is of the group making their new album Onionoise . You can see more about them on their website http://www.vegetableorchestra.org or at PRI’s The World Website

David Denby of The New Yorker reviews “Waiting For Superman”… read this review for a short version.

See what it's all about.

Whether you agree or disagree with the film, it is definitely a wake-up call to parents and community about the challenges faced in the public education system and some reasons why things may not be changing quickly.

I often meet educators that would like to infuse student handheld devices, computers and multimedia into the classroom curriculum, but don’t have good lesson plans for doing so.  Here’s a great resource from EdTech Magazine…

Lesson Plans to infuse technology into the classroom…see all the lesson plans HERE. Below are just a few examples:

from EdTechMag.com

Out of This World

Students use cell phones to learn about the solar system and animate their own planets.

By Matt Cook

from EdTechMag.com

Cellular Superheroes

Students use computers to create comic book characters that bring the parts of the cell alive.

By Sara Hawkins

from EdTechMag.com

Lincoln Meets Gates

Technology and history shake hands when students create multimedia profiles.

By Stacy Farris and Paula Gardner

Great Ideas and SMART thinking!!

India Unveils $35 Tablet PC

From the Statesman:

The Indian government is set to revolutionize the way education is delivered in India.  The government has launched an innovative program to create an open source tablet computer that “can be used for functions such as word processing, web browsing and videoconferencing. It can also be powered by solar energy — important for India’s electricity-starved hinterlands — though that add-on costs extra.”

Apparently inspired by Nicholas Negraponte— co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab- who introduced a $100 laptop for children in developing worlds, India wanted to find a way to create a much more affordable replacement to textbooks.

The government has already invested in “an ambitious education technology initiative … which also aims to bring broadband connectivity to India’s 25,000 colleges and 504 universities and make study materials available online.” Read the whole article here…

The article cites low interest from private industry because of the low profit margin.  I would ponder how much a company like Apple or Microsoft would be willing to “invest” to have technology literally “in the hands” of every child – starting in kindergarten.  I would also ask how much we could save per child by  reducing expenditures some districts have estimated at $175 per student spent on textbooks. I would also ask how much educators might value the opportunity to have choices in instructional material that is fresh and easily updated.  Hoping for some SMART thinking! and investment here in the US.

If you haven’t seen Sir Ken Robinson’s 18 minute talk from the TED conference, I strongly suggest it…he’s extremely witty and definitely on point in many of the things he says.  Share this one with colleagues, friends and family. SMART thinking!

First saw this on Daniel Pink’s blog:

These great Fast Lane -Volkswagen videos prove it…behavior CAN be affected by environment and specific outcomes. Some call it “emotional intelligence” – the importance of emotions in work outcomes.  Here specific outcomes are linked  to emotional satisfaction.   Love it..SMART thinking!

Along the same lines, the fun theory folks believe that behavior can be changed for the better by making tasks, chores or less desirable things fun!  I can definitely think of ways this might apply to teaching  and learning.

Here they get people to not only throw their own trash away, but hunt the surrounding area for more to throw in! Brilliant!

Humor also plays a part….this video (created as a take off on the popular Old Spice commercials) for the Harold B. Lee Library encourages students to make use of all the amenities at the library…thanks to Christian Long at the Be Playful Blog for pointing this one out!

This from a recent Newsweek Article:

Since the 90′s, creativity scores among American children and adults (measured by a standard measure of creativity called the Torrence Index) have been declining.  Definitions of creativity include not only the creation of something new and useful (called divergent thinking) but also combining those ideas into a new and better result (divergent thinking).

The consequences to America are enormous. Creativity is the number one leadership competency identified by American companies for the future.  Traditional professions such as law, medicine and engineering are and will be overtaken by countries such as India where skilled labor is cheaper.  The key to success in America will be creativity.

Some of the reasons for the decline stated are the number of hours kids spend in front of the TV and video games, but much more disconcerting are the changes wrought by rigid curriculum standards and standardized testing.  American teachers warn there’s no room in the day for creativity class.  Art, music and physical education exposure is declining as teachers “teach to the test.”

Experts argue, however, that the same standards can be taught in a different way by “taking creativity out of the art room and into the homeroom.”  Creativity involves using the hard facts; in fact, fact-finding and deep research are vital to the creative process.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and other great programs like Model UN focus on longer term, integrated project-based learning - directing students’ attention to engaging and relevent work.  The National Inventors Hall of Fame School in Akron, OH – a center for STEM learning – reported that, in its first year, the school has already become one of the top three school in Akron, despite having open enrollment by lottery and a 42% poverty rate.

The article makes a point: “Creativity CAN be taught”; but it’s going to take some serious effort by forward-thinking educators  order to do so. SMART thinking!!

This from the Innovative Educator Blog:

“One way many teachers are reaching out is with the multitude of material found on the web, allowing them to turn everyday lessons into a multimedia experience. You can find a great amount of helpful material on these sites, including videos to augment your lessons, lectures to inspire students, documentaries to show them how things work, and loads of additional videos to help you become a better, smarter teacher.”

The video below is an example from Scholar Spot a “site..that.. has lots of educational content including lectures, animated videos and inspiring news stories.”

A mini-documentary illustrating the efforts of Abhigyan, a student run non-profit, which works to improve the lives of local children who live on the campus at the Jawaharlal Nehru University…

CHECK OUT THESE 100 VIDEO RESOURCES!

The posting includes a comprehensive list of:

• Educational Video Collections
• General Video Collections
• Teacher Education
• Lesson Planning
• Science, Math and Technology
• History, Arts and Social Sciences
• Video Tools
• Network and Program Videos
• Free Movies and Clips
• How-Tos
• Government and Organizations

Very SMART thinking!!

Watch out kiddos! The teachers are getting savvy!

Got this one from a blog called Reflections from a Teacher’s Heart.  Very Cute!

Another great statement about creativity from Diesel….

SMART …er…STUPID thinking…whatever!

History (from wikipedia)

The Ron Clark Academy, housed in a renovated red brick warehouse, is located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, and accommodates fifth through eighth grade students. Students are from low wealth to high wealth families. Clark had planned to build the school for ten years before construction began. Along with the proceeds of his two books The Essential 55 and The Excellent 11, Clark raised additional funding for the project which eventually cost over $3.5 million. The academy was established on June 25, 2007. Classes began for students on September 4, 2007.

Technology and facilities

Each classroom provides students with technology such as notebook computers, interactive whiteboards, digital cameras, projectors, and audio video equipment. In addition to the technologically-equipped classrooms, the school provides students with accessible amenities such as a recording studio, a darkroom, a two-story vaulted ceiling library, a gymnasium, and a dance studio.

The Ron Clark Academy uses donated computers in all classrooms and offices. As a result, students will be able to study photography, music production, and business leadership.

Library/ Cafe

Student population

The students that attend The Ron Clark Academy come from a range of backgrounds, including students from high wealth families. Students must go through an application process in order to be accepted into the school. Only 50 students were accepted out of 350 applications the first school year. Students must be nominated for the school and then must apply. Students’ applications are then reviewed by Ron Clark and other teachers and students are selected to be interviewed by the school. If accepted, students’ parents must sign a Contract of Obligation in which parents agree to volunteer 10 hours of their time each quarter. They also will have to allow their child to go on mandatory field trips essential to the curriculum.

Check out this video about the school from CNN. SMART thinking Ron Clark!

This submitted by Jim Brady of Americas Schoolhouse Council:

In a recent survey taken at an ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) conference, educators say they believe textbooks will soon be obsolete but few districts are prepared for the digital revolution.

Educators cite a lack of hardware and access to technology as the main roadblock to change.  In a recent article on www.mysanantonio.com, fifth grade teacher Debbie Dixon is quoted as saying

“The school would have to make it something so that all the kids have equal access,” …“When you have a textbook, it’s something that all kids have and can take home. When you have e-books, you run into the problem that you still have kids who don’t have computers and you can’t deny them.”

To read more click here…

We need some SMART thinking right now… pockets of school districts are incorporating ereaders and other digital tools..we need good examples!

Systems thinking is a way of teaching dynamic problem solving and applies to a broad range of global, technical and societal issues.  The Waters Foundation has great resources for teaching and understanding the Systems thinking model.

…”(S)ystems thinking considers the relationship between the parts of a system, and the “dynamics those relationships produce.” A system can be anything – a novel, a historical event, a culture, a scientific formula. All are made up of different pieces that form the “system.” In systems thinking, you look at the whole of something, the individual parts of that whole, how those parts make the “whole” what it is, and how one action to a piece of the system can affect the entire thing.” (from ASIA society).

Exploration of dynamic complexity is a highly motivating learning experience for students. Their learning is enhanced by the “real” nature of the problems that they explore and the sense that they are developing skills that will prove useful throughout their lives. The merging of system dynamics and the characteristics of effective instruction creates tremendous potential for engaging students in powerful learning experiences.

Research shows that instructional settings that optimize learning should be student-centered, experiential, holistic, and authentic. In addition, students should be provided opportunities to utilize many forms of expression, to reflect, to interact with other students, and to collaborate. Learning should be developmental and should involve the construction of ideas and systems. Effective applications of systems thinking/dynamic modeling include all of these characteristics. What appears to be most successful is an essential combination of the powerful concepts and tools of system dynamics with best practice in instructional strategies.

(Mary Scheetz, Panel Presentation – International Conference of the System dynamics Society, Bergen, Norway, 8/00)
Research Source: Best Practice – New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools Steven Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, Arthur Hyde (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998)

Learn more about Systems Thinking at www.watersfoundation.org. SMART thinking!

This from The Centre for School Design:

A great short poem from students at Hamble College in Southampton.  I this this poem speaks for itself!

Click Title Slide to See the Presentation (hint log in to google docs for full access!)

Obviously, “form follows function” when designing highly-responsive school environments and understanding the key survival skills 21st century learners will need is one way to identify “function.” The 15 considerations that follow are key “survival skills … for careers, college, and citizenship in the 21st century” (Wagner), skills for a participatory culture, and key characteristics for the environments needed to support communities of learners, local and global (Jenkins.) 15 Skills to consider are:

1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
2. Collaboration and Leading by Influence
3. Agility and Adaptability
4. Initiative and Entrepreneurial-ism
5. Effective Oral & Written Communication
6. Accessing & Analyzing Information
7. Curiosity & Imagination
8. Engagement
9. Personalization
10. Global Competencies
11. Social Equity/ Responsibility
12. Community Focus
13. Arts Integration
14. Maintainability, Safety and Security
15. Sustainability

Read the whole article here….

Just visited New Orleans and toured the schools that are being rebuilt, modernized and replaced after the storm.  What a big job these folks are facing!  Our tour guide, Kenneth J Ducote, PhD, AICP, has been working with the Orleans Parrish School system for years and was a wealth of information.  I salute his passion and perserverence on behalf of the children – especially children of poverty and color.

Our tour took us by the Phyllis Wheatley School, built in 1954 for one of the oldest black neighborhoods in New Orleans as an attempt to build quality facilities for minority children of the area.

Today, the school is being considered for replacement by the Orleans Parrish School Board. Preservation architects have fought hard to have the school remodeled. Below is an excerpt from docomomo US.

“The Phillis Wheatley Elementary School is in danger of demolition by the School Facilities Master Plan for Orleans Parish. The elevated school was designed by the architect Charles R. Colbert (1921-2007) in 1954. The cantilevered steel truss structure is solid and clearly did not flood after Hurricane Katrina. The building suffers only from neglect. It is one of the most innovative monuments of mid-century Modern architecture in New Orleans. The design was recognized by Progressive Architecture in 1955. Mr. Colbert received the Louisiana AIA Medal of Honor in 2006.”

While I am personally in support of saving historically and architecturally significant buildings, I believe that no building of historic significance should be placed above student learning or a community’s best interests.  After touring the site, it is clear that the Wheatley school has a number of issues that will significantly interfere with every student’s right to 21st Century learning.  Most notably:

• The site, at just 1/6th of the size recommended for a school of 800 is too small for play areas and fields needed for a quality physical education program;
• The elevated structure – built to keep the school from flooding – doesn’t work for Kindergarteners and 1st graders who can’t be located on the 2nd floor due to fire code regulations – so they are relegated to a ground floor portable building; which defeats the concept in the first place.
• The elevated structure was designed to provide playgrounds underneath but creates a wind tunnel effect in practice; further, the completely open ground floor means a fence must surround the site – adding to the prison-yard aesthetic.
• The original structure was completely transparent – great idea for natural light and views but a bad idea for glare on the the whiteboards and heat gain.  Sound daylighting principles are more appropriate for a learning environment.
• The small site precludes having a gymnasium, music rooms, performance spaces, science labs and a host of other spaces needed for a quality instructional program.

The resources that will need to be expended to remodel this facility are significant and the essential drawbacks of small site and elevation are not solved.  The OPSB must consider how to get the highest and best use of funds for student instruction…students are the history that must be most important to this great community.

The Treme/Lafitte neighborhood has not been supportive of  remodeling the school (click here for a NPR story), even though the building has been placed on the World Monuments Fund Watch List.

Definitely, this is a building worth preserving – as a community center or other community resource, but it doesn’t meet the needs of a quality 21st Century Learning Environment.

Children's School in Stamford, CT photo credit: MaryAnn Thompson Architects

Spotted this project at SchoolDesigner.com…

From MaryAnn Thompson Architects:

“The program for the Children’s School, a school for 60 children 2-8, was given to us as a “one room schoolhouse”. The two age groups of the school are housed in two classroom “wings,” both joined and separated by the entry area in which quiet activities are located to calm the child upon arrival.

Roof planes subtly tilt against one another to let in light from above between their skewed forms, and they define the classroom spaces below them without the use of walls. The younger children occupy the east-facing wing as they are only in school in the morning; the older children occupy the west wing to take advantage of western light. The scheme has multiple relationships to the exterior play areas with doors out from every classroom.

The shifting plan allows for a fragmented reading of the building that reduces the scale of the mass to be more in keeping with the scale of the child. It also prioritizes the subjective. In order to fully understand it, the building must be occupied and its spaces engaged. The spatial sequence is one of hide and reveal. The building offers a sense of journey and moments of epiphany for the child in its unfolding layers.”

The school has won numerous design awards and is a champion for student’s individual learning styles.  For more pictures and the full story CLICK HERE.

SMART thinking!!