Edited by author 04-17-2006 01:59 PM
Heidi Wilson and I, Deborah M. Kennedy, are hosting an online conversation. This conversation is based upon two articles published in Edutopia magazine. Edutopia magazine (www. Edutopia.org) is part of the George Lucas Foundation.

The first article is “It Takes a Village” by Kathleen Cushman.
 http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1articl...t_1396&issue=nov_05

The second article is “Start with the Pyramid” by Diane Curtis.

http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_884&key=037

Heidi and I are hoping that you will participate in our collaborative conversation by sharing your thoughts and reflections on our Quick Topic site. The conversation will open on April 20th and end on April 25th.

http://www.quicktopic.com/36/H/BkNUPVamtFK

Participants

Heidi Wilson-Teacher
Deborah M. Kennedy- Teacher
Melissa Mitchell- Teacher/Administrator
Julieanne Purcell- Teacher/Administrator
Latisha Ellis- Teacher/Administrator

Edited by author 04-17-2006 01:55 PM
I do not know if anyone saw the two day series on the "Education Emergency" that was on Oprah this week but it addressed some of the things that the article "Start with a Pyramid" addresses.

Bill Gates and his wife have spoken about an "Education Emergency". Many issues were covered but it was clear that our Education System according to them was designed during the 1950's. I thought it was designed in the Idustrial Age. Ergo changes need to come. Drop out rates are increasing and student motivation is decreasing. A California Charter School,"High Tech High" has addressed the issues. http://www.hightechhigh.org.

This is the same school that is highlighted in the article "It Takes a Village". (I e mailed them with my interest in visiting and telling them about our GLEF conversation)


Papert according to the article "Starting with a Pyramid" says that "engaging students by starting with the concrete and solving hands-on, real-world problems is a great motivator".

In addition the article states that

1. Kids who are excited about what they learn tend to dig more deeply and to expand their interest in learning to a wide array of subjects.

2. They retain what they learn rather than forget it as soon as they disgorge it for a test.

3. They make connections and apply their learning to other problems.

4. They learn how to collaborate, and their social skills improve.

5. They are more confident talking to groups of people, including adults.

6. Research reports suggest, project-based learning correlates positively with improved test scores, reduced absenteeism, and fewer disciplinary problems.

I also feel that schools must integrate their curriculm which is an obvious first step to making this work.

Edited by author 04-18-2006 09:24 PM
I have invited some new participants to this conversation:

Ken Sisco- Teacher/Administrator
Ken Bud- Math Teacher
Kyle Pomerantz- Student 10th grade
Nancy Giglio- A and E Teacher and Social Studies

Edited by author 04-19-2006 08:07 AM
I have seen my students grow so much by participating in project based learning. Students are motivated to learn and help one another learn. I also think it is very important that students are connected to the outside world. As the "It Takes a Village" article states, "connecting students with meaningful out-of-school experiences can change the way kids use their minds." Sometimes teachers need to think outside the box. Taking students to read to senior citizens or to a pre-school class could provide an experience for our students that they may never forget!

Yes, Meg it is so important that we keep special education students motivated. This can happen when they connect with the purpose of the task. We can keep them motivated through project based learning that makes the connection between school and community. (Life Long Learners)

I can relate to the article "It Takes a Village" because of the way my school teaches us to do real tasks that may help us in the future. For example, we have a two week school project where we focus on one aspect of learning or we can travel to different parts of the world. I went to New Orleans for relief efforts and worked out there with people in soup kitchens and demolished houses to be rebuilt, so we had a real-life experience while helping the community. Although I still have time to consider my options, our senior project allows us to transition into college and the real world, similar as stated in the article. I am grateful to be at the school I am in because other children are not so lucky to go to a school that brings reality into learning.
This was the article in the local newspaper about our New Orleans trip.

http://www.indyeastend.com/1editorialbody....13117&-token.subpub=

Edited by author 04-20-2006 09:46 PM
Lucas it is so wonderful that you are participating in our GLEF conversation. You are lucky to have a school that offers you such rich and rewarding experiences. Thank-you for sending the link to the article that describes your experience. Do you think project based learning keeps you more motivated as a student?

After I read the attached article I realized that I know quite a few people who joined you on that trip. I remember hearing a bit about it. Question, how was this trip incorporated into the learning after you returned (ie reflections, technology presentation)?

Hi everyone! Welcome to our conversation! I have invited a number of people who I am hoping will stop in and voice their opinions. Thank you Lucas for your thoughts. I don't know if you will be able to get back into the conversation until Monday, but we look forward to hearing from you again.

Having been in a variety of schools throughout the past nine years, I find that each and every one has great ideas and visions that would incorporate the community and "real-life" teaching, but making that connection is the difficult part holding them back from achieving their goals. If there was a system in place, or reliable connections within the community that were ready and willing to participate, giving everything they have, that would make the transition outside of the classroom that much easier and more appealing.

Motivation is key! There is no doubt about that. How many times have we heard, "When are we going to use this in the real world?". Giving students experiences that are connected in an obvious matter not only helps the students stay involved and actively learning, but it also helps the teacher not have to defend what needs to be taught within the textbook.

Thank you for your Oprah reference Debbie! What an amazing series, although I only caught bits and pieces of it. (I am waiting for the transcripts.) I thought I would add the links to the Oprah website below to make it easy to access as there is a wealth of information and enlightening comments within.

Failing Grades
http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200604/200...60411_284_101.jhtml

School Solutions
http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200604/200...60412_284_101.jhtml

The article, "Start With the Pyramid" affirmed my philosophy about how students really learn. Project-based learning works for all children! By all children, I mean both general education and students with learning diffferences. Most public school sit with the "Old School" model of listening to learn. The sad part is that most if not all educators know that students learn through a variety of modalities. Like the young man from the Ross School so eloquently articulated, learning through real-life projects that hold meaning to the students teach lessons that will not be forgotten. Jumping to the second article, it is absolutely amazing with all of the technology we possess,there still inidividuals caught in the web of high-stakes testing. Great schools with really innovative ways of teaching are shackled by the fear of being labeled and low-achieving school or being taken over by the state. I am a firm believer in risk-taking. Some of the worlds greatest thinkers were looked down upon, only to rise and make a difference! Partnerships between the classroom and the community should be a part of the foundation of learning. Real-life experience and hands-on participation definitley is a spring board for life-long learning. As an educator, I have had the opportunity to teach is both, the innovative and the state mandated skills environment. The students in the innovative environment were motivated to learn and they loved to come to school-everyday.

Thanks Latisha!

Maybe the question for educators, and administrators even more so, is: Is there a way to make the state mandated skills into meaningful learning experiences for the students without compromising what the governing bodies have laid out for us?

Is it a matter of time? Energy? Drive? Administrative cooperation? Parent participation?

If we know, from our own experiences and those that the students tell us about, that children learn better in the "hands-on" environment, why isn't that what we are basing our curriculum around, fitting the mandated material in when possible?

Food for thoughts!

"It Takes a Village," raised some very interesting points about how we educate our children. I gave some thought tonight to the fact that our students seek our validation, approval, and warmth. They strive to please their teachers, at every level, and that motivation to succeed must be recognized in order to maintain a student's intrinsic motivation to learn. "Nothing matters more to kids than having people take them seriously -- and nothing achieves this better than work that really matters in their community." The quote above certainly makes a great deal of sense and we need to take the time to afford our students opportunities to have meaningful and relevant work in their classrooms. They need to feel important and needed and they must always know that their contributions to the classroom are essential to the dynamic of that learning environment. We, as educators, need to always be mindful of providing our students with those essential needs and then giving them meaningful activities that they can have stock in and keep with them forever.

I completely agree Melissa! Do we, as educators, appreciate our students enough? Is it shown in a way that they can acknowledge and internalize the satisfaction of a job well done? I know that there are times within the school year that I make myself stop everything I am doing in order to analyze the individual student and their growth throughout the weeks, months, or year, not only academically but socially and how well prepared they are to maintain their success in the future.

Heidi, you bring up a very good question. If we can all see the benefits of hands-on learning, why is our educational system not doing more to incorporate it into the curriculum? Why instead, are more standardized tests being added that are taking up all of our class time? I think it is a matter of time, energy, drive, etc., and MONEY. Lucas is so fortunate to be a part of a school that allows for this wonderful way of learning. I worked at Ross for a year, and in that time I was one of two teachers who took three 11th and 12th graders around Great Britain for three weeks. It was such an amazing experience for all of us. I learned as much if not more as the students, and I know that as often as I remember that trip and think of what I learned, the students are doing the same. That experience was really life changing for them. Reading about Stonehenge in a textbook or going there to see it is quite a different thing.

Edited by author 04-22-2006 08:41 PM
Hi Everyone, I a a member of the W3 Team at Westbury HS.

Latisha, I really agree with what you are saying. Thankyou! Heidi, how you responded to it is interesting too. I want to ask my colleagues how they feel about it. I know I have strong opinions of which I will share after fully reading the GLEFF article.