Photo of "Our Ideal School" Contributors
Monday, September 7, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
The I.D.L. Schools' Sustainable Materials, Vision, Layout and Research
At the core of sustainability is a commitment to learning. The I.D.L. School is in and of itself an endeavor to promote sustainable lessons, and as such, its design and materials will teach its community a myriad of sustainability principles and methods in perpetuity—it is after all the best attempt to link the physical sustainability of learning facilities with lessons for the community writ large.
The I.D.L. School’s layout embodies the central tenet to regionalism in design because it responds to the “spirit of place,” (Miller, 2005). Not only will the school meet the lowest of the Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED) certification standards, but also she will exceed and replace some of the highest regional standards by incorporating a variety of sustainable design techniques (different concepts specific to Northwest region in each building) and production methods, (Miller, 2005). In this way, the I.D.L. School will be designed with the intention to further research in sustainable design and principles.
For example, one classroom might be made from reclaimed wood and fly ash concrete. Another will be made of reclaimed wood, fly ash concrete, with straw-bale as its insulation. One building’s material will be a compilation of bamboo, reclaimed brick, fly ash concrete, straw bale, and reclaimed wood and another will be made of fly ash concrete used to mortar the reclaimed stone we will excavate and remove for some of the facilities built into the cliff sides. Additionally, some of the less permanent structures (like green houses and fences) could be rebuilt every year as class projects using some of the fallen branches and other forest material (if it doesn’t negatively affect the surrounding biodiversity), (Balmori & Benoit, 2007).
Also, each classroom might be structured and localized according to age-specific activities. For instance, the 5 to 6 years classroom may be located closer to the chicken coops and green rooms, while the 10 to 11 years class room will be located next to the ground keep and facilities. The 10 to 11 years room may be laid out in fashion that is more conducive to small group activities, and one circular discussion table, while the 7 to 8 years classroom is a large open spaced room equipped with a multitude of non-age specific technologies and learning mediums. The 9 years classroom may be located next to the community center/gymnasium for a curriculum that fosters their awareness of the larger world.
In order for the I.D.L. school to put to test the best possible methods of construction, optimal design in energy efficiency and classroom lay out (referred to below by Paul Soles) the schools facilities must be varied in approach and design every step of the way. This will allow our community to research how the schools’ sustainable aspects interact with biodiversity, which promote a more varied pedagogical experience, and which prove to conserve the most energy—the things that make each building unique will be weighed in ways that provide us with feedback. Therefore, how we assess our school’s overall energy and biodiversity innovations will have to vary in form as well. The I.D.L. school will exemplify a true attempt at achieving sustainability because it will require the commitment of our community in measuring its overall effectiveness through collaborative preparation, research and meaningful work.
Balmori, D. & Benoit, G. (2007). Land nad Natural Development (LAND) Code: Guidelines for Sustainable Land Development. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
McLennan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. Kansas City, MO: Ecotone Publishing, 2004.
Miller, David E. (2005). Toward a New Regionalism: Environmental Architecture in the Pacific Northwest. Canada: Washington University Press.
By Ross Tollick
The I.D.L. School’s layout embodies the central tenet to regionalism in design because it responds to the “spirit of place,” (Miller, 2005). Not only will the school meet the lowest of the Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED) certification standards, but also she will exceed and replace some of the highest regional standards by incorporating a variety of sustainable design techniques (different concepts specific to Northwest region in each building) and production methods, (Miller, 2005). In this way, the I.D.L. School will be designed with the intention to further research in sustainable design and principles.
For example, one classroom might be made from reclaimed wood and fly ash concrete. Another will be made of reclaimed wood, fly ash concrete, with straw-bale as its insulation. One building’s material will be a compilation of bamboo, reclaimed brick, fly ash concrete, straw bale, and reclaimed wood and another will be made of fly ash concrete used to mortar the reclaimed stone we will excavate and remove for some of the facilities built into the cliff sides. Additionally, some of the less permanent structures (like green houses and fences) could be rebuilt every year as class projects using some of the fallen branches and other forest material (if it doesn’t negatively affect the surrounding biodiversity), (Balmori & Benoit, 2007).
Also, each classroom might be structured and localized according to age-specific activities. For instance, the 5 to 6 years classroom may be located closer to the chicken coops and green rooms, while the 10 to 11 years class room will be located next to the ground keep and facilities. The 10 to 11 years room may be laid out in fashion that is more conducive to small group activities, and one circular discussion table, while the 7 to 8 years classroom is a large open spaced room equipped with a multitude of non-age specific technologies and learning mediums. The 9 years classroom may be located next to the community center/gymnasium for a curriculum that fosters their awareness of the larger world.
In order for the I.D.L. school to put to test the best possible methods of construction, optimal design in energy efficiency and classroom lay out (referred to below by Paul Soles) the schools facilities must be varied in approach and design every step of the way. This will allow our community to research how the schools’ sustainable aspects interact with biodiversity, which promote a more varied pedagogical experience, and which prove to conserve the most energy—the things that make each building unique will be weighed in ways that provide us with feedback. Therefore, how we assess our school’s overall energy and biodiversity innovations will have to vary in form as well. The I.D.L. school will exemplify a true attempt at achieving sustainability because it will require the commitment of our community in measuring its overall effectiveness through collaborative preparation, research and meaningful work.
Balmori, D. & Benoit, G. (2007). Land nad Natural Development (LAND) Code: Guidelines for Sustainable Land Development. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
McLennan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. Kansas City, MO: Ecotone Publishing, 2004.
Miller, David E. (2005). Toward a New Regionalism: Environmental Architecture in the Pacific Northwest. Canada: Washington University Press.
By Ross Tollick
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Field Trips
Since we are an ideal school, we will be going on field trips as much as possible! Yay!! Each week, we will travel by ECObus to an awesome new site, where the subjects we are learning in school will come to life! Here is some more information on some of the cool places we will be going:
Monterey Aquarium: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
-Open: weekdays 9:30-6:00
-Behind the scenes tours, sleepovers, shows about the animals, info on waste, tagging, oceans, feedings, conservation programs, etc
-local history tours i.e. Cannery Row
Natural Bridges State Beach: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541
-8 am- sunset, reservations 1+ month in advance, best Oct-Feb for butterflies
-picninc area, restrooms, visitor center, beach, tidepools, wetlands, meadows
-Docent led butterfly (Monarch) tours; tidepool and nature trail tours
-Possible to witness all stages of butterflies’ lives in the milkweed garden
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History: http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/facility/nathist.html
-Free admission for youth, Wed-Sun 10-5
-tours for kids K-6th
-loans kits of educational materials to take back to the classroom
-fossil sand dollar dig, touch tidepool, live animals (ex: king snake)
The MAH McPherson Center: http://www.santacruzmah.org/
-offers school tours 3/4th grade, “Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea: A History of Santa Cruz and Its People”
-other tours all grade levels, teachers free
-Evergreen Cemetery tour; a history featuring pioneers, African Americans, women of the west, the Chinese community, plus some added bonus art with grave rubbings (COOL!!)
We also thought it’s be really neat to take a tour to see how the ’89 Loma Prieta earthquake effected the local area, and to take a geology tour at the San Andreas fault.
There are so many great, educational places to visit in Santa Cruz and the bay area, so this is just a sampling. We have many local parks and reserves nearby, and can head into the city to take advantage of the it has to offer, like the Exploratorium, the Zoo, and Alcatraz (which can double as a place for the misbehavers to stay while the rest of us enjoy the city! Juuust kidding!).
Monterey Aquarium: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
-Open: weekdays 9:30-6:00
-Behind the scenes tours, sleepovers, shows about the animals, info on waste, tagging, oceans, feedings, conservation programs, etc
-local history tours i.e. Cannery Row
Natural Bridges State Beach: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541
-8 am- sunset, reservations 1+ month in advance, best Oct-Feb for butterflies
-picninc area, restrooms, visitor center, beach, tidepools, wetlands, meadows
-Docent led butterfly (Monarch) tours; tidepool and nature trail tours
-Possible to witness all stages of butterflies’ lives in the milkweed garden
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History: http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/facility/nathist.html
-Free admission for youth, Wed-Sun 10-5
-tours for kids K-6th
-loans kits of educational materials to take back to the classroom
-fossil sand dollar dig, touch tidepool, live animals (ex: king snake)
The MAH McPherson Center: http://www.santacruzmah.org/
-offers school tours 3/4th grade, “Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea: A History of Santa Cruz and Its People”
-other tours all grade levels, teachers free
-Evergreen Cemetery tour; a history featuring pioneers, African Americans, women of the west, the Chinese community, plus some added bonus art with grave rubbings (COOL!!)
We also thought it’s be really neat to take a tour to see how the ’89 Loma Prieta earthquake effected the local area, and to take a geology tour at the San Andreas fault.
There are so many great, educational places to visit in Santa Cruz and the bay area, so this is just a sampling. We have many local parks and reserves nearby, and can head into the city to take advantage of the it has to offer, like the Exploratorium, the Zoo, and Alcatraz (which can double as a place for the misbehavers to stay while the rest of us enjoy the city! Juuust kidding!).
-info compiled by Jennie F.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Anti Bullying
Bullying is widespread in schools, regardless of its ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic makeup. And its effects, on both perpetrators and victims, can be detrimental and long term (Aronson, 2000). It can take on many forms from overt physical and verbal actions to indirect behaviors such as spreading rumors and inflicting social isolation. Unfortunately, teachers and parents are often unaware of the problem, do not explicitly address it, and sometimes even consider it a minor problem or harmless rite of passage (Banks, 1997). At our school, however, we believe that all students deserve a supportive and safe academic environment, and we take a proactive and firm stance against bullying.
• Promote the philosophy that “Our differences make us stronger”
• Institutional “zero tolerance policy” for bullying
o Teachers and administrators required to immediately intervene whenever it occurs
o Actions taken to help prevent future occurrences
• Peer conflict resolution program
o Student volunteers train and work together to resolve student conflicts
• Conflict Resolution Officer on staff
o Acts as an advocate for all students who feel unsafe, isolated, or harassed
o Handles major conflict resolution issues
o Coordinates Peer Conflict Resolution program
o Coordinates anti-bullying programs, projects, assemblies, etc
• Anti-bullying assemblies
o Biannual assemblies that address the issues of bullying, friendship, acceptance, and compassion
• Anti-bullying week
o One week of the school year is dedicated to projects and activities that promote anti bullying behaviors
Art projects such as murals
Lessons in class that explicitly address the issue
• Active whole class discussions that address major bullying issues that might come up with a class
• Lessons embedded in the curriculum that address diversity and differences such as ethnicity, race, homosexuality, and gender (issues that are often singled out and commented on by students)
o Gives students the opportunity to address these often taboo topics and develop an understanding of and critical perspective on them
o Lessons that discuss different words - their meanings, their histories, their associations
• Teacher collaboration
o During collaborative meetings teachers comment on how they prevent/react to the issue
o Evaluate their methods and share their most effective ones
• School wide environment of collaboration as opposed to competition
o Collaborative learning methods
o Emphasis on formative assessment
o Jigsaw learning
Students work collaboratively in groups to reach a goal
o Emphasis on blurring hierarchal lines between administrators, teachers, and students
References
1)Aronson, E. (2000). Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion After Columbine. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company.
2)Banks, Ron. (1997). Bullying in Schools. ERIC Digest online. Available: http://npin.org/library/pre1998.n00416.html.
Submitted by S. Diaz
• Promote the philosophy that “Our differences make us stronger”
• Institutional “zero tolerance policy” for bullying
o Teachers and administrators required to immediately intervene whenever it occurs
o Actions taken to help prevent future occurrences
• Peer conflict resolution program
o Student volunteers train and work together to resolve student conflicts
• Conflict Resolution Officer on staff
o Acts as an advocate for all students who feel unsafe, isolated, or harassed
o Handles major conflict resolution issues
o Coordinates Peer Conflict Resolution program
o Coordinates anti-bullying programs, projects, assemblies, etc
• Anti-bullying assemblies
o Biannual assemblies that address the issues of bullying, friendship, acceptance, and compassion
• Anti-bullying week
o One week of the school year is dedicated to projects and activities that promote anti bullying behaviors
Art projects such as murals
Lessons in class that explicitly address the issue
• Active whole class discussions that address major bullying issues that might come up with a class
• Lessons embedded in the curriculum that address diversity and differences such as ethnicity, race, homosexuality, and gender (issues that are often singled out and commented on by students)
o Gives students the opportunity to address these often taboo topics and develop an understanding of and critical perspective on them
o Lessons that discuss different words - their meanings, their histories, their associations
• Teacher collaboration
o During collaborative meetings teachers comment on how they prevent/react to the issue
o Evaluate their methods and share their most effective ones
• School wide environment of collaboration as opposed to competition
o Collaborative learning methods
o Emphasis on formative assessment
o Jigsaw learning
Students work collaboratively in groups to reach a goal
o Emphasis on blurring hierarchal lines between administrators, teachers, and students
References
1)Aronson, E. (2000). Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion After Columbine. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company.
2)Banks, Ron. (1997). Bullying in Schools. ERIC Digest online. Available: http://npin.org/library/pre1998.n00416.html.
Submitted by S. Diaz
Friday, August 28, 2009
Creating a Safe Space
It should be every school’s highest priority to ensure that all members of its community are encouraged to actively engage in learning without fear of harassment. An ideal school would take proactive measures in creating and maintaining a safe learning environment in which all of its members feel comfortable to participate. Implementing a school wide ‘safe space’ is critical for education because learning is a collaborative social process. Children must be active participants in their own learning in order for it to occur. Therefore, constructing a ‘safe space’ for all children should be one of the highest priorities for our ideal school.
A ‘safe space’ can be described as an environment where “children feel comfortable to be themselves” (Turkanis, pg. 99). It allows students to actively declare and explore their individual identities and prior knowledge without fear of persecution or judgment. Students will only feel secure to examine and voice their convictions if there is no possibility of disapproval or harassment from their peers. A “climate of acceptance” for those who differ physically and in opinion from ourselves is an important aspect of a safe space (Hume, pg. 112). Safe spaces ensure that all children will feel comfortable contributing to daily classroom activities and assignments.
If we give merit to Professor Gordon Wells’ claim that “learning occurs in and through participation” than safe spaces are a critical prerequisite for education (pg. 11). Children must be active collaborators in their own knowledge acquisition. A supportive and non-judgmental learning environment or ‘safe space’ is imperative in encouraging student participation. As Mercer and Dawes argue in The Value of Exploratory Talk, learning “tends not to happen unless there is a degree of trust” within the classroom environment (pg. 65). A safe space allows students to engage in classroom discourse without fear of physical or emotional harm. Learning cannot occur if students are constantly “worrying about pressures, limits, disapproval and criticism” (Turkanis, pg. 99). These worries result in students being unable and unwilling to actively collaborate in classroom learning. However, if children are confidant that their contributions will be valued than they will exhibit a “willingness to talk” and actively engage in class activities (Hume, pg. 109). Learning is dependant on the ability to participate. A safe space allows for this participation to occur.
Creating a safe space in our ideal school should be one our highest priorities. We should take several steps to ensure that our school provides a safe learning environment for all students. To begin with, our school should maintain a zero tolerance policy for any acts of bullying, teasing, discrimination, exclusion and harassment. Students should be continuously told that such behavior will not be permitted. Secondly, all problems should be addressed immediately. There is no such thing as an act of bullying, exclusion, teasing or discrimination that is not harmful. All problems must be addressed immediately.
Another critical element to creating a school wide safe space is providing an inclusive and anti-discriminatory environment. Teachers should openly discuss and challenge stereotypes, biases and commonly held assumptions with students. Teachers should provide a plethora of other resources, in addition to state mandated text books, to ensure that all students’ cultures, “individual identities, interests and motivations” are present in the curriculum (Wells, pg. 3). A safe space should ensure, and is dependant upon children feeling valued.
Quick Tips to Create a Safe Space
Maintain a zero tolerance for bullying, teasing, and harassment.
Address problems immediately.
Value all students equally.
Actively and openly examine and challenge stereotypes, biases and assumptions (especially in state mandated curriculum).
Discuss issues of power and privilege.
Provide numerous resources with various points of view.
Create an inclusive environment.
Appreciate and welcome diversity.
Be a role model.
Works Cited
Hume, K. (2001) Seeing shades of grey: Developing a knowledge building community
through science. In Wells, G. (Ed.) Action, talk, and text: Learning and teaching through inquiry. New York: Teachers College Press (pp. 99-117)
Mercer, N. and Dawes, L. (2008). The value of exploratory talk. In N. Mercer & D.
Hodgkinson (Eds.) Exploratory Talk in School. London: Sage (pp.55-71).
Turkanis, C.G. (2001) Creating curriculum with children. In B. Rogoff, C.G. Turkanis, & L. Bartlet (Eds.) Learning together. New York: Oxford University Press (pp. 91-102)
Wells, G. (2001) The case for dialogic inquiry. In Wells, G. (Ed.) Action, talk, and text:Learning and teaching through inquiry. New York: Teachers College Press.
By Sena Dietz
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Nutrition in the Curriculum
In order to think about what the role of nutrition in the ideal school’s curriculum should be I interviewed Shira Hordes, Nutritional Educator and maker of the film Food Stamped. She described her experience working in the Hayward school district where everyday for lunch they serve either a frozen and reheated peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pizza or a hotdog. With this there is iceberg lettuce, carrots and ranch dressing. Everything is individually packaged and on a disposable Styrofoam tray. The students throw everything away after they are finished. Shira told me that, “there is no cooking, and no one washes dishes. Kids are totally removed from the making of food and from feeding themselves. There is no concept of healthy eating or the link between our practices and their affects on the environment.” Besides a lack of nutrition in school lunch food Shira talked about how stressful eating in the cafeteria is. “They have to rush or they won’t get any recess. I tried to eat in the cafeteria and I couldn’t do it. It was so noisy. Instead kids need to take time with their food and slow down the eating process in order to appreciate where their food comes from.” Shira believes that so many of the health problems in our society result from poor diet or obesity, “which is rooted in the distance we have from our food.”
In contrast to the problems of many public school districts Shira told me about how the Berkeley public schools reformed their school lunch program with the help of Anne Cooper author of Lunch Lessons. “She got them cooking again and integrated the kids cooking program with the school lunch service.” First the students learn about and cook something in their gardening and nutrition classes then later in the week the same thing is served at lunch. This gives the students ownership of what they are eating and they are then more open to and excited about trying new and healthy food. In the cafeteria there is a salad bar with multiple choices and each day the kids have to eat three different things from it. The program tries to include the parents and community as well by give out a calendar each month with a featured recipe.
When I asked Shira to describe how nutrition would be integrated into curriculum at her ideal school she said, “It would be best to have a school built around a garden both physically and in its philosophy and curriculum design. The garden can be the focal point of an integrated curriculum. Garden based lessons can include math, science, history or life skills. We could also teach kids etiquette; what it means to share time and resources to others, the importance of community support.” In order to get kids closer to their food and help resolve the dietary problems in our society, we need to involve them in all aspects from food production, to cooking, to sharing a meal. When we give students a chance to grow food it is very empowering, they have the productive power to sustain life. An ideal school would also use the food from the gardens in the cafeteria or sell it at farmers markets to raise money and to build bridges between the curriculum, school life and community.
Two programs that model the kind of lessons and curriculum that would best suit the ideal school are The Berkeley Botanical Garden and The Edible School Yard.
The Berkeley Botanical Garden
The Berkeley Botanical Garden has two garden based integrated curricular units for schools or parents. Both units are designed to be used by schools and therefore meet many statewide standards, which may not be of concern in the Ideal school. Nevertheless their integrated, cross-disciplinary approach mirrors what we should be working towards and the lessons are very engaging.
Botany on Your Plate is a life science unit for grades K-4 that gets kids interested and makes them want to learn more about the plants we eat. The lessons integrate nutrition, math, language arts, social studies and science through an inquiry approach. The central theme involves exploring and tasting fresh produce.
Like Botany on Your Plate, Math in the Garden integrates math, language arts and nutrition again through an inquiry approach. Its hands on activities promote leaning and using math in real world contexts.
The Edible Schoolyard
Started by Chez Panisse Foundation, the Edible School Yard is an organic garden and kitchen classrooms at MLK Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, where students participate in all aspects of food production and preparation including sustainable growing methods. The emphasis is on how the natural world is connected to our wellbeing and that of our communities. Teachers integrate the garden lessons with science as well as “culture, history, language, ecology, and mathematics through the preparation of food.” An example of one of their lessons is about the Amaranth grain. Students learn about its history with the Aztecs and its nutritional value. They then learn how to harvest it for later use in the kitchen classroom while learning relevant garden vocabulary. They make dye from it (as people would have in the past) and as a follow up, they write poetry which incorporates the information learned at the beginning of the lesson.
Shelby
In contrast to the problems of many public school districts Shira told me about how the Berkeley public schools reformed their school lunch program with the help of Anne Cooper author of Lunch Lessons. “She got them cooking again and integrated the kids cooking program with the school lunch service.” First the students learn about and cook something in their gardening and nutrition classes then later in the week the same thing is served at lunch. This gives the students ownership of what they are eating and they are then more open to and excited about trying new and healthy food. In the cafeteria there is a salad bar with multiple choices and each day the kids have to eat three different things from it. The program tries to include the parents and community as well by give out a calendar each month with a featured recipe.
When I asked Shira to describe how nutrition would be integrated into curriculum at her ideal school she said, “It would be best to have a school built around a garden both physically and in its philosophy and curriculum design. The garden can be the focal point of an integrated curriculum. Garden based lessons can include math, science, history or life skills. We could also teach kids etiquette; what it means to share time and resources to others, the importance of community support.” In order to get kids closer to their food and help resolve the dietary problems in our society, we need to involve them in all aspects from food production, to cooking, to sharing a meal. When we give students a chance to grow food it is very empowering, they have the productive power to sustain life. An ideal school would also use the food from the gardens in the cafeteria or sell it at farmers markets to raise money and to build bridges between the curriculum, school life and community.
Two programs that model the kind of lessons and curriculum that would best suit the ideal school are The Berkeley Botanical Garden and The Edible School Yard.
The Berkeley Botanical Garden
The Berkeley Botanical Garden has two garden based integrated curricular units for schools or parents. Both units are designed to be used by schools and therefore meet many statewide standards, which may not be of concern in the Ideal school. Nevertheless their integrated, cross-disciplinary approach mirrors what we should be working towards and the lessons are very engaging.
Botany on Your Plate is a life science unit for grades K-4 that gets kids interested and makes them want to learn more about the plants we eat. The lessons integrate nutrition, math, language arts, social studies and science through an inquiry approach. The central theme involves exploring and tasting fresh produce.
Like Botany on Your Plate, Math in the Garden integrates math, language arts and nutrition again through an inquiry approach. Its hands on activities promote leaning and using math in real world contexts.
The Edible Schoolyard
Started by Chez Panisse Foundation, the Edible School Yard is an organic garden and kitchen classrooms at MLK Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, where students participate in all aspects of food production and preparation including sustainable growing methods. The emphasis is on how the natural world is connected to our wellbeing and that of our communities. Teachers integrate the garden lessons with science as well as “culture, history, language, ecology, and mathematics through the preparation of food.” An example of one of their lessons is about the Amaranth grain. Students learn about its history with the Aztecs and its nutritional value. They then learn how to harvest it for later use in the kitchen classroom while learning relevant garden vocabulary. They make dye from it (as people would have in the past) and as a follow up, they write poetry which incorporates the information learned at the beginning of the lesson.
Shelby
Teacher and Student Assessment
Assessment in Our Ideal School:
In this school, assessment of students will occur on a relational and professional level. Students will be involved in what physical work is assessed and have an understanding of what and how their teachers assess them professionally. Relationships, being a strong and main focus of the educational setup of this school, will play an important role. Trust and respect will ideally be an integral part of the teacher/student relationship. While it will be necessary to assess work done by students in certain subjects, students will be aware that the learning process of each individual is valued, and not just the outcome of a test or a project. Teachers will also assess themselves and welcome the student’s voice and opinions of how a teacher is educating.
With the basis of communication, formative assessment will begin with the teacher and expand within the student population. A study done on assessment in the classroom (see below, link 1) suggests that students may learn more from how teachers assess their work than what they are actually being taught. This argument is valid in the sense that educators need to be extremely aware of their classrooms. As the study implies, “What we assess, how we assess, and how we communicate the results send a clear message to students about what is worth learning, how it should be learned, and how well we expect them to perform.” Therefore, following theories presented in articles by Mary Jane Drummond and Paul Black, our educators will start with constant reflection of learning and teaching. This can develop in many different ways and with many different tools: observations, note-taking, peer learning, colleague researching, etc. In Mary Jane Drummond’s chapter Learning from Jason, Drummond argues that assessment must start with the process of thinking, not just the results (230). For Drummond “[student’s] learning [must be] the prime concern and central focus of their teachers’ attention.” In a sense, by having a continued and deep interest in the process of learning for our students, it may not be necessary to assess the end results. Paul Black and other researchers highlight formative assessment as a central theme throughout Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom. In this sense, assessment is used for “promoting” students’ learning, and not measuring their success. Formative assessment also encompasses the idea of being a teacher-researcher and using learning assessments to understand and constantly improve and adapt how we are teaching to meet the “learning needs.”
Ultimately, our ideal school system of assessment is grounded in trust and a desire to learn. Teachers start with a formative assessment system focusing on researching their approach to educating in the classroom and uncovering ways of learning themselves. In addition to this it is important that the students participate in the assessment process from the beginning. Instead of feeling like being assessed is a test of their knowledge and capability, the classroom and the curriculum can be the start of students’ and teachers’ desire to learn together, educate each other, and sustain a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world as they leave this “ideal school.”
Link 1: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL_Institutional_Testing_Program/ELLM2002.pdf
Link 2: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/assess-1.htm
In this school, assessment of students will occur on a relational and professional level. Students will be involved in what physical work is assessed and have an understanding of what and how their teachers assess them professionally. Relationships, being a strong and main focus of the educational setup of this school, will play an important role. Trust and respect will ideally be an integral part of the teacher/student relationship. While it will be necessary to assess work done by students in certain subjects, students will be aware that the learning process of each individual is valued, and not just the outcome of a test or a project. Teachers will also assess themselves and welcome the student’s voice and opinions of how a teacher is educating.
With the basis of communication, formative assessment will begin with the teacher and expand within the student population. A study done on assessment in the classroom (see below, link 1) suggests that students may learn more from how teachers assess their work than what they are actually being taught. This argument is valid in the sense that educators need to be extremely aware of their classrooms. As the study implies, “What we assess, how we assess, and how we communicate the results send a clear message to students about what is worth learning, how it should be learned, and how well we expect them to perform.” Therefore, following theories presented in articles by Mary Jane Drummond and Paul Black, our educators will start with constant reflection of learning and teaching. This can develop in many different ways and with many different tools: observations, note-taking, peer learning, colleague researching, etc. In Mary Jane Drummond’s chapter Learning from Jason, Drummond argues that assessment must start with the process of thinking, not just the results (230). For Drummond “[student’s] learning [must be] the prime concern and central focus of their teachers’ attention.” In a sense, by having a continued and deep interest in the process of learning for our students, it may not be necessary to assess the end results. Paul Black and other researchers highlight formative assessment as a central theme throughout Working Inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom. In this sense, assessment is used for “promoting” students’ learning, and not measuring their success. Formative assessment also encompasses the idea of being a teacher-researcher and using learning assessments to understand and constantly improve and adapt how we are teaching to meet the “learning needs.”
Ultimately, our ideal school system of assessment is grounded in trust and a desire to learn. Teachers start with a formative assessment system focusing on researching their approach to educating in the classroom and uncovering ways of learning themselves. In addition to this it is important that the students participate in the assessment process from the beginning. Instead of feeling like being assessed is a test of their knowledge and capability, the classroom and the curriculum can be the start of students’ and teachers’ desire to learn together, educate each other, and sustain a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world as they leave this “ideal school.”
Link 1: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL_Institutional_Testing_Program/ELLM2002.pdf
Link 2: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/assess-1.htm
Local Businesses and Ideal School
When one thinks of local business activity in community schools what comes to mind is their advertisements tied to chain link fences during sports games. Generally, businesses play a more of an "invisible hand" role in fundraising or sponsoring certain programs in schools, being present mainly through their funding, in return for advertisements in the school bulletin or elsewhere. There is also the aspect of internships, as well, but those generally come in secondary schooling, such as in late junior high or high school. So how can they be more involved in our elementary school?
In creating the Ideal School I think it is important to invite local businesses to take a much more active and visual role in our curriculum and community center. We can draw on these professionals to strengthen our everyday curriculum and draw parallels between the concepts the students are learning in class and their practice outside in the real world.
This would essentially mean asking local business employees to come into the classroom and provide demonstrations on technologies and procedures the students are learning. After completing a Biology unit that discusses the role of bacteria in breaking down material, a local septic service employee could come in an discuss the role of bacteria in the septic process. Upon completing a journalism unit, a worker from the local paper could come in and discuss the importance of moral writing in their job, etc. The prospective combinations are endless.
Schools that already do this on a small scale note that it is beneficial for both the students and the businesses. This is mainly because in teaching the students, local businesses are investing in their future workforce and ensuring they build skilled employees with a true interest in their fields. Not only that, but these professionals would be active role models for those professions, as well as good examples of people who take interest and invest in their own communities, influencing our students to be participating members of society in the future (AAAS).
Businesses could also pay employees, particularly bilingual ones, to come in and teach both in the classroom and the community center, providing information in both settings. In the community center, this could come through mini workshops on things like car maintenance, healthy eating from nutritionists, budgeting from financial centers, etc. So while the community learns more about a specific topic, the companies in turn will provide a personal face and small business way of advertising that would benefit both their own profits and the community. Who knows, maybe it could even end up creating more morality- based business practices!
This could also tie in with our group's push for more parental involvement. If parents do not have to give up a day's wages to come in and teach, and are instead encouraged by their employers by being paid their regular wages to come in and teach for a day, the range of parent teacher socioeconomic statuses would increase. Businesses could even take this one step further and sponsor a program where money can be pooled to pay parents who do not have "on the books" jobs to come in and work in the classroom. This funding would go towards stay at home mothers or fathers who could come in and simply volunteer, or even teach on topics such as cooking, gardening, etc. This, once more, would encourage and enable a wider range of parents to come in and be active in their child's education.
Either way, drawing in local businesses has profound potential for the sustainability of our Ideal School. These are just a few ways they can move away from simply being an "invisible hand" in the school, and instead take on a more active role that creates a more intact community.
In creating the Ideal School I think it is important to invite local businesses to take a much more active and visual role in our curriculum and community center. We can draw on these professionals to strengthen our everyday curriculum and draw parallels between the concepts the students are learning in class and their practice outside in the real world.
This would essentially mean asking local business employees to come into the classroom and provide demonstrations on technologies and procedures the students are learning. After completing a Biology unit that discusses the role of bacteria in breaking down material, a local septic service employee could come in an discuss the role of bacteria in the septic process. Upon completing a journalism unit, a worker from the local paper could come in and discuss the importance of moral writing in their job, etc. The prospective combinations are endless.
Schools that already do this on a small scale note that it is beneficial for both the students and the businesses. This is mainly because in teaching the students, local businesses are investing in their future workforce and ensuring they build skilled employees with a true interest in their fields. Not only that, but these professionals would be active role models for those professions, as well as good examples of people who take interest and invest in their own communities, influencing our students to be participating members of society in the future (AAAS).
Businesses could also pay employees, particularly bilingual ones, to come in and teach both in the classroom and the community center, providing information in both settings. In the community center, this could come through mini workshops on things like car maintenance, healthy eating from nutritionists, budgeting from financial centers, etc. So while the community learns more about a specific topic, the companies in turn will provide a personal face and small business way of advertising that would benefit both their own profits and the community. Who knows, maybe it could even end up creating more morality- based business practices!
This could also tie in with our group's push for more parental involvement. If parents do not have to give up a day's wages to come in and teach, and are instead encouraged by their employers by being paid their regular wages to come in and teach for a day, the range of parent teacher socioeconomic statuses would increase. Businesses could even take this one step further and sponsor a program where money can be pooled to pay parents who do not have "on the books" jobs to come in and work in the classroom. This funding would go towards stay at home mothers or fathers who could come in and simply volunteer, or even teach on topics such as cooking, gardening, etc. This, once more, would encourage and enable a wider range of parents to come in and be active in their child's education.
Either way, drawing in local businesses has profound potential for the sustainability of our Ideal School. These are just a few ways they can move away from simply being an "invisible hand" in the school, and instead take on a more active role that creates a more intact community.
Completed Staw-bale Design
Here is what a completed straw-bale structure looks like. Note the reclaimed or recycled timber frame that is exposed. This structural choice often goes hand in hand with straw-bale design and is eco-friendly as well as beautiful.
Photo from www.strawbale.com
Straw-bale Insulation
Straw-bale is an agricultural waste product that makes for good insulation. Once the bales are positioned they are then shot with an earthen/clay base coat and then with a lime-based plaster finishing coat which allows for moisture, mold, mildew and fire resistance.
Photo from en.wikipedia.org
Permeable Concrete
This type of concrete is recommened for sidewalks, driveways, recreation areas, etc. since it absorbs water and replenishes underwater reserves.
Photo from www.perviouspavement.org
Drip Irrigation
Watering with a drip irrigation system, as opposed to manually doing it, saves water and cuts down on having to weed. Rainwater and grey water will be used in this effort.
Photo from www.irrigationtutorials.com
Grey Water Recycling Sinks
This type of sink actually reuses water and filters it a couple of times so that one can use it again for washing and rinsing hands and dishes. After a few uses when the water cannot be purified any longer it is then rerouted for use in watering the garden and native landscaping.
Photo from www.ecofriend.org
Submersible Well Design
With water becoming scarce in the future, drilling our own well is wise. Here is a diagram of the type of well we would employ. In order to gravity feed water to the school, the well would be located at the highest point of the property.
Photo from en.wikipedia.org
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Dual Immersion
Xavier Rubio
8/17/2009
Gordon Wells
Education 205
Dual Immersion Program
I’m part of the Diversity/Multicultural group and we decided our
I think our
Sustainability and the Ideal School
Sustainability is the theme which will be integrated through every aspect of our ideal school. Not only is this important for the environment and for our future but it signals the global dimension that our school will have. According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families:
Growing interdependence between countries changes the way we view the world and ourselves. Schools can respond by developing a responsible, international outlook among their young people, based on an appreciation of the impact of their personal values and behaviors on global challenges. We would like all schools to be models of global citizenship, enriching their educational mission with activities that improve the lives of people living in other parts of the world. There is a global dimension to every aspect of our lives and communities. Sustainable development isn’t just about the environment- and it isn’t something we can achieve in isolation. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the clothed we wear link us to people, environments and economies all over the world. The decisions we make on a daily basis have global impact. Schools, through their curriculum, campus and community, have an important role to play in helping pupils to make sense of the complexity of our world and their place in it.
In my research, I discovered so many amazing resources to use as guides in incorporating sustainability into the education of our ideal school. But before looking at the compiled inspirations as to how sustainability will be woven into the curriculum, philosophy, structure and everyday workings of the school, I am providing an array of definitions of sustainability compiled by the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education.
Definitions of sustainability:
"Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems."
—Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living. (Gland, Switzerland: 1991). (IUCN - The World Conservation Union, United Nations Environment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature).
"Sustainability is 'long-term, cultural, economic and environmental health and vitality' with emphasis on long-term, 'together with the importance of linking our social, financial, and environmental well-being.'"
"Sustainability encompasses the simple principle of taking from the earth only what it can provide indefinitely, thus leaving future generations no less than we have access to ourselves."
"Sustainability may be described as our responsibility to proceed in a way that will sustain life that will allow our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to live comfortably in a friendly, clean, and healthy world."
"Sustainability is meeting the needs of all humans, being able to do so on a finite planet for generations to come while ensuring some degree of openness and flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances."
Jerry Sturmer, Santa Barbara South Coast Community Indicators
"Sustainability is a dynamic condition which requires a basic understanding of the interconnections and interdependency among ecological, economic and social systems. Sustainability means providing a rich quality of life for all, and accomplishing this within the means of nature."
Jaimie P. Cloud, Cloud Institute, http://www.cloudinstitute.org/
"A sustainable society is one that is far-seeing enough, flexible enough, and wise enough not to undermine either its physical or its social systems of support."
Donella H. Meadows, et al., The Sustainability Institute, "Beyond the Limits"
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future.(Oxford, Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 8. (Frequently referred to as the Brundtland Report after Gro Harlem Brundtland)
"Sustainable Development is positive change which does not undermine the environmental or social systems on which we depend. It requires a coordinated approach to planning and policy making that involves public participation. Its success depends on widespread understanding of the critical relationship between people and their environment and the will to make necessary changes."
Hamilton Wentworth Regional Council
"Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations."
Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce
National framework for Sustainable Schools
All aspects of our ideal school are being designed ecologically with sustainability in mind. As a class, we have instinctively covered the “8 Doorways” of the National Framework for Sustainable Schools and they include:
*Food and drink
*Energy and water
*Travel and traffic
*Purchasing and waste
*Buildings and grounds
*Inclusion and participation
*Local well-being
*Global dimension
Naturally then sustainability must be integrated throughout the curriculum at every grade level and in every subject to support ecological literacy and sustainable living within and outside of the school. Smart by Nature and The Cloud Institute of Sustainability Education provide some of the best programs that I discovered in my research. I have compiled the guiding principles of their programs to be used as guidelines for how we will incorporate sustainability education into our ideal school.
PROGRAMS
The Center for Ecoliteracy’s Initiative, Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability
According to the Center of Ecoliteracy, “society gives schools the responsibility for passing on cultural values” and “whatever happens in schools will have profound effects on the rest of society.” Keeping this in mind, we as future teachers must work to make a difference in the most pressing issues of our times which includes creating a more just and sustainable world. The Smart by Nature program from CEL provides steps that we can take in our school and classroom to come closer to achieving the understanding, community, awareness of interconnectedness and appreciation and reverence for nature that will be needed to create and more sustainable world for us all.
The Smart by Nature Initiative is based on four guiding principles:
Nature Is Our Teacher
To envision sustainable human communities, we turn to nature, which has sustained life for billions of years. Designing communities that are compatible with nature's processes requires basic ecological knowledge, one of the key components of ecological literacy. Ecological literacy fosters a perspective essential to sustainable living: that human needs and achievements are both supported and limited by the natural world. In schooling for sustainability, students are introduced to basic ecological principles and systems thinking — helping them achieve an understanding of the natural world's processes and the ability to think in terms of patterns, relationships, and contexts.
Sustainability Is a Community Practice
Sustainability depends on a healthy network of relationships that includes all members of the community, as students experience when the school functions as an apprenticeship community. When educators, parents, trustees, and other members of the school community make decisions and act collaboratively, they demonstrate sustainability as a community practice. School communities also have the opportunity to model sustainable practice through the ways in which they provision themselves with food, energy, and other basic needs, and how they relate to the larger communities of which they are a part.
The Real World Is the Optimal Learning Environment
As cooking is best learned in the kitchen, sustainability is best learned in the real world. Whether restoring the habitat of an endangered species, tending a school garden, or designing a neighborhood recycling program, students learn best from active engagement in which their actions matter and have meaning.
In schooling for sustainability, students connect with the natural world and human communities through project-based learning, which inspires them to learn more because they recognize that the knowledge is essential to something they care about. They also learn that they can make a difference, which lays a foundation for responsible, active citizenship.
Sustainable Living Is Rooted in a Deep Knowledge of Place
When people acquire a deep knowledge of a particular place, they develop a sense of caring about what happens to the landscape, creatures, and people in it. When they understand its ecology and diversity, the intricate web of relationships it supports, and the rhythm of its cycles, they also develop an appreciation for and sense of kinship with their surroundings. Place-based education is fundamental to schooling for sustainability. Places known deeply are more deeply loved, and well-loved places have the best chance to be protected and preserved, so that they will be cherished and cared for by future generations.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
The mission of the Cloud Institute states and includes the goals of preparing young people for the shift toward a sustainable future, inspiring teachers and engaging students through meaningful content and student-centered instruction and promoting the idea that K-12 education can substantially influence beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors related to sustainability and that this is the most fertile ground for helping to shape a society committed to sustainable development.
The CISE also asks that you “Imagine there is a shared understanding that schools have a responsibility to contribute to our individual and collective potential, and to that of living systems upon which all life depends. Schools are learning organizations. The potential of having all of our children in school with their teachers and mentors during the most favorable time for learning and paradigm shifting (for creating new functional pathways) in young people, and that we honor them with transformative learning experiences that prepare them to participate in, and to lead with us the shift toward a sustainable future.”
CISE states that their program is “grounded in the pedagogical traditions of progressive, experiential and constructivist education which is a whole system of inquiry that combines the best of what we know about teaching and learning with the content, core competencies and habits of mind we need to advance in order to move toward a sustainable future.” The following are some of these habits of mind and core content…
Understanding of Systems as the Context for Decision Making
The extent to which one sees both the whole system and its parts as well as the extent to which an individual can place one's self within the system
Intergenerational Responsibility
The extent to which one takes responsibility for the effect (s) of her/his actions on future generations
Mindful of and Skillful with Implications and Consequences
The extent to which one consciously makes choices and plans actions to achieve positive systemic impact
Protecting and Enhancing the Commons
The extent to which one works to reconcile the conflicts between individual rights and the responsibilities of citizenship to tend to the commons
Awareness of Driving Forces and their Impacts
The extent to which one recognizes and can act strategically and responsibly in the context of the driving forces that influence our lives
Assumption of Strategic Responsibility
The extent to which one assumes responsibility for one's self and others by designing, planning and acting with whole systems in mind
Paradigm Shifter
The extent to which one recognizes mental models and paradigms as guiding constructs that change over time with new knowledge and applied insight
What Core Content will Students Study?
Ecological Literacy
Science principles and natural laws that help us to understand the interconnectedness of humans and all of the Earth's systems...
System Dynamics/"Systems Thinking"
Understanding systems as the context for decision-making...
Multiple Perspectives
Truly valuing and learning from the life experiences and cultures of others...
Sense of Place
Connecting to and valuing the places in which we live…
Sustainable Economics
An evolving study of the connections between economic, social and natural systems...
Citizenship (Participation and Leadership)
The rights, responsibilities, and actions associated with participatory democracy toward sustainable communities...
Creativity and Visioning
The ability to envision and invent a rich, hopeful future...
Ideas and Inspirations for bringing nature into the ideal school curriculum
I think it is essential that we bring nature into our ideal school curriculum, or should I say bring our curriculum out into nature. A goal of our school schedule should be to have our students outside of their wonderfully ecological, sustainably built classrooms for at least one-third of the time they spend at school! Teachers should plan to hold outdoor class sessions in our gardens, by our pond, in the meadow and under the trees, in addition to our weekly field trips which will take advantage of all of the beautiful outdoor treasures we are surrounded by here on the central coast.
From “Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv
…within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically…yet, at the very moment when more children than ever before are unplugged from nature, science is finally demonstrating how important direct contact with the outdoors is for human development….Environmental psychologists report that exposure to nature…helps protect the psychological well-being of children… Researchers have discovered that children as young as five showed a significant reduction in the symptoms of attention-deficit disorder when they engaged with nature. Schools that use outdoor classrooms and other methods of direct-experience learning are proven to produce students with enhanced skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and decision making. Students are also more engaged in the classroom and more open to conflict resolution…anecdotal evidence suggests that time in natural surroundings stimulates children’s creativity…Perhaps the most important measure we can take to assure the survival of our fellow creatures, large and small, is to prevent the extinction of nature in our children’s hearts.
From “Confluence of Streams” by Zenobia Barlow
Curriculum is anywhere learning occurs. Children find relevance and meaning in learning when they are knee-deep in a creek or measuring the effects of restoration on songbirds and willows. When school communities are deeply engaged in restorative problem solving, they practice a competence essential to sustainability, but sorely missing in many curricula: the capacity for compassion, extending caretaking to all life forms….Children are born with a sense of wonder and an affinity for nature. Properly cultivated, these values can mature into ecological literacy, and eventually into sustainable patterns of living.
By Christina R.
References and Works Cited
Barlow, Zenobia. “Confluence of Streams.” Resurgence Issue 226 July 2005. Available at www.resurgence.org/resurgence/issues/barlow226.htm.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. Available at http://www.sustainabilityed.org/
Center for Ecoliteracy and Smart by Nature Program. Available at www.ecoliteracy.org
Global dimension in schools and 8 Doorways of the National framework for Sustainable Schools.
Available at www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools
Louv, Richard. “Nature-Deficit Disorder.” Resurgence Issue 254 May/June 2009: 14-15.
Suzuki, David. The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 1999.
Sustainability is the theme which will be integrated through every aspect of our ideal school. Not only is this important for the environment and for our future but it signals the global dimension that our school will have. According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families:
Growing interdependence between countries changes the way we view the world and ourselves. Schools can respond by developing a responsible, international outlook among their young people, based on an appreciation of the impact of their personal values and behaviors on global challenges. We would like all schools to be models of global citizenship, enriching their educational mission with activities that improve the lives of people living in other parts of the world. There is a global dimension to every aspect of our lives and communities. Sustainable development isn’t just about the environment- and it isn’t something we can achieve in isolation. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the clothed we wear link us to people, environments and economies all over the world. The decisions we make on a daily basis have global impact. Schools, through their curriculum, campus and community, have an important role to play in helping pupils to make sense of the complexity of our world and their place in it.
In my research, I discovered so many amazing resources to use as guides in incorporating sustainability into the education of our ideal school. But before looking at the compiled inspirations as to how sustainability will be woven into the curriculum, philosophy, structure and everyday workings of the school, I am providing an array of definitions of sustainability compiled by the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education.
Definitions of sustainability:
"Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems."
—Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living. (Gland, Switzerland: 1991). (IUCN - The World Conservation Union, United Nations Environment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature).
"Sustainability is 'long-term, cultural, economic and environmental health and vitality' with emphasis on long-term, 'together with the importance of linking our social, financial, and environmental well-being.'"
"Sustainability encompasses the simple principle of taking from the earth only what it can provide indefinitely, thus leaving future generations no less than we have access to ourselves."
"Sustainability may be described as our responsibility to proceed in a way that will sustain life that will allow our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to live comfortably in a friendly, clean, and healthy world."
"Sustainability is meeting the needs of all humans, being able to do so on a finite planet for generations to come while ensuring some degree of openness and flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances."
Jerry Sturmer, Santa Barbara South Coast Community Indicators
"Sustainability is a dynamic condition which requires a basic understanding of the interconnections and interdependency among ecological, economic and social systems. Sustainability means providing a rich quality of life for all, and accomplishing this within the means of nature."
Jaimie P. Cloud, Cloud Institute, http://www.cloudinstitute.org/
"A sustainable society is one that is far-seeing enough, flexible enough, and wise enough not to undermine either its physical or its social systems of support."
Donella H. Meadows, et al., The Sustainability Institute, "Beyond the Limits"
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future.(Oxford, Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 8. (Frequently referred to as the Brundtland Report after Gro Harlem Brundtland)
"Sustainable Development is positive change which does not undermine the environmental or social systems on which we depend. It requires a coordinated approach to planning and policy making that involves public participation. Its success depends on widespread understanding of the critical relationship between people and their environment and the will to make necessary changes."
Hamilton Wentworth Regional Council
"Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations."
Paul Hawken, The Ecology of Commerce
National framework for Sustainable Schools
All aspects of our ideal school are being designed ecologically with sustainability in mind. As a class, we have instinctively covered the “8 Doorways” of the National Framework for Sustainable Schools and they include:
*Food and drink
*Energy and water
*Travel and traffic
*Purchasing and waste
*Buildings and grounds
*Inclusion and participation
*Local well-being
*Global dimension
Naturally then sustainability must be integrated throughout the curriculum at every grade level and in every subject to support ecological literacy and sustainable living within and outside of the school. Smart by Nature and The Cloud Institute of Sustainability Education provide some of the best programs that I discovered in my research. I have compiled the guiding principles of their programs to be used as guidelines for how we will incorporate sustainability education into our ideal school.
PROGRAMS
The Center for Ecoliteracy’s Initiative, Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability
According to the Center of Ecoliteracy, “society gives schools the responsibility for passing on cultural values” and “whatever happens in schools will have profound effects on the rest of society.” Keeping this in mind, we as future teachers must work to make a difference in the most pressing issues of our times which includes creating a more just and sustainable world. The Smart by Nature program from CEL provides steps that we can take in our school and classroom to come closer to achieving the understanding, community, awareness of interconnectedness and appreciation and reverence for nature that will be needed to create and more sustainable world for us all.
The Smart by Nature Initiative is based on four guiding principles:
Nature Is Our Teacher
To envision sustainable human communities, we turn to nature, which has sustained life for billions of years. Designing communities that are compatible with nature's processes requires basic ecological knowledge, one of the key components of ecological literacy. Ecological literacy fosters a perspective essential to sustainable living: that human needs and achievements are both supported and limited by the natural world. In schooling for sustainability, students are introduced to basic ecological principles and systems thinking — helping them achieve an understanding of the natural world's processes and the ability to think in terms of patterns, relationships, and contexts.
Sustainability Is a Community Practice
Sustainability depends on a healthy network of relationships that includes all members of the community, as students experience when the school functions as an apprenticeship community. When educators, parents, trustees, and other members of the school community make decisions and act collaboratively, they demonstrate sustainability as a community practice. School communities also have the opportunity to model sustainable practice through the ways in which they provision themselves with food, energy, and other basic needs, and how they relate to the larger communities of which they are a part.
The Real World Is the Optimal Learning Environment
As cooking is best learned in the kitchen, sustainability is best learned in the real world. Whether restoring the habitat of an endangered species, tending a school garden, or designing a neighborhood recycling program, students learn best from active engagement in which their actions matter and have meaning.
In schooling for sustainability, students connect with the natural world and human communities through project-based learning, which inspires them to learn more because they recognize that the knowledge is essential to something they care about. They also learn that they can make a difference, which lays a foundation for responsible, active citizenship.
Sustainable Living Is Rooted in a Deep Knowledge of Place
When people acquire a deep knowledge of a particular place, they develop a sense of caring about what happens to the landscape, creatures, and people in it. When they understand its ecology and diversity, the intricate web of relationships it supports, and the rhythm of its cycles, they also develop an appreciation for and sense of kinship with their surroundings. Place-based education is fundamental to schooling for sustainability. Places known deeply are more deeply loved, and well-loved places have the best chance to be protected and preserved, so that they will be cherished and cared for by future generations.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
The mission of the Cloud Institute states and includes the goals of preparing young people for the shift toward a sustainable future, inspiring teachers and engaging students through meaningful content and student-centered instruction and promoting the idea that K-12 education can substantially influence beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors related to sustainability and that this is the most fertile ground for helping to shape a society committed to sustainable development.
The CISE also asks that you “Imagine there is a shared understanding that schools have a responsibility to contribute to our individual and collective potential, and to that of living systems upon which all life depends. Schools are learning organizations. The potential of having all of our children in school with their teachers and mentors during the most favorable time for learning and paradigm shifting (for creating new functional pathways) in young people, and that we honor them with transformative learning experiences that prepare them to participate in, and to lead with us the shift toward a sustainable future.”
CISE states that their program is “grounded in the pedagogical traditions of progressive, experiential and constructivist education which is a whole system of inquiry that combines the best of what we know about teaching and learning with the content, core competencies and habits of mind we need to advance in order to move toward a sustainable future.” The following are some of these habits of mind and core content…
Understanding of Systems as the Context for Decision Making
The extent to which one sees both the whole system and its parts as well as the extent to which an individual can place one's self within the system
Intergenerational Responsibility
The extent to which one takes responsibility for the effect (s) of her/his actions on future generations
Mindful of and Skillful with Implications and Consequences
The extent to which one consciously makes choices and plans actions to achieve positive systemic impact
Protecting and Enhancing the Commons
The extent to which one works to reconcile the conflicts between individual rights and the responsibilities of citizenship to tend to the commons
Awareness of Driving Forces and their Impacts
The extent to which one recognizes and can act strategically and responsibly in the context of the driving forces that influence our lives
Assumption of Strategic Responsibility
The extent to which one assumes responsibility for one's self and others by designing, planning and acting with whole systems in mind
Paradigm Shifter
The extent to which one recognizes mental models and paradigms as guiding constructs that change over time with new knowledge and applied insight
What Core Content will Students Study?
Ecological Literacy
Science principles and natural laws that help us to understand the interconnectedness of humans and all of the Earth's systems...
System Dynamics/"Systems Thinking"
Understanding systems as the context for decision-making...
Multiple Perspectives
Truly valuing and learning from the life experiences and cultures of others...
Sense of Place
Connecting to and valuing the places in which we live…
Sustainable Economics
An evolving study of the connections between economic, social and natural systems...
Citizenship (Participation and Leadership)
The rights, responsibilities, and actions associated with participatory democracy toward sustainable communities...
Creativity and Visioning
The ability to envision and invent a rich, hopeful future...
Ideas and Inspirations for bringing nature into the ideal school curriculum
I think it is essential that we bring nature into our ideal school curriculum, or should I say bring our curriculum out into nature. A goal of our school schedule should be to have our students outside of their wonderfully ecological, sustainably built classrooms for at least one-third of the time they spend at school! Teachers should plan to hold outdoor class sessions in our gardens, by our pond, in the meadow and under the trees, in addition to our weekly field trips which will take advantage of all of the beautiful outdoor treasures we are surrounded by here on the central coast.
From “Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv
…within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically…yet, at the very moment when more children than ever before are unplugged from nature, science is finally demonstrating how important direct contact with the outdoors is for human development….Environmental psychologists report that exposure to nature…helps protect the psychological well-being of children… Researchers have discovered that children as young as five showed a significant reduction in the symptoms of attention-deficit disorder when they engaged with nature. Schools that use outdoor classrooms and other methods of direct-experience learning are proven to produce students with enhanced skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and decision making. Students are also more engaged in the classroom and more open to conflict resolution…anecdotal evidence suggests that time in natural surroundings stimulates children’s creativity…Perhaps the most important measure we can take to assure the survival of our fellow creatures, large and small, is to prevent the extinction of nature in our children’s hearts.
From “Confluence of Streams” by Zenobia Barlow
Curriculum is anywhere learning occurs. Children find relevance and meaning in learning when they are knee-deep in a creek or measuring the effects of restoration on songbirds and willows. When school communities are deeply engaged in restorative problem solving, they practice a competence essential to sustainability, but sorely missing in many curricula: the capacity for compassion, extending caretaking to all life forms….Children are born with a sense of wonder and an affinity for nature. Properly cultivated, these values can mature into ecological literacy, and eventually into sustainable patterns of living.
By Christina R.
References and Works Cited
Barlow, Zenobia. “Confluence of Streams.” Resurgence Issue 226 July 2005. Available at www.resurgence.org/resurgence/issues/barlow226.htm.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education. Available at http://www.sustainabilityed.org/
Center for Ecoliteracy and Smart by Nature Program. Available at www.ecoliteracy.org
Global dimension in schools and 8 Doorways of the National framework for Sustainable Schools.
Available at www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools
Louv, Richard. “Nature-Deficit Disorder.” Resurgence Issue 254 May/June 2009: 14-15.
Suzuki, David. The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 1999.
Monday, August 24, 2009
School Wide Character Education
The Initial Concept:
Schools have a multitude of factors that they must deal with on a daily basis and student’s behavior is a big factor in every teacher’s and most administrator’s days. Dealing with positive or negative behavior after the fact focuses on reward/punishment systems, which are necessary, but myself and many other schools around the country are concerned with a more instilled form of education concerning principles and values. Promoting positive self-image and “good” character in students at a school wide level will hopefully prevent some of the negative outcomes from occurring and help students foster within themselves positive traits that will benefit their future growth. Character education is something I felt would be a helpful addition to classroom management and if we are creating the “ideal school”, help to foster an “ideal environment” in which students can learn.
What I found out:
Cheerleading (posters, banners, motivational assemblies)
Praise and Reward (“catching students being good”, pos. reinforcement)
Define and Drill (memorize values and definitions)
Forced-Formality (strict, uniform compliance on rules of conduct)
Character Counts:
Very involved and put together website discussing the program. Newsletters, training links, merchandise store, articles, et. Yet, limited access to resources, must pay in order to ultimately receive.
Good Character:
Can tell less money went into this website. Has more access to useful information. Teacher guides for each focus includes activities/questions to motivate students work towards the goals of good character.
Wikipedia:
Gave definition of character education as well as a history. Had a list of resources that included many interesting articles and discussions about character education, pros and cons. I found this list of resources to be the most helpful.
Changing Lives:
Another website similar to Character Counts, very flashy and showy. A 36 week program that offers 180 daily lessons for all grades!!! Did have nice videos that explained their views, outcomes, and what schools are saying, unfortunately they wouldn’t play on my computer. Testimonials were mostly about their coaching program. Emphasis on diversity in their world view, which is good.
Conclusions:
When I began my research and started off with this idea of implementing character education it seemed all positive, where could one go wrong with instilling positive values? And yet, now here I sit and I wonder whether some of these programs are just financial gains to make our students conform and follow someone’s idea of good behavior. I definitely think that promoting good character has benefits, but after reading about how difficult it is to asses and how little actual evidence exists in relation to it’s success, I am a little more hesitant to jump on the band wagon.
I liked Buzz’s adaptations with the Path of the Warrior and I am leaning more towards the insertion of a teacher created approach such as this. Since our school will be promoting diversity and is bilingual, I think it will be important to focus on pillars that pertain to Acceptance and Awareness. Some other pillars that were suggested after our group discussion included Interdependency (to follow along with the over-arching theme of the school) and Friendship (continues with the idea of community). I thought that I might be able to lay out a very specific proposal, but I am now feeling as though it will take collaboration between all the teachers in order to decide upon appropriate values, traits, or skills (pillars) that the school would like to focus on.
So, do I think our Ideal School should have a school wide character education program? Yes. However, it will not be purchased off the internet and students will not be walking around school with Character Counts t-shirts (maybe shirts that say, Do I like what I see?). It must be a program that is not over bearing and it must be easy for teachers to implement into their curriculum as well as their day. Students will not be forced to participate but hopefully the program will spark interest and motivate students intrinsically. Community involvement as well as parent contribution are two important factors that tie into character education and were mentioned in the programs I read about. Definitely want to place emphasis on both. So through further teacher and community collaboration the school wide character education can continue to develop and grow.
Schools have a multitude of factors that they must deal with on a daily basis and student’s behavior is a big factor in every teacher’s and most administrator’s days. Dealing with positive or negative behavior after the fact focuses on reward/punishment systems, which are necessary, but myself and many other schools around the country are concerned with a more instilled form of education concerning principles and values. Promoting positive self-image and “good” character in students at a school wide level will hopefully prevent some of the negative outcomes from occurring and help students foster within themselves positive traits that will benefit their future growth. Character education is something I felt would be a helpful addition to classroom management and if we are creating the “ideal school”, help to foster an “ideal environment” in which students can learn.
What I found out:
- Over the last 20 years character education in schools has become increasingly popular and also a topic for much debate. Both Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush made improving character education as one of their educational goals.
- There are many programs, such as the popular Character Counts, that are highly marketed and sold to schools as a tidy, all-inclusive package including teacher conferences. These programs seem unnecessarily expensive and a little contrived.
- Most of the programs center around these six pillars Respect, Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, and Citizenship
Cheerleading (posters, banners, motivational assemblies)
Praise and Reward (“catching students being good”, pos. reinforcement)
Define and Drill (memorize values and definitions)
Forced-Formality (strict, uniform compliance on rules of conduct)
- It is difficult to assess whether or not these programs have had any actual effect on students’ behavior. Lack of clear-cut data.
- Some argue that many programs are merely promoting good manners and how to follow rules as opposed to actually developing strong, independent character.
- The idea lasts only as long as the program, kids don’t internalize (regarding problems with some of these programs).
- Recommended checking out Pat Bellville sp?, “Leadership for the 21st Century”(I searched Google and came up empty handed)
- Himself and fellow colleagues decided on 15 life skills they felt were important for promoting student success in and out of the classroom
- Students choose a life skill to work on each month, they write down evidence that relates to their work in the skill, and keep it in a specific folder
- They continue to work on the life skills and as they complete the skill they move on to a different order. Students start in the “Order of the Bear” move to hummingbird, et
- Path of the Warrior concepts combines Native American ideas as well as Eastern Philosophy (looking inward)
- Buzz reads articles, highlights individuals who are exemplifying these skills in the community and world. The topic is not on the back burner.
- There are ceremonies each month to highlight student’s progress and achievements and if a student makes it through all of the orders there is a more to do ceremony at the end of the year with parents. Some students continue to work on the skills long after leaving Buzz’s classroom.
- Not all students buy into it. Important not to force students to participate in this kind of education. Students must want to do it on their own.
Character Counts:
Very involved and put together website discussing the program. Newsletters, training links, merchandise store, articles, et. Yet, limited access to resources, must pay in order to ultimately receive.
Good Character:
Can tell less money went into this website. Has more access to useful information. Teacher guides for each focus includes activities/questions to motivate students work towards the goals of good character.
Wikipedia:
Gave definition of character education as well as a history. Had a list of resources that included many interesting articles and discussions about character education, pros and cons. I found this list of resources to be the most helpful.
Changing Lives:
Another website similar to Character Counts, very flashy and showy. A 36 week program that offers 180 daily lessons for all grades!!! Did have nice videos that explained their views, outcomes, and what schools are saying, unfortunately they wouldn’t play on my computer. Testimonials were mostly about their coaching program. Emphasis on diversity in their world view, which is good.
Conclusions:
When I began my research and started off with this idea of implementing character education it seemed all positive, where could one go wrong with instilling positive values? And yet, now here I sit and I wonder whether some of these programs are just financial gains to make our students conform and follow someone’s idea of good behavior. I definitely think that promoting good character has benefits, but after reading about how difficult it is to asses and how little actual evidence exists in relation to it’s success, I am a little more hesitant to jump on the band wagon.
I liked Buzz’s adaptations with the Path of the Warrior and I am leaning more towards the insertion of a teacher created approach such as this. Since our school will be promoting diversity and is bilingual, I think it will be important to focus on pillars that pertain to Acceptance and Awareness. Some other pillars that were suggested after our group discussion included Interdependency (to follow along with the over-arching theme of the school) and Friendship (continues with the idea of community). I thought that I might be able to lay out a very specific proposal, but I am now feeling as though it will take collaboration between all the teachers in order to decide upon appropriate values, traits, or skills (pillars) that the school would like to focus on.
So, do I think our Ideal School should have a school wide character education program? Yes. However, it will not be purchased off the internet and students will not be walking around school with Character Counts t-shirts (maybe shirts that say, Do I like what I see?). It must be a program that is not over bearing and it must be easy for teachers to implement into their curriculum as well as their day. Students will not be forced to participate but hopefully the program will spark interest and motivate students intrinsically. Community involvement as well as parent contribution are two important factors that tie into character education and were mentioned in the programs I read about. Definitely want to place emphasis on both. So through further teacher and community collaboration the school wide character education can continue to develop and grow.
Ideal School Interior Design Theory and Aplication
Development of the Ideal School: Interior Design
This contribution to the development of the ideal school can be divided into two parts. The first is the physical interior; how it promotes learning and encourages ownership of the school. The second part of my research has dealt with broadening the learning environment; from the classroom to the whole school and from the school to the home.
The first part of my work was to develop an interior design scheme that would maximize learning potential. While curriculum and teaching are clearly the most important factors in learning potential, there are physical (environmental) factors that can either pose as barriers or avenues to better learning. From large scale design such as floor plans and classroom organization to details such as color schemes, lighting and furniture.
The floorplan of the four instructional units (classroom buildings) will take one of two forms. Either it will be a uniformed floorplan (see attached) or it will be a age-specific design which emphasizes specific goals such as creativity or research.
The uniform floor plan is based on the premise that it will be used by a total of four classes simultaneously. There will be four sliding/removable walls that allow for two, three or four classes to come together as larger groups. This theme is important in fostering learning communities and helping to create a open, communal space.
An important idea in my research was the learning community and ownership. By designing a building with communal spaces, open or shared classrooms and centralized buildings/ rooms, students will have ownership of the school and hopefully we can lessen the idea of “us versus them.” It is believed that optimal learning takes place within a learning community, taking this into account; the organization of the classrooms will need to accommodate positive group learning. For this reason, tables should be used and there should be areas for group work and/or whole class discussion. While a building alone cannot make a student engage in his or her education, it can help avoid marginalization and resentment of the institution.
While large scale design can help foster learning communities, there are many details that can combine to further allow for active, cognitive learning. Color schemes may be an important thing to consider. Colors encourage different subconscious emotions and actions such as concentration, energy, reading, playing, listening and perhaps most importantly fatigue. Each room in the ideal school should have a color scheme that is appropriate for its intended use.
Perhaps the most important design concept for fostering learning and teaching is natural light. The ideal school cannot have too much natural light. Not only does it reduce energy consumption, it is very conducive to learning. Many studies have shown that reading by sufficient natural light greatly increases comprehension and lessens fatigue. Large cupolas (dome like skylights) and large windows on each side of the structures have been incorporated to maximize light intake. While these installations will compete with solar panels for space, the benefits of natural light a very great.
There is more to design than light and color, it is worth considering the benefits of incorporating all of the senses in the learning process. That said, we must consider sound pollution and control, temperature, air systems (for air quality and odor), furniture and hardware for tactile sensory input and many other means of putting the senses at ease. Students will be sitting at work station like tables that foster communication and comfort. They can be easily rearranged if need be. By collaborating with the community outreach focus group, we have been able to find school furniture that not only promotes active learning but is also sustainable and made in the local community.
The second part of my study is more psychological; it stems from the idea of creating ownership of the school and hopes to engage the students. Normally, when a student leaves the classroom door his or her mind in effect shuts off. Even more so, when the student leaves the campus they go from school mode to real life. It should be the goal of the ideal school to minimize the contrast between school and real life. That is, we should seek ways (either in design or teaching ideology or both) for students to be academically engaged even when at home or in the lunch room. Some ideas for fostering this maintenance of a learning disposition include:
· Large windows into classrooms in order to reduce the physical walls between the classroom and the real world.
· Courtyards or other communal spaces
· Ample access to study areas and materials
· School materials for communal use in shared spaces (i.e. whiteboards and computers in the lunch room or study halls for students to do group work on their own outside of class)
These ideas foster the notion that students can be active learners even when they are not in the classroom being taught. Hopefully, when students leave their classroom they will still be thinking about that day’s lesson and they will have the means to continue to think about things instead of immediately shutting off upon leaving the classroom.
The ideal classroom will be one that fosters good teaching. The classroom itself will not teach anything and if not supported by caring and invested educators, students will not be able to reap the benefits of our school. The goal of the interior design unit has been to identify and minimize any possible environmental barriers to education that can be unintentionally designed into the physical structure.
Paul Soles
This contribution to the development of the ideal school can be divided into two parts. The first is the physical interior; how it promotes learning and encourages ownership of the school. The second part of my research has dealt with broadening the learning environment; from the classroom to the whole school and from the school to the home.
The first part of my work was to develop an interior design scheme that would maximize learning potential. While curriculum and teaching are clearly the most important factors in learning potential, there are physical (environmental) factors that can either pose as barriers or avenues to better learning. From large scale design such as floor plans and classroom organization to details such as color schemes, lighting and furniture.
The floorplan of the four instructional units (classroom buildings) will take one of two forms. Either it will be a uniformed floorplan (see attached) or it will be a age-specific design which emphasizes specific goals such as creativity or research.
The uniform floor plan is based on the premise that it will be used by a total of four classes simultaneously. There will be four sliding/removable walls that allow for two, three or four classes to come together as larger groups. This theme is important in fostering learning communities and helping to create a open, communal space.
An important idea in my research was the learning community and ownership. By designing a building with communal spaces, open or shared classrooms and centralized buildings/ rooms, students will have ownership of the school and hopefully we can lessen the idea of “us versus them.” It is believed that optimal learning takes place within a learning community, taking this into account; the organization of the classrooms will need to accommodate positive group learning. For this reason, tables should be used and there should be areas for group work and/or whole class discussion. While a building alone cannot make a student engage in his or her education, it can help avoid marginalization and resentment of the institution.
While large scale design can help foster learning communities, there are many details that can combine to further allow for active, cognitive learning. Color schemes may be an important thing to consider. Colors encourage different subconscious emotions and actions such as concentration, energy, reading, playing, listening and perhaps most importantly fatigue. Each room in the ideal school should have a color scheme that is appropriate for its intended use.
Perhaps the most important design concept for fostering learning and teaching is natural light. The ideal school cannot have too much natural light. Not only does it reduce energy consumption, it is very conducive to learning. Many studies have shown that reading by sufficient natural light greatly increases comprehension and lessens fatigue. Large cupolas (dome like skylights) and large windows on each side of the structures have been incorporated to maximize light intake. While these installations will compete with solar panels for space, the benefits of natural light a very great.
There is more to design than light and color, it is worth considering the benefits of incorporating all of the senses in the learning process. That said, we must consider sound pollution and control, temperature, air systems (for air quality and odor), furniture and hardware for tactile sensory input and many other means of putting the senses at ease. Students will be sitting at work station like tables that foster communication and comfort. They can be easily rearranged if need be. By collaborating with the community outreach focus group, we have been able to find school furniture that not only promotes active learning but is also sustainable and made in the local community.
The second part of my study is more psychological; it stems from the idea of creating ownership of the school and hopes to engage the students. Normally, when a student leaves the classroom door his or her mind in effect shuts off. Even more so, when the student leaves the campus they go from school mode to real life. It should be the goal of the ideal school to minimize the contrast between school and real life. That is, we should seek ways (either in design or teaching ideology or both) for students to be academically engaged even when at home or in the lunch room. Some ideas for fostering this maintenance of a learning disposition include:
· Large windows into classrooms in order to reduce the physical walls between the classroom and the real world.
· Courtyards or other communal spaces
· Ample access to study areas and materials
· School materials for communal use in shared spaces (i.e. whiteboards and computers in the lunch room or study halls for students to do group work on their own outside of class)
These ideas foster the notion that students can be active learners even when they are not in the classroom being taught. Hopefully, when students leave their classroom they will still be thinking about that day’s lesson and they will have the means to continue to think about things instead of immediately shutting off upon leaving the classroom.
The ideal classroom will be one that fosters good teaching. The classroom itself will not teach anything and if not supported by caring and invested educators, students will not be able to reap the benefits of our school. The goal of the interior design unit has been to identify and minimize any possible environmental barriers to education that can be unintentionally designed into the physical structure.
Paul Soles
Socially Just Community
The ideal school should be woven into the fabric of the community that it serves. This is important for it to be sustainable. Connections with businesses and families must be made and forged into lasting partnerships if the school is to have ongoing impact. As the community and school are incorporated together attention needs to be given as to how to bridge divides in the socio-economic and ethnic differences found within the composition of the school’s population. It is imperative that the ideal school encompasses socially “just” ways of involving parents and community members, in order for it to be fully sustainable.
To create a sustainable school community, one first needs to understand their community. For this project our community lives near our ideal school’s location in La Selva Beach, California. In Spanish La Selva means “the jungle”. The area is located between the very different cities of Aptos, Corralitos, and Watsonville. According to the 2000 census, Aptos is 90% White, Corralitos 80% White, and Watsonville predominately 75% Hispanic or Latino. Only Corralitos has more than 15% of another race, which is Hispanic or Latino at 19.1%. The average income in Watsonville is estimated at $37, 617 with 19% of its population below the poverty line. In contrast, the median household income for Corralitos is $70, 781 with around 2.8% of the population below the poverty line. Aptos has higher rate than Corralitos with 7.1% of the population below the poverty line yet the median household is not much lower than it at $61, 843. Both communities have on average much higher economic means than Watsonville. If you combine the Asian and African American populations of these three cities you have 8% Asian and a little over 1% African American. From these few statistics one can see that our ideal school has potential for an ethnically and socio-economic mixed school population.
Now that we know a little of who will be in our ideal school, it is important that from the beginning we address these ethnic and socio-economic differences. We must bridge the differences to create a school community accessible for all of our students. One way we can do this is by having a community center built on our school grounds. As one non-profit working to bring schools and communities together stated, “Schools do not exist in isolation and they cannot go it alone. To keep students in school their social, economic, and family needs, as well as their academic needs must be met. They need the support and help of the whole community. The often heard statement, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ is very true” (CSC, 2009). If we can create a “whole community,” then we will be more apt at reaching all of our students. Success will come as our school functions as a “hub” for the White, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and African American families present in our school. Another school design program said it this way, “Successful schools strengthen a community’s sense of identity and coherence. Like a new version of the old town square, a school can serve as a community hub that teaches its occupants about collaboration and the common good” (NCFEFKF, 2003). Incorporating these principles into our planning will help our ideal school to have a sense of coherence among the three cities represented.
We will need to be creative in considering ways to involve these communities. We will have to rethink a typical lesson plan, parent meeting, and use for a community center. To help us I have compiled two lists to start our outside the box thinking. These lists provide us with various ways to reach the different students, parents, and local businesses represented in our ideal school.
1. Socially just ways to involve families in our ideal school…
• All new families at the school have an orientation meeting with the school’s leaders to orient them to the school and our expectations.
• Have a social justice newsletter where parents, students, and teachers contribute.
• Have a room parent for each classroom (one from each surrounding city if possible).
• Have the parents and students collaborate on a school project such as making a cookbook and then selling the cookbooks as a fundraiser to benefit the whole community.
• Have each child’s family be responsible for bringing snacks to the classroom, once during the year. The teachers can encourage the families to bring cultural food items to the room. The families can use money from the classroom fund that is given to the teachers by the school. This will enable all families to contribute without posing a financial burden on anyone.
• Have parents host after school clubs (gardening club, tech club, cooking club, etc).
• Teachers post the children’s work daily, weekly, and monthly, giving parents a clearer sense of what is happening at school. Posting will be done in multiple languages so all families can read them.
• Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled during the evenings, weekends, and during the school day to accommodate all work or non-working schedules.
• Invite parents and members of the child’s family as guest readers, speakers, teachers in each of the classrooms
• Give homework over the summer in the form of a “summer book”. The children will make these books with their families during the summer, recording their summer experiences. Then in the fall the teachers use them to guide their lesson planning based on the students interests.
• Host monthly reading nights where parents and students come read together
• Tutoring for both children and parents
• Guest performances: Bands, Cultural Clubs, Dancers, etc
• Parents learning English and parents learning Spanish go to class with their child so they can learn the languages together.
2. Socially just ways to use the community center in our ideal school…
• Part of the school’s staff team is someone in charge of community and school collaboration.
• When hosting parent meetings: provide childcare, meals, interpreters, transportation, and offer opportunities for new families to get involved.
• Host town hall forums at the school to discuss relevant school issues and how parents can get involved.
• Host a before and after school program for families that need the child-care and academic support.
• On the weeknights and weekends, host ESL classes, and on-the job training classes for families.
• Have parents become community liaisons for the school. Have one parent represent each of the various ethnic groups at the school. Host a gathering of all these liaisons monthly in the community center.
• Host parent education seminars. Topics could include: positive discipline techniques, budgeting 101, cooking healthy, a parent’s guide to their child’s education.
• Monthly the community center can offer basic health care and immunizations to our families.
• Have a quarterly community fair. Local businesses, non-profits, families, get together and host booths around various themes (health, jobs, food, cultural festivals, etc)
• Career Fair (For adults who need jobs and for children to see the different options available to them in the future).
• CPR and First Aid Classes, Self-Defense classes
These lists are meant to be a springboard for further thought and innovation for schools and community working in collaboration. Constructing a community center on our ideal school’s campus will serve to remind the teachers and administrators for years to come that the community around them is integral to what is happening inside the classroom. It will help us to remember that the community we are working with comes from diverse backgrounds and as educators we need to strive towards building bridges among the differences.
By Jeannie S.
Bibliography:
Louise Boyd Cadwell. (1993) The Reggio Approach to Early Childhood Education: Bringing Learning to Life. The Teachers College.
Community and School Collaboration (2009) Retrieved August 1, 2009, from Community and School Collaboration website: http://www.c-sc.org/fast.html
Community and School Collaboration (CSC) (2009) Strengthening Schools, Families, and Communities. Retrieved August 1, 2009 from Community and School Collaboration website: http://www.securenetserver.com/cscwa-org/v3/OurPrograms/tabid/97/Default.aspx
National Dropout Prevention Center (2009) Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from National Dropout Prevention Center website: http://www.dropoutprevention.org/effstrat/school_community_collab/overview.htm
Act (2009) Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from the ACT website: http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/prACTice_June05.pdf
Jeanne Jehl, Martin J. Blank, Barbara McCloud (2001) Education and Community Building Connecting Two Worlds. Retrieved on August 1, 2009 from Institute of Educational Leadership website : http://www.communityschools.org/combuild.pdf
Child, Youth, and Family, Consortium (2009) When schools involve parents, children succeed. Retrieved August 14th, 2009 from University of Minnesota website: http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/publications/connection/pubs/08summer/02-WhenSchoolsInvolveParents.html
Teachers First. (2009) How do you involve parents and guardians in their child’s education? Retrieved August 14th, 2009 from Source for Learning website: http://www.teachersfirst.com/weeklyq/archive-list.cfm?id=2
Knowledgeworks Foundation, Building Educational Success Together Council of Educational Facility Planners, International Coalition For Community Schools. (NCFEFKF) (2003) Schools as Centers for Community: A Citizen’s Guide for planning and design. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities website:
http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/scc_publication.pdf
RISE (Resources Invested in Student Excellence). (2009) Application for Communities and Schools Working Together. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from RISE website: http://www.dialself.org/pdf/RISE%20Application%202009-2010.pdf
Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2009 )Regional Economic Accounts: 1997-2007. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from Bureau of Economic Analysis website: http://www.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/action.cfm?FIPS=06087
Watsonville, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watsonville,_ca
Aptos, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptos,_CA
Corralitos, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corralitos,_California
La Selva Beach, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Selva_Beach
To create a sustainable school community, one first needs to understand their community. For this project our community lives near our ideal school’s location in La Selva Beach, California. In Spanish La Selva means “the jungle”. The area is located between the very different cities of Aptos, Corralitos, and Watsonville. According to the 2000 census, Aptos is 90% White, Corralitos 80% White, and Watsonville predominately 75% Hispanic or Latino. Only Corralitos has more than 15% of another race, which is Hispanic or Latino at 19.1%. The average income in Watsonville is estimated at $37, 617 with 19% of its population below the poverty line. In contrast, the median household income for Corralitos is $70, 781 with around 2.8% of the population below the poverty line. Aptos has higher rate than Corralitos with 7.1% of the population below the poverty line yet the median household is not much lower than it at $61, 843. Both communities have on average much higher economic means than Watsonville. If you combine the Asian and African American populations of these three cities you have 8% Asian and a little over 1% African American. From these few statistics one can see that our ideal school has potential for an ethnically and socio-economic mixed school population.
Now that we know a little of who will be in our ideal school, it is important that from the beginning we address these ethnic and socio-economic differences. We must bridge the differences to create a school community accessible for all of our students. One way we can do this is by having a community center built on our school grounds. As one non-profit working to bring schools and communities together stated, “Schools do not exist in isolation and they cannot go it alone. To keep students in school their social, economic, and family needs, as well as their academic needs must be met. They need the support and help of the whole community. The often heard statement, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ is very true” (CSC, 2009). If we can create a “whole community,” then we will be more apt at reaching all of our students. Success will come as our school functions as a “hub” for the White, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and African American families present in our school. Another school design program said it this way, “Successful schools strengthen a community’s sense of identity and coherence. Like a new version of the old town square, a school can serve as a community hub that teaches its occupants about collaboration and the common good” (NCFEFKF, 2003). Incorporating these principles into our planning will help our ideal school to have a sense of coherence among the three cities represented.
We will need to be creative in considering ways to involve these communities. We will have to rethink a typical lesson plan, parent meeting, and use for a community center. To help us I have compiled two lists to start our outside the box thinking. These lists provide us with various ways to reach the different students, parents, and local businesses represented in our ideal school.
1. Socially just ways to involve families in our ideal school…
• All new families at the school have an orientation meeting with the school’s leaders to orient them to the school and our expectations.
• Have a social justice newsletter where parents, students, and teachers contribute.
• Have a room parent for each classroom (one from each surrounding city if possible).
• Have the parents and students collaborate on a school project such as making a cookbook and then selling the cookbooks as a fundraiser to benefit the whole community.
• Have each child’s family be responsible for bringing snacks to the classroom, once during the year. The teachers can encourage the families to bring cultural food items to the room. The families can use money from the classroom fund that is given to the teachers by the school. This will enable all families to contribute without posing a financial burden on anyone.
• Have parents host after school clubs (gardening club, tech club, cooking club, etc).
• Teachers post the children’s work daily, weekly, and monthly, giving parents a clearer sense of what is happening at school. Posting will be done in multiple languages so all families can read them.
• Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled during the evenings, weekends, and during the school day to accommodate all work or non-working schedules.
• Invite parents and members of the child’s family as guest readers, speakers, teachers in each of the classrooms
• Give homework over the summer in the form of a “summer book”. The children will make these books with their families during the summer, recording their summer experiences. Then in the fall the teachers use them to guide their lesson planning based on the students interests.
• Host monthly reading nights where parents and students come read together
• Tutoring for both children and parents
• Guest performances: Bands, Cultural Clubs, Dancers, etc
• Parents learning English and parents learning Spanish go to class with their child so they can learn the languages together.
2. Socially just ways to use the community center in our ideal school…
• Part of the school’s staff team is someone in charge of community and school collaboration.
• When hosting parent meetings: provide childcare, meals, interpreters, transportation, and offer opportunities for new families to get involved.
• Host town hall forums at the school to discuss relevant school issues and how parents can get involved.
• Host a before and after school program for families that need the child-care and academic support.
• On the weeknights and weekends, host ESL classes, and on-the job training classes for families.
• Have parents become community liaisons for the school. Have one parent represent each of the various ethnic groups at the school. Host a gathering of all these liaisons monthly in the community center.
• Host parent education seminars. Topics could include: positive discipline techniques, budgeting 101, cooking healthy, a parent’s guide to their child’s education.
• Monthly the community center can offer basic health care and immunizations to our families.
• Have a quarterly community fair. Local businesses, non-profits, families, get together and host booths around various themes (health, jobs, food, cultural festivals, etc)
• Career Fair (For adults who need jobs and for children to see the different options available to them in the future).
• CPR and First Aid Classes, Self-Defense classes
These lists are meant to be a springboard for further thought and innovation for schools and community working in collaboration. Constructing a community center on our ideal school’s campus will serve to remind the teachers and administrators for years to come that the community around them is integral to what is happening inside the classroom. It will help us to remember that the community we are working with comes from diverse backgrounds and as educators we need to strive towards building bridges among the differences.
By Jeannie S.
Bibliography:
Louise Boyd Cadwell. (1993) The Reggio Approach to Early Childhood Education: Bringing Learning to Life. The Teachers College.
Community and School Collaboration (2009) Retrieved August 1, 2009, from Community and School Collaboration website: http://www.c-sc.org/fast.html
Community and School Collaboration (CSC) (2009) Strengthening Schools, Families, and Communities. Retrieved August 1, 2009 from Community and School Collaboration website: http://www.securenetserver.com/cscwa-org/v3/OurPrograms/tabid/97/Default.aspx
National Dropout Prevention Center (2009) Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from National Dropout Prevention Center website: http://www.dropoutprevention.org/effstrat/school_community_collab/overview.htm
Act (2009) Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from the ACT website: http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/prACTice_June05.pdf
Jeanne Jehl, Martin J. Blank, Barbara McCloud (2001) Education and Community Building Connecting Two Worlds. Retrieved on August 1, 2009 from Institute of Educational Leadership website : http://www.communityschools.org/combuild.pdf
Child, Youth, and Family, Consortium (2009) When schools involve parents, children succeed. Retrieved August 14th, 2009 from University of Minnesota website: http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/publications/connection/pubs/08summer/02-WhenSchoolsInvolveParents.html
Teachers First. (2009) How do you involve parents and guardians in their child’s education? Retrieved August 14th, 2009 from Source for Learning website: http://www.teachersfirst.com/weeklyq/archive-list.cfm?id=2
Knowledgeworks Foundation, Building Educational Success Together Council of Educational Facility Planners, International Coalition For Community Schools. (NCFEFKF) (2003) Schools as Centers for Community: A Citizen’s Guide for planning and design. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities website:
http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/scc_publication.pdf
RISE (Resources Invested in Student Excellence). (2009) Application for Communities and Schools Working Together. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from RISE website: http://www.dialself.org/pdf/RISE%20Application%202009-2010.pdf
Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2009 )Regional Economic Accounts: 1997-2007. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from Bureau of Economic Analysis website: http://www.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/action.cfm?FIPS=06087
Watsonville, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watsonville,_ca
Aptos, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptos,_CA
Corralitos, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corralitos,_California
La Selva Beach, CA information. Retrieved August 10th, 2009 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Selva_Beach
Ideal School Map
I.D.L Garden Campus
- The area within the quarry has been leveled considerably to aid wheelchair accessibility.
- The Amphitheater is an all-school assembly area. Many class plays and other events take place here as well. The sixth grade Arriba y Adelante ceremony takes place there at the end of each school year.
- The tables under the trees near the Amphitheater are used during lunchtime and by classes during class time.
- The trees are fruit trees, giving back tasty nutrients, shade, and beauty.
- There is a small meadow of native grasses surrounded by trees. Some PE classes use it for yoga. Other classes use it for meditation or quiet class time.
- Composting is part of the school’s waste management plan. There are Recycling Cans and Compost Cans in many places but the Garbage Cans are harder to find, this encourages students to think about what actually belongs in the trash. Every month a different class collects the Compost waste to add to the piles. They weigh and sort the waste. They also keep track of the data and report to the rest of the school at assembly. CompostWaste
- The materials for constructing the beds and compost shed will be reclaimed building materials. We will also construct the outdoor tables with reclaimed wood.
- The Compost Shed has sinks at either end. Outdoor sinks will also be previously owned.
- Paths are made of permeable concrete. This maintains clean shoes and classrooms, better wheelchair access, and the water drains through to replenish the water table. The Amphitheater is also built of permeable concrete
- The chickens produce fertilizer and eggs. The eggs will either be used as part of the meal program or they may be sold as part of a Farmer’s Market fundraising event.
- The Row/Market Crop area can be used for the school meal program or they may be sold as part of a Farmer’s Market fundraiser.
- The Flower Garden is sometimes used for Farmer’s Market, other times students may take flowers to their elderly friends during their community service.
- The Three Sisters Garden, History Gardens, Berry Area, Story Gardens, Pizza Beds, and Medicinal and Culinary Herb Bed are some of the ideas that Life Lab uses to incorporate different areas of learning with work in the garden.
- There are two wheelchair accessible raised beds.
- Drip irrigation will be used in some areas but in many others, the row crops for example, it will be more efficient to use soaker hoses. Soaker hose installation is simple which will be beneficial if the gardens are changing from year to year. Irrigation
- The pond serves the dual purpose of providing a location for scientific observation and acts as a holding area for excess water. It may be dry during some parts of the year.
- There is a climbing wall that students use during PE.
- There are several caves built into the wall to more fully utilize the quarry space.
- Students are encouraged to try different means of commuting to and from school. Many ride their bikes, others carpool, some walk and some take the bus to school. There are bike racks under the trees. A popular PE class unit involves riding bikes.
By Magdalena
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