News item in West Seattle Herald
Fifth-graders from SGS joined Nova High School students on the 39-foot Admiral Jack pontoon boat Thursday for a toxic tour of the Duwamish River. They left from Harbor Island Marina. The tour was sponsored by the Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition, or DRCC, and led by its director, James Rasmussen, a Duwamish River expert and member of the Duwamish tribe, and Alberto Rodriguez, with DRCC education and outreach. They were on hand to discuss the river's history, including its critical role in the lives of the Duwamish Indians, as well as causes for its pollution, and possible solutions. They also fielded a boat load of adult questions from the kids who apparently had done their homework on the waterway.
Link to Article
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Miss Representation
When the documentary Miss Representation premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, audiences were riveted and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network acquired its broadcast rights.
The film explores how the media’s misrepresentation of women has led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence.
It will premiere in the US on Oct. 20th at 9pm ET.
Get involved at: http://missrepresentation.org/
Click here for trailer
The film explores how the media’s misrepresentation of women has led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence.
It will premiere in the US on Oct. 20th at 9pm ET.
Get involved at: http://missrepresentation.org/
Click here for trailer
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Rigor Redefined
In a few weeks, students and their families will be scheduling their first Learning Team Meetings of the academic year. This will be an opportunity for your daughter to take a lead role in her own learning as “chair” of this team. With more or less scaffolding depending on the grade, she will set goals, identify both strengths and weaknesses, provide exemplars of work, and set the stage for end of term narratives that will provide an in-depth of view of what the grade has been doing collectively and what your child has achieved individually. When that narrative comes home, what will you be looking for as evidence of success? I want to plant a seed for a redefinition of a phrase we often hear, “academic rigor.” What do we define as rigorous at SGS?
Tony Wagner, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, suggests that even our best schools are not always preparing students for 21st century careers and citizenship. He identifies seven survival skills for the future:
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Collaboration and leadership
Agility and adaptability
Initiative and entrepreneurialism
Effective oral and written communication
Accessing and analyzing information
Curiosity and imagination
He bases his conclusions on both classroom observations and conversations with leaders in business, non-profit work, philanthropy, and education. He describes a “rare class”
where academic content is used to develop students’ core competencies, such as those suggested above; where complex, multi-step problems are regularly featured, where students seek multiple solutions that require creativity and imagination; and where success requires teamwork. I certainly hope that this classroom sounds familiar to you, because it is what we strive for at Seattle Girls’ School, I observe this type of learning everyday within our walls, and often beyond them in “being there” experiences.
Take a look at Tony Wagner’s entire article at another blog site - http://lessonslearnedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2010/07/rigor-redefined-by-tony-wagner.html
What do you think of this redefinition of academic rigor? I would love to hear your perspectives and feedback.
Tony Wagner, of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, suggests that even our best schools are not always preparing students for 21st century careers and citizenship. He identifies seven survival skills for the future:
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Collaboration and leadership
Agility and adaptability
Initiative and entrepreneurialism
Effective oral and written communication
Accessing and analyzing information
Curiosity and imagination
He bases his conclusions on both classroom observations and conversations with leaders in business, non-profit work, philanthropy, and education. He describes a “rare class”
where academic content is used to develop students’ core competencies, such as those suggested above; where complex, multi-step problems are regularly featured, where students seek multiple solutions that require creativity and imagination; and where success requires teamwork. I certainly hope that this classroom sounds familiar to you, because it is what we strive for at Seattle Girls’ School, I observe this type of learning everyday within our walls, and often beyond them in “being there” experiences.
Take a look at Tony Wagner’s entire article at another blog site - http://lessonslearnedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2010/07/rigor-redefined-by-tony-wagner.html
What do you think of this redefinition of academic rigor? I would love to hear your perspectives and feedback.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Are there lessons for US education from Finland?
Tony Wagner discusses the Finnish approach to educating their children. The model runs counter to much of the current reform movement. Apples and oranges? Lessons to be learned? Comments?
Link to Article - How Finland became an education leader
Link to Article - How Finland became an education leader
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What's the matter with teachers today?
Link to Pacific NW Magazine Article
Depends who you ask! I believe we have the best faculty in the city right here at SGS. They embody the 10 qualities of great teachers; and yet we are sometimes tempted to focus on one imperfection rather than view the "big picture" of what they have to offer to each of our students.
Ten Qualities of the Great Teacher?
Attention Gates Foundation: 10 Qualities of a Great Teacher
James D. Starkey, Ed Week, 2/3/2010
Sense of humor
High intuition
Knowledgeable about the subject
Listens well
Articulate
Obsessive-compulsive
Subversive (at times)
Fearless
Performer’s instinct
Taskmaster
There is also a generational shift happening within our teaching corps - public and private. Pat Bassett of NAIS provides a comparison of motivators for Baby Booomer versus Gen Y/Millenials:
Boomers:
1. High quality colleagues
2. Intellectually stimulating environment
3. Autonomy regarding work tasks
4. Flexible work arrangements
5. Giving back to the world through work
Recognition from one's employer
Gen Y/Millenials
1. High quality colleagues
2. Flexible work arrangements
3. Prospects for advancement
4. Recognition from one's employer
5. A steady rate of advancement/promotion
6. Access to new experiences/challenges
I am struck by item #1 that is clearly cross-generational. Not only is a school's success strongly correlated with the quality of its faculty, I would argue that the richness of their collaborative efforts and the opportunities to learn from each other may be the key to achieving excellence across a faculty - regardless of size.
New Study Suggests that Same-Sex Schools Result in "Collateral Damage"
A recent study rejects any academic advantage of same-sex schools and suggests that same-sex schools result in "collateral damage" in perpetuating gender stereotypes. Never one to shy away from a data-driven approach, I offer the following questions that should be considered as this study is validated - or not - through further peer review and other studies that seek to replicate it.
- Does the study consider all data - quantitative and qualitative - that, I believe strongly supports a same-sex learning experience at some point between ages 10-20? This is especially supported for girls. I would urge readers to review the data provided through the National Coalition of Girls Schools -
http://www.ncgs.org/the-case-for-girls-schools/
as well as the research of Dr. JoAnn Deak -
http://www.deakgroup.com/our-educators/joann-deak-phd/
- Prof. Liben's statement that "neuroscientists have found very little difference between male and female brains, and none of them are connected to education" gives me pause. It runs counter to my own experience of 25 years in co-ed and single-sex environments; and the notion that differences in our brains, gender aside, has nothing to do with education is reflective of "20th century thinking" in my opinion.
- Prof. Liben's point that the majority of single-sex schools are private and exclusive runs counter to the learning community at Seattle Girls' School where our school profile is as diverse as area public schools. I hope that the study also focused on the implicit minority of those schools that achieve the same results indicated in the NCGS data.
- I am hopeful that the study plans to extend itself beyond pre-school to middle school and beyond where the source of gender stereotyping "collateral damage" shifts from schools and home to a very powerful culture and media that most recently featured a T-shirt that read, "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me."
- The final quote in the article states that, “The bottom line is that there is not good scientific evidence for the academic advantages of single-sex schooling. But there is strong evidence for negative consequences of segregating by sex — the collateral damage of segregating by sex.” No scientific study has a bottom line. We need to know what Dr. Liben means by "good" scientific evidence, and we need to assess the "strength" of the evidence for negative consequences. I need to know the answer to these questions as the conclusions of this study run counter to 25 years in a real-life laboratory working with boys and girls in grades PK-12. I welcome a visit by Dr. Liben to our school to engage in a rich conversation. Naturally, if there were strong evidence for such negative consequences, our school would be very interested in understanding it and mitigating it.
Link to Globe and Mail Article
- Does the study consider all data - quantitative and qualitative - that, I believe strongly supports a same-sex learning experience at some point between ages 10-20? This is especially supported for girls. I would urge readers to review the data provided through the National Coalition of Girls Schools -
http://www.ncgs.org/the-case-for-girls-schools/
as well as the research of Dr. JoAnn Deak -
http://www.deakgroup.com/our-educators/joann-deak-phd/
- Prof. Liben's statement that "neuroscientists have found very little difference between male and female brains, and none of them are connected to education" gives me pause. It runs counter to my own experience of 25 years in co-ed and single-sex environments; and the notion that differences in our brains, gender aside, has nothing to do with education is reflective of "20th century thinking" in my opinion.
- Prof. Liben's point that the majority of single-sex schools are private and exclusive runs counter to the learning community at Seattle Girls' School where our school profile is as diverse as area public schools. I hope that the study also focused on the implicit minority of those schools that achieve the same results indicated in the NCGS data.
- I am hopeful that the study plans to extend itself beyond pre-school to middle school and beyond where the source of gender stereotyping "collateral damage" shifts from schools and home to a very powerful culture and media that most recently featured a T-shirt that read, "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me."
- The final quote in the article states that, “The bottom line is that there is not good scientific evidence for the academic advantages of single-sex schooling. But there is strong evidence for negative consequences of segregating by sex — the collateral damage of segregating by sex.” No scientific study has a bottom line. We need to know what Dr. Liben means by "good" scientific evidence, and we need to assess the "strength" of the evidence for negative consequences. I need to know the answer to these questions as the conclusions of this study run counter to 25 years in a real-life laboratory working with boys and girls in grades PK-12. I welcome a visit by Dr. Liben to our school to engage in a rich conversation. Naturally, if there were strong evidence for such negative consequences, our school would be very interested in understanding it and mitigating it.
Link to Globe and Mail Article
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Does the fall TV season feature "Girl Power" or is it a step back?
One of today's newspaper headlines described the new TV season as a tribute to "Girl Power." Perhaps. Shows featuring Pan Am stewardesses and Playboy bunnies do not convey power to me. I am curious to see for myself what lens is brought to bear. I do think that I will skip the reprise of Charley's Angels.
Regardless of your family guidelines regarding TV viewing, popular culture will impact your daughter once again this fall. Thoughts?
Link to story
Regardless of your family guidelines regarding TV viewing, popular culture will impact your daughter once again this fall. Thoughts?
Link to story
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