"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."

John Powell

It is clear that these pre4 students have had enough of winter!
They decided that their imaginative play would focus on getting to warmer weather.

So they decided to pretend to be in an airplane going to, you guessed it, FLORIDA! Note the airplane snacks and the steward making announcement in the rear of the "plane."

Why is Engagement So Important for Success?

Dr. De Jarnett recently wrote to parents about the eight traits that are important for our children’s success (engagement, perseverance, risk-taking, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, daily preparation and organization.) In our communications with parents during the remainder of the year, the three principals will explore in depth each of these traits by writing about how they are fostered and developed in our students and give examples of what they look like in each division. Engagement is first on the list for good reason.

Over the last two years, the department chairs and principals together have spent many hours exploring engagement, as well as the other seven traits that follow. This year all of our preschool through Upper School teachers have had the opportunity to discuss the trait of engagement in depth both in divisional and cross-divisional settings. At the most basic level we agree that student engagement at any level is best determined by asking how well is a student able to:

exhibit intellectual curiosity and seriousness of purpose about the subject matter and course assignments, embrace challenges and high standards, demonstrate and maintain focused attention, demonstrate responsiveness in ways that include but are not limited to oral, in-class participation, be physically present?

In any discussion of engagement, however, it is essential to explore motivation and draw a clear distinction between internal or intrinsic and external motivations. For many of us in our school careers, it was most often all about external motivation and meeting the expectations laid down by parents and teachers. The grades were what mattered and motivated us more than any interest in the subject we might have had. The best schools have learned that as we prepare students for their futures and long-term success, that it those students who have discovered their own passions and developed their own intrinsic motivation who will succeed and contribute to the world in ways that are meaningful to them. In this shift from external to internal motivation, engagement is the key. Exploring engagement first and the internal motivation that follows is important, for from it flows all of the other traits that are important for success.

In the Lower School, what does engagement look like? 

The images taken from previous Lower School Notes give visual answers to the question.

Being part of helping something grow

Trying to solve a difficult problem

Discovering things together

Creating magnificent structure together

Getting so engrossed in your reading that you forget to play

Doing hard math problems with others

Creating beautiful music together

Solving problems that are interesting

Sharing your hard work based on your interests

Immersing yourself in the history you are studying

Creating things that are beautiful

Learning about how others volunteer

Trying things that are hard with freinds

Creating an interesting problem and
then solving it for everyone to see

Creating cool things with a friend

Learning about technology that will make a differnce

Getting excited about musical expression

Learning about foods --- in Spanish!

Discovering the unexpected

Helping others

Engaging in challenges that make the world better.

Creative imagining with others.

Visiting museums

Skyping with students in other schools around the world.

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There is a new kindergarten blog post.

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What does engaged learning look like for teachers? 

LESSON STUDY!
by mathematics specialist, Cecily Gottling

On Monday, every teacher in the Lower School crowded into one of the third grade classrooms to observe a lesson prepared by a team of their colleagues. The 15 children surrounded by some 30 adults will work with remarkable concentration while the grown-ups around them listen, watch, and furiously take notes about everything the students do and say. What is going on? Lesson Study!

Lesson study is a form of action research and professional development in which small groups of teachers work together to improve their practice and to understand more deeply how students learn best. In the process of a lesson study a team of teachers researches current educational literature, compares a variety of textbook presentations, investigates the standards for a particular content area, and considers the scope and sequence of their current curriculum; they ask a research question about student learning and plan a lesson based on best practices in an effort to answer the question. They then observe one of the team teach the lesson and gather data about student learning during the lesson. The team revises the lesson in light of what they observed and then teaches the lesson again publicly with the rest of their colleagues included as observers. After this public lesson, the team, the whole faculty, and an invited expert, discuss the observations about student learning that could be gathered from the lesson.

Lesson Study began in Japan some 25 years ago and rapidly transformed that country’s mathematics curriculum from a teacher-driven program based on rote memorization into a modern student-centered style of teaching and learning that had been developed by American educators but was never effectively implemented in the U.S. Lesson study is widely used in the countries that have some of the most high performing mathematics students in the world. Why is lesson study so effective in transforming instructional practices? First of all, teachers own the process by working on what they find most valuable and meaningful to their practice – teaching good lessons. They select their own questions and practices to investigate so that professional development is targeted and differentiated. The ripple effect of lesson study is also powerful. Public lessons develop a shared understanding and common language among faculty members about the mission, goals and objectives of a school. While the practice of spending many hours crafting one lesson may at first seem inefficient, the process of questioning all aspects of one’s practice begins to become a habit of mind as teachers continue to engage in lesson study over time. In fact, lesson study is somewhat similar to the “case study” model that is widely used in the education of lawyers and doctors.

If you’d like to learn more about lesson study, try these links:

• http://www.uwlax.edu/sotl/lsp/overview.htm  includes interviews with leading scholars – Dr. Makoto Yoshida (William Paterson University NJ)and Dr. Catherine Lewis (Mills College CA)
• http://www.lessonresearch.net
• http://www.wpunj.edu/coe/lessonstudy/lesson-study-about.dot

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Young Children and Cell Phones - 

Dr. Niles, Lower School Psychologist

Our fourth graders are currently practicing their persuasive writing skills and a few of them are arguing for or against cell phone use by students in school. Daniel argues for kids having cell phones in school by saying, “Cell phones enable children to learn things that they can’t find in the dictionary and don’t have to wait for computer time”. Another student, Rohin, states that cell phones “are distracting and enable children to cheat”. Rohin also discusses the physical harm that cell phone electromagnetic radiation can cause, as well as negative effects to vision from looking at the screens. (I didn’t check their sources but sounds like a good debate!)I’m often asked by parents, “When should children have cell phones?”.

As a professional who works with children and parents, and as a parent myself, I have to say that it is a big decision and really does depend on so many factors. First of all, I don’t believe that any child with a single-digit age needs a cell phone – even if they assure you that “everyone else has one” – they really don’t. And even after age ten, I’m not sure that they would need a cell phone. I’m sure that many kids (including my first grader) want a cell phone (they also want ice-cream for dinner and to watch TV all night). You’re still the parent and you still need to really think about the benefits and consequences of this major decision. Even if you have a very responsible and independent child, they still can’t possibly understand all of the issues that a cell phone can pose. As adults, we need to be able to make smart decisions and guide our children.

Kids need a phone for safety reasons
A phone may be a good idea for safety purposes if your child happens to be traveling alone by subway or by public transportation. If this is not the case, then this argument for giving a young child a phone really doesn’t stand true. We say “phone” but this really translates to a smart phone, which offers internet access, games, apps, and the ability to record photos and video – this is very different from a good old fashioned phone. Most of our children, especially the elementary aged children, are in the care of responsible adults (who all have phones) when they are not with us. We need to consider how much of this is our own anxiety – wanting to keep tabs on our children all day long. Sure, I would love to receive messages from my children all day and to know what they are thinking and feeling, but I know that this is not healthy parenting – I need to let them develop without me hovering over their every move. They need to feel independent and know how to problem solve when I am not there.

They use it to stay connected to their friends
I truly believe that the more technology advances, the more alone people feel. I also see children growing up with very little practice with face-to-face socialization because they are communicating online. It’s less personal and there are more often misperceptions about ones meaning or emotion when in a written message. It’s important that we turn the devices off and walk outside to see our neighbors or stop by a friend’s house once in a while. (Granted, they will wonder why you didn’t call and if your phone is broken.)
What is transmitted online is permanently out there! The truth is that children may actually be less safe, in terms of privacy and emotional safety, when they have smart phones. Many of the social issues that I hear about during the day have to do with internet technology including texts, social media, pictures, videos, and emails. When we were children, there were still cases of embarrassing or inappropriate notes or photos being passed around school but this information was finite and would eventually disappear from record. Now, such information can be instantly given to an endless number of people (gone viral), including strangers, and it is permanently out there in cyberspace. Children do not have the capability to understand the real consequences to this type of permanency or damage to their, or another person’s, reputation or personal safety. Imagine your child going for their first job interview and a simple Google search bringing up their social and emotional history from the last 20 years – it’s a scary thought. I just can’t get my child to put their phone away while doing homework or at bedtime I have to say that this type of statement from a parent is very difficult for me to hear. My initial thought is always - who is in charge or who is the parent in this home? The use of an actual device such as a smart phone, is probably the easiest thing that we can control with our kids. First of all, my guess is that 99% of these children are not paying for their devices or the services to keep them connected which immediately gives you the ability to use restrictions. As with any safety issue, you probably want to have ongoing conversations with your children about what is appropriate and safe use, and what is not. Help your child to really think about what they are putting in written or picture form online. You can also have very specific rules about what they are allowed to use the phone for and what they are not allowed to use it for. The consequence for misuse is easy: the phone is taken away. Please remember that sleep is your child’s number one resource in terms of health and brain development. When sleep is shortened or disrupted nightly, it can have real effects on your child’s brain development, attention
span, and emotional reactivity. 

Below are some additional resources to help parents make smart decisions about smart phones.

• Book- “The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age”: http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Disconnect-Protecting-Relationships/dp/0062082426
• Bill Gates says age 13 for a phone:http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2013/01/30/at-what-age-should-a-kid-get-a-cell-phone-bill-gates-says-13/

Opera Update

                                                   

Historians

By:Ellie

Hi, this is Ellie from the 5th grade public relations officers. Today I’m here to talk about the historians. There are two historians: Brian and Colin. “So far we have been taking pictures and interviewing people.” said Colin and Brian. The historians learned a few things too. “I learned how to use a video camera,” said Brian. “I learned how to set up a tripod,” said Colin. I then asked Brian and Colin why they chose this job. “I chose this job because I wanted to take pictures and interview people.” said Colin. “I liked all the jobs,” said Brian, “but I thought I would enjoy this one the most.”  

                                                

Since the opera is still a work in progress, Colin and Brian have many things to look forward to. They are responsible for documenting everything that happens in the process of creating the opera during the whole year.  “I’m looking forward to actually seeing the opera,” said Brian. “I’m looking forward to creating the exhibit for the opera that everyone will see that night,” said Colin. Next, Salmaan will tell you about the performers.

                                                 
Hi, my name is Danny, and I am a public relations officer. I am here today to tell you about the people I work with, the public relation officers. They are Danny, Ellie, and Salmaan. Salmaan said that his favorite thing we did so far was to create the logo. I have to say that would be mine too. We feel that we really got it to reflect the title of our opera company. Ellie said that she enjoys interviewing people about their jobs. Ellie said that what she loves most about pr is how well our team communicates with each other. I asked Salmaan, “What is something new that you have learned?” He said, “I learned how to make a press release.” Then I asked, “What are looking forward to most?” Ellie said she is looking forward to when the opera is all complete. I have the same answer as Ellie. Salmaan said he is looking forward to calling up the media after we send them our press releases to convince them to publicize our event. We also recently met with Mrs.Vega who is helping us to put our logo on our t-shirts. We all agree that public relations is a very interesting job.

 Happy Spring Break!