Monday Musings from The Kravis Center Monday Musings September 16, 2019 FOCUS: Accessibility Thursday, 9/19 PD session will focus on Effective Learning Environments (ELE) and Accessibility. In order to get a sense of numbers (there is always food!), please use this link to let us know if you would like to come and chat with colleagues about these important topics. Dear Colleagues, In our household, there's been a lot of discussion of late about accessibility, particularly since several of our alma maters have made recent headlines. Adnan's large, public high school in Brooklyn referenced during his remarks on Faculty Day has a competitive entrance exam, as do seven other selective New York City public schools. This exam is an objective measure of students' potential, one might argue, designed to select individuals deserving of a free, high-quality education. So, what's the rub? The issue, of course, is that the student body of these schools is not at all representative of the New York City population; as Jelani Cobb reveals in the New Yorker article "Back to School Reform", "Black and Latino students together make up almost seventy per cent of the public-school population but just ten percent of the population of the specialized high schools." In June of 2018, Mayor and presidential hopeful Bill de Blasio proposed doing away with these exams, and last month the advisory group de Blasio created to investigate these issues recommended an overhaul of the admissions process for the city's selective public schools and an elimination of the city's gifted-and-talented programs. Not surprisingly, opponents have characterized de Blasio's efforts to address these inequalities as a "war on smart kids." Despite the obvious differences between Loomis Chaffee and New York City public schools, questions about standardized testing and who deserves access to the rich educational opportunities that we offer are clearly pertinent. Just as important as the theme of equity and admissions is the topic of how we support underrepresented students once they are on our campus. While my own alma mater has received a lot of positive press in recent years regarding efforts to diversify its student body, alumnus and Harvard professor of education Anthony Abraham Jack recently published a moving piece chronicling his struggles as a low-income student at Amherst College. Many programs are in place at Loomis Chaffee to help Loomis students in Jack's situation. How might we further our commitment to supporting our neediest students? Happy reading, and have a great week! Rachel, on behalf of the Kravis Center The Power of In-House PD: Books on Learning and Teaching (BLT) Thank you to those who have signed up for a BLT. We would like to have the groups set the week of September 25, so please fill out this form if you are interested. All are welcome! You do not have to be in a PD cycle to join. Small Teaching: James Lang's Small Teaching encourages educators to make small, research-informed changes to their teaching in order to enhance student learning. Small Teaching is engaging, easily digestible, and immediately applicable. In advance of each meeting, participants will read one chapter and experiment with a new teaching technique. If you are interested, here is an interview with Pooja K. Agarwal (including short video clips) from The Learning Agency. Grading for Equity: Joe Feldman's Grading for Equity tackles head on the issues surrounding grading today, from the foundations of grading (how we arrived where we are today), to why grading is so difficult to talk about, and how traditional grading often stifles "risk-taking". He pushes us to look at mathematically accurate grading practices and those that value knowledge, support a growth mindset, and that build core competencies. If you are interested, here are a couple of resources: Building More Inclusive Communities with Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman NAIS Independent School Magazine Summer 2019; Interview with Feldman from Ed's (Not) Dead Podcast-The All Things Education Podcast (22 minutes) Is Everyone Really Equal?: Is Everyone Really Equal leads us through a thorough exploration of social justice education, key concepts, and practical application. Through reading, discussing, and applying its concepts, participants will be able to expand their DEI tool kit. External PD Options: Tuesday, October 15 at 7:00 PM at the Renbrook School "Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Own Learning" "PBL is growing because it engages and empowers students to learn experientially and share that learning in new and unique ways that go well beyond the classroom." --presenter A.J. Juliani This event is free and open to the public. Please use this link to register. Interactive Teaching Resources Are you curious about interactive learning websites such as Quia and EdPuzzle? If you would like to join the school's group membership to either of these sites, OR if you are an expert and can serve as a valuable resource to faculty who would like to learn more about these sites, let Sara know. Valuable resources to bookmark. Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching is a resource that I consult frequently. Here is their link to the first day of classes. You will find a number of helpful links on their site. Deans for Impact and the pdf of The Science of Learning - a must read on teh neuroscience of learning. Academic Tenacity by Dweck, Walter, and Cohen The New Faculty Cohort (NFC) read excerpts for orientation. A must read on creating a sense of belonging and classroom motivation. |