Working and playing — essential components of learning and keystones for establishing both the love and limits that create a safe space for each student. The question of how to best set appropriate boundaries within a loving context became all the more important because Mission Hill is a full inclusion school, meaning students with exceptionalities are not pulled out and … Read More
Year at Mission Hill, Chapter 3 Making It Real
This chapter opens with the question, “What makes a mind come alive?” It is an apropos question that is all to often left out of discussions about education and education reform. At Mission Hill it is central to the development of educational experiences for students. Check out this chapter that explores the idea of creating opportunities for students to create, … Read More
5 Steps to Overhaul Teaching
Once again, Columbia University professor, Christopher Emdin, puts forth a rapid fire and common sense proposal for rethinking urban — and really ANY — education to ensure it is student focused, relevant, and purposefully engaging. The basis of this video: Reality pedagogy which is, “Teaching based on the reality of the student’s experience.” 5 C’s of Reality Pedagogy: The Cypher … Read More
A Year at Mission Hill, Chapter 2: Beginning the Year
Chapter 2 of A Year at Mission Hill takes us to the start of the year, or as many educators see it, the laying of the foundation. While educators recognize the importance of reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, many see the first days of school as tone setters. In this, the educators at Mission Hill work to build community amongst themselves … Read More
Breeding Civilty With Civility
A recent “Grey Matter” piece in the New York Times Sunday Review entitled “This Story Stinks” takes a look at the impact comments have on people’s perception of content (in this case, nanotechnology). The goal of the study being reported on was to better understand how civil and uncivil comments on blogs, digital newspapers, or other Internet hosted domains shape … Read More
“To This Day” Project (Amazing Video)
Shane Koyczan — spoken word poet, writer, and performer — was the first Canadian to win the National Poetry Slam in 2000. That success portended the recent virality of “To This Day,” an emotional and passionate exploration of bullying, victimhood, and the ongoing struggle to heal wounds so as to not be defined by them. One of the many beautiful … Read More
A Year at Mission Hill Chapter 1
Below is the first chapter of a remarkable video series: A Year at Mission Hill. The premise, as described on the project’s site, is simple: Ten videos. One year. A public school trying to help children learn and grow. The national conversation we need to be having. What goes into creating a powerful learning environment for children and adults? Meet … Read More
The Power of Belief – Mindset and Success
Here is a great talk by Eduardo Briceno, described on the TEDxManhattanBeach website as “The CEO of Mindset Works, an organization he co-founded with Carol Dweck, Ph.D., Lisa Blackwell, Ph.D., and others to equip people with the core beliefs and learning strategies needed for success.” Below is his talk from that event, which is both inspiring and informative. Transforming students’ … Read More
Social Emotional Learning Core Competencies
Seeing the forest despite the trees. Our nation’s educational focus continues to zero in on “achievement” as defined by test scores in specific academic areas and the resulting gaps therein. This hyper focus exacerbates our nearly systematic blind eye related to learning for living and cultivating life long learners. As a result, policies that increase the stakes of standardized assessments … Read More
10 Steps to Equity in Education
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which works to “promote the policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world,” published a Policy Briefing titled, “Ten Steps to Equity in Education.” The briefing (which you can read in its entirety here) lays out some of the basic policies necessary for achieving equity in … Read More
