Why I teach - Amanda & Dave

Amanda H, Elementary School Teacher, Charleston South Carolina and Dave A., High School Teacher, Miami Florida (StudentsFirst)


Amanda from Charleston, SC from StudentsFirst on Vimeo

Dave from Miami, FL from StudentsFirst on Vimeo.

Putting students first

StudentsFirst formed in 2010 in response to an increasing demand for a better education system in America. This grassroots movement is designed to mobilize parents, teachers, students, administrators, and citizens throughout country, and to channel their energy to produce meaningful results on both the local and national level.

What year are you preparing your students for?

As Executive Director of the Curriculum Mapping Institute and President of Curriculum Designers, Inc., Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of curriculum and instruction. She has served as an education consultant to schools nationally and internationally on issues and practices pertaining to: curriculum mapping, dynamic instruction, and 21st century strategic planning.

Keeping Time: Music Is a Core Subject

"Music education nourishes the mind as well as the soul"

Extracts from an article by Wynton Marsalis on Edutopia supporting music as core subject.
"It strikes me as strange that music is considered nonessential. More than simply being a source of cultural pride and listening pleasure, music represents a core ingredient in the education of our children."
"Music teaches us the language of expression. You and I and Martin Luther King Jr. could read the exact same speech and it wouldn't sound the same. The words are the same, of course, but why is it that Dr. King's voice and tone carried something beyond the words? It's the expressiveness of the performance."
"Music also teaches us how to get along with others. Consider the music I love: jazz. Each member of the group can improvise, but none of it works -- for a soloist or an ensemble -- if the musicians do not play in balance... This group dynamic teaches the importance of choice, and many choices require some form of sacrifice. You must listen. You must have a conversation. The group must work together to achieve its goals."
"Music must remain a core part of the teaching curriculum...Education works on many levels. It must inform and excite the mind, as well as nourish the spirit. Music is a key part of that education."
-- Watch this nice performance - Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton

Power of the Imaginative Mind - Sir Ken Robinson

"Somebody once said, you know, "The great problem with human societies is not that we aim too high and fail, but that we aim too low and succeed." And for education for the future,  for all of us collectively, I think we all have to accept that for now and forever, we have to aim very high in education, and we have to succeed"
The internationally renowned innovation consultant calls for transformation, not just reformation, of public education. Sir Ken Robinson's remarks were recorded on April 10, 2008, at the Apple Education Leadership Summit, a gathering in San Francisco of more than one hundred school superintendents from around the world. We might have posted already extracts from this talk, but it is always a pleasure to listen to Sir Ken.
- Edutopia's series "Big Thinkers on Education"
- read "Schools Must Validate Artistic Expression"

Click on image below or here to watch video

Motivating Learners - John Seely Brown

"Big Thinkers on Education" is a very interesting series from Edutopia. Some of the most compelling visionaries in the world -- from Sir Ken Robinson to Jane Goodall to Martin Scorsese -- are focusing their attention on how to improve education. From innovative classroom concepts to suggestions on how to foster creativity and collaboration, they share their valuable insights for teaching and learning and illuminate new solutions to old problems. Get inspired by their big ideas.

"Probably the most important thing for kids growing up today is the love of embracing change" 
In the following video innovative thinker John Seely Brown, known for his ideas for merging digital culture and education, shares lessons educators can learn from surfers, gamers, and artists on how passion and competitive hunger can drive intrinsic motivation - Interesting points...worth watching.

Let's have a look at Canada

Contrary to Finland, which is a relatively homogenous society (only 3.8% are foreign-born), Canada has to deal with diversity. In Ontario, schools have raised their test scores and graduation rates by providing resources such as full-time student success teachers, who help English-language learners (ELLs) and other students in need.
"A lot of the students that do come new to the country have a variety of needs and that may be academic, it may be social, it may be language-based. it may be family-based, it could be just survival skills... And a student's success person is a critical piece in a school to help support that child".

Let's go back to Finland

Early intervention and sustained individual support for every student are keys to educating the whole child in Finnish schools.
Some interesting facts (from Edutopia):
- Teachers in Finland are well-trained and highly respected, and recruited from the top 10% of graduates
- Because of the flexible national core curriculum that functions as a framework, Finnish teachers are able to design their own curriculum and choose their own textbooks
- Finnish schools provide a broad array of services, including a hot meal for every student daily, health and dental care, and psychological guidance.
- About 40% of students in Finnish secondary schools receive some kind of special intervention (special teachers are assigned to students who need extra help and then provide it)
- Upper secondary schools in Finland employ a modular structure that enables students to design their own learning programs based on their individual needs and interests

More on Project-based Learning

Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying.
We will post 3 video clips about successful examples of this model of learning.

At Manor New Technology High School an unwavering commitment to an effective schoolwide PBL model keeps both students and teachers motivated and achieving their best.



High Tech High, a network of K-12 public charter schools, uses rigorous projects and portfolio assessments to revolutionize learning.



A public school district in Danville, Ky., has turned its emphasis away from traditional testing in order to encourage creativity and let students learn by doing. NewsHour special correspondent for education John Merrow reports on "deep learning," and how it requires commitment from educators, students and parents.

More on Blended Learning

Today we will continue to focus on two different learning approaches embraced by the current education reform: Blended learning and Project base learning.
As mentioned in previous posts with blended learning face-to-face classroom methods are combined with computer-mediated activities. According to those who support this learning method, this will allow more personalized instruction for every student and will enable each to realize his or her fullest potential.
First we would like to post a video clip about a successful initiative called Phaedrus. Seton Partners teamed up with Mission Dolores Academy in San Francisco to create blended learning classrooms.
Second we would like to RE post a great TED talk by Jessie Woolley-Wilson, currently Chair, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning on blending technology and classroom learning.

The theory of Disruptive Innovation and Education

The theory of "disruptive innovation" describes a process by which a product or service transforms an existing market by introducing simplicity, convenience, accessibility, and affordability. This theory was first coined by Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen in his research on the disk-drive industry and later popularized by his book The Innovator’s Dilemma, published in 1997.
Principles of disruptive innovation are applicable to the social sector as well, including education. The Education Program at the Christensen Institute examines K–12 and higher education issues through the lens of disruptive innovation and its research aims to transform factory-model systems into student-centered designs that educate every student successfully and enable each to realize his or her fullest potential.
In this video Christensen and Eyring discuss the "The Innovative University", which builds upon the theory of "disruptive innovation" and applies it to the world of higher education. The Innovative University illustrates how higher education can respond to the forces of disruptive innovation , and offers a nuanced and hopeful analysis of where the traditional university and its traditions have come from and how it needs to change for the future. Through an examination of Harvard and BYU-Idaho as well as other stories of innovation in higher education, the authors decipher how universities can find innovative, less costly ways of performing their uniquely valuable functions.

Disrupting Class

Michael Horn is a co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute and serves as the executive director of its education program. He leads a team that educates policymakers and community leaders on the power of disruptive innovation in the K-12 and higher education spheres through its research. His team aims to transform monolithic, factory-model education systems into student-centric designs that educate every student successfully and enable each to realize his or her fullest potential. "With the growth of online learning—a disruptive innovation—we stand at an unprecedented moment in human history where education is being transformed".

Blended Learning

"Blended learning generally refers to incorporating online learning into traditional brick-and-mortar schools to create hybrid learning experiences for students. Sal Khan of the much-acclaimed Khan Academy personifies the blended learning movement. His team's herculean efforts to record thousands of videos, create practice problems, and build sophisticated back-end analytics are opening educators' minds to what is possible with online learning. As with any innovation, there is a growing army of critics who accuse Khan of being just more of the same drill-and-kill pedagogy. They ask, "Where is the deep and engaging curriculum that Ted Sizer championed?" It may surprise readers to know that Sal Khan himself is an advocate of projects and hands-on learning, believing that using videos like his can free teachers' time and energy up for richer instruction focused on higher-order skills. So if Mr. Blended Learning embraces PBL, can the PBL community embrace blended learning, too?" (Connecting Project-Based and Blended Learning - Bob Lenz on Edutopia)
-- read Blend my Learning blog
-- read "Elucidating Blended Learning On Khan Academy" - by Michael Horn on Forbes

More on Rap and Science

"If i use the word Nova I will be speaking about a star, unlike the average rapper who will be probably talking about a car"
StarTalk, from Curved Light Productions, is the first and only popular commercial radio program devoted to all things space and is hosted by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. As Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, Tyson makes regular appearances as the "nation's expert on space" on major news programs and popular shows (Daily Show, Colbert Report). Neil sits down with the one and only, The Genius, Gza to discuss his career and how science has influenced his life and creativity - This is funny!

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green?

Wu-Tang Clan's GZA recently gave a TEDx Teen talk about his love of science and the work he's done as co-founder of Science Genius, a nonprofit that engages high school students with science using hip hop. The pilot program met with great success in terms of recognition and results: participating schools saw an increase in regents exams scores and 15-25% in attendance. When asked who was his favorite Wu Tang member, Mayor Elect of New York City, Bill DiBlasio, said "GZA. Not only is he a great lyricist, but I also admire his work to engage African American and Latino students in the sciences."
The talk is called "The Genius of Science", and in the course of it, GZA addresses the etymology of the The Wu-Tang Clan ("'Wu' is the 'word'; 'Tang' is the tongue, or the sword. So it's about being lyrically sharp...") and the relationship between science and music ("each soul is tuned to a different pitch, and [music] is about harmonizing the soul"). It ends with students from the Science Genius program rapping about gravity, sexual reproduction, and natural selection.
-- read on Pitchfork
-- read on TIME
-- GZA's Rap-Lecture on Big Bang Theory at the University of Toronto
-- read about "A Hip-Hop Experiment"

Teach teachers how to create magic

Chris Emdin believes the best teachers can be found in the unlikeliest of places -- and that traditional education theory is failing our students. That's why he founded Science Genius B.A.T.T.L.E.S. (Bring Attention to Transforming Teaching, Learning and Engagement in Science), which takes the techniques for self-expression and engagement used in hip-hop into the class room (Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA is a fan and supporter as well.) Emdin is a contributor to The Huffington Post and is an associate professor at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.
"If we could transform teacher education to focus on teaching teachers how to create that magic then poof! we could make dead classes come alive, we could reignite imaginations, and we can change education"

The essential role of music in education

"Music education does not just make children more musical; it unleashes their creative powers"
Music educator Richard Gill is the Music Director of the Victorian Opera and the Artistic Director of the Education Program for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
-- Read "Every child needs music" on Limelight

Please don't cut the music!

MUSIC PROGRAMS ARE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE EVERYWHERE.
On April 15, at a Vancouver School Board meeting discussing proposed budget cuts, Roger Cole, principal oboist for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, read a statement on behalf of Maestro Bramwell Tovey, music director for the VSO.
Today we are posting extracts from this statement and a from a 2010 speech by Tovey that we think says all the right things.
- If you want to read the 2014 statement in full please go HERE.
- If you want to read the 2010 speech please go HERE.
"We believe an education without a significant musical component is no education at all"
"Music is a form of language which reaches every human being. It needs little or no translation. In a school district like Vancouver, where dozens of languages are spoken by our widely diverse community, music is the only language common to everyone"
"Music is the expression of the inner narrative of every child, the common thread of communication to those who participate in a band or orchestra"
"The social benefits of music are extraordinary - If a student holds a musical instrument then he or she can’t hold a knife, or a joint, or a needle or a crack pipe – or a gun".
"If a student is in a choir or a band or an orchestra, they are communicating through the universal art of music at the heart of our community"
"What kind of message does this give to our children about the values of our society? Here’s an instrument. Now give it back" 
This is a comment penned by a young student who had spent his brief life in foster care due to a litany of misfortune that made Beethoven’s disability seem negligible by comparison. "It was the most beautiful building I have ever seen it was the most wonderful music I’ve ever heard it was the greatest day of my life" "That is the power of music – to heal, to inspire, to communicate, to transform and so much else besides" 
"Beethoven had no choice but to live in a world of silence. PLEASE, DO NOT LET YOUR CHOICE BRING SILENCE TO THE WORLD OF A SINGLE CHILD"

Educating for the unknown

We liked Prof. David Perkins a lot, so we are posting another interview where he further develops his ideas on 21st century education. I would recommend everybody to listen to him. Another great mind.

21st century learning methods - David Perkins

This is the second interview we post by Patrick Newell from 21 Foundation. Here he interviews David Perkins, Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Perkins considers what's worth learning and how to educate for the unknown. Very interesting, worth watching.
"Discourse around education tends to be around methods: how are we are going to get youngsters to learn what we have decided they ought to learn. I think that we need to think in terms of educating for the unknown...for large understandings that can help us code the unexpected as well as the expected"


David Perkins Interview from 21 Foundation on Vimeo.